He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Psalms 91:1, 4 NKJV
Oil and water do not mix. There are scientific facts to explain why they never will. If you put oil and water in a container and stir them together, they will not stay blended. Eventually, they will separate. You also cannot clean oil from your skin, clothes, floors, or other surfaces with water alone. A third ingredient must be introduced if you ever want to remove this greasy substance from where it does not belong.
My mother and I had one of these oil and water relationships. I could not be in her presence long before my best intentions would be gone and the flesh would take over, causing all kinds of angst.
In 2012, Mom was to come up from South Carolina to spend a week with me. I was throwing her an 80th birthday party with some family and friends she had not seen in a long time. Three weeks before the party, her week-long visit turned into a month. Her brother was terminally ill, and I received the call to bring her up if she wanted to see him one last time. So, I did. And now she would be with me for four long weeks.
The first week of the visit was not good. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stop the bickering. I realized at 80 years old she was not going to change. No amount of reasoning was going to make her see her part in our inability to coexist. And nothing I tried helped. I asked God to show me how to fix this situation. I could not imagine another three weeks of it! In the most unexpected way, Yeshua came through. For the rest of her visit, the Holy Spirit shut my mouth. Any time she said something negative or derogatory, the only thing that came out of me was “uh huh”. I was stunned and grateful. But God!
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7 NKJV
I desired a harmonious time with my mother, and I got it. Not by my might, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was truly not me that was accomplishing this huge feat.
No matter how hard I tried, my mess did not get cleaned up until I added a third ingredient. God was the soap I needed to turn this slimy situation into a shining testimony of His love and care for us.
“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:4. He covered me and my mother with His feathers by closing my mouth. His truth, that I needed His help to change, was our shield and buckler. And when I thought I could not take one more minute, I found the refuge I needed under His wings. I give Jesus all the glory for the success of that visit.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:17 NKJV
Our Father waits to bless us. He hears our prayers, and he wants to help us. His way is ALWAYS better than ours.
Lord, thank you for rescuing us in our times of need. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Thank you for the gift of salvation through the blood you shed for our sins. Thank you for making our crooked paths straight. Amen
May the Lord shower you with many blessings today.
Janice S.