It is in times like these where I find myself captured and awestruck at the way Father God speaks truth into my life. It is in times like these where I am able to experience first-hand the faithfulness of God shining out of discouraging circumstances. What a humbling thought that the Lord desires to speak to my heart as I seek Him.
This past week God through various ways and over the course of many days has been teaching me a well-known but sometimes difficult to live truth. How is it that at one moment my heart can feel so encouraged as I wait for God's perfect will? Then, the next day anxiety seems to set in…threatening to steal that perfect peace and joy given so freely by the Father. Praise God that His faithfulness does not depend upon my emotions.
Just last Sunday after the evening service, I decided to take a jog/walk outside. Put on the tennis shoes, grabbed my ipod, and headed out behind our house. The sun would soon be setting, and I was soaking up God's beautiful creation around me. My heart was heavy…..mainly feelings of disappointment and guilt consumed me because of the unbelief in my heart. "Why is it so hard for me to just lay it all down and truly trust You, Father?" was the cry of my heart that evening. My ipod had been turned onto shuffle mode, and with each song that played a commonality was heard. Song after song spoke of God's majestic creation. "All Creation Worships You", "Wonderful Maker", "God of Wonders" all spoke of God's handiwork. That morning in church, part of the message was taken from Matthew 6 about how God cares for even the birds of the air. And as the sun was setting, the birds were flying in the air, I felt the presence of God speak a truth into my heart once again: "Hannah, look around you. Look at all I have made. Is there anything too difficult for Me?" Verses came into my head, and I just began to recite them one by one. "Be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6) "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." (Isaiah 40:31) "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7) Such a precious time with the Lord. I could look around at the common things like birds...and the sunset....and really feel God's love and presence radiating down upon me.
This past week God through various ways and over the course of many days has been teaching me a well-known but sometimes difficult to live truth. How is it that at one moment my heart can feel so encouraged as I wait for God's perfect will? Then, the next day anxiety seems to set in…threatening to steal that perfect peace and joy given so freely by the Father. Praise God that His faithfulness does not depend upon my emotions.
Just last Sunday after the evening service, I decided to take a jog/walk outside. Put on the tennis shoes, grabbed my ipod, and headed out behind our house. The sun would soon be setting, and I was soaking up God's beautiful creation around me. My heart was heavy…..mainly feelings of disappointment and guilt consumed me because of the unbelief in my heart. "Why is it so hard for me to just lay it all down and truly trust You, Father?" was the cry of my heart that evening. My ipod had been turned onto shuffle mode, and with each song that played a commonality was heard. Song after song spoke of God's majestic creation. "All Creation Worships You", "Wonderful Maker", "God of Wonders" all spoke of God's handiwork. That morning in church, part of the message was taken from Matthew 6 about how God cares for even the birds of the air. And as the sun was setting, the birds were flying in the air, I felt the presence of God speak a truth into my heart once again: "Hannah, look around you. Look at all I have made. Is there anything too difficult for Me?" Verses came into my head, and I just began to recite them one by one. "Be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6) "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." (Isaiah 40:31) "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7) Such a precious time with the Lord. I could look around at the common things like birds...and the sunset....and really feel God's love and presence radiating down upon me.
Throughout the week, I clung to that promise of God. He will take care of me. What a blessing! On the way to work one morning, a song came across the radio. "There is hope for me yet/ because God won't forget/All the plans He's made for me/I'll have to wait and see /He's not finished with me yet.." (Brandon Heath) It was God-ordained morning to hear this song. As I have mentioned before, the hospital I work at has a morning devotional at 8:00 each day. As I listened to the pastor over the loudspeaker, his words sounded very familiar. He spoke of trusting God even in difficult circumstances/situations. His exact words were: "He's not finished with you yet." His words reminded of this verse: "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)
This morning at church, a man in our congregation led a devotional about trusting in God's perfect will for our lives....even when our own plans do not always work out. He referenced Isaiah 40, and I wanted to leave you with this passage tonight. It was in this passage that I noticed some encouraging thoughts on God's sovereignty over His creation. Just as He formed each star in the heavens, just as He causes the sun to rise and set, and just as He has fashioned each mountain and valley....He forms each moment of our days. How wonderful is that? May you be encouraged tonight from the words taken from Isaiah 40. May God's peace dwell in your very being, giving you the strength to wait for His perfect will. It is perfect.....it is good.....it is worth the wait.
“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
not a single one is missing.
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard? Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40: 25-31
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