The Happiest Place on Earth

When my children were young, we made several trips to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” You know the place…mouse ears, castles, rides. I remember the twinge of excitement that would bubble up once we began seeing orange groves and billboards along the Highway. And when we entered the gates, it seemed magical…well, sort of magical, as long as you could disregard the throngs of people wearing shorts and taking pictures. It was a happy place…that is, until mid-afternoon when at least one of the kids became grouchy and had an “episode.” (Your family may call it a meltdown or tantrum.) We’d fix that problem and go along our merry way-- until it rained, or someone got sick, or the lines were too long, or we couldn’t agree on a plan of action.

Suddenly our delight evaporated.

It seems like people are always searching for something to “make us happy.” We crave the temporary euphoria we experience when our team wins the game. We search for that perfect job, home, relationship, or hobby.

 Earthly happiness dangles like a carrot in front of our nose. It’s elusive, fleeting, unsatisfying.

Yet the Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

God wants to give us things to enjoy. He wants to place holy desires in our hearts and then fill those desires. We begin by delighting in Him.

Delight is a form of happiness that’s wide-eyed with wonder and bubbling with enthusiasm. The Hebrew word used in this verse is “anag,” and connotes something soft, delicate, and alluring.

But what does it look like to “delight in the Lord?”

Since David seemed to have a handle on delighting in the Lord, I’m going to look for some advice from David’s Psalm 16.  

David went about his day CONSCIOUS OF GOD’S PRESENCE. He talked to God all day long.

“I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Ps. 16:2

He recognized that every good thing is his life was, one way or another, connected to God.

And his delight was multiplied when he joined with other believers. When he worshiped with his peeps, he was bursting with excitement. He was even known to dance for joy. (II Samuel 6:14)

“As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” Ps. 16:3 NKJV

David was CONTENT WITH THE LIFE GOD GAVE HIM.

There’s nothing wrong with having ambitions and aspirations. But in our striving for “something better”, let’s not miss out on the good we already have. Delighting in the Lord means counting our blessings, and marveling at the goodness all around us.

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Ps. 16: 5-6 NKJV

David was CONFIDENT OF GOD’S CARE. 

“I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16: 7-8 NKJV

A delighted attitude is a peace-filled mindset, free from worry and insecurity. David rested in the assurance that God would give him wisdom for every decision. David was an eager student, even if it meant going to “night school.” He learned his lessons in dark, uncertain circumstances. Because he trusted God, David confidently declared, “I shall not be moved.”

David was CONVINCED THAT GOD HAS GOOD PLANS FOR HIS FUTURE.

“Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.                                                                                                                        

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow your Holy One to see corruption.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy;

 at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” V. 9-11 NKJV

Here is our hope: our troubles will not last forever. God will remove them all, if not in this world, then in the next. But in the meantime, He walks with us along the rough roads, and He’s a delightful companion.

 A delighted heart experiences a joyful present and expects a pleasant future.
  

A delighted heart refuses to become tangled in a net of negativity.

A delighted heart lives in the awareness of God’s presence, walks in contentment and confidence, and rests in fullness of joy.

And that, my friend, is the Happiest Place on Earth.

Stop, Drop, and Rejoice in Today

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

I woke up and remembered why I hadn’t set my alarm: school was canceled because forecasters predicted snow. Teachers and students all over town did their happy dance. Snow in South Louisiana!

Had it really snowed?

To steal a line: Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutter and threw up the sash. (Well, not exactly.  We don’t have shutters. But you get the picture.)

Fat, wet, flakes were tumbling from the sky. I put on my jacket and went outside.

At first, a sprinkling of snowflakes in delicate, crystalline clumps fell on my sleeves and melted.

Soon the clouds were dumping snow like powdered sugar on the lawn, rooftops, mailbox, and tree branches.

I watched in awe as my neighborhood morphed into a Christmas card scene. This kind of snowy vignette usually exists only in the imaginations of southerners like me. I was afraid that if I blinked, the lovely whitewashed world would disappear.

When was the last time you rejoiced in the day---stopped multitasking, dropped unnecessary distractions, and relished it?   When was the last time you savored the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of the moment? When was the last time you cherished today, a limited-time offer that’s expiring soon?

It doesn’t snow here often.  But every day is filled with little miracles that I miss because I’m often too busy performing useless tasks or complaining about the necessary ones.

I don’t always appreciate the hugs and smiles of my little students or take the time to laugh at the funny things they say. Instead, I allow myself to be overwhelmed by the responsibility of educating them and controlling their chaos. I don’t always fully appreciate the extraordinary people in my life because I’m so distracted.

How many times do we plow through daily routines without acknowledging God’s presence or thanking Him for a warm bed, a comfortable home, or friends and family? How many times do we hurry through meals without tasting the food because we're checking emails or for the next day? 

But God wants us to rejoice!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” II Thessalonians 5:16

It’s time to stop, drop, and rejoice in the moments that make up our days, because every day is wonder-filled.   Every day should be a snow day. Or a singing-in-the-rain day. Or a Son-day.  Or Christmas Day. Or a falling-in-love day. Or a new-birth day. An exotic day. A vacation day. A snuggle day. A day for celebration. A day for taking notice and taking time. A fresh-start day.  A day for delighting, because God’s compassions are new every morning.

Kingdom Ventures

“Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.”  Matthew 25:24-25

Play it safe or take a risk----what does God expect His followers to do? 

Do we use our small, imperfect abilities, or do we leave the kingdom work to those who are REALLY talented?

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus told a story about a company owner who was going on a business trip.  Before he left, the owner gave three employees a significant amount of capital to invest.  He gave his high-performer five talents -- an amount considerably more that a lifetime’s worth of wages.  The second rising star in the company got two talents.  The third man hadn’t yet proven his abilities, but the boss still gave him one talent. A regular worker would have to labor 16 1/2 years to earn that much money, so the third guy still had a tremendous opportunity.

When the boss returned, the first man had doubled the capital. He got more responsibility, and probably a promotion, a bonus, a raise, and a party.  He was invited to “enter the joy of his lord.” (v. 23) With shrewd investments and trading, the second man also doubled the amount he was given.  Kudos from the boss. Another promotion. Another party.

But the third man returned his talent. He’d dug a hole and buried the money in the backyard.  He hadn’t even put it in the bank where it could earn interest. 

 Maybe his reluctance is understandable. He might have been thinking,” What if I botch this up? What do I know about this investing stuff? Better to just make sure this one talent here is safe.”

But if we look closely, we’ll notice three things about the third employee, whom the boss calls “wicked and lazy.”

First, he didn’t love and trust his master.  He called his master a “hard man.”

Second, he wasn’t on board with the company mission.  He didn’t like the idea of “gathering where you have not scattered seed.”  Somehow, he didn’t go along with his master’s methods of reaping and gathering.

Third, he was afraid. His own self-preservation was more important than the boss’s agenda.

The underlying principle in this parable is that Jesus values faithfulness. Dr. Thomas Constable defines faithfulness as “using what God has entrusted to one to advance His interests in the world. It involves making a spiritual profit with the deposit God has entrusted to each disciple.”

God gives each of us talents, abilities, spiritual gifts and resources to invest for His kingdom. So, what keeps us from using our talents?

Do we, like the unfaithful servant, have a flawed image of Our Lord? Do we imagine Him as a harsh taskmaster who gives us a job then sits back to watch us fail?  Do we forget that He’ll give us the power to accomplish what He assigns?

Maybe deep down, we’re not on board with our mission to “make disciples of all men.” Maybe we’ve secretly bought into the world’s philosophy that it’s impolite—or offensive—to share our faith.

My problem is fear. I fear rejection and ridicule as I make tentative efforts to use my meager abilities. I suspect this is where many of you struggle, also.

I listen to the voice in my head that says, “You’re not good enough.” (I can guess whose voice that is.)

But what if that nagging, clamoring voice in my head is causing such a ruckus that I can’t hear the voice of the Master? What if Jesus is saying, “Hey, about those talents I gave you? What have you done with them? How are you using them for My kingdom?”

And what if, instead, I heeded the voice of God’s Word?

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” II Corinthians 12:9

It’s never too late to begin. I think of my own sweet “mother-in-love,” Carol Sawyer, who has been a mentor to me in my walk with the Lord. She began playing the cello at the age of 60. She’s in her 80’s now and still plays in orchestras and ensembles. Her cello’s deep, heart-stirring tones have resonated in churches and concert halls, weddings and nursing homes. She’s poured into the lives of other musicians. She’s invested her talents for God’s kingdom.

So now, I’m using my small ability to encourage you today: Don’t bury your gifts! God wants you to use them!

What gifts and abilities has God given you? Have you been making excuses instead of making investments in the kingdom? What can you do today to develop and use your gift?

If you can’t write a book, then write a letter.

If you can’t sing on stage, then sing for a child.

If you can’t plan an event for 100 guests, then invite one friend over.

It’s okay to start small. God will increase your opportunities as you prove your faithfulness in the small things.

 Maybe that involves stepping out of your comfort zone, but consider this:

If we refuse the risk, we’ll never reap the rewards.

We miss out on hearing, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Let’s dig up that rusty, buried talent and invest it in the kingdom, then trust God for the results.

Weeding Out Worry

Springtime in southern Louisiana can be glorious.  At the first sign of warm weather, pink azaleas burst out of hiding. White blossoms pop out of tree branches. Day lilies emerge, stretching their leaves upward after a winter’s nap. Unfortunately, the weeds emerge, too, and threaten to strangle the flowers.

And though I’m not a fan of yard work, I pull up the weeds; otherwise, my garden will be a tangled mess.

I remember another glorious season of new beginnings when I first learned to delight in the Lord. I was a freshman in college, a new Christian exploring the riches of Scripture for the first time. Verses seemed to burst off the page as if they were written just for me. My newfound faith grew as I witnessed God answering even my most trivial prayers.

But it didn’t take long for the weeds of worry to choke out my joy. My roommates were moving into their sorority houses. (How could they leave me?) My history professor didn’t think I deserved an A in his course. (Imagine that!) I received an unexpected summons to the office of the Dean of Women. (Never a good omen!) My heart became like the thorny soil in Jesus’ parable.

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22

I forgot that the God of the Universe-- who spoke and splattered a gazillion stars across the universe—who put on a human body to save me—who keeps track of tiny details like the number of hairs on my head— is for me.

As a new Christian, I had to learn that when we worry, we’re not trusting God.

 “Be anxious for nothing,” the Bible says, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I memorized Philippians 4:6-7 and decided I wouldn’t worry about anything anymore. And I didn’t…until the next problem came along.

Over the years, God’s shown me time and time again that He’s for me. But I still contend with weeds of worry.

The solution to the problem is the same now as it was then.

First, I’ve got to recognize worry when it first appears. I’ve got to capture every unsettling thought and examine it. If I’m dealing with a problem, I may wonder what the future holds. I may give that problem a great deal of thought as I work on a solution. But when nervousness, anxiety, and pessimism begin to creep in, it’s an indication that, instead of wondering and working on a solution, I’m worrying.

Then, I’ve got to go back to Philippians 4:6-7: praying about my problems, thanking God in advance for what He will do, then trusting Him for the solutions.

But the battle with worry doesn’t end with Philippians 4:6-7. Philippians 4:8 tells us that after we pray about our problems, we’ve got to stop thinking about what’s wrong, and dwell on what’s right.

Philippians 4:8 “Whatever things are true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

God has brought me through some scary situations.You’d think I’d have learned to rest in Him, but worry still creeps in, threatening to take root and preventing me from delighting in the Lord. 

Recently, I found myself fretting over travel arrangements for an upcoming conference. I had to remind myself that God had been a “very present help” in major crises in the past, and He can certainly handle today's little difficulties.

Maybe you’re like me, discouraged because you still fight the same old battle with worry. Remember that, like weeds, worries will continue to sprout up. There’s no permanent fix. The trick is to remove them as soon as we notice them.

Here are some “garden tools” I use when worries creep in:

S – Supplication (asking God for what I need)

P – Prayer (talking to Him about my troubles)

A – Appreciation (for what He’s done and what He’s going to do)

D -Dependence on Him (to take care of me today as He has done in the past)

E – Exchanging worry for worship (thinking about what’s right instead of what’s wrong)

What worries do you need to bring to the Lord?

How has God delivered you in the past?

What are the true and right and pure and lovely things you need to meditate on today?

 If we want to delight in the garden with the Lord, we’ve got to keep up with the yard work.

“Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

Delightful

Delightful.  That’s how I would describe her.  Her eyes are wide with wonder as she observes a butterfly. She squeals with excitement as she chases bubbles or snowflakes or puppies. She gives spontaneous hugs and randomly breaks out in song.

When I watch her, I understand why Jesus said, to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must become like little children.  Children know how to take delight.

Lately, the Lord has been whispering a verse to me.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Sometimes when we become adults, we lose our sense of delight and wonder. Problems and obligations throw a wet blanket on the flame of our desires. We give up on dreams we once held dear, or we find satisfaction in the wrong things. But the Bible tells us we’re supposed to delight in the Lord. It says He will give us our heart’s desires.

My Life Application Study Bible says “to delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence.  This happens only when we know that person well.  So, to delight in the Lord, we must know him better. Knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed give us delight.”

I delight in the Lord when I’m aware of His Presence as I go through my day. I delight in the Lord when I set aside time to talk to Him and listen to Him speak to my heart in that still, small voice.

I delight in the Lord when I read and reread the love letters He’s given me in His Word.  If I linger long enough, I may be rewarded with one of those Ah-ha moments when the Scriptures seem to jump off the page and I gain a fresh insight. I find new reasons to praise. He puts a new song in my heart.

I delight in the Lord when I take time to appreciate Him. Little children take time to investigate the ordinary. But adults often take for granted the good gifts God bestows on us each day. We lose our sense of fascination with creation. As we delight in the Lord, we regain that sense of childlike wonder.  Every day can be a special occasion when we recognize the goodness of God in the messiness of life.

When we delight in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our heart.

This phrase can be observed from two angles. When we spend time with Him, God places the appropriate desires in our hearts. He gives us a passion for the work He’s called us to do.  He sets our hearts on fire with a desire to live out our purpose. 

And, He fulfills our desires, the pure desires He places in our hearts. Sometimes He does that in unexpected ways, but if we come to Him with expectant hearts, waiting and watching, the Bible tells us that He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all we could ever hope or dream. (Ephesians 3:20)  

I can remember a time in my life when my heart was aching for something I desperately wanted. I pleaded with God. I cried. I fasted. Then, one day I realized that the thing I desired had become an idol. I’d elevated my heart’s desire above my relationship with God. When I finally yielded to His will and asked Him to do what was best, He gave me something better than I could have imagined.

What delights you?  Do you delight in God’s creation—the intricate details of a butterfly’s wing or the majesty of a mountain peak? Does the crashing of waves against a sandy beach fill you with praise for the One who created the shore and said to the ocean, “This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!”? (Job 38:11) Or maybe you best sense His presence under a canopy of trees where all you hear are the crisp leaves skipping across the forest floor.

Do you find delight in knowing that no matter what kind of curve balls the world may pitch to you, God is always at your side, strengthening you, encouraging you, upholding you with His righteous right hand?(Isaiah 41:10) Does it delight you to know that you are loved with an everlasting love, and that no matter what tribulations you have in the world, He has overcome them all?

 Are there prayers that need answers, problems that need solving, passions that need fulfilling? The Bible tells us roll all of those over to Jesus and trust Him to give us what we need.

“Commit (literally, “roll”) your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

“Delighting” may look different for each of us. It may be an ongoing conversation that we have with Him as we go about our day. It may be a block of time in the morning, or at lunchtime, or in the evening that we set aside for just for Him. It may include a weekend away-- a Restore Retreat, for instance.

Let’s learn a lesson from little children and restore our sense of delight. We can find beauty and rejoicing in any season, at any age, when we’re living in close fellowship with God. When we delight in Him, He gives us what our hearts truly desire.

Delighting in Him,

Margaret

Here’s a -link to one of my favorite Twila Paris songs, “Delight My Heart.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgejOL1GxSs

Dancing with the Spirit

                                                       

I once took ballroom dancing classes at Ric Seeling’s Dance Studio.  Ballroom dancing is different from the type of dancing we did when I was a kid.   In those days, the dances required no physical contact with a partner— I could basically “do my own thing”. Line dancing was also popular; to line dance I had to learn certain steps and perform a routine, but there was still no physical contact. Well, in ballroom dancing, one partner—almost always the man---has to lead, and the other partner has to follow.

  I was not exactly one of Ric Seeling’s star pupils.  My first problem, he said, was that I was trying to lead.  And even when I wasn’t actually leading, I wasn’t following either.

“You have to trust the lead,” he’d tell me. “But you want to analyze it.  You keep thinking, ‘Where’s he taking me?’ ‘Why does he want me to go there?’ Just trust the lead and keep moving in that direction until you feel the next lead.”

“Wait for the lead,” he’d tell me.  “Don’t try to anticipate the lead.  You may think you know where your partner is going to lead next, but he may do something entirely different.  Wait for the lead!”

Ric had certain terminology that he used to teach, and I was such a slow learner that he made me write down the terms.

First, there was the “Bubble,” an area of proximity to your partner. To understand the lead, you have to stay in your partner’s Bubble. If I got too far away from the Bubble, Ric would say I “went shopping,” (off doing my own thing.)

Next, I had to leave my fingertips “available” to receive directions, especially during turns.  If I let go, or if I grasped too tightly, I couldn’t receive the directions and wouldn’t know which way to turn.

He had to remind me to keep my chin up—to keep looking up and stop looking at my feet.

“Where do your feet go? Down!”  he’d say.  “Your feet know where to go.  Just keep looking up.”

Recently I was reading the daily lesson in Kathy Drake’s “Come unto Me” Study where Kathy compares the Spirit-filled life to a dance. Kathy wrote:

“A great dance partner can be trusted to lead you in joy, beauty, and grace if you follow his steps.  The Holy Spirit is not only the greatest dance partner of all, but He is also the choreographer.  He created the steps and knows how to lead you through the dance of life.  But you will have to learn to follow His lead.  It may take some practice to get the steps right, but if you listen carefully to His instruction and learn to rest in His embrace, you will know which way to go.  He can be trusted.”

It occurred to me as I read this that maybe I have trouble following the Holy Spirit’s lead just like I had trouble following the lead in dance class.

To follow the Holy Spirit’s lead, I have to stay in the Bubble…to stay close to Him through Bible Study and prayer. When I take time to quiet my heart and sit in the stillness, away from distractions, God speaks. He may use His still, small, inaudible voice—words that I hear clearly in my mind, though my ears hear no sound. He may send thoughts that can only be from Him because they are saturated in goodness, peace and holiness. I may feel a prompting, and urgency, a nudging towards some good work. A memory verse may pop into my mind. Or sometimes, as I’m reading a passage of Scripture (maybe one I’ve read dozens of times) I gain new understanding. It’s as if little light bulbs are flipped on in my brain as the Holy Spirit enlightens and illuminates the Word. I know I have heard from Him when His communication leads me to acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Sometimes I tend to “go shopping,” though; I wander off in search of other things in life to delight, to entertain, to motivate, to fulfill me. But those things never satisfy for long, and I come away feeling empty.

Sometimes, I don’t leave myself available to His leading.  I may choose to cling to His Hand, enjoying my Bible study and prayer time, but refusing to go anywhere with Him. I may simply be unavailable, unwilling to follow Him and participate in the work He’s doing in the world. He may be nudging me toward a particular ministry, a particular good work, a particular act of kindness, yet I don’t go.

Sometimes I get ahead of the Holy Spirit. I think I know best, and I go off in my own direction, making decisions without first praying about them.

I tend to try to do things in my own power, to stop looking up to God. The dance of life would be so much easier, so much more graceful, if I would stop trying to tell my feet where to go, so to speak, and instead allow God to direct my steps and give me the ability to do what He asks me to do.

The patriarch Jacob was a man who desired, I believe, to do God’s will, but he seemed to have trouble allowing God to lead. Even before he was born, God planned for him to inherit the blessings which should have gone to his older brother Esau. But Jacob, whose name means “grasps at the heel,” or “he deceives,” didn’t want to wait for God’s lead.  He got ahead of God and schemed to make things happen.  First, he convinced his brother to exchange his birthright for a bowl of soup.  Then, when his father Isaac was blind and close to death, Jacob impersonated Esau and tricked his father into pronouncing a blessing upon him---the blessing that should have gone to Esau, the firstborn.  He had good intentions, but he anticipated God’s lead. All along God had planned for Jacob to have the birthright, but Jacob thought he had to manipulate circumstances to bring that about.

God had to teach him to stop trying to make things happen through trickery and just to trust.  Jacob was lonely, discouraged, dejected, suffering the consequences of his schemes and deception when God gave him the vision that we call “Jacob’s ladder,” angels ascending and descending a ladder that reached to heaven.  Jacob needed to stop looking at his own circumstance, stop looking at his own abilities, stop trying to figure out how to make things happen, and start looking up to heaven.

Just when we think the dance with the Spirit is going to be smooth and carefree because we’ve mastered a few basic steps, God has new patterns for us to learn.  Jacob spent a lifetime learning to let the Holy Spirit lead.

 Jacob’s dance with the Spirit was fraught with missteps and poor timing because he tended to rush headlong into decisions without first consulting God. Later in life, when Jacob had to finally face his brother Esau, Jacob did pray, but only after attempting to find his own solution. In a state of emotional turmoil, he divided his family into two groups, reasoning that if Esau attacked, at least one group would be safe. Genesis 32 tells how Jacob poured out his heart to God, confessing his unworthiness, admitting his fear, and reminding God of His promise.

“But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’” Gen. 32:12

Then Jacob proceeded to select gifts—peace offerings—to send to his brother.  Poor Jacob! He still believed that it was up to him to take the lead, to devise his own plan.

That night Jacob sent his wives, children, and possessions across the stream ahead of him.  Jacob was left all alone, and that’s when he and the Lord had their own pas-de-deux. Well, it was more like a wrestling match than a dance, but the result was that Jacob realized his dependence on God, yielded to God, and changed the way he related to God. And, as an indication of the drastic change in Jacob’s life, God changed his name to Israel, which various sources translate as “he struggles with God,” or “God’s warrior” or “God prevails,” or “soldier of God.” His new name was a reminder that he struggled with the Almighty and finally learned to follow God’s lead.

I’m ready to end the struggle, to RELAX and to trust God’s leading.  I’m ready to enjoy the graceful, exciting dance with the Spirit.  I’m ready to go where He leads, believing that His choreography, His plan, is the best plan.  Wherever we go together, I know I can rely on Him to strengthen and support me. I don’t know whether the music will be soft and tender or energetic and fast-paced, but I’m ready to trust that He will give me clear direction, if only I will wait for it.  I know that if I follow His lead, the dance will be beautiful, joyful, and elegant. How about you? Are you ready to dance?

 “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” I Corinthians 2:10

Questions to consider:
1. Can you think of a time when you struggled with following the Spirit's lead?
2. How can you make yourself available to the prompting of the Holy Spirit?
3. Where do you sense that the Spirit is leading you today? Are you available? Are you relaxed in His Presence?

Rescued

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15

Once while vacationing in the Caribbean, my husband and I visited a turtle farm.  I don’t have any particular affinity for turtles, but the Kemp’s Ridley caught my attention. (After all, he—or maybe she---and I are both “Kemps.”) I was curious about this little fellow, so I did some research

 The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle is the smallest, most endangered of all sea turtles. Life in the Gulf of Mexico and along its shores is a struggle for this little 30 inch, 100-pound marine animal.  Between April and July, females of breeding age return to the beach where they were hatched, most commonly along the Gulf Coast between Galveston, Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico. After about 50 days, hatchlings emerge from the ping-pong sized eggs.  The hatchlings, measuring about an inch and a half long and weighing no more than half an ounce, then begin to scamper across the beach in a treacherous trek to the water.  As few as 1% survive to adulthood, and many don’t even make it to the water because they fall prey to vultures, frigate birds, and sand crabs. 

Though it’s no longer legal to hunt these turtles for food or boot material, their lives are in peril. They can become entangled in shrimp trawls and drown. Then there’s the loss of habitat as their nesting beaches are developed.

In April 2010 when Deepwater Horizon dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, hundreds of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles were smothering in oil.  The U. S. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries agents worked diligently to rescue, clean, and return these animals to the water.

In her book, The Great Ridley Rescue, (Sept. 1988. Mountain Press.p.180 ISBN 0-87842-229-3) Pamela Philips called this turtle the “heartbreak turtle.”  This name was coined by fishermen who saw turtles dying after being “turned turtle” (turned on their backs.)  The fishermen said they died of a broken heart.

I share more in common with the Kemp’s Ridley than a name.  I’ve been in that brokenhearted place, where my life has been “turned turtle.”  I’ve been in that place of helplessness, where my very survival was threatened.  Like the turtle, I needed someone to rescue me, to clean up the mess of my broken existence, and to return me to a functioning, happy, productive life.

I can tell you without a doubt that God did this for me. It was in my place of desperation that I came to know personally that “the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) In my sorrow, I found unconditional love. In my state of rejection, I found a Savior who would never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). In my desperation, I found that there is always a way out. By the power of God’s Word, through the work of His Holy Spirit, and with the help of His people, I was rescued.

During that season of broken-heartedness, there were lonely Sunday afternoons when I felt myself sinking into despair. Just when I thought I could stand it no longer, the phone would ring.

  “I was just checking on you,” the voice on the other end would say.  It was one of God’s emissaries, a Christian friend who had heeded the nudging of the Holy Spirit and picked up the phone. 

There were troubled evenings when I wondered what my future would hold.  Often, I’d get a message on the computer from an out-of-town friend. 

“God’s got a great plan for you,” she’d remind me.  “He’s going to take care of you.” My friend was another agent that God enlisted to carry His message of encouragement.

Sometimes God used His Word to comfort and strengthen me. Verses such as Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart,” gave me hope that one day I would have my heart’s desire.

The words of Isaiah, which Jesus quoted in the synagogue, were especially meaningful to me: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted…” Jesus had come to heal my hurt; I clung to those words.

For many months, I wrestled with the Lord, pleading with Him to ease my heartache and restore the broken relationship that had caused my grief.  Finally, one April evening, I stopped struggling. I put everything aside and spent time listening to the Lord.  I wrote in my journal: “I surrender.  God, have your way.  I trust You to do what is best.”  I yielded myself to Him and allowed Him to do the work He needed to do to restore me.

 Then, feeling at peace, I went about the business of checking my email and received the news that my husband of 24 years had filed for divorce. The broken relationship would not be mended. In one sense I was shocked, but in another sense, I knew that God had prevented me from receiving the news until I was ready to trust Him with my future. God cared for me in ways I would never have imagined, and when the time was right, I met the man who is now my faithful and loving husband.

Maybe you know what it feels like to be “turned turtle. There are a lot of folks in Baton Rouge who know firsthand what it’s like to have their lives turned upside down.

In August 2016, 20 inches of rain inundated the Baton Rouge area, and thousands were washed out of their homes.  Suddenly, people who were used to being independent and self-sufficient found themselves homeless and helpless as the floods overtook their dwellings, soaking all their earthly possessions in mud and dirty water.

For some, their cries may have literally echoed the words of the Psalmist:

 “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.”  Psalm 69:1

Yet a couple of weeks after the flood, Christians who had been displaced by the disaster gathered in church to testify to God’s deliverance from the flood waters.  God had mobilized His forces to rescue His people.  The “soldier” He called up for duty might have been a fisherman with a boat coming to rescue a stranded family. It might have been a truck driver on the interstate who carried strangers through the rising flood waters.  It might have been a clean-up crew with shovels and buckets or an “angel” with a hot meal. God hears the prayers of His people.  He doesn’t always spare us from hardships, but He brings us through our troubles and delivers us safely to the other side.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:19 ESV

Meditate on Psalm 91 and Psalm 34, and be assured that even when you find yourself “turned turtle,” the Lord can and will rescue you.

“Father, I thank You and praise You because You are all-powerful and are fully able to rescue me in every desperate situation. I thank You that You are a very present help in time of need.  You don’t always answer my prayers in the way that I expect, but you always do what is best.  Help me to trust you, and help me to be obedient when You call me into service to help someone else who needs to be rescued.”