Because I had seen several verses the past week or so, I was curious: just how many times does the Bible remind us the Lord will lift us up? Turns out, that is a bit tricky to quantify. Between different versions of the Bible, and the way Hebrew and Greek words have been translated, this theme can not be narrowed down so easily. But what am I searching for when I ask for this promise? Encouragement, hope, faith or maybe just strength for today? Or maybe just for this hour! Put any one of these suggestions in a search engine and you will garner a number of fantastic verses.
When I started this scripture journey last fall, I was definitely led to certain books and passages that had me furiously writing in my journal. I spent 10 days, and page after page soaking up James. Which is, and will probably always be, my favorite New Testament book. But somewhere in the last month or so I became restless and struggling to dig in or hear what God had for me in what I was reading. I do not know if it was stress, a lack of stillness, or Satan trying to steal that joy. Perhaps it was a combination of all of those things. I kept opening my Bible, starting to read, and then putting it down feeling like I just was not finding what I was seeking. Then God opened my eyes (or hit me over the head) not with what I was trying to find on my own, but with what others were reading and finding. Verse after beautiful verse, and passage after passage of deep and inspiring scripture being shared on social media, sermons, prayer meetings, and even TV shows. Often, the same verse or passage would show up multiple times in the span of a day. Verses I knew, or thought I knew, became fresh with brand new meaning. OK, God, I am listening now. I have never been a believer that one should open a Bible, point, and find their random word for the day. I was not convinced this was how God wanted me to spend time in his word each day, either. Was I really supposed to open Facebook each day and find that perfect random verse I needed for the day? But, then again, none of it is random, is it?
2 Kings 9:30 "When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, fixed her hair and looked down from the window"
Well, that was pretty random. Although, between working from home, quarantine life, and barely seeing anyone outside of my husband, maybe God is trying to tell me something with that one.
In a time when I was looking for God to lift me up and give me a fresh word, I felt a bit like he was not listening. Have you heard that story of the downing man who passes up help from another swimmer, then a boat, and finally a helicopter all while declaring God will save him before succumbing to the water? I can be a bit slow or stubborn. When I was struggling to find encouragement, hope, faith or just strength for today God was most certainly listening. Not just to me, to many of us who were looking for the same thing. Throughout the 66 timeless books of the Bible there is no shortage of passages that can give me any of those things, and more. But sometimes, often when I am doing a lot of seeking on my own, he will send them to me through someone else. Maybe, just maybe, I was not the only one in need of that word today. Thank you to all of you who faithfully share what God shares with you. You may be lifting up another more than you know.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
I will leave you with that today. I am going to go read that story in 2 Kings, and find out who Jehu was and what Jezebel was up to. Oh, and I might even fix my hair.
