We Can Face Tomorrow

I awoke this morning with these words piping into my mind, You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship thee, which led me to Psalm 42:1-2,11: 

(1) “As the deer longs for water brooks, so I long for You, O God. (2)  My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? (11) Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?  Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the help of my countenance and my God.”

This morning I did not check updates on the coronavirus.  I did not look at twitter or respond to text messages.  The Holy Spirit was speaking to me words of truth. I’m thankful I turned my face to God rather than the ongoing flow of disturbing news encasing our world in panic and fear.  In these days of stockpiling temporary means of satisfying our physical  hunger and thirst, today my heart longs for the only one who truly satisfies the hunger and thirst of my soul, my inner self.   Where do we find what we need most to live through this season?  

John 7:37-38 says, Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow springs and rivers of living water.”   In Jesus we “behold the face of God..”  Now is the time to run into his open arms of safety, security and love.  The music is playing in the background and I hear these words,  “ I want to each day be close to you and love you more and more. I want to spend my time with you, want to hide, confide in you, want to laugh and sing and cry with you and I love you more and more.  So I will run until I find you where your arms are open wide, It’s only when I’m near you I’m safe and whole inside.    (“ Hallelujah” sung by Maranatha Music).

An unexpected gift of this current season is time.  Each day now we have  additional time   - no commute to work, no driving the kids to school, no community or church activities, not even a drive to a local restaurant for dinner.  Time is a commodity that we take for granted and complain we never have enough of. The best place to go in these days of uncertainty is into the arms of God.  In Him, the deep well within us is filled with more of Him, who is Love itself.  

Not only will the well of my soul be filled, but it will spring forth like a waterfall to fill other soul wells of those around me.   The water that flows is the Holy Spirit within which is love, faith and hope.  When released, His love pours and flows in every direction from me, in my texts, phone calls, written posts and encounters, even if I’m six feet away (for his love knows no measure). So pause with me now and ask God to awaken  the thirst of your inner self for more of love and life.  As the deer pants for the life giving streams of natural water, may we pant for the  eternal life giving water of Jesus.  Take the time.

Psalm 42: 11b proclaims, Why are you cast down, O my inner self?...Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is my God and the help of my countenance.”  Each day as  the news rambles on about the numbers of the sick or infected, we have the choice to place our hope in God.  In our prayers, let’s  praise our God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Together, let’s trust in Him and wait expectantly.   As the Body of Christ, we lean in together in the waiting resting in his arms and drinking from his river of living water.  Where there is fear, sow love.  Where there is sorrow, sow joy.  Where there are anxious faces, sow faith.  I love the thought from the Psalmist that God is the help of my countenance  His presence is light and brings smiles of genuine joy to our heart then to our countenance.  Being with him face to face, His Spirit will glow in and through us like Moses returning from the Tabernacle. 

A familiar song often played in my church as a young girl in the 1970’s is called Because He Lives.  I invite you into these words of truth today. In the year 2020, when humanity is sitting on the edge of the deep longing for hope, we sing.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone,

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.