Let the "Why" Become Unimportant

“It is only as we have been through the darkness with Him that… the ‘Why?’ becomes unimportant… we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and His glory.... When I put the sovereignty of God beside His unfailing love, my heart can rest.” Verdell Davis

I had another post recently entitled, "Why Me?"  We all wonder why things happen as they do at times but sometimes we get stuck in the "Why" and  never move past it.  We can get to the point where the "Why" becomes unimportant in light of "Who" God is in our lives.  This is one of the most difficult concepts to explain and understand and the way to get to that place is also difficult to explain and understand. 

A long time ago I became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.  This didn't happen until I finally came to the realization that although I thought I was a Christian, I was not.  I think a lot of people are confused by the term "Christian".  Saying you are a Christian does not make you one.  Going to church does not make you one. Growing up in a Christian home does not make you one.  Living in the United States of America does not make you one.  There is only  one way to become a "Christian" or a Christ follower and that is to follow Him!  You cannot pick and choose which of His statements to follow.  You need to be earnestly seeking to follow all of His statements, even the difficult or uncomfortable ones.  But in order to follow these statements, you need to spend time getting to know what these statements are by reading His words and meditating on them.  If you begin to seek Him in earnest, you will find Him...and the more you seek Him the easier it will become to follow Him.

Someone said to me once, "You need to become so close to God that your will and His will become one will."  This can never happen if you don't know who He is.  Our whole purpose in this life is to know Him and to do His will.  If we get to the point where we are no longer concerned about what we want and we are only concerned with what He wants, then we will be on the road to the "Why" becoming unimportant.  We will be at the place where our trust in Him, His sovereignty, and His love will overshadow our own desires, our own fears, our own inadequacies.  He uses broken vessels.  He is a master at making broken things whole, perfect, and complete.  But the key to this for us is complete and total surrender of ourselves to Him.  Oswald Chambers said, "After surrender – what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God."  Unbroken communion with God is the place we want to be.  It is the place where the "why" becomes unimportant.

Placing our trust in Him is a continual, every day affair.  We can't do it once and consider it done.  We have to keep placing our trust in Him daily, and even moment by moment.  We have to make a conscious, purposeful effort to do this and we cannot take it lightly. "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.  I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."  2 Samuel 22:1-4 (KJV)

"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse."  Psalm 25:1-3 (NIV)

"Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces.  When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool.  I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet.  That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God.  Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: 'Be good to me! Answer me!' When my heart whispered, 'Seek God,' my whole being replied, 'I'm seeking him!'  Don't hide from me now!  You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.   Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on.  Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats.   I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God!  Take heart. Don't quit.  I'll say it again: Stay with God."  Psalm 27 (The Message)
   
"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."  Oswald Chambers  

The "Why" will become unimportant when we understand that the only important thing is the "Who" that we entrust our lives to. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses,  but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  We entrust our lives to You no matter what happens. Help us to stay with You, God, even when we don't understand the "Why".  Help us to get to the place where the "Why" becomes unimportant and help us to understand that the only thing that really matters is knowing You and serving You.

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com.

Have You ever asked Yourself, "Why Me?"

I was struck recently while watching a Barbara Walters special;  I was struck by the question she posed to a family with a little girl suffering with a genetic disorder called Progeria.  She calmly asked the parents if they ever asked themselves, "Why me?"  The Mother answered resolutely, "God gave us this little girl because He knew that we could handle it.  Someone else might not have been able to handle it."  The amount of love that those parents lavished on their tiny daughter was astounding and consequently, the love that shown from their tiny daughter's eyes reflected the love of her parents.

Have you ever asked yourself, "Why Me?"  Most of us have at one time or another.  When difficulties come our way, or disease or death, we often wonder, "Why did this have to happen to me?"  I once heard it said that it was not a matter of "if" tragedy would come into your life, but rather "when".  The question is how will you respond?  Will you respond with bitterness and complaint?  Or will you respond with gratefulness and singing, praising the Lord your God who gives and takes away, knowing that He causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose?

Isaiah 35

Joy of the Redeemed

 ¹ The desert and the parched land will be glad;
       the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
       Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
       it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
       The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
       the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
       they will see the glory of the LORD,
       the splendor of our God.  ³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
       steady the knees that give way;
 ⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
       "Be strong, do not fear;
       your God will come,
       he will come with vengeance;
       with divine retribution
       he will come to save you."
 ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
       and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
 ⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
       and the mute tongue shout for joy.
       Water will gush forth in the wilderness
       and streams in the desert.
 ⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
       the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
       In the haunts where jackals once lay,
       grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
 ⁸ And a highway will be there;
       it will be called the Way of Holiness.
       The unclean will not journey on it;
       it will be for those who walk in that Way;
       wicked fools will not go about on it.
 ⁹ No lion will be there,
       nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
       they will not be found there.
       But only the redeemed will walk there,
 ¹⁰ and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
       They will enter Zion with singing;
       everlasting joy will crown their heads.
       Gladness and joy will overtake them,
       and sorrow and sighing will flee away.  (NIV)

WHEN I compare 
What I have lost with what I have gained, 
What I have missed with what attained, 
Little room do I find for pride. 

I am aware 
How many days have been idly spent; 
How like an arrow the good intent 
Has fallen short or been turned aside. 

But who shall dare 
To measure loss and gain in this wise? 
Defeat may be victory in disguise; 
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your place on the throne of my life.  Thank You that although I don't always understand why things happen they way that they do, You have a purpose and a plan that can be trusted completely...

Why Worry?

"Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up."  Proverbs 12:25  (The Message)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"  Matthew 6:24-27 (NIV)

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."  Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."  1 Peter 5:6-10 (NIV)

Why worry?  Not worrying is easier said than done for most of us.  We live our lives worrying about tomorrow, about our marriages, our children, our finances, our futures.  We are also very good at "What if's".  What if the stock market crashes?  What if the recession doesn't end?  What if we fall ill? What if our children go haywire?  What if a nuclear war begins? What if I lose my job? What if I lose my house?  What if I fail?  What if I'm humiliated?  What if I die?  I decided a long time ago that I couldn't possibly change any of those things if they were to happen and so I thought, "Why worry?"  I choose to spend my time on things I can do something about rather than worrying about things over which I have no control.  It's quite liberating actually!  I highly recommend it!  And besides, God says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

So be anxious for nothing!  Instead, pray!  "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."  Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)  If we set our mind on things above, it will be a lot more difficult to worry about things here on earth. If we were truly living a life hidden with Christ in God,  worry would be unnecessary, even ridiculous to us.  If we spent more time praying and praising and being thankful, we would spend less time worrying.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Teach us to rest in You, trusting You for everything in our lives.  Help us to remember that we cannot add one hour to our lives by worrying.  Let us not be weighed down with worry; instead let us pray and praise and give thanks!

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com. http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp

He Lifts Me Up

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."  Psalm 37:23-25 (NASB)

"But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."  Psalm 3:3 (ESV)

"The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places."  Habakkuk 3:19 (NASB)

"The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."  Psalm 145:19 (NIV)

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10 (NIV)

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Matthew 23:12 (NIV)

"Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted..."  James 1:9  (KJV)

"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:9-10 (NIV)

Please pray for my daughter, Stacie, who is currently ill with H1N1 while serving the Lord in a foreign country.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we can rest in the knowledge that you will not allow us to be hurled headlong;  we will be upheld by Your righteous right hand.

Enter the Mystery

"I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."  Psalm 40:1  (The Message)

I posted this verse yesterday but something stayed with me and I thought I would look at it more today.  "...they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."

"Do you think you can explain the mystery of God? Do you think you can diagram God Almighty? God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, Stretching farther than earth's horizons, far wider than the endless ocean. If he happens along, throws you in jail then hauls you into court, can you do anything about it? He sees through vain pretensions, spots evil a long way off— no one pulls the wool over his eyes! Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk." Job 11:7 (The Message)

"Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does."  Ecclesiates 11:5  (The Message)

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen."  Romans 16:25-27  (NASB)

"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,
         'THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
         AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
         ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.'
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (NASB)

 There are mysteries having to do with God that no one can explain.  That is where faith comes in. That is where we learn to trust.  Why one man has a certain number of days in this life and another a different number is something we must leave to God because until we are face to face with Him,  that is only one of a myriad of questions that we would love to have answered.  We do not see the "Big" picture.  We only catch "glimpses" of God's eternal plan and oh, what an amazing thing catching a glimpse can be.  We can live for days, or weeks, or months, or even years on a single glimpse into eternity.  If you want more of God's glimpses, then you must enter the mystery of God Himself.  If we enter the mystery, our "glimpse" awareness becomes heightened, we see more of God in daily life, we understand more of who He is and how He works, and  we have more faith and trust in Him.  When we enter the mystery, the Spirit reveals God to us and we abandon ourselves to Him.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the hidden wisdom which You reveal to us through your Holy Spirit.  Thank you that we can enter the mystery (of God) and abandon ourselves to You who alone are worthy...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photograph courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Please Pray For My Daughter, Stacie...

My daughter, Stacie, left today on the adventure of a lifetime. Now it's my turn to put my money where my mouth is, to practice what I preach... Surely a Holy God is able to care for her and keep her safe even in dangerous places... Surely the Creator of the Universe can keep her in His loving care until we meet again... But I have information that I wish I didn't have. I know that everything doesn't always work out the way I think it should. I know that God's ways are not my ways nor are His thoughts my thoughts. "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB) And not only are God's thoughts higher than mine, they are also very different than mine. God is an eternal God not constrained by time or place. He is infinite and infinitely wise. Whereas I think I know a lot, I have barely nicked the surface with my finite mind of what God knows and can and will do. He sees the puzzle of our lives in its finished state while we are struggling just to find the spot where each piece might fit. I am thankful that He knows the big picture, but I am also thankful that He gives us small glimpses of His eternal plan.

"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name." Amos 4:13 (NIV)

I will now trust Him with my precious daughter and although I would do anything for her and would love to make her life easier, she is wiser than I and knows that real growth comes when you don't shelter yourself from difficult and scary things. Real growth often comes with a price. The question is are we willing to take ourselves out of our safe harbors and get into the fray of life, into the storm of tragedy where so much of humanity abides?

In this country we have been sheltered from the reality of the lives the rest of the world lives. We have only become more aware in recent years, partially due to increased communications through the internet, partially due to the fact that we can no longer feign ignorance. I am proud of the next generation who is rising up and taking action all over the world to fight injustice and indecency. We should learn a lesson from them and follow them into the fray where we can be changed and who knows but that our own ordinary lives might make the world a better place.

We often think, "What could I possibly do? What difference could I possibly make? I cannot go to a foreign country. I cannot make people love instead of hate. I cannot stop people from taking advantage of each other or hurting each other. I cannot solve world hunger or bring world peace." When I feel overwhelmed by what I cannot change in this world, I remember what I can change. I can change my small place in this world with a kind word, a gentle smile, a look of understanding, an offered hand, a silent prayer. I can bring a small measure of peace to my part of the world...today. No matter that I may never know of the effect. No matter that no thanks will be given. No matter that I cannot stop the violence or the pain or the heartache or the suffering. I can bring friendship to a lonely heart, food to an empty stomach, knowledge to a hungry mind, and truth to a thirsty soul.

We can no longer sit back in our easy chairs watching silly TV shows and lamenting about taxes or oil spills or politics. We must take action and not allow the wicked to oppress the helpless whether half way around the world or half way around the block. "God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:1-4 (NASB)

"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 3:17 (NIV)

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17 (ESV)

Dear Lord, Please let us follow You into the world to bring light and life to the darkness. Let us be willing to leave our comfort and venture out into the unknown and uncomfortable world, where ever that might be, to bring glory to Your name.

There are no Magic Wands here...

I would love to be able to wave a magic wand and make everything better for everyone...But it doesn't work that way. The Christian life doesn't include any magic wands for us. There are no guarantees that this life will be easy or that we won't have difficult things to deal with. Quite the opposite, we are told that in this world we will have tribulation. What we are promised is that Jesus will be with us every step of the way. He will lead us and guide us. He will teach us and comfort us. Our goal is to have faith, to serve Him, to lift up His name, and to learn from this short journey. We must open ourselves up to His truth so that we can learn from Him. He offers us peace in the midst of the storms of life. He offers us hope in the midst of the trials. You see, if there is one thing that we need to learn, it is this: this life is not all about us. It's all about Him. This seems to be the most difficult lesson for us to learn because in our own books, it is all about us. But in the Book of Life, where our names are hopefully written (if we have confessed our sin and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!), the story is His.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29 (KJV)

"One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side of the lake.' So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, 'Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?'" Luke 8:22-25 (ESV)

If Jesus asks, "Where is your faith?" what would you answer Him? Do you have faith that even when life is difficult or dangerous, He will still get you through it? Do you trust Him with your life? Or do you blame Him and abandon ship when things don't go the way you think they should? You need to come to the place where you know that without a doubt He is trustworthy. Jesus' question implies action on our parts. We must have faith. The truth is that we frequently have very little. "He replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" Matthew 17:20 (NIV) You know how small a mustard seed is, don't you? If you have the tiniest bit of faith, you can move mountains through His power. Nothing will be impossible for you.

"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." John 14:11-13 (NIV) We need to keep in mind that whatever we ask should bring glory to the Father...

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) We can know what faith is and even think that we may have it but unless we walk in it, is it real? "For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) And, "Your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or to the left.'" Isaiah 30:21 (NASB) There are three components to faith: 1) We must have the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 2)We must accept that it is true, and 3)We must trust in Him for our salvation. Do you trust Him?

The definition of trust is reliance on and confidence in the truth, worth, reliability, etc., of a person or thing; faith. Likewise, it is a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship. Faith and Trust are inextricably linked. I think the reason that we may not trust Him is that we are afraid of the end of this life and the uncertainty of how that will happen. We ask, "How will it end? When will it end? Why will it end?" Billy Graham said, "We cannot truly face life until we face the fact that it will be taken away from us." And once we face the fact that this life is temporary and very brief, we can be free to live a life of faith in Him. As it says in Psalm 39:5, "Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah." (NIV) We can walk a true walk of faith because we have let go of the "what if's" of this life. This requires practical thinking. It requires the release of our own control (of which we have none anyway!) and the acquisition of true faith. As George MacDonald said, "We can walk without fear, full of hope and courage and strength... waiting for the endless good which God is always giving as fast as He can get us to take it in."

Dear Lord, Please help us to know how brief this life is and that the only way to live it in peace is through faith in You. Give us true faith and help us to place all our trust in You. Teach us to take in Your endless good and walk in faith without fear...

As the Deer Panteth for the Water so My Soul Longeth After Thee

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Psalm 42:1 (KJV)

"I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments." Psalm 119:31

"With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!" Psalm 119:10 (ESV)

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)

Does your soul long for Him? Is He the most important thing is your life? Speaking from experience, the more time you spend with Him, the more time you will want to spend with Him. Our walk with the Lord is definitely cumulative! The more you stay on the path and follow after Him, the more you want to... It actually becomes too difficult to NOT be with Him. As God's word says in Psalm 19:9-11, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward." In this life, we seem to struggle with filling our lives with the wrong things. We want to dull the pain, fill the gap, change our tune, but we don't know how to, so we do things that end up making our situation worse. We want to fill that hole in our lives that only God can fill, but since we don't know Him, we fill it with other things, dangerous things or useless things, things that can't really help us but can definitely hurt us. We need to fill it with Him and only Him. We need to know Him. And you can't do that without spending time with Him in His Word.

So let's be as the deer panting for the water and let our souls long for Him. I guarantee you that the more you seek Him, the more you will find Him! "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 (NASB) Let us be like David who said, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." I know this world can be very distracting. It can also be devastating. This world is full of heartache, heartbreak, and heartsickness. As God's children, we have the assurance of His presence through every difficulty and trial. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) Continue to seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him.

Dear Lord, Thank you that You are always there for us, waiting and watching, wanting to spend time with us and teach us who You really are. Help us to desire You, to seek You, to trust You. Help us to be continually walking behind You on the path of life...