When trials and tribulations come (oh and they will) where do we turn?? Really? We have 2 choices. One is towards God or away from Him. We reach to Him more: talking, crying out to Him, reading His word to find comfort in similar shared experiences in it OR we put Him aside, forgetting about Him, and reaching to our own instincts and resolutions to fix things or distract ourselves.
David says in the Psalms "He sent forth His word at it healed them." Is our hope in HIS words or others? Do we believe enough, knowing our prayers are actually deep conversations with a God who controls everything or do we simply pray because that's what we're supposed to do??? Be honest.
He's God and He's promised to be close to the brokenhearted(Ps 34:18). Do you believe this? I do. I really do. And I think one of the greatest references that we can ever ask in life is our own family. Our spouse and our children, as they live with us day in and day out and witness more than we even know. Our number one place of evangelism and discipleship starts in our home. And not as much as by what we say but rather what we say AND DO aligned together. Paul reminds us of this key prerequisite in leaders and overseers that they must manage their homes well. "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 1 Tim 3:4,5
I say this because it's been through my own trials that again the Lord has shown me the importance of family before Him. It's an institution that God has ordained and how it is so strongly under attack in society. Not only that, but so over looked and dismissed as hard work, or not exciting, or not glamorous BUT I am reminded through God's eyes that it is His desire that we would pour more of our efforts into being a husband and wife that are a foundation for our children through God and that we would teach and do life with our children helping them apply their faith.
So as I study more deeply in my own time, Ruth I am once again awestruck at all Naomi loses. Wow.... that woman had serious heartache and devastation. From famines, moving, husband dies, sons marry foreign women against their faith, then both sons die 10 years later.... wow... can you imagine?? So she turns to go back to Bethlehem with her 2 daughter in laws. Not an easy or short trip through the desert with just the 3 ladies. They start on the journey and it is during the journey that Naomi releases the very last thing she has to hold on to, her 2 girls. Wow... again....
How she inspires me even in this gesture. Both girls love her and are crying. Powerful. Two foreign daughters in law who aren't even blood relation and so one leaves with the blessing. But the other Ruth, shows me the power of Naomi's relationship with the Lord.
Naomi tries to coax her again saying "Ruth your sister in law is going back to her gods and her people. Go back with her"! But Ruth declares powerfully, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God MY GOD. Where you die I will die... may the Lord deal with me if anything but death separates you and me."..... there it is. There is the vow of a young, foreign daughter in law, who's life has been so rocked because of this woman "Naomi".
How could she give her life to this woman? I believe she had witnessed in 10 years, a woman who no matter what life threw at her she remained faithful and loving to her God and as a result to these girls which she treated as her own flesh and blood. Wow....
Then I started to think as mothers and fathers are we influencing our IN-Laws, Christians or not, that are inspired by our own faith journey? Then it was if the Lord opened my eyes to see the deeper more personal revelation.... to my own step children?? Step children would fit well here. Is there a spirit of God that fills our home and a love that I express that inspires our step children. Don't ask the parents... ask the children. Really. This is my desire and hence God is moving and teaching me in this arena for in spite of my own trials I find my faith stronger than ever and my girls especially tapping into it. For this time I may be slowed down and yet emotionally and spiritually we can talk through the many truths of being a teen girl. God's teen Royal girls....
I usually like to be quiet with the Lord first thing and yet when Roger is away I have opted to make breakfast each morning for the children. In this time we have good discussions. Brea shared that the night before she was asking God about her future as we were looking at university stuff etc, and as she cried out to Him with a heavy heart He answered her with Psalm 121. Read it.... it's awesome. She was in awe how the whole thing related to this topic she had expressed to Him before going to sleep that night. So I got her to get out her bible and read it aloud to Alyssa and I. So as sisters they too can share and witness God at work in each others lives.
For mother's day that weekend Brea asked what I wanted, to which I said I didn't need anything. (So, so true.) I really didn't need a gift. I actually asked them not to buy me flowers as personally the lilacs override any store bought ones. Then she pleaded and instantly I did know what would be a gift to me. If she memorized a chapter of the bible for me. :) She doesn't enjoy memorizing and thought it was a joke but I was serious. There is nothing I could indirectly feel of more value at that moment then seeding her heart and mind with God's word. :) I knew it was a crazy ask, but oh well. She asked. I left it, not bringing it up again.
At dinner on Mother's Day, she gave me some great lululemon outfits but the best was at dessert when she shocked me by reciting the whole chapter of Psalm 121 that had blessed her so much!! She knew how much it would mean to me. And did it ever!!!
I have to keep her inspired though :)... so later I recited half of Ephesians for her... I think I shocked my husband more than Brea. lol!! But that has been my little side project of committing that letter to heart and praying it back to God. It is powerful.
I simply want to invest my life where the Return is beyond human measure! That means my life and all I do shall remain centred on my God. My Lord, my one and only. Oh that those around us would say, "I want YOUR God to be MY GOD."
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