Details...

This morning while reading His Word, this scripture leapt from the page:

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. (Psalm 27:23-24, NLT, emphasis mine).

As I read that I realized that the little mundane tasks of the day, are not mundane at all to Him, do you see it? He delights in every detail. When my daughters were newborns, I delighted in every single detail of their lives, I counted the toes and listened to every coo and cry, I traced my finger along their soft lips and would relish the quiet moments when I could just hold them and be in awe of the beauty of a newborn and how absolutely perfect each child was. As they grew older and family demands began to grow, I didn't delight in every detail, didn't necessarily find delight in bath time or waking them up early for school or impatiently waiting while they decided what to wear....delight certainly isn't a word I would use.

Today, I still don't delight in every detail of even those I love dearly, but Jesus, He loves me more than I can imagine. He thinks that I am so amazing that every detail of my life is a delight. He loves being a part of every nook and cranny that I encounter during the day...it matters to Him when I can't decide what to wear in the mornings...He takes note of the decision of whether to have coffee or iced tea...He settles in and listens to the battle in my mind of whether I have made the right choice or spoken the right words.

What a comfort to know, that it's not just the "big" things....the spiritual things, the church things, the relational things. He didn't delight in every detail only when I first believed as a newborn Christian...but today and everyday, every detail of my life He takes in and savors.

As I reflect on that this morning I am so thankful that I not only call Jesus my Savior, but He's the closest friend I have and He's in the details.

What Did the Locusts Take From You?

This morning in my quiet time I was suddenly reminded of a swarm of sins I committed years ago while still married. Though I have confessed those sins long ago and am sure I am forgiven, the memory of them arose this morning without warning. The enemy reminded me today that I am living in divorce and reaping the consequences of those sins even so many years later.

I have mourned the loss of much in this divorce - any of you that have been through it or have been a child of divorce know there are many things that are lost. I won't even begin to mention the things I miss and have longed for over the last ten plus years.

But I had a choice to make this morning when that thought came to me. I could either focus on the facts of the situation and have a pity party and "wish" things had been different, longing for another chance or I could seek His truth and be obedient to His Word. And His Word says:

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

So I chose truth! Through prayer, I sought God's instruction on how to take this particular thought captive today. The Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of this promise in God's Word:

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. (Joel 2:25)

What a promise! Instead of focusing on the sin that crept in leading to my divorce, I am choosing today to focus on the promise of His Word!! He will restore what was lost. I do not know what that restoration will look like - but I do know this - it will be more than I can ask or imagine.

What have the locusts taken from you??

A Romans Chapter 7 Kinda Day

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, the one that you hope will hurry up and end!?!? The kind of day that you are responding to everything that crosses your path in a manner that you know shouldn't, but you do it anyway?!?!?!?

Today was a Romans Chapter 7 kinda day. Romans 7:14-21 says:

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life — that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. (Emphasis mine)

And that was me today - facing frustration, conflict, agitation, and instead of doing what I know is right, I did just the opposite. Now if the book of Romans ended at Chapter 7, I just might be able to biblically justify my un-Christlike behavior today. But alas, there is a Chapter 8.

And once I arrived home today, I carefully read Chapter 7...and then meditated for a bit on Chapter 8. Chapter 8 reminded me that I am not controlled my sinful nature, (in other words, my inappropriate response to the frustration, conflict and agitation) - I have the Holy Spirit living within me and since I do, I should allow Him to control my actions and yield to His direction. Romans 8:6 says:

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

As I seek forgiveness from He who has given me life, I will allow the Holy Spirit to control my mind and to work through me and believe that tomorrow will be a Romans Chapter 8 kinda day!

Thanking Him today for His Word, for His forgiveness and for thinking I'm worth dying for!

Forgive - Seventy-seven times.

I awoke this morning to the sun streaming through my window, the birds chirping and worship music playing softly in my room. As I lay there I again realized the complete sense of contentment that fills me.

I don't know what tomorrow holds or what obstacles may come my way. I am not so pompous as to think I will not again feel discontent, or carry grief longer than I should or make the same mistake more than once or run into walls because I failed to yield to the Holy Spirit's guiding.

But I do know this....Jesus is never on the sidelines shaking His head in disbelief, He isn't pointing a finger and screaming at me asking me why I continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over, He doesn't walk away and say "I've had enough"....He remains, His love is never ending, He has promised to never leave me or abandon me, He reminds me through His Word of the love He has for me. That because of the price He paid, I can be forgiven for whatever sin I may commit. The Bible says:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV)

Forgive....seventy-seven times.

I am so thankful that He forgives me over and over and over. And if He does, and He does - shouldn't I follow that same principle for those who have wronged me or continue to make a mistake over and over and over? Those that have hurt my feelings, those that have offended me? Just something for me to ponder today.

Forgive...seventy-seven times.