A Gracefull Place

 

 

 

 

First of all, I want to update on Noah Estes.  Many things (as of last evening) had worked out for the trip to the rheumatologist today.  I’ve checked the blog and her "tweets" and nothing new yet, but praise the Lord for many of the "mountains" being removed!  Please keep them in your prayers, and I prayerfully ask you to consider signing up for updates to their blog so you can continue to pray.  (Button on sidebar).

 [Editing to add that Kate just posted an update–here’s the link to "Plan Q".  God really worked out many things!]

 

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Today I am thankful that God is in control!    With all that I read (and I don’t read a fraction of it all like some do!) and hear of what is going on in the world, it is quite obvious that we are much nearer to Christ’s return than ever!   I don’t believe that we will avoid suffering for our faith, but if we sit around and fear and fret and worry (three things Scripture explicitly forbids us to do, by the way!) that will not prepare us in any way.  In fact, I am not interested in "preparing to suffer", so to speak.

 

 

I am focused on "preparing to meet my Savior"!   Whether through death or "in the air", THAT is the most momentous occasion of my life that I focus on.  And I am going to sound like a broken record, but it all goes back to—–

 

 

 

Relationships.

 

 

Whether you are fearful/fretful/worried about marriage problems, your children, your homeschooling, your extended family, loved ones’ salvation, local/national/world problems or church problems, the anitdote is not to immerse yourself in the latest about the conspiracies going on (they are out there, I acknowledge that) or be well versed in political intrigues (plenty of those, too) or even focusing on whether we’re going through the Tribulation or not, or whether so-and-so has their doctrine lined up or whether you need a degree to make good money (my answer would be no)–a bunch of head knowledge is not going to help any one of those situations.

 

 

Immersing yourself in His Love Letter to you, immersing yourself in time with your Beloved Bridegroom Who died for you, communing with Him, loving His presence, spending time in His presence, thirsting mightily for His presence, longing for His presence…..I think you get the idea!   THIS is what will bring peace and strength to your heart, a deep calm that nothing, and I mean nothing, can disturb.

 

 

Only by spending time with Him will we know His thoughts.  And only by spending time with Him will be able to trust Him.   With our problems.   With our families.  With our very lives. 

 

 

I believe we are not to be looking for the "signs of the times".  Or the antichrist.  Or whatever else. 

 

 

We are to be looking for Him.   And Him alone.

 

 

That doesn’t mean hide our heads in the sand and ignore everything going on around us.  But to look for Him in and through all and above it all.

 

If you are spending more time reading newspapers, listening to talk radio, discussing all the political/spiritual intrigues going on than you are in God’s Word just worshipping and loving Him and letting Him speak to you, then I would suggest you turn that around.   There’s nothing wrong with studying His Word and seeing how Scripture is "today’s headlines", but above that you must spend time with Him. Imagine if all you talked about with your husband was what is going on in the world!  No real "connecting" time.  Wouldn’t do much for your relationship, would it?!

 

 

Same with our relationship with the Lord. 

 

 

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:  and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."  2 Timothy 4:8

 

 

Do you love His appearing?  Do you long for the consummation of the Marriage of the Lamb?  Or are you too tied to this world?   Are you more concerned with how you will survive than how you will glorify Him?  (Josef Tson’s message I mentioned a few weeks ago is a good one to watch if you haven’t already!  Click here for that post–if you just want the link to Tson’s video, click here.  You’ll have to scroll about half way down the page to find his message.)

 

 

Do you really believe God is in control?   Do you believe that He has everything in His hands, and that nothing, absolutely nothing, happens without His permission and oversight?  That "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee:  the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." ?  (Psalm 76:10)

 

 

"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord."  (Psalm 112:7)

 

What is your heart fixed upon?

 

 

Only by spending time with my Savior can I have His peace.  "Let not your heart be troubled….Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:1, 27

I believe that is a command!   Who is in control of what our heart meditates upon?!

 

 

We are!  What we meditate upon shows what we truly delight in.

 

 

OUCH!

 

 

May we find our delight in Him and His Word to us, and meditate on it .  It will strengthen our hearts  (Ps. 27:14, Joshua 1:7-9).  It will bring true joy (Psalm 16:11).   As we delight in His commandments, fear Him and Him alone, He will bless, help fix our hearts on Him and build our trust in Him.  (Psalm 112:1,4-5,7)

 

 

I leave you with a few thoughts.  The first by Ron Auch (of course!):

 

 

"The law (teaching) of Thy mouth is better unto me (more precious to me) than thousands of gold and silver."  Psalm 119:72

 

"What would you prefer?  Would you prefer an unlimited supply of silver and gold, or access to the presence and words of God?  Most of us prove, by our actions, that we prefer silver and gold over God.  Our jobs can make tremendous demands on us and yet we sacrifice to keep them….If only we felt like David, that the things of God are more precious than money.

 

 

"Living in obedience to His law is what sharpens our spiritual hearing.  Not until we love that which proceeds from His mouth more than we love this world, will we develop David’s kind of obedience to Him.  That obedience brings us into a communion with Him.  That obedience generates His presence." 

 

~The Heart of the King

 

 

I believe I’ve quoted this by A.T. Pierson before, but it’s good enough to repeat!

 

 

"The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble or disturbance; and he who enters into the presence of God, becomes partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm."

 

 

May you find that peace by resting in Him.

 

 

He is in control!

 

 

May you have God’s blessings of peace upon your life as you seek His face!

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 9:30 pm and is filed under Thankful Thursday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.