He Is Our Defender

This year, 3 Godly women in my life gave me 3 separate devotional books. I think sometimes we feel like we do things like that "just because", but I think we forget that it's more than that. In fact, I know it is because I am the recipient of their obedience. That's right, obedience. I truly believe that God spoke to each of these ladies through the Holy Spirit and urged them to give me these devotionals because He wanted to use them to speak to me. Why do I think this? Because every day of this year He has talked directly to me through them. It's as if He's sitting before me talking with me about what I am living through at that very moment. I do not understand it, as these were written many years ago, but if for no other reason I think they were written because He knew He had a clear message for me.

Take today for example. I did not awake under the best of circumstances. Ok! This morning stunk! I have cried my heart out, poured out my thoughts verbally to the Lord, and even called my sister leaving her a message of me balling my eyes out ranting about how I'm so tired, how life was not meant to be this way, how I feel so alone and know I can't walk this journey alone, how I'm only walking this path at this point because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where and what God wants me to do. Basically, how I feel sorry for myself! I've even started wondering this AM if maybe this is what life is supposed to be like now since the Fall. That's what sin has done to our "life"; it has made us dead! Maybe that's where all those old hymns came from; people who were so tired and worn of this life that they're only joy was to long for the day when it would all be no more and Life would be restored and our beautiful Savior would have done just that - save us!

But that's what He's trying to do now. He's trying to get us to see that He is saving us even now, even in the midst of this crazy mess we call living. There is so much more, I know it! I know it because He is telling me about it, showing me daily through my devotionals. I grew up thinking that if I were really close with Him I'd hear His voice like I hear the voices of those around me. But I've come to know His voice more vividly through these devotionals now more than anytime in my life. Oh yeh, back to my "ranting" this AM. I really was at the end of my ability to process the chaos of my life and I sat down to read and here's what He told me:

"Your heart will be where your treasure is." (Matt 6:21) "He is my defender, I will not be defeated" (Psalm 62:6) One author asked, "What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip chord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid?..." The answer? "HE FIGHTS FOR US! He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. 'Remain calm; the Lord will fight for you." (Ex 14:14) I guarantee you that when he wrote this, Max Lucado didn't know I was going to wake up this morning feeling "woe is me". But I'm sure that God knew I would wake up this morning needing to be reminded that He is fighting for me and He has made it known to me through the wonderful Godly women of my life who have carried me through this journey in so many ways, including obedience to something as simple as giving me these devotional books. He knew that I would need to read about the disciples straining at the oars in Mark 6: "Straining and striving does not accomplish the work God gives us to do. Only God Himself, who always works without stress and strain and who never overworks, can do the work He assigns His children. When we trust Him to do it, the work will be completed and will be done well." And did the writer from the Sunday School Times know that I needed to be reminded that "the way to let Him do His work through us is to so fully abide in Christ by faith that He fills us to overflowing"? Or did Hannah Whitall Smith know that I needed to be reminded of, yet again? That the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands" (Josh 6:2) rather than saying, "Hey Josh, I'm gonna deliver you." She wrote that the "victory already belonged to the children of Israel, and now they were called to take possession of it. But the big question still remaining was how. It looked impossible, but the Lord had a plan." Do you see a pattern here? Maybe this will tie up the loose fragments of my scattered thought process:

The final devotional started out this way, "Our Lord, the God of the troubled and the weary, come and save us." That was the title and it was followed by, "I am your Saviour. Not only from the weight of sin, but from the weight of care, from misery, and depression, from want and woe, from faintness and heartache. Your Saviour." And it went on to remind me to "Abide in Me... Look to Me for all...Drop those burdens, and then, singing and free, you can go on your way rejoicing. Encumbered with them you will fall. Drop them at My feet, knowing surely that I will lift them and deal with each one as is truly best."

Is that freaky or what? Does God know me? Is He alive and working in and through me? I can only answer yes. He might as well have dropped a bill-board in my front yard that said in neon flashing pink "I AM HERE AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE." That might have been less work for me, but I probably wouldn't have internalized it as much as I have via the method He chose. And that's just it: He chose! He loves me enough to walk me through the journey.

Ever eaten pancakes? Caroline and I love to have pancakes for breakfast. Have you ever tasted the batter before they are cooked - YUCK! It is nasty. But something happens when you drop them on that hot skillet filled with smoltering margarine. They are transformed into this amazing melt-in-your-mouth wonder that when covered in syrup makes even the worst of days seem like heaven (if only for a minute). So that's what I did this AM, I made myself some pancakes, read a couple of devotionals and now I'm off to lay my burdens at His feet and sit in my corner and let Him slay the giants for me. I pray your day is filled with pancakes of heaven and you allow yourself to endure the heat and sizzle until you too are transformed into something amazing!