Tag: god is good

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Give Me Understanding

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Do you ever find yourself returning to a passage of scripture but not knowing why? I am stuck on Psalm 119.  I want to look away, I promise. But God keeps turning my gaze back to this Psalm. So here I am, in the longest chapter of the Bible, almost dead center of The Book. I’m sure He can feel my squirming.  Verse after verse about the word of God, the testimony of God, His precepts, judgments and decrees (eight different Hebrew words are used to refer to God’s Word in this Psalm) A few weeks ago I mentioned how precious His testimonies are and the very reference to His testimonies in this Psalm wrecks me! This week I’ve been struck by the phrase, “give me understanding,” which is repeated six times in Psalm 119. Have we not whispered this prayer as we read the day’s headlines? Haven’t we shaken our head and said this as we consider our friendships or perhaps even our marriages? What are these patterns in our life? What’s our purpose? Why do we struggle to walk out the Christian life in this world? Lord, give us understanding.  Let’s dig deeper.

In Psalm 119:34 we read: “Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” It makes sense that we can follow whole heartedly if we only understand. Clarity is curative, right? Lord I so want to understand to be whole toward You. C.S. Lewis said, “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.” Our hope, delight, and trust are in God. Our head knows this but sometimes our heart has to catch up!

“Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:73) Our identity and purpose flow out of this fact: God made us and fashioned us.  Yes, how desperately we need understanding on this point today. WHO we are is designed; we are not an accident. God made us for His heart. At the most basic level, our identity is literally stamped on every cell in our body. But so much greater than that simple fact, God chose every unique aspect of our existence: our eye-print, lip-print, fingerprint all unique. Our laugh, our gait, our thoughts, family background and experiences are unique. Who doesn’t want greater understanding in the why behind their identity?

“I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.” Here in verse 104 the writer shifts from asking for understanding to stating an impact of clarity received. We hate the false, fake ways that lead us away from real life. When we see the truth, beauty, and goodness in God’s ways, we realize the short-comings of all other options.

In verse 125, the writer states: “I am Your servant; Give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.” I’ve prayed this one. I’m all in, God. My answer is Yes to You. Help me understand what You are saying right now! I don’t want to be the person who reads story after story of Jesus feeding the 5000, the 4000, taking care of people and not understand He wants to take care of me! Give me understanding that I may know Your testimonies! Jesus healed every.single.person who came to Him. Give me understanding when I need healing Lord! We want His testimonies to be our story as well.

“The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding and I shall live.” (verse 144) I’ve questioned this one: are His ways right? It hasn’t always felt right but the older I get the more I see the rightness of God’s ways and the permanence of them. Give me understanding and I shall truly live.

“Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.” (verse 169) Give me understanding clearly communicates I have no resources in myself. I’ve exhausted all of my means of problem solving and gathering insight. An understanding remains which can only be revealed. God is hiding things for us not from us! He is waiting on that prayer of Lord, give me understanding!  Dear friends, may you dig into His Word this week and dance in God’s presence! May His understanding and revelation be the highlight of your week. I would love to hear what catches your heart in Psalm 119

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Way Maker

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Sometimes the ridiculous hopefulness of God can rush over us like a river.  We sang Way Maker by Leeland at church: “Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness. My God, that is who You are.” The truth of that song flooded my heart this week. God makes a way where there is no way.

Biblical stories rush to mind on this point: Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. “They had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:35-36) God then parted the Red Sea so that they could flee but the Egyptian army drowned. I thought of the Babylonian captivity ending with Cyrus, King of Persia, not only commissioning the rebuilding of the temple but also returning all the beautiful articles of the house of God that had been stolen in the captivity. “This is the number of them: thirty gold platters, one thousand silver platters, twenty-nine knives, thirty gold basins, four hundred and ten silver basins and one thousand other articles. All the articles of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred.” (Ezra 1:9-11) I couldn’t tell you how many of anything we own–but here exists an exact record of items from the year 538 B.C. Maybe God outlined such specific accounting because He wanted us to know His blessings aren’t random or haphazard.

And, of course I thought of personal examples I’ve witnessed over the past month of God making a way where there was no way. A new friend shared how God took her from debilitating addiction into the total restoration of her family, faith, and health. He was restoring to her a family experience richer in forgiveness and joy than they had ever known before.

How has God made a way for you, my friend? Has He provided, protected, envisioned for your life? I feel this is a season of restoration and return. I believe that God is wanting to restore what has been stolen. He is wanting to return beauty and joy in our lives. And we know that when God restores, He doesn’t skimp! God brings richness and fulness beyond what we can ask. He counts it out to us in greater detail than we can imagine. How many of us hunger for a restoration—of our health, relationships, career, and dreams? God is a way maker. He provides streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:6) We have experienced His refreshment during dry and weary times. Does He not make a highway through our desert? No matter what heartache we may be suffering, whatever obstacles or losses we face, we must trust God to make a way for us.

Take time this week to reflect on what God may be restoring to you. Ask Him to be your Way Maker and give God honor for all the good He has poured into your life. Be encouraged dear friends, His restoration is on the way!

Visit www.MargaretAllen.org for more resources. You can get Mondays with Margaret as an email each week—just scroll to the bottom of Mondays and sign up! Follow me on Insta @MargaretAllen.GL

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A Quick Thought

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My friends, due to a wild week and crazy delays in Maggie Land, I won’t be posting my blog this week.  The scheduled topic of How to Partner with God to Walk in Blessing is just too important to approach hurriedly. Look for the full discussion next week!

I have one story that I’d like to share from this week: my son, Cooper, told me when he was reading his Bible on Friday something in Psalm 91 stood out to him. It read, “For God will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. On their hands they will lift you up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” The very next morning he was involved in a terrible ATV accident. Even though the ATV flipped over, Cooper landed unharmed. He was able to lift the vehicle off several people who were pinned beneath and get medical help. Through the entire traumatic situation Cooper felt God guiding, comforting, and drawing them near.  

I wondered if the Spirit of God, speaking through Psalm 91, was encouraging Cooper and strengthening his faith ahead of time. God promises to protect His children, but how much more when they ask? God promises to be NEAR to His beloved, but how much more when they welcome Him?

Happy Easter this week- Christ IS risen, He is risen indeed! May His peace and power be evident in our life. Feel free to share this story with anyone who needs to hear it! My blog is at http://www.MargaretAllen.org along with encouraging resources.

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Give God Praise

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My worry list is long enough. I have to set it down and focus elsewhere. I started listing all the ways I could give God praise and I’ll tell you what, I had to shout!  Has God been good to you? Has He provided a way when there was no way? Has He repaired a breech, a broken place, that you thought would never get straight? Has He comforted you in your worry or fear?  Oh my goodness, let me just list a few ways I’ve seen His love displayed recently.

When I struggle with insecurity He answers with encouragement. I begin doubting the impact of my book and God graciously sends an encourager. Women I don’t even know have messaged me to say how my words inspired them. Just this week a young mom sent me this note (I share with her permission): “I’m on chapter 4 of your book and I can already say this is exactly what I needed to read at this time in my life.  I had been feeling the need to be a light and share more love and peace in this world and your book inspires me and shares all the ways I can do this.  It is a life changing way—a godly way—and I love it!” She concluded, “I thought I should share with you that your book moves me towards humanity and God.” Do you think God nudged her to share this on the very day I needed to hear it? He doesn’t have to encourage me this way; it is His goodness to do so.

My daughter has been looking for a job. She wasn’t certain about the direction to take with her career. She was prayerful in the process and sought out all kinds of good advice. Can I just give God praise right now? He didn’t have to, but I totally sense God’s hand in the direction she has taken. After a month of interviewing she got a great offer, and not for just a job but a career. He was watching over her entire process with kindness and provision.

Another daughter is working remotely. Her heart’s desire was to work from LA near her college friends while she could. It touched this mamma heart to see her pray about this hope and have opportunity after opportunity fall through. Just when she had pretty much given up on that dream, an email came inviting her to join a group of awesome Christian women in an apartment one block from the beach!

Even in our struggles, our lives are a showcase for God’s goodness! He loves to bless and encourage His children. We may battle doubts, insecurities, uncertainties, or just unmet dreams, but God is faithful to care. He is faithful to provide and protect. He makes a way where there is no way! God reassures us in scripture: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

These are just a few of the ways God has been good to me recently – how has God been good to you? If your immediate reaction is, well He hasn’t, I encourage you to look at your life with a different lens. Where has He helped you, protected you, provided for you? His goodness is waiting to be discovered.

Find my book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion anywhere books are sold.