A Spirit of Fear?

Yesterday was our first day back from a vacation focused on much needed rest and relaxation.  Since it was Sunday, I continued my rest and relaxation to a large extent, but this morning as I awakened, I had my mind on the many things that needed to get done - things to do to take care of my spiritual health, things to do to take care of my physical health, things to do to take care of my home, things to do to perform the work-related tasks that were before me. . . .  As I contemplated the many things I could do with my time, I recognized a bit of anxiety welling in me.  So many things - so little time.  What was the best use of my time?  Where should I focus my energy?

As I lay awake talking to God about my to-do list, and visualizing the various tasks, I heard that still small voice whispering to me.  "Cheryl, you are worried about many things. (Luke 10:41) I came that you might enjoy life and live abundantly. (John 10:10)  In fact, the JOY of the Lord is your strength! (Nehemiah 8:10) It saddens me to see you so worried about what you should do.  I've told you 'whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might as joyful service to me!' (Eccl 9:10, Col 3:23) And  I've encouraged you to ask for wisdom, spoken of the perils of being double-minded, and explained the importance of living your life with "no wavering." (James 1:5-8)  No matter what you would choose to do in your current mind-set, you would be anxious!  But I want you to live a life of joy! (Phil 4:4)"

I was immediately convicted.  I knew He was right.  I had been allowing the spirit of worry to live through me no matter what decision I made about what I would do.  But that wasn't the spirit I wanted within me!  I want God's spirit of love and trust and joy within me - ALWAYS.  Father, forgive me!  Thank you for showing me what I was doing! Please cast out that spirit of worry and replace it with your perfect love, peace, and trust in you.  Thank you, Father.

The picture that came to mind immediately after that realization and repentance was of the disciples in the boat on the lake - terrified of the waves that were being whipped up by the gale-force winds, while Jesus slept in the back of the boat. (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25) The picture was more compelling for me because we recently spent time on a lake in a kayak, dealing with waves that were by no means whipped by a gale, but were frightening enough for me since I haven't spent a lot of time in a kayak and hadn't expected to see any waves on the lake at all.

This story of the disciples facing the waves is FOR ME!  And Jesus' words are also for me.  To that anxious voice in my mind, Jesus says, "Peace, be still" and then asks me "Why are you so timid?  How is it that you have no faith?"  As I feel the calm settle over my soul and as I remember the truth that God is in charge and is working ALL THINGS for my good (Rom 8:28), I am SO grateful!  Grateful for the reminder, grateful for the truth, grateful for the peace and joy that comes with remembering the truth.

Thank you, Father!  I am so grateful that you are in charge of my life and that I can trust you.  Father, please banish these pesky anxieties from my life.  Instead, I choose to trust in your gift of faith and to trust you to give me the direction I need.  Thank you that you are the loving God that you are!  I'm so grateful to know that you want me to ENJOY life!  How much better it is to trust you and perform the tasks you set before me with joy and praise instead of with worry!  Indeed you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind! (2Tim 1:7) Thank you, Father!!!

I Rejoice!

The story of Hannah as told in the first few chapters of 1 Samuel is quite moving.  And I find Hannah's prayer as recorded in the first 10 verses of chapter 2 quite thought provoking.  Hannah has been tormented for years, wanting a child desperately and having Peninnah goad her about her barrenness.  She promises God that if He will just give her a son, she will give Him to the Lord.  She is given a son, and when he is weaned, she brings him to the temple to leave him with the high priest to be raised by him in service to God.  The prayer I mentioned in chapter 2 is her prayer when she brings Samuel to stay with Eli.  Can you imagine how she must have been feeling, knowing that when she returned home, it would be without the son she had prayed for so long?  

I know if it had been me, I'd have had a hard time behaving as Hannah did.  I'd probably have been really torn.  Having made a promise to God, I would want to fulfill it, but could have found all sorts of reasons why it might not be a good idea to leave him with Eli.  Just look how his OWN sons turned out!  I'd likely be quite worried about leaving my son, and very sad about it at the very least.  But that is not Hannah's attitude.  She is clearly a "cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7), focusing not on her impending loss, but her immense gratitude for God's giving her a son.  In her prayer, she says:

"My heart exults in the Lord. . . I rejoice in thy salvation" (I Sam 2:1, NASV)

and goes on to talk about how wonderful God is.  And lest you think she was just one of those mothers who didn't care about her child, that thought is dispelled by the fact that she carefully made him clothes each year and brought them to him (I Sam 2:19).  Remember this was before a time when one could just go out and purchase cloth and zip something up with an electric sewing machine!

For me, this story speaks to me on so many levels - especially about the power of prayer, and the importance of cheerfulness & joy - especially when giving gifts to God!

Father, once again I am reminded of how you encourage us to rejoice and give thanks in ALL THINGS.  I am so grateful for your love and care for me!  Thank you for this special time of rest and relaxation that you have provided, and thank you for the renewed energy to return to the work you have given me to do.  May I do my work cheerfully as a gift to those I serve, and in gratitude to you for the many gifts you have given me - including these current tasks! (Eccl 3:13)  Father, I love you!

One Hand or Two?

This morning I continued reading into the 4th chapter of Ecclesiastes.  Verse 6 really jumped out at me:

"One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind." (NAS)

Obviously, God is working to get through to my workaholic nature and remind me of the importance of taking care of myself.  Yesterday it was about the importance of taking time to eat well, today it's about resting.  

But God is talking to me about more than simply getting my sleep.  My mind goes to Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 - especially chapter 4 verses 9-11.

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest . . ." (NKJV)

The overall passage speaks about how the Israelites whom God had led out of Egypt did NOT enter into His rest because of their unbelief.  I think back over the stories about the journey out of Egypt to the promised land.  The two things I see God address with them over and over are their tendency to be afraid and their tendency to complain about things.  These were the behaviors that kept them out of the promised land - that kept them from entering His rest.  

How often do I do these things?  How often do I complain?  How often do I worry about things - and isn't worry just a form of fear?  

Over the course of the last several days, I've had an opportunity to see my tendency toward both - and the changes God is making in me in this regard.  My husband has had to put in a lot of overtime working on a project with several of his co-workers.  This, of course, cut into his normal time to rest, deal with personal things, and spend time with ME.  

• Complaining - This situation is one where I ordinarily would have done a lot of complaining (inside my head if not out loud).  I am grateful that is not where I spent my energy.  While the thoughts flitted through my head occasionally, I mostly felt gratitude that I knew God was in charge - and that He had given me the opportunity to get things done that I might not have accomplished otherwise.

• Worry - My husband's work on this project required him to get considerably less sleep than usual and I caught myself worrying about his safety driving home.  Fortunately, as soon as the concern entered my mind, I spoke with God about it and let it go, trusting that He was indeed keeping everything running right.  

For some time God has been teaching me about the importance of faith, joy, and gratitude.  And now He's showing me the results of ignoring those lessons. Complaining and worry keep me from truly entering His rest.  Father, I CHOOSE to enter into Your rest!  

I've often thought about Jesus and His tendency to spend so much of the night in prayer.  Clearly His disciples were too tired to do so.  Why wasn't Jesus?  It seems to me that THIS is the answer.  Communion with His Father kept Him in that place of rest, giving Him the rest He needed! I think of the time that the disciples came to Him concerned that He hadn't had time to eat. John 4:32 tells us: "But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”  It seems to me as I contemplate this, that Jesus had REST that I knew nothing about as well!

Father, through the writer to the Hebrews, we are told to be diligent in working to enter Your rest.  I see the importance of the focus on the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23) instead of complaining and worrying.  And I know that the only way my human tendencies toward fear and worry are transformed is through Your power.  I see that you have already been working in me to create these changes and am grateful.  I am also grateful that you have promised that the work you've begun in me will be seen to completion (Phil 1:6)!  Thank you for the victories this weekend over worry and complaining - the opportunity to more fully enter into Your rest.  I am reminded that in listing faith, joy, and gratitude as the antidotes, I missed an important one - love.  You've told us that your perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) and that of the three - faith, hope and love - the most important and most powerful is LOVE (1st Cor 13).  Father I am SO grateful for your love for me!  I ask that I be an open vessel so that your love can so fill me that there is no room left for worry or complaint.  I see that You have already started this process in me and I'm so grateful!  Thank you, Father!  I love you.

What's cookin'?

 

The more time I've spent reading here in Ecclesiastes, the more I realize that at least part of what it's talking to me about is time management - a concept that is often on my mind.

 

This morning I found myself going back over some verses in Ecclesiastes chapter 2.  Initially Solomon sounds pretty depressed:

"Then I said to myself, 'As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me.  Why then have I been extremely wise?' . . . And how the wise man and the fool alike die. So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.  And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? . . . For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. . . Eccl 2:15-23

I can certainly relate.  I've been there:

• I've wondered if what I work so hard to accomplish makes any difference at all in the grand scheme of things - why I'm working so hard when few would notice if something happened to me and I was no longer doing all that work.  It would just be like a little blip on the radar screen that is soon forgotten.
• I've also had times where I found my tasks painful and challenging and at night had trouble getting my mind to shut off so I could sleep!

But then Solomon gives us a much better answer than falling into frustration and depression:

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good.  This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?" - Eccl 2:15-25 NAS

This sounds so similar to what he says in Eccl 3:12, 13 that I know I need to pay attention.  I've often found when reading the Bible that when something is repeated it's usually important!  Father, what is it that I need to notice here?  What are you trying to get my attention about?  I recognize the value in seeing good in all my labor - as I looked at yesterday.  You set the example for us at the very beginning as you created the world - to take the time to note at the end of the day that we've done a good job.  I can see how important this is for me to learn to emulate.  But what about the focus on "eat and drink"?

As I sit with that question, I realize - too often when I'm busy working, I don't want to take the time to stop and prepare a healthy meal for myself.  In fact, I can easily work through mealtime all together without much notice!  Just as some time ago God talked to me about the importance of sleep ("It is useless to get up early and stay up late, eating the food of exhausting labor - truly he gives sleep to those he loves." Ps 127:2 ISV), He is now reminding me that taking time to prepare food and enjoy eating it is part of His plan for me.  

How different God is than some of my earthly bosses have been (including myself some times!).  I've worked for bosses who want to see me working hard all the time, expect me to burn the midnight oil, and don't care if I am working so hard I don't have time for lunch or sleep.  They see that as simply what they're paying me for!  I am SO glad that is not the way God treats me!  Instead He reminds me to stop and rest and eat and enjoy life!

Thank you, Father!  You are such a caring, loving, Father!  I am happy to serve One who has my best at heart the way You do!  You care more about me than I do about myself!  No wonder that I enter into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise!  You are amazing and I am so grateful to be your child.  I love you, Father.

Time to Dance!

Over the next several days, I'll be sharing from Ecclesiastes.  I started with THIS illustration:

As you can see, the illustration focuses on Eccl 3:4 (a time to dance), but I also particularly noticed the last half of verse 6.  The International Standard Version puts it this way: 

"a time to keep, and a time to discard"

I particularly noticed these two phrases because these are the things that currently are taking the bulk of my time:

• Dancing (including cueing and teaching dance) and 
• Going through my home and choosing which things to keep and which to discard.

Too often I worry about how I spend my time - am I focused on the right things?  Am I spending my time in the best way possible?  I can't get everything on my to-do list done immediately.  Am I prioritizing okay?  I hear God's voice telling me not to worry - to trust.  There is a time to dance, a time to keep, a time to discard - and this is my time to do so!

Father, thank you that you care enough about me to reassure me when I am tempted to worry about how I spend my time!  Thank you for the time to DANCE - and the time to keep and discard. Thank you for the love and joy you place within me!  

As I pray those words I find myself chuckling to myself.  While this is shaping up to be a great time to focus on some dance preparation, it is certainly NOT a time to actually dance as I had expected to do this weekend!  We had planned to go to a weekend dance event, but my husband's work changed our plans.  I COULD have been really upset about all of that, but I am STILL filled with joy!  Thank you, God!  

It reminds me of the day I caught myself as I said to a friend - "Isn't it a beautiful day?" One glance out the window showed it to be a gray and stormy day - but it was STILL a beautiful day for me because of what God had put in my heart.  We are told to rejoice ALWAYS and give thanks in ALL THINGS.  The more I understand the way God has me in the palm of His hand, the more I find myself doing exactly that.

Father, I am SOOO grateful for the way you keep everything running right!  You are such an amazing God and loving Father.  I am indeed grateful for this day you have given me and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Whatever Your Hand Finds To Do

This morning, Dr. Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional took me back to a verse that I've been guided to several times in recent months.  It is found in Ecclesiastes:

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV)

One of the challenges I can run into is a tendency to feel so overwhelmed with my "to do" list that it's hard to know what to do first.  Too often that means I spend too much time deciding what to do and not enough time actually doing it.  On the other hand, I can choose to do something on that list and then spend half of my energy worrying about whether it was the most important thing instead of focusing on completing that task!  

As I've looked for ways to be more efficient with my time, this verse has helped a lot.  I can pray and ask for guidance, and then start on the first thing that comes to mind, working at it diligently before moving on to the next thing.  It's surprising sometimes how much more I can accomplish when I don't spend so much time worrying about what should come first, and just get started! :)

Of course, I've found this requires some honesty on my part.  Sometimes I know exactly what should come first, but don't want to do it!  Sometimes I have an agenda of my own about what I WANT to do, and need to be willing to set that aside and honestly seek my Father's guidance as to the best use of my time.  During the holiday season, it seems that my to do list is extra long with fewer hours in my day.  Under these circumstances, this advice is undoubtedly even more important.

Father, thank you for so many blessings in my life!  Life, health, strength, wisdom, guidance, friends, family, food, shelter, opportunities. This morning, I once again thank you for the gentleness of your leading, and for the guidance you give.  As I go about my day, may your will be done through my thoughts and actions.  Thank you for the promise that you work in me to will and to do of your good pleasure! (Phil 2:3)  I love you, Father!

All or Nothing

This morning, the words of a song come to mind.  I think they're from the musical "Oklahoma!".  They go like this:

 "With me, it's all or nothin'.  Is it all or nothin' with you?"

I'm discovering in life that sometimes this is the attitude that I need to be taking - like in my relationship with God - but at other times, this attitude REALLY gets in my way!  I'm the type of person that always brings a lot of focus to my activities - often blocking out everything else while I pursue whatever is before me.  While this approach can help me avoid distractions, sometimes those "distractions" are put there for a reason.  Sometimes they are God-inspired.  

One example of this is my new job.  There is so much to do, and my temptation is to put all of my time and effort into it. I've learned to put spending time with God first in my day, but after that I am tempted to do nothing else - not even take time to eat in a healthy way!  God reminds me that this is the attitude that robs me of the joy that he intends for me.  He's given me other interests, and I do not need to focus on one to the exclusion of all else!  I think of this verse from Ecclesiastes:

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Ecclesiastes 11:6 KJV

To me, that sounds very much like advice to not put everything into one basket - to be diligent, but to diversify my labor. I'm learning to do this, and it is part of what keeps joy in my heart.  Focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else soon turns what I am doing into drudgery, no matter how much I may have enjoyed it in the beginning.  But when I diversify, I find more joy in all that I do!

Part of the challenge for me is that I can sometimes have difficulty finishing what I start so I've learned to keep going until something is finished.  If I stop, I might not get back to it!  This attitude, however, is just not realistic in many situations. To lead a balanced life, I HAVE to take time for other things as well!  I'm BEGINNING to learn how to do this in a way that works; to set aside time for certain things to ensure I make progress in more than one area.  As I learn this, I feel more of that "joy of the Lord" that is my strength. 

Father, thank you for helping me to see and understand more about what has been sapping my joy.  Thank you for the blessing of multiple interests and things to do!  Instead of feeling overwhelmed at all the directions I need to go, thank you for helping me see them as multiple paths designed to keep me from losing that sense of joy!  Thank you for the joy in my heart, and for the blessing of courage instead of discouragement. Thank you that you will continue to guide me and help me understand better how to diversify my time and attention.  May I be able to discern those times and places where "all or nothing" is required, and to also clearly see when that is NOT the best approach.  And thank you for the people you have placed in my life that help keep me from becoming too focused on one thing!  Father, I am so grateful for your guidance, your love, and your joy in my life!

In the Morning

Once again this morning as I awoke and starting thinking and talking with God about my day, a song came to mind.  It was this: "Lord in the morning Thou shalt hear my voice ascending high.  To Thee will I direct my prayer, to Thee lift up mine eye."  It was followed swiftly by this one, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord. . . . Sing unto the Lord a new song".  I realized that I had concerns about my day and my temptation was to start making requests of God regarding them.  These snippets of songs reminded me of the importance of gratitude and praise - and filled me with gratitude for God's gentle reminders to me.

With the words of that first song ringing in my ears, I decided to see some of what the Bible has to say about how to use our time in the morning (all of the following quotes are from the International Standard Version).  Of course, the first verse I turned to was the one the song was loosely based in - Psalms 5:3.  "LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will pray to you, and I will watch for your answer."  This verse reminds me that God DOES answer my prayers.  I've been praying all along about the events of this day, and I know He does indeed hear me.  This morning I want Him also to hear my gratitude for that fact - not just a litany of my concerns!

Another verse jumped out at me.  As I looked through verses about morning.  It was this one from Ecclesiastes 11:6.  It says, "Sow your seed in the morning, and don’t stop working until evening, since you don’t know which of your endeavors will do well, whether this one or that, or even if both will do equally well." What occurs today is something for which I've been preparing for several weeks.  This morning I was thinking about Jesus teaching us not to worry about tomorrow, and yet some things clearly take preparation - sometimes quite a bit of preparation, as this task did.  This verse was reassurance.  Yes, I am to prepare - to sow my seed in the morning and continue working throughout the day - but I am not to WORRY about what seed will take root.  I'm just to do that which is placed before me and trust God for the outcome.

As I thought about that, this verse from Psalms 143:8 jumped out at me, "In the morning let me hear of your gracious love, for in you I trust. Cause me to know the way I should take, because I have set my hope on you."  As I read that, I remembered a quote I came across that says that with God, "every bidding is an enabling".  I believe this to be true, as I've experienced time and time again that when He asks me to do something, no matter how beyond my ability it seems, He gives me the ability to do it.  Thus, I paraphrase this verse this way - "In the morning I remember your gracious love and that I can trust you.  You are guiding me in the way I should take and I am grateful, Father."

The next verse to catch my eye was this one from Psalms 92:1-2 - "It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praise to your name, Most High; to proclaim your gracious love in the morning and your faithfulness at night".  I have certainly seen this to be true!  And it's a good reminder for me.  This morning, Father, I indeed stop and shout your praises for the way you keep everything running right! (Ps 119:164)

Again, Psalms 59:16-17 reminds me, "But I will sing of your power and in the morning I will shout for joy about your gracious love. For you have been a fortress for me; and a refuge when I am distressed. My Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, God of Gracious Love, are my fortress."  Father, I am SO grateful!!!!

For those times where things don't go as I might wish, there is this reminder in Psalms 30:4-12, "You, his godly ones, sing to the LORD, give thanks at the mention of his holiness. For his wrath is only momentary; yet his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may lodge for the night, but shouts of joy will come in the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.” By your favor, LORD, you established me as a strong mountain; Then you hid your face, and I was dismayed. I cried out to you, LORD, and I make supplication to the Lord: “What profit is there in my death if I go down to the Pit? Can dust worship you? Can it proclaim your faithfulness?” Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me! LORD, help me! You have turned my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with a garment of joy, so that I may sing praise to you and not remain silent. LORD, my God, I will give you thanks forever!"  As I go forth this day to dance with my Heavenly Father, I give thanks that indeed He turns my mourning into dancing!   

"Great, is Thy faithfulness, Oh God, My Father!"  I am so VERY grateful!  This morning I once again praise you.  I thank you for a good sleep last night - Truly you give sleep to those you love! (Ps 127:2).  Thank you for the blessings of this day, for your promised guidance and protection.  I am SO grateful for your leading!  Thank you for this open door you have set before me, Father!  I am so grateful for all you have done and continue to do for me.  I love you, Father!  

With My Might

For the last couple of days I've been finding myself working hard and worrying a bit about pushing so hard when "it is useless to get up early and stay up late eating the food of exhausting labor - truly he gives sleep to those he loves" (Ps 127:2 ISV)  I don't want to be pushing so hard that I am outside of God's will for me! As usual, I prayed for guidance this morning, and this time I was taken back to a post I made towards the end of May.  This text jumped out at me:

"Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with all your might"  (Eccl 9:10 - from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

You would think I would get used to it, but it always amazes me the way God finds a way to speak to me with just the words I need to hear each day!  As I read those words I felt such relief that tears came!  It's not somehow "wrong" for me to feel as driven as I do.  So long as I:

• continue to put God first, seeking His will, and remembering his guidance,
• remember that the people around me are important,
• and so is sleep,
• and so is creating healthy meals and keeping up with housework,

I am expected to do what is set before me with all my might!

Thank you, Father, for your guidance and reassurance each day!  Thank you that you are continuing the work you have begun in me and continue to work in me both to WILL and to DO of your good pleasure.  I am so grateful!

O Give Thanks!

This morning, I'm feeling so grateful! I experienced God's guidance yesterday in a special way and learned some things that I hope I can remember in the days ahead.  Through it all, I experienced joy and blessing and am SO grateful.  Thank you, God!

As I shared yesterday, I've recognized there is a lot of work for me to do to get ready to teach this up-coming class.  It appears impossible to get it all done, but I know that "For humans it’s impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” (Mark 10:27, ISV)

I've also been reminded of this verse from Psalms:

"It is useless to get up early and to stay up late, eating the food of exhausting labor—truly he gives sleep to those he loves."(Psalms 127:2 ISV)

And yet, there's also the verse that reminds me, "Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability" (Ecclesiastes 9:10 ISV)  It can be challenging to find that balance point between overdoing and wasting time -- and it's impossible for me to find that balance without God's guidance. 

Yesterday I faced some of those challenges.  I had SO much work to do, and suddenly several things came up regarding friends and family.  I had to decide whether or not I was going to participate as they were going to take huge hunks of time out of my day and prevent me from getting a lot of my tasks accomplished. I prayed for guidance and realized I was clearly being told to spend the time with family and friends. Afterall, how can I minister to any of them if I seem to be saying that my work is more important than they are?

So, I set about to do what I could work-wise around the other activities and to just relax and enjoy the time with family and friends.  Though I didn't get as much done as I might have liked, I got more done that I would have thought, and enjoyed the time with family and friends.  I woke up feeling very grateful, and ready to accept and ponder these words from Ecclesiastes:

"For what does a person gain from everything that he accomplishes and from his inner life struggles that he undergoes while working on earth? Indeed, all of his days are filled with sorrow, and his struggles bring grief. In fact, his mind remains restless throughout the night. This is pointless, too! The only worthwhile thing for a human being is to eat, drink, and enjoy life’s goodness that he finds in what he accomplishes. This, I observed, is also from the hand of God himself, for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? After all, to the person who is good in God’s sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the troublesome task of acquiring and accumulating in order to leave it to someone who is good in the sight of God. This also is pointless and chasing after the wind. There is a season for everything," (Ecclesiastes 2:22-3:1 ISV) 

What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. He made everything appropriate in its time. He also placed eternity within them—yet, no person can fully comprehend what God is doing from beginning to end. I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13,  ISV)

Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final advice: Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do. (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NCV)

For some reason, despite all the exhortations in the Bible to praise God and rejoice always, I feel like I missed something until my experiences yesterday.  I've been so SERIOUS about everything -- doing my best to seek God's will and follow it.  And there's certainly nothing wrong with seeking God's will -- it's the only real way to live!  But yesterday helped me to see that God does indeed want me to enjoy life -- within His will.  Afterall, He loves me!  Why wouldn't he prefer to see me happy and enthusiastic about the plans He has for me?  Afterall, that's what I want for my own daughter -- to live a happy and fulfilling life.  "So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!" (Matthew 7:11 ISV)  As I found myself thinking of ways to share the fun we'd had yesterday with others of my loved ones, why would I think God would be any different?  He LOVES me and wants to share fun times with me!

Father, thank you for your love!  Thank you for your guidance!  Thank you for my experiences day by day! Indeed, it is a good thing to give thanks to you as I continue to learn to sing a new song.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank You!

Father, I am so grateful this morning for your guidance in my life!  Knowing that I need to be patient through this "false labor" and just wait for the birth when the time is right, has made things so much easier for me! 

Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven't turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. (Psalms 119:97-104 - Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.)

So, once again, Father, I come seeking your guidance.  I don't want to run ahead, but I don't want to lag behind either!  What should I say and do? What should I NOT say and do?  I need your wise counsel!  Please guide my thoughts and actions.  

I think of Jacob's words to the one he struggled with through the night - "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Gen. 32:26).  I have often thought of these words as a reminder to keep seeking God until I get the guidance I seek.  It strikes me today that Jacob really DID come full circle.  He had to leave home because he was so concerned about getting a blessing -- but the blessing he sought then was a human and material one. Here Jacob has grown up enough to know that the blessings he needs to seek are the spiritual ones.  A couple more things stand out to me in this story.  

First, Jacob wrestled all night and finally had to be hurt in order to wake up to the fact of who he was wrestling with. How many times have I done that?  Just recently, in fact, I spent time railing against a change in my plans, thinking I was for some reason being thwarted, instead of recognizing God's hand in things!  I too was hurt - not physically, but emotionally - before remembering that I could trust God and that all was well!  Father, may I learn to always recognize YOU!  May I be patient enough to wait on you.  Father, how do I know when to wait and when to act?  When trying to accomplish something, it is in my nature to take action -- yet it is also in my nature to hang back because of fear and wait to act, not seizing the moment.  How do I know whether it is a time to press forward or a time to wait? 

I am reminded of King Solomon's words:

"There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. 

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do — busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time — but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it — eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift. I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 - from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Certainly, this is my time for birth - not death, that seems quite plain.  As I read through these verses, I get the sense that I'm being told that I need to step forward as I see to do - and trust that God will move things forward or not as He sees fit.  That God WILL see that His will is done. That I need to simply nudge at the doors and see what opens.  Father, please guide me.  Give me the right words and the right time and place!  Thank you, Father, for these promises!

This leads me to the second thing that strikes me from this story about Jacob.  I've always heard the story as "Jacob wrestling with the angel", but the Bible clearly states that Jacob believed He had seen God face to face. I'm really not sure why that makes such an impact on me.  I guess it is because it is one more indication that God cares enough to get personally involved. Father, I am so grateful for your leading!  May I stay within your will, Father.  Thank you that I can trust that your will will indeed be done in earth as it is in heaven!  It seems to me that I am to speak up this evening and nudge the door.  If I am correctly reading this, please guide me to the right time and give me the right words.  Thank you, Father!

With All My Might

Lately I've been working really long hours.  The current task on my plate is a big one and I feel an urgency to get it finished.  Each day I've worked from sun up (or earlier) to sun down (or later), often with few breaks.  Doing this has meant I've made rapid progress (though there is still a long way to go), but I've worried about being so focused on one basic task.  Yesterday as I awoke - and again this morning - a verse from Ecclesiastes was on my mind:

"Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with all your might"  (Eccl 9:10 - from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Though I continued to ask for guidance for my day, I hadn't even been fully aware that I had been worried about my nearly single focus, and whether it was God's will for me to be so concentrated on one main thing, until this verse kept coming to mind!  God is SO good!  I am so grateful for His gentle leading in my life and that before we call, He answers! (Isaiah 65:24) 

As I ponder this, another verse comes to mind that talks about using all my strength - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength."  (Deut 6:5  NCV)  Jesus said this is the "first and greatest commandment". (Matt 22:38  NIV)  This is my most important task - loving God with all of me.  And this reminds me that as long as I am asking the question and seeking God's guidance, I can rest fully in Him, knowing He will re-direct me if or when needed.

Thank you, Father, for your reassurance and love! Thank you for that peace promised in Isaiah 26:3 - "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Thank you for health and strength as I continue my work, and that as I see my tasks to completion, you are seeing your work in me to completion. (Phil 1:6)  I love you, Father!

Service

I've been thinking more about what God desires of us. So often I've thought of service to God showing up only in the most blatant forms - like being a minister or at least a spiritual counselor.  Today I was reading a book that really spoke to me.  It was a short e-book by one of my favorite authors - Karen Kingsbury.  The synopsis of the story is that when a young couple lose their daughter in childbirth - along with the chance of having anymore children - they do something unexpected.  They realize that in order to get through their grief they have to find a way to help others. They don't do this by becoming pastors or even by getting involved with children who need good homes.  They do this by opening a bookstore and being there for their patrons who are hurting.

I believe that God speaks to us in a variety of ways.  Certainly He speaks through sacred writings like the Bible, but he also uses other books, songs, nature, other people . . . He has lots of ways to speak to me, and I am so grateful for His leading.  Today He spoke to me through this short e-book. I have been questioning the plans I had made to step forward into a new venture.  Is this really what God wants me to do?  Today I have the vision. No matter what I do, I can do it with a prayer in my heart for God's will to be done in my life.  I can keep my eyes open for those opportunities to share God's love with those around me - not in a preachy way, but by allowing my life to be a channel through which God can express His love. 

I think of a couple of verses that have been in my mind lately. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" ( Mark 12: 30 - New Century Version)  As I discussed a few days ago, I realized that loving God with all my strength requires that all my activities stem from a desire to do His will.  The other one is "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. . ." (Ecclesiastes 9:10). This morning these verses feel like guidance - like God is saying to me, "Yes, move forward - and put your whole self into it. Quit your wavering about whether I want you to do it or not and move forward in full confidence."

Father, I am so grateful for your guidance in my life and for your love and acceptance of me - even when I am struggling with things that would be easy if I would just relax and trust you! Once again I ask that your will be done in my life this day and I am grateful that you who have begun a good work in me will see it to completion.  While I might sometimes be tempted to set something aside when the going gets tough and not finish it, you won't do that when it comes to your work in me.  Thank you, Father!

Gratitude

This morning I am so grateful to God for feeding me!  The food he gave me yesterday upheld me through a very challenging time. Just before guests were to arrive, I got word that someone we cared for a great deal was dead.  In the space of less than two weeks he went from being fairly active, to struggling for breath as he fought acute leukemia, to death!

With the stress of the news and no time to digest it before guests arrived, a common reaction on my part would have been to overeat. And yet, even though guests brought snacks that often would have been quite tempting, I ate a temperate meal and did not snack later. Thank you, Father, for this miracle in my life!

Our friend's death leaves such a big hole in our lives, and my heart bleeds for his wife and family. As I think of what it must take for a wife to carry on after such an event, I hurt for his wife and begin to pray for her.

And then I remember what I was told before in Phil 1: 3, 4. "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. In every prayer of mine I always make my entreaty and petition for you with all joy (delight)." (emphasis mine).  At times like this, it can be a real challenge to follow the advice of scripture to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4).  And yet, we are told, ". . . the joy of the Lord is your strength."  (Neh 8:10)  Of course, I don't think this means we are not ever to express sorrow.  Ecc 3:4 assures us there IS a time to weep. But I DO know that at times like this I really need God's strength!  

Thank you, Father for more food for this day! Thank you for the knowledge that you do all things well and we can trust in you, no matter what the circumstances of our lives.