January 21
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. Ezekiel 34:12
Haven’t we all felt “scattered” at one point or another when certain situations arise in our lives? For some of us the stress of our daily lives with the commitments of family and work is enough to send us into a tizzy. We are pulled in so many different directions that there is little time to center ourselves and we are left feeling fragmented. For others it may involve a major life crises; an illness, loss of income, death of a loved one, or another shattering event, to leave us scattered and broken and feeling alone with our burden. God understands the chaos inside us during cloudy and dark times. So much so that we are promised His gentle presence over and over. We are promised that He is there searching us out and rescuing us from these difficult times. We can hold on in faith knowing that He will take care of us during this time – in His time, for He has given us His Word.
With a small step inside, we can find Him with us, we can feel His presence all around us still, despite the sorrow, despite the chaos - in ordinary things; in a baby’s smile, a thank you, a child’s trusting hand, an unexpected visit, the ability to be involved with work we love, having five quiet minutes, a loving hug, a warm cup of tea, the nose of a pet nuzzling us, sunshine streaming through a window . . . in so many everyday moments. And we can find Him in the extraordinary message He brings to us in Scripture, words that lift us up and encourage us on this often, quite bumpy journey. It is up to us to be open to our God, but we can be reassured that He will find us and he will lead us, as a shepherd does his sheep, to a place of comfort and safety where we may gather together as one, enfolded in His arms.
When our souls are in darkness, hold us close and rescue us dear Father!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. Ezekiel 34:12
Haven’t we all felt “scattered” at one point or another when certain situations arise in our lives? For some of us the stress of our daily lives with the commitments of family and work is enough to send us into a tizzy. We are pulled in so many different directions that there is little time to center ourselves and we are left feeling fragmented. For others it may involve a major life crises; an illness, loss of income, death of a loved one, or another shattering event, to leave us scattered and broken and feeling alone with our burden. God understands the chaos inside us during cloudy and dark times. So much so that we are promised His gentle presence over and over. We are promised that He is there searching us out and rescuing us from these difficult times. We can hold on in faith knowing that He will take care of us during this time – in His time, for He has given us His Word.
With a small step inside, we can find Him with us, we can feel His presence all around us still, despite the sorrow, despite the chaos - in ordinary things; in a baby’s smile, a thank you, a child’s trusting hand, an unexpected visit, the ability to be involved with work we love, having five quiet minutes, a loving hug, a warm cup of tea, the nose of a pet nuzzling us, sunshine streaming through a window . . . in so many everyday moments. And we can find Him in the extraordinary message He brings to us in Scripture, words that lift us up and encourage us on this often, quite bumpy journey. It is up to us to be open to our God, but we can be reassured that He will find us and he will lead us, as a shepherd does his sheep, to a place of comfort and safety where we may gather together as one, enfolded in His arms.
When our souls are in darkness, hold us close and rescue us dear Father!
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson