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Greetings in the lovely name of Jesus this morning! How I have missed writing to all of you. Sometimes, we just know that we need some down time. I did. I'm back up and running!
Thank you for your faithfulness in reading the things that the Lord lays on my heart.
Down time… I think the fall far outweighs the busyness of summer, by far. There are crops to gather in, hunting season underway full tilt, trips to take, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and all the preparation that goes into all of this. I was tired! In my weariness, I saw myself slipping away from the Lord. Not my heart, though actually, yes, I'll just own it. I was drifting for a time. My Bible reading was suffering and so was my prayer life, which led to a poor witness for Jesus. I finally reached out to God, saying, "Lord, draw me close once more." You may want to be careful with that prayer. God has His ways.
Not long after praying this, my "down" time came, literally. I slipped on the ice, tripped over a tree branch and went down hard. I cut my mouth, had scrapes and bruises, and broke my sternum. Ouch is right! That's a long heal, and there's just not much to be done, except to rest. Thank You, Jesus, right? Well, I didn't feel that then, but I certainly recognize His hand at work now. After just two weeks of devoted Bible reading, much prayer, and times of refreshing as I've had time to connect with those who encourage me, I can now honestly say, "Thank You, Jesus." His ways are mysterious, and maybe even humorous, at times. He knew I needed to just be still for a time. It could have been so much worse, so even for His mercy in this, I am so thankful.
I wonder if there are some people reading this morning who know just what I'm saying. "Be still, and know that I am God." How often we rush around with our own plans and never consider asking God if this is His will for us. Too often, we do what comes to mind, and only later, ask Him. What the mind thinks about, it brings about, right? Romans 8:6 says that 'the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace'. We know that God is not the author of confusion, yet, we often push ahead full speed, all the while expecting Him to bless us in whatever has overtaken us. The Bible also says, 'moderation in all things'. When will we learn? When will I learn? Let go and let God, right?
Someone told me once that I need to look for 'gray' in my life. What? That's just not who God made me to be! I have always been all black or all white. Gray isn't in my vocabulary. Maybe at my ripe old age, I should see gray. Again, I'm thankful that the Lord doesn't let us to ourselves and when we earnestly seek Him in prayer, we know He answers.
As we have entered the new year, I've heard so many making resolutions. I'm not one of them. I know me. Resolutions are soon broken and fall by the wayside. Losing weight, getting more exercise, things of that nature, though I need those things, they usually don't last long. What I do instead, is take inventory of my life. I start by looking at my heart and asking myself, "Am I closer to God now than I was last year at this time? Have I been consistently reaching deeper into His Word? Have I been a faithful witness for Jesus? If not, what will it take to reach these goals?" Once again, I set my heart on God. He knows me. He knows my tendencies to wander. I'm so thankful for the grace He gives, in spite of myself.
My point in sharing so much information today is not to put the focus on me, but rather, to shed light on the condition of a heart prone to wander, and how God is always the answer to any of our struggles…drawing closer to Him again, and again, and again. He knows our frailty. He knows our need of Him. When we know both of these things, our hearts will return to Him once more. Friends, don't get this wrong. All the days of my life, I will live for Jesus. I will be thankful for His love and grace and mercy. But, turns out, I am just a human, so prone to attempt to do life apart from God's tender care. This time, His tenderness came in the form of an "ouchy", but I'll just take it and smile. Thank You, Lord, for loving such a sinner as I. Someone reading today just may need to take heed from someone who knows firsthand, "Be still, and know that He is God", and we are not.
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Debby Renninger is a freelance writer and inspirational speaker. She holds a Bible study in her home in McVeytown, where seeking women are always welcome. She may be reached at (717) 250-7086 for speaking engagements.