His Comfort

“So that….” Sometimes I forget about the second half of this verse. Yes, He comforts us in all our troubles, but then there is the “so that.” That’s the catch. Because we receive His comfort, we should also comfort others. And it doesn’t read like a suggestion. It reads more like a command. Because He comforts us, we are to comfort others.

The Stagnant Pond

All is still. Cars scurry by on nearby 13th street, rushing off to their various destinations. Sitting here at the park I hear the distant laughter of children playing A basketball bounces off the cement court; the clang as it hits the backboard echoes across the grass to where I walk A Cessna drones, far overhead. An occasional jogger puffs by, the slap of his running shoes spanking the pavement.

            Activity surrounds me, but my world stands still, as if I’m dreaming or sleepwalking. I observe everyone else’s activities, yet I sit, only my writing hand and pen moving across the page. The stillness provides blessed relief.

 I sit on a large, cold, gray rock six feet above a man-made pond; more rocks rim this small pond’s perimeter. The lowest twelve inches of the rocks surrounding the pond are blackened, evidence that the water has receded. The remaining water, brown and stagnant, is filled with yellow-green algae. Its surface is littered with yellow and brown leaves. Small branches broken from the tree overreaching this pond lie lifelessly on its murky surface. Human trash adds to the dismal scene: a red cup, a white plastic fork, a Styrofoam plate, and a half-submerged Coke can.

Lord, today my body and soul feel dried up and wasted like this little pond. I come here for a time of rest, reflection, and renewal. I seek rest. Wanting Your strength to re-invigorate my body, I seek peace and quiet to allow Your peace to wash over my mind. I seek Your spirit here in Your beautiful creation, so that Your living water will fill my soul, allowing it to bubble over. Make me a sparkling spiritual pond, not stagnant, not filled with trash, but alive with living water, so clean and beautiful that anyone who thirsts for Your living spirit will drink her fill.

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”

Thank You, Lord, for the promise of living water to quench our spiritual thirst.

A Broken World

Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.

L. R. Knost

Lord, help me to yield to your light in me. Teach me not to be upset by the brokenness, but instead, to let your love shine through so you can mend and heal, both me and others around me.

In God’s Time

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”

― A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Lord, you know that I get impatient, and I want answers now. Thank you for this reminder that you work on your schedule. You are wisdom and faithfulness, and you are in control. That’s all I need to know.

Secure in His Arms

Tonight I am wide awake.  My body is relaxed, my eyes are closed, and my breathing is deep and even.  But my mind is wide awake and running, running, running.  I am snuggled up against my husband, the back of my head and my neck resting on his arm. The tensions of the day stored up in the muscles of my neck and back slowly dissipate. The heat from his body keeps me warm, his deep, regular breathing soothes me, and the strength of his arm beneath my head makes me feel safe, secure, and loved.  Even though I am wide awake, I relish this time of peace and contentment.

As my body enjoys this wide-awake repose, my mind questions, “Isn’t this the way God wants you to rest in Him?”  His arms are always there, willing to provide my refuge, but how often I fail to turn to them.  Instead, I turn my back on His arms.  Then, the muscles of pride, self-reliance, and worry knot up, making me miserable.  If only I would turn to His arms and allow Him to take my burdens, He would ease my pain.  Often, I stay huddled far away from His warmth, cold and alone.  If only I would snuggle up to Him, His warmth would radiate into me.  If only I would listen to His voice and rely on His strength, I would know I am safe, secure, and loved.  “He tends his flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart”(Isaiah 40:11).

Father God, teach me to rest secure in your arms.

What about you? Are you resting securely in His arms?

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” 

Open Arms

“If you had never known physical pain in your life, how could you appreciate the nail scarred hands with which Jesus Christ will meet you?”

-Joni Eareckson Tada.

I can imagine Him, walking toward me with outstretched arms, allowing me to see one way He suffered for me. Will I be ashamed because I didn’t glorify him and didn’t serve others in His name? Or will I run to Him with open arms?