When life strips us bare and grinds us in a blender of upheaval, how do we survive? How do we face tomorrow when all earthly resources have dried up and the cavalry is nowhere in sight? How do we survive?
I wonder if Abraham felt that way.
"Now the Lord had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.'" ~ Genesis 12:1
A sovereign God instructed Abram [Abraham] to, in no uncertain terms, leave everything he held dear. ... his country, his extended family, his father's house and wealth. Talk about upheaval. Abram was stepping into an unknown tomorrow. The only assurance he had was that God would go with him.
Not only did God go with Abram, but it was on this journey of upheaval that the Lord God revealed His covenant love to Abram. Did you know that in the covenant the Lord gave part of Himself to Abram? Yes! Abram became Abraham. The letter "h" is a letter from God's name, Yahweh. It was similar to taking on his Father's name - God's declaration that Abraham belonged to Him, much like a son. The name change also signaled a new purpose for Abram - a purpose born from the upheaval: Abraham would become the father of many nations. He would begin the bloodline for Jesus.
But not without the upheaval.
God always has a plan.
He reveals Himself to us in our times of upheaval ... if we let Him.
He is near to the brokenhearted ... but we must open our eyes to see.
His eyes roam to and fro throughout the earth looking for those who need to be encouraged ... but we must call upon His name, even when we'd rather pout.
He will shelter us beneath the shadow of His wing until the difficulty passes ... if we run to Him.
When life strips us bare and grinds us in a blender of upheaval, how do we survive? We go with God, even though we don't know where we're going.
With Him. That's the key.
"Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight,
show me now Your way,
that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight ...
And He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'"
~ Exodus 33:14-15
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A Tweetable to Encourage Others
How do we face tomorrow when all earthly resources have dried up? @NanJonesAuthor has a suggestion. (Click to Tweet)
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I have EXCITING news!! At last, my first book, "The Perils of A Pastor's Wife" has gone into production. Yay God!! My publisher says we'll get to hold it sometime between March and July. I can't wait to share it with you. Keep a heads-up for announcements.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory page to spend a few minutes in worship. I'm featuring a glorious song called "Sovereign Over Us", sung by Aaron Keyes. If you're looking for peace, this might do the trick.
Going, not knowing. God is so faithful to us and when we run to Him He is there to pick us up and hold us. I'm learning that God does things in His own timing and even though I've "always known" that, I think sometimes I forget and He has to show me all over again. What a great post Nan! Thank you for the reminder. Love you!
ReplyDeleteThat's a hard lesson for all of us to learn. I think that once I began to take hold of His sovereignty and apply it with understanding, I began to walk in more peace. I'm glad it was a blessing to you. :)
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