Quiet You

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
       Zephaniah 3:17


Ever had those days when your emotions just seem to run wild?  You know what I mean, for no apparent reason you wake feeling sad or empty.  The more you try to figure out "what in the world is going on", the sadder or emptier you feel.

Feeling this way isn't necessarily wrong but there is a better way!  Trust in The Lord, take Him at His word.  His word says that He will quiet you with His love.  Don't know about you but that sounds like an extremely good promise to grab onto...

Picture with me for a moment or two, the love between a mom and her baby. The house would be quiet, so early in the morning, except for the uncontrollable crying of her baby. She has tried everything; changing the diaper, a warm bottle of milk, a favorite rattle but all to no avail.  The rocking chair in the corner looks inviting as she picks up the crying child and begins to gently rock to and fro.  Soon the baby is snuggling silently against her chest and all seems well once again!  Her love has quieted the cries.

I leave you now with that mental picture as I see the rocker and my Heavenly Father calling me to snuggle against Him as He quiets me with His love.

New Seasons and Dreams

 

Spring has sprung! Winter was slow giving way to spring but it had to move aside to wait in silent till it's time will come again.

Looking at my own life, I realize that seasons have come and gone.  Some passed slowly almost refusing to make room for the next.  Perhaps there were also those seasons that I clung to, refusing to move out of my comfort zone.

At times, we believe our season is long past. It has been put to rest with the dream that never seemed to come to fruition.  And yet the sense of wonderment, of could it be, lingers.

Reading a portion of Abraham and Sarah's story this morning once again brought hope to my weary bones. You can read their story in Genesis.

This two people without a doubt walked through many seasons in their lives.  They had seasons of hope, despair and fulfilled promises of God.  Sarah understood lack of fulfillment as she watched as her body aged, losing hope of the promised child. Yet that season was still not only in God's hands but also in His plans.

Do you have a season, a dream that you long for?  I too believe I am walking into a new season of life. Like Sarah waiting on God's promise of child, I probably have tried to give birth to my dream in my own ways time and again. Now in my older age, I too laugh as I hear the chance of God birthing that dream. The spiritual tummy is bulging and the heartbeat of the spiritual child seems stronger than ever.

Years ago, I felt God calling me to a particular task.  For years, I wrestled with the notion that I was not rich enough, smart enough, brave enough or strong enough to make the dream come to past.  Like the picture I shared yesterday, I needed to promise to remember that I was braver than I felt, stronger than it seemed and smarter than I thought.  But what I really needed was to simply take God at His word.

We all can rest in the knowledge of a loving God that promises to complete the good work He has begun in each of us.  If He has placed a dream, hope or promise inside you, wait on it.  It will surely come to past.  Do your part!  What is my part, you ask?  Our part is to obey, trust and love The Lord with everything within us!

Preaching at myself this morning, I remind us just as the labor pains of an expecting mother bring forth the cries of her newborn so God will bring forth the cries of the dream He placed within us!

A portion of Sarah’s story...

"So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, 'After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?'" - Genesis 18:12

God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son who would be the seed of a whole nation. Sarah was now beyond childbearing years. So when some angels from God paid Abraham a visit to inform him that Sarah was going to have a child, she happened to be listening outside the tent and laughter escaped from within her.  The thought seemed unbelievable to her. The angels reminded her that nothing is impossible with God.

"Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son" (Gen. 18:14).

Sarah gave birth to Isaac as foretold.

You will find more encouragment over at Spiritual Sundays

Just for Her

Looking out the kitchen window, the sight took her breath away. Just above the bare limbs of trees, the sky shimmered with rays of a gorgeous reddish sunrise.  It was as if God had painted the sky just for her, giving her yet another promise of His relentless love. Without a doubt, she knew, only God could design something so perfect and wonderful.

Knowing the camera would not do it justice still she must try to capture it. Just before she turned to go, she whispered "thank you so much God."

A sunrise always holds a promise for a new day, a day to start over.  Perhaps today you feel the need for that new start or maybe it is simply the need to continue with purpose that which God has planted in your heart.  Either way, today is that day for you!

The Mighty One, God the Lord, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down.  Ps. 50:1 (NKJV)

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NKJV)
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

I love the way The Message bible says the last of those scriptures....

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).  He’s all I’ve got left.




Friends welcomed over at Spiritual Sundays

He Came Speaking Softly

In the wee hours of the night, God often speaks softly in our souls.  Softly, yet carrying weight that will still be there when we awake the next morning. Please allow me to explain as you read on.

We started 40 days of prayer and fasting last night.  The service was a time to reflect on where we are headed and what we truly want to accomplish.  As we were leaving the service my mind and heart seems so settled but it was temporary.  Around 1:00 a.m., I found myself wide awake with my eyes focused on the clock's projection of time on our bedroom ceiling.  Thoughts were running over and over in my mind of how and why God would shake us.

In my mind's eye, there I stood as a little girl.  I could hear the words "did you shake that rug or you sure you got all the dirt out?"  Mom was somewhat of a clean freak (a trait I must admit I inherited).   God was reminding me that just as I shook that rug to remove the dirt so He was about to shake me (us) to remove the sins of my life.

Think back with me to my post from January 16th.  Remember some of my words when speaking of "Intimacy with God".  God's word brought me to that of fasting right in the middle of my study on intimacy.  I have once again posted the scripture below.

After reading the scripture I understood that no matter what we fast what He truly desires it that we do so with great sorrow of our sin and sinful nature. His desire is that our heart is tender and pliable to His word and His will for our lives.  I left us in that post with this prayer: “Abba Father, please give me a clean heart.  May it be tender and pliable as you shake, shape and sent me forward!”

God hears and answers every single one of our prayers.  Perhaps not as we expected or when we thought they should be answered but He does answer…

And He is answering mine “make my heart clean, tender and pliable as you shake”.  He said last night, “I am shaking the sin from your life (our lives) as one shakes the dirt from the rug.”

God’s shaking is to get rid the dirt that is deep down in our lives. Even as a child I came to understand that sweeping or vacuuming at the top may make the rug appear clean, but that it must be taken outside and shaken (at times with force) to be absolutely clean.  How will He shake each of us?  I have no answer for that question.  For each of us may require our own type of shaking to be made clean.  Why will He shake us?  He will shake to rid us of all sin and uncleanness, so that we may be sent to represent Him well to this lost and dying world.  And He will shake us until we can become the spotless Bride of Christ ready for His returning.

 Psalm 51:16-17
New King James Version (NKJV)
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

She Danced

How she danced! For quite some time now I have been seeing glimpses of things in my mind's eye.  Not just shadows of things but the actual object has been so clear.  Probably about five weeks ago I saw an opened music box with a dancer.  Not the every little girl's normal ballerina music box, this one had a live woman with a flowing skirt.  She held one side of the skirt in her hand while the other hand was extended upward as in praise.  She appeared so full of joy, reminding me that as His daughters this type of joy can and should be ours. 

For many days after, upon waking, I would catch this vision in my mind.  The vision is no longer active but as I was looking through family pictures today I came across this one of my granddaughter dancing.  Maybe, this picture can give us a visual image of the joy to simply let go and praise The Lord!  

                                     

Often the psalmist spoke of singing and dancing being his way of praise. Yet while reading the Psalms there is no doubt that time of trouble, despair, depression and loneliness had been a part of his life since the beginning.  While David often faced the woes of life, he always seemed to come back to the One that gave him courage and hope to go on! 

 

Just as David danced before The Lord in unlikely time of happiness so we can also.   David penned these words and other like them time and again.

 "You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God, I can’t thank you enough."
             Psalm 30:11-12. The Message (MSG)

 

Like David I choose to remember the times God has changed my troubles, my sorrows and my life challenges into joy.   So I will dance and burst with song as I lift up my Lord!  In the good times and in the bad (hard) times I will DANCE. . .

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!  Psalm 149:3 ESV

Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.  Jeremiah 31:13 ESV

 

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 Spiritual Sundays, a geat place to read other encouraging, uplifting devotions

True Love

Being a counselor at times offers unbelievable rewards. One of those rewards came my way this week as a client shared one of the most beautiful, touching stories I’ve heard. It was a story of love, not just any love but the LOVE of all loves, the love of our Abba Father.

Her story as I recall it: “As I set in church, the praise and worship was so great although I cannot recall the songs because I was lost in praise and prayer. With my eyes close I envisioned being at the feet of God praying, tears of joy flowing. Suddenly, the Lord’s hand reached down toward me as He whispered come daughter, here sit on my lap. As I crawled on His lap, He placed my head on His shoulder. Such peace and love I have never felt before.”

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

Read other stories of love this week at Spiritual Sundays