(From the Lord to you.)I’ve searched you (Ps. 139:23), and know your heart and thoughts (v.2).I know when you stand and when you sit (v.2).I know what you say (v.4) and I saw you when you were being formed in your mother’s womb (v.15,16).I think about you all the time (v.17,18).Know this, that I love you dearly (Rom. 5:8) and nothing will ever separate you from my love (8:38,39).So I just have one question…
Will you accept my friend request?
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.John 15:13,14
Years ago my family went to Cedar Point; it is one of my favorite places to visit as I love roller coasters and they have some of the best, certainly the biggest variety of them.At the time there was a new coaster called the Millennium Force (height above 300 ft) that I was looking forward to riding.We stood in line for a couple hours and the excitement built up- right up until I stood right beside it and gazed upon its immense height from below.Nervousness entered into play then.
We sat in the front third of the seats, and off we went.I screamed, I laughed and I fought to keep my face from flying off my head; it was a great ride!We got off and started walking down the exit ramp and we could hear the laughter and awe in the voices around us and see the wind blown faces.As I looked to see those following us, I noticed the woman immediately behind me, whose short hair stayed held up straight back, was clutching her blouse shut in front of her as it had blown open during the ride; she was laughing.We’d all been blown away, physically and mentally- in a (mostly) good way!
For me, walking on this journey with the Lord is a lot like riding that coaster.I read all the interesting facts in the book (like the Bible) and it seemed as if it would be an exciting ride to take, so we went for it.The more I trust the Lord, the more I see Him move in my life and in other’s lives, and the more excited I become.Sometimes, like when the future looms large beside me, I get a little nervous thinking about it, but eventually I relax and enjoy the trip.At times I laugh, I cry, I scream and I wonder if I’ll come out alive, but overall it is a ‘great ride’ / journey.
Occasionally it feels like I get ‘blown away’ by the wind (trials) and knocked off my feet, but the Lord is there to pick me up and help me get going again.That is only the negative side of the coin.Most of the time, I get ‘blown away’ by the Lord and the things He does in our lives.He saves, He heals, He restores, He delivers, He teaches, He loves, He does so much more than that and He never leaves or forsakes us.He is greater than I ever considered, and works in our lives more than I could ever imagine.Each day with the Lord is new and exciting...
and He continues to 'blow me away' every day, in every way!
Most electrically powered tools are not very useful when unplugged.The saw won’t cut, the toaster won’t toast, the radio won’t play music and the computer won’t turn on to use.So without a source of power, they become ineffective.We must recognize our source of power, and it is NOT the ‘god within us’ or the power we have inside or any other freaky ideas.Our power comes from the only true source- God Almighty and it is His power!His power is what makes us effective.
God hath spoken once, Twice have I heard this, That power belongeth unto God. Ps. 62:11 ASV
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 1Cor.
He hath made the earth by his power... Jer. 10:12
(Jesus)lives by God's power. We are weak with him, but by God's power we will live for you. 2Cor. 13:4 ISV
I have to admit this week has not been a very ‘God’ exciting week, but that could be because I have had difficulty plugging in to Him with my whole schedule being chaotic.Really, that’s just an excuse for my lack of effort in making sufficient time to spend with Him.And so here I sit feeling weak, powerless and ineffectual; that’s what happens when you’re not plugged in.
When the world creeps in and we realize what’s happened, it is time to alter our trajectory back to the direction the Lord wants us- on His path.As Rev. 2:4 indicates we need to return to our first love (remember the one you always wanted to see, thought about constantly, and made a way to spend lots of time together with).The Lord will help us, “For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants.”Pp. 2:13 TLB
His power will work through us, but only if we remain plugged in Him.And his power isn’t as weak like an electrical outlet, but He is omnipotent (Rev. 19:6) and His power greater than all the stars combined.This is the power He will use in our lives for His purposes…
but only if we allow it…
and if we stay plugged in.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph. 3:20, 21
Many years ago I went to a chiropractor to relieve some back pain I was having.At the time, I had to bring my young children with me and they would sit in the room where I was being treated on the chairs or on the floor playing.One day the doctor told my daughter she should not sit on her knees because it could cause knee problems later in life.I wondered aloud if that was why I had knee problems because I did that a lot and he said, “Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” meaning she was similar to me.
I laughed and looked him straight in the eye to reply, “This apple had nothing to do with this tree.”(Obviously he didn’t realize she was adopted.)I was thinking in the physical sense as I was her adopted mother and not her birth mother and so I had not ‘born’ the fruit from my branches.But looking back, I think it was more like the Father grafting us (Rom. 11) to His branches and becoming part of Him; and we are like the fruit that ‘doesn’t fall far from the tree.’
In other words, my daughter became similar to me, not because I bore her, but because we spent so much time together she developed a few of my habits and mannerisms.(Don’t tell her this, she won’t like it!!!)Similarly, in our lives, the more time we spend with the Lord, the more we develop His habits and mannerisms- we become more alike to Him.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Cor.
I want to be that apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree of her Father- that loves like the Father loves, that sees the people as the Father sees, that hears the cries of the human hearts like He does and that reaches out in compassion as He always has and always will.I want to be just like my Dad.And one day when we are together forever and I can see Him… well, maybe then the similarities will be apparent.
It was just Friday we got the news that hubby is called back to work on afternoons.It has been a long unemployment, and not the easiest to get through, but with the Lord’s help, we survived.So on the eve of his first day back you would think all is well, but not so.If anything could go wrong since the phone call, it has.Our sole vehicle is experiencing problems, one kid is acting up, and another is self absorbed and doesn’t realize how her words are affecting Dad.I spent the afternoon trying to fix a bike that is needed for tomorrow and whose parts were messed up by impatient hands.
There are several things I need to do tomorrow morning, but now the priority is trying to get the car fixed so it is safe to go to work.It’s not quite what we planned, but it will do.These are all things that happen in our daily struggles and I’m not going to let it get me down.One step at a time I will get each task done, and remember that along the way, God may bring someone in my path to tell about His love, or maybe He’s just going to do some more character building in me!
Either way I am sure of the one constant in my life… His love.It keeps me going even when I am tired and want to give up, or just plain tired like now.He has never left me alone in my trials- though I see it in hindsight better than when I was in the midst of them.The last few years I am sure of His presence in my life, and whether or not I feel He is near, I am certain He is.That is a great comfort to me, and I face each new day knowing that my Lord and Savior is with me.I can’t imagine not having that assurance.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Rom. 8:35-39
