In my past:
In times of despair as deep and dark as death itself, He has wrapped my soul in the peace deeper than the darkness--He has whispered, "All will be well. All will be well."
In the times that my faith would make a mustard seed look like a mountain, He has lifted me on the wings of His faithfulness and empowered me to soar in the wildest storm.
In those times when I have in rebellion shaken my fist in His face proclaiming, "I don't care if it's sin!"--He has enclosed my fist in His nail-scarred hands and said, "I love you and I forgive you."
In lonely times--sometimes a loneliness that I did not even sense, I have been surrounded by His nearness, by a sense of His presence so real that I knew that if I would turn and look He would be there--that I would see Him. No doubt, with eyes of faith, my lonely heart has seen Him clearly.
In those times when I have peevishly exclaimed, "I told you I wasn't going to do that, no matter what!" He has smiled, given a holy shrug, taken my hand and laughing together He has led me down the path of obedience that He--and I--both knew that I would travel.
In times of physical need when all the resources I could imagine were empty, He has sent provision from an unexpected--dare, I say--least expected source--a source I didn't even know existed. "Out of My riches in glory, remember?"
Sometimes as I have uncontrollably wept--inside and out--He has put a song in my heart so powerful that it escaped my lips so that I--and those who knew me--would nod in praise--"Joy comes in the morning." More tears, too--but His joy. And a song.
In times of doubt He has often answered me with more questions so that I would finally see things as He sees them--finally see clearly the insights of my Father.
Sometimes when in prideful, arrogant, self-righteous indignation, I have longed to tell others all the wretchedness of their faults, He has closed my mouth--quieted my spirit--until I remembered "always a soft answer; always a soft answer. The fool is quick to speak; the wise quick to hear. Do you really want to play the fool today My imperfect, forgiven, beloved one?"
In times when I have been asked to speak and had no words to say--at least not words that I thought would impress them enough with all my wisdom--the Spirit has filled my lips with words from His heart instead of mine. Thus, when all was "said and done," I could only marvel, "Did I say that?" "No," He smiles, "I did."
In those times when I have stubbornly pushed at every padlocked door--more than once--He has patiently held open the one door until I was ready to submit. And then, as I walked through, He whispered, "Thank you."
In my past. And so today as I struggle with despair, loneliness, rebellion, need, sorrow, a lack of faith, pride, self-absorption, stubbornness--when I finally listen for His voice, I hear Him whisper, "All will be well. All will be well."
"O could I speak the matchless worth, O could I sound the glories forth which in my Savior shine . . . I'd sing the characters He bears, and all the forms of love He wears. . . triumphant in His grace."
"Triumphant in His grace."
In times of despair as deep and dark as death itself, He has wrapped my soul in the peace deeper than the darkness--He has whispered, "All will be well. All will be well."
In the times that my faith would make a mustard seed look like a mountain, He has lifted me on the wings of His faithfulness and empowered me to soar in the wildest storm.
In those times when I have in rebellion shaken my fist in His face proclaiming, "I don't care if it's sin!"--He has enclosed my fist in His nail-scarred hands and said, "I love you and I forgive you."
In lonely times--sometimes a loneliness that I did not even sense, I have been surrounded by His nearness, by a sense of His presence so real that I knew that if I would turn and look He would be there--that I would see Him. No doubt, with eyes of faith, my lonely heart has seen Him clearly.
In those times when I have peevishly exclaimed, "I told you I wasn't going to do that, no matter what!" He has smiled, given a holy shrug, taken my hand and laughing together He has led me down the path of obedience that He--and I--both knew that I would travel.
In times of physical need when all the resources I could imagine were empty, He has sent provision from an unexpected--dare, I say--least expected source--a source I didn't even know existed. "Out of My riches in glory, remember?"
Sometimes as I have uncontrollably wept--inside and out--He has put a song in my heart so powerful that it escaped my lips so that I--and those who knew me--would nod in praise--"Joy comes in the morning." More tears, too--but His joy. And a song.
In times of doubt He has often answered me with more questions so that I would finally see things as He sees them--finally see clearly the insights of my Father.
Sometimes when in prideful, arrogant, self-righteous indignation, I have longed to tell others all the wretchedness of their faults, He has closed my mouth--quieted my spirit--until I remembered "always a soft answer; always a soft answer. The fool is quick to speak; the wise quick to hear. Do you really want to play the fool today My imperfect, forgiven, beloved one?"
In times when I have been asked to speak and had no words to say--at least not words that I thought would impress them enough with all my wisdom--the Spirit has filled my lips with words from His heart instead of mine. Thus, when all was "said and done," I could only marvel, "Did I say that?" "No," He smiles, "I did."
In those times when I have stubbornly pushed at every padlocked door--more than once--He has patiently held open the one door until I was ready to submit. And then, as I walked through, He whispered, "Thank you."
In my past. And so today as I struggle with despair, loneliness, rebellion, need, sorrow, a lack of faith, pride, self-absorption, stubbornness--when I finally listen for His voice, I hear Him whisper, "All will be well. All will be well."
"O could I speak the matchless worth, O could I sound the glories forth which in my Savior shine . . . I'd sing the characters He bears, and all the forms of love He wears. . . triumphant in His grace."
"Triumphant in His grace."
No comments:
Post a Comment