Fear and Discouragement_Deuteronomy 31: 8

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

In water, I am highly skilled in what I call “drownability”.  Once my head goes underwater, I panic.  My children, who all swim like fish, reprimand me, “Mom, just calmly move your arms and legs to stay afloat."  I try to do this and, slowly but surely, sink.

Fear does this to us.  When we are faced with a looming problem to which we have no solution, or when we are faced with the unknown, we panic and sink. In the story, Joshua was tasked by Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and divide the land according to their inheritance. But first he needed to defeat those who were occupying the land, and then face the formidable task of dividing it among the Israelites who have proven themselves to be rebellious and contentious. Not an easy task for sure!  I can already imagine Joshua slowly sinking.

It’s easy to tell someone “do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” But Moses prefaced his encouragement with these powerful words: 

 “The Lord Himself [in all His power and majesty] 

goes before you [He is preparing the way!] 

and will be with you [He will guide you and protect you!] 

But wait! There’s more! He adds — 

“He will never leave you nor forsake you.” [He’s got your back and even when you fail, He will be there for you.]

Lord, I feel like I’m sinking as panic sets in. Please forgive me for forgetting, not only how great and mighty You are, but also forgetting how much You love me. Today, I claim the promise that Moses gave to Joshua — that You, Mighty Father in heaven, go before me and are with me; You will always have my back and never leave me alone. Because of Your great love for me, I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged.

Image credits: brandonsteiner.com

ASAP _ Proverbs 16:9

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

Just the other day, I sent a message to my friend to request for the  vital information I needed to complete an article I was writing.  The item had been on my To-Do List for about a week already and I was impatient to tick it off my list. She told me she’d follow it up with another person, who in turn needed to follow up with another.  Waiting is hard, right? Especially if you’re someone whose favourite acronym is ASAP.

It’s difficult at times to “be still and wait upon the Lord” when urgent needs are knocking at your door.  Our human nature — our fears, our doubts, our anxiety, our expectations — compels us to act, usually impulsively, because we want to see results ASAP. Many times though the Lord, through His word, has convicted my worrying heart. He pushes the ‘pause’ button and gently pulls me back. "Trust me," He gently whispers, “I know what I’m doing because I created you and love you. I gave my Son to die for you remember?”

In the book by Jon Bloom, “Not by Sight”, he wrote, “He does not always answer with the speed we desire, nor is His answer always the deliverance we hope for.  But He will always send the help that is needed.  His grace will always be sufficient for those who trust Him. The hope we taste in the promises we trust will often be the sweetest thing we experience in this age. And the reward of God’s fulfilment of these promises will be glorious beyond our imagination.” 

Lord, forgive me for carrying the banner of ASAP instead of patiently waiting for You.  Let me cling in faith, that even though I do not see Your hand, I know it is moving! Let me walk the steps You've determined for me BY FAITH, and not by sight. 

Image credit: Aquila Style

Blocking out the Noise_1 Kings 19:12

"After the fire came a gentle whisper."

There's a construction behind our house that's been going on for more than a year. Every morning, as early as 7, the workers start hammering and grinding away, making a racket. I get annoyed and think, "Now how can I have my quiet time with God with all this noise!" So instead of being at peace, I'm upset!

I know that I need to exercise patience with the laborers in the next lot but noise pollution is a widespread problem for sure. But "noise" can also come from other sources that can distract me from having this quiet time, like the ping of a new message on my phone, a notification flashing on my laptop screen and wayward thoughts when I think of my Things-to-do List. All these draw my focus from simply being still to hear God's gentle whisper.

He wants me to be still; he longs for me to sit long enough for Him to tell me of His love. This is why the Good Shepherd "makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me to quiet waters; he restores my soul." What an overwhelming thought to know that Jesus, my Savior and King wants to spend time with me!

While I cannot block the noise from outside my window, I can exert all my efforts to remove the things that will distract my heart and my mind from coming into His loving presence.

Lord, forgive me for all the times when I allow the noise to pollute my holy time with You. I want to lean into You, and press my ear to Your heart and listen. May I always be present to hear when You whisper.

Help!_Psalm 121

Independence is a value that we strove for while we were growing up.  We wanted to do everything on our own, proving that we have the capacity and the ability.  And even as we aged, we still hold on to our independence -- "I can do it!" we sometimes say impatiently when someone younger wants to help us. But as a child of God we must accede that independence from God does not work, no matter what season of life we are in.  We need God, and we cry out, "Lord, I cannot do this without you."

Lord, I need you; in all things, through all situations, I need you.  Let me always say, "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

God sees everything_Proverbs 5:21

Having integity or moral uprightness is difficult in these times.  While many post and expose their lives on social media, or their lives are splashed on the news, there are a lot of secrets that remain hidden then later revealed.

Many times, we are tempted to do things -- and actually go ahead and do them -- thinking that as long as it is hidden away and no one sees us, then it's okay.  But proverbs 5:21 clearly tells us, "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines his paths." We cannot run away from the Lord, as He sees, and He knows.

Hebrews 4:13, "And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and on the good."

C.S.Lewis also put it this way: "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching."

Lord, Omnipresent and Omniscient God, please watch over me and guide me that I may always do what pleases You, do what is right in your eyes even when no one sees me.

Deep calls unto deep_Psalm 42:7

Psalm 42:7 intrigued me -- "Deep calls unto deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." So I began to search its meaning within the context of the whole psalm. The psalmist is in despair and feeling alone.  Twice he prays, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God." And this verse was repeated in Psalm 43.

I came upon an article by Amy Julia Becker on the site Christianity Today, and she expresses how I've been feeling about my faith walk -- my heart desires to go deeper into my relationship with my Savior but this requires more out of me, more heart-wrenching, possibly terrifying revelations about me and more sacrifices. So shallow is more comfortable. She wrote:
"To stay in God’s presence is like swimming in the ocean. Immense. Frightening. Powerful. Beautiful. Where deep calls to deep. Where answers don’t come easily. Where pain is exposed rather than covered over. Where healing requires transformation." *

I know that God my Father lovingly calls me to come to Him in a more intimate way. How deep do I can I go? 

Lord, reveal to me Your truth in these words "deep calls unto deep" especially in the light of what we are going through. Thank you too for the life of my husband who celebrates his 67th year today.

* https://www.christianitytoday.com/amyjuliabecker/2015/april/deep-calls-out-to-deep-but-i-long-to-stay-shallow.html

Open Doors

1 Corinthians 16:9

"...because a great door for effective work has opened up for me, and there are many who oppose me."

Isn't it sad when someone is doing well at work, or in school, and yet there will be a few people who will find a way to discredit him or make his work harder that it already is? Crab mentality!

Paul encountered the same situation. He saw an opportunity in Ephesus to do great work for the Kingdom, but he acknowledged that many would not, or rather, did not want him to succeed. Despite the opposition, he courageously, in faith, decided to pursue this opportunity, knowing that it was an open door from God.

May we always have open eyes and hearts to know where You are leading us, just like Paul, Lord. May we courageously follow You despite knowing that there will be people who will make things hard for us. And, may we already claim victory in the name of Your Son, Jesus.

(Photo credit: www. birmingham-rep.co.uk)