Spirit & Trust

Some years ago, I met Jane and Jim, a long-married but childless couple. Sadly, though they’d often tried to adopt a baby, the arrangements failed each time, and their nursery remained unoccupied.

Like other couples at the time, they investigated adopting a child from overseas and were successful. They flew to a foreign city to meet their new daughter, Katie. Once there, however, they had more paperwork to complete. The adoption could not be finalized for a few weeks. So, they returned to the States and waited longer. I asked Jane how they were coping with the delay.

“I guess I’m optimistic,” she said. “The nursery’s been ready for a long time, but I closed the door. Now I keep the door open since Katie’s on her way.”

Shortly after, my friends did bring Katie home, and the nursery was no longer empty. When I wondered why Jane was so optimistic, I realized it was because she trusted those behind the adoption process.

Sometimes on my Christian journey, I also must wait for various reasons. Naturally, I begin to worry. I frequently ask, “What am I supposed to do now?”   

Paul had the best advice: wait patiently and trust the one controlling the wait and who will deliver the perfect outcome. After all, God is the omnipotent, omnipresent, sovereign creator of the universe.

When called to wait, trust God for the patience and the outcome.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and josealbafotos.)

The fire took it all.

It started in one shed and quickly jumped to the one beside it. We watched in horror as years’ worth of earthly possessions went up in smoke. Tools. Furniture. Clothes. Antiques. Fall and Christmas decorations. And so much more.

A large portion of our backyard was left in black, sooty ruins. The next day we began picking through the rubble, hoping to find something salvageable. The only thing we found intact was a Bible, barely even singed.

For many days afterward, we lived with the devastation—a constant reminder of what had taken place. It was hard to look at the mess without tears, thinking of what we had lost and wondering if our backyard would ever return to normal.

The clean-up crew came. They loaded up the debris and hauled it away. Then another crew came and cut down over a dozen burned trees. They also ground the stumps. Once again, the debris was loaded up and taken away, leaving the ground smooth and free of any signs of that dreadful fire. With two new sheds in place, it now looks even better than before, as though the fire never happened.

That’s what happens when God forgives our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He removes all the clutter and debris from our heart and tosses it into the sea of forgetfulness. He washes us, as the Bible says, “white as snow.” He gives us beauty instead of ashes. He turns our mourning into joy and clothes us with a garment of praise. He makes all things new.

That Bible survived a terrible fire when nothing else did. The Word of the living God. Alive and sharper than a two-edged sword. Powerful and eternal. It proved to be a constant reminder of how blessed we were—blessed that no one was hurt and that the fire did not come near our home, the woods behind our home, our chickens, or our motorhome (parked beside the second shed). Things could have turned out so much worse, but God was faithful and merciful.

When life comes at you, leaving a mess in its wake, don’t lose hope. You can always count on God and His Word to remove the debris and make things even better than before.

(photo courtesy of author)

Amy Carmichael could have doubted that God’s favor wrapped around her, but she didn’t. After a terrible fall broke her body, she was pretty much bedridden in her mission in India. Nonetheless, she recognized God’s presence and blessing amid her painful limitation, for others were obliged to rise and shoulder the responsibilities of her orphanage and outreach. Furthermore, her passion drove her to write, and those writings kindled a missionary movement.

I love to pray for God’s favor to surround and bless people as the psalmist does. It fills me with joy and well-being. However, if we look at the context of the psalms, we discover that favor is preceded by many days of being afflicted by God, followed by the psalmist’s request that God reveal His splendor to His servants and their children. Amy was afflicted before receiving God’s favor, the favor that established the work of her hands. Affliction before favor is a pattern in Scripture.

Sometimes, what distracts us, what is worthless, needs to be utterly removed before we can see the splendor of the Almighty. Then what is favored by God can rise. The Israelites experienced this in the desert as God weeded their stubborn unbelief. God had gifted the people of Canaan four hundred years to repent before God removed the worthless ruin of their culture and raised up His blessing with righteous guidelines.

We want God’s favor—for Him to confirm and bless the work of our hands. Invite Him to remove what is worthless from your life so He can bring forth what He favors.

(Photo courtesy of morguefile and jeltovski.)

Once, I walked along the antique brick paths in a garden park where I spent many happy days with my disabled granddaughter. She has since moved away, yet I return often to meditate on what God’s Word can teach me here.

This time, I reflected on this verse: “Exalt the Lord our God; Worship at His footstool; Holy is He”—a well-underlined verse in my Bible. This verse has always mystified me because of what I perceive as three disconnected parts: exalt God, worship God at His footstool, and recognize His holiness. Perhaps I’m not the only one looking to understand better how these phrases connect.

Many commentators ascribe this psalm to David, who appeals to us to mention everywhere that God’s name be exalted and worshipped. I began to understand what it is to connect these thoughts to the mystery of God’s footstool.

In the Old Testament, the ark was placed in the Temple, where God’s presence dwelled. Worshipping at God’s footstool was a way to acknowledge His holiness. W. A. VanGemeren[1] said, “The object of exalting and worshipping at His footstool is to respond to His Holy Presence.”

Once again, I was humbled by knowing that God’s Word is truth. It contains no mystery, and God directs me not to “lean on my own understanding but in all my ways acknowledge Him.”

Pay attention to how God prompts you to respond to His holy presence as you worship at His footstool.

[1]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-99

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and doungtepro.)

My husband, a soon-to-be-pastor, hammered a sign in our front yard: For Sale by Owner. The year was 2010, and places weren’t selling quickly in our small town. In fact, a place close by had been up for sale for more than a year. As my husband hammered the sign in the ground, he prayed, “God, You are my realtor.”

We needed to move by mid-July, and this was May. Only one person had looked at the house. “Lord, we need more people to look at this place. It needs to sell,” I prayed as our deadline got closer.

We had a little Schnauzer named Andy, who also needed a new home. One evening, we and our dog walked the circle-mile walk in the park. As we walked, we discussed our need to find a home for Andy. We had walked one mile but decided to go another lap.

After walking a short distance, we met some grandparents with their grandchildren. “May our granddaughters pet your dog? We love Schnauzers,” they said.

The grandparents told us their son hoped to get a Schnauzer. We quickly told them this one was available. We told them where we lived, and the son came for the dog the next day. God prepared a place for Andy.

Then a buyer’s agent called. She had someone interested in buying our home—the same person who had viewed the house earlier.

The Lord hears our prayers, and although we may be impatient at times, God answers. God took care of our home and dog. We only needed one person for each. He will supply your needs as well.

Trust God to show you the power of one.      

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)