115 - "Study God and His Strength; Seek His Presence Day & Night" 2 Samuel 5:11 - 6:23; 1 Chronicles 13-16

I just sat at this riverbank to watch the metallic sun set,

and I asked this question of the God we adore:

Who am I, O Lord God, that you have brought me this far?

I so want things to be different than they are.

I've hit a place I never expected to be.

As I sat and listened to the God Who creates out of nothing,

I heard t.h.i.s.

Hope in me, not the change in circumstance.

Live in the Mystery of My Metallic Love.

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek His face continually.

I Chron 16:11

Not His Hand.

His Face.
He understands.

1 Chronicles 16:11  "Study God and his strength, seek His Presence day and night." This verse jumps out at me out of these 3 chapters of beautiful prayers.  The Promise of His Presence.  Today was my first evaluative scans after having had cancer exactly one year ago.  Miss Much Afraid showed up in the exam room, but that's the old Bev.  I looked down and there was a text on my cell from a dear friend:  "I will pray you sense His Presence because HE walks with you."  Oh my.  The radiologist found something unusual and prolonged the order with more scans.  Fear washed over me as I asked God to show me His Presence.  I sat among other women waiting to hear results.  A tv blared self-help tips while I opened 66 Love Letters to read the next chapter where I was.  Didn't want to go "fishing" for practical tips to overcome my fear.  I wanted to hear my God.  So I just read the next thing.  Here were the words that came to me:  "I invite you to delight in your distress.  Nothing else provides the same opportunity to move strongly and joyfully into life on the basis of My promises alone, the promises of My Presence now."  There it was again...the promise of God's Presence in the midst of my fear of losing my health.  "Seizing that opportunity will free you to passionately engage life for My Purposes with no demands."  Seek His Presence day and night!  So I wonder what that looks like for me, for you?  Am I more afraid of losing God's Presence than losing the good life here?

PHOTO: Quarries Lake where I would go to pray when I taught at the high school there. Marvelous. Metallic.