Streams in a Wasteland

I don't really know how to start this post except to say that I think I'm going to abstain from blogging for a while. I just feel like...sometimes we put all of ourselves on display for everyone to see (not that everyone sees this blog. In fact, most people don't. The point is, I'm putting it out into cyberspace where literally anyone could see it and draw an opinion about me.) and we forget about who we really are. I know I haven't been blogging a lot lately, but I'm not only referring to blogging. I'm referring to Social Media in general.

I noticed something disturbing about myself just a few moments ago. I had a word from Scripture pop into my head about something relevant to what I was doing. And do you know what my immediate thought was? It wasn't, "Oh, I should do that. I should put that into practice. I should do what God's Word says." My immediate thought was, "That would make a good blog post." I know at first glance that doesn't seem like a problem. But it is. I was going to write a post about that particular idea, instead of putting it into practice right away. And I've found myself doing that more and more lately. And as a result, put a wall between my heart and God's. Because, unlike ourselves and unlike the people around us, we can't fool God. He knows when things aren't quite right, more so than we ourselves know.

So I've decided that for a while, I'm going to abstain from writing anything I'm learning on this blog or on any social media. It's going to stay between me and God for a while. He has some refining to do in my heart. I'll be back in a few months.

Stronghold - A place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack

The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Psalm 27:1,3

Fortify means to protect against, and also to defend. God is not only a Shelter, but He is a Defender. Two things going on simultaneously. So while He is sheltering me, He is also fighting for me. Comforting truth in the midst of uncertainty.  

Something really cool about God is that He can make anyone an artist. The things He personally shares with us are, themselves, works of art. I really like that.

There are few things that hurt worse, or leave a longer lasting impression on one's heart, than rejection, no matter what its form.

Though at the present time there is not much I can muster within myself to rejoice, in these 2 things I can exult:

That God is God.

And He is not done yet.

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path." Psalm 142:3

Sometimes it's good to retract from everything. We are so conditioned to think we have to be a part of everything and we'll miss out on something if we sacrifice anything. But the truth is, sometimes we just need to stop. We need to be alone. We need to be very alone. Just for a season.

I've loved this song for a while, but, until Sunday, had never read all of the lyrics. Every version I've heard has only included at most, 4 verses. When I read the background of the hymn and author, as well as each stanza, I really was floored. I love when you find songs that eloquently put exactly what you're feeling into coherent thoughts and words. To abide means to continue without fading or being lost. I love the stanza that says "Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word...come not to sojourn, but abide with me." A plea for Jesus to abide. To live. Not to visit. To stay. Here are the background and lyrics.

Abide with Me is a hymn written by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte. He wrote the poem in 1847 and set it to music while he lay dying from tuberculosis; he survived only a further three weeks after its completion.