The sun rays were dancing across the water like diamonds glittering!  Reminding me of treasures He gives. The treasures of a view to remember.  A view to His heart.  A beautiful gift!

Treasures of abundance!

He leads me beside still waters and He restores my soul!  

What an awesome God, He knows what we need before we even ask.  As I sit here and look at a view that is too beautiful for words, I'm reminded of this verse in Psalm 23 that He leads me besides still waters and not only does He lead me to the beautiful still waters, He restores my soul in the process.  What a gift that is! 

I was enjoying the still waters from my raft the other day and I watched the waters quietly rippling as the sun rays danced across the wide open waters, reminding me of diamonds dancing and gleaming across the lake.  It was a view to remember.   The view is God given and a gift to open.  I'm grateful this week for the view.  He sometimes gives us a view to remember.  A view to His heart.  I know and realize His ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not my thoughts.  But precious are His views when we take the moment to enjoy them. 

I've been reminded lately that just like the diamonds dancing across the water, the treasures of God's provisions, His love, His view are like opening a box of abundance.  Abundant treasures.  I'm learning the treasures often come in different ways, different boxes.  I've found treasures in the darkness.  I found treasures this week dancing across the waters.  The treasures of allowing God to deepen my heart and deepen my walk with Him.  Deepen my intimacy with a loving, living Father.   Thank you Jesus for your abundance.  Knowing Him is the abundant life. 

Colossians 2:2-3 ~ My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Ephesians 3:20 ~ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

In the grip of grace!

I was enjoying a quiet sit on a raft kind of day yesterday.  I was laying in a raft on Table Rock Lake, soaking up some sun rays along with some quiet moments.  As I was floating around I decided to tie myself to the dock, so that I wouldn't just float away and end up on the other side of the lake somewhere.   I gripped on to a rope that was hanging nearby.  As I gripped this rope, I found myself thinking about how I grip onto Christ, that this rope was somehow my lifeline to Him.  When the waves would come and rock my raft I hung on tighter.  I found this as a metophor for life as well.  But as I was gripping, I heard God break through into my thoughts and He said you don't have to worry, I'm gripping onto you much tighter than you are gripping onto me. He reminded me that it's not my grip that counts, but His grip that holds me.  I'm in the grip of His grace, His love, His hold on me.  What a great place to be, when your life raft seems to be floating away somewhere into obscurity.  You wonder during the hard moments, if you matter at all to God.  You wonder if all that you've done and or prayed for, if God even heard those cries.  He does and He continues to hear.  Thankfully it's often in the wilderness places that He shows Himself faithful.   Maybe it's the wilderness that He uses to remind us that He's got a tighter grip on us than we could ever have on Him.