He paints His presence daily…

Holy Father of Heaven and of Earth, draw me nearer, so much nearer to you, and the children, dear Lord, yes, draw the children too. Nearer to Thee, oh how we busy ourselves. We get moving so fast that we don’t take time to give You our ear. We don’t give You our eyes either, and notice the faithfulness in each rising sun and we forget it’s You… that painted the sunset as we run, here and there everywhere. Oh Father, draw us near!
Remind me again of the story that’s told of Pilgrim’s journey, written so long ago. How he ever so slightly, ever so slight began to keep walking a bit off the path. But in turn it lead him in chains and dismay as he found himself hopeless in ‘Giant Despair’s’ wrath! But in the scroll it is written, that there’s a Way of escape, a Table has been prepared in the presence of our enemies – yes, it’s a ‘cup of blessing’ and ‘bread that’s been broken’ – our Rescuer, our hope… may we see Him who’s been smitten.
But it’s a mystery so deep at times, we feel You’r so distant, so we journey along as time is insistent! Seasons come; the joys and sorrows of Christmas pass, New Year’s promises and the winter’s blast…grace is needed, ‘Want’ and need are the cries of Your sheep – there are no flowers, no songs and mountains seem so, so steep!
“Increase my faith! Help me believe! My unbelief overshadows and brings me down deep!” So ‘deep cries to deep’ my  Father of earth,where are You now? “Your kingdom come, Your will be done! I have trouble trusting! Trusting in and waiting on the Faithful One!”
How can that be? I just don’t know, but it’s true and it’s evident in my worry and fret. Winter comes, and sometimes winter stays, and a rut becomes comfort, but a rut brings regret! So, help me ‘do hard things’ , even to lift my eyes…give me courage to pray and to lay down ‘my rights’, that I might not be believing in things that are lies!
It’s hard to humble myself before You dear Lord, and  sometimes Your words are ‘just words’.  I, like a sheep hear… but don’t understand:’flee from idolatry’, and ‘resist satan’s roar’- Suddenly I find myself instead of ‘fleeing’ just standing there. Just like dear Pilgrim in ‘Giant Despairs’ grasp, now what? what do I do to stay on the path?
“Oh, search me O God, and know me through. Test me and know even my thoughts, I ask You. Is my heart hard as a stone, give me courage to face it, and God in Your great mercy, with ‘flesh’ will You replace it? Not a stone, but a heart soft as flesh, in Your mercy – grant me  Your grace and forgiveness.”
“You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, I humbly pray, into a vessel of honor, but can I be twice baked? You see I’ve been broken and set aside, can You use me again? Lead me and guide me in Your Self-Less Way, and when I wake each morrow-morn, may I be able to receive with humility,  just what You say.”
Winter – cold and hard, turns into spring. And in the sun and all the new color – we can see with our eyes that Your mercy never ceases and Your love, steadfast and true, is abounding in grace and kindness besides!  This is your plan that leads our dark hearts, to see once again, what is True, what is True! It’s true that You love me, it’s true that You care, it’s true that You are always, You are always there!
Summer comes, summer fun and warmth, but the enemy is lurking in our rest and recreation to ‘put off’ the narrow road, ‘oh, it’s  just for a season’. But we believe him, we do – and often forget, what God has to say: “Seek Me first, I’m loyal  and faithful and love at all times, come to Me you who are weary, I am the Way…”
satan’s a liar, (I can’t capitalize his name), he wants us all to believe that You are hard and demanding with a scowl on Your face, with You, nothing fun is thought to be OK. But You took all my garbage and all of my shame, so I could be free and have real life in me again! You say, “Do you love Me?” And it doesn’t really matter the words that I say, because dear Lord, You’re watching to see if I…simply obey.
But God, there is nothing ‘simple’ in obeying You Lord. But You led by example by walking that Via Delarosa. It reminds me of the cold fall winds that blow hard and strong… but they are needful, yes needful to bring us to our knees. When those cold winds blow, You know their purpose, it’s all good, even though they seem OH  SO WRONG!
Winter to spring, and spring into summer, and the fall winds blow all the old leaves away, but  the winds make us dig deeper to survive the cold…This is Your plan full of surprises, this is how You paint Your picture for us. New months, new weeks,  and with each new day, Your  faithful and early sun… rises.
“Can you see Me?” “Can you see Me?” your still small voice speaks and even sings in a song. Many don’t notice, but today I say, “I do!” Your Bride is preparing, your Bride is getting ready. “Help me in my weakness, help me stay on the path even when it’s seems so terribly long.”
Your face! Your face! As we ‘run this race! Through the journey we go in the beauty of Your presence! That’s how it is that the joy of the Lord is my strength, Because You are there, even in the valley of the shadows of darkness. You shine in the sky and the Evergreens, even the rocks, You are speaking, and You are Our Ever -present Fortress!
“I will never leave you nor forsake you,” You say. “I will direct your paths for the day.” “I love you with an everlasting love,” You whisper, but, sometimes I make some rough choices, and choose not to listen.  I don’t run to the Strong tower that is there, instead like Pilgrim, I think I’ve got it right, but the next moment I find I’m in Giant Despair’s prison!
Oh my! I still walk in circles it seems,  forgive me again, my Father of the earth as well as the heavens! And You do, You do, You never give up on Your child.  Your love is complete, it’s faithful as the winter that turns into spring, You make all things work together for good, even when I make a mess of things, when I’m head-strong and sometimes wild!
“I want to see You!” I cry. And You answer Me. “Can you see me in the sky I’ve painted for you? Can you see me when it’s dark or shining bright and blue? I am here, when you choose to humble yourself and surrender…I am with you now, abide in Me, FOREVER!”
“Teach me to abide, to You the Vine. I am the branches! Help me not forget! Teach me to abide in You my dear Jesus. Flow through my veins, may Your Spirit guide me yet! Help me from going off the path again, when winter comes, and I’m caught by ‘Giant Despair’, help me see that there is no death in Christ. That hidden inside those ‘dead’ looking  trees, is  life; Life that is greater than any enemy! Life for today, life for tomorrow. Life for all of eternity!
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“Today you can see Me and feel that I’m near, but tomorrow when You can’t, please remember, I AM here.”
My response is the very first verse I learned when I was three: “I love You Jesus, because You first loved me. I love You Jesus…Because You first…loved me!”