GOD GOES TO THE NTH DEGREE

    

GOD GOES TO THE NTH DEGREE

I stayed home Thursday, and it was a beautiful sunny day. When I went out to my backyard, I saw that many of the bulbs I planted in November were already popping up, and I noticed one crocus that was starting to bloom already. By afternoon, it was fully open and so pretty. In such a short time, it was opening up its face to the sunshine! God is the sunshine in our lives, and He goes to the nth degree to show us.

 

Lately, my thoughts have been racing, my emotions fickle and unreliable, but the Lord has done so many things to wake me up, get my attention, and bless me. And God is a very personal God. What delights me may be way different from what delights you, and visa-versa. As I walked around my yard, I saw that there were even a few daffodils blooming, and buds on a mulberry tree, and a new hummingbird visitor. These things made me happy, but it was kind of short-lived.

 

I got in a mental muddle again pretty quickly. Then yesterday, when there was an accident on the road ahead of us, we took a different route through a parking lot. I realized I had a year-old gift certificate for a bookstore in that parking lot, and I’d put it in my purse just a week ago, so we had the time, and I got to go into the bookstore. I’d almost forgotten how much delight I could have in a bookstore. It was so exciting picking out what books I could get!

 

God was working hard to get my attention! Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

 

I don’t believe we are the ones who decide all the time what those desires are. Why does one person thrill at working on a motorcycle, and another person get so excited about refinishing a kitchen, and another person finding delight in simply walking a dog? I believe God is the one who gives each of us those desires in the first place. Then He makes sure He gives us opportunities to enjoy them.

 

The Lord had to pour on the delights this week, so I would wake up and take a look at what He was doing personally for me. Finally, I realized other things He’d done this week to bless me, and at last, I woke up and got thankful!

 

I’m so glad our God and our Lord Jesus don’t give up on us. God will go to the nth degree, to the extreme, to wake us up and show us how much He loves us as individuals. 2 Corinthians 5:14 puts it this way: “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” In other words, He keeps coming back and coming back and coming back to show us His love.

 

Like the sun warmed up the dirt, and that little crocus opened up its face full-on, let’s do the same. God hasn’t forgotten us.

 

Love, Carolyn