continue: hope and history

Monday, February 10, 2014 (6:00 a.m.)

Amazing God of Glory,

You continue working in and through us. You continue working and we continue believing. Believing You. Believing Your Word. Believing Your promises. And in so doing we continue growing.

Blessed Father God, I can't even begin to thank You enough for the changes You have worked and are working in each of us. And now I am in tears.

Father, the gratitude I have for You runs deep. To my very core. I read Your words of hope and history and I realize that is what we are currently experiencing. Hope and history. We have hope in You and Your Word because of the history we find therein.

You are good. Mighty. Gracious. Loving. Kind. Jealous. Forgiving. You know what You want for and from us and You don't settle for less. Thank You Father for training us not to settle either.

You are currently teaching me the fine art of letting go of things. Things I thought I would keep around me forever. Things that are exactly that... things. You are showing me first hand that there is great freedom in letting go. This is something I absolutely cannot do on my own. The ability to part with long held items is coming straight from You. And I am asking for more of Your power in this area today.

Father God, I love You. I love You with a trusting belief that comes only from the hope and history of what I read and all we have experienced in loving and being loved by You. Reading Isaiah 48:1-11 [Tested in the Furnace] is where the tears began.

Being reminded of how truly well You know each and everyone of us touches my heart deeply. “I knew how hard and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron; you are as hardheaded as brass” (v. 4). Oh how closely I fit that description!

“You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me. A sorry track record of fickle attachments – rebels from the womb. But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people” (8-11).

That's where the tears fell. Tears of self recognition. Tears of hope. Reading a comment for the next three verses (12-15) I am again reminded of my own history.

“Amidst the uncertainties and turmoils of life, we can derive comfort from knowing who God is. He is the God of the past, who knows all of the troubles that have brought the pain we experience today. He is the God of the future, who knows what lies ahead and can be trusted with guiding us in the right path. He is the Creator, who has power over all His creation and sovereignty over all history. We can surely trust a God this powerful to see our recovery to completion.” (The Life Recovery Bible).

It IS in You I trust Dearest Father. I trust and hope. Use me this day as You wish. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(591 words ~ 7:28 a.m.)