Tuesday 11th January - My desert

As people may know now I am reading a book on prayer. Last night I was reading my book for over an hour in bed. What a section of the book I read though! The author Paul Miller was talking about how God writes a story through his peoples lives. He places his people in deserts as part of the tapestry of their life, a desert could be anything from a difficult boss, a child going astray or your own sin. He says 'God customises deserts for each of us. Josephs desert is being betrayed and forgotten. Moses lives in the midian desert for 40 years as an outcast. The Israelites live in the desert for forty years. David runs from Saul in the desert'. All of them hang on to the hope of God's word yet face the reality of their situation. They place themselves helpless before their God above.

It really struck me that God has placed me in the desert. That my situation means I have to come helpless before my great and mighty God above. I have to completely rely on the almighty God and everything else in life becomes so much less significant. The desert makes you helpless and makes you realise your need of God. Miller also says 'when we suffer we long for God to speak clearly, to tell us the end of the story and most of all to show himself. But if God showed himself fully and immediately, if he answered all the questions we'd never grow'. I don't have the end of my story and I don't know all the answers but I do know that I am growing in my relationship with him. I am in the desert but relying on Him. God is teaching me patience and trust and I can truly say there is nothing more important than Him.

Paul says in Ephesians 3 v 20 ' Now to him who can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power within us'. We have an awsome God who is able to do so much. I am growing with Him everyday and realising that the more I place myself before Him the more I am growing in strength and love for Him. We are having another great day and are enjoying the blessings and strength of the Lord hour by hour. Thank you once again for all your prayer and support. It truly is a blessing from the Lord.

Verse for the day: Ephesians 3 v 20

Prayer for the day: That I would continue to rely on the one true God. That my body would continue to be strong as we head closer towards the treatment. For continued prayer for our families and for our friends. For Dot and Alan Gallagher and her mum and that we may meet John and Lucy again. That the cancer cells will be sensitive to the radiotherapy.