GOD or Giants

Giants clank around in my head, vying for supremacy.   I am in the midst of preparation for a God-assignment in Paraguay and so I am facing giants assigned to whisper lies in my head…the giant of fear and intimidation, the giant of insecurity, the giant of inadequacy, the giant of unbelief etc.  You know what they sound like- you have heard them yourself.  

I know the promises from the Lord…

He will never leave nor forsake me    Heb.13:5

The Lord Almighty is with me   Ps 46:11

The battle is not mine but the Lord’s   2 Chron 20:17

Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified     

      because the Lord is with me wherever I go!!!    Joshua 1:9

God will give me the words and I will triumph   Is 50:4, 7

I don’t need to fear because He is with me   Is 41:10

God, who is in me, is greater than my giant   1 John 4:4

But these promises do not keep me from having to face those giants…they are still there.  I just have to choose my focus…giants or God.   Will I believe the lies of the giants whispered so loudly or will I believe that God will show up for me as promised.

I have a choice…

But so do you….

Soul-Need for Significance

My soul's journey has been rocky and wearisome, trying to find significance   in other people.  My insecurities tend to poke out at all the wrong places, exposing my soul's desperate need.  At times, actually many times, I think   He has withheld the affirmation of others so that I would dash to Him with   my craving soul.  Oh my soul, you must find that place of satisfaction that   He alone is able to give.  He is jealousy waiting for me to turn my craving  soul towards His heart.  His arms must get tired of waiting for me to come.  He stands longing to enfold me in His loving embrace... that embrace that satisfies to the bone marrow.

The pain of surrender throbs through my heart's veins, threatening to burst and destroy.  Instead, His rest. His embrace, His love holds me together, accepting my marred gift.  As I slowly look up, meeting His eyes, I see that tender smile and hear, "thank you".

How can he accept such imperfection, such ugliness?  I hear Him whisper, "That's what I wanted all along. Now I can give you Me."

Oh, my heart weeps at such grace!

Shattered, broken heart

pieces gathered by His hand

for reconstruction

             -Margaret Slabach

I took a walk around the block with my 20 month old granddaughter the other day. My big hand was holding her tiny one tightly.  We walked slowly; little legs take tiny steps.  We had to stop frequently to touch and feel the remaining little snow piles along the way.  My strong hand steadied her when she tripped or stumbled on the uneven sidewalk. 

This is such a picture of my Father who holds me with His strong right hand (Ps. 18:35), guiding me, steadying me as we walk this journey of life together.  I don’t have to be afraid; I can trust Him, just as my granddaughter trusted me on our walk.  I am sure she never even thought to doubt my ability to protect her.  No wonder Jesus said that we need to become like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I am also sure that He would also love it if I took more time to touch and feel the “snow piles”- the wonders He’s created; not running so fast through life, missing the thousand little things He put there for me to enjoy.

So… anyone want to take a slow walk to touch the snow?

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...                                Is. 1:18

...Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Ps. 51:7

As I ponder the above verses, snow is lazily falling, blanketing the earth and I wonder how anything can be whiter than this freshly fallen snow?  Yet, Isaiah and the Psalmist attest to the fact that when God cleanses us, washes away our sins, our hearts will be even whiter than this fresh snow– no trace of ugliness.  Isaiah says our sins are the color of scarlet, not black.  I wondered about that.  Matthew Henry, in his commentary, says that scarlet is a deep dye and the cloth needs to soaked a long time.  So, Isaiah must be assuring us that even if we are steeped in sin, if we go to God and repent, God can and will cleanse us so much so that not even a trace of the scarlet dye remains.  What a promise and a relief that I don’t have to be stuck with my sins.

Don’t know about you, but I think that is something to get excited about!  Anyone need some cleansing?  Don’t be afraid to go to Him and have Him wash you clean; He’s waiting.

Whiter than fresh snow

are sins forgiven and cleansed

remembered no more

                         -Margaret Slabach