Archive for October, 2009

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deut. 29:29 NIV

Do you like secrets? In thinking about this I determined that I do like secrets but only if I am the one keeping them. I admit that it sometimes irritates and agitates me if I know a secret is being kept from me. I even exhaust every means to get the person to divulge it.

The Scripture above tells us God keeps secrets.  Sometimes we learn what the secret was, but sometimes we never know why a situation turned out the way it did. We can find rest in this as we grow in the Lord.

Years ago, I was praying hard for my friend in another state who was not able to conceive.  She and her husband desperately wanted a child. I found out a good friend of mine lived next door to a young, unwed, girl who was pregnant. She had already decided to give her baby up for adoption. I approached the young woman and her father. (The girl’s mother was never on the scene). I wrote up a detailed description of the couple and the type of life they would be able to offer a child. I was sure this was it. Come on God, let this happen was my prayer over and over. I just knew it was the answer for both parties.

The young woman did give her baby up for adoption but not to my friend. She was more comfortable with going through an adoption agency. Then my prayer became, “Lord, what happened?  It seemed so perfect.” I was devastated and perplexed.

Sometime later my friend and her husband separated, went back together, adopted a baby,
and then divorced within a couple of years. I am not saying a divorced parent (of which there are many through no choice of their own) can not offer a good upbringing to children.

I am saying that with my personality I would have felt a great responsibility to the child had I been  instrumental in placing it in a home that eventually was broken by divorce. Then my prayer became, “Thank you Lord, that you did not answer my prayer the way I prayed. You saved me a lot of grief over my life time.You were watching out for me.”

I have found comfort in the Scripture above on many occasions and I return often to Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” NIV

This Scripture is sometimes cut short with,” all things work together for good” and God is blamed for various calamities that befall mankind with the words, “God is in control.” I do believe God is all powerful and is sovereign but, sometimes He does not exercise that sovereignty. ”We have to remember we have an enemy that is roaming around seeking whom he may devour. We must note the conditions on this promise – that we love Him and, that we are fulfilling His call on our lives as best we know how.

There are secrets that God reveals eventually and, there are secrets that we have to wait for eternity to find out the answer. Let us rest trusting in His goodness toward His children.
Lord, help me to learn to rest in your goodness and not to have to try to figure out all the things I do not understand. Help me to grow into a quiet. calm person trusting in you more.

The Lord is teaching me to come in line with His word which says, “I know the plans I have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11. For too many years I have planned and asked the Lord to bless what I was doing. Often I have run ahead and asked the Lord to come along with me where I am moving. (I didn’t know this was what I was doing). Now I only want to follow where He is working. Everything else is wasted time and effort. Only what He has ordained will bear fruit. My own expectations and the expectations of others must be laid aside to only embrace what He is ready to bless with the breath of the Holy Spirit. He is teaching me to praise more, release fuller, and trust deeper. Is it an easy lesson?

“No!” He has had to train me over and over as I have seen His goodness in answer to distressing life situations over which I have sinned by being anxious. I am learning to proclaim He is sovereign! He is all powerful! He is not confounded at what confounds me! There is no problem He does not have the answer for. I see through imperfect lenses where part of life’s picture is obscured. He sees it all – past, present, future. He knows every day of the rest of each of our lives. We just need to lineup with His divine plan and will as best we can discern it. We hear His voice through Scripture with the words. “Do not be afraid little flock.” Luke 12:32. I long to proclaim with the Psalmist, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid.” Psalms 27:1. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.” Psalm 27:3a.

© Peggy Park 2008

We are living in an era when we could easily be very unsettled. The economy is in shambles, wars are raging, disease and affliction appear to be at an all time high, and there seems to be an unusually elevated incidence of horrible abuse against children in addition to the shedding of the lives of innocent unborn babies.

Yet, our Father speaks, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubles, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27.

The only way we will be able to walk in that promised peace is to draw from the one that Scripture calls the Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6). As we sit daily in our devotion time with Him our fears are allayed and faith arises as we read His word, fellowship with Him, pray, and wait quietly in His presence.

Isaiah 26:3 assures us, “You will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.”

While the world may run to and fro we can walk in peace in these troubled times and look up, for our redemption draws near.

© Peggy Park 2008

Deuteronomy 1:21-33

Do you struggle with fears?  If so have you ever tried to identify the root of the fears?

Our Scripture passage relays how the children of Israel were told to go up and possess the land.  The message from the Lord was, “Do not fear or be discouraged.  Go.”

The children of Israel had certainly seen the Lord move on their behalf many times including the crossing of the Red Sea, food and water provided in the wilderness, and guidance with a fire by night and a cloud by day to name just a few provisions.  Instead of obeying they came up with their own plan – send out spies to search out the land.  Even with the good report of some of the spies and the evidence of fruit they brought back from the land the people rebelled.  They still would not go up.  They fell into fear, complaining and rebelling.  The root was lack of trust.

The New Testament tells us in II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind.”  Fear is not from our Father so it has to be planted by our own thoughts or triggered by our enemy Satan.

Recently I saw a checker in the grocery store wearing sunglasses and a magnifying glass on a cord around her neck.  As a nurse I was trained to observe the physical.  These objects would indicate something wrong with her eyes.  I have been privileged to see several people with eye problems healed and I felt the urge to ask her what was wrong and to offer to quickly pray for her. (There was no one behind me in line.)

I let the fear of, “What will she think override the prompting.”  I did not walk into my fear.  I repented later in the car and considered going back but knew I had lost an opportunity to take the name of Jesus into the market place. Whether or not she had a serious eye problem I think she would have been touched that a stranger was moved with compassion for her.  I have determined to act on the nudges I get and remember what the Lord has done in other situations when I have walked into my fear rather than letting my fears walk all over me.

Let us resolve to examine the root of our fears and determine to rule them rather than let them rule us.  Let us face and walk into our fears.

© Peggy Park 2008