A painting of Faithfulness

I know it's Thursday already, and this happened a few days ago, but I just feel the Lord urging me to write about it....
I was on my way to Auburn this past Sunday, and like almost everyday here, it rained off and on throughout my drive back to school. I don't really mind rain, unless I can't see out the windshield, of course. That could potentionally pose some problems...
But anyway, the clouds were amazing on that drive, huge dark clouds on one side of the road, and on the other, huge white ones. I love spending that time in my car with the Lord, reflecting on who He is, what He's done in my life and what He's doing now. As I think back on that simple drive to school, and the rainstorms that I went through, I remembered this.... I saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. It was huge, covering the horizon in front these enormous, dark storm clouds. I was literally taken aback by the work of the Lord's hands. As I was thinking about this rainbow, I remembered the story in Genesis of where it originated from...Noah and the ark, and how God flooded the entire earth for 40 day and 40 nights. And then a wonderful feeling hit me, that very rainbow that God created for Noah was, and still is today, a symbol of God's faithfulness to His people. And what a beautiful reminder of how through the storms in my life, God has shown his faithfulness to me...time and time again. I love the verses in Genesis 9 that tells of the Lord's convenant with Noah:
" And God said, 'This the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a convenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting convenant between God and all living creatures of every kinds on the earth."
How wonderful to see signs of the Lord's promise of faithfulness to His people, even on simple drive on a Sunday afternoon. My heart's desire is to dwell in the same assurance that Noah had in the Lord's ability to remain faithful to him....through what seemed like a never ending storm, and just as the Lord brought him throught that, no matter what I go through in this life, the Lord's promise of faithfulness is sealed, unchanging. How beautiful that day must have been when the Lord peeled back the clouds of darkness, and the sun's rays engulfed the world again....and in that moment, a fingerprint of the Lord's faithfulness kissed the faces of Noah and his family, and they too remembered the goodness of the Lord.

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your
love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies."
Psalm 57: 9-10

More Precious.....

So, I haven't written in forever....I'm working on that. My plan to document my entire trip to France didn't work out to well, but life goes on, and I 'm back now.

With the summer finally over, and a new year already begun, I find myself more and more reflecting what the Lord has shown me just over the last 8 months. I think it was Monday when I reading in Ps. 119 and came upon the passage of verses that I had never really metitated on before. (I'm a huge fan of Ps. 119, so this was really cool to me:)

Starting with v. 65:
"Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
YOur are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. It was good for me
to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The Law from your mouth is more
precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."
Psalm 119:65-72

This passage may not at first glance seem like anything profound, but as I read over it and over it, I developed an understanding of what I feel David was trying to relate to us. I love David's heart, his is like one unwavering wind, a hero of one who hides nothing from the Lord, and trusts relentlessly in His precepts. Yet I was caught by this, David's overwhelming spirit of thanksgiving to the Lord for his affliction. Yes, his affliction, not the Lord's blessings on him, but the trials God put him through, because it was that very affliction that brought David to the realization of who is apart from his Maker. Yes, David was afflicted, but in and through that he learned the most valuable lesson in life: that it is God who is most satisfying..."It was good for me to be afflicted that I might learn your decrees." That is amazing statement to me..... I think to myself though, as I look back on my life this year, and knowing that the Lord has, indeed, taken me through the most trying times of trial and surrender, I can now see that if for nothing else, it was to show me, teach me, and move me into a place where God is more valuable than whatever was competing to be most valuable before. I realized a deeper meaning of "blessed," I found that Christ is "more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold." What an amazing outlook that David possessed in his lifetime and relationship with the Lord. My hope and prayer is that I would always offer a sacrifice of praise to the Only One who is forever worthy.......