Leave Room for God

Today my Tante (Aunt) Jan and Oom (Uncle) Ed are coming to visit us for the weekend! They are driving from Geneva, Illinois -- about five and a half hours. I can't wait to see them and am so excited they are going to be able to visit us here in Rochester before we move. I'll try to post a few pictures from our visit.

Right now, I just got back from working out and thought I would share some weekend encouragement.

I've been reading Oswald Chamber's classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Yesterday's entry was really fantastic and I wanted to share:

As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him -- to give God "elbow room." We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly -- "God meets our life --" ... "when it pleased God." Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.

I also keep reflecting back on something I wrote down while at Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale over Christmas.

What is PEACE?

Preoccupation with God not circumstances
Entering into His presence
Abiding in the Lord and by the spirit
Christ centered
Eternal perspective

Here is another great devotional my mom sent me yesterday:

January 25
Do not fear, for I am with you.
Genesis 26:24

Lord God, You are infinite, eternal, unchangeable and the source of wisdom, holiness, goodness, and truth. Today I come to You with two biblical admonitions. I am told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), but also that I am not to fear (Genesis 26:24). Help me to distinguish between the humble awe and wonder that opens me to the gift of Your guidance, and the negative panic that so often grips my soul when problems arise.

Give me a profound reverence for You that keeps me on the knees of my heart. May I never presume that I am adequate for a day's challenges until I have received Your strength and vision. Give me the confidence that comes from trusting in Your reliability and resourcefulness. I know You will never let me down because You always endeavor to lift me up.

Lord, liberate me from all the fears that haunt me: the fear of the past, the fear of failure, and the fear of what is ahead. I may not know what the future holds, but I do know that You hold the future. And that's why I can replace my every fear with total confidence in You who never leaves nor forsakes.