Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

And ALL the time GOD IS GOOD!!

We say that so often, that many times, when we hear someone else start to quote it, we finish it for them. We say it, but do we truly believe it? Do we truly believe that our God is good ALL the time? What about when...

• We are hurting?
  
• We see a friend hurting, or losing a job, or going through a divorce?
• We lose a friend, due to moving away, or a disagreement of some kind?
• Our spouse is under persecution at work?
• Our children are hurting or struggling and we can't 'fix' it?
  
• When someone we love dies and we ache to see them just once more?

Is God TRULY good during those times? I say YES, not just a tiny, little yes, but a gigantic, huge, resounding YES! Now, I wouldn't have said 'Yes!' 9 years ago, or 5 years ago, or 4 years ago when I was going through some very, very tough things in my life at each of those times. But God is so good to keep loving and guiding us even when we are so foolish and even when we are so angry at HIM for messes we created or for situations that simply hurt us. He amazes me, that God of ours,... His patience, love, grace, mercy, and sovereignty over us and for us! It is quite UNREAL! No, really it is!!

This week, He has shown me that He works ALL things together for GOOD for those who are called according to His purpose and His will. Even though we see things as hard or heart breaking or down right terrible, He is working all around us to bring those events, heart aches, moments of anger, tears, even death to GOOD for those who love HIM!! I saw that today and this week in more ways than one...

• I saw an answer to a prayer that Joe and I have been praying for almost 3 years now. He answered it TODAY right before my very eyes!
• I saw a broken friendship beginning to be reconciled and healed in a way no one would have seen coming! And, this too, happened right before my very eyes!
  
• I saw words spoken, put on a human heart by a powerful God, bring down walls that had been built so high that I wasn't sure they could come down!
  
• I saw a co-worker blessed beyond words at a ministry that I take for granted in my work place.
  
• I saw a friend's heart open up to hear the gospel and listen for the first time ever, right before my very eyes!!
  

You see, I saw Him, our BIG, HUGE GOD, that we try to put in a small, teeny, tiny box work things together for GOOD!!!! Do you hear me my sweet friends? Now, I am not saying, that over the coming years ahead, I won't falter, and I won't question, and I won't cry and ask why! I am SURE I will do all of those things. BUT, you see He showed me today, on November 14, 2008 that there is a reason we call Him....

• El Shaddai - "God all sufficient" or "God Almighty"
  
• Adonai - "Master"
• Elohim - "Creator, Preserver, Transcendent, Mighty & Strong"
• Jehovah- "I am who I am"
• Jehovah-Ropha- "The Lord who heals"
• Jehova-Jireh- "The Lord will provide"

Those are fitting, amazing names for our Almighty Heavenly Father, but the one He most likes to hear, I believe, is 'Daddy'. We are like little children in His eyes. And, today, my Daddy, your Daddy, showed me how BIG He is and how much He loves me and how He has been attending to all of these circumstances all of this time and I didn't even know it!

So, the next time you hear someone start out saying 'God is good....' finish it for them, with them, with much joy and excitement in your voice and then remember this, that's your Daddy they're talking about!!

God is good ALL THE TIME and all the time, GOD IS GOOD!!!

On day 1 of our vacation, I awoke at 5:40 AM (Central Time). It was joyous occasion for me, to be the first to rise on such a GLORIOUS morning, without an alarm clock! I was overwhelmed with excitement at seeing the break of a new day- a vacation day- nonetheless! I couldn't describe to you my joy to see my precious family sleeping peacefully in the still darkness of a Hilton hotel room in Auburn, AL (yes, Joe's sweet old Auburn), the only noise the lulling hum of the air conditioning unit's fan. Oh, what bliss to greet the new day so early and so peacefully!

NOT... Were any of you buying that??? Though all of the above happened exactly as I described, I can honestly say that I was NOT 'joyful' nor 'excited' that I woke up at 5:40 AM on my first day of vacation! I woke up in pain and not feeling well. In fact, I was feeling quite miserable and was headed straight for the bathroom in pain, yes, while my family continued on in blissful sleep!!

But, in the stillness of the dark, I sought out the trusty 'Gideon's Bible' that I was praying 'they' ('they' being our corrupt society) had not yet taken out of hotel rooms nationwide. (FYI... I had no luck in the TOP drawer, but low and behold, I found it in the 2nd drawer. If you are wondering, yes, I brought my Bible on vacation, but it is still packed in the car.) Anyway, on to the point and the title of this post...

I opened up the Holy Bible (NIV) to 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Have you read this chapter of the Bible? It has quite a powerful story to tell! The story is of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah at the time, and his army and his CHOIR! Yes, you read that right, his CHOIR!! The story goes that men told Jehoshaphat (if you think that is hard to say, try typing it over and over while spelling it right every time first thing in the AM!)... that 'a vast army is coming against you from Edom, just over the sea. They are already very close' (my paraphrase) (vs.2). Jehoshaphat was very alarmed and he RESOLVED to inquire of the Lord. (side note: How many times do I get very alarmed and wait until LAST to inquire of the Lord? He inquired of the Lord FIRST!!) He and the people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord! People came from every town in Judah to seek Him. THEY CAME FROM EVERY TOWN!

verse 6 - "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you."

The chapter continues on to describe their fasting and praying and then hearing from God through Jahaziel. Jahaziel speaks in verses 15-17:

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Then, (bear with me here, I am getting to the choir part) after hearing this and 'consulting his people', Jehoshaphat (still isn't easy to type) did something remarkable (verse 20-21):

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."

He had prayed and fasted and sought God and then he decided to send out the CHOIR first! Now, that is kind of scary. I am sure these men who sang gloriously were thinking, 'You want US to go FIRST? Has the King lost his mind?' Not many singers are ferocious warriors. But, that is what God impressed upon Jehoshaphat and his men to do-- bring in the choir. Well, the POINT of this is all found in the next few verses (22-24):

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

WOW!!!! As His people sang and praised His HOLY name, He set ambushes against those coming to attack them. They actually turned on each other and destroyed themselves from within. Jehoshaphat's men were outnumbered by a vast army (vs. 2) and there was no way his army could have beaten the multitude rising against them! But, when the king, who was greatly alarmed, chose FIRST to seek God, fast, and pray, and then first and foremost He decided to praise our Father in Heaven through singing of His love that endures forever, God heard their cries and saw fit to protect them and defeat their enemies! That is INCREDIBLE!!!

How awesome is it that God wants to hear us praise Him-- whether we are singing in our kitchen, in our car, in the shower, with our children, in a Hilton hotel room in Auburn, AL WAY TOO EARLY in the morning, or in our choir lofts on Sunday mornings before worship, God inhabits the praise of His people!

That humbled me and made me realize just how powerful our true, honest, fervent praise can be! So, the next time you feel alarmed, seek His face, pray, and then PRAISE His name and leave the defeating of your enemies to HIM!! He has gotcha' covered my friend!!!

Thank you Lord, for...

• Early mornings given to us by You where we can seek You and find You,
• Gideon's Bibles still in hotel rooms, even in the dark days of our corrupt society,
• Inhabiting the praise of your children!!!
• Waking me up early on a quiet morning to find You waiting for me to seek your face and to ease my physical pain!!
• And, most of all, thank You that the battle is not ours, but YOURS, Lord!!

P.S. My 2 children are still fast asleep and I am now praising His name for His goodness and protection!! Also, please pray for safe travels as we drive down to Gulf Shores today.

Tonight I was tucking Austin into bed and he asked me if we could pray together first thing, before we did anything else (in our bedtime routine). I told him, 'Of course we can son. Do you want to go first?' He replied, 'No, mom, you go first and I will go last.' So, I prayed my prayer and then it was Austin's turn.

Now, Austin is a child of few words. He is direct and to the point, much unlike his sister and his mother. We both can be a tad bit talkative, but not Austin. His prayers are usually direct, to the point, and with no 'fluff'- a young man after Brad Farmer's own heart!! :) Well, tonight, as I waited for 'his turn', I expected the same 'to the point prayer'. And, this is what I got...

'Dear Lord, thank you for this day and for our family. Thank you for keeping us safe. Give us good rest tonight and a good day tomorrow.' (This is where his prayer usually ends, but he continued...)

'And, Lord, please help everyone in the world know about you. Help other people tell other people and those people to tell other people. Help everyone know about you Lord and know your name so they can see you in Heaven Lord and love you like I do! Please Lord! Please Lord!! Amen.' (With much enthusiasm)

What more can you add to this fervent request of a young child's heart but AMEN??

"But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.' -- Mark 10:14 New American Standard version

Oh, and P.S., on a lighter note...

Austin is SURE that there are (and I quote) "thousands of Wii's in Heaven since God is so awesome and Heaven is such a perfect place"! Again, out of the mouth of babes....

Have a blessed evening!

I am empty. I am tired. I am discouraged, and I am weary. Those are the facts. That is the reality I am dealing with over the course of the past few weeks. I am not here today to encourage, or discourage, just to be real. I am also not here to gain encouragement from you. Again, I am just trying to be real. I really enjoy this blogging- connecting with friends and family this way. I enjoy writing. I enjoy pictures. I thrive on encouraging others. God created that in me, as part of my nature. But, I have no encouraging words to share or any neat stories to tell you today. I am just sharing that I am weary, tired from walking this walk.

Lately, at every turn, this world seems to be getting darker and more dismal, and I truly wonder what 1 person can do to make a difference. What can 1 mom, 1 wife, 1 daughter, 1 friend, 1 employee do to really and truly make a difference? I am still praying about that and pondering that, in my weary state. I need to be refreshed and rejuvenated. That is hard to do when you are running on empty. I have discovered a new song, as of late, and I think, NO, I know that God placed it in my path at just the right moment, at just the right time. Over the past 3 weeks, I play this song almost daily, many times more than once a day. I sing along with it, crying out to God. I cry to it. I meditate to it. I talk to my God to it. Sometimes, I am quiet and simply listen to it. The song should be playing now, as you read this post. Well, it USED to be playing. I changed the play list to play more upbeat songs. The words are below.....

All That I Can Say
By The David Crowder Band

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

Chorus:
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
That's my everything.

Oh, didn't You see me cryin'?
Oh, and did You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down.

Chorus:
And this is all, this is all that I can say right now
I know it's not much
But, this is all that I can give
And that's my everything
This is all that I can say right now, right now
I know it's not much,
This is all that I can give
Yeah, That's my everything.

Bridge:
I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cryin' too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet

So, here I am saying all I can say is that my Jesus, my Savior, my God is standing right here beside me. He is holding me and He is crying with me.

He is standing beside me, as I try to make a difference in this big, huge, world that seems so lost and off track.

He is holding me as I try to get up each day and face a new day by His grace and with His strength.

He is crying with me when my tears fall and my heart breaks for...

The loss I see around me in precious families that didn't deserve to lose precious babies, precious children.
The dear friends I see waiting to get their babies, whether by nature, or by adoption. They are simply waiting and it is agonizing.
Dear friends I see struggling with life changing decisions and making moves, out of comfort zones, that are very difficult to make.
A world that I see moving further and further away from the One True God.

I spoke to a very dear friend of mine, Shana, today who encouraged me very much with her words. It was over the phone and via email, but those methods work just as well some days. She said to me, 'Faith can change your circumstances, no matter how dark everything around you seems.' She also shared 1 John 5:4-5 with me. It reads:

'For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?'

So, though what my eyes see around me tells me differently, amidst a world that seems to grow darker each day, my Faith tells me that God has overcome and the victory is His, no matter how many battles it looks like we have lost.

And, in the end, this is all that I can say....

I am truly sad to be posting this, but please be in prayer for Greg and Nicol Sponberg. Some of you will remember that they spoke and sang at our Valentine's Banquet at EMC. They moved here to the Dalton area a while back because they loved the North Georgia area so much. They are a beautiful couple with 1 daughter, Summer, and 1 newborn son, Luke, who was only 10 weeks old. He was born on March 18, 2008.

Baby Luke passed away last night. Nicol fed him at 8 PM and put him to bed. She went back in to check on him at 10 PM and he wasn't breathing. I can't imagine their sadness and grief. Only God knows the purpose. Only God's grace and peace can make sense of this tragedy for this family. Please read the blog entry here posted by her sister-in-law, Angie Smith, about Luke.

'Be anxious for nothing, 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.'
-Philipians 4:6-7 (emphasis mine)

Pray for grace, peace, and comfort for this precious family during this time!!