This One is For God 8/28/2012

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?"  Ps 42:1-2

Today, thoughts of my Father are heavily upon me. In the midst of travels, work, school and various other responsibilities I am immersed in thoughts of Him in ways that I cannot adequately describe.

It is so easy to take Him for granted. He is so easily treated as the unseen and distant God. Today I am reminded that He is ever with me, keeping my heart beating, keeping my lungs breathing, keeping my organs working, sustaining my mind to accomplish tasks. He protects me in my home, in the car, in the air and crossing the street. He ensures that I have enough to eat and enough to give. He has supplied me with a beautiful family who means everything to me. And He has entrusted me with His invaluable, soul saving word that others might be introduced to Him and encouraged in Him.

He does all of this despite my sin. Even when I am out of position, standing outside of His will and looking in (or not), He cares for me. When the wrong spirit afflicts my heart and causes me to be less than encouraging to someone in need, He gently squeezes my conscience and reminds me of His love for me and the love I need to display to others. He has not snatched my life when I have fallen short as He did Ananias and Sapphira. He has been longsuffering with me. He has been merciful to me. He has issued grace to me. And now, the words and emotions of David fill me.

While keeping the birds in flight, the sun rising, the moon setting, the trees flowering, the rivers flowing and a mother giving birth, He still condescends to give thought to me. He does so for you too.

Beloved, I will not ask your forgiveness for or indulgence of this intensely personal devotion today. It just spilled out of me, tearfully at times. I just feel the presence of my Father today in a way that is more intense than usual. I cannot explain, so I will not try. But I remembered that this all started as a personal devotional that I decided to share in hopes that it would in some way benefit you. Though I pray that it can in some way serve as a reminder to all who read it that God is and that He cares for us in ways we do not even consider, this one is my devotion to Him.

Lee