The Mightiest of Man's Walls Have Weakness Within

The sad song of the loon carries across the fog ridden shore, there is peace, but it doesn't feel like it's her's anymore.
The waves lap up quietly upon the sand, but yet their motion too strong against her for her to stand. Exhaustion is catching up with her on her way, no longer can she pretend to never move or sway. For even the mightiest of mans walls have weakness within, hers is her human propensity to sin. Also she sees that often she takes her eyes from him who gives her all there is and the very life she lives. So, at the closing of this day she finds herself surrounded with the waves but turns her eyes, not a moment to soon, back from what surrounds to her father and prays;

"I surrender my will to you, Lord. Take me as I am. Lord without you, no matter what I do--I will never be able to stand. I see you, I love you, yet often I forget--you are my author, my sustainer, and should I just always remember to walk in your way--I will never once Lord, have a regret. Now Father, I shall cry to wash away the regret within--Lord, please forgive me of my doubting, my sin! Amen."

For one Wishes it to Rain when the Sun Shines [03.24.06]

While yet the warmth of the sun dances upon her, she feels the rain begin to fall. It isn't a warm spring rain--no it is icy and stings. The cold burns her eyes...she feels the need to cry.

She feels the working of the one who wishes it to rain when the sun shines--trying to destroy the hope and assurance she had just gained...but she refuses to give in; as the rope gets pulled downward, she digs her heels into the ground and pulls uphill, praying all along for the strength of the Lord to be with her.

She will not give up her faith, she will not doubt the Lord. He promised to give us wisdom should we ask--and to do so gladly.

The struggle continues but she continues to pray--her heart aches with tenison--but she feels herself gaining strength.

"Oh restless doubting spirit, silence! Be still! Devil flee from this land for in the land I dwell the Lord is ruler, you have no place here! Be Gone!"

She boldly cries...and as the words spill from her lips the rain begins to stop, and the sun continues it's shining--and her heart is strengthened.

One more battle, one more step forward. One more tool she finds in her hand for whatever she may be called to do.

Claiming Promises [03.24.08]

Go boldy, praying specifically, claiming the promises of God.

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"God places Himself within our reach through His promises, and when we can actually say to Him, "you have said," He cannot say no. God must do as He has said....while in prayer be sure to stand firmly on a promise of God....Jesus desires that we would be very specific in our requests, asking for somethign definite....Make your requests earnestly and specifically, if you desire definite answers....Take Christ's Word--His promises--and Christ's sacrifice--His blood--with you to the throne of grace through prayer, and not one of heaven's blessings can be denied you."
From: Streams in the Desert
March 24

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Hearing this her soul is stirred to a point of great hope! She had merely been praying too timidly--afraid to ask for anything definite...and though she knew that God kept His promises, somehow she hadn't thought to claim them!

Arising from her slumber early, she grabbed a pen and her journal along with her Bible and went to work claiming the promises of God...

"Dear Lord,

Glorious is your Holy Name!....I come before you to claim what you told me would be so.
You have said if I need wisdom, if I want to know what you want me to do, ask you and you will GLADLY tell me. You will not resent me asking. (James 1:5)....You promise that all things will work together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose (Romans 8:28). You also promise that you already know the plans you have for me and that they are to prosper me and not to bring harm--that they will give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).......Amen."

Her heart is filled with hope, filled with assurance. God will gladly give the wisdom she seeks and the direction she needs.

Then through the clouds that surround the sun breaks through casting warm light upon her face, smiling she looks heavenward and mouths a silent "thank you"--her requests have been heard and the Lord is working on her behalf at this very moment, even if she cannot see it yet.

(written for yesterday March 24)

Learning to Welcome the Wait [03.22.08]

Laying still on the cool ground she drifts into a sleep that floats lightly upon her, coming and going. When awakened she prays. She must learn to welcome the wait, because it appears waiting is what she is being called to do--at least for this time.

Fog settles over her mind, she's too tired to continue to pray; but she has prayed, asking for the Spirit to guide her. That if she must stay and wait that she grow able to rejoice in the wait--for she knows she's blessed.

She awakens fully and goes to the stream in the desert to quench her thirst.

God planned it so that the words echoing up from the stream be just those that she needs to hear at this time.

"...when God delays, He is not inactive. This is when he prepares his instruments and matures our strength....God is never in a hurry. He spends years preparing those He plans to greatly use, and never thinks of the days of preparation as being too long or boring....the most difficult ingredient of suffering is often time....'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver' (Mal. 3:3)....Today we may be unable to see the final outcome of the beautiful plan that God has hidden "in the shadow of his hand" (Isa. 49:2)...we can calmly await the time when, in heavely delight, we will say "all things [have] work[ed] together for good (Rom. 8:28)....There is a reason behind every lesson, and when we are ready, our deliverance will definately come. Then we will know we could never have served our place of higher service without having been taughtthe very things we learned during our ordeal....

Don't steal tomorrow from God's hands. Give him time to speak to you and reveal His will. He is never late--learn to wait."

From: Streams in the Desert March 22

She rolls the thoughts around in her head, though they speak of waiting they bring a joy with them, and when she looks out upon the land...she thinks she may just see the morning's promise upon the horizon.

.:A Clean Heart:.

Just a passing thought

Imagine with me. Someone you care about is coming to visit, but when you look around you see that you have let the space around you become cluttered and dirty. You admire this person greatly and respect them--do you leave the space a mess? Or do you show them how much you care about them and want them to be comfortable in your place, so you are motivated to clean up the clutter?

You clean up the clutter.

Why then are we so unwilling to clean up the clutter in our hearts to prepare it for our loving savior?

And even beyond that, we are not left alone to deal with the "mess" in our hearts, Our Honored Guest, our Lord will clean our heart for us, given that we are willing to let the cleaning take place.

Psalm 51
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

The Path IS Beneath Her Feet [03.21.08]

God desires for us to believe His Word without other evidence, and then He is ready to do for us "according to [our] faith." --Streams in the Desert 03.21

According to your faith will it be done to you. (Matthew 9:29)

The confusion had settled upon her and pinned her to her place. She couldn't move, nor did want to seek out what she didn't know in the dark. She decided to wait for the coming light, but for the time being to pray what she holds on her heart.

She prays, not with doubt, but with honest questioning--"Lord, how long will you test my faith until I see with clarity?" She is not doubting that the Lord is leading, and she isn't considering giving up. Her faith is not weakening, it is in fact growing--but she fears that with the lack of clarity she may walk down a path that is her own, and not the Lord's--or she may not even move.

But through prayer she sees a glimmer of light on the horizion, a bit of truth revealed. God would not ignore her sincere pleading to be given guidance as to what is HIS will for her life. So, looking down at the path beneath her feet, she realizes that this IS His path for her--that When God promises to send us a guide, He will give us that guide.

So even though darkness surrounds, and she waits yet for clarity, she knows the path is beneath her feet--and she can breathe, relax and enjoy the faint glow of light provided her.

They Spin Her Around and Tell Her To Walk [03.20.08]

The weight of the decisions yet to be made begin to take their toll. Before it wasn't so hard to keep her head held high, but now She is growing tired.

Today, along the path, a group of friends approached her. Their ears were not open, but they came with mouths ready to speak, and minds too slow to think before the words came. Each had their own idea, each telling her that her path is the wrong path. They made her head spin, and then they said GO FORWARD; DO NOT WAIT A MOMENT!

She cannot walk, her mind is too clouded, and she is too dizzy. These directions that have been offered her, though given with good intentions, only make her feel more lost and far more tired.

The night is heavy, so she seeks out rest and prays for clarity.

Advice of Two Contrary Twins [03.17.08]

Looking into the western sky she catches a glimpse of the last lingering light of day. Darkness finds its usual place across the horizon, and she once again finds a place to sit and wait for some sort of guide in the dark. It has always come, in one form or another, but for a time--this time--it is dark, so she waits.

While waiting she reads; here it says "Quite often we fail to recieve the blessings He has ready for us because we are not moving forward with him....we loose numerous blessings by overwaiting."

But then, She reads "Stay there until I tell you. (Matthew 2:13) Patience and trust, even in the midst of the monotony of your daily routine, will be the best preparation to courageously handle the stress and strain of a greater opportunity, which God may someday send."

She lays down her book, picks up the Bible and searches...finding both advice given depending on the page and passage...

She looks before her, grab hold of what light is currently given and go forward, or sit and wait for a greater light, that may or may not come? Is she overwaiting God? Or should she settle back and stay waiting?

Stay or go...she feels pulled to both, both feel right...

God grant me sight!

Life Within Her Blooms [03.02.08]

She turns her face toward the sun, feeling the warmth seeping through her skin. The sound of promise of warmer days fills the air. A robin finds a small patch of exposed grass and searches around for a meal. Not only is there promise of spring in nature around her, but in her life she can sense the coming spring.

No, it isn't just coming. Life within her is blooming. God is leading her down a path full of the richness of His blessings.