Day 203 Jesus, Have It All!

 

7/22/2025 

"He who dwells in the secret place of the

Most High shall abide under the 

shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1

 

My life is so full. And yet, a conundrum, a cacophony, a fractal. The important thing about my less than normal life is that I know that God smiles on me. He knows everything about me, naturally, because He created me to be "me." He knows what I'm thinking or if I'm not! He knows how I'm going to begin each day, and how it will end. He knows that even if I get a bit distracted and walk around in circles that I'll always be pulled back. Right now He knows that it's late, my legs are aching, because I cut grass and cut branches, and walked up and down the basement steps with laundry. He knows that I missed two prayer calls, one by mistake and the other from sheer exhaustion. He knows that I can "see" distractions, that I understand danger ahead, and He knows that my heart is aching for those who wait, who grieve, who are suffering, who need Jesus. He knows I'm spent, at the end of my proverbial rope as it relates to my family. He knows my heart, and He sees and loves me. I belong to Him. He is my Beloved, and I am His.

So I run into the secret place, and sit under the shadow of my Almighty God, and I silence my mind, crawl into His lap, and we discuss what's next.

"Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,

 and hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity."  

I received a text message Friday from my closest childhood friend, who at this moment in lounging with her family in blue Hawaii. And believe me, the waters are so blue and clean and amazingly beautiful. How I wish I could be there enjoying the grandeur of God's creation. And yet, I have traveled to so many places within our country, and regardless of whether the road takes me through lovely pastures with rolling hills, past countless lakes and streams, or through a dingy, dirty, traffic packed city, there is always something that is beyond imagination - "beautiful beyond comprehension; too marvelous for words" - when we consider the worlds His hands have made. Yes, I admit to having a tinge of jealousy, but it soon disappeared, and I can be content with where I am in this moment of time. I'm glad that she has a family who enjoys getting out of Dodge on occasion, and that three sisters, and sometimes the fourth, can enjoy time together for a much-needed rest.

After a morning of resting in God's glory, abiding in His grace, I soon return to the thoughts of the day. The Worship Watch at Kehilat HaCarmel in Haifa was a bit heavy, as was the prayer call with the embassy. Even my devotional, 60 Days of Prayer, urges us to be a voice for the voiceless, advocate for justice and compassion, and embrace the calling with joy. It's hard to think of suffering with joy, even harder to imagine when someone else is going through it, and we have no clue as to how it actually feels to walk their walk. On the call this morning, we had a mother of an IDF soldier/reservist who has been on active duty the past 270 days straight. She also has grandchildren in the service, so her heart is heavy. As Hannah spoke my heart ached for what she must feel and the strength she must have as she waits and watches. She said that the soldiers have to endure intense heat from the sun, dressed in their uniforms, armed with their weapons, although they do not always have the weapons they need. She shared that often they do not have enough food or water. There are those who are faithful to carry food to some areas, but they do not make it to all. The soldiers are not allowed to take their boots off while they are serving, for weeks on end. She prayed for protection and for their mental health. There have been suicides. Chaim Malespin, Sergeant Major of one of the ground units, who also runs the Aliyah Return Center, has been involved in the conflict since day one. He often speaks of the "lone soldiers" who are fighting in the war, but who do not have any family in Israel. The Aliyah Return Center provides rooms and support for these soldiers. Sadly, one committed suicide a week or two ago. Perhaps more, as there have been others who ended their lives, because they could not endure the thought of continuing in such a long conflict. Today marks 655 days since the war began. My heart bleeds for them, for their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, and children. For the lost and grieving. For the hostages who are in dark tunnels far beneath the ground, without proper nutrition, water, sanitary conditions, enduring torture, going without medical treatment. Hannah is a Messianic Jewish believer, so she has great faith to believe and trust God for her family's safety and return. But others do not believe, and this is another reason I am sad. Some of the released hostages have returned to serving God, but they still do not know Jesus, their Messiah. My hope, my prayer, is that as their faith in God has returned, so their hunger and thirst for more and more will lead them to find Jesus.

This evening I turned my focus to worship, as this is where I find my rest, my peace, my enduring hope, especially after such a heavy day. I was listening to Jesus Image, Sunday evening service, where Steffany Gretzinger was speaking about seeking Jesus. Jesus as our living water, our source, our well. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) When He encountered the woman at the well in Samaria He said to her: "Whoever drinks o this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)

Because this woman heard the message Jesus spoke, understood, and accepted Him as the Source of all living water, as Messiah, upon her testimony, and entire village came running to hear the Good News from the Author and Finisher of our faith. 

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe."

Proverbs 18:10

This woman at the well became the first evangelist when she spread the Good News throughout her town. Before she encountered Jesus at Jacob's well, she was a notorious sinner, shunned by her own people, as you may recall from her story in John 4. But Jesus changed her life, and He changes ours. I know He changed mine. The message is "never stop seeking Jesus." He alone is the giver of life who satisfies all our longings.