Being still for just a moment...
http://youtu.be/EPDPUoxylP4 - Be still my soul - Selah
"In His goodness He chose to make us His own children by giving us His true word. And we,
out of all creation, became His choice possession." James 1:18 NLT
I have a confession to make. I've been letting my busyness keep me from time with my Father.
I hate it, but it happens so easily. I look at my list of things to do and think, "If I just do this or that one little thing first, before I sit down with God, then my mind will be clear and I can focus on what's important." But the problem is one little thing leads to another little thing and before I know it, the day is gone and I'm too tired to sit at His feet.
This morning, in the middle of my mess and my list of things to do, I have decided to put Him first.
I picked up "Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers and flipped through the pages to find a prayer that fits my life at the moment, and this is what I found. I hope it will remind you, like it reminded me, God has me right where He wants me to be at any given moment. Instead of stressing over bumps in the road, I will seek His purpose and trust His Plan. He can use every single bump for something good, if I just keep my eyes on Him and step out in obedience - even when it's not easy...even when it doesn't make sense to my little human brain.
Where I am
Thank You that You have me in the place You want me just now... that even if I got here through choices or indifference or even rebellion, You knew my mistakes and sins before I ever existed, and You worked them into Your plan to draw me to Yourself, to mold and bless me and to bless others through me. Thank You that, even if I'm here through the ill will or poor judgment of other people, all is well; for in Your sovereign wisdom You are at work to bring about good results from all those past decisions, those past events beyond my control -- good results both for me and for others. Thank You again that You meant for good the terrible things that happened to Joseph, who was sold into slavery, exiled to a distant country, and later sent to prison on false accusations... and that through all this You had him in the right place at the right time for highly important reasons. I'm glad, Lord, that You are the same today- well able to work things out for us, to turn evil into good. I stand amazed at the complexity and mystery of Your wisdom. How safe it is for me to trust Your reasons for acting (or not acting) and Your methods of working!
So I rest in the fact that You have me in this place for this day, and I praise You that You will faithfully guide me throughout life to just where You want me to be, as I seek to do Your will.
And most important of all is my place in You. How delighted I am to have You as my dwelling place where I can settle down, feel secure, and be content anywhere on earth. You are my blessed Home, "where I can enter and be at rest even when all around and above is a sea of trouble" (Andrew Murray). How my soul delights to hide in the safety of Your presence... to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, to eat at Your table, to drink my fill of the river of Your delights. How blessed I am, my King and my God, for You have chosen me and brought me near, to live in Your presence, to behold Your delightfulness, to see Your counsel...
And to think that I will dwell in Your house forever!
Psalm 105:16-22
16 He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the LORD proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.
After all Joseph had been through, when confronted with the very brothers who had started the whole downward spiral of his life by selling him to slave traders, Joseph answered with mercy and wisdom when his brothers were so afraid that he would have them put to death:
Genesis 50:20 NIV
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
We can trust Him to do what's best in every circumstance. There's nothing that comes into my life that has not first been filtered through His amazing love. No matter what the trial, Christ will provide the strength I need to face what comes.
Romans 11:33 NIV 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Psalm 91:1-2 NIV
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
http://youtu.be/FSXzDiGpYZ8 - It is Well
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