Calming presence - part 2

                                            

As we follow on from yesterday's post, which included an insightful devotion from Howard Thurman (Meditations of the Heart), let us take note of his insight into anxiety and how it impacts upon our relationship with God.

"One thing I know concerning my anxieties: they are real to me.

Sometimes they seem more real than the presence of God.

When this happens, they dominate my mood and possess my thoughts.

The presence of God does not always deliver me from anxiety but it always delivers me from anxieties. Little by little, I am beginning to understand that deliverance from anxiety

means fundamental growth in spiritual character and awareness.

It becomes a quality of being, emerging from deep within,

giving to all the dimensions of experience a vast immunity against being anxious.

A ground of calm underlies experiences whatever may be the tempestuous character of events.

This calm is the manifestation in life of the active,

dynamic Presence of God. God is present with me this day." - Howard Thurman

Again the words in bold are my 'take home' from his devotion. As you read his words, coupled with the life-giving gift of the Scriptures, may God's Spirit fill you with peace.

Mark 4:39 - "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 - “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God is present - part 1

Howard Thurman wrote a delightful piece on the presence of God during times of difficulty. What I love about this short devotion is that it is so real and honest - I can relate to so much of what he says. His thoughts are not just a theory, but things he has grappled with and lived through himself.

As you read these words today, may you feel the presence of God with you.

(I am going to post his thoughts over 2 days as they are really good and I feel that we may lose the greater impact in trying to squeeze a long paragraph into one days worth of devotion. The line that stands out for me today is highlighted in bold. Which line is your 'take away' line?

"God is present with me this day.

God is present with me in the midst of my anxieties.

I affirm in my own heart and mind the reality of His presence.

He makes immediately available to me the strength of His goodness,

the reassurance of His wisdom and the heartiness of His courage.

My anxieties are real; they are the result of a wide variety of experiences,

some of which I understand, some of which I do not understand."

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 14:5 - "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Our God is a Lion

I am so loving this song from Bethel Music at the moment - 'The Lion and the Lamb'

Our God is a lion
The Lion of Judah
He's roaring with power
And fighting our battles
Every knee will bow before Him
Our God is a lamb
The lamb that was slain
For the sins of the world
His blood breaks the chains
Every knee will bow before the lion and the lamb
Every knee will bow before him -(Bethel Music - Lion And The Lamb)

It reminds me that God is on our side and that He is fighting my battles with and for me.

Revelation 5:5 - “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Stuck

I am so grateful that even when I am "all over the place", God is faithful and that God sticks with me. I love this portion of scripture where Jacob tells his family that God is forever faithful and that we need to honour God.

"Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, “Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, we’re going to Bethel. I’m going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I’ve gone since.” - Genesis 35:2-3

Why don't we take a moment to thank God that he has 'stuck with us' all the way.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The Rooster and the sparrow

The title of today's blog sounds more like a children's story book (and perhaps I will have to write it one day) - but it is actually something I witnessed in person the other day. I noticed a large rooster walking around a garden complex intimidating all the other birds. He looked imposing and as he strutted his stuff, I wondered what he was thinking - maybe it was something like:
"Hey, look at me! Look how big I am. Get out of my way underlings!"

But, then I saw something that made me smile. A little sparrow landed next to the Rooster and although he was dwarfed by the bigger bird, he didn't back down. He gave as good as he got. And then when the Rooster tried to push his weight around the little sparrow simply flapped his wings and flew away. It was almost as if the Sparrow was saying the Rooster - "you may be big, but at least I can fly higher than you!"

Here is my thought on this little encounter.
"There will always be Roosters in your world, but just remember they probably can't fly as easily as you can! With God on your side, you can rise above the attitude of others. You don't need to let other people's opinions influence your life."

May God's hand of Grace be upon you.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Right in front of your eyes

I was looking all over the place for a document just now - I knew I had just seen it, but for some reason I couldn't locate it. I was turning my desk upside down trying to find it. All of a sudden, I looked down at my desk again and there was the piece of paper sitting in front of me.

It WAS the one I had been looking for.
Man was I irritated!

Why couldn't I see it in the first place? What prevented me from seeing that it was the document I needed? I honestly don't know! It could have been a number of different reasons, but thankfully I FOUND it in the end.

Is this how our FAITH works sometimes? Do we search frantically to try and locate God, when all along God is right in front of us. Or should we say, God has not moved anywhere, but we are rather distracted in our vision of Him.

1 Samuel 25:29 - "Even if someone comes along searching for you and seeking your life, your life will be bound in the bundle of life with Adonai your God."

What do you think of this?

Living in grace
D3LM3

Scars and struggles

The words of this song by Matt Redman have really spoken into my life this week. I share them with you today in the hope that they offer you some solace too. They are from his song entitled 'Never Once."

"Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful."


We will have scars and struggles along the way in our faith journey, but God is with us.

Deuteronomy 7:9 - "He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands."


Living in Grace
D3LM3

Where is God in all this?

^"God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help." - Psalm 46:5 (Living Bible)

It is tempting to think that God has left our city, country and world. There are so many things that are going wrong and we are left wondering "where is God in all this?" In an age where similar things were happening in Israel, David writes that God is still present in the midst of our troubles. Despite the turmoil everywhere God is with us.


"God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.    From the very break of day, God will protect it." - Psalm 46:5 (NLT)

"God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty." - Peter Marshall

Living in Grace

D3LM3