When The Greatest Gift Gets Overlooked

Isn’t it funny how we acclimate to our surroundings in such a way that we forget that we used to be in slavery. The Israelites, recently miraculously rescued from the hands of Pharoah, had the guts to complain. Don’t be deceived; we do, too.

Recently, in my prayer time, God has shown me that I have completely glossed over the fact that He paid for my disobedience with the high price of His Son. My prayer life has been dominated by problems that I need fixed. Unbelievable.

In the midst of the storms that I’m currently going through, I tend to forget that God promises so much more about our salvation and His presence than merely being rescued from our temporary problems.What’s more, He has a way of sending us into storms so that we can grow.

His presence is enough! He is enough!

I do believe that God listens to our prayers.
And I certainly believe that He is powerful enough to answer them.

But sometimes, I am dumbfounded that I have forgotten the mystery that is the gift of salvation! The same heart that questions God in the midst of pain is the very same heart that houses the Holy Spirit, which was His gift to us!

Here’s how I’m practically reflecting on this:

1. Remember what it was like to be in slavery. I asked Jesus to break the chains of sin in my life when I was around 15 years old. I remember why I asked Jesus to save me. It was because I had come to the realization that I just couldn’t do life on my own. I came to realize that I fell short and that I was hopelessly in bondage to my natural bents. Ever since then, I have been freed! I am no longer a slave to sin! God, don’t let me forget that!

2. Remember what it was like to be freed. I remember the weight being lifted off of my shoulders; I reflect on the moment that I realized that I wasn’t designed to carry that burden, and that that was OK! Talk about breathing easily! Our Savior is so merciful!

3. Let that knowledge permeate my thought/prayer life. It never fails. When I give myself a chance to breathe and ask for God’s guidance/provision/protection, I inevitably am reminded that God is in control in the first place. He is God. He is able. He knows. And I can rest in that!

Now, to get extremely personal. Maybe the most interesting portion of this reflection is that, on the morning this post was scheduled to publish (a few days after this revelation came), God gave me what I believe is a prophetic dream about my son. It was more beautiful than any movie I’ve seen and more pregnant with heart-felt meaning than I could have imagined; right down to the song that was playing in the dream.

God woke me out of this dream early this morning. My face was soaked in tears (I’m currently trying to hold them back as I finish this post…mainly because I’m in the corner of a coffee shop by myself). In a world in which despair seems to win out, I’m so thankful for these brief glimpses of God’s plan for my two boys. Even in my failure, God isn’t letting go of His people. He hasn’t given up and He isn’t done redeeming this world to Himself. And I am begging God that He would use my boys to be a part of His redemptive plan for His people. My whole life is bent toward getting my family front row seats to what God is already doing in this world.

May we never forget what God has done for us!

My prayer this morning: “Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for all your good and perfect gifts this morning, even the ones I’ve pridefully overlooked. I want to thank you for bestowing them upon us, even when we aren’t faithful (which is 99% of the time). Thank you for choosing to invest in people who don’t want to invest in you. The risk is so high. You have really put Yourself out there in love to show us how much You love us. Thank you!

In our storms, protect us. Remind us that you’re going to catch us when we are distracted by our circumstances. In your lovingkindness, be near to us. Bring your plan to bear in our lives, even when it seems impossible. Thank you for your strong power and intimate friendship! I love you! Amen.”

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31