Embracing Him

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isaiah 45:2-3)

Earlier this week, a friend rang our doorbell. As soon as I opened the door, I could see that she was not doing well. I immediately welcomed her in, escorted her to a comfortable seat, and asked what was wrong.

My friend spent the next hour or so explaining her stressful situation. Her husband’s work hours had been slashed drastically, her furnace was in need of repair, her washing machine died the previous night and needed to be replaced immediately. She was wondering how to pay for it all and maintain a positive attitude in spite of the unpleasant situation.

Unfortunately, my friend’s story is a common one that has been replayed in many homes across the country. However, my friend’s desire to maintain a positive attitude in spite of her difficult situation is most uncommon! Tough financial times have pushed many to the breaking point and many find themselves brutally battered by the daily storm of bleak economic news. When times become difficult, are we to jump off the rocky mountaintop and risk a fatal fall into the valley of despair? How can we maintain a hopeful positive attitude in times of despair?

During this morning’s quiet Bible reading time, I found a great answer. Isaiah 45:2-3 is a reassuring passage of scripture that offers important lessons for trying times. First, the scripture notes that God goes before us and paves the way. Though we may have been surprised by the sudden economic downturn, God was not. He knew these times were coming long before they arrived and ultimately He is in control of everything. He can level the mountains and place us on a smooth and firm foundation.

Next, God can destroy the barriers that imprison us. God alone has the ability to tear down the heavy bronze gates and cut down the thick iron bars in our paths. Finally, God has riches for us but they are stored in a secret place. These riches may not be material in nature, but don’t doubt their worth! Peace, contentment, faith, and security are just some of the riches we can access when we embrace God. When we turn our lives over to Him, He will guide us and give us access to the riches we need to survive the darkest of days.

Why does God opt to do these things? The reason is simple. He wants us to recognize Him as the sovereign One, the One who truly controls every detail of our lives. God has called each of us by name and has invited us to fellowship with Him. When we accept His divine invitation, we can embrace Him whether we’re on a mountain high or in a valley low! Though we may not be able to see how we’ll survive these uncertain financial times, “the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places” are more than enough to help us prevail! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Photo: Courtesy of Dornoff Photography (Flickr)

Therefore encourage one another and edify one another, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

I always begin my daily trek around the blogosphere by visiting the places I know and love (Chrysalis, Rocks in My Dryer, and Money Saving Mom just to name a few). Some days my trek leads me to new locations, places where I slowly poke my head in and peek around to see what’s going on. Yesterday, I peeked in at The Roost: A Place Where Chicks Gather and enjoyed every second of my visit.

The ruler of The Roost is Grammy, a Christian woman, who views her blog as a place where women can “gather and get encouragement in many areas of their lives whether it be practical, spiritual, or relational.” During my visit yesterday and today, I checked out her recipes, read about her adorable grandson, Mr. Perfect, and received some spiritual encouragement via Wednesday’s word.

Whenever I bump into blogs like this I am reminded that God is everywhere (yes even in the blogosphere!) and many people are happily blogging about His place in their lives. The Roost is a wonderful place of Christian encouragement offering a soft, downy place for a busy woman like me to land.

I’ve already bookmarked this blog and plan to check in on it regularly. If you have time, fly on over to The Roost and see what’s going on. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your visit and I know Grammy will be glad you stopped by!

Photo: Courtesy of monyart (Flickr)

And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’ (Matthew 21:13a)

Every Wednesday night, our church holds its weekly prayer meeting. It is an encouraging, refreshing, relaxing time. We share prayer requests, pray for one another, sing hymns, and offer praise reports about how God has answered our prayers, met our needs, and blessed us and those we love.

Since the prayer meeting starts at 8:00 pm, well after Sweet Pea and Sugar Plum have been put to bed, JT and I cannot go to the meeting together. So that we each have an opportunity to attend a couple times a month, we take turns going to prayer meeting. Last night was my turn to go.

I was very thankful to get to last night’s meeting as I really needed some prayer. I was tired after spending the majority of day running various errands to prepare for our 4th of July barbecue and my patience was short. Yesterday, the girls were feeling particularly “emotional” by the end of the day and concluded the day with a ferocious battle with me over dinner and baths. I practically ran into the church last night in search of relief!

Toward the end of the prayer meeting, my friend Audrey stood and offered us some marvelous words of encouragement. She reminded us that God hears the prayers of those who have a true relationship with Him and that those prayers are extremely powerful (James 5:16). Audrey encouraged us to continue praying for one another and pointed out that our church is full of prayerful, gifted members involved in a variety of church ministries, all designed to give us the support we need.

Thankfully, the day I had yesterday is atypical. However, when those days come, it’s comforting to know that I have friends and family who pray for me and my family daily. It’s also a blessing to step into my own church, a house of prayer, and find the emotional and spiritual support I need.

Do you have a church that can offer you that type of love and support? If so, continue to go and grow there. If not, I encourage you to pray about it. I know God will lead you to a church that will meet your needs and allow you to use the gifts He has given you!

Photo: Courtesy of Wonderlane