safe haven

We all need a safe place to be
A home where we belong
Where there is room for us to rest

To be loved and accepted
To be protected and provided for

Safe from sharp words and cruel judgements
Safe from scorn and shame
Safe from fear and anxiety

safe from crippling insecurity

safe from disappointment and loss

We cannot create or sustain such a refuge for ourselves

You 

You alone are that place

Isaiah 32:2King James Version (KJV)

2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Isaiah 32:1-2(The Message (MSG)

Safe Houses, Quiet Gardens

32 1-2 But look! A king will rule in the right way,
    and his leaders will carry out justice.
Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds,
    provide safe cover in stormy weather.
Each will be cool running water in parched land,
    a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert.

You alone are that safe haven

You alone are our refuge

Our hiding place

Our place of belonging

Our home

For now and forever

Praise you, and we take refuge in you

Let you be the wonderful king in my heart

You make us to be that place of refuge for others

a safe haven 

it is a choice of trust

John 14   (International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Jesus Comforts His Followers

14 Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.

Don't let your heart be troubled

Don't let implies I do have a choice

Not because of me 

But because of who you are and all that you, Jesus,have done

There is room
There is plenty of room in the Father's heart for me for me

but not just me

for all
An individual place for each and every one

He loves with a powerful deep and eternal love
It is what we long for with our deepest being

John 14The Message (MSG)

The Road

14 1-4 “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

How do we come to know you as our loving Father? 

As we open our hearts to receive and put our trust in Jesus, we are born anew as children of God

This is why Jesus came to be born as one of us
A helpless and vulnerable baby
To experience every agony that we do 

But also to obey his Heavenly Father

and willingly lay down his life

as a sacrifice for our sins and wrong doing

How can you trust someone you do not know?

Knowing and trusting in Jesus is intimately connected with his words and actions

Trying to understand who he is and what he is doing by looking at the circumstances I find myself in now

is confusing because my viewpoint is limited to the here and now and what I feel

this is no kind of foundation as it fluctuates daily, hourly

He has given us his words as a diving act

to help us to see who He really is

to know what He truly is like

Faith and trust in Jesus Christ are intimately connected with His words

If I want to trust in Him, 

I must be willing to spend time

hearing his words

contemplating them

letting them impact me

seeking to understand them

This is not a quick or easy process

there is much in his words and actions given to me in the Bible

that are upsetting, confusing, perplexing, troubling

But the building of any lasting relationship takes time and such prolonged effort

It is never easy, quick or without difficulties

It is a relationship that He is seeking with us as well

not rules to be followed 

or good principles for a happy life

But a relationship of trust with Himself

I can talk to you 

you are seeking me 

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

9 Jesus answered, “I have been with you a long time now. Do you still not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don’t come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Oh Lord I do want to trust in you, 

Help me to see you and know you more

to chose to trust in you, especially when it is not easy at all

to know you as the safe haven 

John 1:12-14  (International Children’s Bible (ICB)

12 But some people did accept him. They believed in him. To them he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They did not become his children in the human way. They were not born because of the desire or wish of some man. They were born of God.

14 The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth.

Yes, Lord, 

show us your glory

you are full of grace and truth

praise you

hope

Can a person live without hope?

I can endure for a season

but can anyone truly live without hope?

Can a human being live without some sense of being loved
of being cared for
desired
enjoyed
and able to contribute in meaningful ways to the lives of others

I can distract myself with a flurry of activity
entertain myself with a myriad of attractions and escapes mentally physically, emotionally spiritually
delude myself by taking refuge in lies and distortions

But truth has a way of confronting us
giving me the opportunity to face it
if  I am willing

Jesus says," I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me" John 14:6

He is The Truth and if I want to know God and trust in Him, it necessitates experiencing truth

not just truth about eternity, life after death, and my spiritual state
truth about my life right now as well
the truth about me

and the truth is
I am more needy than I am aware of

the need is deep
profound
and cannot truly be met
by any friend
meaningful service or achievement
by a spouse
or children
by education
or luxury
or power
or esteem
or education
or fitness
or even by positive thinking
or an attitude of gratitude alone
or hope that things will change in the future
or ______________
fill in the blank

These are all wonderful things
beautiful and wonderful gifts
meant to be taken with gratitude and enjoyed

but if I am honest
they are never enough
to fill and heal my deepest longings and hurts and desires


I am left with really only two choices: 

a fluctuating sense of despair
that is sometimes bearable and other times not

or

God




What does it mean to hope and trust in God?

How does this affect my life right now
in the relationships I am in
the challenges I am facing

the desires, disappointments and delusions of the present?

How can I move from an intellectual understanding of hoping in God
to a deeper realization and experience of God himself in my daily life?

these are the questions I wish to prayerfully and diligently explore this coming year

a place to start:   Psalm 42

1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks
    from the creek;
I want to drink God,
    deep draughts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
    arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
    tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
    people knock at my door,
Pestering,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

yes,  deep longings that only the fullness of God himself can assuage
even while experiencing 
the assumptions of many, 
even myself, 
that if I am trusting in God
shouldn't things be going better than they are? 
shouldn't I at least be more cheerful and easier to be around???

4 These are the things I go over and over,
    emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
    right out in front,
Leading them all,
    eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
    celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

yes, I have experienced times of being filled with worship and joy in you

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

yes, the way up is always with you and not with me

6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
    including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
    to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
    crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

yes, let me rehearse all I know of you
may I ever know you more and more  
even while experiencing chaos upon chaos  
it is your thundering breakers that wash over me 
but you promise yourself to me 
an avenue for my soul to communicate with you in songs and in prayer 
to express the pain and perplexities I feel 
along with the acknowledgement of who you are and all you have done 
to bring me into this relationship of love with you  
yes, prayer and song

9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
    “Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
    harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
    tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

yes, you want me to talk with you, 
ask you my questions 
talk with you about what I am experiencing 
and how I feel
you are my refuge
my safe haven 

11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

Psalm 42 The Message

yes, Lord bring me to joy in you and rest in who you are 
waiting on you and your working and timing

teach me what it means to hope in you more and more
Praise You

note:  A fellow blogger has created a list of verses on the topic of hope.  Here is the link:

http://unafamiliaalaskena.blogspot.com/p/think-on-these-things.html


also connecting with


http://www.faithbarista.com/category/one-word-coffee/

lack of sweetness and the wellspring

Yes
there are many things that are sweet and times of sweetness
But there is also pain, terrible pain in this life

pain so excruciatingly sharp, deep and profound that is sucks down all sweetness

all the more so because so much pain we experience
seems to have no discernible point at all
and/or may seem endless in scope
with no hope of change or resolution in sight

Living lives of quiet desperation even while seemingly whole and fine to superficial view

What to do with all of this pain?
Where to find any sweetness great enough to mitigate all this suffering
How to bear, endure, and heal?

Can a human being live without some sense of being loved
of being cared for
desired
enjoyed
and able to contribute in meaningful ways to the lives of others

I can distract myself with a flurry of activity
entertain myself with a myriad of attractions and escapes mentally physically, emotionally spiritually
delude myself by taking refuge in lies and distortions

But truth has a way of confronting us
giving me the opportunity to face it
if  I am willing

Jesus says," I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me" John 14:6

He is the truth and if I want to know God and trust in Him, it necessitates experiencing truth

not just truth about eternity, life after death, and my spiritual state
truth about my life right now as well
the truth about me

and the truth is
I am more needy than I am aware of

the need is deep
profound
and cannot truly be met
by any friend
meaningful service or achievement
by a spouse
or children
by education
or luxury
or power
or esteem
or education
or fitness
or even by positive thinking
or an attitude of gratitude alone
or hope that things will change in the future
or ______________
fill in the blank

These are all wonderful things
beautiful and wonderful gifts
meant to be taken with gratitude and enjoyed

but if I am honest
they are never enough
to fill and heal my deepest longings and hurts and desires

I am left with really only two choices

a fluctuating sense of despair
that is sometimes bearable and other times not
or
God




What does it mean to trust in God?

1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks
    from the creek;
I want to drink God,
    deep draughts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
    arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
    tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
    people knock at my door,
Pestering,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

yes, deep longings that only the fullness of God himself can assuage 
the assumptions of many, even myself, that if I am trusting in God
shouldn't things be going better than they are? 
Why does God seem absent when I need Him the most?

4 These are the things I go over and over,
    emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
    right out in front,
Leading them all,
    eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
    celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

yes I have experienced times of being filled with worship and joy in you

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

yes, the way up is always with you and not with me
or trying to understand what is going on
from my very limited point of view
but seeing again and again 
Who You Are

6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
    including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
    to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
    crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

yes, let me rehearse all I know of you
may I ever know you more and more  
even while experiencing chaos upon chaos  
it is your thundering breakers that wash over me 
but you promise yourself to me 
an avenue for my soul to communicate with you in songs and in prayer 
to express the pain and perplexities I feel 
along with the acknowledgement of who you are and all you have done 
to bring me into this relationship of love with you  
only through Jesus can I know you and see you

9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
    “Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
    harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
    tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

yes, you want me to talk with you, 
ask you my questions 
talk with you about what I am experiencing 
and how I feel
you are my refuge
my safe haven 

11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

Psalm 42 The Message

yes, Lord bring me to joy in you and rest in who you are 
waiting on you and your working and timing

Jesus is the good shepherd who seeks out the lost
You are seeking me in this
Help me not to harden my heart 
and shut you out in my pain and anger and despair

You want to come and find me
You want to be with me
Right here and now
where I am
Please find me
save me

You are with me 
Yes, that is what I need the most

You are the only true wellspring of joy
the only deep balm of comfort and peace

Praise you