“Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.”
Psalm 27:10
Many people think this is not a very uplifting life verse, but for me it has given me identity and purpose and my marching orders in this world. I remember reading this verse shortly after my dad passed away, a dad who was gentle, witty, never knew a stranger, hardworking, loving, and so, so wise. Although he left this Earth due to the aging process, I understood what the word “forsaken” meant. I began to realize with great depth that nothing in this world stays the same; change is inevitable with all things, and we will move through very discombobulating seasons whether we want to or not. With a mom who did not know the Lord and who was struggling with all that a very sinful world was bombarding her with at the time, I knew I was without a physical parent in this world, and that was very disturbing for me. Finding the above verse was an immediate relief, is all I can describe it as. That verse gave me a True Parent, and that Truth alone allowed me to embrace what it meant to be alone with Christ. I am eternally grateful to the Lord for allowing this verse to penetrate my soul, as I began to delve into what I had been searching to understand for so long, and that was what it truly meant to have a deep and abiding personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
I had read several years earlier a comment that “some people spend a life trying to please an unpleasable parent;” that article was written for me. Then with my Earthly father never to be in my presence again, my Heavenly Father and His much deeper, complete, and wholly attentive parental love came into existence in full bloom. I then understood fully to seek the praise of God and not of man, and ministry took on a very powerful front-and-center part of my life, especially with my husband, Ron, being called into seminary full-time 18 years into our marriage. What an adventurous whirlwind we’ve had since… and it still continues to this day as I write this.
Learning to relish greatly being alone with Christ…
I learned to enjoy spending time outside the camp as Scripture so beautifully portrays…
I understood how precious it is to be a foreigner here on this Earth…
I felt deeply the words of the song, “In Christ Alone”…
And just recently I had such amazing joy in reading a phrase from a devotional aimed right at my heart: “I have called you from the crowd to follow me.” Being up at O-dark-thirty every morning, steaming latte’ nearby, is my absolute favorite few hours of the day, and I will never forsake that time alone with Christ. Amazingly, forsakenness drove me there, yet I will cherish that place till I take my last breath.
As this world exponentially exposes us to such cruelty, dishonesty, rejection, distracting voices, and evil happenings at every turn, God’s Word through the Book of Matthew in our Bible study this year has been the healing balm of Gilead that I’ve needed. In particular, Matthew 17:5 has been laid before me with a very gentle, but loud voice…
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them,
and a voice from the cloud said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
Are we listening to Him only? I am…
As I keep speaking to others about the need for:
reverent fear of God…
Truth that is unchanging…
steadfastness in the Lord in all things…
and immersing ourselves in His Word
daily for every single decision we make,
may He simply find me faithful, is my prayer. It is through the seeking out of fellowship with true Believers that I find the ability to remain steadfast. May we all daily ask to whom He would want to send us next in His name and with His powerful Holy Spirit.
“Listen to Him!”
My dear friend…
Donna enjoys the outdoors, as well as writing, quilting and Bible studies, often with her beautiful sheltie, Max, right by her side. She shares: "After 36 years of a Christ-centered marriage, two very loving and God-ordained open adoptions for 31 years, Ron's call into seminary full-time 18 years into our marriage, and now such a providential move to SW Missouri, Ann and Jim at the center of it all, it's been one Red Sea moment after another...and it hasn't stopped. All glory and praise to the One Who has orchestrated it all!"
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