Any given morning, Jerry and I can open our door to find four to ten deer munching on acorns in our front yard. One day as we were enjoying coffee on our porch, we were spellbound when a beautiful doe and her baby, quietly walking out of the woods, joined us for breakfast as we sat ten feet away. Not wanting to make any sudden moves, all of us—even Samantha, our miniature schnauzer—watched in silence. Every once in a while, the mom or the baby would glance up at us making sure we could still be trusted. They only scurried away when I shifted in my chair.
Not only do Jerry and I get to see those lovely creatures, we also have had the privilege of watching a flock of nineteen comedic turkeys, a playful momma fox and her babies, and those less-than-loved coyotes.
It strikes me that one reason we humans get so much pleasure in watching those animals is because we see in them some of our same behaviors. When surprised and fearful, we, like the deer, sometimes bolt to what we think is a safer place. Or, similar to the coyote, snarling and barking, we turn to scare away whatever we see as a threat. And sometimes we resemble those turkeys as we run comically to and fro, for seemingly no good reason at all. God, in heaven, who created us and sees all this, loves us just the same.
Many times though, when we, like our animal friends have those same reactions, we end up hurting ourselves. Or others. Or both. Our responses backfire and what we thought would be a good outcome, often opens the door to pain, misunderstanding, and confusion.
I was reading Psalm 2:12b the other day and stumbled on familiar words I had read many times but seem to have somehow missed.
The Passion translation reads:
“But many blessings are waiting for all who turn aside to hide themselves in him!”
When I read them this time, it dawned on me that hiding myself in the Lord is how I should be at the very core of who I am. Don’t get me wrong. It can be a conscious act, especially when I realize I have fallen into a flight or fighting mode, like the deer or the coyotes. But I do believe it could also be where I live. From the moment my eyelids flutter open with the light of day, my heart could choose to seek the Lord’s Presence, hiding myself in Him.
Jesus, when praying for His disciples and for all of us who would later follow Him, prayed that we would be one with Him and our Heavenly Father. (See John 17:20-21) To me, hiding in the Lord is a perfect picture of that.
Back in the day, the first 35MM film cameras were focused manually. When initially looking through the lens—as if your eyes were crossed—the unfocused picture appeared as two fuzzy images. As the lens was turned, the two gradually melted into one as the picture came into focus. The mental image that comes to mind when I think of being one with the Lord, is my heart coming into focus with His.
So, how to begin?
- First, by asking the Lord for humility. I realized humbling is a work only He can do. To think I can do this myself is foolish pride taking the reins. I need the Lord to knead humility into my heart much like yeast is worked into dough when making bread. (See Philippians 2:13.)
- By asking the Lord to help me choose Him.
- By asking for His wisdom. Always. In every situation and circumstance.
- By acknowledging Him in all my ways. He promises that when I do, He will make my paths straight. (See Proverbs 3:6.) The Passion Translation (TPT) says, “Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.”
- By not being a foolish know-it-all. (See Proverbs 28:26.)
All along, from the first whispers of Creation, the Lord our God, has always wanted to delight in, and love us. How much we have missed because we believed—and still do—that lie of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness spoken by the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
The Lord only wants to bless us. We just need to take Him at His Word and let Him.
Dear Jesus, I commit my way unto You. I am beginning to understand that I am dead in the water without You. Without Your grace, I am helpless. Please help me to come to You with everything. Even when I think, “I’ve got this.” What a great realization and blessing to know that I don’t and never did. You are all I need.
Kimberly
Absolutely breathtaking–the scene you described so eloquently, the depth of insight, the vivid imagery of your prose. Thank you so much for sharing. As for the animals–God’s delightful–creations, I often look at my precious little dog and think, “Lord, I want to be like Winston–gentle, submissive, obedient.
Love your God breathed writing.