Well Watered Trees, Watercolor in Nicaragua, Marcia Carole
The past couple of days have been resting days, yet again. I’m off the chemo pill this week, so it makes no sense that I am so weak. Maybe I picked up yet another virus? All I can do is lean into resting, yet again today. While I lie in bed, I often listen to a number of teachers, who help me to think about my faith. Today, I spent a bit of time with a teacher in Jeremiah 2, in the Old Testament.
“Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.” Jeremiah 2:19.
What was the underlying problem for God’s people? No awe of God, no reverence or holy fear of God. So, I got to thinking….In my moments of sin, I am not in awe of God, but of something else – maybe my comfort or happiness or pleasure or success or my reputation. I do think, as a Jesus follower, the Holy Spirit prompts us to keep away from malice, envy, bitterness, all the sins mentioned in 1 Peter,etc. but we don’t always heed God’s promptings. I think, at that moment, what we/I treasure or what we are in awe of, directs our actions, thoughts, words.
Well Watered Tree Bearing Fruit, Watercolor, Marcia Carole
As I have spent, and continue to spend, so much time lying in bed, resting, seemingly doing nothing… the Lord is working away. He has repeatedly convicted me of my sins over the years, lovingly prodding away at my lack of awe-led obedience moments, for so many years, in so many situations. I weep hot tears with Him when I think of my lack of obedience and head-strong actions. I ask His forgiveness and mercy for choosing: comfort, pleasure or happiness over obedience, as I endlessly nap.
These are dark, hard, hard days of destroying cancer cells, and, sigh, some good cells, too. However, I imagine these are golden days in tearing down lesser things taking my worship while building up my God-awe, by my confessing sin/rebellion, in so many hidden corners He is revealing in my soul. Then, He is building God-awe in those torn down places. My only hope is in knowing I am that tree (Psalm 1) God planted in streams of living water, with my roots digging down deeper than they’ve ever had to go before. And it’s truly painful. However, my awe-filled soul roots, can be in nothing less than Jesus and His righteousness. God is making certain of that.
Psalm 1 Tree, Watercolor, Marcia Carole
*Heaven…a prepared place for a prepared people…and I can so relate with your journey of ‘exposure to His Light’…to bring us all into that ‘much deserved place’ of Holy Reverence and Awe for Who He is…in the world and in ‘us’,His beloved Bride. Thank you so much,sweet Sister-friend,for baring your soul-work with the rest of us…His ‘refining fire-light’ truly shines bright thru your words and thru you journey.I love you dearly! *
On Sat, Jan 7, 2017 at 1:48 PM, Art Engaging Story wrote:
> marcia carole posted: ” The past couple of days have been resting days, > yet again. I’m off the chemo pill this week, so it makes no sense that I am > so weak. Maybe I picked up yet another virus? All I can do is lean into > resting, yet again today. While I lie in bed, I often li” >