Thursday, March 24, 2011

Ash...Beauty

Ash...
It's what comes from fire
Fire hurts
It's painful
It destroys
Ash...
The leftover
All that remains
Useless
Or is it?
Ash...
What will I do with it?
Why is there even more?
When will God stop the fires?
Maybe He won't stop the refining until it is ALL ash and I realize HE IS ALL I NEED
Ash...
God promises to bring beauty from it
But I have to give it to Him
Let go
Dear God...please...bring on the beauty!
**Added 3 hours after I published..."One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27: 5-6


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

He Calls Us

Me again...anyone still reading.

Back in the fall, I told you that I was able to go back to Bible study. We are studying the book of Isaiah for the entire year. Because of my health and family issues I have not been able to attend as often I would like. However, I am still loving picking apart God's Word and seeing what He has for me.

Here is a passage that spoke to me specifically. It is from Isaiah 40:25-26... “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

There is NO equal to our God.
Nobody can be compared.

He created every single star. Do you have any idea how many stars there are? Actually nobody really knows, it is impossible. Yet, HE created every single one of them. The fact that He created them is not what really speaks to me though.

He calls them forth one by one and he knows them each by name. You know what that says to me....the stars don't just "happen" to come out every night. God calls to them. He is intentional. AND HE KNOWS EVERY ONE OF THEM BY NAME?! Incredible.

If He knows the names of the stars...how can we doubt for a second that He knows each one of us by name.

And do you see the last part of those verses? Not one of them is missing. Not one single star. To me that means that if one of His children "goes missing" or "walks away" or "needs His guiding hand" or "His loving touch"...God will use His great power and mighty strength and will keep calling out to that child by name.

I have friends and family going through heartache, carrying heavy burdens, facing big decisions, walking away from the Lord...

My friend lost the mother of his children suddenly, while she laid down for a nap.
I have a family member trying to find answers to a medical issue.
My own child has walked away from the Lord for now but has returned home to me.
Myself....I wonder if I will be ever fully healed, will I get to know the joy of marriage again, how will my little family come out of all this crisis on the other side?

Ya know what...God knows the names of the stars!!!! He knows the heart of each and every single one of His children. He is calling to us! What is he saying to you and to me?

Are we listening.......