Update & Thought for
the Day:
Today I’ve chosen not to post a separate Update and Thought—so this is
it. I’ve also decided to not publish an
Update/Thought tomorrow on the Fourth of July.
I’ll be with family all day. I’ll
post my next one on Saturday (7/5).
We’ve had a bit cooler weather recently. I slept with the windows cracked an inch or
two last night and I was a bit chilly with just a flannel sheet on—so I grabbed
the blanket next to my bed and threw it over me. What a difference that blanket made! Before I got the blanket, my right leg was
cold--all alone in the world, the poor guy doesn’t stay as warm as he used to
when he had a buddy. With the blanket, I
quickly warmed up and grew cozy and comfortable. I remember thinking as I got drowsy and
gently drifted back to sleep, “What a wonderful feeling this is!” It is kind of hard to describe that feeling;
but I think you all know what I am talking about. It is truly wonderful to experience!
As I thought about that feeling of warmth, security, and peaceful joy
of snuggling in a soft, warm blanket, I recognized that this earthly experience
has a spiritual parallel. It is being
found wrapped up in the presence of God; to feel His love and concern all
around you like a protective cocoon. The
cold, dark world around you might chill you to the bone; but God’s loving
presence fills you with warmth and comfort.
You feel protected and safe. The
worries of the world just slowly melt away in the warmth of His presence. There is no better place to be and it is easy
to relax and enjoy the comfort that He gives.
Psalm 95:1-4 “He who
dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of
the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge
and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ 3 Surely
he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly
pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his
wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield
and rampart.”
Luke 13:34 As Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem,
He said, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
There is nothing quite as miserable as spending a
sleepless night because you are cold.
All you focus on as you are shivering in the dark is that you want to be
warm and to be able to rest. Sometimes we don’t quite wake up enough to grab an
extra blanket—although the solution is close at hand, we just don’t take
advantage of it. There are times in this
world when we find ourselves miserable and unable to feel comfortable and have
a moment of rest. That is the time when
we need to wrap ourselves up in God’s presence.
We need grab hold of Him to rest in His presence and allow His warmth to
shelter us. No matter what is happening
in the world around us, we feel safe and comfortable know that the Lord God is
our protection, our refuge, our strength, and our peace.
I don’t know if you ever have had that warm fuzzy kind of
experience of God’s presence in your life.
I hope that you have and that you understand what I am talking about. I pray that we would all experience His powerful
presence more often and more fully. The
first step towards that is to be willing—to desire His presence in your life. Call out to Him and invite Him to be a part
of your life and begin a new relationship with God. Like pulling a blanket over you on a chilly
night, you’ll find that drawing closer to God is one of the best things that
you have ever done.
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