Day Twenty-Six: Beggars in Beautiful Places

Where morning dawns and evening fades,
you call forth Songs of Joy!

    As the sun rose over the lake, I stood with my three preschool children and meditated on its beauty. It was an extremely spiritual moment. We had come to witness the first rays of the summer solstice. As I practiced the rituals of my new age religion, my words thanked Father Sky and Mother Earth for their beauty but my heart felt no reply. The moment was filled with wonder and beauty but no personal connection.
     The day I stepped under a fourth of July tent and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, everything seemed to came together. The beauty of God's creation embraced the beginning of a personal relationship with Christ. I was on top of the world until the bottom dropped out.
     At some point after my husband's death I was tired of grieving. I longed to set down the burden of this sorrow even though it kept rearing its ugly head at every turn. One morning, I was sitting on my father-in-law's deck in sunny California reading my bible as the sun came up over his property. The birds were singing in the background and I opened my bible to Psalm 65:8; "Where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy!" I truly felt a rush of joy in God's sunrise, something I had known before I knew Christ, and the words from this scripture amplified the birds welcoming the new day with their songs of joy. That night as we sat out on the deck and watched the sun go down the crickets were singing their own songs. Their joyful melody reminded me of my morning scripture and it was at the point I realized that no matter what I had to face in the middle of the day there were two anchor points in every day that God promised to bring forth songs of joy. I made decision at that moment not to miss any of them!
     This teaching reminds me of the joy that I had in my old ways searching for a connection with nature. It's God's creation so no wonder our souls are drawn to it. How pleasing to realize that God doesn't expect us to turn away from the joy we found in our places of peace and joy that he gave us when we were lost to him. But how much greater peace and joy those places will bring when we go there with Him. Thank you Jesus!
     This chapter in Beth Moore's study is jam packed with way too much to cover in one blog post. She not only covered the joy of bringing our heritage with us but also understanding the true freedom in religion, giving what we have to others, and how we respond to those in need. You may want to take more than one day to let this chapter soak in.
STUDY GUIDE:
 Follow along in JOHN: 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore pages 121-126
 Read Acts 3:1-10
 Answer the questions in your study guide.
 Share a brief highlight or two from your thoughts and answers in a comment posted to the group. (Read guidelines and cautions posted August 1, 2010 before you post).
 Read the comments of others and share your thoughts and encouragement with them by replying to their comments. Identify which post you are responding to by addressing them and their subject or pasting a brief portion of their reply at the start of your post.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, you have given us so much beauty in your creation and the joy you bring alive in it through the promises in your word. Raise us to our feet to dance and praise You. Show us how to anchor our lives in your Joy and raise our expectations to meet your promises. Help us to reach out a hand of faith to others who so desparately need to find you. In Jesus Name, Amen.