This has been one of those weeks that I marvel at God's goodness. I know I should marvel at His goodness all the time, but this week has been particularly abundant in my own life. I'm not deserving and don't understand His choosing of the timing but all I can say is, "Wow!"
We've experienced the joy of good friends who are willing to give of their time and talents and resources to assist with raising money for this mission trip to Israel. We've experienced His provision in truly miraculous ways. We've seen a rainbow covering our city. We've been blessed by a generous church supporting us in ways that I cannot begin to fathom. I received an unexpected offer of employment that caters to my travel schedule. I received encouragement from people who have been praying and have seen evidence of God's hand over our lives. Unexpected phone calls to share good news have come, cards in the mail, conversations with strangers who want to know how things are going with regard to the mission trip ... so much more it would take volumes to write it all!
One of the most amazing things I've experienced is a simple answer to a prayer for restoration of laughter. Psalm 126 speaks of restoration and joy and laughter is the theme of this passage. I mentioned briefly last week that I was so ready to laugh again and God heard my prayer. I have laughed until tears have rolled down my cheeks at simple things - good things, good friends, funny comments, precious pets and simple things literally all week long. God's Word speaks of the health benefits of laughter and I can attest to it. Proverbs 17:22 says “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” I'm learning daily that my circumstances don't dictate God's goodness. That joy resides in the bones when I give my life fully to Christ and trust Him no matter what my earthly situation may be. I'm learning that even my smallest of prayers are heard by God and they mean something to Him. He heard my seemingly insignificant request that I was ready to laugh again and saw that my heart needed to be merry and He made it happen.
A young friend wrote today that she could "only pray" on her profile. She has had a whole host of health problems and deals with pain on a constant level. Her life is desperate at times because of the pain and seeing her post made my heart hurt because she is so dear and so is her family. But I also found myself thinking, "You know, she's really at the best place she can be if she's out of any other resources but prayer." That means that God has literally stripped away everything but Himself in her life and she now has the perfect set up to tap into her Great Physician, her Provider, her Savior, and her King. She now has access to a heart that can be painfully honest with her Heavenly Father and she has access to the most powerful weapon in her Spiritual armor -- prayer.
So many times, we say things like, "I can't do much, but I can pray for you." or we'll say, "All I can do is pray." I wonder if we really realize what we are saying with comments like that. Are we diminishing the value and power of prayer or are we saying that we are not humanly able to do anymore and as a last resort we're going to pray? If so, we need a radical change of thought! Friends, prayer is a mighty tool and is powerful against the enemy's schemes. Not only that, it's our blessed opportunity to have a conversation with the ONE WHO CREATED THIS UNIVERSE AND US!!! We have a blessed opportunity to pour out our hearts and talk with the Lover of our Souls. We have the power to crush the enemy, Satan when we draw our weapon of Prayer. We have a hot-line with no need for a phone or priest to cry out to one who gave His Life for us. Oh the goodness of God that He would give us this privilege!
If you've found yourself in a mindset of thinking that prayer is your last resort, maybe today is the day that God says - make it your first resort forevermore. If you've felt like your prayers are hitting the ceiling, maybe it's because God is waiting for you to believe that He will do as He promises and that He loves you.
We can speak prayers over and over and over and over and not believe that God will move - or we can pray with a believing heart that He hears even our smallest of prayers and that He will act according to His will and that He promises that He wants the best for His children - not the worst.
Remember, there's prayer, there's faith, there's trust, there's hope and there are covenants all through the Bible -- God keeps His covenants always - He cannot lie and He cannot fail. If we can grasp that He lives in us -- LIVES in us - then we must believe it and believe that his residence in us means that we cannot fail either. Don't walk around with a failure mentality. Yes, life will be disappointing at times. Yes, hard times will come. Yes, we will hurt, be sick and die. But we were made for more. We were made to reflect God's glory in all circumstances not just the mountaintops. We are made to praise Him. We are made to laugh because of His goodness. We are made to love others because of the deep deep love He has to pour out through us and to us.
May I encourage you to hit the restart button on your perspective today? May I urge you to access the power of prayer as your first option because it's your best option? May I challenge you to ask God to show you His goodness. He will, you know...He promises.
Here's Psalm 126 (NLT) -- Read and enjoy -- and know that you are dearly loved!! Have a great weekend!!
When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
We've experienced the joy of good friends who are willing to give of their time and talents and resources to assist with raising money for this mission trip to Israel. We've experienced His provision in truly miraculous ways. We've seen a rainbow covering our city. We've been blessed by a generous church supporting us in ways that I cannot begin to fathom. I received an unexpected offer of employment that caters to my travel schedule. I received encouragement from people who have been praying and have seen evidence of God's hand over our lives. Unexpected phone calls to share good news have come, cards in the mail, conversations with strangers who want to know how things are going with regard to the mission trip ... so much more it would take volumes to write it all!
One of the most amazing things I've experienced is a simple answer to a prayer for restoration of laughter. Psalm 126 speaks of restoration and joy and laughter is the theme of this passage. I mentioned briefly last week that I was so ready to laugh again and God heard my prayer. I have laughed until tears have rolled down my cheeks at simple things - good things, good friends, funny comments, precious pets and simple things literally all week long. God's Word speaks of the health benefits of laughter and I can attest to it. Proverbs 17:22 says “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” I'm learning daily that my circumstances don't dictate God's goodness. That joy resides in the bones when I give my life fully to Christ and trust Him no matter what my earthly situation may be. I'm learning that even my smallest of prayers are heard by God and they mean something to Him. He heard my seemingly insignificant request that I was ready to laugh again and saw that my heart needed to be merry and He made it happen.
A young friend wrote today that she could "only pray" on her profile. She has had a whole host of health problems and deals with pain on a constant level. Her life is desperate at times because of the pain and seeing her post made my heart hurt because she is so dear and so is her family. But I also found myself thinking, "You know, she's really at the best place she can be if she's out of any other resources but prayer." That means that God has literally stripped away everything but Himself in her life and she now has the perfect set up to tap into her Great Physician, her Provider, her Savior, and her King. She now has access to a heart that can be painfully honest with her Heavenly Father and she has access to the most powerful weapon in her Spiritual armor -- prayer.
So many times, we say things like, "I can't do much, but I can pray for you." or we'll say, "All I can do is pray." I wonder if we really realize what we are saying with comments like that. Are we diminishing the value and power of prayer or are we saying that we are not humanly able to do anymore and as a last resort we're going to pray? If so, we need a radical change of thought! Friends, prayer is a mighty tool and is powerful against the enemy's schemes. Not only that, it's our blessed opportunity to have a conversation with the ONE WHO CREATED THIS UNIVERSE AND US!!! We have a blessed opportunity to pour out our hearts and talk with the Lover of our Souls. We have the power to crush the enemy, Satan when we draw our weapon of Prayer. We have a hot-line with no need for a phone or priest to cry out to one who gave His Life for us. Oh the goodness of God that He would give us this privilege!
If you've found yourself in a mindset of thinking that prayer is your last resort, maybe today is the day that God says - make it your first resort forevermore. If you've felt like your prayers are hitting the ceiling, maybe it's because God is waiting for you to believe that He will do as He promises and that He loves you.
We can speak prayers over and over and over and over and not believe that God will move - or we can pray with a believing heart that He hears even our smallest of prayers and that He will act according to His will and that He promises that He wants the best for His children - not the worst.
Remember, there's prayer, there's faith, there's trust, there's hope and there are covenants all through the Bible -- God keeps His covenants always - He cannot lie and He cannot fail. If we can grasp that He lives in us -- LIVES in us - then we must believe it and believe that his residence in us means that we cannot fail either. Don't walk around with a failure mentality. Yes, life will be disappointing at times. Yes, hard times will come. Yes, we will hurt, be sick and die. But we were made for more. We were made to reflect God's glory in all circumstances not just the mountaintops. We are made to praise Him. We are made to laugh because of His goodness. We are made to love others because of the deep deep love He has to pour out through us and to us.
May I encourage you to hit the restart button on your perspective today? May I urge you to access the power of prayer as your first option because it's your best option? May I challenge you to ask God to show you His goodness. He will, you know...He promises.
Here's Psalm 126 (NLT) -- Read and enjoy -- and know that you are dearly loved!! Have a great weekend!!
When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
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