Ps. 37:7

I wrote this a long time ago, but it has been in my mind all day.  Somehow it really fits tonight as I anticipate my husband's surgery tomorrow.

Ps. 37:7- "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;"

My body sits so very still,
But not so- my insides.
They quiver, shake, twist, and turn;
My mind, my thoughts, and stomach churn.
"Be still before the Lord,"- the Psalm,
"Wait patiently for Him."
Be still, my mind.
Be still, my thoughts,
While others see the outward calm.

Great God of the Invisible,
You know my heart is not so still.
And waiting seems unnatural
Yet Your Word clearly marks Your will
For me- a deep, internal rest,
Not just a calm veneer.
Your sovereign hand carved out this test.
Enable me to trust You here.

Dear perennial heart, be still before the Lord.  He knows all that you are facing.

All

One of my favorite promises of God...

God will give...

All Grace...

              At All times...

                                 and All sufficiency...

                                                               in All Things...

All means all, not some.

As Amy Carmichael said of this verse, "Lord, help us today to live upon this all."

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy in the new year, because when God says "all", He means "all". 

"Will", Not "Might"

Ps. 138:8

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;

Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands."

God gave me this verse in 2011.

I love the phrase "will fulfill."

"Will fulfill", not "might fulfill".

His purpose for me will be accomplished.

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy,
 for "will fulfill" means that there isn't even the tiniest hint of uncertainty.

The Way That I Take

I took my husband to the hospital last night.  I've now lost track of the number of times I've rushed him to the ER in the last two and a half years since he came home from Iraq in 2009.  He has suffered with some intense digestive issues, and he is scheduled for surgery to remove a portion of his colon on December 30.  After a really rough day, I called our doctor who called the surgeon, and we were sent to the ER at about 6 pm.

My husband was eventually admitted, and I drove home by myself at 4:30 this morning.  As I drove home, I thought, "I never imagined that I would know the way to the hospital so well."

And then the Lord in His great lovingkindness brought this to mind: "He knows the way that I take, and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

I will travel that same road many more times in the next few weeks.  My Lord knows the way that I take too.  He travels it with me-- whether it is driving to and from the hospital or navigating my way through the trial of physical hardship that He has ordained for us right now.  He knows who will watch the kids and how we will pay the bills while Paul is recuperating from surgery.  He knows the way that I take, and He is refining us day by day.  What a grace.  I know the way to the hospital.  He knows ALL things.

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy-- even in this wintertime of trial-- for He knows the way that you take and in HIS time, He will bring you forth as gold.

All Generations

It is easy for me at this time of year to read the Christmas story, reflect on the prophecies of the coming of Christ, and think about how God was so faithful to Mary, Joseph, the outcast shepherds, and even the prophets several hundred years before Christ ever came to earth.  I look through the Scriptures and see how faithful God was to David and Joseph and Paul and Timothy.  His faithfulness abounds-- yes, ABOUNDS throughout Scripture.

And yet, despite all of God's promises, I sometimes struggle to believe that they are for me too.

They couldn't be for me, could they?  I'm not some hero of the faith like those I read about in the pages of my Bible.  I'm just a grown-up girl in 2011 who is plodding heavenward.  Plodding.  Not running or even walking.  Just barely plodding.

But the Lord reminded me of something wonderful this morning.  Psalm 100:5 says,  "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

ALL generations.

As Amy Carmichael said, "All means all, not some."

His faithfulness extends to ALL generations-- even me.  The Lord was so good to remind me of that on this dreary, cold, December day.

He was faithful last night to make His own name very great at our beautiful church Christmas concert.

He's been faithful today as my husband has suffered physically while awaiting surgery on December 30th.

He's been faithful to provide unexpected monetary gifts over the last few days that come at a time of great financial uncertainty.

Oh, how thankful I am that His faithfulness extends even to me.  It buoys my heart and brings me great joy today.  My God is faithful and his unfailing love endures forever.  On that assurance, I plod on.

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy, for He is faithful to ALL generations--even yours.

And I Am Sure of This...

Phil. 1:6-- "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Phil. 1: 6
A work begun so long ago,
Sometimes I think it's barely started;
But He is faithful, and I know
That on the day that I've departed
This sin-sick world to be with God,
That work begun which He's called good,
He'll finally pronounce complete,
And I will sit at Jesus' feet.

For countless years I'll see the Hand
That finished the work ere it began;
And I will know with certainty-
My Christ has had that Hand on me.

On days I am not sure of much,
(Those days come frequently),
I can be sure of this one thing-
He will complete His work in me.

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy, for the work begun will most certainly be completed.

A Beginning

Welcome, dear perennial heart.

I have thought and prayed for many months about starting a blog like this one-- a blog where people could meet and encourage one another with the unshakable Truth in times of stress, uncertainty, and change.  We all have those times, and the Lord in His sovereignty has ordained that this time be one of great uncertainty for our family.  I pray that the overflow of what God is teaching me through this time will be an encouragement to those who are also facing a difficult path.

In the midst of the uncertainty, I know one thing with certainty-- the truths of Scripture have become my ballast.  In the midst of change, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8).  I must speak this truth to myself...

...Savor it...

...Bask in it...

...Soak it in...

...Let it permeate everything I do.

Only then can I adapt to the unexpected twists and turns that the Lord brings into my life.

Dear perennial heart, bloom with joy, for Jesus is with you and He will never change.