“Generations will tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds.” Ps. 145:6
I ran into a believing friend last week whom I had not seen in 6 months or so. She looked so good, so “chickie”…and I told her so. She smiled big and quickly told me she had lost 20 some odd pounds. But as I smiled back, she dropped her bomb on me: “Yes, I’m getting a new life…Divorced now…Tough on the kids, but ohhh, so much better for me…I was never happy in that marriage anyway.”
Well, I don’t know what contortions my expressive face did…but thankfully in that shocked/unguarded moment, I chose not to let any words come from my mouth. For if words had come out of my mouth, they would have blurted something like this: “You liar! I know you and ____; the 4 of us have known each other for a long time! And after nearly 20 years of marriage, don’t even kind of expect me to believe that crock of justification you just dished at me, girlfriend. Your mind is simply choosing to justify the lie from the pit of hell that your heart has sadly chosen.”
…See why I kept my mouth shut? I’m sure my face and body language said more than enough.
But it rattled me. For Paul tells us: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Cor. 10:12-13
Asking God to help me forsake the way I would do things and embrace the way He would do things is the daily prayer of my heart…(”Ohh Lord, protect me from myself!!!”) But please understand this, although ”God’s way” is the prayer of my heart, living out this prayer day in and day out, day in and day out, and day in and day out is not easy. For this reason, my Shaun and I have trained and disciplined ourselves to individually beseech God this prayer every day:
“Lord, please break my heart with the things that break Your heart, and please give me great joy with the things that give You joy… Keep me on a “short leash” Lord!... Would You please give me Your eyes, Your lenses, Your perspective and Your heart into the people and circumstances around me?... Lord, I love You and I trust You. Give me Your clarity to live for Your glory in this messed up world! Please give me a hunger and an unquenchable thirst for You, dear Jesus. Oh Lord, help the proclamation of my life to be You living through me, and protect me from my self centered self! Please Lord, do this. Amen.”
Love to each of you. Proclaim Him.
Shaun and Betsy
