Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
By Sarah YoungI continually call you to closeness with Me. I know the depth and breadth of your need for Me. I can read the emptiness of your thoughts when they wander away from Me. I offer rest for your soul, as well as refreshment for your mind and body. As you increasingly find fulfillment in Me, other pleasures become less important. Knowing Me intimately is like having a private wellspring of joy within you. This spring flows freely from My throne of grace, so your joy is independent of circumstances.
Waiting in My Presence keeps you connected to Me, aware of all that I offer you. If you feel any deficiency, you need to refocus your attention on Me. This is how you trust Me in the moments of your life.
"As you increasingly find fulfillment in Me, other pleasures become less important."
This struck me as I realized how God has been changing my perspective since day 1 on The World Race. He is continuing to answer my prayer to be content in ALL circumstances and as I read this devotion, I realized some things that used to be far more important to me, things that I thought were necessary for contentment but now realize are completely independent of my joy. I am in a process of discovering that Jesus is enough. He is always enough and in Him and through Him I can have joy in all things.
Hot showers are no longer necessary; they are a luxury. Cold water isn't so bad on a hot day. Cold days are different, but the shivering is irrelevant. It's just cold. God is still good and being cold does not change that.
Showers as we know them are no longer necessary; a bucket and some water will suffice. I still get clean.
Purified water is no longer necessary (except for drinking, of course); rain water will suffice to bathe in and to wash clothes. It's ok if a few spiders and ants are mixed in with the clothes; they will brush off when the clothes dry.
Running water is a luxury. Water is a blessing; it runs out. It is not always possible to bathe, though baby wipes are a good option. It is not always possible to flush a toilet, wash hands, clothes or dishes. It's ok. Life goes on and God takes care of us. There will be more water eventually. It will rain or someone will deliver some water. It will be possible to bathe again, the clothes and dishes will get washed, the toilets can then be flushed and soap and water can again accompany hand sanitizer.
Electricity is a luxury. In other parts of the world, it can cut out without warning and may or may not return in a timely manner. It's ok. There are more important things to do than watch TV, use a computer, tablet, iPod or any other electronic device. Lighting is a blessing, but not necessary. Quality conversations, time with God and restful sleep can be far more enjoyable anyway. There is plenty of sunlight during the day for everything else anyway.
Internet access is also a luxury. When internet is available, it is likely to have a weak signal and cut out frequently. I have learned to prioritize my to do list when using the internet and not expect to have it. The internet is highly useful for many things, but my joy and the quality of my day are completely independent of my ability to communicate with home and post a blog. I love my family and friends and I know they love me. Communication happens when God allows which may be infrequent, but it makes the communication that much sweeter.
Clean clothes are becoming a little less important. It is far more important to love a 26 pound, 7 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy who spits out her bottle and kicks her soupy oatmeal all over the place than to worry about how much has ended up on me. Smelling like baby formula and having clothes covered in spit still makes me uncomfortable, but something changed in me this week that makes it just a little less important than before.
It rains. And sometimes, a lot of the times, it is cold. That's ok. I can still be completely unaffected by the fact that I am soaked and cold. There is still joy available. In Christ, I have discovered I can remain at peace and be free from the frustration of being uncomfortable. What good is comfort anyway? I think it often only aids in our selfishness.
Even delays that turn a less than a 7 hour trip into nearly 14 hours isn't as big of a deal as it used to be. Busses break down, but new ones come. Bathrooms aren't everywhere, but the ground often is. Sometimes we are even fortunate enough to have trees for privacy. And toilet paper? The world won't end without it.
There are many things that still bother me and circumstances that leave me discontent, but the process is not over. I have found so much freedom already in being free from discontentment and finding joy in Christ alone. It is far easier to enjoy the blessings when they are seen as blessings and not as necessities required for happiness. The Lord has lavished His love on us and blessed us in every way, but can we see it? He is always taking care of us and promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. -Psalm 37:25 (ESV)
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. -Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
The Lord is enough. He is good. He is love. We may not always have what we want or think we need, but the Lord will never abandon us. He gives us exactly what we need and when we need it. He is enough. He is always enough. What a sweet, sweet revelation.
