BE STILL

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”

We have a hard time being still. It’s not just toddlers who exhibit constant motion. Some have two speeds; run and sleep!

God calls us to stillness before Him, sometimes for a season.

It’s awfully hard to hear the “still small voice” of God through the noise of busyness. Stillness implies quiet.

“Did you hear that? Shh. Listen.”

Stillness seems a prerequisite to hearing the gentle whispers of guidance within our heart. It’s a pointed and focused listening.

We also have to wait patiently, and we seem to lack in that area as well.

Our feet frantically tap and our eyes check our watches. Like the Psalmist, “How long Lord?” is our mantra.

The difference maker is the trust we hold in our Great God;

His love for us

His perfect plan

His timing

His willingness to act on our behalf.

An otherwise agitated state is able to turn peacefully into rest.

Our waiting comes with hopeful expectation not just for a positive outcome, but in the One orchestrating the plan.

Breathe deeply today friends. As you exhale, let your heart rest in stillness as we trust and wait on God. It will be worth the wait!

DEAR MOMMA

Dear Momma,

I see you.

The care you show

The weary tears that flow

The meals you make

The cakes you bake

The noses you wipe

The up all nights

I see you

I close my eyes

And I see you

The clothes you made

Applesauce and Shake ‘n Bake

The countless trips to practice

So I could do gymnastics

I see you

The toast you dipped in

Coffee sipped

The shuffling sound

Of your feet on the ground

I see you

Your messy hair

Looks that stare

The arm you hold

The sweater for cold

I see you

The crafts you made

Ice cream and Koolaid

Trips to pool

So we could all cool

I see you

Words unspoken

Hearts all broken

Time too short

More to explore

I see you

Video calls from my girls

Memories that swirl

Eyes that resemble

Memories assemble

I see you

Loving sacrifice

Built into a life

Goes forth to generation

Bringing elation

I see you

Oh how I long

For night to be dawn

When Jesus be sight

Instead of dark night

Then we’ll be

Together and free

‘Til then sweet Momma

I will press onward

And hope for the day

I see you

Dear Momma,

I see you

Don’t give up the good fight

The day becomes night

The struggle you feel

Becomes a memory reel

What seems not to matter

Will be the chatter

Of those you loved

When you’re above

OPEN YOUR EYES

Job 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”

To say that Job had a difficult life would be more than an understatement.

But what of it? What did he learn from it all? What can we learn from our own difficulties?

In a verse, these hardships can drive us to the God we’ve heard about and cause the eyes of our hearts to see Him!

After a knock down drag ‘em out question and answer session, Job saw the sovereign one as just that, sovereign over all things and namely the details of his life.

God reigns on high over it all. Job learned it was not his place to question God’s ways, even when they are hard, very hard. And seem long and undeserved.

Maybe you can relate to Job. Are you going through something extremely difficult? Are you questioning God?

Allow me to be candid. This was an area of pride in my life until…I was faced with the most difficult pain in my lifetime. I had read Job and reasoned that I would never question God’s hand in the details of my circumstances. Until I did. Then I ran to Him for comfort and help and guidance and grace and strength and breath. You get the idea.

What happened next was the least expected thing of all. I “saw” God. The eyes of my heart understood who He was in a whole new unexplainable way. Even though I had heard of Him, and believed in Him, now I really saw Him. He met Every. Single. Need.

He really is our one sovereign God reigning over all things. He is worthy.

Job learned God’s rightful place and that of his own. And so did I. So can you, if you “see” Him. Really see Him.

ARE YOU WEARY?

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Vacations are great. Really great. At times, the longing for a break from this work-a-day world spurs dreamy thoughts of far away tropical places.

True rest however, is not found in the fleeing afar off, but rather in the drawing near.

Vacation preparation does not come without expense.

Rest in Jesus will cost you something too. These costly items cannot be ‘picked up’ though.

These things must be laid down

Lay down your…

Pride

Shame

Guilt

Will

Burden

Draw near today weary one.

Lay down life’s burdens.

Find true rest for your soul that only Jesus can give.

FULLY COMMITTED

“…and may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” 1Kings 8:61

The question of whether or not our hearts are fully committed to the Lord is a weighty one, but one worth the asking. Only the bearer of the heart and the Lord thereof knows the answer.

When King Solomon dedicated the temple of God through prayer, he tagged this statement on at the very end. After all the requests to our Lord to forgive, show mercy, and act on behalf of his people, he closes by pointing God’s chosen ones in the direction of their own hearts.

The condition of our hearts is prone to change; “prone to wander, Lord I feel it.”

In our prayers of supplication today, let us also be challenged to see that our own hearts are “fully committed” to our forgiving, merciful Lord.

GOD WILL COMPLETE THE WORK

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

It is such a good feeling when we see a work completed. If you’re a task-oriented person, there’s nothing quite like it. It could be an assignment, a house project, or a simple task. An audible ‘ahhh’ sigh of satisfaction tells us, “there it is. It’s done.”

But, when it comes to what God is building inside of us Spiritually, we must be patient.

He’s not done yet.

His faithfulness assures us that we will be completed. This is one time however, the finished work doesn’t depend on you.

The one who declared, “It is finished”, is also finishing His work in you!

CONFESS & REPENT

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Since the beginning of humanity, our propensity to respond to our sin is to run and hide in our shame. But, when we run to the God of mercy with a repentant heart, He compassionately forgives us and takes away our shame. Friends run to our merciful God and repent of your sins!

GOD IS THE REAL HERO

Our attempts to save ourselves by works of the law are, in essence, attempts to rob God of His glory. - Portia Collins

Paul’s writings in his letter letter to the Galatians serve as a stern warning against the sin of legalism. While it may be easy to think of this as an issue of the past, many wrestle with legalism just the same today.

Any attempt to obtain justification by means apart from the grace of God is sinful. At the core, our efforts to make ourselves right by works of the law are attempts to rob God of his glory.

The gospel is such an offense to man because it shows us that we are utterly incapable of earning our salvation. It reveals our neediness. It shows us that we aren’t the heroes in the story; God is!

DON'T BE AFRAID

Now, this is what the Lord says — the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. (Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT)

These verses are a comforting reminder that we do not fear the difficulties of life. Though life may be hard, frustrating and really scary at times, we can rest easy knowing that God is with His people. He never abandon us. He never leaves us to figure it out on our own. He provides, protects, and comforts. Remember, in all things, God is with us! Always. Cling tightly to that precious truth.

EVERY SEASON MATTERS

“What has God permitted to be a part of your story that seems inconsistent with His goodness and love? Might He be allowing that ‘thing’ He hates in order to accomplish that which He loves?”

-Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Even in the midst of a very hard season, God is still there. You might be thinking that your current season is perhaps not purposeful or off God’s “radar.” But that’s not true. Sisters, rest in knowing that God is still working; when things are going great and also when things are seemingly not so great. Every part and every season of your life matters to God. Trust Him!

LOOK TO JESUS

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4 CSB)

Who or what do you look toward when you’re in fear? Is it friends, family, money, or some other worldly comfort? While these things are not inherently bad, we must remember that the only One who can truly calm our fears and soothe our sorrows is God.

It’s hard to determine what kind of circumstances prompted these words from David, but one thing is clear, he knew that God was the only One that he could turn to for true and lasting comfort. God was the only One capable of rescuing him. Sweet sister, let this be a blessed reminder for us today. Don’t wait for the world to rescue you. Look to Jesus!

ARE YOU A WORRY WART?

“Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?” (Luke‬ ‭12:25-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Are you a worry wart? Here Luke points out that worrying can’t even accomplish something small like adding an hour to our life. So, let this be an encouragement to you that you do not need to spend time or emotion on worrying about anything. It has been said, “If you pray about it, don’t bother worrying about it.”