He Was There All The Time

Most of you know I spend  a lot of my quality time with the Lord in my car.  Because I have such a long commute to school this is a great time for me to talk and more importantly listen to what the Lord has to say to me.  I keep telling myself that I need a voice recorder so that I can remember all the things He says to me.  Today as I was reflecting over the past year, good and bad times, an old hymn came to mind.  The words simply say,  'He was there all the time, He was there all the time.  Waiting patiently in line.  He was there all the time'.


This song was written by Gary S. Paxton.  A man who endured a troubled childhood, molested at age seven and afflicted by spinal meningitis at age eleven.  On December 29, 1980, Paxton was shot three times by hitmen hired by a country singer he was producing, putting him out of the music world for eight years and nearly ending his life. After the trial, he visited the men in prison and forgave them.  What a journey of trust!  Oh how God used him to remind us all of such an important fact -  God is always with us.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  When all seems lost we can look to hills from whence cometh our help.  Now I can only imagine that Mr. Paxton did not realize that God was with him at the age of seven when he was molested, but that just one small stop on his journey that helped to shape him into a vessel to be used by God. It was one of the many things that helped him to develop a deeper relationship with the Almighty.  Chuck Swindoll has a quote that my Pastor quotes all the time that says, 'God cannot use you greatly until He has bruised you deeply'.  The level of your service is not determined by you but by God.  He sees your potential.  You and I may not have had to go through anything as bad as the writer of these lyrics, however, we have all had a fair share of trouble.  Some of which caused by our own hand.  I love the way he says that even though God was there He waited patiently.  Revelations 3:20 says, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me'.  God does not just bogart His way into our lives. We have to ask him in.  He stands there waiting while we are looking for love in all the wrong places.  Waiting while we are searching for peace in the amount of our bank account or stability in our jobs.  He gives us the opportunity to bump our heads a few times, all the while affording us grace and mercy along the way and giving us glimpses of His glory.  He is just standing there waiting for us to submit totally to Him.  He watches us as we turn to people and things who cannot give us what we need.  I can imagine Him in heaven shaking His head and saying, "When will my child ever get it.?  We have a need, He delivers us, wondering if this is the experience that will finally lead us to trust Him in everything.  If the time has finally come when we will come to Him in prayer first instead of as a last resort when we have exhausted all other possibilities.  He is standing there waiting.  He loves you. He doesn't give you everything you ask for all at once.  He gives it to you when you are ready for it.  And I am so glad God works that way.  I can only imagine what my life would be like if God gave me everything I prayed for....'a total mess' I would guess.  Most of us would have given up a long time ago if we were standing there waiting to help someone and they totally ignored your help or went to everyone else before you.  I'm glad that God didn't give that power to you or I.  I can only imagine the people we would decide didn't deserve another chance.  But praise God that He doesn't give up on us.  He stands there waiting.....waiting............waiting.  Will you let Him in?

Most Gracious and Heavenly Father,

I thank You today because as I look back over my life I can now see that You were there all the time.  Guiding me with your watchful eye, protecting me from dangers seen and unseen.  Yes, you allowed me to go through some things but I realize not how worse off I would have been if it had not been for You on my side.  I am sorry for the times that I let You down and didn't come to You first.  I didn't have that close relationship and continually looked to man-made solutions to my problems.  I realize now that on my own I can do nothing but with You I can do all things.  Anything is possible.  I know there have been times that I have left You standing at the door waiting, ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit, but not anymore.  I want You with me wherever I go.  Whether in the valley low or on the mountain top and everywhere in between, I need You to be with me, right by my side.  I thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me.  I will always give You the glory, honor and praise.  In Jesus' Name I pray Amen.