My feet have not slipped

My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]; my feet have not slipped. Psalm 17:5 AMP

Outside there is a storm. The wind is raging. The rain is pouring down. The path is slippery. Has you been in a storm like this, physically, emotionally, spiritually? It is a tough place to be. What were your feet doing during the storm? 

This is what David said about his feet after one of the storms he faced.

David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 Samuel 22:1 AMP

He makes my feet like the hinds [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me secure and confident upon the heights.    2 Samuel 22:34 AMP

You have enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet have not slipped. 2 Samuel 22:37 AMP

Of course, the 'He' and 'You' is God. David knew the victory that comes from staying on God's path. He knew that God alone was his deliverer.

In God, Whose word I praise, in the Lord, Whose word I praise, In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? For your vows are upon me, O God; I will render praise to You and give You thank offerings. For you have delivered my life from death, yes and my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life and of the living. Psalm 56: 10-13 AMP

Sometimes in the storm it can be very easy to lose sight of our ultimate destination, the real victory we have as Christians. Then gradually as we move through the storm, the storm can help remind us of the victory we have in Jesus and our eternal destiny, the promise of walking with God and one day seeing Him face to face. They take us to a deeper understanding of God and His sacrifice and love for us.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]. Habakkuk 3:18-19 AMP

Question for today, are you anywhere in, near or around a storm of some sort? If so, have a look at where your feet are. Are they slipping from the path or are you allowing God to enlarge the steps under you so they don't slip? If you feel your feet are slipping, ask God to help you stay on His path and wait patiently and expectantly for Him, just as David did.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3 AMP

Where do you hide?

Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself. Psalm 16:1 AMP

When things go 'wrong' in your life, or not as you had planned, where you do hide? Do you physically hide by isolating yourself from people so your vulnerability is not visible? Do you hide in a constant busy-ness, not giving your self the opportunity to sit and think about what is going on in your life? Do you hide by means of escaping reality through other distractions such as materialism, the use of legal and illegal drugs? There are many ways we can hide and many places we can hide. Here are some definition of 'hide' (from Thefreedictionary.com)

1. To put or keep out of sight or away from notice

2. To prevent the disclosure or recognition of; conceal

3. To cut off from sight; cover up

4. To avert (one's gaze), especially in shame or grief.

One of my favourite ways to hide is through isolation. I can justify my hiding by telling myself I am spending time with God. And often that is true, I am spending much loved time with God. But other times I am choosing to be by myself as I don't want to put myself out in that place of being vulnerable and sharing my life. I don't want to experience the gamete of emotions that comes with relationships. I just want to hide.

But we cannot hide from life and we cannot hide from God.

Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:24 AMP

God knows where we are. He knows how we try to hide, physically, emotionally and spiritually. God wants us to hide with Him so He can help us face things in our lives, rather than hide from them.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5 AMP

When we allow God to hide us in His shelter, He sets us upon a rock. But is it not just any rock, it is a rock on which we can stand with strength, with salvation and redemption. 

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. Psalm 18:2 AMP

Questions for today, where (or how) are you choosing to hide? Are you hiding from God or with God? Sometimes the difference between hiding 'from' and 'with' can be very subtle. To get discernment on where we are at, we need to once again come into His presence with an open heart and let Him speak to us about where we are hiding, or what we are hiding from. I encourage you to do this today. God is inclining His ear to you.

I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. Show Your marvellous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 17:6-8 AMP

A picture of God's love

How would you draw God's love for you? 

Earlier this week, our seven year old drew this picture for me. She explained me to that my love was the 'rainbow love' and God's love was the 'big purple love.' Some of our children's artworks get recycled never to be seen again, but this one is definitely a keeper. 

It is easy to understand that she has a picture of my love for her through her experience of my physical and emotional day to day caring for her.

What I find more intriguing (and marvelous) is her idea of God's love for her. The more I look at her drawing the more I realise what a wonderful picture of God she must have in her heart.  She has faced great challenges in her short life, more than most of us will face in 70 or 80 years of life, and yet she has a revelation in her heart that God's love for her is far greater (at least three times!) than her mother's love for her. How true that is, my love for her doesn't come close to God's love for her and what He has done for her.

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. John 3:16 AMP

As for God's love being 'purple', this wasn't a conscious decision by my daughter. Rather she explained to me, that she chose purple because she had run out of space in the line of rainbow hearts for a purple heart. I wonder though, if the Holy Spirit had a hand in the design, as purple is the colour positively associated with royalty. A reminder that God's son, Jesus, is the King of kings.

They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings - and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers. Revelation 17:14 AMP

Also, the big purple heart is a reminder that we, as faithful followers, are a royal priesthood, who have received mercy and are loved unconditionally.

To you then who believe (who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Him) is the preciousness, .... But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God's people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:7, 9-10 AMP

Questions for today, how would you draw God's love for you? What is the picture of God like that you have in your heart? Can you dare to believe that you are part of a royal priesthood? 

Jesus is the perfect picture of God's perfect love for us.

And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, and formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father - to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Revelation 1:5-6 AMP

He prays to God

He prays to God, and He is favourable to him, so that he sees His face with joy; for [God] restores to him his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God - with its joys). Job 33:26 AMP

He makes a choice, He prays to God. The Message Bible puts it this way,

"Or, you may fall on your knees and pray - to God's delight! You'll see God's smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. Job 33:26 The Message

Often in our lives we have to make choices, especially when we are faced with situations we don't like. Our choices are many and varied, such as talking with others, running away, ignoring the situation, confrontation.  

There is one choice God wants us to make. He wants us to pray. God wants us to come before Him, surrender our will and listen and then obey, just as Jesus did at Gethsemane, not once, but at least three times that we know of.

And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire. Matthew 26:39 AMP

Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done. Matthew 26:42 AMP

So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for a third time, using the same words. Matthew 26: 44 AMP 

Jesus went away and prayed, and was then able to face something unimaginable to us, and face it with unfathomable grace and strength.

And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Latin: Calvary; Hebrew: Golgotha], there they crucified Him, and [along with] the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus prayed, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:33-34 AMP

Again, Jesus prayed, this time not for Himself, but for us.

Question for today, are you facing something that seems insurmountable? Why not take time out today, by yourself, to pray to God, maybe not once, but two or three times? If you don't know what to pray, just start with something simple like, "Here I am Lord, you know all that is going on in my life, please show me what to do." And wait, and listen. You are favourable to Him, because of Jesus sacrifice for you, you are in rightstanding with God. He loves you. He hears your prayers. He will answer you.

With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 3:4 AMP

Grace is available

Something a little different today. Let's take some time to meditate on God's grace. Below are some scriptures from Romans. My prayer is that as you read these scriptures and personalise them by putting your name in the blanks, greater revelation of God's grace for you will come. 

____________ [is] justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favour and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. Romans 3:25,26 AMP

Through Him also ___________ has access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favour) in which ____________ [firmly and safely] stand. And let __________  rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Romans 5:2 AMP

For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one man, much more surely will _________ who receives [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favour) and the free gift of righteousness [putting __________ into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Romans 5:17 AMP

For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over ___________, since now ____________ is not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favour and mercy]. Romans 6:14 AMP

Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to __________ - provided _________  continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away). Romans 11:22 AMP

For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call]. Romans 11:29 AMP

Thank you God for your grace. Please help us to get greater revelation of the grace in, on and over our lives. Thank you Jesus for giving us a way to have right-standing with our Father in heaven and receive grace. Thank you Holy Spirit for helping us to learn how to live in grace and love graciously. In Jesus Name, Amen.

The grace of Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with _____. Amen (so be it). Romans 16:24 AMP

Dominion and intimacy

To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it). 1 Peter 5:11 AMP

Dominion. The Oxford dictionary defines dominion as sovereignty, control. The Message Bible has 1 Peter 5:11 as

He gets the last word; yes, he does.

How re-assuring is it to know that Our Heavenly Father has sovereignty and control over everything. He gets the last word. His dominion is enduring, it doesn't end.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalm 145:13 AMP

This level of sovereignty is difficult for us to fathom. For most of us we can only begin to imagine the complexities of what it would be like to be the leader of a country or a global organisation. We can not even start to wrap our mind around what it would be like to have dominion over everything, everywhere, forever!

What I find even more mind-boggling is that not only does God have sovereignty from afar but He has an intimate knowledge of, and love for each of us, from before we were born, until when we see Him face to face in heaven.

My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colours] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before they ever took shape, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:15-16 AMP

As I child I knew about God who had dominion over everything, the creator of the universe. But it wasn't until my mid-twenties that I came to know God as my Heavenly Father. A loving, gracious God who knew me from before I was born, and who knows what I am thinking, saying and doing. 

I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. Psalm 139:2-5 The Message

God's reassuring presence has been and still is, the place I chose to take refuge when the going gets tough. A place of true intimacy, grace, mercy and love. 

Question for today, do you know God as both the God who has dominion over all, and the God who knows you intimately, desiring a personal relationship with you? If you are not quite sure about the personal relationship side of God, why not open your heart to Him and start with asking Him to be your friend? Then wait, respond and watch your relationship develop.

To the one only God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it). Jude 1:25 AMP

The lifter of my head

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Psalm 3:3 AMP

Yesterday my head hung low. Everything in life seemed overwhelming. My thoughts swung between the pain of families with seriously ill children, to the on-going-ness of having a child with 'special needs', to the seemingly lack of significance of the everyday chores of being a mum. 

With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers my out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 3:4 AMP

Mid-morning, the door bell rang. One of our thoughtful neighbours was at the front gate and offered to take some of the children to the park for the morning. Jesus had heard the cry of my heart and knew I needed some time and space to be able to 'pause and calmly think on' His word, His truth for my life. Some time for me to allow Him to be the lifter of my head, so I could lift my inner self to Him.

Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on you do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You. Psalm 143:8 AMP

In the peace and quiet I was able to hear His loving-kindness in the morning. I was able to read and think and pray and sleep. The reading involved a mixture of the Psalms, and a book I was given called, Found - A story of questions, grace and everyday prayer, by Micha Boyett.  Here are a couple of passages from the book...

In The Politics of the Brokenhearted, Parker Palmer tells a story of a disciple who asks why the Torah teaches followers of Jewish law to "place these words upon your hearts." 

"Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?" the disciple asks.

The rabbi answers this way: "It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until one day the heart breaks and the words fall in." p 141

Sometimes belief is off in the sunshine while I'm coated in fog, cold and uncertain, trapped by a sky that feels too heavy to penetrate. But hope lives here, still: God's Word on my brittle heart, full of possibilities, already dripping through the cracks. p 143.

Yesterday, by the end of the day, my head had been lifted up. Lifted by a Heavenly Father who knew exactly what I needed physically, emotionally and spiritually.  The truth of God's word was dripping through the cracks of my heart. I had finished the day with greater revelation of His love for me. Thank you Jesus.

Question for today, is your head hanging low? Do you need your heavenly Father to be the 'lifter of your head'? Come to Him now, ask Him to be your shield and help you to come to a place where you can lift your inner self to Him.

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Ephesians 3:17-19 AMP

Selah [pause and calmly think on that]!