I AM WITH YOU!

 

My mind was full of noise;

and manufactured worry that would not go away!

So despite my hesitation

I chose to sit a while.

I knew it was a lovely day

but couldn’t take it in.

I worried that I needed to . . .

oh, if only!

YES, BUT . . .Oh, but I can’t!

oh, but everybody else . . .

“Child. . . ”

“CHILD!!!!” still louder,

Seeing noone,

I was certain of trouble,

but then I heard

“I AM!

my gaze was toward the ripples

I simply did not see

as my anxiety grew.

“Child, I AM called you here to spend an hour with me!

Lay aside your worries!  Give them to me!”

I felt His embrace and finaly I knew!

I gazed at the small waves

gently flowing by

and the droplets were like my tears

BUT I DID NOT KNOW I CRIED.

“Now lay those worries down and leave them for me! . . .

Trust them to me, then sit quietly and know the

strength and intimacy of my love for you!

It is living in your heart,

as am I!”

A gente kiss and I closed my eyes

and knew!

He will ALWAYS give me

everything I need!

By Martha L Shaw – © 2019

words and photo are my own

 

 

 

 

 

It Is Well!

My heartbeat quickened when I heard your voice

Beckoning me to come and see,

And eagerly I stepped out into the night.

The cool air refreshed me

And though I walked hesitantly at first,

I soon hurried on in hopeful anticipation.

We were making progress,

You said.

I, my human sight far weaker

Than your vision for me,

Saw only that home and familiarity

Were no longer in view

And realized the night air had grown cold.

I held my breath,

Saw the darkness and wondered at the hour.

I lost sight of you,

And felt frozen in place

Without a plan,

With legs suddenly as marble,

Stiff and immobile

I wondered what to do,

My eyes tightly shut.

I cried out

And heard your voice,

As though you were standing

Right in front of me

“I’m here” you said, reassuring me.

I opened my eyes and saw you

Standing so close

Your presence warmed me

In body and in soul.

You reached out,

I placed my hand in yours.

“Look!” you said

And I saw more stars than I could count

Studding the night sky.

“I placed each one of them there for you”

You told me.

At that moment, I knew your love

As I had never known it before

And hope swelled within me

Until happy tears fell

And we walked on together.

“It is well” you assured me,

But I already knew.

by Martha L Shaw – Copyright #2012

Discouraged By Purity?

How many times in life have you found yourself in a situation only to realize your heart just isn’t or wasn’t in it?  It happens, right?  I was just thinking about the many times someone has preached, often on television and loudly, that in order to live a Godly life I need to be pure.  I have heard that I must never sin . . .  well, in my own mind that is impossible for the only sinless are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  I do not believe sinless can be found this side of Heaven.  That being said, how are we to then be pure as we’re so often told?  Are they all preaching a message that is to DIScourage us rather an ENcourage us?  I don’t think so.  The following quote came to me:

“I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” Psalm 119:7 NIV

 

God wants our hearts and I don’t know about you but my heart and my soul seem to “get it” more quickly than my mind does.  I have given God my heart.  My soul belongs to Him.  He lives there.  My human mind gets me off track sometimes though.  He understands this.  I believe that if we keep an “upright” heart as the psalmist says, it will lead us away from those things that do not belong in our life as followers of the Lord.  I believe we know, when we are quiet and listen to our hearts, when we have things in our daily life which our “heart is not” in. 

Late night preachers, sadly often using more television air time on the topic of our money than our hearts, tend to go for the “shock value” in the message, and while we do sometimes need to be shaken up a little, we need to be careful in listening to what can sometimes be false prophets.  The psalmist makes it clear that the heart can and should be in the “right place” while the laws are still being learned. 

We spend this entire earthly life learning, walking with Him, and sharing His Word. We ENcourage by living a Godly life.  We must not be made to feel it is possible to be truly perfect for to believe that is to put ourselves in the position of God Himself.  Our humanness makes perfection something we cannot fully reach though we must strive for a sinless life, however our hearts can be purely His.  Always, we are loved and lifted up by a loving God who first loved us.  We didn’t have to earn it, we can’t lose it.  We can return that love, share that love, and live out of that love.  We are flawed, but we can and must repent for our misdoings knowing our sins will be forgiven for He has told us this. 

Exodus 34:6

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionateand gracious God, slow to anger,abounding in loveand faithfulness”

 

 

God Wants Me To Do WHAT?

My morning devotional reading reminded me that God created a big and BEAUTIFUL world for me (okay, for you as well) and He wants me to ENJOY it!  It seems He doesn’t want me to be shut away in a tiny box of my own choosing, nor thrust into one by the decisions of those who “think” they know me or have “their own” plan for me which MAY NOT BE HIS AT ALL. 

He hasn’t asked me to be playing it safe, to hover in a corner, to hide under the bed, crawl into a cave . . . He wants me to dance, to sing, to love . . .

He wants me to be outrageous!

I wonder if I know how?  I bet He’ll teach me!