DIVE IN FIRST

‘ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.’ Isaiah 58:11 NIV
There are certainly days when I lean more towards the sun- scorched land and the bubbling spring is nothing more than a mirage taunting me in the distance. You know those days, nothing seems to be going right! The universe is sinisterly plotting against you, cutting you off at every turn. In surrender, you throw up your hands. It’s just going to be one of those days ! Giving defeat the upper hand.
How did I begin the day….was He my first thought, my first conversation ?
Guaranteed my to do list and yesterday’s challenges and failures slipped in ahead of my time with Him.
He promises to give me the strength to last the day, the energy to face what-ever and wisdom to choose wisely.
So if you are having ‘one of those days’, it’s okay to throw up your hands, not in surrender to defeat but in declaration of His goodness, soaking up his life giving water that never fails to quench and sustain , and tomorrow…dive into His presence first.
‘Prayer is to the spirit what breath is to the body. We treat prayer as though it were the spice of life, but the Bible prescribes it as a vital staple in our diet.’ -David Hubbard
Lxx

LET GO…..BOTH HANDS.

‘ Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions & praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come & settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.’ Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
This is certainly a word for me today! Sometimes I think I should state my occupation as ‘Professional Worry Wort’. I envy those who seemingly float through life, worry & anxiety not a part of their daily routine. ” Oh, I want that !”
” But you can have it……Bring those burdens that weigh so heavily on you, limiting you, to me……And let go completely. Don’t give them over with one hand, secretly holding on with the other. I have it covered, trust me, rest in me, allow me to be the centre of your being.”
His still small voice always knows where to find me.
Worry, anxiety & fear are not a part of His plan for my life…your life. Let go with both hands. Empty hands can then be filled with His victory, confidence & peace.
‘Peace with God brings the peace of God. It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit,& in the midst of the uproar around us, gives the assurance that everything is alright.’ – Bob Mumford 
Lxx 

STEP OUT OF THE SCRUB

‘You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forever more.’ Psalm 16:11 NKJ
Sometimes the path before us appears to be overgrown causing our way to become obscured and unclear. We stumble around in the scrub trying to clear away a direction of our own, wasting time only to find ourselves hopelessly lost.
God promises that He will direct us upon the path of life. We simply need to be still long enough, practice patience and lean into His presence in order to discern His voice.
As our eyes and ears are opened, our hearts quickening to His Spirit, emerging through the obstacles of life, His way becomes evident. It is in the contentment of resting securely in Him that His voice becomes most audible.
‘ That is God’s call to us- simply to be people who are content to live close to Him and to renew the kind of life in which the closeness is felt and experienced.-Thomas Merton.
Take some time out today, step out of the scrub, into the clearing and rest in Him.
Lxx

HE KNOWS YOUR NAME !

I’ll lead you to buried treasures, secret caches of valuables- Confirmation that it is, in fact, I, God…..who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45:3 MSG
He calls me by my name, The God of the Universe knows my name, knows your name!
We meet new people everyday in our busy lives and often we forget their names, or the encounter slips into the hidden recesses of our memory, but God KNOWS our name and calls us by it. We are not simply another random entry into the vastness of His being, tucked away and forgotten. We are in His thoughts every day. He waits for us to rise in the morning, He calls our name, He is there when we slip into slumber at night, He whispers our name. At every turn….He is there, waiting to reveal treasures we cannot even begin to imagine.
‘ God still draws near to us in the ordinary, commonplace, everyday experiences and places…..He comes in surprising ways’ – Henry Gariepy.
Listen today, and hear YOUR name.
Lxx

JUST TURN UP !

‘But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.’ Matt 6:6 NKJ
What a beautiful invitation. Jesus is explaining how we should pray and inviting us into a private time and space with our Father. Even though He already knows our needs and wants ahead of time, He longs for us to take time out and commune…….chat with Him.
It’s great to socialise in groups, as is corporate prayer and worship, but we know it’s those one on one encounters with one another where we develop bonds and lasting connections. He knows us so well, and so it is that He wants us to really KNOW Him. It’s an open invitation , special time, just you and Him, everyday…….All you have to do is turn up !
Lxx