STIRRED, NOT SHAKEN

STIRRED, NOT SHAKEN
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 by JULIE COSGROVE

PLEASE WELCOME

JULIE COSGROVE

WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL

“I have set the Lord continually before me.

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8

I watched, a smile etching over my lips. A little girl in front of me stood with her daddy as she waited her turn on the merry-go-round at a local fair. The other kids’ squeals fascinated her as they straddled the up and down steeds. The loud calliope music added to the excitement along with their squeals of laughter. The mirrors and colors swirled by. Her eyes kept widening, stirred by the sounds and motions.

At last, the ride slowed to a halt. Kids climbed off and it was her turn to get on. He lifted her onto the pink one. Then, oh so carefully, a shaky little hand groped for her father’s strong one—just to make sure, before he stepped back. The whole time, her daddy stood by her, resting his hand on the plastic horse’s rump, his eyes focused on his daughter as her face changed from worry to wonder.

Then next time, she scrambled to get on, all smiles. Even so, her father resumed his stance. Even though she now enjoyed the ride, he never was more than an arm’s reach from her.

Her dad obviously knew about merry-go-rounds. He understood the joy and the risks and was prepared for his daughter’s reactions. He stood by ready to steady her or comfort her. Or to share her laughter. And above all else, to ensure her safety.

For me, that’s God. He is always right there, watching, guiding, protecting me. Whether I am anxious or anticipating something with joy, He never steps away. He lets me experience things, but always under His watchful eye. As life moves up and down, slows and then goes faster, He stays the same. Always within reach. Always ready for me to grab hold and squeeze tight.

Because that is what a loving father does for his daughter.

My heart is stirred...but never shaken.

(Taken from Julie Cosgrove's devotional blog: Where Did You Find God Today?)

ABOUT JULIE COSGROVE

Julie B Cosgrove is an award-winning novelist of suspense and mystery as well as a devotional writer for several publications. She is on staff as a missionary with Power to Change’s The Life Project doing editing and writing for their websites. She also is a professional speaker who leads women’s and writers’ retreats. When she isn’t writing mysteries, she is reading them or watching them on TV with her cat curled next to her on the sofa. Visit her website at www.juliebcosgrove.com to preview all of her novels and nonfiction, learn about her ministry, or to see her speech topics.

ABOUT ONE LEAF TOO MANY:

The photo of a mystery girl in Bailey’s genealogy search may be the key to a family tragedy fifty years earlier. But as Bailey searches her identity, she begins to uncover a motive someone doesn’t want to be revealed. As the threats mount, it shakes up her world. Has she turned over one leaf too many on her family tree? The truth may be relative.