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Listen while you read: "May The Mind Of Christ My Saviour"1 (Lyrics) |
Matthew 12:32 – And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (ESV)
As I made a cup of tea to start the process of waking up, this song jumped into my brain:
- Nothing's too incy-wincy for His care
Nothing's too big, big, big for His power
Nothing's too teeny-weeny for His care.
– Doug Horley
I wrote recently about a crisis of faith that I had, which took me by surprise. It called into question the validity of what, pre-COVID-19, I had taken for granted: God's influence.
I had become lost in the thought of the enormity of the universe in which we live, without a designer God. With all this death and suffering, did I really need God to be there for what could be just an act of serendipity, a theory of a "big bang"? It was a fleeting thought for only a second, but the damage was done.
Like tumbleweed blowing across the desert of my heart, all spiritual life suddenly left town.
Okay, I had no one else to blame except myself. I had been so casual with God, because of my calling. I had forgotten to praise God for Himself, for myself, and for His love for me, and also to remember the things past that I have experienced at the hand of God.
I had forgotten resting, being like a sleepy child on a mother's knee, seeking the reassurance, the comfort, and the love of my Saviour.
For Easter communion this year, our congregation met outside, and I faintly had an inkling that God was speaking. In essence, the message was that He always shows up at the right time, and that we need to keep the faith in the interim quietness, and not to question His seasons of apparent inaction.
Today, as the song above played in my head, I remembered how God had reached into my life in a moment, a long time previously. It had been amazing to be changed so radically, so fundamentally and undeniably. It was liberating.
Reminded of that time, I was overwhelmed by joy. I sang the song above and remembered how God had lifted me out of the pit, even though it was decades ago. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound … "
I am the same now, but different, restored, and ready.
Let none of us deny what God can do today by speaking a creative, liberating word into our lives.
Prayer: Lord, we rejoice that You have set us free. You have brought deliverance, reconciliation, and salvation through what You did on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Be with us today. Restore, refresh, and renew a good heart in us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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Amen Rod.
Thanks for the good reminder, Rod.
Thanks, Rod. I shall look up your song and hope to sing it. Love to you in your work.
Yes!! I thank you so much. I hear you loudly and clearly, even though we are a few miles apart.
(Nova Scotia)
Hi Rod,
Thanks for your message. I particularly found these words meaningful, “Let none of us deny what God can do today by speaking a creative, liberating word into our lives.”
Blessings.
Hi Rod:
I just sent up a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for you to our mighty God. I remember reading your devotional about how you felt. A prayer went up then too.
God bless and help you now and always.
Good Morning Roderick
Thank you for the reminder, no matter what God is there, nothing too big or small for God to take care of.
Yes, I too get overwhelmed when I think of what God has done and what He has taken me out of. Amazing Grace for sure.
God bless.
HI Rod,
Some valleys are shallow, and others are deep, and we all have valleys.
We have three children all of whom bring us joy. Our youngest daughter was born with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She has had more than her share of trials… different medical conditions in the family. She also has a strength that can only come from the Lord which means she still has a song in her heart and a smile on her face.
Thanks once more for writing.
Good morning Rod,
I have never heard that song before, but it gets to the point. God is amazing and does appear at the right time, just when we need some bolstering or guidance or patience. Thank you for sharing openly about your experiences to remind us all that we are human, and God is all powerful. Usually, I attend on Easter morning a sunrise service and it is amazing how much closer I feel to God at those services. We have been in lock down the last two Easters so that has not been possible. Almost every year a cardinal sings while we are there, and it adds to the powerful feeling of God being with us. As I pray your prayer, I am blessed to know that God is always listening and ready to strength my faith. Blessings.
Hello Rod,
Yes, God certainly does speak to us (“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”)! Today’s devotional has channelled his voice to me, part of an on-going conversation with me on trusting Him more each day. You wrote, “I had forgotten resting…seeking the reassurance, the comfort, and the love of my Saviour.”, and I suddenly realized how much easier it is for me to pray that others will sense that, than it is for me to ask it for myself! And how I do need those blessings, too!
How true that God “…always shows up at the right time…” and aren’t those times of “interim quietness” the very planting ground for our faith and trust – something which is much easier to see, I find, in retrospect, rather than as we live through them. Yet, they are part of God’s work in our lives, as is the moment when we hear His amazing words to us, which carry us up, out of, and beyond. His timing is always right…don’t forget it, Don!
And yes – and this I too have held onto with much thanksgiving – remembering that time when He “lifted me out of the pit” and, yes, “It had been (and is) so amazing to be changed so radically, so fundamentally and undeniably.”
This was a wonderful reminder of these truths. Thanks, and Blessings.
Beautiful devotion. Thank you and love your devotions.
Blessings always.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us! Blessings.