WATCHWORD:
13 At the top of the stairs stood the Lord. “I am Jehovah,” he said, “the God of Abraham, and of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on is yours! I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 For you will have descendants as many as dust! They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south; and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What’s more, I am with you, and will protect you wherever you go, and will bring you back safely to this land; I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you all I am promising.” Genesis 28:13-15
Meditation:
God Is in Charge?
Yes, indeed, God truly is in charge, even more than we know. But it is more than that, He also loves us! But wait, there is more. He leads us, in subtle ways, in real ways, in ways that we are unaware. Those everyday “little miracles”, those “coincidences”, that cause us to marvel, “how did that happen?” The lucky chance. The unexpected smile. The times we felt blessed by the beauty of nature, of a seascape, of mountains, of flowers, or the giggle of a small child, or, simply, the spontaneous love of family. How did that happen? Ah, the work of our God, who never sleeps.
What would it mean if we could see through the eyes of God? What would we see that at present we miss, or simply choose to ignore? Would we see ways to love others? Would we see the needs of our neighbor that motivates us to reach out? Seeing as God sees, is not just with our eyes. It is also with our heart. How would that bless us, how would that change the way we live? Would we experience the peace that comes with faith? Would we see, with assurance, that with God we are, indeed, safe?
Here is a tougher idea to think about. You say that you believe that God knows our every thought, ever move, every word, every second of every day. If you were conscious of that and it was firmly in your mind, every second of every day. How would that change the way you live your life? Be honest with yourself. Would it make you nervous, unsure? Could you relax? Could you be at peace? If you believed the first, that God loves us, than you would act it and you would be at peace. That’s my answer.
However, would what we do, think or say stand up to that kind of “watchfulness”? You are aware that this is God we are talking about, this is our Higher Power, this is the One that we pray to, to keep us safe, help us when we cry out. I don’t know about you, but I want that presence, that “watchfulness”.
Do we believe that with His help we could make good choices or better choices or wise choices, even in the face of confusion, chaos, and conflicting voices? Choices that are right, even if they are unpopular? James tells us to pray for wisdom. How would an extra measure of wisdom change our lives? Indeed, wisdom has power, and God-given wisdom has a special purpose. Has the “help” come when, with confidence, we make choices and stand by them with strength and purpose?
Do you count on Grace? God’s Grace? Wait, what is God’s Grace, you ask? I am glad you did. This is the best definition I have heard: Grace is the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it. It is a gift. It is free!
Free? I’m a sucker for bargains! Of course, I want that. God’s Love and Mercy, absolutely free! Why, that would be, Heaven. Oh, you are right, it is! So be it.
Bulletin Board:
Knowing you are safe in His arms, what does that mean to you? Safe —Such a little word. We know what it means in baseball and in banks. When we use it to describe our sense of presence, it strongly implies physical safety. It is a little like security, but a bit closer to peace. Safe. David Foster and Carol Bayer Sager have written a beautiful, special song, “The Prayer“, which captures the meaning and importance of a spiritual presence, which, by its very nature, is part and parcel of being “safe”. I think we’ll use it as our Closing Prayer.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, this is my prayer —
I pray you’ll be our eyes,
and watch us where we go
And help us to be wise,
in times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer,
when we lose our way
Lead us to a place,
guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe.
Amen
