His Presence || Friday Magnify

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

The waves broke and water swirled around our feet, bringing shrieks of cold joy from our boys. My husband and I laughed, watching them chase the water and then run as it chased them back. The ocean is magnificent.

Alone on the beach, watching my family play, I can feel His presence. I know His care, as He orchestrates every water molecule to ebb and flow and crash and recede. I know His care as He provides an open space for my children to run, fresh air for us all to inhale and exhale; bright sun to revive us and give us warmth.

Sometimes the bustle of the day distracts me from knowing His presence. Stress, fear, concerns, an abundance of tasks - they push their way in and I forget what truth David has said about God:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
Psalm 139:7

He is always present with those of us who believe. He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Heb. 13).

He knows our days and what they hold before we do. He is ever present through each of them. As I open cabinets to pull breakfast together, He is there. As I process recent events, He helps me through. As I load up our van with children and things, He is there. As I await news, make phone calls, freshen up garden beds, look over schoolwork - He is there. And He is there as I wash dishes and talk with my husband and retire to bed. From start to finish, and in between, He is here.

It’s not always a feeling, but it is always a fact.

What other god is ever with us? What other god could ever hold us as He does, comfort us as He does, lead us as He does? What other god can listen and understand? What other god can advise us on what to do, and how to do it? What other god sees our failures and still calls us His?

Only the one true God, the Lord. How merciful and kind He is!

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139

Dependence || Friday Magnify

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 34:3

A couple weeks ago I wrote about how the Lord has always been faithful to provide for our family. We have always had what we need, when we need it.

This week, I am increasingly thankful that God’s provisions do not depend on any government, good or bad. Many governments have been shaken, and - gasp - proven to be made up of sinners. They are faulty, often narcissistic, and they can’t possibly do everything for everyone. They aren’t God!

He alone is; He alone can provide for us at every time in our lives. He knows us, He cares for us.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:25-26

I am so grateful that the God we serve is Lord of all. We have Someone greater to look to in challenging times. We can receive help from people, but we are not dependent on humans. We are dependent on the Lord God, who made Heaven and Earth and who sustains it all. Hallelujah!

Sweet Provisions

As I folded laundry this afternoon, I thought about our family’s last few years. Have you ever had moments where you realize how God has consistently answered your prayers?

About five years ago I was super pregnant with our oldest, and the bathroom ceiling in our apartment fell in. It wasn’t a situation I handled particularly well; I was thoroughly done living there and used the mess as a way to get out. We moved in with my parents while we looked for a new place.

Finding another place was challenging, but we kept praying. Even though I hadn’t handled it all well, God provided. We finally found a sweet little 642 square foot condo that looked like a dream. We were able to move in a few weeks before our boy was born, which was an extra blessing as I had time to unpack and settle.

We made friends with our neighbor on the other side of our wall and chatted with her regularly. She loved seeing Levi grow and she was a great support as we temporarily cared for another little one. Then one day she found a place that suited her better, so we said our good-byes. Since we had the same landlord, she invited us in to see if we’d want to move our things over to a more updated condo. The layout and functionality of her condo was even more of a dream to us (me), so we worked it out and moved over. Another sweet provision.

Eleven months after Levi was born, we discovered another little boy was on the way. We would need to find another place to live, since our landlord only allowed for three. We began praying for another place where the boys could have their own bedroom and we would have a bit more space.

Some time later, my parents found an investment property they loved. A big, old, beautiful duplex with a great yard. We weren’t expecting to rent from them, again, but God worked it out wonderfully. Two bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a bright and sunny porch - it wasn’t hard to fall in love. We helped with some dirty work to get the place move-in ready, and were able to get in just before Caleb was born. Another provision.

Standing in the basement of our duplex, folding laundry for the umpteenth time, I am so thankful for how God has provided for us as our needs arise. He has given us just what we need, when we need it. Often He gives us extra, more than we were expecting or could realize we’d need. He sees ahead and He brings us where He knows is best.

Do you have stories like that, of His provision? Do you think of them sweetly, remembering how good He has been to you? I hope you do (and I’d love to hear them). He is such a good, gracious, generous God!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Loneliness

Do you ever find yourself lonely? Physically, and spiritually? Over and over I have read comments and desperate pleas for advice from moms who find themselves struggling to cope with their current loneliness. The past year+ of shut downs and restrictions has amplified the isolation many of us are feeling, though I wonder how many were already familiar with loneliness.

Even before 2020, we may have had challenges of finding friends we “click” with. We may have struggled finding groups for our children to spend time with, or other moms we can talk to beyond a surface chit chat. And now, in our current upheaval of “normal,” we are seeing the Church being sifted and people choose whether or not they will hold fast to Scripture. I don’t know about you, but this has been the hardest part for me – seeing so many friends and acquaintances walk away from the Lord and embrace our culture’s wickedness. It’s heartbreaking, and while it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of friendships it does cause separation to one degree or another.

We can often find ourselves in seasons of loneliness. And it begs the question – what to do?

One morning I was reading 1 Kings and the chapters for the day were so fitting. Chapters 17-19 share some of Elijah’s life, and his work for the Lord. God used him to do miracles and save lives! He walked closely with the Lord and was obedient to Him. Yet he was lonely and hard-pressed, and finally begged God to just let him die. “It is enough!” he cried (19:4). “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (19:10).

Who else but the Lord can refresh us? He took Elijah out of his cave, and showed Himself to him. He told him what was to come, and then reassured him: “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have now bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (19:18). Elijah was not actually alone.

We need to remember this in regard to our own lives. We may feel lonely, and things can look bleak, but the Lord always saves a remnant. There are always other faithful believers who have not bowed to pagans, who will hold fast to Scripture and refuse to deny their Savior. They may not be in our neighborhoods, or even in our counties – but they exist, spread out where the Lord has placed them. We are in good company.

With that in mind, here are other actions I hope you will find helpful:

1. Read the Word and pray – We know this! Wallow not; be fed by His Word, then get up and do the next thing. Pray all day as you go about your tasks. You will find He is an ever present, close Companion.

2. Keep friendships in healthy perspective – The Lord is good to bring friends in due season. Sometimes those seasons don’t last long, sometimes they last decades. Sometimes friends overlap seasons, sometimes they don’t. Yet we can trust that He knows what He’s doing with us, and with our friends. Learn to cherish them but not hold them too closely. Friends are not our end-all; only He can satisfy as a Friend who knows us better than anyone else.

3. Get to know people – Holding friendships loosely doesn’t mean not having any at all, or not trying to build some! But instead of trying to find people that fit your criteria, work to get to know the people around you. Be a multi-generational friend, not an only-my-age friend. We learn from and can be edified by people of all ages and backgrounds. This may be a challenge right now, but I also encourage you to get together with people and build relationships. It’s a necessity! Go to church, get together with other believers to pray, host someone for dinner. Make it happen.

4. Journal – write everything out. I have kept a journal for close to two decades, and I can testify to how helpful it is. Putting all of your thoughts on paper can help you sort through them. Looking back may be cringy (it really is), but it is a testimony to God’s goodness for carrying you and growing you. It is a private space to pour your thoughts and emotions out to the Lord, and it brings maturity!

5. Read biographies of other Christians – there are so many! I recently finished Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn; highly recommend it. A Chance to Die is another great one; it’s a biography about Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot. Read about Gladys Aylward, missionary to China. Read Found Faithful by Elizabeth Skoglund, a compilation of stories about Charles Spurgeon, CS Lewis, Amy Carmichael, Ruth Bell Graham, Andrew Murray, and others. Reading about others who have gone before us is so encouraging and inspiring. They will remind you of the greatness of our God and leave you knowing you’re not alone in this marathon of faith!

Ultimately, we know that our loneliness and challenges are temporary. We endure for a moment in the grand scheme of things. Our God is forever on His throne, and darkness cannot overcome His light.

Even in your loneliness, keep your eyes firmly fixed on His Word. There you will find satisfaction for your soul. May we be the remnant, and the remnant that multiplies.