It's A Girl!

Dear Friends,

I learned this morning that I have a new baby niece, Abigail, born to my sister-in-law and her husband late last night.  My sister-in-law and her husband have waited, and longed for, and prayed for a baby of their own for a long time and now they have this wonderful miracle from God.  You can imagine how the whole family are celebrating with them at this time.

We are all looking forward to seeing her for the first time, and Josh, who has a busy day at college and then is working in the evening, has only a short window of time to see her today, but we are under strict instructions not to see her without him!

Whenever I think about the birth of a child my thoughts always go to the amazing words written by David in Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Why not stop and take a moment just to think on those verses and the truths within them.  Each one of us have been lovingly created by God, and when you stop and think about the human body, we truly are remarkable. What comfort these verses give me, that no matter what others may think, believe or say about us, we are significant and precious in God's eyes. Before anyone truly knew us, before we were born, when all anyone could see with the human eye was our mother's bump growing, God knew us and was watching over us (v15).  Even with today's technology and the medical knowledge available, as much as we have come to understand about a baby in it's mother's womb, it is nothing compared to all that God knows about us. 

Today I'm celebrating, but, when it comes to God and miracles, I will never fully understand him.  My heart goes out to those who have longed for and prayed for a miracle (whatever that miracle might be) and have not received it from God.  How can that be?  Why don't we receive the miracle we hope for?  I don't know that there is any satisfactory answer to that question.  I don't know why God will grant a miracle to one person, yet not to someone else. 

But it's at times like these, when God doesn't act as I might hope for and long for that I remember some things about him.  That, as much as I think I know what is best for me, God really does know what is best for me.  That God is good, he does good and is good all of the time, it's who he is.  Therefore, whether he answers my prayer or not, he is still good.  That God is love, (18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Ephesians 3:18-19a NLT)  his nature is love and he is always loving in all he does, so whether he does or doesn't answer my prayer, he still loves me, the denial of a miracle is not a sign that he has removed his love from me.  Finally, I can know, with full assurance and confidence, that God is with me always, he does not leave me to face my situation on my own. God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b (NIV)

To Think About:
What miracles have you known in your own life?  I'll start you off with one - Jesus willingly took all my sins on the cross, he took the punishment I deserved, that I might know God and have a relationship with him.

Have you prayed for something for many years and seen God answer that prayer with what you asked for?

What about when you don't receive the answer you've hoped for?  What has been your response?  Have you learned something new or gained something else instead?  Has it made a difference to your relationship with him?

Vicki


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