WATCHWORD:
Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth; remove the gods which your father served on the other side of the river and in Egypt and serve the lord. As for me and my house we will serve the lord. Joshua 25:14,15b
Serve the lord with gladness and delight; come before his presence with joyful singing. Psalm 100:2
Whatever you do, whatever your task may be, work from the soul, that is, put in your very best effort, as something done for the Lord and not for man. Colossians 3:23
Meditation:
Pit of Despair
Have you ever been in the pit of despair, feeling lost, not knowing what to do? Maybe despair is too strong a word to describe discouragement, or dissatisfaction, or a mild sense of anxiety, and yet, sometimes it does feel like a pit, despite our best efforts to pull ourselves out.
The writer in Daily Verse makes this statement: “The surest way out of a personal pit of discouragement is to think of and serve others. The surest way to deepen your dark times is to draw into and think more about yourself.”
How do you remove yourself from that pit? Over the years I found myself lifted out of my pit of discouragement and depression during my morning time with God. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, or maybe the coffee speaking, but when I listened more carefully there was much more to God’s grace than overcoming sadness in my life. I discovered a positive flow of thoughts, words, ideas, inspirations. Many of these I jotted down on hundreds of little notebook pages, then, more recently, I filled entries in the NOTES feature of Word on my computer. Those jottings have turned into devotionals, and multiple chapters in several Christian-fiction books, all credit to the Lord.
The good side of being “lost in my writings” is when I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Nine years ago, still working my way through the loss of my loved one, I started writing Christian fiction, at the direction of the Lord. That’s when I began putting together the storylines of a Christian-fiction series, set in Wyoming. Often I would get lost in story, and referred to that very special place where God’s inspiration is so dominate, as being “lost in Wyoming”. There was joy connected to being “lost in Wyoming“, even singing when scribing devotionals or following the storylines that the Lord laid before me. Lost in Wyoming is my way of thinking of the graces given me as scribe for what the Lord placed on my heart and doing my best to weave those into parables with meaning.
I’ve never been a marketeer, a seller of the writings that bear my name, because I don’t believe it is mine to sell, for I know the source of those storylines. When my first book was published, I prayed that I could improve on the writing. Overtime the Lord made it clear that that book, and subsequent scribing, is exactly the way the Lord wanted it. It will serve his purpose, in his time. So be it.
Prayer Focus:
Our entrance into that joyful sense of spiritual lostness will always be through our Lord and savior. When we consider others and include them in our thoughts, prayers, and efforts, we hold the key to peace. May through your own listening to the Holy spirit within, you follow the will of our Heavenly Father, and become a true scribe to His voice and you will never experience the ‘pit of despair’, or you might find your own “lost in Wy0ming”. In Jesus name, Amen.
