The world we live in has become increasingly complicated–illness, invasion, crazy house markets, inflation, politics and the list could go on. In this midst of these new raging realities, there are a few simple truths that have been blessing me every day recently.
The first truth stems from a women’s retreat 10 years ago in Indiana. Each woman received a mug with a different scripture painted on the outside of it. Though much of the wording has washed off of my mug, the profound thing is that a couple words still remain, and I see them EVERY morning as I go to boil water for tea and chocolate with Jesus.
The remaining words…
“The Lord…Be Still”…
Each morning at the tea kettle, I’m reminded that He’s the LORD…the KING…over everything…2nd to no one and nothing…not Putin, not COVID, not inflation…not ANYTHING.
And then the 2nd half of the remaining words…my response to this profound truth…the appropriate response…”Be Still.” This phrase is actually derived from the Hebrew word rapha which means “to be weak, to let go, to release.” Essentially, it means surrender. These words echo in my soul as I boil the kettle, and when I take them to heart, this truth shapes the perspective of everything about my day.
The 2nd truth has come through a song that I recently encountered during our post-exercise cool down routine. This is the song:
“To everyone that’s waiting for better days ahead, Tired and frustrated and leaving words unsaid, Please don’t hold your breath. Just breathe. ‘Cause it’s a miracle we can breathe. There’s power in the way that we breathe. Release your heavy burdens, And let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. This is why we have breath, so praise the Lord.”
Every time we breathe, it’s a miracle. Let EVERYTHING that has breath, praise the Lord,. When I don’t know what to do, just BREATHE and thank Him for the gift of breath, for who He is, for the miracle of breath and life. Almost every morning recently, I listen to this song and practice its truth. So simple, but the change in my soul is profound!
The 3rd simple truth comes from a Louie Giglio sermon that Daniel and I listened to a few weeks ago. The title of the message itself contains the truth–JESUS IS COMING SOON. Here is the message:
Now before you think I have end time predictions or have gone off my rocker, take 30 minutes and listen. The truth that Louie reads and explains from Matthew 24 affects everything about our lives…how we look at the news…how we live… how we die…everything. This message has put eternity into view for me in a new way as I stand in the world news as well as the individual challenges and joys of my own life.
I pray that somehow these simple truths from my journey with Him over the last month, will supernaturally through the POWER of His Spirit bring joy, peace and His presence in your daily realities as they did in mine.
To the King, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible
To the King, Eternal, to the only wise God, (by Travis Cottrell),