We became friends with a little tree frog the other day. We were trying to make a home for him in a glass jar and did some research on an ideal living environment. We discovered that his survival is all about water. If his skin were to dry out, he wouldn't get enough oxygen or get rid of enough carbon dioxide, and he'd die. Sound familiar?
I've been feeling pretty thirsty lately. I guess my heart is getting a little dry in my relationship with God. I need a downpour of God's presence & power in my life. I've been feeling the sadness of falling in exhaustion and watching with weary eyes as my heart for people shrivels. I've become callous and indifferent . I need a fresh surge of energy to labor for my King. I need a renewed wonder and awe of the God who loves me. Why doesn't my heart pulse like it used to as I read God's Word? I know it's my choice. I need a revival. I need more purposeful time with Him, talking to Him, so my heart can be refreshed. He promises to respond to my heart's cry with a downpour of blessing. He'll give me a second chance if I CHOOSE to seek HIM with all my heart.
Hosea 6:1-3 is a good one for me today!
"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.
"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.
May God refresh your faith today as you seek Him too!
-Jennie
AMEN! Dad and I sang "Whiter than Snow" this morning and this post reminded me of the words. "Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul; Break down every idol, cast out every foe, Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. . . Lord Jesus, Thou seest, I patiently wait; Come now and with in me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst no. Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." Thanks for the beautiful, honest post!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mom, for faithfully pointing me to the One who matters most.
ReplyDelete(We're home now and I'm catching up reading my friends' blogs, so am just now seeing this, Jennie. Maybe God has already answered in a powerful way, and I look forward to hearing that!)
ReplyDeleteComing home, as we got closer and closer to home, I realized I didn't want to get home. I didn't want to go back to my life as I knew it. I began crying out to God, and more and more in earnest: Help me. What do You want me to be doing? I don't want to just do this and that and never see any theme or thread running through my life! I need more. I need you, Lord. What is my purpose?
I confessed that I hadn't been in the Word all the time of our trip. Unbelievable. We were busy, but that was not an excuse. I was so parched. God has done such an amazing thing in answer to my cries, Jennie! He met me and His presence has been SO close, and He answered my question, "What is my purpose?": TO PRAY! He's been teaching me so much about prayer! (Mostly about LISTENING to HIM!) He will meet you in your time of need, too. Love you, girl.
Blessings,
Mrs. Gunn
I love those pics Jennie!! I love your blog. Sarah just told me that you had a blog! I was like "She Does:)" How's Paul doing? I heard that he isn't doing that well:( Tell him that I'm praying for him and that I miss him. We will miss you on Sunday! Hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Lydia Elgard
I read your post again today Jennie, and really appreciated what you wrote. Thanks for being open, transparent, and letting God use you.
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate. I'm at a super low point, and I'm feeling so "parched". I love all those passages about God healing and binding up broken hearts and broken people.
God gave me Psalm 107 recently, and I can't stop reading it. It has been my lifeline.
"Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out.
All of you set free by God, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.
4-9 Some of you wandered for years in the desert,
looking but not finding a good place to live,
Half-starved and parched with thirst,
staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.
He got you out in the nick of time;
He put your feet on a wonderful road
that took you straight to a good place to live.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;
the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.
10-16 Some of you were locked in a dark cell,
cruelly confined behind bars,
Punished for defying God's Word,
for turning your back on the High God's counsel—
A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,
and not a soul in sight to help.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He led you out of your dark, dark cell,
broke open the jail and led you out.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,
he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!
17-22 Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He spoke the word that healed you,
that pulled you back from the brink of death.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
tell the world what he's done—sing it out!
23-32 Some of you set sail in big ships;
you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
Out at sea you saw God in action,
saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
...
Good people see this and are glad;
bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.
If you are really wise, you'll think this over—
it's time you appreciated God's deep love.
Thanks again Jennie
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ReplyDeleteOh, dear, it's been way too long since I've written on this blog. Thank you so much, Mrs. Gunn! God is answering and I will write about it in this next blog. Thank you so much for understanding and sharing from your heart too! Just so you know, Christ's love is definitely the theme/thread running through your life! Being out of God's word definitely leaves me parched too, but, I agree, prayer(listening to Him) is the biggest thirst-quencher. I wish I were better at it! Thanks for the exhoration!
ReplyDeleteLydia, thank you so much for the kind comments! Since the snow kept us from seeing you Sunday, I wrote this instead! Looking forward to seeing you next Sunday!
Awe, Jono, thank you so much. It encourages me that others are going through the same thing. I'm so sorry you're feeling "parched" too, but PTL you are being refreshed by the Ultimate Refresher! Thanks for posting this. It is a good reminder! Prayers are going up for you, my friend!
Blessings,
Jennie