Basking in the sun

I live on a river. On the slightest warm, sunny day, I see turtles sitting on the rocks that are in the middle of the river, above the water level. They sit there, basking in the sun. Their heads tilt up. I imagine their eyes are closed. They are there for hours upon hours, without a single movement, soaking in the warmth.

I love the idea of basking- sitting back, head tilted toward the sky, eyes closed, breathing in the fresh air, letting the sun envelop my entire being. I tend to do this on the first warm day in spring, so thankful for the longer days of sunshine, the warmth that was gone for far too long. I do love being able to hunker down inside and get cozy during the winter, but something about the sun and warmth bubbles up a hope deep inside me.

God is like the warmth that the turtles bask in for hours. When we intentionally step out of our cold, where we feel like we're in the darkness, and step into His light, He restores us, warms us, helps us get through. It is not something that just happens. You have to seek Him out. Although He is always RIGHT there, waiting for you, you need to step into the light. Why? God does not force anything upon us. He loves us too much. But He is always right there, waiting, ready, and willing.

I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. Proverbs 8:17

What I have found over my life, meeting in women's groups and talking with friends, is that everyone is going through something. We all have struggles. Some are more quiet with their struggle, and you can't see it. Or think of the way we judge people- a yelling parent, a "bad" driver, someone not responding when you say hello, the way someone is dressed- they may have a deep struggle inside that we will never know. When you're going through the hard stuff, let God warm you. Sit on His foundation, look up, and let His warmth envelop you. Imagine His arms going around you. When you feel a stirring in your heart, know that that is His Spirit speaking to you. You may feel you have nothing to be hopeful for. You can still find peace with His Spirit surrounding you, and that is what we anchor our hope upon.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (emphasis mine). It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6: 13-20

We can be sure of God's promises. The bible demonstrates the promises He has fulfilled, and His character is truth. He cannot go against who He is (v. 18). We can trust in Him and anchor ourselves to Him, knowing He hears us and will help us. The last section speaks of Jesus going behind the curtain. In the days of the Hebrews, only the High Priest, the one who represented the Jews before God, could enter the most inner room, the most holy room, that was hidden behind a curtain, once a year. This was to enter God's presence to atone for the sins of the entire nation. When Jesus came, He took that place, and now is in God's presence continuously, and intercedes on our behalf. Whether it is sin or struggle, Jesus is interceding for you, and you can trust His promise to do so. That alone will hopefully stir a hope within you. Give Him a chance. Could it hurt? You may just find something in your soul that gets filled, without quite knowing it was empty. Most of the time, it is hard to put into words, but you know it is there.

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. Psalm 145: 13-14

Just like the turtles, who have to intentionally step onto the rock to be able to sit there and bask, we have to realize our Rock is holding us up and intentionally bask in His light. Bask in the Son who came so that we may know peace, love, hope, and eternal life in His presence. That begins with planning to meet in His presence each and every day. Quiet time (devotional time) is quieting our spirit so that we can hear His. Read a book, a devotional, open up the bible, listen to praise music. Pray. It doesn't matter what you say, He is listening. The more devoted you become to this time of day, the more you will understand God's character and just how much you are loved. I have an ever growing reading list of books that I have loved and have taught me a lot about meeting and finding God. What worked for me was finding an author that really spoke to me, and reading all they have. The wonderful thing is there are so many authors out there, you are sure to find something that works for you.

Getting into the practice

Just like any other routine you are trying to start- exercise, meal prep, not biting your nails- it takes time. I started by setting my alarm 15 minutes before I needed to start getting ready for work. I would read for a couple minutes and then pray. As I learned more and started to understand how God was filling my spirit, I had a desire for more. I would pray first to prepare my spirit, read a book (a couple pages) or devotional, look up the referring scripture in my bible, then journal and maybe doodle. This was close to an hour of time. It sounds hard to do that, but I found that that time prepared me for the hardest things I didn't even know were coming in my day. It gave me a pep it my step. It helped me understand there is more to life than just enduring the hardships. I have someone on my side, going before me the whole way. As sesasons in my life have changed (hello, baby), the devotional time has shifted to reading when I can, praying in bed at night, singing praises as I walk. That is ok. God is the ultimate understanding Spirit. Do what you can, but make it intentional every day.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing you may hear, is that God looks forward to meeting with you more than you do with Him. That, my friend, is Someone worth searching for.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.