Thursday, May 24, 2007
A Continual Invitation
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me! Psalm 66:20 NKJV
God assures me through His Word that my prayers do not fall on deaf ears and His mercy is not withheld. His goodness endures continually! I find comfort in that, especially when it seems I often bring the same issues to Him. He knows that with each time, He is bringing me that much closer to freedom and His desired growth in my life. He knows what insecurities still lie buried in me. He knows what areas still need His redemptive touch. But each time I come to Him in sincerity and truth He peels off yet another layer from my heart. He does not set limits on the number of times I confront internal issues, external circumstances, or anything else that weighs heavy on me.
What does this do for me? It gives me the freedom to approach Him with my needs. It encourages honesty! I don’t have to play pretend with Him. I can come as often as I want to come and stay as long as I need to stay. I don’t have to try and rush the growth process.
I can remember a time not too long ago that I hugged a person and proclaimed I was free in a certain area in my life. At the time, I thought I was. God knew better! He knew there was still work to be done. I had not faced all the issues yet or dealt with all the pain. I wanted the freedom so badly but really wasn’t there yet. I tried to rush things. The result was that I crashed big time the next day. My emotions revealed the true state of my heart. God’s invitation was clear. “Come to Me. We still have work to do.” And as I came, He listened and extended His mercy!
What am I learning? If it is still on my heart and mind it is still an area for prayer. I will know when the lesson has been learned, the truth has been grasped, and the full freedom has been embraced. God is patient. He knows how long each issue will take. I don’t have to fear I will wear Him out or exhaust His loving kindness. He does not change. I speak my words into His open ears, grasp His extended hand, and hold His undivided attention. May I offer those same things to Him as He speaks to me.
Father, nothing in my life is insignificant or off limits to You. Thank you for instituting prayer and desiring open communication. May the dialogue between us be productive and precious. Amen.