In Your Wilderness

by: Carole L. Haines

God has been graciously waking me up lately with a song in my head, a tune in my spirit and that has been wonderful. It allows me to immediately start the day singing in my heart to God. This morning the words were: 

So, when I fight, I fight on my knees  With my hands lifted high. O God, the Battle belongs to You. 

And every fear I lay at Your feet, I sing through the night, O God, the Battle belongs to You!  (Phil WIckham)  

There are what I would call, “naturally Nice people.” They have a grand view of life and are cheerful most of the time. They are the Butterflies of life, and I love having them around. Yet, I am not one of them. I am more of a “naturally grumpy person.” Being chipper and positive takes some work. I feel like I, myself, am chronically dry skin and God is the lotion. I need to apply Him in generous amounts to keep my spiritual skin soft. But more than that, it’s what I take into my spiritual body that can moisten my heart and soul. I need God and His Word more than air or food. Okay, enough of the metaphors, you get the picture.  

“The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness. 
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, 
and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the uneven ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 
(Isaiah 40 3-5) 

My heart is that valley, my soul is the mountain. I need to hit the reset button of my life each morning. The Holy Spirit is the voice calling out to me, “Clear the way for the Lord in your wilderness.” I had some grumpy stuff happen this morning. I went to let my dog out and stepped right in his pee, already spread out on the floor. I scolded my poor pup and felt so bad. He’s an “Old Timer,” with health issues and I should have been kinder. I made it up to him but wish it hadn’t happened. With God, we can hit the reset button on our life. People are not always so forgiving, but God is and our precious pups are too.   

I wake up off-balance, with spiritually dizzy spells, and I need to center myself on God and His perfect order of things. God has been giving me songs to help and His Word is so powerfully soothing, correcting and encouraging. Thank You God, for Your amazing love and promising to finish in me the work you have begun. (Philippians 1:6)