All posts by heyjudeev5@gmail.com

Trusting in the Dark

By Judy Villanueva

1 Samuel 1:12-18
Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.”

It is a mystery as to why some prayers are answered as we hope and others are not. Most often, there is no way of making sense of it. When a heart’s desire is suspended, a desperate prayer unsatisfied or when the thing braced against happens, we are left to travail with questions about God. Is He good? Does He hear? Can He, and if He can, why doesn’t He? We join Job and a great company of brothers and sisters in the faith who have traveled through a dark night on a well-worn path of suffering with no clear answers. It has always both baffled and amazed me that God allows us to wander along these roads of unknowing. How does He tolerate us second-guessing His wisdom, accusing Him of not caring, or thinking Him impotent to act on our behalf? How does He stand it when we cry out in the dark?

I don’t pretend to have answers, only a few morsels of grace that I have gleaned along the path of my own dark night. If you are in the middle of a season of desolation, know that you are not alone. Many Christians have traveled this road and have shared the pain of not having answers and not feeling God. It is an arduous and lonely passage. You might find, like I did, that it is helpful to have someone listen and care that you feel lost, even if they cannot relocate you. One such friend of mine sat with me and listened to my lost thoughts…so unpleasant and raw. After some quiet, she finally said, “Judy, stop striving. God knows where you are and is able to bring you through this dark night and into a place of dawning. Rest. Be at peace.” She didn’t tell me to stop feeling lost and she didn’t offer any answers to my questions, but her reassurance that God knew where I was and could help me find His heart again, planted a seed of hope and light. It felt relieving and helped me begin to let go of my need to understand everything and make room for God to be God.

Inherent in dark nights are invitations to widening spaces where we grow in our capacity to allow God to be Someone we can count on, but cannot control… Someone who loves us perfectly, but does not explain the unfoldings around us.

Dark nights are humbling as they teach us to want God. What I love about Hannah is that she brought her suffering heart to God. She poured out her soul before the Lord…her troubles, sorrows, and disappointments. She didn’t turn her back on God in her despair, but rather, trusted Him with her pain. She stayed in relationship and, by His grace, held onto His love in the middle of the night. How it must bless God to be sought and trusted in the dark. We, too, must bring our honest tears to God, and trust that He listens and cares deeply, even if we cannot feel His presence or understand our circumstances. Can you rest and be at peace knowing that God is able to bring you through the dark night and promises to remain close until the dawn breaks? God knows where you are and is able to help you find your way back to His heart.

“Father, I pray for anyone reading this who may be experiencing a dark night and cannot feel You with them. Let these words reassure that You are, and will always be as close as the breath they breathe. Bring peace and new life. And, may You, the God of Israel, grant the petition they have made to You. Let them find favor in Your sight. Amen.”

How about you?

Have you experienced a season of feeling lost and disappointed with God?

Can you pour out your heart to God in prayer?

Seek a listening friend. Is there a pastor, priest or friend who is available to listen and pray with you?

Worship

“I Will Not Be Shaken” by Tommy Walker

“Praise You in the Storm” by Casting Crowns

Dearly Loved

By Judy Villanueva

Ephesians 5:1-2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Whenever my little grand daughter leaves the room for a nap, upon her return she makes a joyful announcement, “Hey guys! I’m here!” And, we all clap and say, “Hooray! Livy’s back!!!” Her smile broadens and her eyes light as we cheer her back into our company. What a picture of living loved! What freedom to the soul to wake up each day and enter life assured and convinced that we are indeed wanted and welcomed! How would this awareness impact our thoughts about ourselves, our reactions to others, and the way we enter rooms?

What would happen to the constraints that keep us from loving freely if we believed and held deeply that we are dearly loved children?

So many things interfere with our freedom to love and be loved. We are fragile creatures with fractured hearts and tend to interpret life from the wounds within us. We hold offenses, real and imagined. We live braced for rejection. We compare ourselves with others and either come up wanting or puffed up. Out of our insecurities we become critical or withdrawn, and out of our fears we become judgmental and guarded. We try not to know the truth about our places of need, but the fact is, we leak! When we say an unkind word or withdraw because of an offense…when we criticize and judge, or hold ourselves apart from others because we fear rejection, we realize we are not free to love and, sadly, are not living loved! On a good day, we let ourselves know this and are helped to look up and reach out for the One who can free us…the One who faithfully waits for us to wake up to His presence.

Learning to imitate God as dearly loved children is vital if we are ever to follow Christ into a life that becomes a fragrant offering. But, how do we enter more deeply into the love of God? How do we make it ours in such a way that we begin to leak love? God made us for His love and He desires for us to fully know and feel His love as best we can. As we face Him, walk with Him, listen to His voice and learn to trust Him, our hearts begin to heal.

Our capacity to believe that we are loveable and indeed loved by a great King expands and before we know it, we are living a little more loved than yesterday!

His love heals our wounds, secures our hearts and frees us to feel grace for others, patience, greater acceptance, and growing openness to become a fragrant offering to God. Listen for the sound of the Father’s clapping! Let your smile broaden and your eyes light up as He cheers you into His company where you are wanted, welcomed and…dearly loved.

“Father, I want to live in the reality of Your love! I want to be set free to love and become a fragrant offering. Heal the wounds that interfere with a clear flow of love in and through my heart to others. Help me say the best “yes” to all the ways that You invite me to live loved. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you feel dearly loved?

Are you aware of your “leaks”?

Can you look up and reach out for God with your places of need?

Do you feel free to love others? Pray and ask God to help you believe and feel His love.

Denying Christ

By Judy Villanueva

Simon, Simon behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; And once you have turn again, strengthen your brothers.”

“Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”

“…the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.”

And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Face to face with who we ARE and AREN’T . Peter had boldly declared his allegiance to Jesus even unto death and within hours denies knowing Him! I wonder what he was thinking after the first two denials? Was he unaware or so shaken that Jesus had been arrested that spoke before he thought? Then, the third denial — and the rooster crows — and then the moment when Jesus turns and looks at Peter! Some pretty gruesome things awaited Him and yet, He turns away from his own pain and looks directly at Peter. So zealous for Christ that he had climbed out of the boat! So passionate that he declared his undying loyalty to Jesus! Startled by the rooster’s crow, Peter awakens to the echo of his denials and is horrified to remember Jesus’ earlier warning. Don’t you wonder what Peter saw as he looked back at Jesus over the crowd, through the denials? What did he see in the eyes of his Savior?

I can only imagine that he saw the love of his dearest friend! Did he see eyes that conveyed sadness, a heavy heart that suffers when we fall? Did he perceive Christ’s love that would remain true in the face of personal failure?

In that moment, did Peter understand a commitment so deep and strong that he was literally upheld and held together by a look?

Jesus knew. He knew Peter and He knew Peter would fail, but when the moment came there were no “I told you so’s” just a movement and a look that both corrected and affirmed Peter. Peter wept bitterly as regret and shame surrounded him, but Jesus had a plan.

Beyond our transgressions, God always has a plan!

And me? I am Peter. Every time I do not stand with Jesus in my thoughts, words or actions, I deny Him. I say I’ll love him unto death but when life gets hard and fear presses in, I react as though He is not faithful or worse, does not exist. That is the biggest denial—-to live as though Jesus is NOT. Nevertheless, He remains faithful. He remembers we are dust, foresees that we’ll stumble and prays for us. He looks at us and His eyes tell us we are held! He is and He is faithful! And, I am and always will be His child, loved and forgiven.

“Lord, may I look at my brothers and sisters the way You look at me. Not with judgment or impatience, but with love. Your love that forgives, understands and gives strength. Thank You for seeing around all the corners of my life and for praying that my faith will stay strong. Thank You for planning beyond my failures and making a way through shame to Your heart of love. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you ever falter in your faith?

Can you see Jesus turn and look at you? Can you receive the love in His eyes?

What does this passage stir in you? What do you need from Jesus?

God has planned magnificently beyond any transgression. He loves you and wants you to see His eyes of love.

Worship

He Calls Me Friend

December 7, 2013Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

“The whole of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.” (AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, p.129)

The God of heaven is eager to be friends with me? I was reading along, soaking up Tozer’s words inviting me to understand the goodness of God, and all of a sudden I happened upon this sentence. I paused…and read it over and over. “The God of heaven is eager to be friends with me.” Yet, again my image of God is confronted! I realized, as I sat there and let this thought sit next to me, that I don’t think of God in this way…as eager to be my friend. It sounds so…so…friendly! The idea that we dwell under a friendly sky is as happy as it is consoling at this time in my life when I am far away from my closest friends. Days can feel lonely and making new friends takes time…a little more than I expected. What comfort Jesus’ invitation to friendship gives to all of us who need a friend! I am accustomed to relating to God as Father, Jesus as Son and Savior, the Spirit as Counselor and companion but, what does a friendship with God look like?

As I sit by the fire working to wrap my mind around the notion of a friendship with God Almighty (!), the phone rings. “Hi, sweetie!” It’s one of my favorite voices… and it belongs to my mom! I love the sound of her “hello,” the warmth I feel in her voice and the picture of her that comes to my mind as I listen to her telling me about her and dad’s latest excursion to the Italian Club. I find myself smiling and become aware of the love between us, and the little bits of life being shared across the miles. It occurs to me that God just might be helping me understand His eager heart to be my friend as I enjoy my mother’s company on the phone. It’s not strenuous or complicated…just a gift, a moment, a relationship I need only welcome and receive. I’m starting to get the picture! In a very real way, God is always calling. He offers His love and friendship all hours of the day and through the night. He loves His children profoundly and eagerly waits for opportunities to share bits of life with us! We need only to allow for the moments…to welcome and receive His friendship. I want to be God’s friend and I want to experience His eagerness to be mine! Don’t you?

“Help me, dear and eager Friend, to discover your goodness around me and to know you not only as Father, God, and Savior, but also, as my dearest Friend. Help me to welcome and receive Your friendship and love. Amen.”

How about you?

Do you need a good friend?

Have you ever thought about God as eager to be your friend?

How might you welcome and receive His friendship today?

If friendship with God seems hard to imagine, pray and ask God to help you discover His love and become His friend.

Forsaken

December 4, 2013Knowing God, Lenten Reflections, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

An incredible question considering it came from the mouth of our Savior. Jesus felt forsaken! Imagine this moment…Jesus had always enjoyed God’s presence throughout His life and ministry. In fact, He had for all of eternity. But, at this moment, hanging on the cross in pain…torn from His Father, bearing the weight of sin on His back, and facing the darkest night imaginable, His soul bellows for God with a “What’s going on?” “Where are You?” cry! Left. Alone. Abandoned. Jesus actually asks “Why?” He knows why, right? But, in the hour of truly being forsaken, His heart is pierced with a devastating sorrow and He cries out for comfort…for His Father! To be sure, the pain of the cross was physical torture…but, I wonder if the worst of our Savior’s nightmare was when His Father turned His face away!

Jesus identifies with those times when life gets so painful that we cannot see or feel God near. He understands. And, when we cannot see through our suffering and circumstances to God, Jesus keeps seeing for us! He knows how it feels to be so engulfed in suffering and sorrow that nothing much makes sense. He knows how it is to feel forsaken. For Jesus, however, it was a devastation like we’ll never have to know because in that moment when all sin was laid on Him, Justice demanded that God turn away and separate from His beloved Son…the Son with whom He’d shared intimate and joyous communion since before the beginning of time! For our sake! The Father and the Son endured the ripping apart of their union so that we would never have to be…forsaken!

The beauty of Love’s sacrifice for my sake brings me to tears…to my knees in gratitude and wonder. And yet, there are days when I take for granted this gift of Love. Days that are tiresome or painful or sad or just plain busy when I forget that God so loved me that He gave His only Son. I don’t want to forget…not for one moment! I am grateful to Jesus for enduring the cross and staying until His work was finished…I am grateful to the Father for allowing His heart to be broken for me…and, I am grateful to tears that no matter what I’m going through or what I have done, God will never turn His face away from me. He will never abandon me…He made sure He’d never have to!

“Words cannot say thank you sufficiently! Your Love poured out on the cross baffles me to the core…so great and powerful a Love! Thank you for being forsaken for my sake…for loving me unto death. Help me to honor you with my life and never take for granted the gift You’ve given me. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you ever feel forsaken?

When you feel lost, do you forget that God is always near?

Can you receive the good news that God will never leave nor forsake you?

Jesus gave His life for you. He loves you. He always has a plan. Spend time remembering His love today.

Pleasing the King

November 30, 2013Knowing God, Lenten Reflections, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Luke 23:8-11
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been waiting to see Him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied Him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer…Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him…”

Why didn’t Jesus answer Herod? From all accounts, Herod was pleased to see Jesus and He probably could have won His freedom if He had spoken to Herod or at least placated him with a miracle or two. There was nothing to pin on Jesus, so all He had to do was kiss up a little, schmooze the king…make a friend in a high place and get out of jail free. Right? Why did Jesus stay silent and risk ticking off the king? Was it, as it so often is, about more than people pleasing or getting out of jail? Was Jesus looking through the king to a heart and beyond a request to a Face…His Father’s?

Herod wanted to be entertained. He had heard of Jesus and wanted to see for himself what this miracle worker could do! Instead, like a pet that won’t perform on command, Jesus refused to entertain the king and the king was not pleased! How dare Jesus not satisfy his appetite! Herod’s pride was surely wounded because, after all, he was the king and was accustomed to having his every wish accommodated. But Jesus wasn’t there to tickle or entertain. He had only one thing on His mind…the one thing always on His mind…to do the will of His Father. His silence was not only a response to a hardened heart, but most assuredly an act of obedience.

And me? How often do I summon Jesus to accommodate my wishes rather than to enjoy His company? How do I react when Jesus doesn’t meet my expectations…when He disappoints me or doesn’t act the way I want? I wish I could say that I always trust his heart and rely on His wisdom more than anything, but the truth is that, like Herod, I often become disgruntled and disappointed. No, I don’t curse Him or shout insults at Him, but I do ever so subtly call Him a false king every time I doubt His wisdom, faithfulness and good plans for my life.

“Forgive me, Jesus, for not honoring You as the wise King that you always are…for not Trusting You when I am afraid…for denying Your love and wisdom when I am disappointed or don’t understand outcomes. Help me to remain devoted to You no matter what and to trust more deeply in your faithful love. Amen.”

What about You?

Do you ever find yourself wanting things from Jesus more than wanting Jesus?

How do you respond when it feels like Jesus is not answering?

God is patient. Ask to know Him more and better…to want to want Him most of all!

Water Walking

November 23, 2013Character/Virtues, Knowing God, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Matthew 14:25-29

“During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come.” He said.

As I imagine myself on the Sea of Galilee as this familiar story unfolds, the first thing I can identify with is the terror that these young men feel at seeing a figure coming toward them during the fourth watch of night. It had to be a ghost! What else could explain what they were seeing? Then, a Voice calls to them from the center of their fear…One they recognize…One that has been with them as a friend and teacher. “Take Courage! It is I. Don’t’ be afraid.” What would it be like to hear Jesus say these words in the midst of whatever has frightened or disturbed your soul? I find myself reading and re-reading the sentence, taking it in for myself…for today…for my life, here and now.

I don’t feel ready, but I continue to read and find myself captivated by Peter’s reply to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you tell me to come to you on the water.” What? Peter didn’t just want to be with Jesus, he wanted to be with Him on the water! I love it! In short order, Jesus would have joined Peter and the disciples on the boat but Peter wants more! He wants Jesus AND he’s willing to step into the impossible made possible to get there! Can you even imagine what Peter was thinking and feeling? It boggles my mind and calls to my spirit with a grand invitation to want ALL that Jesus has for me… to any and all water-walking moments!

Seeing Jesus defy the laws of nature filled Peter with the gumption for an audacious ask! And, “Come” was all he needed to hear in order to get out of the boat and put his feet ON the water!! I know that Peter sinks…but before he sank, he walked on water! I want to be with Jesus, too. I want to let His water-walking life inspire moments where I, too, say “If it’s you, tell me to come” no matter how frightening or impossible the first steps might seem. I want to hear His voice of love and authority sweep me up and out of my fears and place my wobbly feet on the water beside His!

“All of you, Lord! All of you. Let me hear your voice of love calling to me from the midst of my worries with a command to take courage! If it’s Your voice declaring, “It is I. Do not be afraid” I will not be afraid! If it’s You, Lord, make a way on the waters and tell me to come! Amen.”

What about you

Where do you need to hear Jesus say, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ?

What does this passage stir in you?

What is in your heart to ask of Jesus?

Do you need to hear Jesus say “Come” today?

Rejoice Always!

November 21, 2013Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (Thes.5:16-18)

At first glance, the exhortation to “rejoice always” seems unrealistic. How can I be glad and full of joy all the time? Giving thanks for happy times comes easily enough but, what about the tired, sad, or lost days? Is there a secret to giving thanks in all circumstances? I am convinced that it has everything to do with drawing in and drawing on the truth about God.

God is. He is good. Merciful. God is Loving. He is Kind. Faithful. God knows everything, all the time, perfectly. He is all powerful. Wise. God is Sovereign. Then add the word Infinitely to each of these attributes and watch what happens! His goodness is boundless! His mercy never ends! His love is everlasting! His power inexhaustible, His wisdom limitless, and His faithfulness over, above, in and through all…now and forever!

If I can keep drawing the reality of who God is into my consciousness, then “rejoicing always” becomes a real possibility. But, is it also a choice…a decision…a place of obedience? Does directing my heart and mind toward remembering God and laying the truth of Him over all circumstances tap the springs of life? “In Thy presence is fullness of joy” is the verse that comes to mind. And there it is! God is the Who that makes our hearts want to rejoice always, no matter what, no matter where! His supreme, complete and perfect presence becomes our residing joy, our hearts desire and our fullness of life.

“Father, once upon a time you told me that what my heart needs most is to love and be loved by You. When I’ve cried out for other “wants”, you’ve been kind…and steady in encouraging me to want You. Thank you for helping me to find my way and for breathing Your presence over me in a way that keeps announcing your love and becoming my joy! Amen.”

How about you?

What makes you rejoice?

Are you able to draw in and draw on the truth about God?

Do you need God to breathe His presence over you today? To be your place of peace and joy in the midst of your circumstances?

Make time for God today. A worship song, a walk, a friend, the Word, a prayer…a place for being loved.

Trust in the Lord

November 18, 2013Disorientation, Knowing God, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Do you ever feel like God will be faithful to everyone but you? I had an interesting experience in prayer today. Just as I was feeling the Lord encourage me to trust Him with the things I’ve been praying about, I became aware of another voice…a voice that I recognize is often crouching in the corners waiting to shout doubt and unbelief over me. “No, it won’t happen for you. God won’t be faithful to you. Oh, He will be faithful to your friend and your friend’s friend, but He won’t come through for you and you will be left alone to figure it out.”

Doubt and unbelief are tenacious enemies of faith! They skulk about in the shadows determined to steal freedom and life from God’s children. As I sit here in the early hours of the morning, and look out at the gently colored sky, I could not be more convinced that God is trustworthy! As I read the Bible and peruse my own life story, God’s faithfulness is evident, sweet, and strong. I don’t think there is anything truer in the universe than that God deserves my whole-hearted trust. Nevertheless, the reality is that my faith wrestles with doubt and wars regularly with the part of me that wants to know what I cannot know, control what I cannot control. I stubbornly lean on my own understanding and then wonder why I have no peace.

This proverb refers to a faith that free falls into the arms of God! It invites an unshakable confidence in a God whose heart is pure and whose absolute power ensures His sovereignty here, now and forever. It asks us to let go of our doubts and trust beyond outcomes. It affirms that God will make straight our path and beckons the trust right out of our hearts! And, we can trust because He has control of this world and our lives within it…because God can’t not be faithful. It isn’t dependent on His mood…Faithful is who He is!

“Lord, I want to trust You with my whole heart. Please quiet the voices of doubt that interfere with my freedom to believe that You can do beyond all that I ask or think. Expand my knowledge of You and fill my heart for full and surrendered faith. Amen.”

What about you?

How do you do with trusting God? How would it feel to trust Him with your whole heart?

Does leaning on your own understanding get in your way of faith?

Take time to remember God…acknowledge His love and power to provide and direct your path.

Comforting Space

By Judy Villanueva

Isaiah 49:15-16
Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?  Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.

“That God is omniscient…He knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn… God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters…all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good evil, heaven and hell.” (AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy)

I had a disappointment today…and it felt good to be reminded that God knows everything, all the time. What a consolation to reflect on the attributes of God! It is vital to refresh our minds with the truth about God so that our hearts can rest in who God is when life gets tricky. For me, it’s been a season of waiting…after living in one community for close to thirty years, my husband and I have relocated to a new city. There is the thrill of new adventures here and so many things that give us tremendous joy, but there is also a strenuous part that involves re-rooting and finding new places of belonging. I have enjoyed great favor in my life but this season has invited me, or imposed on me, a time of not feeling wanted or needed. Yuck. Oh, it’s not personal but it is humbling and frustrating and a little scary. After a good cry, I played worship songs and began cleaning the house, paying bills, filing and doing other normal things that distract and occupy me while my mind and heart reach for God’s comfort.

Where do you go for comfort when you’ve been hurt or disappointed? What helps you calm when you feel sad? Comfort. The Lord’s gift of touching us, His children, and bringing peace to our hearts…a transcendent peace that overrides our human capacity to trust, let go, and believe that because God is, we can relax and lean back into his complete hold of our life. But how do we receive this comfort and where do we go to find it? We are each unique and our road to peace will also be unique, but one thing is common for all of us. That is, finding comfort takes place under the wing of God, in His presence, with His heart, on His lap, in His arms of love…and taking time to be held is a necessary part of finding comfort. In other words, we must pause from all our doing and frenetic efforts to be…be fine, be successful, be all that…and make space for God’s comfort.

Your comforting space might be a walk or sitting quietly in the middle of a garden. It might be doing mundane chores while listening to worship songs, or watching children play. Your way of quieting might include reading the Word or praying with a friend…going on a long run or enjoying the silence and solitude of your own living room. The point is that “slowing” helps us settle down, find God’s wings and nestle in! And, there next to the Almighty, we experience His compassion for us…we are refreshed and reminded that He cannot forget us, nor would He ever! He knows us intimately as He knows everything, all the time! Held there, in the quiet and space, God’s love speaks to our sadness and disappointment, our fears and anxious thoughts. He shows us our names written on His hands and this enfolding of love brings a deep comfort that helps us to rest from our angst and trust in His love.

“Father, I am grateful that you know all things, all the time…and that you know me, too! Thank you that I can trust that You have not forgotten me. Help me to be patient as I wait for next things. Lead me to quiet and comforting spaces of peace and hope. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you had a recent hurt or disappointment? Is there a place of sadness or unrest in your life?

Do you need the Lord’s comfort?

Do you need reminding that God cannot forget you?

Slow down and make time for quiet. With God’s help, nestle in under His wing and let His love speak comfort to your heart.

ListeningForLove

Learning to Hear God's Voice

All posts by heyjudeev5@gmail.com

Trusting in the Dark

Dearly Loved

Denying Christ

He Calls Me Friend

Forsaken

Pleasing the King

Water Walking

Rejoice Always!

Trust in the Lord

Comforting Space