God Is At Work

God is at work.

Earlier this week, I was sitting in my kitchen with a group of moms who commit each week to praying over our children, their teachers and the school they attend. Our discussion and prayer focus this week was on Jehovah Jireh- God will provide, as He is named in Genesis 22:14. Philippians 4:19 reads, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus". As much as I would love to believe that each of my needs will be met, I'm also aware that many of the needs I believe I have are in fact wants. Some feel like desperate wants, but wants nonetheless. In reflecting on and praying this verse over each of our children, we discussed how the name, Jehovah Jireh signifies more than just God meeting our needs. It's His ability to know each of us so intricately that He knows our needs and knows, therefore, what we lack. It is His sovereign ability to provide for us that we get to lean into and rest upon. I pray the knowledge and security of that truth over us today, dear friends, because it is a reality that each and every day we face the decision to either lean in and believe HE is sovereign to KNOW us, or not. That choice will make a difference in our day. It will affect how we parent, how we engage, what we desire, and how we approach situations in the world around us. What I know to be true is this- our souls are constantly longing but only at rest in the Lord where we are fully known and seen and loved.

I often wondered if, in fact, God saw me in those early years of parenting. I guess, compared to the many years ahead, these are still these early days of parenting though I'm referring to the sleepless, never-ending diaper changing days for years and years and years because we had three daughters in four years. It was just a lot. The season we were in felt lonely and unending. Often times, when my husband was at work and I was alone with screaming or fussy or disobedient children, I would wonder, "Is this it?". Was that the original image of how I'd be as a mom? Not at all. My idealistic mindset was opposite of how reality was for us in those first years and yet did God not know that? Did He not see me? Did He ignore what I needed and hold out on me? Somedays I would have argued that to be true, but when I look back at those times, I see Him refining me. I see His blessing in being able to say home with our children for 8 years before returning to the workforce. I see the relationships built between our daughters. Though we sacrificed and there were low (many low) moments, what I know is that He is faithful. I believe you know that also. Your story and those seasons reflect His refining, because you are still here.

Last Sunday Pastor Nate preached on Nehemiah 3, the vital mission to rebuild the wall. As God's people came together, they did so in community, obedience and humility. The act of rebuilding with rubble couldn't have been easy, glamorous or restful. Yet one by one, they laid beams, put bolts in place and continued. This coming Sunday, we'll journey through Nehemiah 4-6, where we'll see opposition. This is also a truth of walking in obedience to what God calls us to- there will be opposition. "When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?'" (Nehemiah 4:1-2). I think of the opposition that Noah faced in Genesis 5 while he built the ark. His community mocked him and yet he persevered because not only did God call him to it, but God's plan isn't thwarted by opposition.

Church, wherever you are today, in whichever season God has you, may we know and remember that His plans are made perfect because He is able. His unchanging, sovereign ability to know us and see us and therefore provide, will not be moved. What is He calling you to today? How will you choose to serve Him? Be encouraged, dear friends. He is for you!