Pondering

This past Friday and Saturday, I had the privilege to sit under the Bible teaching of someone I consider to be one of finest women in ministry today. I could listen to her for days and days and days....well - every day, if you want to know the truth! She is wise, she is funny, she has a heart for God and she sure does loves His people - oh so much!

One sentence she spoke the first evening resonated so resoundingly in me that I knew it WAS for me. In fact, it didn't even make it into the body of my notes but was pulled to the top of the page and starred - see:

(Sorry for my chicken scratch! Oh - that "c" with the line over it is medical shorthand for the word "with.")

In case you can't read it (entirely possible!), I wrote: *My new beginning begins with the Word of God.*

Can I tell you how I felt when I heard those words? Two things: first, comforted! Yes...a deep sense of comfort that He is so WITH me, so FOR me, so in LOVE with me that that message should move me to my core and that I know it was absolutely meant for me! And second, almost a sense of urgency...that I'm slipping a bit. I have let other "things" displace His Word in my life. Oh man, this day to day life just has a way of moving in and crowding Him out unless I take control and make Him (and keep Him) my number one priority. Amen? So yes - that message was a reminder from my Father. And I heard it loud and clear!

But as I look back on the words I have just written (typed!), I am again amazed (although I don't know why I should be!) by this God I love so much...did you notice that the first feelings I wrote about were comfort and love?

"I love you, My child...I'm here for you, tonight and always."

Which were then followed by:

"Now, about the amount of time we've been spending together lately..."

My prayer time hasn't suffered - at least I don't think it has. But the time I spend in His Word, well, that definitely has. So Father, I thank you for the message. And I thank you for the messenger!



In closing, I thought it so appropriate that my daily verse for today was the following:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
Isaiah 52:7