Ready!

Monday, August 22, 2016 (7:46 a.m.)

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 (6:22 a.m.)

“He is kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.”

This is the Truth that has kept me company these past several hours of sleeplessness. Thank You Father. Thank You that it is to You I long to turn.

(9:13 a.m.)

“Thank and praise today. Fear and dread tomorrow.” It's a quote I just read in an e-article (http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/in_perfect_peace.htm) about perfect peace.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 (3:13 pm.)

And as it turns out, it wasn't a quote at all. It was my own limited understanding of what I was reading.

Blessed, Holy Father God,

Here I am. Finally ready to continue thanking and praising You for all You are and all You do on our behalf. I confess to You Dearest Dad, it's been a long haul. Yet so incredibly beneficial to my heart as well as my soul.

Getting to sit surrounded by Your Word. Truly just being still and knowing that You are God (Psalm 46:10). Reflecting on Your goodness and Your grace. Bless You Father. Thank You. Praise You.

My thinking was messy. I honestly felt trapped in an unending loop of hope, despair, hope...

But I kept reading. Hoping. Risking. Believing. And here I am. Ready! Ready to accept that all You say is true. Ready to believe that in You I am enough. I do not have to try and prove myself to You or anyone else. You love me exactly as I am.

“O LORD, You have examined my heart and know everything about me... You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD... You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it... How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable!” (Psalm 139:1, 3, 13-14, 17)

You know all this and still You love me. So here I come before You asking that You would teach me to love You, myself and others as You would have me love (Mark 12:30). With all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

I long to sing Your praises no matter the circumstances. I want to smile in the face of adversity. You have the power of providing me peace, perfect peace, when my mind is stayed on Thee (Isaiah 26:3). Stretch my faith Blessed God.

Here I again confess my reluctance in telling You I'm ready to be stretched because what if You take me at my word and stretch me in ways that I do not want to be stretched. But that's just the fear talking. I plan to be afraid tomorrow. Not today. Until You prove Yourself untrustworthy I am ready to take You at Your Word!

You keep working in me Father. Continue speaking Your Truth to me in the most unusual settings. Like the middle of early morning sleeplessness.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (Isaiah 26:3) I love You SO very much and I am eternally grateful to You for Your blessing and keeping of me (Numbers 6:24-26).

And here come the tears. I know me Lord. Oh, but You know me even better. I will waffle. I will waver. And The Message speaks even of this.

Just as I think I'm going in one direction, BAM, there's more to consider. Holy God, by reading the words, “At that time” (Isaiah 26:1) I read up the page to see of what time Your prophet was speaking. He had told of the devastation You would bring to the earth (Chapter 24). Followed by the judgment and salvation (25).

Chapter 26 begins with a song of praise to You and my head is still considering the devastation of the war torn streets we see on the news each day. We have choices each and every moment of where we will place our thoughts.

The Apostle Paul urged the believers in Philippi to fix their thoughts “on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8).

Remind me Father. Every single time I start to fret. Stew. Become overwhelmed with foreboding. I am Yours. You are good. You've got this. I can be scared tomorrow if I must but for now I am ready to believe You at Your Word.

Thanks Dad. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(772 words ~ 4:40 p.m.)