The gentle light of early morning awakens through the window pane. The flame of the fireplace softly flickers. A fresh cup of coffee is poured. My old furry friend is still resting soundly beside me. My soul yearns…anticipates….longs for the moments ahead to slow.
My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with Me!” And my heart responds, “Lord I am coming!” Psalm 27:8
Have you ever been asked to pick a favorite verse? When I’m asked, I simply cannot deliver an answer. ONE.favorite.verse? IMPOSSIBLE!
Countless promises have found their way onto lists, been recorded in journals, printed on posters, and cut into stacks of cards for later review. Numerous promises have carried, supported, braced, and strengthened me, step after heavy step…they’ve stormed the deepest caverns of my heart, replaced inky-black discouragement with blazing hope, they have been the bindings used to strap up the broken limbs of my soul.
But… this one verse… My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with Me….it enters a category of its own in my heart. It has been the most tender whisper to my soul, revealing God’s own longing to draw near to me.
So…this morning my heart responds, “Lord I am coming!” … not out of duty, not out of religious routine, not to earn my way toward favor with the Almighty. I come in response…because the Lover of my soul invites. The One who knows my deeply flawed and marred life… the One, who only hours before, witnessed my ridiculously short temper, or my selfish motivations, and all my missed opportunities… still yearns, still waits, still anticipates time alone with me….ah Friend… with us.
The One who knows the circumstances a day will introduce…the frustrations or the joys we’ll face, both the glorious and the throbbing memories that will be conceived… invites us to hear His heart FIRST, to anchor our emotions to His indestructible strength and to dream beyond the borders of our self-determined limitations. Mark Batterson writes, “When we open God’s Word, He opens His mouth and speaks to us through it!” Have you experienced this? Have God’s words ever leapt off the pages into your spirit? God designed His Living Words to become key players in shaping our thoughts, our motives, and our actions. He has used them to restore crushed spirits, straighten crooked pathways, and redeem broken lives.
His Word has reshaped my shattered past, secured my uncertain present, and paved a confident pathway for an unknown future. When God speaks through His Word, then what?
- Capture it: Like a fisherman with net in tow, I approach His Word with 4 Highlighters in hand, determined not to lose any part of my treasure. As I grip each one, He hears the cry of my heart:
Oh Jesus, I long to know YOU more! Please reveal to me even a glimpse into the immeasurable glory of your character, Your infinite holiness, Your boundless love! (Example: Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God)
Your promises anchor my hope in You and cause my roots to grow deep into your love! Please speak even one sustaining word into my situation today! (Example: Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.)
Thank you for people, principles and pathways that will help me grow to become more like Christ. As I respond to what you show me, allow Your image to be revealed in me. (Example: Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with allyour heart. and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)
Walking with you alerts me to recognize sin and the destructive entrapment of the enemy. You warn. You caution. Help me pay attention to your counsel. (Example: Col 3:8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
2. Record It: Find a way that works for you to record the Truths that impacted you. Try writing about them in a journal, on a laptop, or even on a stone….this step alone will help the promises become more sticky to your soul a midst the rush of the day.
3. Share it: The more we talk about the Truths God has revealed, the more they settle into the deep places of our spirit and become the fibers that bind the durable fabric of our life.
My prayer for you is that every time you read God’s Word, you will meet Jesus in a brand new way. He invites, “Come and talk to me.” Today I pray you hear yourself reply, “Lord I am coming!”
Beauty Awaits…
Patty
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts…this week’s comments will be entered in a drawing to win a Bible Highlighting Set.
Anchor of Hope: Song of Solomon 8:14 Come away, my Beloved….