I love to get up early in the morning. There are so many things happening before and during the sunrise. It's my favorite time of day. However, today was special because I actually got up, drank my coffee, and went on a run/walk for 2 miles. As I began to leave my house, I was looking directly into the sun and I watched as four birds flew into the sun. They were illuminated by the rising sun and all around them there was an orange and yellow glow. It was amazing and of course, went right along with my study that I have been doing, "Stepping Up" by Beth Moore.
Today, Beth concentrated on Psalm 121 and the Lord being our Maker and protector. So as I walked, I really spent time meditating on the lesson. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a deer scamper, birds flying and singing to one another, crickets chirping and yes, I even think I heard a squirrel climbing a tree. Life is all around us but how often do you contemplate your Maker when you see it?
Do you believe that God created Heaven and earth? Are you secure that He is your protector? Or do you waver with the wind. Do you sometimes feel secure in His arms and other times feel lost and alone. I understand how hard it is to be still in the Lord and realize that He is with us in every circumstance. We are selfish creatures by nature and even those who have faith can be crushed by an event.
How do we stay faithful to our God? What key element must we practice in order to know Him and believe in Him? I think and this is just my opinion, that we must humble ourselves before Him. The Dictionary.com meaning of humble is: to destroy the independence, power or will of... (verb). If we destroy that can we still be who we were meant to be? Absolutely, because what we realize when we bow to ourselves and give everything to the Lord is that He truly is our Maker and protector. We can't make anything that is not God ordained and we definitely don't have the knowledge to protect. We have an idea or a concept of what protection looks like but only God can keep watch 24/7. Man is incapable of sustaining 360 days a year without sleep. Therefore, we must begin to practice becoming humble unto our Lord.
I guess that's why I like this study so much. It makes me think about bowing down before the Lord, face down and really contemplating that He is Lord over my life. Those that lived long ago understood what it's like to bow down to a King. Today, we have a handshake and rarely show that kind of reverence to anyone. So for many, the concept of being humble and getting on our knees is foreign. In the US we are far from this practice and we take pride in the fact that we can protect this country and others we have alliances with. We determine our fate, at least that's what we're taught and we believe we are in control of our own destiny, which is a falsehood and should be cast out of our minds. We can do nothing without Christ. We are nothing without Him and if you truly believe you are in control of your world, take note, you're not. Only Christ has the answers we seek. Only He knows our future and only He can protect a nation. It's by His hand all things were created and all things live. It will be by His hand that the world will be saved and a new Kingdom will rise up. If you don't believe me, take a look at Chapter 21 in Revelation. You don't have to believe me, just read it and ask God to reveal Himself.
If you take one point to heart today, live humbly, serving others and believing this world was created by your Maker. He is not full of pride but full of majesty. Every beautiful thing we see is His creation, painted on a canvas. There isn't a scientist in the world that can re-create the splendor we see every day. It's not possible because God made Heaven and earth and He will sustain it for as long as He sees fit. Take this to heart today and really put it in your mind. And if you find yourself not really picturing Christ in everything you see, ask Him to open your mind and heart to His creation. Pride is the death of us. We will never be all knowing or all sustaining. He gives us only what we need or what He desires to give. Be humble my sisters and as you do, find Jesus!
Psalm 121 NKJV:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before you a prideful creature. In my heart, I know that you have the key to all of the worlds woes and yet, in my own life, I sometimes believe I am self-sustaining. The lesson I have learned over the last couple of years is that You are the only thing that sustains me. I can't fix a broken heart, heal the sick or change the earth. I can't make it rain or drop the temperature. I haven't the ability to change my circumstances, start a war or be all knowing. I can only do one thing and that's to humble myself before You and ask You to change my circumstances, give me faith in the storm and simply be at peace when life is raging around me. I must surrender my will to Yours and believe that the Maker of Heaven and earth can protect and keep me all my days. The more I come before You, seeking You, the more I find You. I am Your humble servant praying for the nations and asking for my King to show Himself to the world. I want to know You forever and as I seek You; I pray You will make me Yours. Please forgive me for my sins and make me strong in You. Like the changing seasons, I want to change with them. I am a piece of clay, asking the potter to shape me and make me Yours. Take me in Lord and grow me to be Your woman. There are millions of woman needing to know You. If You so choose, bless my ministry so that I can make You known. For all You do and for all You are, thank you for being my Maker, my Friend, my Father and my Protector. If You're not on my side, nothing else matters. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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