Relax in My Everlasting Arms
A few weeks ago a good friend of mine passed along a new devotional book. She said it was a good book and thought I might enjoy some of the readings found within the pages. Yesterdays reading was titled, “Relax in My Everlasting Arms.” I want to share it with you here.
Relax in My Everlasting Arms. Your weakness is an opportunity to grow strong in awareness of My Almighty Presence. When your energy fails you, do not look inward and lament the lack you find there. Look to Me and My sufficiency; rejoice in My radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you.
Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My Presence. Thank me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us. If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times. Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence.
September 27; “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young
When my energy fails me
I sat in my office, surrounded by piles of papers and work that “needs” to be done and read and re-read those words again and again. This week has been hard. I see what I want to do, what “should” be done and yet my energy level does not allow me to get it done in the way I used to. My mind and desk are cluttered. It feels as if I am putting out fires rather than strategically moving through life right now. It takes me three times as long to walk across the Welcome Center to get to the printer. In about an hour I will be ready for a nap. My energy will fail me. It is easy, so easy to look inward and lament the lack of energy I find there. I am no longer the person I once was. The funny, or odd thing about this is that it is me that feels or sees this more than those around me. Nancy is quick to point out that I have gone from working a sixty hour week to working a thirty five to forty hour week. I have not missed any important meetings, deadlines or details as of yet. I have been in the pulpit every Sunday since I was diagnosed last May. People will tell me I am doing great. All of that is truth. Yet my energy fails me.
It is one of the surprising and very healthy side effects of Cancer and chemotherapy. I cannot rely upon the “tools” I have used in the past. I am not able to push and drive through situations and issues to bring about change and growth. In my weakness I am forced to let all of this be less about me and more about the radiant riches of Abba Father abundantly available to help me. God is Good All the Time…working to Redeem and Transform, Renew and Heal…unleashing in us what it means to live “Life to the Full”…if only we would let the Spirit move.
Thank me for your neediness
Thank me for your neediness? Really. I thought the goal was to be strong and self-sufficient, relying on nobody but myself. The Kingdom of God at war with the kingdom of this world. The truth is that in my neediness I see God more clearly. I sense and I understand how Abba Father moves toward me to provide the support and strength I so desperately need. If I was always strong I would learn to trust only in myself. Our culture is good at teaching this lesson. Trust in yourself, your bank account, your hard work, your whatever. Then one day the floor drops out from beneath us. The job disappears, the stock market goes south, we make a huge mistake, the doctor says, “You have….”. What then? In our neediness we learn to trust that Abba Father is there to walk with us, guide, direct, support, encourage, speak words of hope and life into the desperate times of life.
I thank God for my neediness. As I have seen God show up time and time again it has given me faith and courage to step out with boldness and faith that no matter what the situation I do not walk alone. Even now. When my energy fails me it is just another opportunity to learn again the lesson of Abba Fathers promise to walk with us through all of life.
I needed this reading today. I needed this reminder of the larger things God is doing in our midst each and every day.
When your energy fails you…thank God for your neediness…and watch for Abba Father to provide just what you need to make it through that day.
God is Good All the Time…All the Time God is Good
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