"There's no place like home, Auntie Em....there's no place like home!!"
K, well, I don't have the ruby red slippers to click and I have no dog named Toto, but...I am so thoroughly blessed and grateful to be back home again.
There's just something about home. Back to the quietness of the country, to long walks in my meadow, talks with my parents, the solitude and quiet of my room, and most of all, time spent at the feet of Christ.
This semester has been a long one and, in some ways, a hard one. But the Lord lovingly, gently, reminded me that in my weakness, He carries me; in my frailty He gives me breath and strength; in the night He is my Song; in the darkness He Alone is my Light; in my nothingness He is my All.
Christianity cannot be reduced to a God we view with reference to how He makes us--allows us--to feel. It cannot, should not, must not. Nor can it be reduced to a God we view in reference to what He can or has or will do for us. True, God meets our every need. True, He gives peace that passes understanding. But if this is how we view Him...in reference to our own, self-centered experiences, we have a shamedly small, unworthy view of Him. God is far, far greater than the ways in which we (often selfishly) experience Him. May He open the eyes of our understanding that we may see even a small portion of His greatness--and worship Him as He Alone demands and deserves.
To be home is wonderful...but how much greater to be Home in the presence of an Eternal, Immortal, Invisible King Who called us to be His heirs.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Saturday, May 06, 2006
The Trustworthiness of God
Isaiah 50:10-- "Who among you fears the Lord, and obeys the voice of His servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God."
The past few weeks have been hectic, stressful, exhausting--but overflowing with the presence of an ever faithful God Who continues to be my exceeding joy...my song in the night. :) This verse captures much of my feeling: walking in darkness with no light, learning to trust in the name of the Lord and rely on my God.
The play came and went...the Lord Alone carried us. Missions Conference came and went...the Lord gave strength and grace. Room situations came and stayed, drawing us closer to each other and to Christ, showing us our insufficiency, our pride, and the greatness of a God Who controls everything. The last days of class have come and gone, multiple papers have been written, several hundred pages read, and once again, the Lord Alone was my sufficiency.
And through it all, I have been brought back to trusting in the name of the Lord. My Good Shepherd Who always leads me beside still waters and restores my soul. My Deliverer Who lifted me out of the miry clay, put my feet on a rock, and established my going. My Abba Father Who tells me to cast all my cares on Him and find Him to be my All in All. My Faithful Intercessor Who made it possible for me to come humbly but boldly before His throne of grace. My Completer, my Creator, my Life, my All.
This is the God I serve. And despite the circumstances of the jungle which is this life, despite my failings and frustrations and disappointments and contorting emotions, He never changes.
The past few weeks have been hectic, stressful, exhausting--but overflowing with the presence of an ever faithful God Who continues to be my exceeding joy...my song in the night. :) This verse captures much of my feeling: walking in darkness with no light, learning to trust in the name of the Lord and rely on my God.
The play came and went...the Lord Alone carried us. Missions Conference came and went...the Lord gave strength and grace. Room situations came and stayed, drawing us closer to each other and to Christ, showing us our insufficiency, our pride, and the greatness of a God Who controls everything. The last days of class have come and gone, multiple papers have been written, several hundred pages read, and once again, the Lord Alone was my sufficiency.
And through it all, I have been brought back to trusting in the name of the Lord. My Good Shepherd Who always leads me beside still waters and restores my soul. My Deliverer Who lifted me out of the miry clay, put my feet on a rock, and established my going. My Abba Father Who tells me to cast all my cares on Him and find Him to be my All in All. My Faithful Intercessor Who made it possible for me to come humbly but boldly before His throne of grace. My Completer, my Creator, my Life, my All.
This is the God I serve. And despite the circumstances of the jungle which is this life, despite my failings and frustrations and disappointments and contorting emotions, He never changes.
I can rely on my God because He is God.
Because He is a trustworthy God.
Because He is a trustworthy God.
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