Shalom! Abba, Father

Monday, June 1, 2020 (5:37 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Most Dear and Holy God,

Distraught was the first word I looked up this morning.

(6:30 a.m.)

Now here I am. With tears in my eyes. And heart practically screaming, “Yes. Yes! A thousand times Yes!”

Shalom! Yes Father. Thank You. Your blessed shalom.

I went to sleep last night wondering how in this world was I to go on with our current trip now that we were no longer blissfully unaware of all that is taking place throughout the country. Peaceful protests turned riotous. Looting. Mayhem. National Guards…

Even the listing of facts here stabs my heart. Causing the tears to fall. 

Father God, You are so good. How it must pain Your heart to watch Your children behave so abominably toward one another. Such blatant disregard for the love with which You sent Jesus into this world.

Oh Father, there is absolutely no intent to spin this into something good. No. I am seeking Your Truth. Your best. Your will. And Your way.

That is exactly how I arrived at John 14:27. First from The Message. Starting at verse 25. Jesus speaking to His disciples. “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left - feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.”

Ah. Your promises.

Tree of Life Version. “Shalom I leave you, My shalom I give to you; but not as the world gives! Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid.”

I choose You Lord. I choose to lean in. Trust. Not be afraid. Rejoice. Be glad. And I’m going to need You to remind me of this decision with every single turn I take.

Again Chris Tomlin’s ♪Our God♪ sings Your Truth to me. ♪Water You turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind there’s no one like You, none like You! Into the darkness You shine, out of the ashes we rise there’s no one like You, none like You! Our God is greater, our God is stronger God, You are higher than any other Our God is Healer, awesome in power Our God! Our God!♪

Holy Father, this is not a stick my head in the sand, wimpy, wring my hands “Oh, I don’t know what to do” kind of prayer. No Father! This is a “strong in the mighty power of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10) serious call to prayer. 

(8:00 a.m.)

Father, as I continue seeking You I stand firmly on Your Word and Your promises. It is Your love this world desperately needs. You are Abba, Father.

Yes! Abba, Father! Discussed in Romans 8:15-17 I truly want the world to listen and believe Dear Lord.

Tears falling. Heart breaking. Me pleading. “So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into His family - calling Him ‘Father, dear Father’ [Abba. Father]. For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures - for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.”

Lord, we are promised New Life Through the Spirit; 8:1-17 (Illustrated Bible Handbook). Make us amenable and accepting of His presence in our everyday comings and goings. Stop the insanity Blessed God! As only You can!

You are Truth. All power. All knowing. All present. Do everything You must to bring glory to Your most holy name.

As I combat momentary fearfulness with Your ever available faithfulness, I call again on Your Shalom!

Standing on and quoting from The Life Recovery Bible comment for John “14:27 Many of us are dealing with stress and anxiety, grief and loss; we long for peace of mind and heart. So did the early disciples - they were about to lose their best friend and their Messiah. Their souls were indeed troubled, like many of us recovering from the loss of a job, a spouse, or children, or from a chemical addiction. They were looking for something to fill the void. Yet Jesus said He was leaving them with wholesome, fulfilling peace - shalom - unlike worldly peace, which is merely an absence of conflict. God can bring us peace even in the midst of our troubles (see 16:33).”

And I WILL see 16:33! Remembering that Jesus said to His friends and followers, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Hallelujah! Rejoice! Take heart.

“16:33 In this world, especially in recovery, we encounter ‘many trials and sorrows,’ many of them beyond our control. These can be endured with God’s help. On the other hand, some of our suffering is self-inflicted and can be avoided. In such situations, God still offers us peace as we muster the courage to make needed changes in our life. God’s forgiveness and loving acceptance can give us peace as we face all of our trials and sorrows. God’s power can lead us through recovery; He has already overcome all the obstacles that stand in our way!”

Oh, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” The grace of the Lord Jesus be with us all (Revelation 22:20b-21).

“22:20-21 It is unhealthy to harbor unrealistic dreams about a future that will never come about. But it is very healthy for us to anchor our new life and recovery in the certainty of Christ’s return. By trusting Christ with our future, we can better deal with our past and live a more productive present. Like the apostle John, we can pray for Christ to return soon, because we know for certain that He will come. This will not only give us hope to persevere during tough times; it will deepen our personal relationship with Him. Then Christ’s unconditional acceptance and unlimited power will continually undergird us in recovery.”

Oh, most dear and blessed God. How desperately we need Your Shalom! Abba, Father. Do as only YOU are able! We love You. We need You. We thank You. We praise You. Glory be to Thee Dear Abba, Father. Amen.

(1,125 words ~ 9:30 a.m.)