The Lord's Symphony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2U7ffUM5Ec

So Will I (100 Billion X) ~ Hillsong United

 

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

~ Psalm 96:11-12 NIV

 

Have you ever needed a moment (or two) for yourself? Have you ever wanted to step away for a short break? When you did, where did you go? Because it was a nice summer day and the rest of my family was elsewhere, I went to a trail near our house and sat on a bench.

 

As I sat there, surrounded by grassy fields, trees, and wildflowers, I thanked God for the quiet, beautiful day. The sun was warm on my skin, (meaning this redhead couldn’t stay out very long), the breeze was soft, and the scenery was peaceful. And that’s when I heard it: the Lord’s symphony.

 

Even though it was void of the noises of my house, work, or people rushing to and fro, that field was teeming with life. Multiple kinds of birds were calling to one another. A nearby creek was running. The wind was tickling the leaves in the trees, on the bushes, and on the hanging vines. Even the plane flying high overhead joined in, all combining to create the Lord’s masterpiece.

 

And who gets to hear it? For whom did He make it?

 

Is it alone for the deer, ducks, and dogs?

Is it for bugs, butterflies, and bumblebees?

Is it for the fish, frogs, and fireflies?

 

Yes, and it’s also for walkers, runners, and bikers.

It’s for the kids in their yards and the parents watching nearby.

It’s even for the busy people, those rushing to and fro, on their way somewhere.

 

The Lord composed His symphony for you and for me – for any who will stop and enjoy what His hands have made with us in mind. Take a moment today and enjoy the Lord’s symphony.

©Heather Potts 2023

*Check out my new site and my new book, available to pre-order today!

FoCUS

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:9 NKJV

Plans. My plans included the house we were going to buy before having kids and the one-hour labor and natural delivery I was going to have in birthing my kids. But things didn’t go as I planned. Proverbs 19:21 reminds me, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand,” (ESV). If it’s the purpose of the Lord that stands, how do I uncover it? Holy Spirit said, “Through the Sabbath.”

Rest. When God brought His people out of Egypt, slavery—doing what someone else said, when and how they said—was all they’d ever known. Therefore, God commanded, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” (Exodus 20:8 NIV). The root word of Sabbath means “to take a rest; to sit down, to sit still.” It takes discipline to rest. But the benefits far exceed that of continuous motion.

Busyness. Too often I’m distracted by multiple projects or needs at once, losing sight of the bigger picture. Though I’m constantly active, if it’s not moving me toward the most important things, it’s meaningless. Yesterday, Holy Spirit challenged me to fast busyness. Doing so gave me what God’s been trying to give me all year: FoCUS.

Family First (Keeping my priorities in sight).

others on the outside (Maintaining healthy boundaries).

Christ at the Center (Gluing our family together).

Us United (Making every effort to meet each other’s needs).

Self-Care (Necessary in caring for others).

Honoring the Sabbath gave me a chance to recharge, see my projects from a clearer perspective, and refocus on the important things.

Maybe, like me, you’ve let your plans dictate the flow of your life. A wise teacher once said, “The plan may change a million different times. The plan is not what’s important. Jesus is. Don’t focus on the plan. Focus on Jesus.” It’s time to lay our plans down and seek God’s purpose. When we seek Him with disciplined and undistracted hearts, He’ll reveal His plan and purpose to us, which far outweigh any that we could make on our own!

©Heather Potts 2017