We are living some pretty crazy days engrossed in our current season of having our house for sale. My days feel frazzled and full of frustration and worry as I prepare our home everyday for showings, only to be disappointed that no offer was forthcoming.
I am writing to find hope and encouragement from God’s Word. Even in this I want to know why and how God’s Word is Greater than Gold. (Psalm 119:72)
The two words I desperately need to remember are
“But God!”
But God, He sees the way that each one of us take and has never left our side or wandered off somewhere else even for a moment.
He is with us as we make our plans and He busies Himself with our every step, all the while rejoicing over us.
Isn’t that just a precious thought! His love for us is so absolute and the shed blood of Jesus has completely washed away all our sin that the Father looks at us and just plain grins as He watches over His beloved.
I imagine Jesus lifting up the hem of His garment as He twirls in glee at the joy He feels as He looks at us.
I imagine Him reaching out His arms to us, that we might take His mighty right hand and dance with Him.
When we feel stressed, one of the best things to do is rejoice and laugh for a merry heart doeth good like medicine, Proverbs says.
Instead of hanging out on the sidelines we need to engage with Jesus and join Him in the song He is singing over us. We need to be exuberant about taking His hand and dancing with Him for He loves it when we rejoice too and live out the joy and peace He has given us.
And just between you and me, I will tell you that living like that has been hard for me this summer. I have desperately wanted to enjoy our last summer season here in the Northeast BC. The Father knows the transition into retirement we are making. After all He helped us make those same plans and opened doors for us that no man could have opened.
We have known His guidance, followed His leading and we have confidence that our plans and timing are in alignment with His. But this part of our journey has been so hard I can’t even begin to find the words. I feel like I am in a brick box and the Lord cannot hear my prayers and is deaf to my cries.
He has been teaching me how important it is to trust Him wholeheartedly and over the summer He has been graciously revealing to me, all the things I have been trusting in other than Him!
Ouch! But we need to know those things! We need to be aware of what the truth is about our hearts so He can do a new thing.
We are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not upon our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:6)
So often, we don’t know what peripheral things we are trusting in and do not realize we are leaning on our own understanding.
You see, we need to get that first part right so we can walk confidently in the second half of the verse. The stripping and baring of the heart is painful but it is a good first step towards purity. Oh, how I long to have a pure heart.
I pray that as you seek His face, He will give you ears to hear and you will hear Him gently speak to your heart and show you the adjustments He would like to make. I pray that this summer season will be fruitful for you and you can enjoy the harvest that is to come.
In the meantime let’s continue to believe God for His victory and matchless, unbroken companionship, His favor, His love and His peace as we keep on waiting on Him and looking to Him. May He have mercy on us and show us His loving kindness. (Isaiah 30:18)
With much love as I seek the King,
Linking up: RaRa Link-up
It will be OK xxx
I choose to agree with you Florence! God knows the end and everything in the middle and I know He is working for our good, even if we cannot see it now! Love you and thank you for your encouragement!
JESUS is simply looking for those who BELIEVE. As the woman who had a blood disease for twelve years in Mark 5, being a social outcast because of Levitical law, done everything she could humanly do…REACHED OUT and touched the hem of Jesus garment. She had faith enough to trust and obey, for there’s n o other way… That is what JESUS seeks.
THANKS JEANNIE for your encouraging words of truth.
It is so hard waiting….but over many years I have come to realise that it is not God being slow but humans not obeying his promptings so holding up the works….. and I trust that His delays mean he has something even better for me….I am sure you know this very well Jeannie.
I feel for you in the wait and having to have the house presentable all the time….may this season soon come to an end so you can get on with the next season at last !!
“But God” is an interesting thought.”But God, being rich in mercy …” is where we begin as believers. Joseph told his brothers, “it was not you that sent me here, but God”; so we need help to see things from God’s viewpoint.
But God. Not but God, You don’t understand. But God is faithful and knows the whole story. What a profound way to turn these two words into a prayer of hope and praise when I need to cast my anxiety on Him.
Great post, excellent ending: “In the meantime let’s continue to believe God for His victory and matchless, unbroken companionship, His favor, His love and His peace as we keep on waiting on Him and looking to Him. May He have mercy on us and show us His loving kindness. (Isaiah 30:18)
With much love as I seek the King,