Dwelling in His shelter....

These last few months have been heavy in every since of the word. Our little undisturbed rural life has been hit hard with strains from every angle. We have had to cut back on everything from our grocery items....no more name brand anything.... to taking Presley out of preschool for the remainder of the year. With this said, we are praising the Lord for His goodness and His protection on this little family of ours. His mercies are new every morning, and we are in awe of His love and grace on our family.

As I look around me at friends and friends of friends who are losing everything due to this raging "bull in a china shop" of an economy, I can't help but fall to my knees in despair and weeping over their losses. I try to keep in mind, the perspective of these losses. Thank you, Lord that they have good health. Things could always be much worse.

When having my quiet time a few mornings ago, I was overwhelmed by where to start praying. There are just so many needs, so many losses, so many people that need His comfort. As I expressed my sorrow to Him, I was gently reminded of a verse in Romans...."In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:25-27

This verse was my well of living water those next few minutes with Him. This was exactly the cry of my soul, and He heard me and answered me through His word. I sat in complete adoration of His words and His love for me and for all of us. He once again showed me that He is listening, He is acting and He is in control. For those of us, including myself, that have put prayer by the wayside, let me tell you that through prayer and petition, and reading God's word come the answers that we so desperately are crying out for.

My prayer life and my bible reading life are certainly lacking. However, that morning, His presence, His Spirit, and His guidance was right there with me in my den, beckoning me to His feet. If we ever, ever get to the point where we are hopeless, overwhelmed, overburdened, and just plain burnt out, that's when He rescues us with His mighty hand. His hand has been there all along, but I was just too busy, too prideful, too caught up in my own selfish desires to reach for it.

What that morning taught me was that true fellowship, true relationship and true communication with God comes from putting away my thoughts, my solutions, my burdens, and just letting my spirit groan in His presence.

If I didn't already believe this or know this, I can say with full honesty that my soul is now fully engaged in the truth and deliverance and especially the power of His word in our lives. " For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."Hebrews 4:12

Doesn't that verse just give you chills up and down your spine?? It is living, it is active it is real.

This morning I sat watching Daystar's creation scape's program in my quiet time. One of the verses from this morning's show was Psalm 91. I read the words on the screen, and just looked up and said, Thank you, Lord. How do you know my needs, my desires, before I can even express them?

After the program, I opened my bible. I usually just let it fall open so that the Lord can lead me where He wants me to go. It fell open to Psalm 91. I read the words aloud, several times. I wanted Him to hear my breath speaking these words of praise of honor and of glory about Him. I encourage any who may be reading this little post of mine, to read these verses out loud. Print them out, say them out loud and let the words wash over you like fresh morning dew. Let your Creator, you Father in heaven, Your Comforter, Your Majesty, Your King, be worshipped by your soul and your lips today.

Psalm 91

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ^a]">[a]

² I will say ^b]">[b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

with praise on my lips,

Jill