The old mothers of the church would say-"Give it over to God baby. Pray on it and give it over to God." Now that sounds simple when you are frantically dealing with a situation, but if we slow down long enough we will recognize and experience the peace that truly surpasses all understanding.
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”” Psalms 46:1-3, 10 NLT
So I'm sitting quietly with the Lord today and waiting patiently to experience his rest and peace.
You know we've all learned to trust God in previous seasons, but it seems like God has to remind us again at other times how he brought us through; especially when our souls are in turmoil.
Meditating not only on our past with God but remembering the promises of scriptures are like literal shelters for us during the storms of life.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”1Peter 5:7 NLT
or
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Remaining thankful in the middle of trouble is one of the hardest things to do when your focus is on the problems that are staring at you right in the face. Let's just be real. No sense in acting like we don't all go through crap. Learning to lean on Jesus and fix your eyes on him isn't as easy in some seasons and it's ok to say so. We need to be honest with ourselves, with God and with each other. No one has it all figured out and we each need God's grace every day, his mercy every day, his help and wisdom every day.
Feasting is a word in season for me right now. Learning to feast on God's goodness and faithfulness like David reminds us in Psalm 23.
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”
Psalms 23:5 NLT
Over the summer the Lord had me feasting on this scripture:
“For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.” Acts 17:28 AMPC
“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:3-4 NLT
Obviously, all of these scriptures are ones to meditate on for a lifetime, but in certain seasons, they really speak. I'm still working with the Holy Spirit on that James one, but I have certainly noticed the need for his enduring and waiting power at work in my life more and more lately.
Fixing my eyes on Jesus is where I have continued to land lately, as I feast on his Word.
Hebrews chapters 11-12 have also been resonating with me as I wait for the Lord right now.
Remembering that it was BY FAITH, that Abraham obeyed, BY FAITH that Noah built the ark and Sarah conceived Isaac in her old age; BY FAITH Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! Especially to those who believe.
Oh God let faith have its perfect work in us.
Each of us are experiencing different difficulties right now in our lives that may require greater faith, than we currently possess, but I want you to remember today that you're not in it alone. There is a great cloud of witnesses, praying for you. They too, are not complete without us. I don't know about you, but I can feel stuck in my situation when it hasn't changed yet. But I do find comfort in remembering that I'm not alone in my waiting or suffering. Not only is God present with me but so are others in this life and the next-especially those witnesses to the life of faith.
You know we say in the Nicene Creed that we believe in the communion of the saints, so let me remind you of that today. They may have gone on before us but they are not absent completely from our lives. Like Jesus, I believe there is great intercession taking place for us in heaven.
So don't give up or lose heart today dear friends, because we are not in this battle alone. Give it over to God and remember that others are praying with you.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.