THE STREET LIGHTS ARE ON!

One of the very BEST things about going through stressful times is that they cause me to run to the Lord.  I’ve learned through many challenging times that He is my shelter and the Rock upon which I can stand when the ground is shaking.  Getting ready to sell a house and move to another state hardly compares to some of the difficulties the Lord has brought me through (or some of the truly hard circumstances in which you might find yourself), but I’m still finding it stressful.  So, when I get up way earlier than usual with things swirling around in my mind and keeping me from sleep, you can bet I’m not letting anything else get in the way of my quiet times with Him!

Back when I was a kid playing outside in the summer time, we had a family rule.  We could stay outside until the street lights came on.  Sometimes, if we were in the middle of a neighborhood game of stick ball, or hide and seek, we wouldn’t even notice that the street lights had come on.  That’s when Mom would poke her head out the window and call us by name.  When she called the first time, we heard her of course, but we REALLY wanted to finish the game, so we would pretend like we didn’t.  But the second time she called, with a raised voice, we knew we better drop everything and head for the front door!  Since I learned that lesson when I was a kid, it came a bit easier for me to pay attention when, in reading God’s Word, He did the same thing.  

When the Lord says something to me once, I listen, but when He repeats Himself again, it’s as if Mom has just given us her last call to come in!  When I hear His second call, I’m all ears!  That’s what happened yesterday.

I was reading first in Psalm 33.  Here are some of the things the Lord spoke through David:

·       Rejoice in the Lord, for praise from the upright is beautiful.

·       Praise the Lord with the sound of music, for the word of the Lord is right; all His work is done in truth.

·       He loves righteousness and justice

·       The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord

·       Let all the earth fear the Lord and all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke and it was done.

·       The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the people of no effect

·       The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations

·       Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance

·       No king is saved by the multitude of an army, a mighty man is not delivered by great strength; a horse is a vain hope for safety

·       Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy

·       My soul waits for the Lord; He is my help and my shield

·       My heart shall rejoice in Him because I have trust in His holy Name

I can tell you that when I read all those wonderful things about the Lord, I had a bigger picture of Him than I can see with my physical eyes.  The Lord is sovereign over the creation He spoke into being with just the sound of His voice.  The Lord is sovereign over nations and kings.  There is nothing else in which I can put my trust that gives the kind of security and assurance that He gives me.

Reading Psalm 33 was blessing enough, but it was when I read the day’s devotional from Oswald Chambers’, “My Utmost for His Highest”, that God spoke TWICE!  

Chambers said this (words not in italics are mine):

“Put God First”

Put trust in God first.  Our Lord never put His trust in any person.  Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. 

If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone.  I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be – absolutely perfect and right.  Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.

In life’s current challenge it’s natural to put my hope in realtors and real estate markets and the assurances they give.  But the Lord was reminding me yesterday that they may very well disappoint me, but He never will.  My trust in Him is NEVER misplaced.  I will never be ashamed to have trusted Him.  When I keep my eyes on Him, I won’t be suspicious of people, or circumstances.  I will never become bitter, never lose hope.

If it wasn’t for these daily assurances – God speaking directly to me, twice, and maybe even three, or ten times – I would never be able to face this current challenge with renewed faith.