With trustworthy regularity, waves keep coming whether I’m aware of them or not; the same is true with God’s provision and grace; God keeps providing grace, whether we are paying attention or not. I want to pay attention.
Come, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn, and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain, watering the earth. ~Hosea 6:3
Press on…
Years ago, when my children were young, l met with a group of moms to pray for our children, the people in their lives, and the situations they encountered each day. Since everyone benefits from more of God, we felt that inviting God to work on their behalf was a healthy investment of time. What I didn’t foresee at the time was the way that leading this group would breathe life into my relationship with God, form my faith, and grant me strength for years to come.
Morning by morning, I carried my coffee, notebook, and Bible onto our sunny patio, and there in the quiet, I soaked in verses that spoke of God’s kindness and love and big-hearted ways. These were rich mornings. I felt like we were having coffee together, God with me. As I read, I’d imagine myself in the situations described, and I wondered how I would respond if this situation were happening to me. Where would my fears show up? How can I trust God more fully in hard situations?
Many of these people faced impossible situations, yet God supported them continually and creatively. Very rarely did God’s support look the way they thought it would. They needed faith to see it, and they developed faith as God walked them through their situations. I had room for growth here. Could I trust God to support me continually and creatively, whether I understood how God was working or not? I needed to find out.
Often, instead of guaranteeing outcomes, God revealed things about his character that strengthened faith, providing strong and clear words for people to hold onto. Wanting to hold on to these myself, I began writing out verses that spoke truth to me and how these truths impacted my current lived experience.
This simple practice breathed more life into my relationship with God than anything I had done previously. More than I want to know about God, I want to experience God in my daily life. And so, I look for surprises, because you never know what God will do. I don’t want to miss God in today’s circumstances.
His going forth is certain…
I’ve continued this practice for over twenty years, and I call it Waves from an Ocean of Grace. Sometimes, waves arrive calmly, and sometimes with a forceful roar. They often recede with an effervescent whisper that you don’t notice unless you stop to listen. But they keep coming whether I’m aware of them or not; the same is true of God’s provision of grace; God is always moving whether I’m paying attention or not.
I’ve kept journals to help me pay attention and remember what I find. Over the years, this practice has become a lifeline – as my children grew, as I took on new responsibilities, and especially as our family navigated the difficult challenges of addiction, restructuring, and the death of a loved one. For me to face these kinds of circumstances as they arise, I need to focus on the truth that strengthens my trust in the God who calls us Beloved.
Circumstances challenge and they stretch, promising nothing. At the same time, God reaches out to us with trustworthy promises and tangible help. Like waves, God’s help just keeps coming. To accept this help, I need faith, which God freely gives, along with courage and wisdom.
When I trust God to be with me, the biggest challenges become okay. I can meet, face, and deal with challenging situations because I am not alone, and neither are you. Many times, I’ve been surprised by the way God meets felt needs with practical help in overwhelming situations. “What!” I say, thankfully amazed, “I feel your love working here. Thank you!” This has been a life-changing experience for me.
He will come to us…
With God, we have tangible, practical help. God’s love permeates our situations, and we are invited to experience this daily, one situation at a time. The more we “press on to know the LORD,” the greater our confidence grows. We can trust this God who quietly and powerfully works in the most unlikely situations. We can trust God more than we trust our understanding. God’s work can feel slow and look different from what we thought would happen, but “His going forth is as certain as the dawn.” God has our best interests at heart, and we can trust this work.
“Come,” writes Hosea. “Let us press on to know the LORD.” That’s an invitation to know this Lord who calls us Beloved – our source of life, wisdom, and grace. The more we experience and enjoy the treasure that God is, the more equipped we become to handle life on life’s terms. With confidence and faith, we know that in all things, God works for good. And we can encourage others to experience God’s great love in their situations.
The secret of the sweet, satisfying companionship of the Lord is those who fear—revere, and worship—Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal its deep, inner meaning. ~Psalm 25:14
Beautiful, Julie. I love the image of the ocean being representative of God’s grace. One of my favorite and most consoling phrases comes from an opening prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. “You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.” To me the ocean has always seemed so vast and almost unending and it is easy for me to use this imagery in when considering how unfathomable God’s mercy and graces are. I want them to wash over me, in times of peace and in times of uncertainty.
Ruth, your thoughtful response warms my heart! 😊❤️😊. Thanks so much! “The source of life [gushing] forth” – that describes the waves analogy so well. Thanks for sharing!
So beautiful and so peaceful so insightful.