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Moments to treasure

Over the years we have had many moments we would rather forget, but thankfully now the season has changed and we are having more moments to treasure. This is one of them, our children racing Ken's dad on his mobility scooter. Four strong healthy children connecting with and loving their grandfather (and providing plenty of entertainment for other people in the park).

How different that picture looked 8 years ago, even 4 years ago. I am listening to the song Remembrance (Hillsong), and there is a line that always makes me teary ...

Oh to think where I would be
If not for You

When I hear these lyrics I think about my salvation, the path I was on, and how that changed when I received Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

I also think about the many challenges we have faced and how He has brought us through them all. So many hours spent crying out to God, believing for His mercy and grace, trusting that He has something better for our family. Asking Him to help me in those times of unbelief to believe that He would do it. Standing on His Word. Finally coming to a place of believing that He is good when we were still waiting for the circumstances to change.

Declaring His truth like Psalm 119:89-90, when His faithfulness to our next generation looked a little shaky...

Standing firm in the heavens and fastened to eternity is the word of God.

Your faithfulness flows from one generation to the next;

all that you created sits firmly in place to testify of you.

Deciding to keep turning to His Word for the final say, Psalm 119:91-92 ...

By your decree everything stands at attention,

for all that you have made serves you.

Because your words are my deepest delight,

I didn't give up when all else was lost.

Asking Him, what are wanting to teach me? Psalm 119:93-94

I can never forget the profound revelations you've taught me,

for they have kept me alive more than once.

Yes, God has taught us so much over these years, including how to appreciate these little moments together, and the sound of laughter that accompanies them. He has taught me that without Him I am nothing, so I best stick with Him despite my feelings. Psalm 119:94-95

Lord, I'm all yours, and you are my Saviour;

I have sought to live my life pleasing to you.

Even though evil men wait in ambush to kill me,

I will set my heart before you to understand more of your ways.

But one of the most important things I've learned is summed up in Psalm 119:96 ...

I've learned that there is nothing perfect

in this imperfect world except your words,

for they bring such fantastic freedom into my life!

For us the season has changed, there are many more moments of laughter and joy, and we are so grateful for that. But to have had the opportunity to draw closer to God, to learn how to stand and keep standing, to move to a deeper level of trust and belief brings an even greater joy.

A thief has only one thing in mind - he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect - life in its fullness until you overflow! John 10:10 TPT

Let's pray,

Dear Jesus,

Thank you Jesus that you came, and that you didn't leave us or forsake us. Thank you that we can reflect on those moments in our lives and see how you carried us, you guided us, you protected us and  you brought us through. Thank you for teaching us to stand and keep standing, bringing people alongside to hold up our arms when we are weary. Thank you that in You alone we find freedom to be who You made us to be. Thank you for the seasons of life and what You teach us in each one, help us to not miss any of the lessons you want us to learn. Thank you that your grace and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. In your name we pray and live, Amen.

When we are weak

The other week, actually in the middle of the night, we had a child who needed comforting. She suggested we sing some worship songs to help shift the focus. Great idea! We quietly sang some worship songs we had recently been singing at church, mainly just the choruses as we couldn’t remember the other lines. She led. I followed (half asleep).

Then she asked, ‘What’s that song? It’s a simple one, you know.’ Yes I did know, and started to sing,

‘Jesus loves me this I know …. for the Bible tells me so…..little ones to Him belong…. we are weak but ….. He is strong.’

I think the words are actually, ‘they are weak’. But for us, we knew that it was definitely a ‘we’.

Eventually she went back to her bed, and I could hear singing from her room ….

‘Jesus loves me this I know’ over and over, softer and softer and eventually the silence of peaceful sleep. Thank you Jesus.

Lifting up the name of Jesus, always helps us. He doesn’t need a fanfare. He just wants us to call on Him because he cares for us.

Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 TPT

Day or night, He is there, ready and waiting to respond to our call. He isn’t half asleep, half attentive. He is fully attentive always, ready with mercy and grace.

So here’s what I’ve learned through it all; Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you. Psalm 55:22 TPT

Measureless grace. Available to you and me.

But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment – when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ – I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 TPT

We are weak….. but ….. Jesus loves me this I know.

And today we have access to His love and power, so let’s surrender and lean on Him, allowing our weakness to become a portal to His power. Let’s live with the certainty that He is with us now – Emmanuel, and forever, beyond our life in this place.

So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you! Psalm 23:6 TPT

A safe place – Jesus

Are you searching for a safe place to express exactly how you feel today? Sometimes when the circumstances around me are in turmoil I picture myself being wrapped in the strong arms of my God, protecting me. His peace settles in me and I am assured of His overwhelmingly tangible presence.   Psalm 91 says it this way,

His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. Psalm 91:4 TPT

Talking about running, at other times I want to run away, saying to myself, “It is all to hard, I want to have a simple life – with no responsibility and commitments.” But that’s not really life is it?

In those moments I know there is one place I can always run to – that place of worship and abandonment, that place where I commune with Jesus, that place where the tears come, grateful for His grace and mercy in my life. Grateful for who He is – the one who saves. Knowing that He has the big picture and I need to keep my focus on Him.

Don’t be pulled in different directions

Philippians 4:6-9 reminds us of that,

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things. Philippians 4:6-9 TPT

A few words that jump out at me as I read that scripture …Don’t be pulled; Be saturated in prayer; Overflowing gratitude; Tell every detail God’s wonderful peace; Make answers known; Through Jesus Christ; Thoughts continually fixed; Fasten your thoughts; Praising Him; God of peace; With you in all things 

Jesus is a safe place

Well actually, that is more than a few words – that is a high level summary for finding that safe place, Jesus, who helps us to push through and find that place of feeling those massive loving arms of God around us.

When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. Psalm 91:1-2 TPT

For some more thoughts on God as our refuge, please visit these posts …
The canopy and God’s protection over us
Our refuge – Day 9 – Drawing Closer to God devotion

Mum, is it okay to have a singular goal?

Last night one of our children asked me, 'Mum, is it okay to have a singular goal? Just one thing you are aiming for.'

'It depends what that singular goal is. I had a goal in my early 20's, to buy an apartment, and that was all I focused on,' I replied.

'What were your other goals?' she asked.

'None. I didn't have any other goals - just making money so I could live in a nice place and buy nice things,' I replied starting to reflect on how my life had changed since then.

'But surely you had other goals. What happened when you reached that goal - what next? Remember how a few weeks ago that preacher kept asking us 'what next?, then 'what next?', then 'what next?' What was next for you Mum ?' she pressed the point.

'Yes, well that was the problem, after buying the apartment I felt so empty and unfilled that I started asking questions about the purpose of my life, what was it all about? Buying that apartment and the subsequent feelings were one of the catalysts for me seeking Jesus. Now I realise He was using those circumstances to draw me to Himself. And now my singular goal is to do all that God wants me to do with my life.' I responded, amazed at the clarity of this answer as it was three hours after my normal bedtime, so all credit goes to the Holy Spirit.

We had some further conversation about how that singular goal of doing all God wants me to do has many facets in terms of being a wife, a mum, a business person, volunteer, writer, but the motive is the same - all for Jesus. Here is how Paul talks about his change in motive ....

Yet all of the accomplishments that I once took credit for, I've now forsaken them and I regard it all as nothing compared to the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ as my Lord!  To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It's all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness. Philippians 3:7-8 TPT

As a Christian there is a process that takes place over the years as we press into God, through the good and troubling times. I think the proper word is sanctification. The more we press in, the more we learn of God's character, a learning that feeds that deep yearning to know Him and His love for us more and more. For me, I never want to stop doing that as I am so grateful for the love, grace and mercy He has shown me over the years. The more closely I walk with Him, the more complete I feel every day.

Let's hear some more from Paul on his singular goal ...

I admit that I haven't yet acquired the absolute fullness that I'm pursing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don't depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion. Philippians 3:12-16 TPT

Let's pray,

Jesus, thank you that you love us and you have called us for your purposes. Thank you that you have made us all unique, but with a heart for you.  Thank you that you are continually drawing us to yourself, revealing more of yourself to us. Please help us to run this race you have set before us with passion, not getting distracted, but keeping our eyes on you. Please show us today, what you want us to do and help us to do it in your strength, not our own. In your name we pray and live. Amen.

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