Friday, May 16, 2014

Love Letters

This morning I was speaking with a friend of mine about praise and worship and life in general. We both have had both good and bad experiences in our walks with God. The discussion moved to how we sometimes get into what we call a “funky mood” (yes, we are both old enough to remember when that phrase was used often) where we are upset or displeased or depressed – something just not right. As we talk it occurred to me that we read the scriptures – say all the letters that Paul wrote – we get this image of how strong these people were and all the great stuff and miracles going on in their lives. However, what about all the days in between? My guess is Paul had down times as well.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

James also wrote about this same thing, where believers are just people like everyone else.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

We all go through both good times and times of struggle in our walks with God. The goal is to focus on God, not the good and bad times. When we focus on God, then we see God in these times. Perhaps the good times are the most difficult because we can tend to forget to focus on God in those times. The interesting point to our discussion came in what my friend said that he had started the day before to help get him in a better place. Yesterday he started to journal about what was going on with him first thing in the morning and then again in the evening, just communing with God. And it was beginning to show fruit. It reminded me of the way life has changed for me since I began writing here more than a year ago. There are still ups and downs, but now I know that if I just focus on God, then it will be God I see, not the things around me. We can all write love letters to God.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High. You are so wonderful to us in our everyday lives, yet sometimes we forget to look to see You. Please forgive us for that, and all that we do not in Your ways. Please send the joy of Your presence into our lives today, Father. Send us Your deliverance, healing, and very abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.