Encouragement for Today - Jan. 7, 2011
January 7, 2011
In Tune
T. Suzanne Eller
"I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music."
Psalm 101:1 (ESV)
Devotion:
God seems to do an incredible amount of things for people, almost like a personal valet. "I found the perfect pair of shoes on sale," someone once told me. "It's like God knew I needed that little boost." Or the time that God helped another person find their glasses. They prayed and "poof" they found them.
This sometimes makes me question. How is it that people give God credit for helping them find shoes on sale, or that really great parking spot, and yet other people suffer? Loved ones get hit with disease. Financial problems cause sleepless nights. A hurricane hits Haiti as they struggle to overcome the effects of a devastating earthquake.
Maybe you too have pondered such things. Maybe it's caused you to question how much God loves His creation.
God is deeply interested in and intimately involved with us according to verses such as this one: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).
The fact that God allows you to find that perfect-for-you little blessing one day, and come down with the flu the next doesn't negate His love for you. God's song plays strong and consistent over you, regardless of the good times or the hard times. His individual notes dance around us, inviting us to find Him, and then to find our part in His song.
Living in harmony with God, and finding our note in His song can compel us to look for ways to reach out to others who are needing to hear Him sing over them in their suffering. I also believe it can help us live in joy despite our circumstances. And I believe living out those notes will lead us to live lives of peace, even when times are not peaceful.
Today, let's close our eyes and open our hearts as we listen for our God singing over us. And let's take the time, eyes still closed, to imagine what it would look like for us to live in tune with Him.
Dear Lord, You do care about the intimate details. Just like the sparrow, You feed us; just like the lily, you clothe us in beauty. Father, for that I am immensely grateful. Help me to stay in tune with You and not stridently sing my own song over top You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Visit Suzie's blog for a giveaway and to explore "How big is God?"
The Woman I Am Becoming by T. Suzanne Eller
Shaped with Purpose Workbook and message on CD by Renee Swope
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
Application Steps:
Visit Compassion International to sponsor a child in need. Haiti is in particular need of sponsors.
Reflections:
"What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God." ~Eleanor Powell
Power Verses:
Psalm 30:11,"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy," (NIV)
© 2011 by T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
