Author: Beth Morrison

“Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 NIV

I’m writing this on a Friday morning, I am completely exhausted.  Life has revved up to almost full tilt for me. As a tennis teacher, I get a little break in the winter, only teaching one night a week.  As soon as spring rolls round, it begins to ramp up with classes and lessons daily. It’s a hard conversion for me to make. I get used to having the extra nights at home with my husband, extra time to spend with friends, then all of a sudden it’s gone.  I find myself starting early in the morning and finishing late at night. Constantly going from one thing to the next. I wear myself out.

Have you ever felt that way?  This morning in my journal I wrote, “Schwoo Lord, these bones are tired.”  I’m taking refuge in Him. I’m finding my strength in Him. He is the one who will help me find the strength to fulfill all my commitments, to keep my appointments, to teach my lessons.  I know this because I have tasted it before, I know the Lord is good. In Him I am blessed when I take refuge.

What does taking refuge look like?  In the original Hebrew, refuge in this context is used literally to mean seeking a tree’s shade.

In Tidal, where I grew up, there was a tree that sat all by itself in the corner of our lot.  It was on the edge of a bank that led down to the road. From under its branches on the hill where it lives you could see our entire village below.  I used to love to sit under it and feel its shade. The little girl I was then would dream about my future life, all from the shade of that tree. It was comfort to me.  It was a refuge from the world around me.

That is what it feels like today as I sit under the shade tree of God.  I feel His presence restoring me, energizing me. As I think of each of you and the battles you’re facing, ones I know nothing about, I pray fervently you find it too.  I pray, you taste and see that the Lord is good. Whatever you’re facing, whatever struggle you have, lay it at His feet. Then find that cool breeze of blessing as you lay your head back against the tree of life, God himself and take refuge.  Let Him fill your heads with dreams of days to come. Days with blue skies and puffy white clouds. Days filled with the warmth of the Son (and yes, I mean Jesus). In Him, find refuge.

“The one who understands a matter finds success, and the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.”  Proverbs 16:20 CSB

Habit number 5 in Steven Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is “Seek first to understand before being understood.”  As he puts is, “‘Seek first to understand’ involves a very deep shift in paradigm. We typically seek first to be understood.” He’s right.  We often are more caught up in our own agendas than others. We want people to understand us, rather than taking time to understand them. I love what Covey goes on to say:

“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Do you listen with the intent to understand or the intent to reply?  Listening itself is a skill that can be developed. It’s called active listening, when you are “mindfully hearing and attempting to comprehend the meaning of words spoken by another in a conversation or speech” (Business Dictionary).  Active listeners are engaged in the conversation. Their body language reflects attention:  nodding in agreement, smiling, making eye contact, mirroring facial expressions, attentive posture, eliminating distractions.  All of these things help you to listen attentively. And to show you understand what the person is saying, repeat it back to them in your words.  This will help you ensure you are understanding what they are saying, and if not, they can help you clarify so that you do.

Even with God.  You can active listen with God.

For everyone this will look different.  Some people prepare themselves by listening to worship music.  Some prefer evenings over mornings. Some people have a special place where they go that allows them to focus on Him without distraction.  For me, I prefer mornings. I begin by reading His word, if there is a verse that jumps out at me, I focus in on that. I ask Him, “What are you trying to tell me?”  I meditate on it until I feel a nudge in my spirit. For instance this morning, He brought a friend to mind who is having a difficult time. I felt the urge to text her.  Before texting her, I verified with Him that it was what He wanted. Then I prayed for the words to say, just like I do when I write these devotionals. I try to stay as focused on Him as possible, taking myself out of the equation (which isn’t easy).  Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t. I just pray He’ll bless my efforts either way.

Seek first to understand before being understood, no matter who you are talking too.  It will change your relationships, it will change your life. Inevitably, it will help you love God and love others better than you ever have before.

“Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.”  Romans 12:14

The original Greek word  “bless” in this verse is specifically towards other people.  It means to speak well of with praise and thanksgiving, to invoke God’s blessing upon them.  You are to pray for their welfare as God perceives it for His actions in their lives.

Schwoo…now that is a challenge.

This is definitely not something I have mastered.  Just yesterday in my small group we talked about forgiveness and how to pray for those who have hurt us.  There wasn’t anyone there who doesn’t struggle with this. We have all been hurt by people. But we can break the chain of hurt.  We can stop it in its tracks by changing our behavior. We can change how we react to the hurt. We can pray for the offender.

For instance, you love to shop.  It relaxes you, it gives you a sense of satisfaction.  Who doesn’t like a new pair of shoes? The problem is you can’t afford it, so you use your credit card.  Now at the end of the month there is more bills left than there is money. You recognize this is hurting you, so you begin to pray about it.  A friend tells you about Dave Ramsey’s course on Financial Management, so you sign up. Soon you learn how to make your money work for you. Now you put a little extra aside each month for a fun shopping spree.  You have changed the behavior. You have taken the hurt and made it into a positive.

You can do the same thing when you experience hurt by people.

The pivotal moment in changing your behavior is prayer.  The change in finances started when you began to pray about it and seek God’s guidance.  It didn’t happen overnight. I takes nine weeks to take the financial management course. It took months, maybe years to pay off the debt and set up a workable budget.  But it all started with prayer.

That is all God is asking you to do here.  Start with prayer. Seek His guidance before responding to someone who has hurt you.  Just like it takes time to get finances under control, it takes time to get our thoughts and actions in line with God.  Praying for the person(s) who have hurt you doesn’t change them, it changes you. It draws you closer to God, it brings your heart in line with His.  It reminds you, He died for them too. He didn’t just die for you, He died for everyone. All are precious in His sight. Even those who persecute you.

“The Lord, my Lord is my strength, He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights.”  Habakkuk 3:19 CSB

First let’s talk about the type of deer Habakkuk is referring too in this verse.  It is a female deer that has the innate ability to place her back feet exactly where her front feet just were.  Imagine walking in a foot of snow. It is always easiest to walk in the footprints that are already made than to try and create new paths.  The same is true for a female deer with hind’s feet. She can run surely along because the path has already been made. She can scale mountainous terrain without a worry because she is sure of her footing.  When danger comes, she can run away quickly because of this ability to stay in step so precisely.

Why would Habakkuk want God to grant him this ability?

Because the world he was living in at the time was tumultuous.  He lived in a world of spiritual decline, much like the one we live in today.  He was losing hope. He didn’t understand why God was letting this happen. He describes it in chapter one as he cries out to God, “Why?”  Habukkuk, whose name means “the wrestler”, didn’t like God’s response that Judah would be destroyed, yet he accepts God’s command to wait and consider who He is.  This verse is the end of his prayer accepting and trusting God’s will, even without complete understanding.

He has found his hind’s feet in the midst of hopelessness.

Habukkuk isn’t the first to question God.  He won’t be the last. God makes it very clear in his response to him, He is not accountable to any man.  We all have ideas of how situations in our lives should be handled. We all love to advise God on what He needs to do for us.  But that isn’t how God works. God doesn’t take orders from us, we take orders from Him. God’s answer to Habukkuk is the same answer He would give us:  He is all knowing, all powerful and He knows exactly what He is doing. It’s up to us to trust and believe.

May you find your hind’s feet in the midst of your troubles and run swiftly after God.

This blessing comes while the Israelites are in Sinai.  They have already received the 10 Commandments. Moses has spent the last couple of chapters giving them additional laws.  And now he is giving them promises and warnings. This is one of them. It is conditional, they must serve the Lord and He in return will bless them with food and good health.

The Hebrew word for serve is abad, pronounced aw-bad.  I love what it means when referencing serving the Lord.  It is a “joyful experience of liberation.” Often times, the Israelites got it wrong and worshipped other gods.  But not in this case, in this case the focus is on the one and only God.

Just like the Israelites, we often get it wrong too.  We think we’re serving God, but we really aren’t. It’s often said, Satan’s easiest ploy to get us off track is busyness.  Busyness can be a false god. Busyness at church, busyness at work, busyness at home. Even good activities can be keeping you from an intimate relationship with God.  When we are intentional about investing in our relationship with Jesus we will find joy. By spending time with Him, we will find the “joyful experience of liberation.”

Are you experiencing joyful freedom in your relationship with God?  If you aren’t, why not? Are you to caught up in the busyness of life to develop a close relationship with God?  The good news is today is a new day. Look at your calendar, decide where you can be more intentional about spending time with God.  Seek Him first. Jesus doesn’t want you worn out, He wants you to be filled with joy. He wants to bless you with good food and good health.  Follow His lead:
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 CSB

I love what it says in my Bible dictionary about supply in its original form: “to fill a vessel or a hollow place.”  How often, when we have a need does it fill empty and hollow? No matter what it is. When I worked for Nautica, layoffs became a common thing in the declining retail business.  It seemed every six months someone was losing their job. I felt helpless, at the mercy of others. I would cling to this verse every time my mind started going down the dark, empty hole of “what-ifs?”  And God provided, somehow, through His mercy I managed to survive time and again.

Matthew tells us in his gospel:  “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?” 6:25 CSB

Turn your worry into worship.

Instead of focusing on your needs, focus on the One who can fulfill them.  Focus on God’s glory. Start praising Him for what He has already done in your life.  For instance, when I started worrying about losing my job, I remembered God has always provided work for me.  From the time I started mowing the cemetery with my family in Tidal, until today, He has always provided work for me.  I may not have always wanted to do it, but He has provided a way.

Turn your worry into worship.  Praise Him for what He has already done, thank Him for what He will do.  Trust Him that He will supply all of your needs, no matter what they are.  As Rick Warren says, “God doesn’t just own a slice of the pie, He’s the pie maker.  He owns it all!”

“For I know the plans I have for you,”  this is the Lord’s declaration, “plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11 CSB

This blessing comes from a letter Jeremiah wrote to the exiles that Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1-3 CSB).  It is a message of hope to people who have lost their homes. Not all of the exiles made it back to Jerusalem, choosing to stay where they were instead, becoming the ancestors of Iraqi Jews.  The journey back didn’t come all at once, it was gradual over time.

The same can be said of our faith journey.  Once we realize we are all sinners and turn our hearts towards God, it’s a gradual process.  It doesn’t happen overnight. We have to shift our thinking from our old ways to what God says and thinks about us.  I love this example from “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”:

Imagine two people who are quitting smoking are offered a cigarette.  The first person says, “No thanks, I’m trying to quit”. The second person says, “No thanks, I’m not a smoker.”  Do you see the difference in their responses? The first person doesn’t truly believe they’re no longer a smoker, they’re trying to be something else.  The second person believes he’s no longer a smoker. It’s a small change that indicates a big difference.

The same can be applied to our faith journey.  You can either spend your time trying to be someone else or you can believe you are a new creation in Jesus.  The choice is yours. You can choose to trust He has good plans for your well-being. You can choose to trust He has a future for you full of hope.  You don’t have to “try” to be someone else for Jesus. He knows you intimately, all of you. There is nothing hidden from Him. His plans are specific for you and your life, for your struggles.  He will use it all for His glory if you just choose to trust Him with it.

God doesn’t want you to be anyone other than who He made you to be.  His plan for your life is specific. It’s good. It’s yours. Just trust Him to bring it to fruition.  Believe you are His and He is yours, then let His plan unfold!

“May the Lord bless you and protect you, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6:24 CSB

This is how the Lord told Moses to bless the Israelites.  Israel means wrestle with God, persevere with Him. The name Israel comes from Genesis 32:28.  Jacob is on his way back to reconcile with Esau. He has stopped for the night, having sent everyone else ahead he finds himself in a wrestling match with God.  He refuses to let go of Him, not until God blesses him. It is at this point we find this verse:

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Genesis 32:28

Often in life, our relationship with God is a wrestling match.  We are struggling with Him and with humans. The key to receiving the blessing is to not let go, to hold on until the blessing comes.  And it will come, just as it did for Jacob in the next verse: “Then he blessed him there.” Genesis 32:29b

God blessed Jacob right there where he had struggled with him.  Where he had held on for dear life, refusing to let go. When we are in the midst of the struggle, this is the key:  Just hold on. Don’t let go. Whether you are struggling in your relationship with God, or if it is with people, trust God for the blessing to come.  Don’t let go until you receive it. Often times we give up too soon and miss the blessing.

The book of Job has become one of my favorite books in the Bible.  It’s early in chapters one and two when Job loses everything: his children, his livelihood, his health.  For the next 36 chapters God is silent. Finally, in chapter 38 God speaks. What if Job had given up at chapter 34 or 36?  And quite frankly, with the friends he had, you wouldn’t blame him. But he doesn’t, in the midst of such unspeakable loss, he holds on.  He holds on tight. And when God speaks, he is listening. And God blesses him, restoring everything he had in double proportions.

If you want the blessing, if you want God’s face to shine upon you and give you peace, hang on for chapter 38.  Don’t give up. Hold tight. The blessing is coming.

“May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.”  Psalm 20:4 CSB

This verse isn’t referring to just any desire.  It is written for David as he prepares for battle.  The desire of his heart is for victory for the Lord.  David was known as a man after God’s own heart who would do His will (Acts 13:22).  It’s important to understand the desires of David’s heart were in line with God’s purpose for him.  David had absolute faith in God, and his heart’s desire was to be in God’s will for his life.

This is a tricky verse and can be easily misunderstood.  I struggled with it most when I was single. I was doing the best I could to live my life according to God’s guidelines.  Year after year would go by, and my heart’s desire wasn’t being fulfilled. I had friends getting married left and right, children being born, yet I remained single.  It was then I was challenged by a friend, “What if you hearts desire isn’t God’s desire for you? What if it isn’t God’s will for you to be married?” To which I responded, “Then why do I have the desire?”

What I was challenged with, what I eventually learned, was my love for God isn’t dependent on whether or not He fills my heart’s desires.  In fact, I learned He was enough. Eventually I realized, He is my heart’s desire. If I have Him, that is all I need, the rest is icing on the cake.  John 4:4 tells us, He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world. It is in our heart where we meet God, in our innermost being.

Now, when I pray for my heart’s desires, it is to be in His will, doing what He wants me to do.  I want to fulfill the purpose He has for me. As you know, He did eventually give me the blessing of a husband, but it wasn’t until I was content in Him.  

I pray He fulfills the desires of your heart by aligning your heart with His. I pray you fulfill the purpose He has for you. You’ll find, when you get your heart in line with God’s heart for you, all of your heart’s desires will be fulfilled.

“The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord is blessed.  He will be like a tree planted by the water, it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green.  It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 CSB

It is really interesting what “blessed” means in its original form: to bless, kneel, salute or greet.  It derives from the noun knee and suggests the “bending of the knee in blessing”. When I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary of 1828, which defines words based on America’s early Biblically based values, it reflected how I thought blessed would be defined:

Happy; prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity. (Felicity means: prosperity; blessing; enjoyment of good…I had to look that up too.)

Bending of the knee implies submission.  We are submitting ourselves to the Lord, we are trusting in Him fully, which leads to a blessed life.  But a blessed life does not mean a bank account with so many zeros you can’t count them. It does not mean living in a mansion on your own private island or owning a private jet for transportation.  It means having full confidence in the Lord, no matter what your external circumstances. If we look only at our current situation, and judge it based only on what we know, we could be completely wrong.

Who knows what Good or Bad is?  We can’t tell until the story ends.  Here’s an example of a farmer and His horse:

One day, the farmer’s horse runs away.  That’s bad.

The next day it comes back with 12 more horses.  That’s good.

The next day the farmer’s son falls off the horse while training it and breaks his leg.  That’s bad.

The next day the army comes through recruiting able bodied young men, but his son can’t go because he has a broken leg. That’s good.

And on and on the story can go.

Who knows what is good or bad?  Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse?  It’s not until we get to the end of the story that we can fully know the answer.  But what we do know is if we submit to God. If we trust in Him completely, if that is where our confidence lies, no matter what, we will have a blessed life.