Well, today Leah and I sat in class again. Class number 3, week number 2. That much closer to my first quiz and assignment. As we walked out of class to go and find out where to get our student cards, I was chuckling inwardly at what in the world I was doing at my age!! Going to school for a degree Lord Willing, in 8 years!! Is this a sign of being 50 :)
Anyhow, back to Abraham. I have been reading about him... actually about him and Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah and Rachel and oh yes, I did start at Genesis 1 with creation, and Adam and Eve and well, I have begun to see the Bible through some new eyes again! Thank you Lord for that added blessing!!
I see how we sure made a mess of life, right from the start!! But, I am also reminded of God's great love for us, and how He was faithful, and even when the human part of the equation was far from faithful!!
I think I have alot to learn through these men and women from the Old Testament. And it reminded me of a devotional that I read the other day from Streams in the Desert. It talked about Abraham being tested for a very long time, but he was also richly rewarded. It says that "Yet he patiently endured, not questioning God's truthfulness and power or doubting God's faithfulness and love. Instead Abraham submitted to God's divine sovereignty and infinite wisdom. And he was silent through many delays, willing to wait for the Lord's timing. Having patiently endured, he then obtained the fulfillment of the promise. "
Ah Abraham, I can learn from you.... I realize that I am not always patient with God. And, I realize that sometimes I have doubted his faithfulness (even though in my heart/head I KNEW/KNOW HE IS FAITHFUL!) I also realize that I often, have a hard time with submission to God... but have realized that God has very creative ways to bring me about! The one thing however that I do know, is that God's timing is never wrong. A little hard to admit right now... because really, I thought it was TIME for us to be grandparents. Yes, there are times when like Abraham, I just have to keep moving ahead and trust God's timing, and his faithfulness in my life and in the lives of my family. The bottom line is I know that God's promises can never fail to be accomplished. I know that if we wait patiently on the Lord, we will never be disappointed, that "believing faith leads to realization" ... so I wait and believe and trust God for miracles.
Yesterday Leah shared a verse with me, which I have decided will be a verse to cling to...
Psalm 5:3 "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." (NIV)
I think that I mentioned before that my new saying for life is HAVE FAITH - EXPECT MIRACLES. Seems to me it is about trusting God no matter what, about having faith and waiting in expectation!! So, that is what I am doing!!
God, I thank you in advance for what you are going to do in my life, and in the lives of my family. You are a great God, and I am so thankful that you never give up on me! NEVER. You are faithful to your promise about always being with us, never forsaking us. Help me to live fully for you, with a WHOLE HEART!! Help me to fall more and more in love with you JESUS, and to wait in expectation. You know the cries of my heart... the secret longing...the quiet whisper. You know our hearts desire even if we do not bring it to speech. I know God that you don't owe me anything. But you also long to give us the desire of our hearts when it is in line with your desire for us. For this I pray, and wait, and expect a miracle. Thank you for giving me the stories of Abraham, who amidst testing, waited patiently, and ultimately received what you had promised him! .O Lord, enlarge my faith! Amen
Amen.
Joy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful blog you have written. I read it from start to today and wept with you and smiled with you. You are much braver than I am...but then you seem to spend a lot more time talking to God on walks, in coffee shops, in journalling that I do. That takes courage, and often all I have is fear or fatalism. Thank you for speaking life into my dusty soul. I think of you and Alvin, Josh and Josh and Leah, for Ashley and Michael often and have sent prayers on the tails of those thoughts. I too, have experienced the incredible tangibility of prayers said on my behalf...miraculous isn't it? And yet, there is a lot of dust on the road...and it can sometimes choke out the view. In "The Shack" Papa (God) says, "When all you can see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of me?" Like I said, there's a lot of dust on my road right now and I am so blessed by your words, they helped me see a little more clearly.