Weekly Word for April 22 - 29, 2005

Weekly Word - April 22, 2005

Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God, . . .
(Psalm 95: 6)

The other day Ted and I were listening to the radio. A new song came on the air, and it caught my attention. The song told the story of a girl who was just starting out in life, trying hard to make it on her own. It told of the excitement of a “new life” before her. The song then seemed to shift to the mother, and everything she wanted her daughter to remember . . . Lessons that the girl had learned growing up. One line caught my attention, and I turned and looked at Ted. This was the line: but don’t ever forget what your knees are for . . .

What your knees are for . . . as I heard those words, I found myself repeating them and looking at Ted. What our knees are for - to pray, to remember to ask God . . . Ted looked at me and shook his head . . . to stay humble . . . And I thought about that . . .

And what does the Lord require of you . . . But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6: 8)

When I think about the times I have been on my knees, I have to admit - it is usually a time when things were very bad - when I didn’t know what else to do - - - and so I would kneel and pray. Desperate for help in my marriage, I would kneel beside my bed, hoping the Lord would hear my pleas. I had given up any ideas of how to “fix” things, and so the position of kneeling felt like I was defeated - - - without hope - - - and begging for help . . .

Feeling defeated, giving up on fixing it by myself, was probably where I needed to be - - - to finally hear His voice. And that’s just what I heard . . . His voice and His touch on my life . . . It began with me - kneeling beside my bed . . .

With what shall I come to the Lord . . . And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, . . . With yearling calves? . . .
He has told you, O man, what is good; . . .
To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God . . .
(Micah 6: 6 - 8)

Walking humbly with your God . . .

As Norma was growing sicker with the cancer, she became unable to leave the house. So I would spend time with her - just listening when she was able to sit up, or reading and watching television while she slept. We would talk about everything - the past, her husband and son, and even about the Lord and what lay ahead for her. It was so hard to talk about when she was going to die - - - or even about what it would be like when she went to heaven! But we did, we talked about it all! But as I drove home, I would start to cry - sobbing to the Lord - and wishing that it didn’t have to be like this!

O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Thy praise.
For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
(Psalm 51: 15 - 17)

Because her husband didn’t want her to be left alone, I offered to stay with her, when he needed to go to work. On this night, Norma was sleeping and I was watching television. The doorbell rang, and there stood a friend of Norma’s. I told her that Norma was sleeping, but she wouldn’t leave until she saw her. So I went to see if Norma wanted to have a visitor. I helped her to put on her robe and slippers, and she slowly walked out to the living room. As we sat there, the girl told Norma that God had told her that she wasn’t going to die. She was so excited and wanted to tell Norma that God was going to heal her! As I listened, I watched Norma smile at her friend, and agree to pray with her. I was so surprised as Norma carefully moved from the chair and knelt down on the floor. Kneeling down beside her, I took her hand and the girl took her other hand. We started to pray, and I felt the Lord right there - so strongly surrounding Norma! As the girl finished her prayer, and excitedly said how happy she was that Norma wasn’t going to die - - - Norma smiled, and quietly asked: Will you be too upset if I do go on to Heaven? Kneeling there, I knew that the Lord was preparing Norma - getting her ready to take her home . . .

And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, “Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.”
Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
(Luke 22: 41 - 43)

Kneeling down . . . Humbling yourself . . . Giving of yourself to someone else . . .

I was 17 years old when I first became engaged. I had heard the fairy tales and stories of the man getting down on his knees to ask the girl to marry him. But that isn’t what happened in my first marriage.

He took me to a jewelry store and asked the man to show me three rings. There was a small diamond, a medium size diamond, and a large diamond. As I looked at the three, I can’t say that I loved any of the rings. But I felt like I had to pick one, and so I did. I picked the medium sized ring. I didn’t feel like I could pick the big ring, and I didn’t want the little one - - - and so he bought the middle ring. As we left the store, he told me he would give it to me, when I turned 18 in a few months. I was so excited that night, as he headed back to college - and I was left to keep the secret at home . . .

I told a few close friends, and of course wrote letters to send off to him while he was away at school. I would write while I was in study - and even sometimes in my classes. On this particular day, I had started a letter and hadn’t quite finished it - so I had stuffed it in one of my books. When I got home from school, I quickly changed clothes and headed off to work at the grocery store. That night - all Hell broke loose as my mother was waiting for me, letter in hand, as I got home from work! I called him the next day, crying and telling him all that my parents had said. That afternoon, he was waiting for me when I got out of school. He had the diamond in his pocket, and when he took it out - I wondered what he was doing. He took my hand and shoved the ring on my finger. “You will wear this from now on!” he said, as he drove to my house. Angrily, he told my parents that we were engaged, and there was nothing they could do to stop it! As he left that night, he told me that I had better keep the ring on my finger - or he wouldn’t marry me! That day, was my engagement day . . .

O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear.
(Psalm 10: 17)

He asked me three times to marry him - and each time is etched in my heart forever! The first time, believing that God’s plans were for each of us to be on different roads, he asked me anyways. He told me that he believed I was that important, that special - and so he asked - as we both cried and wished for things to be different . . .

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
(Mathew 5: 3)

When he asked me again, I could feel the gentleness and love he had for me. “Will you marry me?” he asked quietly. I knew at that moment that he would do anything to make me happy, even if it meant saying good-bye and letting me go. Looking at him, I knew that I couldn’t live without him . . .

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
(Mathew 5: 8)

Bursting into the room, he ran toward me - joy covering his face. I had been stripping wall-paper and was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, with a scarf covering my hair. He took my hand and pulled me up the stairs. As we reached my bedroom, he sat me down on the bed. Then, he kneeled down before me, and I started to cry. As he took the box out from under his shirt, his eyes were shining. He told me to unwrap it, and with hands shaking - I did. It was the most beautiful music box I had ever seen. “Open the cover” he told me. When I did, the song “I can’t help falling in love with you” played as a beautiful diamond glistened at me! “Debbie, will you marry me and be my wife?” Ted asked for a third time, as he knelt before me . . .

The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive.
(Psalm 69: 32)

That was the beginning of our life together! It is a life that looks to God first - for all that our hearts are desiring. It has been an amazing life - as husband and wife . . .

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, . . . Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, For I am gentle and humble in heart;”
(Mathew 11: 28 & 29)

Don’t ever forget what your knees are for . . . they keep us humble - and listening to God. On our knees - we give our lives over to another . . .

Are you ready? Are you willing to kneel down to Him, giving your life and heart to Him? He is waiting to give His Life - back to you . . .

God bless you in the coming week ahead!

In His Love,
Debbie & Ted Ayers