Like Butter

Cling To Him

Easter 2009

One thing never changes. No matter what our circumstances. No matter what things happen in our life. It's Him.  He never changes. Our lives change. Situations change. Friendships come and go. Jobs are restructured. Finances change.  Our hearts change. Sometimes our families change. Our address can even change. He does not change, however. This is one truth that I have had to cling to in the past year-  and I mean cling to.  When adversity hits, and then hits again, and then hits again- I cling to this truth. It is not always easy to do. I want to know why. I want things to make sense. I want to understand and I want understanding. I need to know why. Don't we all? He doesn't always reveal the why in things while we are going through. Sometimes it isn't until years later that we get the why part answered. Sometimes - not at all.  I have been before the Lord with this very question a lot lately, partly for my own life and partly for what I have read in the many e-mails from readers, e-mails that have brought me to my knees.  E-mails where you have shared about the sufferings, the pain, the sorrow and the "why" in your own lives. Sometimes life is so unfair.  Sometimes it is incredibly painful. Our walk with Him doesn't promise that it will always be fair or even good. He does promise however, that He will always be with us. He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

In my own life it is when things are really "broken" that I can feel Him carrying me. It's when things seem to be such a "mess" that I know it is only by His grace that I am moving through day to day. It is when there is "absolutely no way" things are going to work out in the natural that I know that He is orchestrating on my behalf. So I simply do what I do best, I cling to Him.

Think of a baby, toddler or small child. Many of you have little ones at your feet- You know what I am talking about.  You know what it's like to have someone cling to you. It's usually when they are hurt, tired or not feeling well. Most often it's when you have to leave or say goodbye. Those little arms and legs wrap around us with a supernatural strength and we cannot break free if we tried. THAT'S where God wants us. This is what He wants us to do with Him. Cling. I can think of times when I have stood in utter disbelief at my child who literally could not be pulled off of me by my husband. They simply would NOT let go. Not for their Father. Not for a treat. Not for their favorite toy. Not for the chance to sleep in Mommy's bed. Not for anything. They could not be swayed or persuaded. Nothing else would do. They would accept no substitute. 

Think about your own life. Do you accept a substitute for Him when times get hard?  Do you pull away from Him or press in? Sometimes, it's really hard to press in when it feels as if He is no where to be found. But He is. We have to press past our feelings, our adversity, our situations and press in. What does that mean? That means that when you feel hurt or angry or frustrated or overwhelmed or upset or betrayed or broken or sad- you CLING to Him. Just as a child does with her Mother. You can sit or stand or kneel or even drive your car and just begin to speak - whether it is in tears or a broken voice- and tell your Father what is wrong. Tell Him how you feel. Tell Him how it hurts. Tell Him how unfair it is. Tell Him that you don't know what to do- but that you are not going to move forward without Him. Tell Him that you feel disappointed. He already knows it all anyway. And if you feel led, praise Him, thank Him, tell Him how grateful you are- how much you appreciate this life you've been given. It is not the perfection of our words that stirs His heart or moves His hand.  It is not the proper scripture quotation. It is not how spiritual the prayer may seem. It is simply the sincerity of one's heart. That's it. He looks at the heart. But then wait. This is the most important part. Wait and Listen.

Many of us share our heart with God and then walk away and go on with our day. Think about how that would go over in the natural- with family or friends. In my experience, it doesn't go very well. Communication has to flow two ways for there to be true relationship.

Listen. Listen as the sweet Holy Spirit speaks to your heart. Listen and wait as the Father responds. Will it be an audible voice? Oh, I hope so. Will it be an impression on your heart? Please Lord. Will it be a feeling stirred inside or a loving word whispered in your ear? I pray that you experience that.  Just as you communicate with your children in different ways, so He communicates with each one of us in a different way. It's about a relationship. And no two relationships are exactly the same. One would be hard pressed to find a very good one without any communication. That's what creates the intimacy He talks about in His word. Communicate with Him today. Thank Him for your life. For your family. For your circumstances- no matter what they are. Allow Him to be Father. Allow Him into your life in a new way today.  I promise that when you cling to Him- He will never let you go......

"That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him; for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them."- Deuteronomy 30:20