Tag: love

The Places

There were times over the last two years that we hardly went anywhere and that was as much of a challenge as going places. In fact, we thought more about where we were going and who might be there over the last couple of years than we could have ever imagined.

So he we are, living in a freer world — stepping out and moving about, albeit a little cautiously. The places we are going may just be that: nothing special — simply locations. But there is effort and energy in the movement and we have to go.

Are there places you need to go but to don’t care to? Are there places you are excited about? Are there places you are dreading?

Me too. And God is in all those places. When I am heading to the places I need to get to, it helps me to remember that God goes before me, He comes behind me, and He hems me in. He is with me in all of the places.

When I need to go to a place I would rather not be, I say,

Be near me, Lord Jesus!

Wait and see.

I am often impatient. I have what I think is the perfect plan — the ultimate sequence of events. Except it rarely is.

I don’t have the bird’s eye view. I don’t know the bigger picture. I don’t see what God sees that involves generations of impact from early years or for the future. I simply don’t.

The question is, do I trust the One who does?

Of course, there are things I can and should do. But, these things should be prayerfully done. Sometimes plans are delayed for one reason or another and I may not always learn why. Sometimes new things, good and bad, enter my life that waylay my plans. Have I left room for God to move? To create? To work His work? Am I afraid the path might be painful or difficult?

All my doing is not always productive. I can give my effort and pray for God to bless or change it. And I can wait and see what He is doing with my circumstances, relationships, and challenges.

I can be me and wait and see what God is doing. I will wait impatiently and imperfectly, but I will wait and see.

Keep your eyes open.

God’s work is all around us. Are we too distracted or bogged down to see it? There are two things I do to increase my awareness of what God is doing. One thing I do is ask God:

“Show me what you are doing here!”

Sometimes I say it as a prayer of desperation. Other times it is more like an inquiry. When we are looking for God’s work or His hand in a matter, we will see it.

Other times I simply

Dig in.

Scripture has so many stories and examples of God’s patient and merciful work. And there are other stories — from family and friends and even strangers who have written books. With so much going on in our world, I find I need to be refreshed with encouragement and hope.

God is working.

He never stops. He wants you to see what He is doing. He wants to transform your vision so you can see people the way He does. There is only one way to do that, keep your eyes open and ask Him to grant you His perspective.

My apologies for missing a couple of days in PrayerPoints this season. We have been moving to a new house and things have been crazy: exciting and exhausting. And now we have to unpack and find happy homes for all the things!

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

Psalm 121:1-3

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

I know when I am discouraged, disappointed, or depressed I often look down. I look downtrodden. I don’t see all that is in front of me.

The simple practice of lifting my eyes and looking up makes a difference on my countenance. And when I do so, recognizing Who it is that I am looking to for assistance, I am in a good place. I am in a place of humility. I am recognizing that I have a need and I am seeking God for the solution.

My help comes from the Lord.

From daily tasks to huge obstacles, God wants to provide solutions and encouragement. He has things for us to learn along the way, but He is a problem solver. He is a life giver. And He is my sustainer.

As you look at the day and week ahead, look up — seek His face. Ask God to be in your work and play.

Let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:5-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Let your requests be made known to God.

I sure have trouble with this! I feel like I have spent a lifetime practicing the present your requests to God part. I still don’t get that right. And with thanksgiving — in every situation? Well, that isn’t always so easy either. I have a long history with God — and still, I get distracted and overwhelmed.

Some things take a while to come to fruition. Some things are never meant to be. But that peace of God is such an amazing gift. The work God does in our hearts as we wait, in prayer, is His work. The guarding of our hearts and minds is His work, but the presenting everything to Him in prayer and supplication is what we need to do.

I am so thankful that God’s peace is in short supply. He wants to give us this beautiful gift! I just need to remember to turn it over to Him before I have any time to be anxious about it.

Let your requests be made known to God.

God loves to hear from His children! What are you laying at His feet today?

O my Strength.

Psalm 59:16-17

16 But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.

O my Strength.

How often do I think I can do it “myself”. We have two grandchildren between the ages of 2 and 3 and we are seeing an increased amount of independence. Of course, that is normal and age appropriate. And the rest of life seems to be all about finding the balance between our physical and mental independence, strength, ability, dependence, and how it ebbs and flows during the years. And then, there is the spiritual side of things. In our weakness we see God’s strength. We wrestle with our circumstances. Does our own strength even matter? Are we stronger when we allow God’s strength to be shown? Can we be patient and let God do His work?

When we look to God for His wisdom and His strength, He will deliver. He is our fortress, our deliverer. He shows us His steadfast love.

O my Strength.

The Lord is my light and salvation.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord is my light and salvation
whom shall I fear?

There is a lot of fear going around these days. We are not quite through a pandemic which has altered many of our lives and livelihoods. And now there is a war in Ukraine. I can’t really stop any of these things that are going on in the world. But I can run to God with my fears and confusion.

Lord, be my salvation. Be the stronghold of my life. Be my confidence and truth. Be my defender. Be my healer. Be the one that knows the bigger picture and sees how it works together. Be the one I trust in all things. Hear me when I am afraid. Help me trust in You.

The Lord is my light and salvation
whom shall I fear?

I give thanks to you.

 Psalm 86:8-13

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.

My whole heart. My undivided heart. That heart that cannot curse and bless at the same time. That’s the heart David is talking about.

I can imagine David. His whole heart ready to burst — overflowing with the thankfulness for God’s gifts of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. When we are burden with sin, it’s a heavy load to carry. When we recognize all that God sees and knows about us and and that He still loves us, it is an amazing thing. We are His creation. And He provides for us in ways that are beyond our comprehension.

It’s true we don’t get everything we want. Even those honorable things that seem like they would be good things aren’t always meant for us. Getting to the point of being thankful in all circumstances is a journey of surrender.

But it can begin today.

What difficult things can you look back on in your life and see where God has done some beautiful work? If you have some history with God, you have seen His provision in action. You know what He can do — even if it takes years for it to come to fruition.

What is today’s circumstance that has you wondering is He sees or knows or even cares? Let me encourage you to give thanks to Him for what He has done and what He is going to do. Even if you can’t start with your whole heart, start with part of your heart. As you look back on what He has done, it gets easier to trust Him with your heart. It may start off as bits and pieces, but, between remembering His work in the past and giving thanks for today, you will find that more and more of your heart will participate.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.

Unite my heart.

 Psalm 86:8-13

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Unite my heart to fear your name.

Have you ever had a divided heart? They aren’t hard to come by. I find myself longing for that thing I should not be longing for or I am stuck between choosing what is the right thing to do and the thing I would rather do. Maybe you have some other scenarios playing in your head. I want my heart to trust in God so I don’t have to look longingly at that other thing that I don’t need in my life. I want to “fear His name” with that sense of awe and reverence. While God is certainly all powerful, I never really look at His power as something to be fearful of in the current understanding of the word. Merriam-Webster defined fear as profound reverence and awe, especially towards God. That fits.

Even when I have really struggled with the burden of sin and consequences I never saw God as one to be afraid of so I appreciate the difference in the use of the word fear in the definition above. Not that God loves sin, He certainly doesn’t. But His patient love for me, even when I am in the middle of being ridiculous, is always evident.

Lord, unite my heart so it is undivided and that is is Yours. Let the rhythm of Your breath of life set the beat of my heart and let it all be for Your glory! Amen.

For you are great.

Psalm 86:8-13

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

For you are great and do wondrous things;
 you alone are God.

God has done marvelous things, He is doing amazing things, and so I know He won’t stop. It’s His nature.

I just need to take a look at my life to see His work, His provision, His care for me. Are the times of loss and difficulty? Of course, that is living this life. Any difficulty I have is not an indication of His lack of love or care for me.

Look back and remember what He has done for you. Look at today and see where He is providing for you. See the pattern? Tomorrow will be the same thing. You can count on Him!