Devotionals
IN GOD’S LAP
Have you ever done a Bible Study? Last fall I attended a women's conference with some of my sisters and returned home with a souvenir tote bag of goodies. A Bible study called HOPE…The Anchor for Your Soul was included in the basket along with a devotional, a CD of worship songs, and an irresistible bright green coffee mug. The conference speakers had encouraged us as women to trust in our gracious Lord. I felt a sense of renewal and was determined to wholeheartedly immerse myself in the topic of hope at the first possible moment.
As I started the study, I was generally pleased with my progress. With a bit of consternation, however, I noted that at the end of each day was a section entitled, “Praying God’s Promises.” I don’t know about you, but this type of activity always makes me feel very inadequate and frankly, self-conscious…come on, Lord… I want to know you better, but do we really have to get so personal? I was actually expected to compose a prayer to our heavenly Father using various Bible verses as a guide. Approaching that part of the lesson, I sighed and groaned inwardly, but felt impressed to continue. I implored God with the universal prayer, “Lord, Help,” and concentrated on Psalm 16:11… You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. NKJV
Promptly reasoning that the “forevermore” had something to do with heaven, I focused my thoughts on what it means to experience fullness of joy in God’s presence right here and now. I soon realized that I had little comprehension of the concept, but continued to ponder this idea. I was encouraged as I did understand that God’s path is one of life and we, as believers, are to follow it. I thought about John 14: 6 in which Jesus plainly tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Other verses in John and Isaiah were given in the study and directed me to the understanding that I am to serve the Lord, and am promised his leading throughout the journey. What I didn’t know is that I was about to gain some additional insight in a unique sort of way.
As I thought on these things, I was interrupted by my pesky shih tzu and the most corpulent of my four cats. They were competing for a spot on my lap, not only with each other, but with my open Bible and the rather large study book. Smiling at first, I gently, though repeatedly, pushed them off onto the floor. They kept coming back. Knowing that banishing them from the room would only further disrupt my devotional time, I decided to compromise by allowing them to stay down by my feet or on the arm of the chair. Interestingly enough, they would have none of it! Not only did my pets want to crowd my lap, they climbed up on me, as if they desired to be as close to my heart as possible. I tried to be patient, realizing I am their most favorite human. After several minutes of this behavior, I became frustrated. Conversing with them as I am prone to do, I begged them to leave me alone…after all, I was writing to God!
Both canine and feline refused to give up. I found myself encompassed and virtually overtaken by mammals, books, and coffee mug. My pen was stabbing me in the side as we all became entangled in my loosely knitted lap robe. I was a prisoner in my own recliner. I knew something had to change here and soon! I was about to blame Satan for all the chaos. Instead, a ray of light began to dawn as I considered the persistent actions of my furry friends from a vastly different perspective. Hmm…I mused, perceiving that in this kind of annoying yet laughable situation, the Lord was showing me something precious. Readjusting myself, words started to flow from my pen as I began to thank the Lord for the verses in Psalm 16. Just as my pets wanted to crowd my lap and hear my heartbeat, so did my God want me to seek His heart always, adoring and worshiping Him above everything else… To be close to God’s heart is to be in His presence and right there is joy in all of its fullness…
Needless to say, I allowed both dog and cat to stay with me. As tricky as it was to keep writing, I smiled and rejoiced to think that, unlike mine, the lap of our Lord Jesus Christ is never too crowded. He has room for all of His sons and daughters there. We never have to compete for our position with Him. He wants us to climb up in his lap and rest near his heart, where we will find a place of comfort and ultimate joy in His presence.
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Hi Carol. I'm not sure if you have private messenger or not, so please forgive me for leaving an unrelated message on your article. I urgently need to contact you about your entry in the Sightseeing Challenge. I need to clarify something with you. Please send me a private message as soon as you get this with your email address, so I can check something with you. With love, Deb (Challenge Coordinator)
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