The Interested Party

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The Interested Party

Psalm 139:13-16 – For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

Earl, my kitten, is interested in everything I am doing, everywhere that I am. He silently perches on a shelf above my baking counter and watches me avidly as I prepare meals and baked goods. He quietly sits high atop the bathroom door so he can see me in the shower. He unobtrusively curls up beside me as I watch television and follows me from room to room as I vacuum and dust. There is something very comforting in his presence and the knowledge that I am a very important person to him.

I also find great comfort and encouragement when I consider that there is another interested party in my life: God. God knows everything about me from start to finish. Somehow, He is aware of every moment of my life, and I am so important to Him that He has repeatedly promised never to leave me nor forsake me.

God sees the good, the bad, and the ugly that goes on within me, and yet, He never forsakes me. He never stops loving me. He is always there to guide and direct me. When I ask — and even when I don't ask — He continues to work for good in my life. How marvelous, how wonderful is this!

I do not always feel that God is with me. I am able to see Earl, but I cannot see God. I can, however, see the evidence of Him around me. I see Him through the beauty of nature and the continuation of the world in its orbit. I view Him in the eyes of those who love me and through the creatures that I care for. The Scriptures reveal His character to me and the history of His presence and interest in the lives of so many who have gone before me. When I choose to listen, within my heart and mind, I hear His still, quiet voice, a voice that always lines up with the wisdom and truth of His written Word. I sense His presence when I call out to Him in prayer and when I see His gracious answers to both enormous and minuscule requests. Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that God is always with me. God is always the interested Party in my life, something for which I am truly thankful.

I pray that you, too, may be watchful for and truly thankful for the Interested Party in your life.

Prayer: Thank You, Father God, that You are the Interested Party in each of our lives, whether we acknowledge You and Your presence or not. Open the hearts of many today to Your love and salvation through Jesus Christ, that You may be glorified and that they may be comforted and encouraged through Your presence as the Interested Party in their lives. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

Lynne Phipps