When it gets hard, how do you react?
Quick to panic, fast to go to the – yikes place?
Let’s face it we all would love to be able to take a deep breath in …..
Calm down…
Then let that breath out and pray, spend time with God asking for the right words, thoughts and actions.
How do we do that? How do we keep from getting used to the storms in life as if storm after storm after storm is our normal? Who wants to have that gray cloud follow you around perpetually? Not me. After a while I can agree that if it keeps happening that we COULD just say – oh well – that’s how it is, note I said COULD and not SHOULD.
That’s just how it is, normal - No it isn’t, Let me repeat that – NO IT IS NOT NORMAL, God never promised us a Heaven on Earth. He did and does promise us that He is with us always. He also wants His very best for us – that does not look like gloom and doom – I just don’t believe that.
This stagnation reminds me of something I read in a Bible study we did years ago. The Pastor was talking about getting numb to the worldly things – bad things - and used the example, if you put a frog in a pot of water on low heat, if someone turns up the heat, oh it’s hot but in time the frog gets used to it, then if the heat gets turns up more,
again hot but ole frog gets used to it, again. After several times of this happening that ole frog is boiling to death and has no idea it’s happening. Sound familiar? Isn’t that kind of insanity, just dealing with it? Just being ok with that gray cloud always there? Are you that ole frog in the pot boiling away? Under the gray cloud?
Psalm 34 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
I think that’s pretty much the cloud buster, would you agree? Seems like the burner got turned off huh?
Sources say a habit can be formed by doing or saying the same thing (22) twenty-two times over so here is your challenge. For the next twenty-two days, I challenge you to make this your waking up prayer along with me. At the end of the 22 days we will see where we are with that black cloud. My guess, my hope, my prayer is that it will be sunshine! Let’s do this.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to first bless the folks reading this, especially if they are covered with clouds created by the enemy. Lord I ask that our morning prayer is this – Today I pray for eyes to see God in all I experience, hear, see, do today, I ask that when the clouds roll in – in whatever form they come – that You stay there, that I remember you are there, that you keep me firmly surrounded by your grace and love. Help me remember I am NOT that boiling frog, I don’t have to panic, I don’t have to fear or feel stress, but remember first I am a child of The Most High King and therefore I have peace and the ability to step out from under that cloud rest in Your unfailing love.
Lord, I ask you to help all of us go the next 22 days with this as our morning prayer and then see just how mighty You can show up in our lives. We are ready Lord. With thanks - Amen