Seeing God’s Blessings
29 Sep 2009 6 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: chronic, hopekeepers, illness, joy, pain, rest ministries, sandra platt, trust, worry
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“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” Psalm 28:7 (NIV)
I sit down and sip my early morning coffee. I am preparing to spend time with my Lord. But right now my heart is bogged down. It is not leaping for joy, or singing a song. I am so weary from our move. The summer heat and humidity increases my pain. And I am concerned… OK, worrying and fretting. I will go ahead and admit it! Our move cost us money. In this economy we had a pay cut. My two kids are off to Bible College. How can we spare the extra they need for books they will need, or even catch up on our own finances?
OK, calm down I chide myself. I cannot change the state of our finances; but I can control my fretting. I can choose to trust the Lord. I can slow my mind down and ponder the ways God cares for me. I remember this promise. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
So I will look to Him and praise Him. In so many circumstances of our lives He has met our needs in amazing ways! Even this move was a miraculous blessing. And from our new home I see beauty and the wonder of His creation from just about every window.
As I sit at the breakfast table, the sky is pink as the sun rises over the hill across the way. Puffs of fog hang low in the valley around the house and cornfield on the other side of our rural road. I smile as I watch baby finches sing and flit around their feeder. The air is crisp with a hint of fall, and the grass looks like the dew is tipped with frost.
This is my Fathers world. So big and beautiful! The Psalmist writes, “When I consider the heavens, the work of Your finger, the moon and stars which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him.” Psalm 8:3-4
Lord, You created the rooster that crows behind our neighbor’s house. I see a deer family walking so gently across the tree line behind our house. There are rabbits that chase and play leap frog all over the back area. There is even a bunny that wiggles under our fence and wanders up close to our deck. It is a beautiful world! And I rest in the fact that the same God who formed the beauty around me, created me. He knows how my body hurts. He cares that I am worried and afraid. In Psalm 139 we are promised that when we are in pain, or fatigued, or afraid, He hems us in behind, and before and lays His Hand upon us. Psalm 139:5
I think of one of my favorite hymns. “When morning guilds the skies my heart awaking cries, may Jesus Christ be praised.” Yes, Lord, I trust and praise You.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandra Platt lives in Southern Indiana and is a Pastor’s wife and mother of two wonderful kids in college. Her hearts prayer is this; “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
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Sep 29, 2009 @ 22:59:57
Sandra,
Beautifully written devotion about seeing God and praising Him when life throws us difficulties. Your prayer focus was vividly drawn. Dana at dtearosee@earthlink.net
Sep 30, 2009 @ 01:42:57
Oh Sandra, I can so identify with your words “weary from our move.” I struggle so with making decisions and change (partly because I have ADD). And, having made several moves, also as a pastor’s wife, there have been times when I’ve felt like “a professional mover.”
I’m so glad for you that you are in a place where you can see the beauty of God’s creation. Along with God’s Word and presence, what a balm for a weary body and soul.
We too have experienced amazing provisions for our material needs over the years and sometimes, when I remember some of them, I wonder why I worry about the future.
Thanks for reminding me of that wonderful hymn. I’m asking the Lord to remind me to begin my day praising Him, at least as soon as I’m “out of the brain fog period.
Big transitions like you’re going through now are difficult, so my suggestion is that you accept that fact and give yourself and your family extra kindness. May the Lord give you and your hubby joy and fruit as you serve him in this new place.
Beth ♥
Sep 30, 2009 @ 05:25:56
Hi Sandy,
I appreciated your devotional as I too love the beauty of God’s outdoor creation and do find peace and perspective “when” I can focus on it and not on the things I may be stressing about.
I loved the way you led us, the readers, through your processing of all that was happening bringing us to your conclusions as you came to them.
Thanks so much!
Lynn
Oct 01, 2009 @ 05:47:54
Sandra,
Your last 2 devotionals really shared so beautifully what a blessing it is for us to see and enjoy God’s creation – something I love too – and what a beautiful outlook you must have from your new home.
How great that the God who creates all that beauty is interested in , and cares for you and me.
God bless,
Fiona
Oct 01, 2009 @ 12:21:26
Sandy, it is so amazing that when I start to read one of your devotionals, I can tell it is from you even before I get to the bottom. All of our writers do such an awesome job, but somehow you seem to really connect with what I need to hear. Thank you.
Oct 01, 2009 @ 20:56:52
It is precious to my heart, that what I write ends up blessing me too when I need it. What I wrote several weeks ago, encourages my heart when I need it later. And to make so many wonderful friends, and in some way touch them too! Isn’t our God an amazing and wonderful Father who loves us!