In Isaiah 43:19 we are told, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness" and surely even today, God continues to do new things all around us; Can you not see it; Can you not hear His plea to come up a little closer; to come up a little higher? He cries out for us to Move in a little closer, to Trust Him more completely, to Seek Him in the face of trouble surrounding us, and to lay aside the "norms" as we gather to worship Him as His Spirit hovers in our midst. After all, we gather to lift up His Holy Name, the name of Jesus; don't we?
It's when we learn to keep our mind upon Him, that He brings us into higher realms of praise and worship and meets needs only He can meet. God seeks a child-like personal relationship with each and every one of His children. We were all created to be His family; not creations who are distant and don't know Him personally! He desires to bestow His love upon us so we can feel how truly loved we are and enjoy a Father-child relationship one on one. The closer we draw to God, the more our spirit rises up from the depths of our soul and songs of praise come forth, "Because of who You are I give you glory; Because of who You are I give you praise; Because of who You are, I will lift my voice and say, Lord, I worship You because of who You are; Lord I worship You because of who You are. Jehovah Jireh, my provider; Jehovah Nissi, you reign in victory; Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace and I worship You because of who You are; Lord I worship You because of who You are!"
God is surely our Provider, our Strength, our Healer, our Refuge, and our Peace; "a very present help in time of trouble"(Psalm 46:1). Where can you hide that He is not there (Jeremiah 23:24)? What can you think about, speak about, or do that He doesn't know about it already (Psalm 139:1-5)? His ways and His thoughts are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8) and yet He loves us so unconditionally that He would move heaven and earth to give us His Best because of His great love for you and me! God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world; but that through Him all who would believe might be saved(John 3:16,17). We are repeatedly assured in the Word that He is quick to hear, slow to anger, and always gives the right advice. Through the darkest of times, He assures us that "Weeping may endure for the moment, but Joy comes in the morning"(Psalm 30:5). He is Forever Faithful and hears our faintest cry, and He stands ready to wrap us in His comforting arms and give us peace as we call upon His name.
I think about the eagle and its unusual large eyes compared to the size of its head, allowing it to have extremely keen eyesight. Eagles are admired the world over as living symbols of power, of freedom, and transcendence. They are so graceful as they fly high into the heavens over-riding storms that may arise, bringing Psalm 91:1 to mind: "He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." and in verse 4 "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy strength and buckler." Such love He bestows as I Peter 2:9 declares, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession; that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."
It is our Father's will that we walk not in darkness but as children of Light; reflecting His Love throughout the world. His Light shines in the darkness and only those who choose Not to comprehend it are left in darkness (John 3:19). Moment by moment as we walk with Him, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus, Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. As we walk in His light to the best of our ability, others will see the change within us and want to know the Hope we have found, so they can walk in the light in return; and this glorifies our Father in Heaven through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
So "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace, And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."(Colossians 3:12-17)
I pray that as you walk through this day, you allow His light to shine from deep within as it reaches out to others in darkness; and I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends, because God loves you and so do I~~
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