cease striving

Psalm 46:10

The NIV says
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

my NASB says
"Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

This word striving is helpful to me as i try to understand this.

dictionary.com tells me
strive – verb
1. to exert oneself vigorously; try hard
2. to make strenuous efforts toward any goal: to strive for success.
3. to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
4. to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance: to strive against fate.
5. to rival; vie.

I play a part in what God is doing, but what He brings about will not come because of my striving. It will come as I trust that He is God and as I submit/yield to His will. This God that I trust - He delights to give us good gifts and He chooses to use us to bless others. I want to know this God more and I want to listen intently to Him, moving according to His grace and love. This won't always look like being still, but I don't imagine it to look like how I envision one who is "striving"... I think of striving as when I'm moving exhaustively according to my own strength and working myself toward the dead-end of burnout. The point that this verse is trying to get across to me is that I am to cease doing that. It doesn't mean that the pendulum swings to the extreme and I now have license for sloth. I am to let go, maintain open hands, and trust God. He says He will be exalted among the nations and in all the earth - I want Him to be exalted in my life.
less of me, more of Him...

Amazed

Today was my first time to play golf on a golf course. I really didn't know what to expect, but knew that no matter what, I would have a fun time with it -- even if I did hit the ball as hard as I could & it would just roll off the tee. I'm exploring new things I've never tried before & finding it all to be quite an adventure. One thing I didn't expect today was the feeling, seeing, smelling, & experiencing incredible power of God's nature in the way that I experienced it today. It was amazing - I think I'm still in shock that I was within feet of lighting striking a tree. Just as we were running for cover right after a sudden storm came through, the thunder clapped the loudest I've ever heard it. You could feel it run through your body & for a second, everyone who was in the same shelter as us, froze. Right behind our little shelter, you could see a tree that had been split from the lightning striking it. It's hard to believe too that if we wouldn't have left when we did or been in a different place in our game on the hole we were at, we could have been closer than we would have liked to have been to that tree without shelter. There are so many things I'm thankful for after experiencing this today: 1) Being able to experience God's power in this way 2) shelter that was close by 3) that one of our players on our team was familiar with this course & knew where the shelters were 4) the people we had a chance to meet when we were under the shelter that we wouldn't have had the chance to meet 5) being able to enjoy the day, even though I really had no idea what I was doing :)

Not too long after the lighting struck, it rained really hard & even hailed a little bit as well. Within 10-15 minutes it was done & the sun came out & everyone went back to playing their rounds. The rest of the day was beautiful, the sun was out & dried everything up within an hour. It was hard to believe that it even rained earlier that afternoon.

I am just amazed & so grateful that we're safe, but also grateful that I got to experience God's power in this way!

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. (Deuteronomy 15:15)


God has used the story of the Israelites being set free from their slavery in Egypt to speak to me at many different points of my journey.


This blog has resonated with me over the past couple weeks http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/07/575-refusing-gift-of-desert-road.html


It is about the gift of the desert road based on Exodus 13:17-18
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.”

Excerpt from blog “I love the simplicity of that. God knew that if the Israelites took the short way, if they took what probably seemed like the logical route, they'd face a war they weren't ready for and would probably willingly return to slavery. So out of love, out of a deep, big love for His people, he took them on the desert road.”


I've been thinking about the Israelites time out on the desert road that He took them out on...

…and the Lord with that deep, big love would deliver them when the Egyptians came to try to reclaim them as slaves. The Isrealites had just tasted their freedom and very quickly their captors were on their heels trying to bring them back into bondage.

(Exodus 14:13-14) Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."


…and the Lord would demonstrate the depth and breadth of that love by having them pass through the Red Sea on dry ground displaying His power and destroying the power that had long oppressed the people.

(Exodus 14:29-31) But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

…and the Lord returned the sea to its shore, closing the way behind them, and setting a boundary between the land of captivity and the land of promise.

The lyrics of a Sara Groves song “Painting Pictures of Egypt” speak to me of His lovingkindness closing the waters behind me, so that I will not return to that place from which I have been delivered.

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

Today, I am looking toward the promise and trusting God to fight for me on the desert road, to make a way through the waters though there seems to be no way, and to set the boundaries that will lead me into spacious places.

Joy

"Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." -Romans 12:12

"This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:9-10

It's hard to know how to put into words all that God is teaching me about his joy. This theme is one that has been persistent over the last few months and I am so glad that it has. I don't know that I've ever been good with changes, but I think that some things about change get easier as we get older. However, there are some changes that get harder as time passes thanks to all the hard things about changes. Thankfully as God teaches me to open my hands to the changes, He's also teaching me about His abundant joy.

This weekend I went back to Philly after being away for about a year. I revisited family and friends and places that hold a lot of memories for me and a lot of unrest. I got in pretty late on Friday so I didn't have time to do much besides sleep, but when I woke up on Saturday morning I was hit with a whole heap of anxiety over what was in store for me. After I went downstairs and had breakfast with my grandma I noticed on her windowsill sad Romans 12:12. I don't know what the translation was but the first line read be glad. I must have read the passage over and over again this weekend and I was constantly struck by that line be glad and prayerful always.

God always defies my expectation by speaking to me in the places where I'm not looking and sending me answers to the questions I don't think I'm asking. Someone pointed out this weekend how God is always joyful. I've been encouraged and convicted to take a step back from my world and step into God's where the victory is already won and where we live in a land of joy over who God is and what He's done.

I slowly learn and relearn this lesson and as I do I see God slowly opening my hands to change and joy and to perseverance.

My hands are open to the knowledge that you have healed lepers with nothing more than water
with nothing more than words
My hands are open to the promise that you love me more than I will ever know or understand
and my hands are open to the hope that I will one day be able to open my hands

But until that day
I sit
with hands resting on knees
open to the promise of you.

Fireflies

I really love fireflies. I think I've always loved them. I remember vividly being a little girl and catching fireflies in our lawn on hot July nights. My great uncle would sometimes catch them with me and tell stories about them. "Oh, this one must be the grandpa," he'd say and tell me elaborate tales about the firefly families.

I don't know if anyone else noticed but there haven't seemed to be many fireflies around this year. I looked for them a lot and I would see maybe one or two a night, but it was nothing like the nights I remember when the lawn was littered with them.

Tonight after lifegroup we broke into prayer partners and did some praying. Wouldn't you know that along with the beautiful sunset the lawn was littered with fireflies. It's pretty awesome the way God chooses to shower his love on us. He knows just the things that bring us comfort. He knows just how to shower us with blessings and remind us that we are loved.

Wisdom

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you." - James 1:5

I was excited to search for God all day today and glad to report that I found Him in so much more than what I'm writing about! Tomorrow I'm taking a camera ;)

What stuck out to me today came in a conversation with a dear friend. It wasn't until we finished talking and praying together that I was struck by the places that God's wisdom and truth came out of our counverstaion. Wisdom is a funny thing. I don't know that you ever really feel wise or feel wisdom coming on, but I think that there are times where you take a step back and say, "Huh, I definitely couldn't have come to this conclusion on my own."

I'm so blessed to be around so many people who are seeking God's heart. The wisdom that he has given generously to them spills over onto me and vice versa. What an encouragement to know that God has given generously already and will continue to, even when I don't even see it happening.

More Than Music!

So it was really hitting me last night that worship was the most awesome thing that a human being can do. Okay, I know that requires some explanation so I'll do my best to enlighten you. If you are a believer in Christ as Savior and Lord, then you know God. God knows you. Think about that for a second, really think about that. A good friend of mine once said with absolute sincerity in prayer "I know the God of the Universe!" and I cannot forget that sentiment. It's not to be taken lightly that you are known by God, and through the death and resurrection of Christ we can know God. (2 Cor. 5:17-19) More specifically we can know Him in a very real, personal and life giving way. God stopped at nothing to accomplish that very thing, and now we have an open door to... you guessed it, worship God! So it's the most awesome thing that we can do. In light of who God is, what he has done, what he continues to do every moment of every day of our lives, we can worship him for that. But what really struck me on Sunday was that worship isn't just about music and singing songs to God, as powerful and great and even needed as that may be. I think it's a misconception that is too easy to believe and buy in to. I'll be the first to admit to succombing to that mentality, but what God desires from us goes far beyond that. It's a Mark 12:30 kind of worship, giving God what really belongs to him in the first place... all of me. My heart, my soul, mind and strength, given to him in all that I do, all that I have, all that I am.


He gave Jesus so that I can have Him. That's what he did for us all. Worship might start with music, but in the end it's a life that is lived for Him and nothing else. He lets me come to him, to love him, to know him, to worship him. That's what God did.

God's Love

This photo is from Encore last night (7/12/09) out at Harvest Fields. There is something very special about sunsets (& sunrises) for me. I feel God's love through them - there are times when I really feel his blessing, especially when they come out of nowhere. My most favorite time is early in the morning when the sun is rising & a new day is beginning. I do hope to capture more of these mornings instead of sleeping through them.

Last night's sunset was saying to me that God loves me & that He will NEVER leave me.

The Deal

We live with the knowledge that God is with us constantly. He constantly moves, constantly protects, constantly blesses and constantly loves us, but how often do we choose recognize it? Let's stop missing the good things and start recognizing them.

For the next 40 days (or maybe more) we are embarking on a journey to keep our eyes open to the places where God is moving. Those places could be pictures, poems, scripture, essays or just words, but whatever they are they are from God and we are praising Him for them.

I hope that you enjoy reading about the ways that God is faithful to act. If you are interested in contributing to this blog, get in touch and let me know!