Distraction of Disturbances #devotion

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Psalm 40:3

Disturbances! We associate disturbances with loud and unexpected sounds that jolt our body and shoot adrenaline through our system awakening every nerve. So it is with a step in faith, in a new direction. It shakes your world, awakens your mind, opens your eyes to new horizons, and challenges you with unexpected pitfalls, creating a dependency on God.

This past spring, the leadership of my church has been challenged to pray a prayer composed by Francis Drake called Disturb Us, Lord. I have used it to close this devotion. I have to admit, I am not very good at praying rote prayers, but I have to admit to you, that God is working on my heart through Drake’s inspired words.  I find myself questioning if I am avoiding the disturbances to follow the safe route at home, at work, at church, in my ministry and more. Yes, the familiar path is the much more comfortable route but what would happen if I allowed myself to trust and drift out beyond sight of the shore?

Have I ever done this before? When I was newly married, I trusted God and faithfully followed my husband out of my home state of Michigan into the unknown land of Maryland! I had no job and knew no one except my husband. The experience was filled with both excitement and many challenges.  I had all the excitement of a newlywed, but I felt vulnerable in the tossed seas of the unknown and even lost sight of God. Being separated from family and friends sent me churning into the waves of depression which I secretly quieted with binging and purging. Eventually, I became disgusted with my actions and cried out to God in anguish. When I finally depended on Him, He guided me through the unknown waters, to a church, a new school and special friendships. The support of faith, friends, and a loving husband helped me anchor with God, not food, and I was awakened to see the beauty of the stars.

As I write this, I am witnessing my son and his wife completely venture in faith into an unknown area with new jobs far away from their home of familiarity. This takes complete trust and dependence on God. My daughter and her husband took a similar plunge just two and half years ago.   As I pray this “disturb me Lord” prayer for God’s will in my life and my church, I see my children sailing far beyond the shoreline where they are witnessing the mastery of God and ASK myself, do I have that same faith?

How is God disturbing you today?

Disturb me, Lord, when I am too pleased with myself, When my dreams have come true Because I dreamed too little, When I arrived safely Because I sailed too close to the shore. Disturb me, Lord, when With the abundance of things I possess I have lost my thirst For the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, I have ceased to dream of eternity And in my efforts to build a new earth, I have allowed my vision Of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb me, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wilder seas Where storms will show Your mastery; Where losing sight of land, I shall find the stars. I ask you to push back The horizons of my hopes; And to push back the future In strength, courage, hope, and love. This I ask in the name of my Captain, Who is Jesus Christ.

~Francis Drake

My dear friends,

Forgive my long term absence, I have truly allowed my distractions and obligations to limit my online presence and commitment to this blog. In the meantime, several of you have reached out to encourage me and let me know you have missed hearing from me. God has been disturbing my heart and encouraging me to renew my commitment to this blog, posting on a regular basis again and possibly publishing a book with these devotions. I am researching this as I write and looking into many options from self-publishing to actual book proposals. I value your prayers in this endeavor.  I am stepping out in faith and committing to you that I will post twice a month with the blog throughout the next year. I am looking at possible book titles as well.

Holy Moments in Hectic Days– Devotions for the Distracted Heart

Carving a Corner for Christ- Devotions for the Distracted Heart

If you have an idea or preference, I invite you to let me know through a comment or email me directly at pegarnoldwow@gmail.com

God blesses me with each of you!

Peg Arnold

www.pegarnold.org