As you read through this blog, I hope you will take time to click the links, and listen to the music, reflecting on the words and God’s message for you! (The songs linked to this blog are performed by artists whose performances were available online, not necessarily the artists mentioned in the article.)

 

I woke up yesterday morning feeling sad, discouraged, and despondent. We are facing some pretty difficult trials and these were heavy on my heart, overwhelming me. However, this was the day I had set aside to spend with the Lord. So in spite of how I felt, I decided to follow through with my plan. The Lord gave me a beautiful sunny day, and for that I am thankful. The sunshine and warmth of this first day of March was affirmation of God’s love and care, giving me the energy and determination needed to move ahead with the day as scheduled.

 

Those who know me, know that I am an organizer and that I would have a detailed list of things to pray about. In addition, I had planned to get up early and write out specific passages of Scripture to read and a schedule for how I would spend each hour of the day. But, my plan was not God’s plan. This morning I was physically in pain, my mind was one giant brain fog, and I was barely able to get myself out of the house, much less spend a day in prayer and fellowship with God. I wasn’t really sure God would even want to spend the day with me, considering how I felt about life on this March morning. The reality however was this: God wasn’t so interested in my requests and my desires to accomplish something for Him. He had a better agenda: He wanted me to know His unconditional love and His great power in my life, even in the midst of the circumstances of this life. I am His daughter, and He knows exactly what I need. It was to be a day of affirmation, a day of resting, trusting, and hoping in Him. It was a time with several unexpected outcomes that brought healing and joy to my soul.

 

It took me longer than usual to get dressed and ready to go. My mind was so jumbled that I couldn’t even make up my mind what to wear. Would I be comfortable or would I be cold? Would I be too hot?  Did I want to be a little dressy? (I’ve seen people in spike heels and dresses at Longwood, not that I even own spiked heels!) Would it be okay to wear jeans and a sweatshirt? Finally, after changing clothes at least three times, I settled on nice jeans, an old comfortable long sleeve top, with my Longwood Gardens purple fleece jacket, new Sketcher’s walking shoes, plus an extra light wind breaker to wear over the fleece and keep out the cold wind, if needed. (It was needed!) I decided to head to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes from my house. I wanted to enjoy the sunshine and hoped the air would be warm with no brisk, cold wind. I knew it would be peaceful there and I would have enough space to be alone with God. Even though I felt a little weepy and emotional, I did look forward to seeing the beauty of God’s creation even though there would be no outdoor flowers this time of year. It is the season of the orchid extravaganza, so I made sure to allow time for a stroll through the conservatory. On my drive over, my heart was so heavy, I wondered if I would actually regret going. I wasn’t even sure I could concentrate enough to focus on God or read Scripture or pray. I wondered if the day would be wasted.

 

I keep several CD’s in my car, so before I even changed the gear from park to drive, I found the CD by Bill Welte, President of America’s Keswick. The CD is entitled, “In Times Like These” and is a compilation of mostly older hymns, some of which are commonly sung at funerals or sometimes played to bring comfort to a sick loved one. Most of the hymns are performed as instrumental piano music. I wasn’t really up to listening to words when the music first started to play. Following the first few pieces, there were songs that included vocals by different artists. God used more than one of these songs to soften my heart and prepare me for this time with Him. I sensed the Lord’s comforting arms of love wrap around me, as He reminded me of who He is, the perfect heavenly Father who never leaves me or forsakes me. He is always the same and He is always good. I am always in His loving care, and I know “My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me.” [i]

 

The second surprising outcome of the day came when I realized that I would not be reciting my requests to the Lord as planned, but instead today would be a time of casting my cares on God. First Peter 5:7 came to my mind as I walked across the vast meadow garden at Longwood, taking in the clear blue sky and open fields, dry and brown from the winter cold. I found a bench that allowed me to view the vastness of the meadow and see across the field to the woodlands and look up to watch the wispy white clouds float by, animated paintings created by God Himself on a canvas of a brilliant blue late winter sky.  It was here I began casting everything on Him, giving Him each care, one by one, while remembering the words of Jesus, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” One by one, I prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, I give _______ to you.  Take it. It is yours to carry, not mine.” “Lord, I give this one to you. He is yours. She is yours. I cannot fix them. Only you can do that. I trust them to your love and care.” “Lord, I give this ministry to you. It is yours, not mine. Do with it as you please.” “Lord, I give you my health. My life is yours. I trust in you.” Each weight that I carried was given over to the Lord, one burden at a time, and as I cast it on Him, my burdens grew lighter. These were His concerns, His responsibilities. He would pick them up and carry them on His shoulders. In fact, in our most difficult seasons of life, when our burdens are the greatest, He takes us gently in His arms and carries us “Through”, written by Bill Gaither[ii], and sung by Bill Welte, Robert, and Joyce Hayes on the CD, “In Times Like These.” Once I cast my burdens on Jesus, they no longer weighted me down. There was freedom now. I was ready to take His yoke and learn from Him. His load is easy and His burden is light!

As I continued through the field, I listened to a version of another old hymn performed by the Newsboys, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”[iii] How much different life appeared to me after a day spent with Jesus! This sense of peace, the lightened burden, the fading of the painful circumstances of this world, was another unexpected outcome of this day! I sat down on a bench, after circling the meadow, to read some Scripture. I had not carried my Bible, but used Bible Gateway on my phone so that I would have less to carry (and now I had very little to carry, as I had handed over the really heavy stuff to Jesus!). The Scripture for the day that appeared on biblegateway.com was from Psalm 73, so I began reading from that passage:

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 73:25-28

I continued to read from Psalm 22, a prophecy foretelling Christ’s suffering for us. Then I turned to John 17 where Jesus prayed not only for His disciples, but for us, for me!  What comfort to know that Jesus was thinking of me and you and all who are His now and will be His in the future. I reflected on the great sacrifice of His death on the cross, the seeming finality of His burial, and the unexpected power of His resurrection. He indeed conquered sin and death. He is victorious over the power of the Evil One. He is alive and well, and He is at work in my life.  His power can and will ultimately defeat death, sin, and hell. He will win and Satan will lose. Another unanticipated outcome of my day was the overwhelming realization and presence of the power of Jesus over Satan, the one who loves death and is set on destruction. I acknowledged that Jesus has the power to defeat Satan in the lives of my loved ones who are held by the chains of sin and the deceitfulness of the devil. I prayed the name of Jesus, because there is POWER in the name of JESUS.[iv] I prayed the name of JESUS over my children, my parents, my marriage, and our ministry. Satan prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to destroy lives, but my Jesus is greater and more powerful and He is LIFE. He is the HEALER of souls. He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life. He is LIGHT, and in Him is no darkness at all! He is the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for His sheep. He is the King of Kings and Lord of lords.  He is able to create life, sustain life, and give eternal life. He offers abundant life and joy! His power, His protection, and His unfailing love are available to all who will call on Him. The greatest outcome of yesterday for me was taking hold of the power of Jesus, entrusting the lives of those I love to Him, and knowing that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or think!

 

I have a family member who was seriously contemplating suicide this past week. There seems to be no human hope for this person to change. My one request of yesterday is that this person will LIVE. That Satan will not deceive her into taking her own life. That Satan will LOSE and JESUS will WIN. My prayer is that this loved one will LIVE until God calls her home. I pray she will die according to  God’s plan and ONLY when GOD determines the length of her days. I pray that Satan will be defeated and powerless through the name and power of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, in whom I trust. Hallelujah for the Cross[v] of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is power in His name and power in His resurrection!

 

I left Longwood Gardens yesterday renewed and trusting in my Jesus. He alone is able to make us strong. On my ride home, I listened to two of my favorite musicians, Robert and Joyce Hayes from America’s Keswick, as they sang. Each song on their album lifted my soul, affirmed the promises of Jesus, and in faith, I will Dare to Be Courageous[vi].  What a change in perspective occurs in our lives when we spend time with Jesus!

 

May the story of my day alone with God challenge you to walk closer to Him today. Let Him be your heavenly Father. Cast all your burdens on Jesus, and look full in His wonderful face. Trust in the power of His name and the power of the resurrection. Dare to be courageous in your walk with Him. Rejoice in the celebration of this Easter season as you embrace the LIFE that can only be found in Jesus.

Proverbs 4:20-22: My child, pay attention to my words; listen attentively to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your sight, guard them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and healing to one’s entire body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[i] Published on Apr 15, 2014. My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me — Sandra Entermann

 

[ii] Published on Aug 16, 2012. Music video by Bill & Gloria Gaither performing Through (feat. Gaither Vocal Band) [Live]. (P) (C) 2012 Spring House Music Group. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group,

 

[iii] Published on Oct 28, 2014. Album ‘Hallelujah For The Cross’ .

 

[iv] Published on Jan 31, 2015. Tasha Cobbs Live at Lakewood Church.

 

[v] Published on Oct 14, 2014. This is a majestic song written by Ross King and Todd Wright, and recorded by The Newsboys. Wow, sonically this song is wonderful, and the lyrics are very moving and inspiring. This is what it’s all about.

 

[vi] https://soundcloud.com/americaskeswick/robert-joyce-hayes-dare-to-be-couragous-mastered