rest... in His love...

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears

has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:18-19 ESV

My morning starts off different than most...

a flurry of activity...

making morning coffee...

unloading the dishwasher...

loading the dishwasher...

cleaning the kitchen...

left a mess the night before...

The alarm to wake my husband...

goes off in the kitchen...

I'm still in bed... asleep...

Usually I'm up before him... 

I'm his alarm...

but I have to set one or I forget...

The strange noise wakes me...

It's time for you to get up...

he doesn't move...

I roll out of bed...

into the kitchen...

still in nightgown...

usually workout clothes come first...

The flurry of activity begins...

besides the kitchen...

other things come to mind...

getting dressed...

making the bed...

starting laundry...

shopping online for Christmas...

I pursue these activities... with a bit of guilt...

this is not how I like to start my day...

the coffee making... yes...

but the rest...

and the shopping...

I feel like it's distracting me from Him...

He is the One I sit with first in my mornings...

with coffee... devotional... prayer journal...

praise... and His Word...

a time to sit... rest... begin the day right...

So this morning...

everything felt wrong...

out of order... out of sorts...

but I continued with the flurry...

until it felt complete...

I sat with Him...

feeling stirred...

like I failed Him...

put Him on the back burner...

until I read...

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you;

he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV

He was with me in the flurry...

in the out of sorts waking...

He went before me in this day...

beginning with online Christmas shopping...

The fear I felt... came from my flesh...

my desire to do things right...

to please Him...

I realized as I sat... pondering His presence... His love...

Instead of being fearful... I should be thankful... and joyful...

He made the way... to get things done...

things I didn't know how they would happen...

After the guilt-ridden flurry and fear of failing Him...

I find myself filled with thanks...

resting in His love for me...

His direction in my day...

even if it seems off to me...

He was before and with...

and loving me all the way...

Father God... help me to remember the lesson of resting in Your love...

trusting You are near... going before me in my day...

no matter how it goes...

grateful for His guidance...

This morning He woke me...
a couple of hours earlier than usual...
guiding me to prepare... get ready...
for what He'd called me to do...

At first... hesitation...
thinking it way too early...
but things to do were on my mind...
not causing anxiety...
just present...

I tried to go back to sleep for a bit...
but when He awakens you...
you... are... awake...

As the day wore on...
now entering into evening...
I really haven't felt the effects...
of a very early morning...

Grateful for His guidance...
even when He wakes me early...
because when we follow Him...
He'll provide all that's needed...

Amen...

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

Psalm 16:7

learning to listen...

A large part of spiritual growth...
involves learning to listen...
to His Word...
to His Spirit...
to His promptings...

There's been many times in the past...
I've heard a thought...
considered it...
dismissed it...
and later thought...
Ahhh... that was Him...

This morning I woke with a thought...
one I thought yesterday...
but mostly resolved to dismiss...

When it woke me up...
I decided to listen...
He provided the time...
energy...
motivation...
to get it done...

I'm pretty sure it was Him...
His help in ordering my week...
but because I listened...
I may not know...
or recognize...
if it was Him...

When we dismiss His thoughts...
there is almost always regret...
a moment when you go...
I really should've listened...

But when we obey...
we don't always see the confirmation...
of all going well...
everything working out...
because there is no problem...
to get out attention...

Desiring to be more attentive to His voice...
avoid moments of regret...
be more active in His Kingdom...
so today...
I chose to listen...

You guide me with your counsel...

Psalm 73:24 ESV

walking wobbly...

...walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love...

Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV

Feeling a little wobbly in my walk lately... impatience... doing its work on me...

Impatience is a useful goad, but a very poor guide.

---Dag Hammarskjold

Desiring the One who guides... and not the one who prods...

For you are my rock and my fortress;

and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;

you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,

for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Psalm 31:3-5 ESV

May I walk worthy of You... 

steady... patient... not wobbly...

guided by You...

[Note: Yes... I forgot... again... to add the readings on Sunday's post... so here they are on Monday's... but thanks to editing... they are on Sunday now too...]

This week's readings for The Journey...
Monday                   Leviticus 14
Tuesday                   Leviticus 15
Wednesday              Leviticus 16
Thursday                  Leviticus 17-18
Friday                      Leviticus 19

seeking wisdom...

The wisest of women builds her house,

but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Proverbs 14:1 ESV

Seeking wisdom... for decisions... 

desiring to build... not tear down... 

Perhaps wisdom begins... by understanding... 

your own whims... and heart... can reap destruction...

Listening to Him... 

for direction... and guidance...

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom...

Proverbs 15:33 ESV