Tag Archives: Elisabeth Elliot

In His Steps

Waiting for the Splash

I took a Dive today. Ironically, I have not gone swimming this (already ending) summer yet. So what kind of dive is it?

Well, if you know me in real life you probably know. If you don’t, I can’t divulge it yet. :) But it’s part of the much talked about Great Adventure. Which reminds me…I should always read that entry to remind me of what my 21st year is.

Anyway, like I said, I took a Dive. And right now I’m waiting for the SPLASH! I don’t know what would happen to me, if I will be able to rise up from this dive that I took, or if I will be engulfed by the “waters”. I don’t know if I will be disappointed with that will happen or if I will scream with happiness after. I don’t know if I will continue to stay at where I am in my life right now or be given an opportunity that will somehow make me be like George Lindemann…who knows? Only God knows. But the splash hasn’t come yet, so I can’t say anything. Right now, I will just have to wait. You got that right, wait.

I can do that. I can wait. I’ve been waiting a lot all my life.

But Lord, please let this be it.

In the meantime…as I wait and pray, here’s a really nice devotional from Elisabeth Elliot (on a sidenote, it just occured to me that I have been receiving her devotional for three years already. Yes, her devotionals repeat every year, but I have to admit that I don’t always read it, so sometimes some of the entries hit me like that). Emphasis mine, by the way.

Responsible to Praise
by Elisabeth Elliot
A Lamp Unto My Feet, Luke 23:47

We cannot always or even often control events, but we can control how we respond to them. When things happen which dismay or appall, we ought to look to God for his meaning, remembering that He is not taken by surprise nor can his purposes be thwarted in the end. What God looks for is those who will worship Him. Our look of inquiring trust glorifies Him.

One of the witnesses to the crucifixion was a military officer to whom the scene was surely not a novelty. He had seen plenty of criminals nailed up. But the response of this Man who hung there was of such an utterly different nature than that of the others that the centurion knew at once that He was innocent. His own response then, rather than one of despair that such a terrible injustice should take place, or of anger at God who might have prevented it, was praise (Lk 23:47 NEB).

This is our first responsibility: to glorify God. In the face of life’s worst reversals and tragedies, the response of a faithful Christian is praise–not for the wrong itself certainly, but for who God is and for the ultimate assurance that there is a pattern being worked out for those who love Him.

This is the Great Adventure. Have a restful night, everyone. :)

Dear Diary

And yet another post on taking leaps of faith

Wastelands
Elisabeth Elliot Devotional for August 14, 2006

There are dry, fruitless, lonely places in each of our lives, where we seem to travel alone, sometimes feeling as though we must surely have lost the way. What am I doing here? How did this happen? Lord, get me out of this!

He does not get us out. Not when we ask for it, at any rate, because it was He all along who brought us to this place. He has been here before–it is no wilderness to Him, and He walks with us. There are things to be seen and learned in these apparent wastelands which cannot be seen and learned in the “city”–in places of comfort, convenience, and company.

God does not intend to make it no wasteland. He intends rather to keep us–to hold us with his strength, to sustain us with his sure words–in a place where there is nothing else we can count on.

“God did not guide them by the road towards the Philistines, although that was the shortest…God made them go round by way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea” (Ex 13:17,18 NEB).

Imagine what Israel and all of us who worship Israel’s God would have missed if they had gone by the short route–the thrilling story of the deliverance from Egypt’s chariots when the sea was rolled back. Let’s not ask for shortcuts. Let’s keep alert for the wonders our Guide will show us in the wilderness.

I was talking to Bea a little while ago and was telling her about my job hunting woes. God’s really funny in a way that when I was feeling all panicky, He sends all sorts of people and things to comfort me. Not necessarily cheer me up, but make me feel a bit better.

I’ve posted something about leaps of faith before, and it’s coming back to me again. This time it’s stronger, and somewhat more forceful. I know I need to take a leap of faith in this job thing…and it’s not just a one time big time thig, but I must make it everyday. Jump right into the challenge of life everyday, and in some ways, die from myself everyday. Die from my fears, die from my worries.

I remember saying a couple of days ago during my morning prayer: I shall remove worry from my vocabulary. I should also remove the word failure, fear, insecurity, disappointment and all those negative things that I know God doesn’t want me to feel. He’s set me free, after all. He’s made a way for me already, and I just have to take that jump and dive in head first.

I CAN DO THIS. I CAN DO THIS. I KNOW I CAN.

Lord, just please…no more pressure? That’s all I ask. Set me free from this. And please keep me patient. Give me something to do while I’m waiting so I won’t feel clock ticking. I know You have a plan for me, and I know that this is a part of Your way to shape me. Lord, please, don’t make the entire waiting process hurt too much?

I have a feeling this is going to be a long week. But I know I’ll get through this. My God is big enough.

“And the defining moment is between hearing and actually doing.”
– Kiddo Cosio, August 14, 2006

In His Steps

Fear God and nothing else

As if an answer to yesterday’s post, I got this in my daily Elisabeth Elliot devotional:

Fear God and Fear Nothing Else
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Source: A Lamp for my Feet
Scripture: Psalm 27:1, Proverbs 19:23

The world is shaking with fear. “What will become of us? Where will it all end? What if Russia…? What if cancer…? What if expression…?” The love of God has wrapped us round from before the foundations of the world. If we fear Him–that is, if we are brought to our knees before Him, reverence and worship Him in absolute assurance of his sovereignty, we cannot possibly be afraid of anything else. To love God is to destroy all other fear. To love the world is to be afraid of everything–what it may think of me, what it may do to me, what may happen today or tomorrow for which I am not prepared.

“The Lord is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1 RSV).

And yet, Lord, the truth is that I am often afraid. I confess it. All the weight of your promises seems sometimes to be only a feather, and the weight of my fears is lead. Reverse that, Lord, I pray. Give me the healthy fear that will make light of all the others–“The fear of the Lord is life; he who is full of it will rest untouched by evil” (Prv 19:23 NEB).

I’ve always found Ms. Elliot’s devotionals very helpful and timely, as if God intervened so that devotional would be sent to me today, after I expressed my doubts and fears yesterday (and I truly believe He did just that!). Lord, thank You for this message…and I pray for what Ms. Elliot prayed…please reverse the feeling of fear and increase my faith…I admit that I fear most of the time and I forget Your promises, and Lord I ask that You take away all my fears and help me to trust in You and to believe in Your promise. Amen.

My dad is going back to Saipan tomorrow. :( Oh well, I’ll see him soon enough. I hope you get there safely Pa! :) Haha, I know you’ll be reading this. :P Wohoo, see you reaaaal soon. :)

Happy July everyone! :) We’re on the second half of the year already — whoa! Before we know it, it’s 2007 already…I hope by that time, I have a job already. :P Who knows, I may be finally able to buy gifts for my friends using my own hard-earned money this year! That should be something to look forward to. :) Here’s to the last 6 months of 2006! :)