Read His Words Before Ours! Psalm 23 John 6:27-35 James 1:2-4 I had to sit and meditate on this verse for a long time. I read every commentary you could imagine. I read and reread the entire 23th Psalm. I thought about it all throughout the week, and still, I hadn’t had that, “AHA!” moment. But I think I’ve started to figure out why. As I sit at my favorite table at my favorite cafe just a few blocks from my house, the Spirit pokes at my heart… “when have you felt the Lord make you lie down in green pastures?” What moments in my life can I look back, and without a doubt, say there, He made me lie down? As those moments begin to flash in my memory, I realize that for some of those, I didn’t want to lie down. He literally had to make me. When my twin daughters were born, six weeks premature, and spent two weeks in the NICU, it was one of the most trying times of my life. If you’d told me God was making me lie down in green pastures, I would’ve snickered and rolled my eyes. But, almost three years removed, I can look back and say that He was there, holding me, making me lay down and rest. Providing for me. Being my sufficiency. I had hours upon hours to sit and hold my sweet girls, without being interrupted by the daily demands of trying to keep a house clean, prepare meals, or follow a newborn schedule. And while God never wants to His children hurting or suffering, sometimes He allows it. The very good God allowed my babes to spend time in the NICU, and in it, He showed His goodness by making me lie down. When my youngest daughter was hospitalized twice last year, again, I was forced to rest and be in the moment. Jesus was making me lie down in green pastures. I wouldn’t have seen it then. I’m not sure I would’ve seen it a week ago. But I see it now. Had I been offered those chances of rest, I wouldn’t have taken them. Which is why He had to MAKE me lie down. But the other part of that verse is just as crucial as the first… “in green pastures”. He wanted to feed me, good and nutrient-rich food. The Bread of Life. Jesus. Who is essential for life. God was giving me that time to be fed, to learn to fully rely and trust in HIM, to take Him in, and soak in His promises of love and protection. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs, “Blessings” by Laura Story. We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family Protection while we sleep We pray for healing For prosperity, We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering. And all the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much, to give us lesser things. What if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re here? What if trials of this life, are Your mercies in disguise? And here I am, crying all over again as I think about the trials I’ve faced in my life. What if God used the moments created by this fallen world, to show me His blessings, His mercies, and to make me lie down in green pastures? As I think about this coming year for me… a year I’ve dubbed my year of living “simply”. Simplifying my wardrobe. Simplifying the amount of things in my pantry, closets and drawers. Simply serving more by writing more notes and preparing more meals for people. Simply reducing the input I receive from social media. Simply eating a more balanced diet. Simply finding joy in the little things. Simple. Every time when the Father was making me lie down in green pastures… He was helping me simplify my life so I can spend more time with Him. As I’m striving for simplicity, I now see myself as trying to lay down in those green pastures. Maybe this year, God won’t have to “make” me. Rephrase that to… prayerfully, if I listen to what God is calling me to, He won’t have to make me lie down because I already am. In surrender. Ready for the rich and nutrient-filled grass that I can freely feast on when I’m in green pastures. And there it was… my “AHA!” moment. It came as these words flew from my fingertips because I was writing what the Lord was speaking to my soul… an invitation to come away, feast on Him, and know Him more deeply. Not overrun or overruled by my busyness. Rather, an invitation for me to lie down and rest. It is so simple. He makes me lie down in green pastures. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
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Read His Words Before Ours! Luke 10:25-37 Luke 10:38-42 Psalm 46:10-11 Mark 6:30-32 “Being a mama is your most important job right now. It is your great calling and it is a wonderful calling with amazing rewards. It is alright to let other things go and focus on your little girls, it really is.” With everything in me, I wanted to protest that I knew that and I was able to do that while serving at the same time. But I couldn’t even protest, because I knew it was true. I am walking in a season of saying “no” and of letting go. This is a hard season. I’ve let go of potential job opportunities, I’ve said no to other opportunities. I’ve let go of ministries I’ve served in, and said no to serving in other capacities. For a woman who loves to say “yes” and loves to go, go, go, this season is a hard one. So, when an older, wiser mama spoke those words to me, I allowed them to wash over me and settle on my soul, and I cleared another day on my schedule. As I reread the parable of the Good Samaritan for what felt like the umpteenth time, I was stricken with a resemblance between my life and the lives of two of the characters… and not the ones I would want to resemble either. Have I been like the Priest and the Levite who were so busy traveling that they couldn’t even stop to help the beaten, dying man on the side of the road? They saw that he was physically broken, and yet they completely avoided him because they were too busy. They missed out. And so did the man. My entire life has been filled with event after appointment after assignment. I can’t help but wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed because of that full calendar. Was I too busy rushing from place to place that I missed a chance to love someone? In that same story, we read of one man, who may have been in a hurry himself, but wasn’t too busy to actually stop. This man, a Samaritan, an outcast from the elite “chosen people of God”, stopped in the middle of his travels, completely halted his plans, and loved a total stranger. Right after that parable, we read about Martha and Mary, two women who loved the Lord but showed their love in different ways. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, scampering to and fro, preparing food for Jesus, making sure His water cup was full, attending to all of His needs and serving Him. Her sister, Mary, however, sat near to Jesus, listening intently to everything He had to say. She was so enthralled with Him, that she wouldn’t miss a moment. Unsurprisingly, Martha got rather annoyed with her sister, who wasn’t helping at all. It was almost as if Mary just expected Martha to serve her!Martha was working hard for Jesus! She was busy and tired from that busyness. So she asked Him if He cared that Mary left her to serve alone. I imagine Jesus answering her in the way men often answer women- we ask a man to fix our problem and he looks at us with amusement and gives us the obvious solution to our problem. Jesus’ answer seems so obvious we almost can’t accept it. Jesus looked at Martha, His eyes slightly bewildered, but full of compassion because He knew her so well. Then He said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary…” going on to tell her it was more important for Mary to sit and spend time with Him, learning and listening, than it was for Martha to serve Him. Let’s stop there for just a moment. Jesus said it was more important for Mary to spend time with Him than it was for Martha to serve Him. Sucker punch. So many times I allow myself to believe that I need a schedule jam-packed and full of serving in order to prove my love for the Lord. That isn’t what He asks. He asks for a schedule with space enough to love. Space enough to not miss out. Space enough for sitting with Him. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
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Kendra LeeAnneFrom Bible studies to blogs, articles to musings of the heart, Kendra's writings are unbarred and raw - exactly how she speaks. Categories
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