Thoughts for Life: #10 Resting In God

~ Marion Stroud- It was our last holiday together as a family before our eldest son went off to college. As we filled the back pew in the little seaside church, my heart filled with love as I glanced along the row of my five reasonably tidy children.

"Please protect them spiritually and keep them close to You, Lord." I prayed silently, thinking of the pressures and challenges each of them faced. (Google image, Man praying at sunset)

The final song had a rousing chorus based on the words of 2 Timothy 1:12. "I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return." It brought a sense of peace as I was assured that God would keep their souls.

Years have passed since then. There have been times of wandering for some of my children, and outright rebellion for others. Sometimes I've wondered about God's faithfulness. Then I remember Abraham.

He stumbled but never failed in his trust in the promise he'd received (Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:20-21). Through years of waiting and mistaken attempts to help things along, Abraham hung on to God's promise until Isaac was born.

I find this reminder to trust encouraging. We tell God our request. We remember that He cares. We know He is powerful. We thank Him for His faithfulness. (Marion Stroud)

Let's pray-

Father, when we find ourselves saying so-long to a family member or a friend for an extended period of time, may we pray for their protection, that You would keep them close to You while they're away. For we know they will encounter challenges and temptations.

May our prayer be for their protection and provision while they're away from us. Help us be assured that You'll keep their souls. Though some may wonder away from the faith we've shared with them over the years, and others may become rebellious all together, we will trust that You'll be constantly with them as Your Word promises.

Abraham believed what You told him, and though he took matters into his own hands to help You accomplish what You said you would do, in the long run, he held onto his faith and saw the promise fulfilled in the birth of his son, Isaac.

We're encouraged to tell You our requests, remembering that You care, and that You are powerful and Faithful to keep Your promises we claim that we find in Your Word. We ask that You'll not only move in our situations, but show Yourself Faithful to answer the requests we give from our hearts.

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

John 6:35 "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'"

Ephesians 3:16 "And I ask God, from the wealth of His glory, to give you power through His Spirit to be strong in your inner selves. I pray that Christ will make His home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all of God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know His love more fully, and so be completely filled with the very nature of God."

Quote for today-

~ Debbie McDaniel- "Not a day goes by that we're not in need of God's grace and peace. Every morning we need His Spirit to fill us again, to strengthen us for what's ahead. Every day we need a fresh word that He speaks to our hearts, that keeps our focus on what's most important. Trying to run this race of life without Him, will do nothing but drain us dry." Why We Need Jesus Every Day

Words of wisdom-

- Where we pray may differ from where others pray, but if it works for us, it's a place where we can meet alone with God to pray. The Lord hears our heart's cry, and knows what needs to be done. He understands and moves to help with each one. We find out that lessons of patience may take a long time to learn, as we wait on His timing for answers to our prayers.

Today's guest post-

Parenting is not an action you can turn on and off. Grandparents are no longer on the front lines of parenting, but they still have an important role to play. Whenever mom or dad needs advice, support, help, or a shoulder to cry on, they are there. Grandparents also have the unique ability to parent their grandchildren when mom or dad can’t.

Upcoming posts

That Thing

7/3rd- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes

#11 Stay Connected

6th- Tuesday's post by C. P. Hia

#12 Unanswered

8th- Thursday's post by Anne Cetas

The Wisdom of Having Wise Friends

10th- Saturday's post by Gwen Smith