Do you ever go through times in your life when you feel like the blah version of yourself? Oh you continue on like nothing is really wrong and put on a good front for others to see, but in your head, you know that things aren't quite right.
And deep down, you know why things aren't right. Your relationship with God isn't your priority. You've let it slip down a few notches. Even if you get around to reading your Bible, the words seem hollow. And your prayers? They become something you say by routine, if you bother to pray at all.
So what next. You know you have a problem; how do you fix it. Some people would say to just "buck up" or "just get through it". In my opinion, that's when you become numb to God and it your blah days can turn into blah years.
There was a time in my life when I was good at going through the motions. Good at covering up when I felt blah. But that was a time in my life when I didn't have people in my life who I would trust enough to tell all my struggles too. Because let's face it, during those blah times, aren't you glad that those you come in contact with don't have ESP. So now, thanks to where God has led me in my life, I have close friends and family who I can be real with. Real about all the internal struggles. Who will pray with me when I can't find the words.
Now those blah times are much fewer and far between. But occasionally, they do come back. And I don't think they are always a bad thing. Because there is one thing that runs through my head during my blah days, "Is this what it's like without God?" My blah days, I truly feel, are allowed my God to reveal to me how my neighbour who doesn't know him feels. It gives me a fresh perspective on the daily life of an unbeliever and how struggling through a day on my own strength without God feels.
So next time you have a day where you feel God is far away, remember that there is someone who lives that way every day and needs to hear about Jesus Christ.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Great I Am
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NLT
My little 2 year-old daughter will often say to me "Hold hand, mommy" with a quiet pleading in her voice. She will say it as we are walking down stairs, in a busy place or sometimes even walking down the hallway in our home. Sometimes she is just wanting to hold my hand for fun, while other times it's because she is nervous or afraid of something. My almost 5 year-old does not ask to hold my hand as often. She's more confident in herself walking down a set of stairs or walking beside me in a store, even though there are still times when she just wants to be close to me; wants to feel my presence.
I look at the way each of my daughters needs me or reaches for me and can't help but compare their needs to how I need God. There are times when I, like my 2 year-old, will cling the Word of God, desperately needing Him close and soaking up His presence. These are the times when I usually see and feel the danger of being pulled away from Him. But there are times when I feel confident in myself, like my oldest daughter, and don't feel like holding on to the Lord's hand or clinging to Him. I walk along, thinking that I see everything around me clearly and that although I know God is there if I need Him, I don't need to hold on to His hand.
But how many times do I not see the danger of not clinging to God, just like my oldest who might not see the car backing up as we walk through a parking lot or the patch of ice at the bottom of the steps.
As I read this verse from Isaiah, I usually take these truths and tuck them away for a day when I am afraid or discouraged or needing help. But the truth of the matter is that every day, no matter if I "feel" like I need God to be there or not, He is there. He already knows my day, my stresses, my upcoming struggles and He is already victorious over them. And although I may not be able to anticipate them, even if I try to, He is with me and I need to hold on to His hand whether I feel confident in myself or not. I need to have the attitude of my 2 year-old, who wants to enjoy holding my hand, even if there is not any danger that I can see or feel.
Because above all, He is victorious over all that could harm me today.
My little 2 year-old daughter will often say to me "Hold hand, mommy" with a quiet pleading in her voice. She will say it as we are walking down stairs, in a busy place or sometimes even walking down the hallway in our home. Sometimes she is just wanting to hold my hand for fun, while other times it's because she is nervous or afraid of something. My almost 5 year-old does not ask to hold my hand as often. She's more confident in herself walking down a set of stairs or walking beside me in a store, even though there are still times when she just wants to be close to me; wants to feel my presence.
I look at the way each of my daughters needs me or reaches for me and can't help but compare their needs to how I need God. There are times when I, like my 2 year-old, will cling the Word of God, desperately needing Him close and soaking up His presence. These are the times when I usually see and feel the danger of being pulled away from Him. But there are times when I feel confident in myself, like my oldest daughter, and don't feel like holding on to the Lord's hand or clinging to Him. I walk along, thinking that I see everything around me clearly and that although I know God is there if I need Him, I don't need to hold on to His hand.
But how many times do I not see the danger of not clinging to God, just like my oldest who might not see the car backing up as we walk through a parking lot or the patch of ice at the bottom of the steps.
As I read this verse from Isaiah, I usually take these truths and tuck them away for a day when I am afraid or discouraged or needing help. But the truth of the matter is that every day, no matter if I "feel" like I need God to be there or not, He is there. He already knows my day, my stresses, my upcoming struggles and He is already victorious over them. And although I may not be able to anticipate them, even if I try to, He is with me and I need to hold on to His hand whether I feel confident in myself or not. I need to have the attitude of my 2 year-old, who wants to enjoy holding my hand, even if there is not any danger that I can see or feel.
Because above all, He is victorious over all that could harm me today.
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