Showing posts with label adverse circumstances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adverse circumstances. Show all posts

Behind and Before

This week I've continued my studies in Psalm 62. I'm still meditating and writing out some things from this phrase in verse 5 let all that I am. It's more than "okay" to bring all that we are before Him, it's required for a whole relationship. While thinking about bringing all that I am (and all that I am not) before Him openly I found myself once again in Psalm 139.

It seems David understood how intimately God knows us - whether we acknowledge it or not. I love this whole psalm, but as I was reading and rereading it this morning this phrase in verse 5 stood out to me - Behind and before.

David is in the middle of a discourse about how God knows us through and through. He knows our thoughts, words, deeds, ways, movements... pretty much everything! Then David says this You have hedged me behind and before and laid Your hand on me. (NASB) I paused for a bit to think about that. God has hedged us - enclosed us. So I wondered, what did He enclose us in?  Time?

I think He has enclosed us behind and before with Himself. He covers us. Surrounds us. He's got our past covered and our future covered with His grace. And He's not afraid to touch us - He has laid His hand on us! It seems to me that He has made us the center of His attention. He makes sure our paths (although not perfect, smooth, or easy) are wrapped by Him. If we can see ourselves encapsulated in His presence, surrounded by Him - it makes each step a bit easier, I think. I can't step far enough to step away from Him. My pathway cannot get so entangled that He is not in the next step. I'm hedged in behind and before. I love that thought!

Today, I will think about how His presence surrounds me. There wasn't an "off" button because I became a caregiver. He isn't afraid of our live's picture and He's not scared to reach in and touch us either. I'll be purposefully grateful that He's got me hedged in and His hand is still on my life. And as I meditate on how thoroughly He has me covered - I'll just rest in Him and trust Him for today. Will you join me?

He Speaks

chris with a shy grin
I was looking for a particular scripture this morning. I knew it said that nothing was impossible with God, and I knew it was in Jeremiah. Well, I found it but it didn't use the exact words I thought it did. It was okay though since I found a small treasure there I want to share with you today.

In Jeremiah 32, the prophet has been imprisoned for saying God's words. The kind didn't like that Jeremiah prophesied his doom because of an unrepentant heart. So he locked Jeremiah up in the prison. It can be easy for us to "lock up" words God speaks when we don't like them or if they don't agree or support our own theologies. That's an important truth I might expound on in some other writings, but what I want to focus on is found in verse 6.

Jeremiah 32:6 NLT says this: at that time God sent me a message. God came to Jeremiah and gave him some specific instructions. What stood out to me was that Jeremiah is in prison through no fault of his own, and God spoke. I can't say for sure what types of possibilities were going through the prophet's mind, but I'm sure the future didn't look too pleasant to him. there were a lot of really bad and really good outcomes possible. But God did not regard his situation as done. He didn't see Jeremiah too far gone, He didn't give up on the situation or judge by the circumstances. He reached down and spoke to Jeremiah right where He was.

This morning, I was greatly comforted by this passage. God really does see us. He knows our situation. He doesn't judge our hearts by the circumstances we have found ourselves in. He doesn't restrain His voice or restrict His promises because caregiving is beyond his sphere of influence. Nope! He reaches right into the very heart of the matter and He speaks.

That puts it back on us to not be so encumbered by our situations that we cannot hear Him. Hey, it can happen. Caregiving requires a lot out of us - no one doubts that. But it doesn't have to make our ears dull when it comes to hearing the gentle voice of God speak into our hearts.

Today, I'll be listening intently for His voice to speak into my "prison" cell. Maybe it's only those areas of my life and heart that I've locked up and away to keep them safe from life. My meditations will be on any closed in areas I'm protecting - and how I can turn my ear to His heart once again. I'll listen for Him to speak as I trust Him for one more day - will you join me?


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