The God who will Rescue and Be With Us

Our God is a promiser.

It's one of the great adventures of reading His Word: being led to a promise that is very personal or pertinent in real time.

In reading Psalm 91, starting in verse 14 through 15, God has a personal promise for those who love Him.

Here it is, adapted slightly, as it was written in my journal recently:

 "Because you love me," says the Lord,

I will rescue you;

I will protect you, 

for you acknowledge My name

You will call upon Me, 

and I will answer you;

I will be with you in trouble,

I will deliver you

and honor you."

I actually wrote my name in after each of the phrases to make it really personal- "Because you love me, Mary Ann..."

Let's find a promise this week and take it captive in this way...from the God of the Universe to us, personally.

Pray-ing the Price: The Rest of the Story...

Picking up with our last conversation... we crossed the Atlantic, made the first docking at Disney's Castaway Cay and landed in Port Canaveral and my condition remained stable : ) And, for the next four years, the numbness and tingling persisted despite pursuing every medical option. During that time I explored lots of avenues on the quest for healing, yet came to a place of content acceptance where it just became part of who I was. During those four years, my energies were poured into a new thirst for God's Word and the migration of my work life to further the kingdom.

Then one morning, God threw my back out (something that had never happened before) and I had to go to my chiropractor. And by gently putting pressure on those places where our skull fuses over our brain- which he explained are like continents, they shift ever so slightly with every tightened, stressed muscle until one day, they pinch in on the nerve that trips the Bells' Palsy- THREE DAYS LATER, it was totally cured and has never returned.

I clearly remember that moment: at lunch with a friend, who said, "Hey, parts of your face are moving that I haven't seen move." My first reply was smarty pants, "Duh, that's because I'm talking," and then, I jumped up and went into the restroom and she was right. God, through Dr. Webb, delivered a miracle!

As time has passed, I still delight in telling the story and even today as we share it, am reminded of how God worked in me through that season, especially how He brought me to that place of content acceptance. Content acceptance, without resignation or frustration... And, how much I need that for the struggles of today so that my heart trusts the One who made me and loves me, especially when I do not understand His mysterious ways.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The My, My, My For Our Why, Why, Why Cries

  We start asking "Why?" as toddlers... and as the years unfold, we have larger, more pressing things for which we ask why. One of the things I appreciate about the Psalms are the many emotions expressed, and the many times why appears. One of the visual imaging techniques that works for me reading the Bible is configuring the words so that I can see their emphasis and then hear them differently...

It starts with opening my Bible and taking a pencil in hand and circling or otherwise marking the words or phrases that jump out or speak to my heart. Next, they are written in a form, like a poem or a list of their own.

Here's an example for Psalm 71... appropriate for this week of sorrows upon sorrow.

...from Psalm71:3-8

Be my rock of refuge...

my rock...

my fortress...

my God...

my hope...

my confidence...

my strong refuge...

Notice that it starts and ends in the same place with the word "strong" added- what's in between- the progression from my rock of refuge to my strong refuge reflects God at work in us.

Then, pray what is written and reflect on where in this moment God is speaking...

This week we are sharing the Express Worship which our Inner Circle subscribers get each week. It's still in a beta form, yet we would love for you to join us for a about the price of a cup of coffee each month. Just click on the Go Deeper image.

  As we continue to walk through these days of sorrow upon sorrow, here's Fernando Ortega to start this day (just the music)...

God of all comfort, Be near us as we comfort others. Draw us into prayer as each minute passes. Whisper to us what to say to others. Give us courage to do things uncomfortable. Fill us with Your Spirit. Move us one step closer to being more than just OneOrlando... make us OneChurch.

Words of Paul from Ephesians 4:2-6

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all,

who is over all and through all and in all.