Blessed Quietness Blog

...That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection  and the fellowship of His sufferings,  being conformed to His death;   in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 Lent. We are fast upon the season of Lent and while I always thought this time was reserved for those of a more liturgical and hierarchical background than my own, I have come to think differently about this season of the church. Interestingly, we just went through the 40 Days of Trust that brought us to this point. We now have the opportunity over the next 40 Days leading up to Easter to continue to place our focus on Christ. photo credit: andrewrennie via photopin cc Focus on Christ. Paul talks about knowing Christ, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and being conformed to Christ's death. More than likely, the most disturbing part of Paul's words are the fellowship of His sufferings. The fellowship of His

Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8 Here we are at Day 40! I could not have imagined all that God would do over this 40 Day Journey and how the Holy Spirit would work in my own heart. Look at how far the Lord has brought us and how much He has shown Himself to us. I know the Holy Spirit was at work to transform our hearts and lives. This journey was represented by many ages and walks of life. I had an interview with Libby , a fellow sojourner, to find out how the Lord was working in her heart through this 40 Day Journey of Trust.  1. Libby, why did you decide to take the plunge and do the 40 Days of Trust? I know what I should be doing, trusting in the Lord, but yet it is so hard. I needed something to remind me to rely COMPLETELY on God; something to help keep my mind focused on things that are positive and the way God would want me to think. 2. Did you have something specific in mind when you

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord . For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8  Like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream photo credit: Nicholas_T via photopin cc By a Thread. We are on the home stretch. Maybe you've encountered different or difficult circumstances that required you to trust over this 40 Day Journey. When the Lord placed the 40 Days of Trust on my heart I was faced with some very difficult circumstances shortly after the first post was written. My trust in Him was put to the test. There were times when I felt as if I was hanging on by a thread. Did any of you feel this way? Observations. B ecause of the difficulties the Lord allowed me to experience I was able to see more of Him

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.  ~Thomas Fuller ~ Delight in the Lord and Bring Forth Fruit photo credit: CaptPiper via photopin cc   Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,      Nor stands in the path of sinners,      Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord ,      And in His law he meditates day and night.   He shall be like a tree      Planted by the rivers of water,      That brings forth its fruit in its season,      Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3   Delight in the Lord & Bring Forth Fruit. We will only be able to delight in Him if we continually get to know who He is through His Word. Abiding in Him is a constant pursuit and not one that comes naturally when so many things compete for our attention. To abide in Him, we must know what He says, know His heart, His mind, His sufferings ( John 15:5 ) and only

It is my personal aim to make Scripture reading more of a focus in my own life and to encourage you in this area also as we pursue the 40 Days of Trust . As the Lord is leading my heart in this direction, I am beginning this post with a particular Scripture of focus for us. The Scripture references are linked for you. Read: I Samuel 7:1-13 Remember. Recalling the faithfulness of God is an excellent practice for us to embrace. It reorients our thinking to that of one where we focus on what God has done in the past and how He has intervened despite the circumstances that surround us. With our focus on God, we begin to see the pain or struggle of our current situation diminish in light of what we  know about God and how He has shown Himself to us in the past. He is not a God who hides but who delights to engage with those He created in His image. ( Genesis 1:26-27 ) photo credit: Nutmeg Designs via photopin cc   Relationship. Even after the fall of man in Genesis 3

Why? Why isn't God doing something about my request? He could choose to intervene at any moment but, He has chosen not to do that--yet. Are you still waiting for Him to answer your request or concern? Waiting. The past 25 days of this journey, I have been waiting for Him to act and watching to see what He will do. The unexpected happened. A group of friends prayed with me for God's provision. The next morning my heart was filled with His peace -- unexplained by anything else but His grace and strength to withstand this hardship . Another friend shared with me how the Lord provided for him in circumstances similar to my own and assured me that God would provide. One friend who has not seen me for one year, told me she was led to pray specifically for me during her devotional time two weeks ago. She was praying for me at the same time I was wrestling with despair and discouragement over this particular need.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.