I’m profoundly aware this morning of the timeliness of the Word – of the order of the LORD, His plans, His purposes and His timing. What a blessing it is to walk with the LORD and to see His signature on the writing of the day or to see His orchestration of sequences of events. What a wonder, what a marvel: that the God of the Universe, the Creator and sustainer of all life would think on me… would think on you and would take note of all that concerns you before as yet one day or one moment comes to pass.
This morning, even before our family gathered for breakfast and Bible study, we had some of the cares of this world on our minds and it came to pass that we would be reading a section of the Word that would prove to have been orchestrated by the LORD for us to be reading this day. Through the years, this has happened more times than I can number or remember.
We were reading in Genesis [yes… we’ve started at the beginning again, and yes, it might take us years to read through ;o) ] and in the natural course of our reading we came to the passage where Jacob is returning to his country and has great fear of Esau; and it was during that time that he wrestled with a man – whom we know to have been the LORD — and the point of God’s blessing and changing him, his life and his name. God did not need to tell Jacob His name – for Jacob, now Israel, knew he had seen God face to face and that it was God that had preserved his life.
I believe it is the same with all of us when we come to that point of wrestling with God, as it were, and when He has His way in our heart — in our life and our name is changed. That point where we no longer walk in the old path but are changed in newness of life.
If you’ve never come to that point, then maybe today’s the day you will look to the LORD — He will be found by you if you seek Him with your whole heart – you have His Word on it. You will never have a time of calling out to the LORD where He will not already be there – attentive to your cry. He says, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps 46.10)
And He says in Isaiah 43: “…I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters… Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert… because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise… I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
Well, as we read, I was comforted that God has heard our prayers, has surely gone before us and has not shifted His gaze. I see how the LORD is consistently consistent, persistently persistent and mercifully merciful through the years. He alone is faithful.
As we prayed around our table, it was evident to me that God is ever present, some were acknowledging the answers to yesterday’s prayers, some were praising for yesterday’s provisions and petitioning for today’s cares. And we have confidence that He, indeed, hears our prayers. He hears your prayers, dear friend, the cries of your heart — and is ever present. What a comfort to see Him trace a rainbow in the rain.
As we set about the day and I came into the sunroom to read, I was further reminded of the consolation of the LORD.
I wrote some of the words of this morning’s “Streams in the Desert” on a card… they ring in my mind.
“…Hide thy tempest of individual trouble behind the altar of a common tribulation and, that same night, the Lord shall appear to thee. The rainbow shall span the place of the subsiding flood, and in thy stillness thou shalt hear the everlasting music. –George Matheson”
I decided to post today’s “Streams in the Desert” entry for you to read, below.
I pray you, too, are blessed by these timely words.
