"God, My digging bar"

To remind ourselves that God is aways present with us by his Spirit, we make it our practice to begin any type of church meeting with a devotional and prayer. It's a practice that reminds us that all we say and do should be led by the Spirit, especially leading the church. In our church council meetings we have a rotation of who leads devotions to open the meeting and who closes the night in prayer. Usually the person leading devotions will find an article in a devotional that has spoken to them recently and connect it to the life of the church somehow. It's great that it also holds us accountable that we should all be seeking God's will as we read his Word daily. Occasionally someone will write their own devotional. I love it when that happens! To me it's a breath of fresh air to hear the unique ways God speaks to someone else in the body of Christ according to their own life and gifts. I wanted to share what Bob Miedema wrote and shared at our last council meeting. I hope as you read it you are built up in God's Word and encouraged to keep seeking his voice (and maybe even write one yourself!). 

God, My digging bar

A devotional written by Bob Miedema

“7 I will praise the lord, who counsels me, even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord, with him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices, my body also will rest secure. 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:7-11

At Lewis Signs we often dig holes by hand. Coworkers would always complain about it, but it's one of my favorite jobs there, because I know as long as I have a digging bar, I'm getting to the bottom of that hole. Digging holes can easily be compared to living life, but instead of a digging bar, we have God to get us through. Little rocks are like little problems that we are facing and God pops them right out with no problem. Other rocks look big and I worry about them, like what college to go to, what to do for work, my wedding day, or having kids. We ask God for help and with the right position of the digging bar, they pop out as well. Other rocks don't move at all and you keep throwing down the bar hoping it moves. When I went to college, I couldn’t stand being in those classrooms. I was looking at farms for sale every night. I even convinced my mom to go to a foreclosure sale, but we were out bid. I was trying to use God to get what I wanted, instead of asking for his guidance. Like that rock that wouldn't move, I had to move down a different path. Then you hit that big rock that you know will come out, but it's going to be a struggle. For me, that was finding a girlfriend. Coming out of high school I had no confidence at all. I kept praying, asking God that I would find the right girl for me. 8 years later God sent Ashley right to my house. How much easier could God have made it for me. We can't see what rocks are ahead, just like we can't see our future. I wonder how big are baby twins rock is going to be, but with God, we know we will make it through.