God protects and plans, so we don't have to

Yesterday for my Bible Study I read about how Abraham denied that Sarah was his wife, on two occasions, and both times the same thing happened. He and his wife went into a new area, and Abraham thought that the ruler of that area would kill him for his wife, so both times he told them that she was only his sister. Abraham told Sarah that she could "show her love" for him by denying that she was his wife, and say only that he was her brother. It seems that Abraham thought that if he just gave the rulers Sarah, then they would be nice to Abraham and not kill him, since they thought that they were only brother and sister. Sarah was in the rulers' camps on both occasions and both times God moved on Sarah's behalf (and Abraham's) and protected Sarah from being used by these men. He so moved to cause the men to give Sarah back to Abraham.

After reading about that, I read Oswald Chambers and it spoke about the purposes of God prevails in a person's life, as one submits to God. God sought out Paul and Paul was used for God's purposes. Paul gave Himself over to God to be used by His purposes and was used for His purposes.

Last blog I wrote about being a pruned rose bush. I wrote about having a sort of contentment in that. I do have a peace and a contentment. I am not in a place that I should have pity. Just as Paul (well, maybe not "just as")was not in a place that he should be pitied when he was blinded by God, because God was training him, and was preparing him for His service and use.

Sometimes I feel like Sarah, trapped in a stranger's palace and wondering why I was not protected enough that I end up in a place like this. Sarah didn't do anything wrong. Abraham told her to cover-up about that fact that he and Sarah were married. Abraham took 300 trained men and fought for Lot, resucing him from an enemy, but for his wife, he gave her away to advance his own well-being. But in both cases, God saved and protected them both.

Dear Lord, my Lord, Thank you that You protect Your own and have done so for all these years. Thank you for protecting me and the plans and purposes that You have for me. Thank you for protecting each of my children and my husband. Thank You that You provide the new manna each day to each. Thank You that we can eat and be filled. Thank You for the words I read yesterday that spoke of how You feed the birds. They instinctively follow You and You provide their needs. Lord, You are the Provider of all of my needs - for my food, my well-being (from eternity's perspective), for my children and their children and future descendents, for Your purposes to be fulfilled through me. Amen.

Yesterday in the car we watched, "A Wrinkle in Time." It was great. There was a Bible verse in it that said, "All that you see is temporary and all that you do not see is eternal." Think about that. That is so amazing. Live hard for the eternal. Fight your flesh to see what really matters. I may be looking like a pruned down rose bush, or feel like one. I may feel I have no security in this world. I may feel betrayed by the ones I love (I don't feel that way at this time, by I have felt that way before at critical and vulnerable and difficult times), but don't be fooled. I am, like all believers, a holy priesthood, a people blessed of the Lord who will live in the eternal, in the real realm, and I am greatly and richly blessed. I am, in Christ, after all - the seat of glory.