Dear Ones,
Happy Weekend! Hope you enjoy some time to relax and rest. Last night Kurt and a friend stopped by on their way to the Silver Chateau (cabin) and saunas are in the plan. Tomorrow morning we also have a dear friend from D.M. coming and having lunch with us etc. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  More and more we see how the ways of the world are vastly different than God’s ways. Our culture is all about asserting ourselves and demanding our rights but that is not God’s way. I was reading what Eugene Peterson wrote about Psalm 62 that is all about God’s assertiveness, not our self-assertiveness. David prays, and in his prayer and silent waiting, he discovers the assertiveness of God. He says in God alone his soul waits in silence and from Him comes his salvation and his hope. The power is in God, and He affirms His will and God is doing the action. We pray, not as a last resort, but go to Him first. As we do, God becomes our focus and as we wait, we notice that His will becomes our desire. He is infinitely wiser than we are with far more wisdom, and it is He that is doing the action.

 It helps to wait in silence so the world is blocked out and we hear God’s voice. The timing is also up to Him as our heart is prepared as we wait. Of course, the temptation on our part is to act, but we must not jump in, but wait for Him to act first. He is our rock and fortress, and affirms us; we are not to be manipulated by our culture that pressures us and baits us with self-interest and self-importance. Instead, we get detached from the world and can be ourselves and trust the Lord for all things. We are also humbled by how God does things and asserts His power to accomplish what we cannot in our own will and strength. Like Eugene wrote, “Prayer is action that builds a bridge across the chasm of self-assertion to a life of humility, which means getting more interested in and excited about what God is doing than in figuring out what I can do to express myself or improve the world. “

As I was writing this, I was reminded of an old hymn by Franck Ce`sar, a composer who lived in the 1800’s. It begins with, “O Lord most holy, O Lord most mighty, O loving Father, Thee would we be praising always Help us to know Thee, know Thee and love Thee, Father, Father, grant us Thy truth and grace. Father, Father, guide us and defend us. Rule Thou our willful hearts, Keep Thine our wand’ring thoughts, In all our sorrows, let us find our rest in Thee….”   May we rest in the Lord and desire His will, wait for Him to act and be at peace as we wait in silence.

Challenge for today: Spend some time silently waiting on the Lord to act before you jump in!
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy