Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Rejoice

Today I am rejoicing simply in the fact that God is the God Who works out the details.

Yes, in the chaos of organizing and orchestrating all that this summer has held, is holding and will hold. I am brought to places of confusion, frustration and exhaustion, but also to places of seeing the Lord meet my needs in perfect, tangible ways. I am left to be awed and amazed at the way He is working things out, and the way that He is blessing my heart.

For example, one of my best friends is getting married in Texas this September. As the maid of honor, I am joyfully responsible for hosting a bridal shower. Alas, the bride lives in Texas and I do not! But God has worked it out. My EDGE teammate, a Texas native, happens to be transferring with The Navigators to Penn State in the fall and she is flying me out to help her make the move cross country. I will be in Texas and the bridal shower has fallen into place with only a few hours of phone calls and emailing. Voila! Thanks, Lord!

Also, I am making a funding trip to California and I get to see so many wonderful people, wonderful people! I also get to celebrate the first birthday party of my friends' twins, in person! :) AND for the trek to NorCal, a beloved friend is able to come along for the journey! It is pretty great.

And as there are many unknowns ahead--big, crazy ones--these simple examples of the Lord's provision and divine providence put my heart at rest.

We serve a great and mighty God, the God Who spoke all creation into being! He is the God that spoke to Abram and gave him promises, that through him all peoples would come to be blessed. The God who protected Abraham's descendants by bringing them into Egypt during famine, and some 400 years later brought them out dividing the Red Sea so His people could cross safely on dry land. The God Who anointed the shepherd boy David. He would defeat Goliath and become Israel's cherished king, and to whom God promised an heir who would be King of a kingdom without end.

The God Who saw fit to send His Son in the flesh to bridge the gap between Him and His creation, the vast chasm created by our sin. Yes, this Son came in the flesh, walked, slept, ate, drank, talked, laughed, wept, and was tempted in every way, but found to be without sin. God's sinless Son was nailed to the cross, submitted to the Father's will, and died on my behalf and yours. He endured God's wrath against me, and with His dying breath said, "It is finished." Jesus, perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect and with the power of the Holy Spirit, rose on the third day conquering death! He sent His Spirit to those who would be called the children of God, making us new creations and ministers of reconciliation.

This is our God. He is great and glorious. He has given us Himself, His Spirit, His Word! How our hearts may rest secure beneath the sweet truth of Romans 8:32, "He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him graciously give us all things?"

Yup, and God not only takes care of the big things, but also the little things. A sparrow does not fall apart from His will. Our very hairs are numbered.

"Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. " -Philippians 4:4-7

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