In Step?

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” Psalm 32:8

“He will lead, and you, Sandy should follow.” And “He will lead and you must let him."            

These statements were some of the first remarks our new dance instructor shared with us a few weeks ago. I looked around and didn’t see anyone else and since she mentioned my name in particular, I knew this was for my benefit. Hmmm I thought, she must know that following another’s lead doesn’t always come natural for me! Lol  But I theorized, “Oh well, ok, someone else can lead me around the floor since I have no clue what I am doing!” That was all well and good until she mentioned that the majority of my dancing would be backward! I was tempted to dance my way back out the door but I was already there so I agreed to give it my best shot…which turns out isn’t very good when it comes to dancing…but I figured with enough practice I could learn nearly anything. (Insert deep sigh here.)

But since I have been gone far more than I have been in Virginia of late, we haven’t had a lot of time to practice together, so I was going over the steps in my head and trying to dance alone. Step. Step. Rock. Step. Step. Rock. (No doubt a funny sight!) It was in the midst of my “solo dance” (not ever to be confused with a “dance solo”  : ) that Papa began to speak to my heart that dancing is like the Christian life, because in it someone (WAY) bigger than us leads us around the floor of life! He also whispered “I will lead, and you, Sandy should follow. I will lead and you must let Me.” Wait; is there an echo in here??? But I answered, “Ok, Someone else (aka Jesus) can lead me around the floor of life too since sometimes I have no clue what I am doing there either!”  His one word answer was “Really???” and I knew our conversation had only begun.

You see on our very first lesson we spent a goodly portion of it with my husband, Lee pushing me around the dance floor, trusting that he wouldn’t step on me or let me run into anything. This was, well, awkward but not too dangerous since there wasn’t anything to run into at the studio…but at home it was a different story! In my house I knew there were things to run into because I had decided where to put them when we first moved in. And I found that I was no longer so willing to trust Lee’s judgment. Well, later that week, in my quiet time Papa spoke to me about this. He said “Just like in dancing, you are willing to follow My direction when you can see where I am taking you, but when your path is obscured or there are obstacles nearby you tense up and hesitate to go where I am leading you.” He also reminded me that in any dance, including (and perhaps especially) the dance of life there cannot be two leaders. Only one can lead and then the other will have to choose to follow…but of course the choice is mine alone!

So how about you? Where are you in the dance of life? Are you willing to follow His guidance? Or do you find yourself questioning the direction, tempo or melody that He has chosen for you? Do you easily yield to His gentle lead or are you only content when He guides you to places that you want to go, along paths that are void of obstacles, disappointments or difficulties?

You see the problem is if we are unwilling to follow our Father’s tender lead then the dance of life will cease to move to the unique melody that our Papa has “pre-wired” us for and the natural rhythm will be short-circuited and the “dance” itself for which we were each created will lose its graceful flow. And instead of a harmonious partnership, it will become a struggle for control, which makes for an unsatisfying experience for all the parties involved.
So do I have it all down? Not by a very looooong shot on the dance floor or in life! You see currently my steps on the dance floor are anything but graceful…in fact according to our instructor there is actually a technical term for this phase of dance that we find ourselves in…it’s called the “awkward dance phase”. Geeeee, really??! Tell me something I didn’t know? lol But I have also found much to my chagrin that in the dance of life I also struggle with some of the “moves” Papa has led me to. But although I hesitate at times with what He calls me to, I remain firmly in the “dance position” for I know that He alone is my perfectly qualified Instructor for every phase of this life; for He is the author of every single measure and stride!

I have also found that any dance is far easier when an experienced instructor is guiding me across the floor and because I trust in their ability, I can relax and let them lead the way. Well dear one, though we may find ourselves in the “awkward phase” of learning, we have a Father who is intimately experienced in this brief dance of life and He longs for us to relax (trust), lean in (draw close) and follow His lead (obey). Today, I pray that we each make the decision to follow our divine Instructor who gladly directs our every stride and brings us in step with the move of His precious Spirit!

 

Father,
 Sometimes this life seems filled with difficult circumstances, insurmountable obstacles and heart-wrenching disappointments…Please help us in the coming days to yield to the gentle guidance You generously offer us for this our dance of life! And when these difficulties come from out of nowhere may our ears hear Your clear voice leading us saying; “This is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 and may we trust the love that You have for us and that because of that great love, may we walk out this life with confidence that that guidance will never cease to lead us to be in step with You for all of our days! Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Singing in Shadowy Places

"Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You." Psalm 143:8

 As I sit in the hushed and darkened room, I am alone with my thoughts. It is just before the dawn and our home is silent except for the chirping crickets and the beginning sounds as the birds arise, singing songs of joy and promise. What lies ahead for them, they do not know. Extreme weather conditions? Predatory dangers? Hunger? Perhaps, and yet they sing a song of hope for the dawn that they feel certain is coming! A new day that they innately know is filled with the presence of their faithful and loving Creator! Though they find their selves blanketed in the obscurity of the unknown; they sing!

 

But why? I believe that they sing for the dawn…for the promise of a new day! They don’t have a laid out plan of how their day will unfold and yet for the joy of living they sing. I also think it’s part of who they are as birds. Deep within them lies a melody placed there by their Creator and I believe it is for that audience of One that they sing! And what about us...what should our "natural” response be to the pervasive shadows that cloak our earthly existence? What song are we singing when we too find ourselves draped in the obscurity of the great unknown? Oh that we might learn from their expectant example!

 

Should the circumstances that lie ahead for this day and those that will come after it, ever be enough to keep my heart from singing songs of joy and promise? Though today I sit in the shadowy places and my heart is weighted with various concerns-is not the love and faithfulness of My heavenly Father enough to overcome these burdens? But in this present darkness, my song is yet unsung.

 

How about you today? Is your song of trust filling the rafters of your life while you sit in a shadowy place? Oh that our hearts would choose to release their melodies of hope and trust while currently residing in this temporary darkness! And yet often we refrain from singing in the black of night; preferring an assurance of what lies ahead before celebrating it. If only our hearts would trust enough to sing as the birds of the air, whose choruses inaugurate the promised daybreak, before they see the evidence of its existence.

 

But nevertheless upon the wings of the dawn comes a powerful and perpetual reminder of hope that is found in the face of our Papa, who rains down upon us His great and steadfast love, daily! And thankfully that love is also showered upon us even when the shadows lie heavy on our hearts and the darkness seems to reign over our circumstances! How good and faithful is the love of Father, who never holds back His melody of love though ours lie hushed!

 

Give pause for a moment to consider that somehow, some way the emergent dawn floods the earth and finds its way to touch our personal world with its light no matter where we live. And so MUCH GREATER is the all-encompassing and unrelenting love of our Father that is lavished upon us no matter the level or intensity of the shadows that surround our lives! May this fact alone be enough to cause our hearts to swell and burst forth in songs of trust and gratitude no matter how long we have been under siege by the dark of night!

 

Oh Lord, whether the path we find ourselves on has been kissed by the dawn’s emerging light so that we can see what lies ahead for many steps or if our way is still sheathed in the shadows and we strain to see even our very next step; would You come to the place where our hearts reside and show Yourself strong? Oh that we might sense Your abiding presence no matter the level of shade that binds itself upon our wondering hearts! May we join with David, the man after Your own heart in requesting; “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.”

 

May the brilliant light of Your unfailing love dispel any fear or concern of what lies on the other side of the shadowy places…may we be sufficiently secure in the darkness so that with untouchable joy we unlock our melody of trust-though the night seemingly reigns supreme. May our waiting hearts burst forth with songs that confirm…that testify of…that showcase Your unfailing love! May our trust in the darkness be shown as perfect wisdom as the emerging dawn brings us confirmed reports of Your never failing love! And though for the present moment we abide in the land of deepened shadows, may our hearts overflow with held back songs of thankfulness for a Love that we could never deserve and one that we will gladly spend eternity exploring!

Shine Bright!

 “For Thou wilt light my candle, the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” Psalm 18:28

A lesson on “little” that I learned in the dark.

It was day eight of no power after the hurricane showed up. I was doing my devotions and came across Psalm 18:28. It was underlined AND highlighted so naturally it caught my eye. Now I’ve read my Bible through many times, but for some reason it didn’t seem familiar. However anything to do with light had my full attention right then : )

The original Hebrew of ‘light’ in this verse means “set on fire, shine and kindle” and ‘enlighten’ denotes “glitter”! Glitter’s definition is “to sparkle brilliantly, to shine by reflection with many small flashes of light”. I love things that glisten, don’t you? But have you ever stopped to think about what glitter actually is? It’s just a pile of little pieces of shiny material that reflect any light that’s shined upon it. And although it is tiny, glitter “comes alive” when it’s touched by a light source! What a wonderful reminder that we as Papa God’s dear children are called into life when the light of His Son illuminates our hearts and then we get to share that light with those around us. We glitter for Jesus! : )

Now we see in this verse that God alone does the kindling because He is the ORIGINAL source of light. Then as believers we are called to reflect His light to this sin darkened world. Considering this, it’s good to know that when light hits a shard of glitter, it shines the brightest in a dark room. Of course its brilliance does not stem from its own power or making; it can only reflect the light that it intersects with, like a mirror reflects the radiance that is pointed at it. And as the “offspring” of our Father we are each commissioned like little mirrors to reflect the glory of our Lord to every soul in our sphere of influence! (II Corinthians 3:18)

Yes, it’s all about reflection because glitter is pointless without another source of light...its only job is to catch the radiance and shine it back! And the nature of a mirror means that whatever angle (or point of origin) that the light radiates from is the very direction that the reflection will “point back at! i.e. With every sparkle it brings attention to the original source of light and we too are privileged to reflect a spotlight that springs from and showcases to, the glory of our King! Praise God!

Think about it…our hearts come alive when His glorious light shines upon them and then in turn as we walk out our days on this earth, they can act as bright blinking arrows pointing right back at Him for the world to see. In fact, in Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus declares that His disciples are the light of the world, so that means us too! And He generously includes you and me in the revealing who of He is to the world! Praise His name! Today we may feel small and insignificant just like little pieces of glitter, but never forget that a little light can be crucial when our world is stumbling along on paths devoid of the one true Light! Because remember that little things have the power to transform nations, when placed in our Father’s mighty hands and that’s precisely what He longs for us to do! We don’t have to be big or powerful…we just have to be willing to share the Light.

I was reminded of this not long ago...It was gearing up to be a looooong day with many appointments and errands to get done and I had selected a skirt that was covered in red glitter. (I know, I know. But it seemed like a good choice during the predawn hours. lol) I bet that you can figure out what happened next : ) Yep, everywhere I went and everyone I touched got glitterized! lol When I realized what was happening I tried really hard to be more careful…but it seemed the harder I tried the more I sprinkled lol And right then Papa whispered; “Sandy, just like this glittered garment, I want every path you take and every person you come in contact with to experience a little bit of who I am from your life. Be willing to sprinkle My truth and love every time you are jostled.”  

Oh that we would see ourselves like a glittered object that generously sprinkles its sparkle every time it comes in contact with anything and that the love and life of Christ would fall from our lips and our lives on every path we frequent…often without us even being aware of it! May we leave behind a small bit of who God is, that can reflect the light of our heavenly Father.

 Oh how our world would be changed, if every time we were jostled or rubbed the wrong way, instead of bristling at the friction, we just glittered for Him-leaving behind a tiny reflector that could point to the original Light, who lovingly longs to shine in the hearts of those around us! Today, may we hear His call to share His glorious light and having heard, may we choose to glitter brilliantly for Him!

May the radiance of who He is empower you to Shine Bright today!

 

 

A PLAN FOR HOPE!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

The landscape expert had recommended that we wait to get our hibiscus plants until the perennial ones came in. Since that would mean flowers year after year this sounded like a good plan to me, so when they finally arrived we bought four and planted them in the waiting soil. I watched as they began to grow and saw an abundance of tiny buds magically appear. Every day I would go outside to check on their steady progress because I was excited and just couldn’t wait for the flowers to begin to blossom! But suddenly on one cloudy afternoon, without warning, a storm blew in just before the flowers began to open and snapped off the main branch of one of the hibiscus. The broken branch lay wilting on the ground and all the promise of the season was fading along with the damaged plant. Knowing that there was nothing I could do, I sadly wrote the plant off and hoped for a better growing season next spring.

It was then that Papa whispered to my heart that this was the very condition of many people’s lives...just when things finally begin to fall into place...just when they began to actually reach for their dream or to walk out their calling; a storm comes and crushes their dreams and what had once been brimming with promise now lay shattered on the ground. Ever been there? I have. So what are we to do when life’s circumstances subdue the tender hope that we have long held onto? Where can we turn when the contrary winds beat upon our cherished dreams?

I firmly believe that in those difficult moments our heavenly Papa is calling us to lay our dashed hopes and broken branches in the hands of the Master Gardener who alone is the Keeper of our growing seasons. For as I have shared before He is not only the ultimate time keeper…He is the sole Keeper of Time itself. He alone can be trusted with every circumstance and every season of our lives! And let us not forget that each storm that finds its way into our unsuspecting hearts, always get filtered through His loving hands first…so if in His wisdom He allows the storm, we can be certain that He has a plan to see us through it! So although the promise filled branch lies broken in our hands, with God, the story isn’t over! With Papa, the best is ALWAYS yet to be…even when we cannot envision it!

 But instead of looking toward what lies ahead, sometimes in these situations we continue to carry around the ruined branch in our hands, using our days to lament its destruction and yet often more remains than was snatched away…but we need to choose to focus more on what still persists than on what has been lost! And once we decide to turn our attention from what was lost to what continues, then we can choose to begin growing again!

Perhaps the unexpected storm came at the cusp of our season or maybe it arrived late in the season of our tenure, but no matter, beginning, end or somewhere in between, there is always sufficient time in the Master Gardener’s all knowing hands to cultivate growth in us again. Just know for certain precious one, that the storm that is battering your life did not catch Him unaware and He is not wringing His hands in worry; no, He has a plan...a plan for you...a plan for your future...a plan for growth...a plan to harvest glory for His name through your storm damaged life! And His perfect plan always includes new growth, new hope and new and better ways to blossom for Him! Just like this damaged plant moved on from the shock of its serious loss, to grow again that spring, which thankfully now without fail has continued to fill my garden with dinner plate-sized flowers!

What about us? Will our life look different than before the storm? Of course, but change (even painful change) can usher in beauty that before now we could never have imagined! Sometimes we must choose to close the door on one hope so that a new hope can spring up in its place, knowing that the One who jealously watches over our lives always brings what is for our eventual (and eternal) good…but we must choose to trust Him and allow Him the time to reveal a new facet of His plan and to herald a lasting hope that comes to us-for always what the storm has taken He can replace, what the storm has shattered He can repair and what the storm has devastated He can restore...always!

Papa, our hope and our future lie safely within Your powerful hands…help us to clearly see that. Please help us to recognize Your abiding presence when our dreams have been crushed and our long held hope has been snatched away. Remind us Papa that Your plan for us include a shining hope that no circumstance can touch and a bright future that no contrary wind can destroy. Holy Father, Romans 15:13 promises us that You are the God of hope who will fill us with all joy and peace so that we can overflow with hope…but this only comes as we trust in You…so strengthen us to trust in You and in Your eternal plan even though much of what we have held dear has been stripped away. We love you and believe that even now You are bringing a new hope to us, one that will foster new growth, that will in turn bring a greater level of fruitfulness and joy to our lives. Thank You Father, You truly do all things well!

 

 

But You Remain!

“…But You remain.” Hebrews 1:11

Infants are born, they grow into toddlers, then children, next comes the sometimes volatile teenage years, after that is adulthood, then middle age and finally senior citizens…and then at last in a mixture of God’s providence, wisdom and love…we are called home. And what I have noticed is that from birth to physical death we are affronted with change! And if that weren’t enough, the details of our life are also in perpetual motion…we change where we live, who we live with, where we work, how we look, what we eat and on and on. Change, no one can escape its tenacious grip…no one. Change sails into the adventures of the brave-hearted and it works its way into the lives of the faint-hearted and pretty much everyone in between. No matter how we try to avoid it, no matter how long or how deep we try to bury our head in the sand over it-change is always swirling around us.

Now I have met a few brave souls who seem to relish the fluctuating scenery that change can bring…but for the most part, people don’t like change. In fact some people detest change and will do everything in their power to avoid or deny it…I know a few people like that too. (No names will be revealed to protect the innocent. lol) But like it or not…ready or not…change has come, is coming and will come.

Now I am not a huge fan of change either…but when faced with a decision that would alter my life, I started thinking about just what my issue with change really was. I think what bothers me most about change is that...it changes everything. lol No seriously though, change comes sweeping into our lives and nothing is the same anymore. It alters our world and we feel out of control and that my friend is a little bit scary…or a lot scary depending on who you are.

Of course not all change is bad-sometimes change ushers in a beauty to our lives that we have not yet experienced and with it comes bubbling joy and deep gratitude. But then there is also the assaulting winds of change that swoop down upon our unsuspecting hearts and nearly take our breath away from their relentless velocity. But I suppose for the most part the changes we experience are somewhere between joy and tragedy…just the everyday alterations that come to us no matter what choices we make.

There are some areas of our lives that are in a constant state of flux, while others change more s-l-o-w-l-y and still others seem more lasting…but eventually change happens because since the beginning of time no one has eluded it… except One. God has always been and without exception or interruption; will always be. No change found there. However in comparison, the book of Hebrews begins by talking about how the foundations of the heavens and earth will decay and crumble…but speaking of the Lord it says “…but You remain.” The Trinity is the ceaseless One who persists for time without end…we on the other hand have lives that are defined by the tempest of change that for us is inescapable.

So what are we to do with the ever present change that barrages every facet and season of our lives? How do we face the swirling torrent of change that threatens to swallow us up or pull us under? We must turn our gaze to the One “…who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) He is the constant that can squelch the fear of change that grips our hearts! When everything around us is like the shifting sand, He endures. When the myriad of life’s circumstances are changing at every turn, He is our unmovable Rock! He alone is the place of safety that we can run into!

We can face the storms of life and the winds of change because…He remains. Yes, He remains in that He never changes…but also because He remains at our side! No matter what change brings, He remains with us! We are never left to face it on our own. His love and guiding presence assures us that the best is yet to be and that any alterations will only lead to our eventual blessing. Why? Because He remains!!! Oh that we would grasp the unequalled treasure that His steadfast presence brings to us! No circumstance can touch us when we are abiding in His glorious presence and no wind of change can eternally impact us-because He remains! Even if everything else shifts…He remains…and the worth of that constancy is beyond compare!

In Hebrews 11 we see this walked out by the saints of old. Their lives were laden with change and most of it excruciatingly difficult change at that…but they put their faith in the God who remains. They took those painful changes and looked beyond what they could see with their natural eye. Instead they were  “…confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11:10) Hmmmmm, a city designed and built by my everlasting Father that has eternal foundations…sounds like heaven to this change resistant girl!

But until that glorious day, loss still comes and change still happens…but we can know that His loving presence is the one constancy we can forever be assured of…and until we emerge from this earthly life and enter into the city made without human hands, into a community that has eternal foundations…let us choose to have faith that all change is filtered through His loving hands and that every disconcerting variance will fall away on that glorious day! And today may we find heart peace and unbridled joy knowing that through every troubling change that sweeps across our lives…He remains!

 

YOU, FATHER, COME LIKE THE WIND

“The wind [Spirit] blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:8 (NASB)

I am in a small, quiet place on a dark and cloudy day. A blustery day, where the winds move across the terrain, the branches bow down, the dust swirls around me and the clouds run away at the force of the wind and yet I cannot see the wind. The foreboding clouds darken the room I am in and I ask “Are You here in this dark place Father?” and He answers me; “I am here like the wind.” And I recall John 3:8 where Jesus likened the movement of the wind to the working of His Spirit in our lives and I begin to listen as He draws me the parallels. Come; join us in our whispered conversation...

“I, your Father am like the wind; in this present life you cannot see the wind, but you can take note as its power moves across the place you are. For now, you cannot see Me with your earthly eyes, but you can discern Me moving upon the topography of your life and in the lives of those around you; but one day, dear one, you will look upon My face and comprehend the matchless love I have for you!

You cannot touch the wind, but you can feel when it has come near and you can sense when My sweet presence has descended upon you!

You cannot hear the voice of the wind, but you can listen as it whips the landscape all around you. You may not audibly hear Me speak, and yet daily, My melodious voice rings clearer and truer than any human expression that has lighted upon your ears. And one day, My beloved, you will hear My voice calling you to Myself and on that day you will recognize it, for it will be distinguished above all others!

You can try to fight the wind but its unseen strength is too much for you and at times it drives you to places you may be loathe to trod. And likewise My matchless power is far, far mightier than you, so for Love’s sake, choose to yield to My movement in your life, even when I guide you to places and seasons you dread to go. There is no need to fear My dear, for where I send you, I will go too.

You do not fully understand the wind and yet it is always with you, kicking up without a moment’s notice. It abides continually, sometimes to the point that you forget all about it. For all of the continual care and kindness that I have showered upon you, do you grow complacent for Me as well?”  

Perish our ways O Lord that might allow a carelessness of You dear Papa! May we never grow so familiar with You that we lose our awe and wonder of Your supreme, majestic self! O Mighty One let us see Your workings, let us sense Your movement in our lives and discern Your sweet presence! Let us be touched by Your constant attendance and may we hear Your familiar voice calling us to Your lovely self! We acknowledge that the storms in our lives have been filtered through Your divine love and we willingly yield to Your incomparable power. Come waft across the obscuring clouds of our brief lives, O Blessed Redeemer, blow afresh upon our dry and dusty hearts and bring the much needed rain and refreshing to our weary souls. Father, come like the wind! Amen

SURROUNDED!

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Surrounded! The Israelis’ were besieged! The Egyptians were in front and the Red Sea was behind them. They had no boats and no allies to come to their aid, in fact they had their backs against the proverbial wall; wall of water that is. There was nowhere to look but up! Often in the heat of the battle, we desperately look to those around us to bring liberation, when our only true source of deliverance is God! Man simply cannot bring the multifaceted release that we desperately need…it’ll require for the Lord to move, or as in this case to fight on our behalf.

How about you? Do you ever feel surrounded? Have you been endeavoring to walk God’s path but now you are finding yourself surrounded on every side?  Maybe you are feeling battle-worn and your heart is afraid or you are weary from the journey thus far and you realize that He alone can bring your way of escape.

Admittedly, sometimes we are called to fight the enemy by the power of and with the help of our elder brother Jesus and in those circumstances we must take up the mighty Sword of the Spirit and pursue the enemy. However there are also times when all we are asked to do is stand still and trust that Papa will do the fighting. In theory that sounds good doesn’t it? “You just stand here and watch Me Work!” But this is easier said than done! For what we embrace fully in theory (and for the lives of those around us!) in practice we often struggle with. Yes, sometimes it’s a fierce inner battle to trust then wait. Now notice that I said trust then wait, because if we will not trust then we cannot wait. It’s in the childlike trust that Papa will do exactly what He has promised that we can find the necessary peace to stand still as He moves on our behalf.

But sometimes instead of trusting His matchless weapons and very seasoned battle experience, we get out there and try to defeat the enemy's tanks with a half empty squirt gun lol...but if the battle is the Lords, maybe today our job is to merely trust that He has us covered and that He is the One waging battle in our stead. The trials we are facing have not in any way caught Him by surprise! In Psalm 37:23 it promises us that the steps of a good man (or woman) are ordered (directed, ordered, fitted, or arranged) by the Lord…so we too can be confident that He is acutely aware of where we are and what foes are currently looming large over us. He fully knows what it will take to defeat every enemy that rears its ugly head upon the path that He has selected for us.

 Let’s not forget that God had led the children of Israel to their place of besiegement! Yes, step by step, the journey, the exodus, had been His idea. He not only led them out of Egypt with a mighty hand, He chose the path to get them where He wanted them, whether by a pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night; He led the way. Since He had led them to this tight place, He was responsible to get them out! He went before them and when the enemy pursued them, He placed His cloud and His mighty angel in between them and the Egyptian army. Just think what might have happened if Israel had not listened to God's command to be still and had instead run toward the Egyptians! Surely this was a place where mere man could never bring deliverance!  

There is clearly a lesson for us in 2013 through the experiences of Israel. Perhaps today we find ourselves in a tight place stuck between a rock and a hard place, where the enemy is threatening to destroy us…it is in these frightening moments that we must choose to listen for the still small voice of our Father calling us to cease our labors and strivings and to stand quietly with trust-filled hearts knowing that the battle is His! Today, let us walk in obedience, doing all that He asks us to and then at the voice of His command, let us lay down our swords and rest in quiet confidence as He wages the war against our enemy, knowing that our Deliverer is matchless and invincible! May we His beloved children, choose to stand still, confident of complete safety, fully trusting that every foe that comes against us must first go through Him, who throughout eternity has never known defeat!

Papa, I want to be willing to fight when You are calling me to, but I also long to trust You enough to wait under the shadow of Your mighty wings as You do battle in my stead! This is part of the rest that You desire for us to experience, here in this life and not just in Heaven. Thank You Father for not only being my shield, but for being willing to fight for me…help me to let You! In Jesus Name, Amen.