1 KINGS - In the Middle of the Night

It's dark.

It's 2:00 AM.

I can't sleep.

There are so many thoughts, so many feelings, reeling around in my head right now.

I'm scared – I feel alone.

Oh Lord, I need to feel Your presence. I need Your peace. I need to rest. Please speak to me.

This is how I felt one night last week. Every now and then, I get a night of insomnia. Sometimes I fall asleep OK, but then I wake up later and can't get back to sleep. But, more often than not, I just can't fall asleep in the first place. I can't shut off the turmoil in my mind. I can't calm my nerves, and worries assault me.

I get panicky as I see the minutes, and then the hours, crawl by. It's so easy to feel vulnerable and small at these times.

So, I did an *emergency* "Bible Pick 'Ems."

I opened my Bible, and found myself in the beginning of 1 Kings 5 – (my "Bible Pick 'Ems"policy is to read only the two pages I have turned to, by the way). So, I'm thinking to myself: "OK, Lord, I trust that You have something here for me. But I'm in 1 Kings, Lord. I think You've got your work cut out for you!"

And sure enough, as I started reading, there was a listing of the governors who served under Solomon, and a geographical account of his kingdom's boundaries. Oh, and a rousing shopping list of the daily food requirements for the palace. And a rather glowing report of all of Solomon's great accomplishments.

So, NOW I'm thinking to myself, "OK, Lord, this isn't really helping me much here."

He said, "Keep reading."

And then, all of a sudden, there it was. JUST what I needed to hear:

"But now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well." (1 Kings 5:4)

I cried.

Yes, if you want to be technical, Solomon relayed these words in a message to King Hiram of Tyre. It was Solomon's way of letting Hiram know that his father, David's, work of war and conquest was finished. David had been unable to build "until the LORD gave him victory over all his enemies" (verse 3). Solomon is telling Hiram that there is peace in the land – and now it's time to get started on a certain little Temple-building project!

That is the context of today's verse – and I am not diminishing the very real necessity of reading Scripture in context. The Word of God should not be twisted or misconstrued –just because we want to fit a square peg into a round hole that suits us better.

However, it is the WORD of God.

And I fully believe that God can use it to speak to a very real need at a very certain time.And, at 2:00 in the morning, this verse washed over me like a lullaby. I was overcome by the faithfulness and mercy of God – a Father who would lead me to those completely calming words – right smack dab in the middle of 1 Kings.

Instantly soothed, I began to think about them.

Word by word, here's how it spoke to my very weary heart:

BUT – (in spite of the thoughts and feelings reeling around in my head, God had something ELSE to say to me)

NOW – (not tomorrow, but NOW, at 2:00 AM)

THE LORD MY GOD – (the One and Only LORD, who is MY God)

HAS GIVEN ME PEACE – (serenity, calm, stillness, quiet, tranquility)

ON EVERY SIDE – (peace with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ, and peace in every circumstance through the power of His Holy Spirit)

I HAVE NO ENEMIES – (if God is for me, who can ever be against me?)

AND ALL IS WELL – (God is still on His throne, He is still in control – now, and for eternity, it is well with my soul)

Yes, the perfect words, at just the perfect time.

I turned over and fell quickly asleep – for I rested in the shadow of His wings.

He is so good to me.

How I love Him…

"I lay down and slept…for the LORD was watching over me." (Psalms 3:5)

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." (Psalms 4:8)

"…the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he…never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you!" (Psalms 121:3-5)

How has the Lord spoken to you with just the right words, at just the right time?

(I'm linked today with Charlotte over at Spiritual Sundays. C'mon over!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

PSALMS - Wait A Second...Or More

Ever notice how much time we spend in our lives waiting?

I live in Southern California – and let me tell you, I know a thing or two about waiting…

Last weekend, the 405 freeway was shut down – for the WHOLE weekend. Now, unless you live in California, this isn't going to make a lot of sense. But, let me clarify for you – the 405 is considered the busiest freeway in the nation, handling over a half-million cars a day (that’s 500,000 folks!). So, this shut-down made national news.

It was (not so) lovingly nicknamed "Carmageddon."

Traffic in Southern California is a major source of waiting.

But think about it – what about waiting for a table in a restaurant, waiting in line at the bank, waiting in a doctor's office, waiting in a drive-thru fast food place, waiting for a tax refund…you can fill in this list with your own stuff – I just know you can!

This waiting can be annoying, exasperating, frustrating…

But it's still part of normal life.

But what about the *other waiting* – the waiting for test results from the doctor, waiting for someone to land safely while flying, waiting for someone to call, waiting in a waiting room…you can fill in THIS list with your own stuff, too…

The waiting that is torture, fearful, nerve-wracking, draining.

It is the soulful waiting – the waiting that challenges our faith. That causes us to question and doubt. That makes us look to God in agony.

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" landed me in Psalms again. I guess God has some more to say to me through the words of David:

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalms 62:5-8)

These words of David were written during the days of Absalom’s rebellion (see 2 Samuel 15-18) – a time when David once again found himself literally running for his life.

In a time of plenty and peace, these words would have been comforting and sweet. In a time when one's life is in danger, they are powerful and courageous. These are not the sweet sentiments of a man "having a good day!" These are a war cry – a pure statement of unshakeable faith in a God who is able…

We have to place ALL hope in God.

Knowing that He is in control allows us to wait patiently for Him to rescue us.

However, true relief does not come when the problem is resolved – because more problems are right around the corner – that's life. And sometimes God does not resolve a problem the way we want – nor does He always "rescue" us from difficulties, suffering, and pain.

What to do then?

Trust – trust, trust.

Only in trusting in our Rock and our Salvation can we change our outlook on life. True relief comes from an enduring hope in God’s ultimate salvation – the eternal rescue that we confidently look toward.

Only then will all things be resolved.

And how are we to wait?

Grumbling, doubting, fearing, complaining, whining??

No, we are to wait quietly before the Lord - with ALL that we are. To me, that means - a quiet mind, with thoughts under control, not running rampant - a quiet spirit, with a peaceful acceptance of circumstances - a quiet heart, with confidence in the future, whether here on earth or in eternity -

Let ALL that I am wait quietly...

In the meantime, when we rest in God’s strength, NOTHING can shake us!

Fill in this blank with your own sentiment:

When I am ____________________, I will WAIT upon the LORD.

(Linked today with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. Please feel free to hop on over to my other blog during the week - Sharon Sharing God)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

PHILIPPIANS - The Season of Discontent

‘Tis the season to be buying…

Oh wait, that’s not how it’s supposed to go!

But isn’t that what happens?

We get overwhelmed with the media blitz that programs our willing little minds with the mantra, “Shop, shop, shop…”

Our church is doing a message series between Thanksgiving and Christmas called, “Consumed.”

It's a thought-provoking word. What consumes us?

I looked up the definition for the word “consume.” This is what it says:

“To spend wastefully; squander; use up; waste or burn away; perish.”

I’m not pointing fingers here! I’ve been a recovering “shopaholic” my whole life. It’s difficult not to WANT MORE. It’s even more difficult when you have the financial means to get more. And even when you don’t, there’s credit.

Oh yes, the urge to acquire is powerful.

But where does it come from?

Our pastor testifies that it started in the beginning. In a perfect place where EVERY need was provided by a loving and attentive God.

And that’s when “THE LIE” came –

The devil placed a niggling worm of doubt in the mind of Eve.

“Psst. God is withholding something from you – something GOOD.”

Oh, that wily serpent. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish. He got Eve to forget all that God had given her.

He moved Eve from a heart of gratitude to a mind of discontent.

He does the same thing to us. He gets us to focus on the ONE thing we DON’T have. And then, the seed begins to grow. We get “consumed” with what we think is “missing” from our lives – the one thing we “have” to have.

Discontent grows into resentment. And unchecked resentment grows into anger. And unchecked anger grows into bitterness.

We forget to be thankful. We allow gratitude to die.

How do we fight against this insidious attitude?

We battle with the truth!

God is good.

Life is dependence on God.

All life is a gift from Him.

That’s how we break the confusion. We dedicate ourselves to gratitude. We learn to cultivate contentment.

Today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” completely enhances this valuable lesson. Listen to the words of Paul:

“…for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret to living in every situation…For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

Paul looked at life from GOD’S perspective.

He focused on what he was supposed to DO, not on what he felt he should HAVE.

We can learn some powerful lessons from Paul:

1) Set our priorities straight.

2) Be grateful for everything God has given us.

3) Detach ourselves from the nonessentials.

4) Concentrate on the eternal.

5) Fill up that “empty” place in our hearts with God – not with things.

Here’s how our pastor summed it up – Want what you have, and don’t want more.

Contentment is found right HERE – right where you are. It is a discipline of mind, and a surrender of heart.

It is rejecting society’s message to consume. It is resisting the urge to accumulate. It is refusing to fill empty places in our hearts with “stuff.”

It is renouncing the enemy’s lie.

It is claiming God’s goodness, and living like we believe it – single-mindedly, wholeheartedly.

The other definition for “consumed” is this: to be engaged fully, to be engrossed, held firmly, completely occupied!

Let GOD consume you…

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“When in doubt, search God out!”