Discovering what love is one day at a time
I love to play Hide and Seek with a toddler. The game goes on for as long as they are attentive to, and when they find you, the giggles are worth the time spent not getting anything done. Looking for a child when they are playing without telling you is not so much fun, nor is trying to find a child that is hiding out of fear. Just thinking about why we hide from the presence of God. I suppose it is the same reason our toddlers hide from us when they have done something they know is not ok. Our sin automatically creates a boundary in our hearts…and instead of running to the One who sets of free and comforts our hearts we may continue to choose to run away from the One who will give us peace and cleanse us from the muck of a hole we have jumped into. Look at Adam and Eve from Genesis 3: After they ate from the tree...they covered themselves…and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden… It’s part of our nature to want a covering…and how great is it that He has provided One perfect covering and that, is Christ Jesus . Under the shadow of His wings we find refuge; He clothes us with His righteousness. He is Majestic, Mighty, Perfect, Pure and The True Holy God. I love the verses in Exodus 33. Moses had an intimate relationship with the Lord, and asked to see God’s glory. God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and live…Here is a place by Me and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be when My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen." I know for myself, before I started to learn about God, and His character, and what He thought about me… I figured that if I actually could talk to God, He probably would decide that that was it, you are no good (**BAM**) lightening…no more Cheryl. All the time I believed a lie that God was not available to me, nor forgiving; and that I was no good. This kept me living in torment, and not in the peace that God has provided for everyone. Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be dismayed…fear not, be strong and of good courage; I will never leave you nor forsake you… Since God never leaves our side, we are the ones who choose to block Him out... like the child who closes their eyes and turns their head when they do not want to hear what you have to say… Fear in the Bible is described as torment, bondage and a trap. We are counseled and warned to fear not frequently in the words of Scripture. Fear is a place that we can hide; it shuts God out, and entraps us in a place of torment. When we have given our lives to Christ, we are clothed in His righteousness, and we are sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, we are admonished to not fear suffering, events beyond our control, health, safety, fearful thoughts, sudden terror, the future, our children, our reputation, wars, death, enemies, and even provision…for we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind. The truth is, life happens and sometimes it is not very fun at all. Sometimes it is really hard, and you may wonder if it is really even worth it to get up in the morning. Sensing the presence of God may not even be on your radar. You may wonder if there is even a God, and why all this is happening. Yes, there is One God, Creator and King. I do not have the answer to the whys, but this I do know. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Sometimes it feels like everywhere we go …there we are. I love that. Because if we can “see” where we are, we have the opportunity to go through the experience with a different perspective. If you are able to see and identify something in your heart, it is God’s grace showing you your error. It is Him allowing you opportunity to surrender, repent and try a different way…HIS. So why choose His way? Because He loves us….John 3:16, we are His creation Is 44:2, we are forgiven 1John 1:9, He fights for us Ex 14:13, we are more valuable than sparrows Luke 12:7, He is our helper Hebrews 13:6, His presence is with us always, He will never leave us nor forsake us, He has given us His peace and He does not give as the world gives, He has hedged us in behind and before and not a word is on our tongue before He knows it all together, He has numbered the hairs on our head, His thoughts toward us are more numerous than the grains of sand, every one of our days was written in His book before they came to be, He formed us in our mother’s womb…and…and…..and… So what if you have so much fear that you can barely get out of bed in the morning…take it one step at a time…Are you breathing? Yes, be thankful, you have another day set before you to choose God and His ways. Praise Him…for His mercies are new every morning. Look for places of His faithfulness. For He is faithful. When you look for Him you will find Him. He stands at the door of your heart and knocks; will you let Him in? Do not be afraid, He will be gentle with your heart, and as any loving parent, He will be tough where He needs to be, just know, that His love is perfect and pure. He will provide you with many opportunities to receive His hope, His healing and His strength. His love lifts us up where we belong. Love lifts us up where we belong
Far from the world below Up where the clear winds blow Love lifts us up where we belong Where the eagles cry On a mountain high Love lifts us up where we belong Taken from -Up Where We Belong-Will Jennings Be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
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AuthorI have been married to my wonderful husband for 29 years. We have two young men ages 25 and 20.. This blog is somewhat of a journal and attempt for me to remind myself of my purpose and invite others to join me in keeping an eternal perspective as we move through each day. Archives
May 2023
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