WATCHWORD:
When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble.
He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills.
He is the Eternal One! Habakkuk 3:6
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer
able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
Psalm 40:2
Meditation:
God of All Things
Have you ever encountered a novel that was a really hard to read, difficult to imagine, yet you slogged through to the end because you had read so many of that author’s books and found them engaging. Such was the case of The Four Winds, by Kirstin Hannah. So, I wadded through and it was a hard read, that at times caused me to feel depressed. I would call it a detailed study on a tragic period in our country’s history called the Dust Bowl. It was a time so bad that it caused many to turn from God, a God that, in their minds, had deserted them. I won’t tell you how it ends, except to say that love wins.
In a recent Jesus Calling, we read: Trust Me in every detail of your life. Nothing is random in My kingdom. Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good, to those who love Me. This is a hard lesson, Lord, when we are enduring adversity and loss. The bitter bickering leading up to the national election, the braying of politicians, leaving us wondering whatever happened to truth. Bringing ourselves to say “Thank you, Lord” during these times takes such a commitment and grit. Yet, we know that we can do all things through You, Lord, who will give us the strength we need.
Early in my career, I taught high school history. I can remember, distinctly, trying to convey to my students the travesty, tragedy and pain of so many times in our nation’s life; the Dust Bowl, the Depression, the Civil War, the World Wars, but actually communicating the demoralizing and dehumanizing nature of such atrocities, was another matter entirely. If you immerse yourself in the details of those dark days you might become discouraged or even depressed, but you can’t live the lives of those who experienced those events at the personal level.
Trusting God in all things is a hard lesson for us. We would like to think that we are as strong as Job or Habakkuk. Maybe we are, but, we don’t want to be tested to see if that is true. At the heart of trusting God, is loving God. In loving God, we can place all of our anxieties and adversities that come our way on Him and be assured that He loves us, no matter what. Did you get that? “No matter what”! Amen.
Bulletin Board:
When this part of our Nation’s history is written, how will we view our response to it? Will it be a story of sadness and loss, of bickering, or lies, with an overlapping of strength and courage of a few heroes and those who gave their all for others? Will we look back and say, “Thank you, Jesus”, you lifted us out of the mire? Yes, I think most of us will. We know, in our heart of hearts, that God is in charge, and God loves us.
A Morning Prayer:
Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you that you are able to bring hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for your purposes. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you that you are always with us and will never leave us. Thank you for your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don’t thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you’ve given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! Amen.
