Girlfriends in God - March 14, 2007

March 14, 2007

Tethered

Gwen Smith

 

 

 

Today’s Truth

 

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 NIV

 

 

Friend to Friend

 

Have you ever seen a tetherball? For those of you who may not be familiar, Wikipedia describes the equipment for the game like this:

 

Tetherball (also known as swingball) is a game for two opposing players. The equipment consists of a 10 ft (3 m), stationary metal pole, from which is hung a ball from a rope, or tether.

 

Now, I’m no tetherball champ by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, there were not very many places to play tetherball in the town where I grew up in Pennsylvania. But each summer, my brothers and sisters and I could barely wait for our family reunions that were held at a park in White Oak. We knew that when we arrived, there would be huge amounts of food, burlap sack races, egg tosses, water balloon fights, treasure hunts and a killer playground that boasted a tetherball court! Oh the fun! We would race with all of our hearts, play hard in the blazing sun, eat way more than we should, and battle on the tetherball court until we were just shy of dropping from exhaustion.

 

I want my connection with God to be constant like that of the ball and poll in tetherball. Whether the ball is moving or still it is connected to the poll, securely tethered by a rope. Whether we are moving or still we can be connected to God, securely tethered by prayer. We simply have to choose to be. Jesus calls us to be persistent in prayer! The word tether actually means “to tie something with a rope or chain in order to restrict its movement.” I like the idea of having my life ‘restricted’ by the will of God…to be bound by His Spirit through prayer.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

 

God’s plans are best. They may not always line up with our own plans, but when we tether our hearts to the heart of God…we are bound securely by His faithfulness. God is faithful to answer the prayers of His children, and He will be faithful to complete the good work He has begun in our lives…as we seek Him persistently.

 

 

Let’s pray

 

Holy Father, Please forgive me for all of the times when I have chosen to disconnect. I need to be tethered to Your heart, Lord. Help me to set aside my own will and trust in Your plan for my life. I know that You are faithful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

Now it’s your turn

 

• Take a personal inventory…list the areas of your life that are ‘tethered to the heart of God’ and list the areas of your life that you have struggled to connect with Him on.

 

• Pray about your struggles and ask God to bind your heart with His regarding the details.

 

• Commit to increase your persistence in prayer!

 

 

 

Girlfriends in God

P.O. Box 725

Matthews, NC 28106

www.girlfriendsingod.com