My Study Today: God of Mercy

Today I was reflecting on Deuteronomy 4:27-31 and my heart fell on the ground of grace.

"And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples,and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart 

and with all your soul.  

30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey His voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them."

Isn't that awesome news even for us today?! When we make our mess, choose our own ways, we end up in places we don't want to be, dealing with things we don't want to deal with, feeling lost and alone. (To be clear- we are in tribulation because we made choices to get there as in this case or God places us there-as in Job's life, as a refining moment. Either way, we all go through tribulations. There's lots of ways in but only one way out!!)

Sometimes God will scatter us (physically or emotionally) so that we are left searching for divine fellowship, fulfillment and encounter. As we wonder seemingly aimless, we can feel lost and sometimes even abandoned, in our wilderness journey. But, He is still there with us. Sometimes the only way God can get our undivided attention is to make us "be alone." I realize now, in hindsight, as usual for me, how important it is to get away from life as we know it and get alone where we are forced to rely solely on Christ for our friendship, counsel, encouragement and correction. It's sooo easy to bounce between others and ourselves to figure out what's happening in our life but clearly God wants to be our All in All. Our Everything. Mighty Counselor. Price of Peace. The Way and The Why and The How. He is I Am.

Is He enough for you? Is He just the End of the Night Guy to run your problems by in hopes a miracle will be delivered by morning's light? OUCH!!! Meeee tooooo!!!! 

Years ago, I never would have admitted that was me and truthfully, I am not even sure that I realized I was doing it. I LOVED the Lord and He was my Best Friend who had walked me alongside me through many trials, but maybe He was only my Good Listener, the One Who Heard My Tears Fall in the middle of the night, and I know He had saved me from the pit of Hell because I had placed my trust in Him as Lord and Savior of my Life. But what about living out my daily life? What about trusting Him with actually handling the details, trials, carrying my tears for me, fixing what was broken? I was a wondering girl trying to control what wasn't, and isn't, mine to control.

Just a few years ago, as you know, once again, I found myself scattered, going where I didn't want to go and when I had nothing left, I picked my face off the ground, climbed out of the pit and looked up. And I found Him, still there, watching and waiting for me. My Only. "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, IF YOU SEARCH AFTER HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL."

Maybe this is you too? Are you facing tribulations right now? Do you feel abandoned, scattered, alone? Turn to Him now! Seek after HIM and not the answers and reasons or the most popular method. Find Him first and He will lead you the way to everlasting, into a Promised land with Him. "For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you!"

Heavenly Father, My Only I Am,

Thank You for your faithfulness. My spirit is in awe as I consider the endless grace You shed on me. My heart rejoices in Your steadfastness and yet feels soooo unworthy of Your great Love for such as me. I am not worthy of something so precious. Thank You Lord Jesus for the gift of unmerited favor and grace that covers Your children. Help me to seek earnestly after You, daily, Lord, that I will not find myself scattered, but resting and trusting in Your sovereignty and outstretched arms. Cause my heart to be sensitive and obedient to Yours.

God, bring people and circumstances into our lives that will mentor and teach us how to faithfully follow You who sharpen our iron, our Sword of the Spirit! Thank You for those precious few that You have already BLESSED me with who have shined Your Light in my dark places, illuminating YOU!! Bless and keep them.

Revive Your children. Remove all hindrances that keep us from coming to Your embrace. Help us seek You FIRST. Forgive us. Cleanse us. Receive our love.

In Amazed Grace, amen.