Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
One evening, several years ago, my end-of-the-day prayer was, “Lord, I’m so tired.” His quick answer was, “I’ll take care of it.” Too tired to understand I fell asleep. The next morning, the land was covered with deep, wet snow. Schools and businesses closed, and I was grateful for a no-stress day of recovery.
That memory helps me through another kind of exhaustion. I pray for friends, friends of family, and family members who do not have jobs. There is no relief. My head aches, and muscles ache right down to the center of my bones. The days, years, go by and there are few answers, especially for the ones I love the most.
“Does the Lord hear?” ..... “Yes.”
“Is He going to answer?” ........ “Yes.”
“When?” ..................................... No answer.
Maybe there’s something the matter with my prayers, my meditations, my Bible readings. Maybe there are no answers because I’m not doing it right. Did I not pray long enough? Is there something within me that keeps prayer from being answered? Of course that’s true. Imperfect people, especially me, always fall short. Can friends help? Yes, but some of them are the ones I’m praying for. Family? Sometimes we talk, but that’s momentary relief. Church? People there have overwhelming concerns with entry-level Christians.
I keep picking the burden up. I can’t seem to stop worrying. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.” I know the Lord is. I know He answers prayers. I know His love. Time to pray again, but “Lord, I’m so tired.”
“Trust. Lean not on your own understanding.” He’ll take care of it.
Prayer: Help Lord. Amen.
© V. Colclasure 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Answer is God
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13(NIV)
Waiting three years for an answer to a prayer has given me new insight into God’s ways. In God’s perfect timing the answer will be given. While waiting, I have learned not to look for God’s specific answer, but I have learned to understand some things about God and His Ways. He truly is the answer to prayer. It has been a wonderful adventure.
Learning that people do not understand what I am going through is now okay. God knowing what I am going through is far more important. His peace surrounds me, and it is not a peace that the world can supply. God cares enough to make me what I ought to be, and He will establish and ground me and will make me steadfast. He can use a thought or His Word to correct something that needs changing in many areas of my life.
Whether I am in the valley or on the heights of this adventure, God is with me. I call on Him at any moment, in any thought, or in any situation. “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)
The first year of my waiting was a sad one, and yet I am so happy now that I did not miss that time in my life by denying or ignoring the revelation that God opened to me. The blessing is in the journey. Missing God would have been a huge loss.
Thank You, Lord, that Your ways are not our ways. Amen
© 2011 Mary Burkey
Friday, February 11, 2011
Know My Heart
Oh Lord, You have searched me and You know me…You perceive my thoughts from afar…For You created my inmost being…Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:1, 2b, 13a, 23-24. (NIV)
The Psalmist tells us that because God created us He knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them. Even though He knows everything about us, including all the ugly sinful things, He still loves us unconditionally. But He loves us too much to leave us as we are. God places us in challenging situations for His purposes. He wants us to trust Him and to draw closer to Him. His purpose is to change us to become more like His Son. God has used the time I take care of my grandchildren to reveal my self-centered, lack of compassion. Meeting the ongoing needs of small children forced me to pray daily for the fruit of the spirit (love, patience, kindness and self-control) that He knew would change my life.
We love our families and friends, and we enjoy close relationships with them, but no human connections can compare with the unique relationship we have with our heavenly Father. Throughout life, we learn that some people can be trusted—but others cannot. The special people in our lives show their love for us in limited ways, but God is the only One who is completely trustworthy and who will always love us no matter what.
I love you, Lord, and I praise Your name for loving me just as I am. I thank You for patiently disciplining me so I can become more like Jesus. Amen
© 2011 Diane E. Hussey
The Psalmist tells us that because God created us He knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them. Even though He knows everything about us, including all the ugly sinful things, He still loves us unconditionally. But He loves us too much to leave us as we are. God places us in challenging situations for His purposes. He wants us to trust Him and to draw closer to Him. His purpose is to change us to become more like His Son. God has used the time I take care of my grandchildren to reveal my self-centered, lack of compassion. Meeting the ongoing needs of small children forced me to pray daily for the fruit of the spirit (love, patience, kindness and self-control) that He knew would change my life.
We love our families and friends, and we enjoy close relationships with them, but no human connections can compare with the unique relationship we have with our heavenly Father. Throughout life, we learn that some people can be trusted—but others cannot. The special people in our lives show their love for us in limited ways, but God is the only One who is completely trustworthy and who will always love us no matter what.
I love you, Lord, and I praise Your name for loving me just as I am. I thank You for patiently disciplining me so I can become more like Jesus. Amen
© 2011 Diane E. Hussey
Friday, February 4, 2011
Mourning Rainbows
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full of day. Proverbs 4:18 NAS
My grief was especially real and intense as I knelt in prayer facing the early morning sun. Instead of getting better as the weeks went by, it seemed to be getting worse. It had been six long months since my grandmother had gone home to be with Jesus. Today would have been her ninety-fourth birthday. Once again I had gone to the phone to call her and realized she would not be there. Although I rejoiced that she was in heaven, my heart still ached here on earth. My best friend was gone.
“Dear Jesus,” I wept. “You promised to be close to those who mourn. I need to feel You close to me today.” As I continued praying I felt the warmth on my face and saw a red glow inside my eyelids as the sun climbed in the sky. Time was passing. I had to get on with my day.
As I pushed to my feet and looked away from the window, there on the wall in front of me was a myriad of rainbows. Turning back to find the source, I saw the prism angel ornament that was my grandmother’s. Mother had recently given it to me. As I stood transfixed, the rainbows grew even more brilliant as the sun inched higher.
I reflected on the quality of God’s light and how it had shown through my grandmother. His light was not diminished by death. It shone even brighter and would continue to shine until the “full of day” when He returns, banishing all darkness.
Thank You for allowing the light of Your righteousness to touch me through my grandmother.
©2010 Bonnie M. Evans
My grief was especially real and intense as I knelt in prayer facing the early morning sun. Instead of getting better as the weeks went by, it seemed to be getting worse. It had been six long months since my grandmother had gone home to be with Jesus. Today would have been her ninety-fourth birthday. Once again I had gone to the phone to call her and realized she would not be there. Although I rejoiced that she was in heaven, my heart still ached here on earth. My best friend was gone.
“Dear Jesus,” I wept. “You promised to be close to those who mourn. I need to feel You close to me today.” As I continued praying I felt the warmth on my face and saw a red glow inside my eyelids as the sun climbed in the sky. Time was passing. I had to get on with my day.
As I pushed to my feet and looked away from the window, there on the wall in front of me was a myriad of rainbows. Turning back to find the source, I saw the prism angel ornament that was my grandmother’s. Mother had recently given it to me. As I stood transfixed, the rainbows grew even more brilliant as the sun inched higher.
I reflected on the quality of God’s light and how it had shown through my grandmother. His light was not diminished by death. It shone even brighter and would continue to shine until the “full of day” when He returns, banishing all darkness.
Thank You for allowing the light of Your righteousness to touch me through my grandmother.
©2010 Bonnie M. Evans
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