God's first recorded words....

A couple of years ago, my friend, Connie Noguchi, wrote a book entitled "Peridot Parables". She spoke of the struggle to create a garden in soil full of rocks. God used this to help her discover the rocks themselves as His lesson or parable to her. She inspired me to look at what God was allowing in my life at that time. Depression. So, like her, I delved into the Scripture to find God's lessons. Starting in Genesis, I was taken aback. Chapter 1:2-3 (NIV version, The Holy Bible) says:
2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."
How simple. Depression represents emptiness and darkness to countless people. How comforting it is to see the Spirit hovering over our soul's darkness very much like the pillar of fire over the Israelites at night. God simply spoke His word: "Let there be light!" And there was. My study stopped there. I transformed this into a prayer for myself and friends that I know who struggle with depression and asked God to speak His Word into our darkness.

What I did not do was to persevere in prayer and open my eyes every morning to say"Father, speak Your Word, "Let there be light" in my life today. Consequently I could not hear Him say at night, "There was light" and sense Him tenderly tucking me in. How important that light is to those He allows into our sphere of influence. I confess I feel my 'light' is inconsequential in the face of so much suffering. But Beth reminded us in Matthew 5:14-16 that God told us to place our lamp on a stand so that it gives light to everyone in the house.

Strangely, that is what this blog has become for me, a stand. I have no idea who comes here or why, but I know that He who led me to express my overflowing heart here will lead those who need to drink from Him here. God opened my eyes twice in 2 days to the same Scripture that touched a deep chord within and I realize that it is my heart's desire:
Isaiah 50:4-5 (NIV version, The Holy Bible):
4. The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. 5. The sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.
The red highlighted words speak to me of the necessity of daily listening with a submissive and humble heart for His Word, His instruction. This is holy ground for me. The journey continues.

Father, I come to You with awe and reverence. How faithful You are. I thank You for Your mercy. I thank You for Your plan. I ask for Your help, I ask You to speak light into my life and those who are reading who need You. Incite our spirits to eagerly hunger after You daily. Wake us up to meet with You. Fill us with your Spirit. Instruct us in the way we should go. Your Word says,"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the Name of the Lord and rely on His God." (Isaiah 50:10b) So I declare my trust in Your Name. I declare my reliance on You alone. Now to You, O God, who is able to do so much more than we could ever hope or imagine, to You, O God, be the glory forever and ever, Amen.