“Trust and thankfulness will get you safely through this day. Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining, those sister sins that so easily entangle you. Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting Me. It is a free choice that you must make thousands of times daily. The more you choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes. Thought patterns of trust become etched into your brain. Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so that I can be central in your thoughts. Thus you focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into My care.”
(Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)
What does it mean to truly trust and be thankful? It is easy to trust when things are falling into place exactly how I imagined it would. It is easy to be thankful for the things that bring bliss and freedom. But when there is pain and uncertainty the ease shifts to fear and worry. In the last week or so the Lord has been showing me that trust is a choice and not just a onetime occurrence. Trust is a constant surrendering of the circumstances both good and bad. The Lord has also been challenging me in the area of thankfulness, asking me, “Why Kim do you only thank me when things are turning out how you want them to? When your support comes in? When things go smoothly?” Ouch. He has opened my eyes and heart to allow me to see that really I need to be more thankful for the hard times than the smooth times. Because it is through the difficult times that there is no possible way I can rely on my own strength. It is through the uncertainty that I am drawn closer to my maker the author and perfector of all things, who knows all things, and uses all things for my good and His glory. So I write this blog entry today with a trusting and thankful heart, full of faith, believing that my heavenly Father is going to draw me closer to Himself through each moment of each day no matter what it holds. I write this blog entry with a greater hunger and desire to walk in the light of HIS presence and rejoice in HIS name all day long.
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.” Psalm 89:15-17
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Heat and Hunger Bring Strength and Satisfaction
A couple of months ago I bought a new bike to take with me to southern Sudan. Up until today the tags were still on, the seat was still in the lowest position, and the tires did not have one speck of dirt on them. But now I live really close to the Green River Trial and have no more excuses. I also felt the Lord urging me to come and take a ride with Him, to the peaceful waters, quiet my mind and listen to Him. So with that I put on my warm clothes, my helmet of course, and was off.
The Lord never ceases to surprise me. He always knows exactly what I need to hear and leads my heart in the direction it needs to go. While I was riding two passages came to mind:
“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Here I am about to leave the land of plenty and head to a sun scorched land. The Lord challenged me today to think and pray about what is and will keep me from being like a tree planted by the water? As I think about leaving the life I have grown used to in Seattle, it does not scare me to leave the luxuries of this place such as plumbing, 24 hour everything, comfortable homes, technology galore, etc. these things I am very willing to sacrifice. It is the relationships that I leave behind that are not as easy to hand over and trust the Lord to sustain. But through these verses the Lord continues to remind me that I need to have confidence in Him and even though at times I will feel the burns of the sun scorched land or the hunger pains in the seasons of drought, I do not need to worry as long as my roots are firmly planted in Jesus Christ, the stream that never runs dry, and who enables me to be a well watered garden.
The Lord never ceases to surprise me. He always knows exactly what I need to hear and leads my heart in the direction it needs to go. While I was riding two passages came to mind:
“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Here I am about to leave the land of plenty and head to a sun scorched land. The Lord challenged me today to think and pray about what is and will keep me from being like a tree planted by the water? As I think about leaving the life I have grown used to in Seattle, it does not scare me to leave the luxuries of this place such as plumbing, 24 hour everything, comfortable homes, technology galore, etc. these things I am very willing to sacrifice. It is the relationships that I leave behind that are not as easy to hand over and trust the Lord to sustain. But through these verses the Lord continues to remind me that I need to have confidence in Him and even though at times I will feel the burns of the sun scorched land or the hunger pains in the seasons of drought, I do not need to worry as long as my roots are firmly planted in Jesus Christ, the stream that never runs dry, and who enables me to be a well watered garden.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Pleasantly Surprised
One of the many unexptected blessings“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
The Lord continues to show me how true this is. That if I am truly being obedient and loving Him with all my heart all things are worked out for my good and His glory. The other surprising thing, which really should not be surprising but is, is that everything worked out for my good continues to exceed my expectations. Even though I expected to be back in east Africa at this time, the Lord continues to show me that He has better things planned for me than I have planned for myself. He continues to pour one blessing after another into my life to show me that it is not either or, but that He delights in giving me all the desires of my heart. He continues to increase my greatest desire which is drawing me closer to Himself as I continue to step out and trust in Him and where He is leading.
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