A Weekend Walk – Receiving His Grace
As I sit down to write, so many different ideas have come to mind, stories to tell, paths to take. But there is this one verse that keeps rolling over and over in me, a verse so personal that speaks to His very presence in our lives. Maybe it’s just what you need. Maybe this week your heart needs to know this one thing:
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The example that I see is that of a group of friends walking in and one is crying…who do I go to first? My kids are playing outside and one of them gets hurt…where do my eyes immediately go? My heart goes out to the one in pain, I want to go to them and help them, do whatever it takes to assure them that everything is going to be okay.
As we enter into the weekend, my prayer is that we begin to realize that He is near. We spoke earlier this week on what it means to receive His grace, even when…even when we aren’t enough, even when life doesn’t go to plan, when life is so much. Even then, He is near to the brokenhearted. He is near to you. The Lord sees you. He is in the middle of it all, wherever your life may be.
Where is your life right now? What’s the condition of your heart?
Maybe your heart is broken, because of a story that’s been shattered… maybe your own, maybe someone else’s.
Maybe there’s disappointment, because of reckless choices made, by you or someone close.
Maybe your heart is grieving, because of the searing loss of someone or something precious.
Maybe your heart has been callous for so long, and you ache for something so different and real.
He is near to you, right where you are. Right in the hurt, the pain, the desperately wanting something different and more. A heart that is broken wide open and wanting nothing more than His presence. Yes, this type of heart is actually the one He desires the most. He wants this more, more than our vain efforts to try and fix it all, stay above the fray or do the right thing. He wants to be with us, right where we are.
This weekend, let’s walk this out. During this Gift of Grace series, we are taking time on the weekends to breathe in His grace through walking. If you missed last week’s overview, take a moment here.
Over the next few days, find space to take in His presence and ask for His eyes to see beyond the pain.
Take time this weekend to see the beauty.
See the beauty through His Word ~ pause and take extra time in these places, stay in them, quiet your soul as you linger in the beauty of these verses:
Psalm 34; Psalm 27; Psalm 51; Ephesians 3
See the beauty in His creation ~ take a walk, around the block, through that great park you’ve always wanted to stop at, through your backyard. Notice. Go slow and see the intricacies of the landscape and sky. Breathe in His grace, breathe out His praise.
Allow the beauty of Truth to wash over your weary heart. As you walk, and breathe, go a step further and speak. Is there a word or verse the Lord has put within you? Speak it out loud. Speak it so that not only your heart knows it, but your ears hear it.
This week as I walked, I meditated on the beauty of 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” As I spoke through it, I began to emphasize a different word each time.
My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you
for My power is perfected in weakness.
for My power is perfected in weakness.
for My power is perfected in weakness.
for My power is perfected in weakness.
for My power is perfected in weakness.
for My power is perfected in weakness.
Each new emphasis washed over me. As I slowed down to speak and hear each word, the beauty of the verse fell fresh on me. He spoke directly to my heart, I felt His presence and knew this beautiful and grand grace was for me, right in the middle of my weakness, in the middle of my broken heart.
Wherever your heart is, He is near.
My prayer is that wherever you are, wherever your life may find you, you would become more aware of His presence, and allow His grace to pour into the very marrow of your being.
Take time this weekend to walk. If you need a song to go with you, try this one, Holy Spirit, by Kari Jobe, an incredible song that speaks to His very real presence in our lives.
No matter where your heart is, may the beauty of His presence fill you. Fill you with joy and grace. His grace…that is sufficient, spilling-out-poured-over-enough. All for you.
Walk and breathe in His beautiful grace.
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For more on the beauty of soaking into God’s word, these thoughts from an earlier post.
If you missed this week’s post on Grace Received, you can find it here.
For additional encouragement and community throughout the week, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/womenwhobelieve.
Invite your friends to join us, from across the street or across the world. Let’s live and breathe His grace together!
Thank you for these words. Tough week for a family that I have been friends with for several years. The father passed away unexpectedly and the mother is left with two special needs children to care for on her own. Words just cannot express how desperately this mother needs prayer for comfort and to know that God is there for her.
Thank you Margaret for letting us pray with you, praying for His nearness to surround this precious family. Such heartbreak, praying for His comfort to wrap them.