Reason #566
Sometimes it's the little things that really make your day. I woke up late this morning, so today was another pony tail day. I am trying to grow my hair out, which is taking forever. It's at that awkward stage where it won't do much of anything but look bad. And so I decided I would do something with it. Plus, my roots were in desperate need of a touch up. I texted my hair stylist to see if she had any open appointments. Getting in with her is quite the task. She is always booked, so I hoped that maybe she had a cancellation come up. She texted right back and said, "How about 5:00? Your mom is coming, too." Oh, happy day! Three things I really enjoy. My mom, my hair stylist, and getting my hair done.
Today was a really long day. Truthfully, it has been an exhausting week. I am in desperate need of refreshment. Often times in life I go through periods where I wish I could escape to a secluded island for a whole week and just do nothing. I would like to sleep, sleep, take a nap, sleep, not think, not do, only relax and rejuvenate. And really, how does one do that during a regular week? How do you relax and rejuvenate when you work 40 hours and then spend the last few waking hours of your day trying to get the rest of life taken care of? I haven't found a way, so maybe someone can give me a suggestion. Anyway, I just get tired every now and then. Tired of a lot of things, and too tired to do anything about it.
I sat at my desk this morning hoping I would be able to make it through the day. I hoped for a surprise burst of energy, and if that didn't happen, I hoped that we'd be so busy I wouldn't have a moment to sit still. But no, I had plenty of time to sit and be. And because I was so sleepy, my motivation was lacking. I pined for my old morning routine. I yearned for just one day to have my own office so that I could start my day out right. Eat a bagel, sip coffee while taking a peek at the morning news, listening to the radio, and taking a few minutes to read a morning devotion. But I don't have a single one of those luxuries any more, and I didn't realize how much I would miss them.
I pulled up the Proverbs 31 devotion for the day, and I am always amazed at how God speaks to me through each one, as it if was written with me in mind. The benefit of divine inspiration. Anyway, the author wrote about Daniel in the lion's den. She made a reference about being in the pit, and how she feels when she is there. She said that her #1 thing to do while in the pit is eat. Maybe if she eats something that tastes good, she'll feel better. Maybe it will give her the satisfaction she is longing for. Maybe it will help her see the light and pull her out of the pit. Yet it never does. And although we don't know specifically what Daniel was doing while he was in the lion's den, based on his actions that got him there, we can suspect that Daniel probably spent his time in the pit praying.
I went back and read the story of Daniel again. A man of upstanding character who was thrown into the pit solely because of His relationship with the Lord. Well, the jealousy of others is really what got him there, but because Daniel was so faithful to God, they knew that if they made an law against God, he would break it. They were right, and Daniel was thrown into a pit for praying. But isn't prayer what is supposed to keep you out of the pits in life? That's a good question. Notice that the Lord didn't stop Daniel from getting thrown into the pit. He could have very well moved Heaven and Earth to keep Daniel out of there, but he didn't. Into the pit Daniel went alive, and He came out just as alive. And so I've thought about this more way than one, and here's what I'm getting to tonight.
Sometimes we end up in a pit because someone puts there, and sometimes we put ourselves in that pit. Ultimately, Daniel knew he was breaking the law by praying and could be punished. It didn't stop him, and he ended up in the pit. But I realize that a large majority of the time when I'm feeling like I'm in a pit, it's because I've stopped seeking the Lord. For some reason or another, I've stopped spending time with Him, I've stopped depending on Him, I've stopped looking to Him, and I've simply become busy. And the next thing I know, I'm in a dark pit feeling as if I can't get out. The things around me threaten to eat me alive and I wonder how it even came to this.
But what I realize is that regardless of how we get in to the pit, we can always find Him there. We just have to look for Him. And who knows what form He'll show up in. Maybe it's in the form of protection, provision, comfort, peace, or encouragement. Whatever it is, He'll be there. Maybe you're in that pit to reveal God's power and glory, just like Daniel was. Maybe you're there because He's trying to get your attention. Or maybe, like me, you just need to be reminded of how desperately you need Him every day, not just when you're in a bind.
I wish we knew what happened that night Daniel was in the pit with the lions. I wish we knew what he experienced. I bet it was incredible, and I can imagine that the Lord revealed Himself to Daniel in mighty and indescribable ways that night. But we'll never know. However, we can find comfort knowing that if we are in a pit, God will be faithful to deliver us from it, too. And so we pray. Inside the pit, or outside of the pit, we pray. Because we need God. We need Him to get us through every single day. To keep us from getting devoured by lions. To be our hedge, our guidance, and our joy. And when we live a life like Daniel, we'll find that we can experience God in really incredible ways no matter where we are or what we are doing.
#566 - Because He delivers us from pits.
"Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful." - Psalm 69:15-16
Today was a really long day. Truthfully, it has been an exhausting week. I am in desperate need of refreshment. Often times in life I go through periods where I wish I could escape to a secluded island for a whole week and just do nothing. I would like to sleep, sleep, take a nap, sleep, not think, not do, only relax and rejuvenate. And really, how does one do that during a regular week? How do you relax and rejuvenate when you work 40 hours and then spend the last few waking hours of your day trying to get the rest of life taken care of? I haven't found a way, so maybe someone can give me a suggestion. Anyway, I just get tired every now and then. Tired of a lot of things, and too tired to do anything about it.
I sat at my desk this morning hoping I would be able to make it through the day. I hoped for a surprise burst of energy, and if that didn't happen, I hoped that we'd be so busy I wouldn't have a moment to sit still. But no, I had plenty of time to sit and be. And because I was so sleepy, my motivation was lacking. I pined for my old morning routine. I yearned for just one day to have my own office so that I could start my day out right. Eat a bagel, sip coffee while taking a peek at the morning news, listening to the radio, and taking a few minutes to read a morning devotion. But I don't have a single one of those luxuries any more, and I didn't realize how much I would miss them.
I pulled up the Proverbs 31 devotion for the day, and I am always amazed at how God speaks to me through each one, as it if was written with me in mind. The benefit of divine inspiration. Anyway, the author wrote about Daniel in the lion's den. She made a reference about being in the pit, and how she feels when she is there. She said that her #1 thing to do while in the pit is eat. Maybe if she eats something that tastes good, she'll feel better. Maybe it will give her the satisfaction she is longing for. Maybe it will help her see the light and pull her out of the pit. Yet it never does. And although we don't know specifically what Daniel was doing while he was in the lion's den, based on his actions that got him there, we can suspect that Daniel probably spent his time in the pit praying.
I went back and read the story of Daniel again. A man of upstanding character who was thrown into the pit solely because of His relationship with the Lord. Well, the jealousy of others is really what got him there, but because Daniel was so faithful to God, they knew that if they made an law against God, he would break it. They were right, and Daniel was thrown into a pit for praying. But isn't prayer what is supposed to keep you out of the pits in life? That's a good question. Notice that the Lord didn't stop Daniel from getting thrown into the pit. He could have very well moved Heaven and Earth to keep Daniel out of there, but he didn't. Into the pit Daniel went alive, and He came out just as alive. And so I've thought about this more way than one, and here's what I'm getting to tonight.
Sometimes we end up in a pit because someone puts there, and sometimes we put ourselves in that pit. Ultimately, Daniel knew he was breaking the law by praying and could be punished. It didn't stop him, and he ended up in the pit. But I realize that a large majority of the time when I'm feeling like I'm in a pit, it's because I've stopped seeking the Lord. For some reason or another, I've stopped spending time with Him, I've stopped depending on Him, I've stopped looking to Him, and I've simply become busy. And the next thing I know, I'm in a dark pit feeling as if I can't get out. The things around me threaten to eat me alive and I wonder how it even came to this.
But what I realize is that regardless of how we get in to the pit, we can always find Him there. We just have to look for Him. And who knows what form He'll show up in. Maybe it's in the form of protection, provision, comfort, peace, or encouragement. Whatever it is, He'll be there. Maybe you're in that pit to reveal God's power and glory, just like Daniel was. Maybe you're there because He's trying to get your attention. Or maybe, like me, you just need to be reminded of how desperately you need Him every day, not just when you're in a bind.
I wish we knew what happened that night Daniel was in the pit with the lions. I wish we knew what he experienced. I bet it was incredible, and I can imagine that the Lord revealed Himself to Daniel in mighty and indescribable ways that night. But we'll never know. However, we can find comfort knowing that if we are in a pit, God will be faithful to deliver us from it, too. And so we pray. Inside the pit, or outside of the pit, we pray. Because we need God. We need Him to get us through every single day. To keep us from getting devoured by lions. To be our hedge, our guidance, and our joy. And when we live a life like Daniel, we'll find that we can experience God in really incredible ways no matter where we are or what we are doing.
#566 - Because He delivers us from pits.
"Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful." - Psalm 69:15-16
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