Seriously?

After I finished my last blog, I headed out to the screened in porch for my quiet time. Guntersville was having her first thunderstorm in ages, and it was glorious: pouring rain, roaring thunder, a real deal storm. Sitting on the deck was like sitting behind a waterfall. I started out as I always do, with prayer time. Then I anxiously opened my latest Beth Moore book (okay, yes, I am obsessed). Who wants to guess what the first Bible verse Beth quoted was?

Isaiah 55:8-11.

Yesterday I continued my Beth Moore study (Praying God's Word). This book is brilliant; the whole idea is allowing the Lord to breakdown your strongholds and capture your thoughts (insecurity, addiction, unbelief, etc). If anyone's thoughts need to be captured, it's me. I have the tendency to obsess about things, to let my thoughts run away with me. Beth introduces several Bible verses that can be turned into prayer to address each stronghold. Not only is is an outstanding use of the Word, but I have so enjoyed flipping through my Bible to find each verse... I've learned so much about the consistency of God's Word, from Genesis to Revelation. Chapter 1-- Breaking Free from Idolatry-- is all about the greatness of God, why He demands our full attention. I spend a lot of time asking God for things; not material things usually, mind you, but things like patience, understanding, peace. I think that's okay; as His children, God invites us to bring our anxieties to him. However, I very rarely meditate on who He is other than the supplier of my needs. We're talking about a God so big He held the seas in the hollow of His hand. As I finished this phenomenal chapter, possibly more aware of God's might and power than ever, I read one of the final verses with an ear-to-ear grin:

Isaiah 55:8-11.

Wow. Trying to tell me something, Big Guy? You're coming through loud and clear.

And when I say Big Guy, I don't mean it in an irreverent way. I literally mean BIG Guy. I am more aware than ever how BIG He truly is. Check out some of the prayers from this fabulous book:

My mighty God, in Your hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10) You, my God, open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145:16)

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. (Ps. 40:5)

O Lord, help me to lift my eyes and look to the heavens and acknowledge who created all these. You bring out the starry host one by one, and call each of them by name. Because of Your great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isa. 40:26)

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You! (Jer. 32:17)

For me, there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom I live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor. 8:6)

My Lord and my God, You are both a God nearby and a God far away. No one can hide in secret places so that you cannot see him. You fill heaven and earth! (Jer. 22:23-24)

Kind of fabulous, isn't it? How great it is to worship a God whose ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than our own, because let's face it: I would MUCH rather entrust my life to a Creator that BIG than be left to my own devices. If you had the option of planning your own wedding-- finding the caterer, picking the flowers, seaming the dress, planning the budget-- or having a world famous planner take care of everything... who do you think would have the most incredible results?... Bingo.