You know that point in life when you are empty, broken, frustrated, and you just want some answers -- those instant gratification answers -- but all anyone can tell you is "Trust God", "Wait on the Lord", "Seek the Lord with your whole heart", "Cease Striving and know that He is God" (oh wait, God says that one...Psalm 46:10 and He also says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) Oh, and He says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:1,14) Oh, and then He says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) but wait, then He says, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask of think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)...okay. sorry. I just wanted to preface this with the words of God, because they hold truer than any of mine ever will:)) Did anyone catch that trend? The truth is the way to find the answers we seek is in fact cliche. The personal stuff -- the next step we should take, the mission we should be on in life, the person that we should become, the person that we should marry, what we should do with our lives, what we should do with our lives -- it's not in black in white. Nobody on the face of the planet can plan it out for you or give you those "microwave" answers. It's going to be hard, it's going to hurt, but yet, it's going to be the most awesome adventure you have ever embarked on if in fact you decide to embark on it with Jesus -- seeking His heart. That's the key...seeking His heart. "Casting all your anxiety on Him..." (1 Peter 5:7) "...being crucified with Christ...and the life that [you] now live in the flesh [you] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself up for [you]." Galatians 2:20 Those cliche things...they are "instructions" (for lack of a better word) or ideas, or guidelines, or hints, or whatever you want to call them for building that relationship with the Father -- the King of Kings, the Creator God, the Holy One, the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR -- that brings the answers we seek. Huh? That's funny...it's the cliche things that bring the answers. But, how often have I found myself frustrated, not wanting to listen to anyone because they couldn't tell me "Step here", instead they told me, "Seek the Lord"? But oh man! Were they ever right. "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13...and what's right before that? You know it all to well, "For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.'" Jeremiah 29:11-12 does the Lord get any clearer? He DECLARES that He knows the plan for us...He DECLARES that when we call upon Him and come and pray to Him, He. will. listen. to. us. and then we will find Him...His plans for us will be revealed. Sound pretty cliche to me...but what a promise. And, as weird as this feels to say, because I have always heard, "The Christian life isn't an easy life to live..." I beg to differ. It's easy. Trust God. Seek His face. Cling to Him as your refuge. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" Psalm 91:1. "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God..." (1 Peter 5:7) "So that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:31) When we love someone we want to know the ins and outs the ups and downs of them...we want that good line of communication...we want to know their thoughts...we want the world to know them...we want to build our relationship beautifully and we do it using the "tools" that we have been taught our whole life. When we love God do we use the "tools" He has given us to have a "good line of communication"...to understand His thoughts to the extent that we can...to let the world know who He is...to get to know Him intimately..."so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19 It may be cliche...but they aren't human words...they are the words of the Lord...just sayin' ;)
On His adventure,
Laurlee <3
P.S. just for kicks here's one for the road that my daddy always tells me...
Live life. Love God. Do your best. Let God worry about the rest. :)
