All My Ducks In A Row

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation of salvation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-5

Yes, I must confess I am one of those. I often operate under that familiar lie from the enemy that I can't be truly happy unless and until all my ducks are in a row. You, too? Where do we get that anyway? I don't know that there has ever been a time in all of my christian life when all my ducks were actually in a row. I'm not even sure how many ducks I have!

If you've ever been a student of ducks for long, you realize that getting them all in a row is pretty much an impossibility. While you are off chasing one, three others pack up and head out in a different direction!

Maybe instead of trying to line everything up the way I want it to be, I would be better off realizing that God is the one who is really in charge of all the ducks anyway. I love this section in Romans chapter 5 that reminds me that problems (or ducks out of line) are simply an opportunity for God to teach me to endure. Oh boy, there's a word--endure--but that's for another day. His ultimate goal for me is strengthening my character and building up my confidence in this gift He has given me called salvation. One of his expressions of His deep love for me is the gift of His precious Holy Spirit. John 16 gives us the "job description" of the Holy Spirit. Verse 13 says, that he will guide us into all truth. That must include ducks and how to deal with them!

I love the quote from Corrie ten Boom that we shared in Women's group last week, "God has no problems--just plans!"

Hmmm. I like that.

Day and Night Meditations

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

What a beautiful picture of what devotion to the Lord should be! The word meditate here is hagah which means "to reflect, to moan, to mutter to ponder; to make a quiet sound such as sighing: to meditate or comtemplate something as one repeats the words." Wow! There is no word for all that in our English language!

The Spirit-Filled Life Bible says that in Hebrew thought, to meditate upon the Scriptures is to quietly repeat them in a soft, droning sound, while utterly abandoning outside distractions.

I would dare to say that nothing is more precious to the Lord's ears than to hear His children repeating his words and letting them penetrate their spirit as they speak them. Conversely, I am sure that nothing is more repulsive to the enemy than to hear God's children speaking God's promises and declaring God's faithfulness.

When my kids were little and having trouble making right choices, I would often ask them, "Who loves you more than anything - God or the enemy?" Ofcourse they knew that God loved them. Then I would ask, "So whose side do you want to be on?" That one wasn't too hard either.

Delight in and meditate on his words day and night-- no matter what your situation. Don't wait for the feeling to motivate you, His word changes everything!

So whose side do you want to be on?