"FINDING GOD IN THE HARD PLACES"

By now, from my posts on this blog, you know I do my daily Bible Reading plans, mostly with You Version (see button on right sidebar), however I also use the First 5 App (excellent for reading through books of the Bible with community and wise devotional writers that spend time studying to share) and I sometimes choose to do plans with Love God Greatly blog (which formerly was Good Morning Girls, but the two separated) LGG is also usually available at You Version. I get emails from Jennifer Camp, because I signed up for LOOP devotionals but there are at least 16 available at You Version, that I've saved!

Most recently, I accepted an invitation of a former blogger friend to join her at You Version with her friends to do a short 7 day reading plan but almost had to decline because I am doing 2 OBS (Online Bible Studies) currently{previous post shares 1 of the 2, the other is Beth Moore's at LifeWay}  and barely have enough time for them as I am also suppose to be reading a book to review (only 1/4 done) {sigh} yet the reason of this blog post is to share this group plan I'm doing at You Version:

...FINDING GOD IN THE HARD PLACES...

{it's probably a book, but I haven't checked it out any further than the author's blog} "Old-Fashioned Truth-Telling" so far I love her style ... and thoughts!

Here's is what I typed out at You Version for Day 1

"As I start out on this new journey today doing this YV plan with a friend and her friends ... I reflect on the title of this: “Finding God in the Hard Places”  ... which is definitely so true for most of us that have walked this earthly life knowing not only that God exists, but depending on our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, and the Word, knowing that by His Holy Spirit, we can know Him intimately and be with Him daily. So not only to we have this immense opportunity to know God, but we can find Him, as we seek Him, yet not only that He exists but that He is the very reason, we exist... that we move, and breathe and our mere existence is to glorify Him and His very purpose in us. How we can come to Him because He is right here with us - in the good and especially in the bad or the hard times ... those places that seem so dark or the ones that seem unbearable or those that we find hard, maybe even impassable but with Him those impossible, difficult, dark day places become ones lite up by His Light, His very Life, His heartbeat becomes one with ours until we sense His very presence and we see that we can overcome, we can make it through this - nothing is impossible with Him! I wish we could live lives without the ‘hard’ but it is because of those hard impasses we are to relax and see the good inspite of those hard moments. The 1st day of this plan entitled “where are You” ... is referring to where is God when we feel like we’re drowning; when we think we cannot take one more ‘bad’; when we are in despair and cry out “where are You, God?” or “why?” or “how” and we desperately need to hear an audible Voice from God reminding us of all the GOOD in GOD or with God, that it’s because of Him, we can go on ... we do go on ... we find a way to hold on, hang on and hope - to persevere beyond all the hard. My hard is not your hard yet we can relate and empathize with each other because we know what it’s like when we feel like our backs are up against a wall but here’s another thing I know from a “Reckless Love” (Cory Ashbury) Bethel song: “... There's no shadow You won't light up Mountain You won't climb up, Coming after me There's no wall You won't kick down No lie, You won't tear down, Coming after me" (another video from Passion 2018)Melodie Malone

and this is what I shared initially because each day has a"Talk It Over"part and so farday 1 and day 2the devotionals end with a"Practice"
always good to apply what you read inGod's Word

“Finding God in the Hard Places” YV plan, day 1 - MSG scriptures for today: “”When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” GOD ’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”— GOD ’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:12-14‬ ‭MSG‬‬

*{needed to add or include the verse most of us know that precedes this, Jeremiah 29:11, just as I did with the verse 28 in Matthew 11 (below) to the given verses Matthew 11:29-30}

““Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I added in “Talk it over” ... from another LOOP devo (in YV and I get in my email from Jennifer Camp) the following I chose of what I might hear God speaking to me: “Know How You Know?” 

- "Remember where I’ve been, my child. Remember how I’ve held you, how I’ve walked with you, how I’ve always been near. I know you struggle here. I know you wonder, “Have you? Have you been close to me, God? Have you been near? I am hurting. I don’t know the way to You. You don’t feel close. What does it mean to live with You close?”

Look deep within you first. Sit in a quiet place where you can be still, if only for a few moments. There is my word to read, the way this world began, the lives I’ve loved, the stories of adventures and glory and stumbling and pain. Stories of falling and getting up again and choosing to believe in something more than yourself for strength, for hope, for a future. And these are more than stories.

But, also, there is a listening I want to teach you, a discovery of who you are with Me, unique from everyone else. I have placed within you the map to find Me, your heart yearning for more than what you physically see. I show you beauty around you, hope and possibility in the smallest, most hidden places. But to see with My eyes, there is a listening that comes from within your heart, the place where we connect, the place where I speak to you. 

Do you know how you are familiar with the voice of your closest friends? Do you know how you are so familiar you can sense their presence in a room without looking up? You know the sound of their step, their shuffle, the slide of their foot, the way the floor creaks when they pivot and stand. You know their voice, the subtle variations as they speak, revealing their mood, the expression of their heart. You know, without having to look at them, exactly their mood—if there is laughter in their eyes, or sorrow, tears beginning to spill. You know how their voice cracks when they are nervous and how their laughter starts small at first and then grows, to fill a room. You know your friends’ pasts, their stories, their pain, their glories, what has made their hearts ache, what has made them smile. 

And how do you know all these things? How do you know these voices, these hearts? How are you so familiar with one another? 

You have listened. You have watched. You have been vulnerable. You have spent time together. You have been present with one another when the waves have swept high and times have been difficult and long. You have been present with one another when the sun shines warm on your faces, and laughter comes fast and easy.

Come to Me, daughter. Sit with Me. Become familiar with Me. Spend time with Me. Let Me teach you the sound of my voice in you. Listen close now. Let Me show you what makes Me smile, what makes Me sad. I know you. I know you. So come be with Me. I invite you to know Me, too.” (day 2) of the LOOP reading plan -"Know His Voice:Become Familiar with God"

... although I wanted to write my own like this or personalize the 2 scripture passages as if being spoken directly to me, I chose to share what Jennifer wrote as if God was speaking it to us - each of us.

This is day 1 of 7 “Finding God in the Hard Places” - “Where are You?” God - we were asked to re-read the scripture passages then write that and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to (you) us. Record what you hear from God. 

In the “Talk it over” part, I wrote quite lengthy reply (below) but I wanted to write my response like LOOP does (but didn't, it is how ever how it flowed as I read and wrote my response):

“As I seek God with all my heart, put Him first, He is there with me and I can lean in and listen to Him throughout my day I can come to Him, release anything weighing me down - even when ... I mess up, others come against me or try to provoke my flesh to respond, I can pause and listen to His Spirit, alive within me and choose to hold back my flesh and allow the Spirit to guide and lead me. oh how I wish to remember these sweet moments with God in the morning when the enemy comes at me (through others) during my day, I will be spirit controlled rather than let my flesh respond or react, I will take THAT moment to pause, to hear the Holy Spirit and refrain from entering into their battle, their taunt, or the enemy trying to get the best of me, which causes me to go back to the old fleshly habits rather than Godly spirit control-that I might pray knowing Jesus is defending me, His my Advocate, I don’t have to allow myself to be pushed, prodded, provoked or respond. God is with me.”

- Yet, I don’t think I wonder “Where are You, God?” but more often [as the “Quest” study with Beth Moore points out in session one (day 1) {I am also doing 2 OBS right now, one which is this one with Lifeway/Beth Moore and the other with Faith/Study Gateway- “The Rock, The Road and The Rabbi” both have samples of study in YV}

“... We have established five divine questions that, dare we answer, have the potential to recalibrate and reignite a walk with God that has gotten off track, stuck in a cul-de-sac, or has lost steam or our interest. Start today memorizing these questions. Get them so far down in the quick of your brain that you could list them in your dreams. The first two are asked by God the Father, and the last three are asked by Jesus the Son. Some are abbreviated for easy memorization.

“WHERE are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

“WHO told you that?” (Genesis 3:11)

“WHAT are you seeking?” (John 1:38)

“WHY are you afraid?” (Matthew 8:26)

“HOW much more ... ?” (Luke 11:13)*

Though you will encounter numerous other inquiries on the road ahead, answering these five will establish a baseline you can look back on for reflection and evaluation.”~Beth Moore

... I hear God ask me “where are you, Peggy?” as He did Adam and Eve in the garden. So for today, I will let His Holy Spirit keep speaking to me through these Bible verses found in Jeremiah 29:12-14 and Matthew 11:28-30 (I included 28) and what LOOP shares, because I hear His Spirit tell me to

“Come ...” not just now in my quiet time but any time, throughout my day ... 

-when I am burdened...

-when I am weary...

-when I am bombarded by the enemy through others ...

-when I am trying to defend myself and respond in my old flesh instead of a well-spirit fed daughter of the Most High and Mighty God, who is with me, who sent His Spirit to abide in me and me in Him ... who defends me at the right hand of the Father, as my Advocate - our Lord Jesus, who calls me His Beloved, His Own, His Child - for I am a new creature, the old is gone, I am washed and covered by the precious blood of Jesus, I don’t need to defend myself nor do I need to cower but rise up, stand strong and take my rightful place as His daughter, not a ‘victim’ to be trampled upon yet a ‘victorious’ child of the King - this is who I am and where I am? ... is under His Wings (Ps 91) and where is God? right beside me! right within me - living and breathing through me, may I not forget ... with every breath, I give Him thanks! ... 

HE IS WITH ME!

- when the warfare or the battle is on, may I rely on His Spirit to respond not my flesh and rely on Jesus, who I know and believe is defending me and He's already won my victory, defeated as I may feel, I am not ...

GOD IS WITH ME!

I am a child of God

Hallelujah (anyhow) {right, sis?} Received a great song in my comment!!! {at least I think it was a comment to this from my sister in Christ}

[I don't usually share my private life and generally you have to read between the lines in what I do share about my personal life, I try not to share other's lives without asking their permission, not even when their life strongly impacts or is tied to mine. I try to respect other's privacy.]

I'm not sure about what the next days of this plan hold for me but I know it will just touch the tip of the iceberg for me ... my hard places are exactly where I have seen God's hand ... His fingerprints all around me! His arms extended and embracing me, holding me and my 'tears and fears' because they all seem wrapped up as one with the One that matters most to me! 

{trying not to share images or photos anymore or any thing that may 'flag' me and cause problems like the one in my APOLOGY after my blog post when I drafted most of my blog but I won't be surprised if some of my links cause a problem ... also I've received for 2 other blogs messages from Google that I haven't a clue what they're talking about or how to fix... they really are making it difficult to 'blog' thus the reason for not so many anymore on here, sorry for being so lax and awol here}