Contemporary Psalms

12-14-13

Seek the LORD and live...

Amos 5:6

This day I wonder, like a little kid, how God will answer these prayers... all these prayers! Thank You, God, for the freedom in Christ to return to child-like wonder. I thank You for choosing me to choose freely! Thank You for "the womb of the morning" where You receive me, meet me, feed me, and hold, and hear my prayers. I love the quietude I find in You, listening for Your guidance, responding as best I can, speaking truth as kindly as I can. It s soothing to hear You saying, "It is right to move a muscle in applying the tools I have given you to take better care of yourself." I now see that what ponce appeared to be selfishness in actually stewardship of Your vessel -- of which I am one. Thank You for helping me cut away the invisible chains that were around my neck, pulling me down into worldly work and a Martha mentality. Thank You for Your portrait of the contract between Maratha and Mary, and for Your clear admonition that Mary has chosen the better part.

People misunderstand this to mean we will not be workers in Your fields, but I have found that is not what it means. It means being about Your business and at Your prompting, and this is accomplished now in my life, one step at a time. Your Light is like manna -- sufficient for the day. And so today, LORD God, I ask that You will guide me regarding the next best this for me to do... how best to respond... Thank You for helping me speak direct, for helping me learn to say what I mean and mean what I say, but not say it mean. It does often sound mean to others -- and even You can sound mean to untrained ears. But You are not mean; You are not a "gotcha God." Other gods, lesser gods (of which there are many in the unseen realms) -- they are a'plenty and they are plenty mean. But You are not. You are for us, not against us. You have proven this true for me.

You have also proven that You are after us! You long to rescue us from our wayward insufficiencies and help us (if only we would let You). But we don't -- and we won't --especially when everything is going smoothly and we see no need for You. Thank You for the book I have downstairs called The Hound of Heaven, from which my take-away was that You are like a puppy, chasing after me, nipping at my heels. At some point, my little self chose to turn around and pat you, and You began to pat me! I have been Your puppy ever since, snuggling into You (sometimes playfully, sometimes weeping, sometimes laughing) -- so indescribably grateful that You persevered to catch me and give me such JOY in life as I have in You. I feel like a little kid!

It's not mean for You to chase us down, to pursue us until we realize that our joy in life is Your Presence, Your Love being poured into and out of us, That is why You do "shake the jar" and why You do allow us to "crash and burn" if we must. So often we find You only because we are absolutely desperate -- at our wits'end. So often You are received as a Gift Of Desperation!

And so, for those You have given to me for offering faithful and believing prayer, I do thank You, LORD. You are on it, and I know it, and, as this Quiet Time began, I simply say, like a little kid, "I wonder how You are going to answer these prayers!"

 The above image, by M&D Hill Photography, is from a Facebook page called 

Live Life in Color.