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!"

EPHESIANS - I Love A Parade

I was so excited.

I had stayed up all night, camped out on the street, and it was just moments before the beginning of…

The Tournament of Roses Parade!

This is a beautiful parade that happens every year on January 1st. And it's quite a spectacle to watch on TV. But, let me tell you, being there in person is another thing entirely!

It's hard to explain the excitement of the people, the sounds and smells, the beauty of the floats with their myriad rainbows of colorful seeds and flowers. I stayed out with a group from church just once in college. But I'm so glad that I did. It was memorable…

I was reminded of that beautiful morning because today is Palm Sunday. The day of Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Picture yourself there – surrounded by people from all walks of life. It was the beginning of Holy Week, and the roads into Jerusalem were thronging with pilgrims. Can you hear the many voices of the crowd – murmuring or laughing, talking excitedly among themselves? Are you jostled along with the animals, stopping here and there for a bite to eat? Can you see and smell the surrounding countryside?

Can you imagine the anticipation in the crowd when they heard that Jesus – whom many believed was the long-awaited Messiah, the Promised One who would deliver their nation – was arriving in the Holy City?

"Where is He?"

"He’s just up ahead."

"Is He coming this way?"

"YES!"

People scrambled for position (just like we did on that parade route) – trying to get the best vantage point to see – to see HIM!

He enters on a donkey – and people push and shove to throw their cloaks on the road ahead of Him. Palm branches are waved and strewn about in honor of the approaching King. Jesus was the center of the procession, and the people all around Him were shouting:

"Praise God for the Son of David!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!

Praise God in highest heaven!"

It's one thing to read about it in the Bible – being there in person must have been another thing entirely!

And then – less than one week later – Jesus was hanging on a criminal’s cross.

Anticipation – then incredible, dashing hopelessness…

The anguished cry echoed in every heart – WHY?

Today's "Bible Pick ‘Ems" sheds light – because it tells us what the Light of the World did on that day:

"You lived in this world without God, and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall that separated us…Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross…Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us." (Ephesians 2:12-14, 16, 18)

The Prince of Peace arrived that day – not the conquering king, but the Suffering Servant.

The One who brought hope to all the peoples of the earth.

The One who still does…

"Look, your king is coming to you.

He is righteous and victorious,

Yet he is humble, riding on a donkey…

His realm will stretch from sea to sea and…to the ends of the earth."

(Zechariah 9:9-10)

Bless the One who comes in the name of the LORD!!

(Please join me at Spiritual Sundays with Charlotte and Ginger - and Super Sunday with Peggy. Also, please feel free to visit me during the week on my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"