My
father was Italian, and he sang all the time, whether he was in the choir at
his church, the shower, or his woodworking shop, he sang. I am glad for this pleasant
memory of him.
Our
Father God is in our midst, rejoicing and singing over us. He is quieting our
stress, anxiety, fears, insecurities and shame with His love (Zephaniah 3:17). This
is hard for our finite mind to grasp, but this fact of His love brings us a
deep sense of peace and joy.
No
one on this earth ever loved us that much, although some tried their best in
their limited capacity. When the honeymoon is over, even our spouse gets too
busy to notice us very much; yet, God always delights in us.
If
we goof up, Satan makes sure that we tend to think that God is angry with us. It
is possible to grieve God's Holy Spirit by our attitude, words, and actions (Ephesians
4:30); but He loves us even while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8).
In
the midst of the fiercest storm, God holds us in the palm of His hand (John
10:28). When negative feelings such as depression, abandonment, abuse,
vulnerability, anger, rejection, irritation, confusion, exhaustion, etc. assail
us, God's cares about us (1 Peter 5:7).
At
times, embarrassment, shame, disgrace, scorn, taunts, false accusations,
condemnation, demeaning behavior, etc. seem to overwhelm us. Yet, negative
times in life cause us to snuggle deeper under His feathers (Psalm 91:4).
Our
faith in God's faithfulness matures and controls our thoughts and emotions. We
learn to trust in Him more unreservedly, and to develop a more intimate union
with Him alone. God continues to smile on us and to rejoice over us, if we do
not stray from His presence (Psalm 44:14-18).
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us to keep our eyes focused on You rather than on our
circumstances. Help us to use our negative emotions as a roadmap to discover
the source of these feelings, and to care for our needs as we care for everyone
else in our life. Teach us to celebrate who we are in You, and to strengthen
our commitment to You and Your Kingdom each and every day.
Your
consistent, incomprehensible love for us gives us courage to live in the
present moment as we walk in Your Spirit and trust in Your Word. You break down
every wall in our life and give us peace (Ephesians 2:14). You are our fortress
and our deliverer, always the defender of the weak (Psalm 18:2; 82:3-4).
Thought
for the Day:
God restores our soul from the degradation and abuse we experience in our life, and then He gives us a life-altering mission to accomplish for His Kingdom.
God restores our soul from the degradation and abuse we experience in our life, and then He gives us a life-altering mission to accomplish for His Kingdom.
-
Psalm 23:3; Ephesians 2:10
