A couple of nights ago I parked my car and bolted out of it so fast I left the door wide open. The sky was on fire, and I had to capture it with my camera. What a sight! And I asked, “How many times have You shown yourself to me today, Lord—times I never even noticed.” So, I prayed this simple prayer, “Dear Lord, help me see you all day, every day, because I know You ARE here!”
At Our House
Growing up, God was big at our house. How could He not be if you consider my mother’s initials—FSH (Father, Son, Holy Spirit.) Coincidence? Nope. No such thing. Divine plan? That’s more like it.
We prayed over our food morning, noon and night, “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food.” Then at bedtime, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, may He guide each step I take.” That one gave me the willies. I mean, here I was this little bitty girl, dreaming of all the good life I had ahead of me, but then I had to ask God to cover me every night just in case I died. Yuck!
My family’s prayers may have been repetitious, but the habit of thanking God throughout the day kept us in a rich, God-filled life. I could tell you that life’s been glorious ever since those early years, but there’s not a lick of truth in that. You see, the child who knew with all her heart that Jesus loved her and that she loved Him grew up to be a rebel who used her newfound freedom to charge into a God-less, scatter-gun life.
The Decision That Changed Everything
It took years of chaos, shattered dreams and gut-wrenching heartache for me to be so broken and bruised I had no choice but to choose. Would I live my life for myself or for Jesus? Making that monumental decision took years because I mistakenly believed that I had to get cleaned up even to be considered worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. Consequently, I cried every time I entered a church. Embarrassed by my tears and uprooted from the folly of my reckless life, I hopped from church to church, hoping to find peace in anonymity.
But one day I heard a pastor speak about what Moses told Joshua, the man who succeeded him as the leader of the Israelites. Preparing to enter The Promised Land, Moses said, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
“…He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even though I’d heard those words many times before, on that day it was as if they were planted in my heart, and quickly began to take root. Even as questions whirled within me, I suddenly knew that God had been, was now and would be in every moment. It was as though I was that little child once more—in love with Jesus all over again.
Ahhh, You’re Here!
It was such a simple thought, yet so reassuring. My salvation would come later, but I see now that securing my place in eternity would not have been possible if I hadn’t first embraced the ever-presence of The Lord.
I’m no special case. God has a divine plan for every-every-everyone! All you’ve got to do is ask. As my daddy was fond of saying, “Ask! They may tell you to go jump in a lake, but if they do, you’re no worse off. But then again they might tell you what you need to know and you just might learn something. So, go ahead—ask!”
If you haven’t already, ask Jesus to come live in your heart, and be the Lord of your life. He has a divine plan that’s tailor made for YOU, but He won’t barge in uninvited. No, He is a gentlemen. But if you choose to ask Him, He will say YES. And you will know what it is to be fully alive!
…Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
Truth and Freedom. Isn’t that what we all want?
Kay Harper-God is Big 