He Meets You Right Where You Are
Well, howdy, friend, ease yourself on up this ol’ front porch and let these boards do the greetin’. They’ve been waitin’ all day long to hear your footsteps. If your day has been wanderin’ around like a bigheaded lil’ ol’ rooster that plum forgot which direction the sun rises, you’re sho’-nuff’ welcome around here. I’m mighty glad you stopped by. Let’s git ourselves settled into these rockers, breathe in some of that sweet mountain air, and git to lettin’ God’s Word steady us like an ol’ oak tree that refuses to lean no matter how hard the wind fusses. Psalm 18:25-26 tells us, “To the faithful you show yourself faithful. To those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” That truth stands tall beside James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” and together they remind us that God meets us right where we are, but He never leaves us where He finds us.
Friend, Scripture is plum full of moments when God showed up in ways folks could see, hear, or feel. Those theophanies weren’t random either. They were sho’-nuff’ tailor made. When God came to Abraham in Genesis 18, He arrived as a traveler because Abraham was a traveler. When He met Joshua in Joshua 5:13-15, He appeared as the commander of the Lord’s army because Joshua was leadin’ Israel’s army. And when He came to Jacob in Genesis 32:22-32, He showed up as a wrestler because Jacob spent most of his life wrestlin’ for blessin’s he could’ve received by trustin’ instead of schemin’.
Maybe you know a little somethin’ about Jacob’s way of livin’. Maybe you’ve prayed for a loved one’s salvation until your heart feels like a tired mule that’s pulled way too many plows. Maybe you’re plum weary of bein’ single and long for marriage. Maybe you want to serve God in a ministry so badly that you feel like a lil’ ol’ squirrel tryin’ to outrun its own tail. But, friend, don’t resort to connivin’. Jacob got what he wanted, but he paid dearly for it. If he had waited on God, he would’ve received what God promised without the limp that followed him the rest of his days.
To deepen this truth, Isaiah 30:18 says, “The Lord longs to be gracious to you. Therefore, He waits on high to have compassion on you.” That there verse fits this message like a lil’ ol’ barn cat that finally found the warmest patch of sunlight just outside the barndoor. God waits because His timin’ is always perfect. He meets us right where we are, but He lifts us to where He wants us to be.
And now, through the Holy Spirit, God don’t need to appear as a traveler, commander, or wrestler. Jesus said in John 16:7, “It was better for Him to go so the Advocate could come.” God speaks from within, guidin’ us in ways that resonate with our hearts just as He did with Abraham, Joshua, and Jacob.
Lord, thank You for meeting us where we are. Teach us to wait on You with trust instead of striving. Shape our hearts to recognize Your voice and follow Your timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, friend, it plum looks like these ol’ porch boards have shared all the wisdom they can hold for today, so you can be wanderin’ on now and lettin’ the Lord be guidin’ your footsteps like a bright lantern carried through a quiet forest trail. You’ve gotta be lettin’ your patience stretch wide like a river that’s plum full after a good rain shower over the land. You’ve gotta be lettin’ your hope git to risin’ real steady like a hawk catchin’ a warm updraft. You’ve gotta be fully trustin’ in God’s timin’ and lettin’ it settle deep in your soul like roots that know exactly where the water is. Now, go right on ahead and let Him meet you right where you are. He’s sho’-nuff’ waitin’ right there for you.
With joy,
Gwen
