Tapping into the Power...

Recently I've become more and more aware of my GREAT need for the Lord. I've always known that I needed Him...but I've become supremely aware of my desperately deep need for Him. It's interesting because this has been a recurring lesson or thought in my quiet time each morning, our pastor preached on it yesterday, and it was the topic of the book we're reading for our Community Group study last night...ya think He's trying to teach me something?!!

We've been going through a study with our Community Group at church called the Gosple Centered Life, I highly recommend it, it's quite challenging, but last night Adam and I were reading our chapter for this week and it was talking about the power that God has made available to us if we'd only tap into it. And I had to stop and ask myself, "Why don't I tap into it more?" "Why is it so hard to do regularly?" "Truly, if God has made it available, why, then is it SO incredibly hard for me to do?"


These questions have run through my mind a lot lately...when I'm struggling to keep my tone of voice from reaching a screaching sound with my kids, when my frustration level is about to hit the roof and I end up going off on my innocent husband (who, may I add, takes it without "returning evil for evil"---what an example he is for me, I LOVE him!!) In those moment when I've asked my child twenty-five times to get his shoes on, get his juice cup, get in the car and strap himself in...why do I loose it? Why don't I just stop and ask the Lord for help?!! He says if I ask Him He will help me...He will keep me in perfect peace if only I'd keep my focus on Him instead of thinking on my ever increasing and lengthening list of "to do's"...I seem to get lost in the weeds of trying to be a Mom, a friend, a teacher, a chauffer, a piano instructor, a chef, a laundry specialist, a party planner, the bill payer, the grocery shopper, an all the time list maker...the child of God who truly does want to follow Him, listen to Him, learn from Him and ultimately tap into the power that He's offered to me...if only I could "plug" myself into Him more!

Well, I do have an answer, its not rocket science and it's not real deep, you probably know the answer yourself, but sometimes things just have to hit me in the face...the power that I'm talking about, the power that I need, comes from meditating on the word of God, truly knowing, and hiding God's word in my heart so that I might not sin against Him, it's so simple yet so hard sometimes! If I'm meditating on His word, I've found that tapping into the power is so much easier and He truly does provide it, because His words are buzzing around in my brain. So I've begun memorizing scripture again...when I've done this in the past, it's been tremendously helpful. God's word is like a grid, a filter, that helps us to choose and to act according to the way God wants and desires us to. So, though I'm certainly not perfect at this, I'm in a long, long process, but I'm inching my way forward! The verse I've begun memorizing is Psalm 105:4 "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always!" It's perfect, in those hairy, rip your eyes out moments when the kids are screaming, the bread is burning, the water's boiling over and the baby needs to be fed...I'm gonna "look to the Lord and HIS STRENGTH"...I know He's provided it, I need it, and I'm gonna take Him up on it!

A friend of mine in Birmingham once told me that in those moments of weakness she literally starts praying outloud for God to help her...she said the first couple of times her kids would look at her like she was a crazy woman, and wondered who she was talking to, but really, what a great example she is setting for them, to show them how to daily, moment by moment, walk with the Lord and ask Him to give her strength. Funny thing is, that's exactly what His word tells us to do. So my challenge to you, and to myself, start talking to God, outloud, in your moments of weakness...at the height of frustration, call upon the Lord and ask Him for help! In Jesus Calling this morning, one of the verses to look up was Deuteronomy 33:25 "There's no one like the God of Jeshurun who rides on the heavens to help you..." My God rides on the heavens to swiftly and quickly swoop in and help me, I need only to ask. "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open to you..."

I'm finding that the more scripture I memorize the more freely and quickly His word flows into my mind. Praise the Lord, O my soul! Help me Jesus, I'm desperate!!