Good morning…
“I thought of you when I received this today.” On early Saturday morning, a faraway friend emailed me the colorful Bible verse above. She said, “Reminds me a little bit of your post today, Be Guided By Grace.” In the VOICE translation, Ephesians 4:2 sounds like this.
Be humble.
Be gentle.
Be patient.
Tolerate one another
in an atmosphere thick with love.
By 9:00 am that morning, I was enjoying the senior communion service at The Lovett School, and Ann Shearer, the mother of a graduating senior and a friend to many of us, gave an encouraging message to the families of the senior class. Ann shared two Bible verses which caught my attention.
Whenever my busy thoughts
were out of control,
the soothing comfort
of your presence
calmed me down
and overwhelmed me
with delight.
For you are
my true tower of strength,
my safe place,
my hideout,
and my true shelter.
– Psalm 94:19, 23 (TPT)
You have not to do it
in your unaided strength:
but it is God
who is all the while
supplying the impulses,
giving you
the power to resolve,
and the strength to perform,
the execution of His good pleasure.
– Philippians 2:13 (TPT)
Now, up in the middle of the night, I am drawn deeper into this final Scripture verse. I discover this encouragement in the Message translation.
Be energetic in your life of salvation,
reverent and sensitive before God.
That energy is God’s energy,
an energy deep within you,
God himself
willing and working
at what will give him
the most pleasure.
As all of these words blend together right now, a new insight dawns.
When our busy thoughts are out of control, we need God. We desperately need God. God’s presence is our tower of strength, our safe place, our hideout, our true shelter. God’s energy deep within calms us down. It is God who supplies for us the impulses, gives us power and strength, and provides for us soothing comfort in an atmosphere thick with love.
We do not need to walk into the unknown ahead on our own unaided strength. In the face the challenges of today, might we nestle into God’s ever-presence, humble and gentle, patient and tolerant? Our single task in this moment (and in every moment to come) is to trust that God is willing and working at what will give the most pleasure over time.
…Sue…
