"Hill Country Thoughts:Walking Daily With The Lord -Thoughts, Hopes,and Living in the Real World" "Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult {and} thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.
Just finished up a little while ago with the men’s bible study here at Starbucks.
Wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional. But it was, as we discussed that we all come to a place in our lives at some time, where we are reduced to a place that we are utterly dependent upon the Lord.
Where everything that we counted on or we looked to is stripped away, totally removed and the only option we have is to look to the Lord as the sole answer and source for all things in our lives.
It is not an easy place to be because it strips you, of you. Makes you realize how hopeless life is without the Lord as the source of strength. That He is the very foundation that we must build upon. It is the only thing that will not be shaken, torn asunder, that will stand the storms, the battles, the adversities that come our way.
That even through tears we can look to our Father, knowing that He so loves us that He wipes away the tears, He eases the pain and He applies the balm of healing that reaches our inner most being.
He also teaches us to forgive ourselves, to know that He has taken it all to the cross. That He has forgiven us, and we have to forgive ourselves, knowing that it was all nailed to the cross, removed, so that we can start afresh. A new beginning as we draw from Him the strength to walk the path we are on, each day.
That is what the Lord did this morning as I fellowship with my brothers in the Lord here at Starbucks. The Lord reached in and touched some more wounds in my life that I thought I had yielded to Him and once again set me free to focus on Him.
Again, the Lord in mercy and grace, set me free this morning to let go and allow Him to work in my inner most being and He used others to do so. We need to allow the Father to touch our hearts, our spirits, to set us free.
Allow Him to use others to bring healing to your life when He wants. You will be surprised at the awesomeness of our Father to touch our lives through others when we least expect it and in ways that will surprise us.
Our Father works outside the box that we have put Him in at times and sets us free when we allow Him to be who He is. Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Our Father, who sets us free to follow Him.
On Friday, I was being very introspective. Looking within, contemplating my thoughts, my feelings, a self examination.
It can be a good thing, but sometimes we can allow it to take our focus off of our walk with the Lord. To focus on all the things that are "wrong", the things that we are angry about as I did Friday.
I got really upset. Angry because my medications from the VA Medical Center has not shown up. I got angry with social security, because of my dealings with them. I got angry about my divorce.
I was angry because of having to be dependent on others and I was really angry because of dealing with constant pain. I was so angry at so many things that I lost my focus on the Lord. Instead of calling on the Lord. I dwelt on myself. The only one that knew I was angry was the Lord and me.
But I did do a wise thing. I gave my best friend in Texas, Lewis a call and let him know what was going on. That I was going through some spiritual warfare and I needed some prayer support and that is what I got.
Though we are several thousand miles apart we were able to unite in prayer and I was blessed and strengthen by the prayers of my brother in the Lord and likewise I was able to take the focus off me and was able to pray for my friend Lewis.
It is when we go through these times that we draw strength from one another. That we can unite in spirit and find strength in the Lord and it will enable us to press on and into the things of the Lord.
So if you find yourself being very introspective, look up and not in, for when we look up to the Lord, then we allow Him to look within and deal with the anger, the hurts, the pains, the things that take our focus off the Lord.
It is during these times that the Lord inclines His ear towards us, as David says in Psalms 40:1, that he ultimately hears, He answers persevering prayer. Barnes in his commentary says the word "inclined" here means properly "bowed", that is, He "bent forward" to hearken or place His ear near David’s mouth to hear him. Is that not awesome.
Matthew Henry’s commentary says of David in this Psalm: God answered his, David’s prayers. He inclined unto David and heard His cry. He goes on to say that those who wait on the Lord, though they may wait long, do not wait in vain!
Again an awesome promise. That our Father will incline His ear towards us to hear and not only to hear, but He will lift us up out of the pit of despair, of anger, of pain and set us on a solid foundation.
What a promise and what hope is there in this. Let us also incline our ears toward the Lord that we might hear that still small voice and respond to it and be made strong in the Lord as we are obedient to the word of God, to the life that it brings as we are lifted up and out of the pit and sit on a solid, unmovable foundation.
Just when you think you have everything under control, POW, you don’t!!
Today was actually a super day. A real presence of the Lord, a super morning at Starbucks. Met two new brothers in the Lord and just had a good day in general.
The afternoon went well and then this evening I open my mouth and inserted my foot but I guess none of you have done that.
Actually I butted into a conversation my son-in-law was having with his youngest son, when I should have kept quiet. I got angry because my son-in-law when I asked him if I was butting in, said yes, and boy did that do a number on my pride and what did this “mature man of God do?”
I grab my coat and hat, walked out the door and slammed it behind me and took a walk to the little park down the street. I found a nice spot to sit and just began to talk to the Lord and let Him know how I was feeling, hoping to get some sympathy.
But being a Father, He in His mercy and grace began to show me more areas that I thought I had in control that needed to be dealt with, that I needed to yield to Him, especially my tongue, that little tool, that can produce life or death.
I was so mad that I was shaking and it only made me madder because I knew I was wrong and I was embarrassed at being wrong and I knew that I would have to apologize and allow the Lord to continue to work in me to bring to the surface the things that needed to be dealt with.
As they are brought to the surface and removed we then begin to become more and more like the Lord, being transformed and conformed to His character. I also knew that I could not allow the night to end with anger still on my heart and again, it was my son-in-law who took that first step toward forgiveness even though I was the one at fault. So there was healing and forgiveness and the enemy lost another battle.
Sometimes it is hard for us as parents not to want to step in and say this is the way that I would do it, not realizing that we are undermining the authority of our grand children's parents as I did earlier this evening.
I am so thankful to the Lord for watching over me and being with me. To teach me anew what it means to walk with Him and be conformed to Him so that I could be the example to my children and grand children.
That they would see that I am still a work in progress and that we are always of being molded and shaped by the Lord to become more like Him in our walk, in our relationship with Him, with our families and friends and with others.
We are all a work in progress and we are learning day by day what it means to be more and more like the Lord!!
As I was having coffee this morning at Starbucks my friend Ron was there. A Pastor from the Kennesaw area who I had met recently, of course, at Starbucks.
When we first met we began to talk about ministries, about the Lord and I shared about Pinecrest where I went to school and he began to share how he had minister there and was acquainted with a lot of people I knew. It was so amazing, that here in Starbucks, in Kennesaw, Georgia, that the Lord would allow us to meet. A God thing for sure.
I went to a prayer meeting with Ron last night and it too was awesome. Such a presence of the Lord. I felt like I was at home, like I have been a member a long time. To me that is so neat how the Lord will bond brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Everyday here in Kennesaw has been an adventure in the Lord. Each day I meet someone new to talk too, to encourage, to lift up and to exhort in the Lord. I don’t think there is a greater honor we can have, than to be a servant. To be an instrument in His hands to reach and touch others. Learning to know the Lord a new, of learning to yield to Him.
To trust Him is life changing. We are never the same when we have been touched by the Lord as we yield to Him and allow Him to re-create us and mold us into a reflection of Him. That the Christ within will shine forth.
Let us learn to lean on the Lord. To rest in Him. To walk in the fullness of who He is. Let us rise up in His purposes in our lives and use the gifts, the talents that He has given us, to exhort, to lift up, to encourage, to pray one for another.
As you awake tomorrow my friends, wake with anticipation. Focus your heart, your mind and your thoughts on the King of Kings and rise with hope, with praise on your heart and know that your Father is there to walk with you as you yield to Him!
I really am amazed at the changes that have taken place in my life over the last couple of years. How my life has been turned around and how all my perceptions of my heavenly Father have been changed by the events of my life.
That out of all that I have gone through I am learning what it means to have a father who loves me, cares for me and watches over me. Even when I didn’t understand and I looked at Him with tears in my eyes and a heart that seemed broken, that would never heal.
Yet, My Father, embraced me and loved me with a love that only He could give. He loved me with a love that reached deep within. A love that touched wounds that were buried deep and brought healing, closing those wounds with the presence of His Spirit and not only that, He took those wounds, those hurts, those pains and they were nailed to the cross of His Son and the blood that was shed brought the healing that was needed.
Each day has become an adventure of sensing that my heavenly Father takes delight when I open His word, come into His presence and we spend time together. That He reveals Himself through the word, through the people that I meet.
Our Father cares. He takes delight when you come into His presence. When you acknowledge Him and just give thanks and love Him. Our Father takes delight in the simple times. Of just being with Him and that is the sense I get this morning. That our heavenly Father looks with delight, with a gleam in His eyes, when we say, “Morning Father, I love you!”
Even this morning, when my five year old grandson, Jordan woke up, getting ready for school, comes into the living room, with a smile on his face, a gleam in his eyes, gives me a hug and says, “Grandpa, I love you.” My heart just swelled and a smile spread across my face and my heart was lifted up!”
Imagine how much more it makes our Heavenly Father feel when we come into His presence and say “I love you Father.” I know that it blesses Him. That it brings a smile to His heart and He looks at us with an even greater love as we walk with Him!
Come into His presence this day. Let Him know how much you love Him and embrace Him with your heart and allow the healing and transforming power of His love and presence bring healing and restoration to you this day.
Sitting here at Starbuck's this evening, enjoying my coffee and relaxing and thinking about the day and how blessed I am to be here with family, both physically and spiritually. The Lord has indeed blessed me.
I was thinking about how the enemy will use many things to try and convince us that pressing on in the Lord is futile.
The reason I push on is that there is a passion within, a rekindled love for the Lord and my Father. That through the fires of adversity I have been made stronger. That the Lord has renewed my strength with His. He has enabled me to overcome so many things that it is hard to know where to begin.
There was a time in my life over the last couple of years that I was determined never to leave the house, never to step out because of the surgeries that I went through and how they affected my life.
Having an ostomy to me, was the end of the world, a sense of deformity. Though others could not see it, it still effected every aspect of my life, of my view of who I was. I wanted to pack it in. There was a battle raging inwardly.
The enemy played havoc with my mind and spirit. Trying to convince me, man, people won’t want to be around you, what an embarrassment you will be if something happens, what will you do?
But the Lord enabled me to overcome. I have come to realize that there is nothing that we go through that cannot be used to glorify the Lord. Never have I blamed the Lord.
Oh, I got angry, I didn’t understand and I know that the Lord did not put this on me but what He did do was give me the strength, His spirit and He helped me to overcome and to stand strong in Him.
There is nothing we go through my friends, that the Lord won’t use to bring glory to Him as we allow His character to be formed in us.
Chemotherapy, radiation, two major surgeries and a divorce, have not taken my eyes off the Lord, though the enemy tried hard to do so.
But now I see that we are transformed, we are changed, we are conformed to the Lord as we learn to yield to Him even in the times of adversity. To give it all to Him. To come to a place of saying, “Lord, I don’t understand it all, but Lord, it is all about you.”
It is when we come to this point in our life that we begin to shine, to reflect the Lord to others and it goes from theory to reality. That out of the fire, the adversity we are birthed, we are given hope, we are enabled to walk in the Lord!
It is when we rise up in the Lord, in this new life that we give off the fragrance of the Lord. It is like a flower, that when it is crushed, it gives off a fragrance.
And we too, like the flower, go through things in our lives, through the times of crushing, but the end results if we allow the Lord to work in us, is to bring forth a fragrance that will draw others to want to know about this peace, this rest, that we have and we will be able to share that it is the Lord that has changed us.
Joy does come in the morning my friends. There comes a time of realization of who we serve and that we shall see the reality of the Christ within being manifested in our lives, here and now!
Because He lives, we live!!
Till later,
Paul
This post is for Tuesday 2-1-2005
Hill Country Thoughts Paul E. Dawn Jr.
Kennesaw, Georgia
Think on This:
“As we spend that time with the Lord, as we ponder His word, it will bring forth fruit in due season, and it will be life to others as we share those things that the Lord has made real in our lives as we walk with Him, as we go through the trials of life, the dealings, as we mature little by little, we will be able to share with others that which has been made real in our life, not theory but the life changing power of the word" - Paul
Words Aloft
Let my words soar on the
rising currents of your spirit
Let my words be powered by the
heart of your inspiration
Let my words lead others on the
incredible journey to your heart
Let my words reflect the vastness
of your Mercy, new every morning!
