In the Shelter of the Almighty (poem)

I dwell in the shelter of the Lord Almighty. I hide myself in the shadow of His wings. 

He is my place of refuge and strength. He is my God in whom I put my trust.  

He delivers me from the snares and traps of the enemy.   

When my feet falter and my heart feels faint;He is there to catch me. 

He lifts my head to look at Him.  He picks me up and places me on Jesus my Rock and shelter from the trials that threaten to beat me down.

He comforts me in the loving care of His arms. His shield of truth protects me from the fierce barbs of my enemy. 

I call to the Lord in my time of trouble for He is near and He will answer me. 

He satisfies me with his grace and goodness in the morning and lifts my spirit to soar above the sea.  

I will sing my praise unto my God, unto Jesus my King.

Psalm 91, Psalm 27

Humility and Obedience

Today I was reading about the story of Naaman the Leper(2 Kings 5).

Naaman was a mighty man of valor and had won many battles, but one battle he could not win, was the battle against his leprosy.  He could not heal himself. It took a little servant girl from Israel to bring him hope.  She said that there was a prophet in Israel that could cure him.

Even though Naaman was not a believer in the God of Israel, he was desperate enough to seek for this prophet that could bring healing to his body. He brought money, clothes and his fame with  him to present before the prophet Elisha. His hope was in who he was and what he had to offer.

Did all that Naaman had to "offer" impress Elisha? No, instead of meeting Naaman face-to-face, Elisha sent a servant to tell him what to do.

That must have pricked Naaman's pride.  He was a "self-made" man, rich and powerful. Why was Elisha sending a lowly servant instead of coming himself? In his prideful state, Naaman didn't even realize that God was the one who  placed him in authority and had given him victory in his battles. All Naaman had was because God had given it to him in the first place.

Not only did Elisha "injure" Naaman's pride, by not meeting him; his answer to Naaman's problem was;dip yourself into the river seven times and you will be healed. That was adding insult to injury!

What a simple answer. Naaman was offended;couldn't he go wash in a river in his country that was better than the Jordan !? Naaman didn't want a simple answer that did not line up with the way he thought God should heal him.  He wanted to see Elisha do some exciting and marvelous healing, right there and right now!

Naaman almost lost out on receiving healing because of his pride.  Thankfully, his wise servant, said to give it a try.   Naaman obeyed the word of the Lord and washed himself  seven times in the Jordan river and was healed.  That day he learned humility and obedience. God healed him and Naaman put his trust in the Lord.

Often God does not work in my life in a way that I expect. The way that he works most in my life; is bringing me to a place of letting go of my expectations and humbling myself before him.  He asks me to trust and obey him, even though I may not understand his plan.  As I humble myself before the Lord, I see him work in ways on my behalf that overwhelm me and fill me with gratitude and praise. When I let go and let God do the work in my heart and life that needs to be done; I receive his grace and mercy and He gets the glory and praise.

(Dear Father, Precious Lord Jesus,  help me to trust you.  May I humble myself before you and I as I obey your word, may I see how you work you good and perfect will for my life.  All the glory, honor, and praise to you.  Amen)

Looking for love in the wrong places and in too many faces

 This morning I felt like I was in a raw and vulnerable place.  As I was praying for someone that I deeply care about and am concerned for, I recognized a weakness in me that I saw in them.  It brought up old pain and mistakes that I made because of my lack of understanding of unconditional love.

Everyone wants to be loved and accepted.  Sometimes though, we use the wrong methods or look in the wrong places for love and acceptance.  Most of my life, starting at childhood, I have struggled to feel loved and accepted. I tried so hard in many ways to get the acceptance of  the people around me. I believe a lot of that came from the brokenness of my home, but some of it just came from the brokenness of life. 

We come into this imperfect world as  imperfect people, looking for love as children,  through adulthood.  Some of us have better relationships with our parents and family members and that can give us a greater since of security, while others have broken family relationships that can leave us insecure and doubting our worth.  Either way there is still a deep need to be unconditionally loved in each of us. Even the people I have met that had a wonderful home life, still have a deep need to be loved unconditionally.

I tried seeking love and acceptance by being good, smart, beautiful, funny, etc...but still I felt insecure  and some of the people that I thought I were close to me, rejected me. I can't be all that I think someone wants me to be.  I need to be the person that God created me to be.

Thankfully I have found a more satisfying love in my relationship with my husband, my children, close family, and in my friends, but there is still a hunger in my soul.

I have come to realize that just as my love is imperfect and can never satisfy a person's need, no matter how hard I try; no other human being can satisfy my need for unconditional love.  There is only one person who can love me unconditionally and take away my insecurities and that is Jesus. His is the face that you can look into and see unconditional love.

Maybe this seems like a trite answer, but it's not!  Even my best relationships are in connection with those who have His love in their hearts.  And my best love for others is when I allow the Holy Spirit's love to touch my heart and flow through me to love my family, friends and others.

I am growing in love for others and believing that I am loved unconditionally by God. I am his child adopted into his family through my Lord and God, Christ Jesus!  My prayer is that you grow close to the Lord this year and realize His unconditional love for you.  May God's love work in your heart and give hope to people that need to know His love too.

Remember.....

Remember where you came from, who you are now, where you are going and how you are getting there.

Chapter 2 of Ephesians, reminds us that we all were sinners and under the power of the prince of the air.  We all were separated from God and it was only because of God’s great mercy and love that we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness.  His grace has saved us through faith in Jesus the Son and now we live in the kingdom of light!

We need to remember that God gave us the gift of life through Jesus and we didn’t work for it, so we have no reason to brag about ourselves.  We can brag on God though, and his wonderful gift of grace for all who will receive it through faith.

Sometimes the obstacles that people have to Christianity are of their own making and doing, but sometimes it can be our pride in being a Christian.  We need to humbly present the gospel message, not making it seem that we are better than others; instead we need to present it in a way as if we are sharing a gift that we have received ourselves.

If I received a delicious 10 pound box of my favorite dark chocolate with nuts, I want to eat and savor some of them but I don’t want to be selfish and keep it all to myself.  Instead I want to share with my friends and family, so they too may enjoy this gift.

God doesn’t want us to selfishly horde our gift of grace; he wants us to share it graciously with others, so they too may enjoy the richness of Christ.

Remember, you too were once dead in your sin and trespasses.  Remember, that you have been given the gift of salvation through faith.  Remember, that is only through God’s grace that you have an eternal home in heaven, where you will meet Jesus face to face.

As you remember these truths, remember to share them from a place of grace and allow God to do the work in other’s hearts through His gift of love, grace and mercy.

Waiting on the Lord

The alarm goes off and the sun comes up and we rush into a new day.  Our minds are racing with thoughts before our feet even hit the ground.  The coffee maker is turned on and we quickly rush around getting ready for the job or the work that we must do today. Wait, stop, take a breath and sit down!

“Did you forget me says the Lord?  I have so much for you in this day, but I need you to come and sit at my feet and learn of me.  I am humble and meek.  I want you to experience my goodness and my rest, even in your “busy” day.  I am calling to you; will you hear my call and spend some time with me?  When you take the time to listen to my voice, you will experience my peace deep within.  I will give you the strength and the wisdom that you need today.  Don’t waste your time on the treadmill of life; instead take a walk with me through this day and you will find yourself more satisfied and fulfilled in all that you have accomplished along the way.”

Ok Lord, I get the message. You know how hard it is for me sometimes, to sit and wait.  I want action and I want it now!   But Lord, I trust you see the big picture and a have a better plan for my day. Here I go; breath in 1,2,3 and exhale.  Here I am Lord, what do you want me to hear today?

Matthew 11:29

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS."