Sometimes God answers in ways that are unexpected and amazing. Today He spoke peace to my soul though encouraging comments on FaceBook and from conversation and worship at our Fellowship Group.
Unknown to me, Stephen added a new hymn to our fellowship group song book, Come Thou Fount. The second stanza starts off with:
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Tonight Stephen started this hymn by giving the background to this phrase. It is found in I Samuel 7 where the Israelites are battling their arch enemy and they pray to God for deliverance and He does deliver. Samuel holds up a stone that he calls an Ebenezer and says “thus far has the Lord helped us.” How powerful those words spoke to me, “thus far”. Every day to this day, God has helped me……”thus far has the Lord helped me.” He is faithful no matter how unfaithful I am, he is faithful no matter how I feel. Jesus sought me when I was a stranger.
Anyway, here are the remaining Lyrics from the second verse:
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wondering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
So that was the first song tonight……”Thus Far God has helped me.” We also sang Psalm 62 which I think has become my anthem this year…..I love that song. If you’ve never heard it, or even if you have, listen or listen again!
I love how unmusical God has created me (really you don’t want to actually hear me sing, hehe), but how He uses music over and over to speak truth to my heart.
We were discussing Ephesians 2 and 3 tonight and during that discussion we were talking about how God has given us Christ’s righteousness and that’s what He sees when He looks at us and that’s what we should also see when looking at other believers. It’s not about being a perfect mama. It’s not about having perfect obedient angel children. It’s about seeing Christ righteousness. My “perfect” could never measure up. But Jesus freely gave me His “perfect” which is perfect. And THAT is what God sees when He looks at me.
God also sent many sweet friends to comment on FaceBook (see it is good for something). Sometimes life feels very lonely and just having someone say very simple words of encouragement can bring so much healing and strength. This poem speaks an amazing amount of truth in just a few short lines:
The Weaver:
My life is but a weaving between the Lord and me,
I know not the colors He weaveth steadily.
At times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride,
Forget he sees the upper an I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent and the shuttle ceases to fly
Shall He unveil the canvas and reveal the reason why.
The dark threads were as needful in the weaver’s skillful hands,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern that He planned.
~Author Unknown~
“The dark threads were as needful”. For whatever the reason God is weaving in my life dark threads. And I don’t know why, I don’t know how this can work out for good, but I can know that “thus far God has helped me.” And He is the same yesterday, today and forever! God is good all the time. So has anything in my situation changed between 2 A.M. and 11:50 P.M today? Nope, nada. But the breath of Truth has blown over my soul and I am refreshed!
House of Smooches 