Darkness into Light

2 Samuel 22:29

You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.

The Birds of the Air

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Like a Well-Watered Garden

                                                                  

                                                                  

   The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 

   and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring 

whose waters never fail.   Isaiah 58:11

Showers of Rain

Zechariah 10:1

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; 

 it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. 

He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

The Word of God

Isaiah 40:8

^"The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.”

His Angels

Psalm 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

The Path of Life

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

When We Don't Understand

Psalm 23:2-3 He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul.

Sometimes the Lord has to bring us to the place of a broken heart before we will give Him our attention.  It is hard to understand why things happen especially when they seem extremely tragic or unnecessary in our opinion.  These are the times when we are grieving over the loss of a loved one or over something that seems so devastating that our hearts feel as if they may not beat another second.

If you know Jesus Christ as Savior, you can know how to survive.  He is there to give you comfort, to heal your broken heart.  Only He can do that.  We do not know God's purpose.  He is God not man.

"God's purpose is never man's purpose. Those things the Lord calls us to endure are part of His plan...The test is to believe that God knows what He is after.  The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in the decrees of God.  God is working out His purposes" Oswald Chambers

Attempting to force God to act the way we think He should only leads to disappointment and frustration on our part.  He will never stay within the box we have designed.  Our lives will not be according to our plan. If that was so, how would we learn the majestic power of God Almighty.  He who has power to create the universe and all that is within it.  He who provided the wonderful plan of salvation that only He could provide.  We live in the moment.  God sees eternity past, present and future all at the same time.  We are bound by time and place.  Our perspective is limited.  Why then do we think we know best?

Is your heart broken?  Stop and listen.  God may be trying to tell you something. He is God...we are not.

Charles Stanley says, "Scripture tells us of the Lord's love, faithfulness and wisdom.  Whenever we cannot understand His ways, faith in His goodness must be our foundation."

The Peace of God

"Let the peace of God rule in your heart" Colossians 3:15

This verse was given to me by the Lord on Tuesday morning before I knew my sister had died.  It is amazing how the Lord gives you just what you need-sometimes even before you know you need it. 
I woke up at 5:00 am this morning with everything on my mind and a mixture of different feelings-grief, sadness, memories of happier times, etc.  I remembered the verse above and realized that the first word in this verse is Let.  Let the peace of God rule in your heart.

My heavenly Father is there to provide peace for me but I must be willing to let Him provide it in my heart.  He is the only one who can provide that comfort but I make the choice to receive it. 

And then as I read my devotion for today, it confirmed what He was teaching me:

"It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love." Song of Solomon 5:2

Life is a Weaving

 "Let the peace of God rule in your heart" Colossians 3:15

My sister died today.  She was 58 years old.  I never thought she would die before my 85 year old Mother who has Alzheimers but she did.  The one thing I know is that she had accepted Jesus as her Savior.  Knowing that gives me comfort.

The verse above was given to me in my quiet time this morning.  God is so good that He provides for us before we know there is a need or the extent of the need.  He and only He can give me peace.

I study from several different devotion books and this morning I was reading from "Come Away My Beloved" by Francis J. Roberts.  I have read this book probably 5 times in the past 10 years and every time, the Lord speaks to me through it. 

Today's scripture was the one above with the following comments:

"My child, your life is a weaving.  Beauty will not come to you by joy alone.  Life may be tortuous at times and the pathway rough. From fabrics of lovely silk and from cords of rougher materials, I fashion what pleases Me.  You may never know why certain experiences come.  It is enough that My hand brings them all.

My grace is not limited by sorrow and difficulty.  Indeed, it shines like a strand of gold mixed in with the black of grief.  My hand moves with infinite love, and I am creating a pattern of intricate beauty.  Never be dismayed.  The end will bring rejoicing."

Sorrows and grief are inevitable in this life.  That is what sin did beginning with Adam and Eve. How we meet these parts of life depend on the our relationship with God.  I know my Redeemer and He gives me comfort and peace in knowing that He has prepared the path before me and nothing can come my way unless it is first sifted through the will of the Father.  I can endure.  I can have comfort.  I can have peace because of His great love.  And at the end of my life when all the threads both gold and black are woven into the story of my life, I will rejoice in His presence.  I will be reunited in joy with those who have gone before me.

When this life is over there there will be rejoicing!  That great and wonderful joy will come from simply being in the presence of the eternal God.  How do we enter into His presence? Only through Jesus Christ.  The Jesus who died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin.

Accepting Jesus as Savior is a personal decision.  It can't be because you go to church or your parents believed in Jesus as Savior.  It has to be your choice to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and know that your sins are forgiven.  If you have not done so, please confess your sin, accept the sacrifice He made on the cross for the forgiveness of sin and ask Him into your heart as your Savior and Lord.  You never know when the appointed time will come for your own death.

God's Answers

 God's Answers     A poem by an unknown Confederate Soldier:

I asked for strength that I might achieve;

I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things;

I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be wise. 

I asked for power that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for.

But everything that I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;

I am among all people, most richly blessed.

Trudging Ahead

We were expecting our second grandson to make his appearance any day.  My first born grandson was so excited about the coming event that the anticipation was almost more than a two year old could bear.  As the blessed event drew closer and closer, every day he would ask, "Is it time yet?  Is it time to go get my baby brother?"

The day before his arrival my grandson and my daughter were at my house for a short visit.  Over and over, my grandson kept asking "Is it time yet?  Is it time to go get my baby brother?" My daughter knowing that the next day was when the new baby would arrive, she said, "Yes, it's time."

Excitedly, he grabbed the baby stroller and headed down my driveway.  Usually, he only went a short distance down the drive and then turned around and came back.  Not this day.  He kept going further and further.  When I realized that he was not going to turn around, I ran after him.  I asked him where he was headed and he replied firmly, "I'm going to get my baby brother!"  There was no persuading him for he was determined to reach his final destination and retrieve his brother.

We reached the top of the hill with stroller full speed ahead and because the road and danger was a short distance ahead, I picked him up in my arms and turned around headed back to the house.  His little heart was broken and he cried and cried.   In his reasoning, the baby brother he wanted was now out of reach and as far as he knew that was his last hope.

As I reflected on this experience, I thought about how determined we are to head toward the way we think best in order to make our desires become a reality.  We trudge toward the end thinking we will get what we want regardless of the personal cost.  Often the Lord waits for us to turn around on our own and when that doesn't happen, He picks us up and delivers us from the unrecognizable danger.  We cry and cry with broken hearts because we can't have what we so desperately wanted.  The God of the universe in His infinite wisdom gives us exactly what we need according to His plan and in the way that brings Him glory.  He provides exactly what we need the moment we need it. 

God's Care for Us

  

Psalm 89:9 You rule over the surging sea; when it waves mount up, you still them.

Sleep in Peace

Psalm 4:8  I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.

Be Strong

Ephesians 6:10 "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."

Cleansing Power

Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NIV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Praise the Lord for Blessings

Do you realize all the things that the Lord provides His people?  We get so busy with day to day things that we take for granted what the Lord does for us.  We forget our blessings.  Take a moment and let's consider some of your blessings.  Read the following verse:

Psalm 103:1-5  Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.  Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me ³ He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.⁴ He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. ⁵ He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (NLT)

We are commanded to praise the Lord with our whole heart.  We are to praise Him because of who He is and what He has done.  Praise Him!  Praise Him just because of who He is.  When you praise, when you rejoice in the Lord, all else seems to diminish in importance.  Count your blessings.  Never forget the good things/the blessings God has provided.

Remember what He has done for you:

1. He forgave you of all your sins. He saved you at Calvary from sin when you trusted and believed in Jesus.
2. He heals all your diseases.  (You are made whole from sin.)
3. He redeems you from death and hell by the blood of the Lamb of God and will live in eternity in the presence of God.
4. He crowns you with love and tender mercy and you feel His love surrounding you and know of the mercy only He can grant.
5. He fills your life with good things/blessings.  Even though you have materially nothing, you are blessed.  Take a look at the world around you-your family, the beauty of God's creation in the sunsets, flowers or the mountains.  He gives blessings to you.
6. He renews our youth giving us strength to complete the tasks He has prepared for us in order to serve in His kingdom even when we are old.  Example: Billy Graham who still is serving the Lord at his advance age.

Praise the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, praise His Holy Name!

The Necklace

Sometimes we let fear, worry, depression, unworthiness and a host of other emotions cloud our thinking and our daily walk with God.  For a new Christian, for a child who is learning about Christ or sometimes even a weathered mature Christian, it is some times hard to understand the full meaning of peace and assurance in Jesus.  Life has a way of throwing lots of trials, tribulations and just down right old evil at us.

My granddaughter-a young one at age 6 is learning how to handle "fear". Many of us think that children shouldn't have anything to worry or fear but to a child fear is a very real and overwhelming emotion. She is dealing with the pressure of doing her best at school and test anxiety has reared its ugly head.

She knows Jesus in a very honest and sincere way and has asked Him into her heart.  After a one on one talk with her, I gave her a necklace-a cross to wear when she takes a test.  I explained that it was not a magic charm but that it was a reminder to pray and ask Jesus to help calm her fears.  She wears it almost every day.

The cross is a symbol of what Jesus did for us at calvary.  A time when Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God willingly became the sacrifice for sin in order for us to have eternal life.  With that sacrifice came an everlasting life before the presence of a Holy God.  With that sacrifice came the privilege of becoming a child of God and laying our petitions at His feet. He is the only one who can calm our fears and emotions.  

Call upon Him to help you when you have fearful, depressive and discouraging emotions that cause you to look within yourselves instead of to the one who can give you peace and assurance.  Jesus is the answer.

Thank You God For Everything

I learned a poem when I was a little girl that was brought to mind during this Thanksgiving season.  Many of you know this poem so perhaps it will take you back to a time when you were young.  It sums up just about everything we should be thankful for every day. 

Thank you for the food we eat 
Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you, God, for everything.

Most of us in America have plenty to eat.  Some of us eat more than we should especially on holidays. There are many in the communities where we live that have little or nothing.  Perhaps we should share more with those who are lacking.   We need to remember Who it is that has blessed us with this abundance.  God blesses us so we can bless others. Find someone today and give of your abundance. God has created the most beautiful wonderful world.

Everywhere you look you can see God's glory. Praise the Lord for all His blessings everyday!  Take a look at a flower and notice the delicate nature it contains.  Smell the fragrance.  Even in the smallest details God's design is awesome.

God created birds to sing praises to His name and for us to enjoy their melody.  God must love music because He is the one who created it.  Stop and listen to their sound.  The melody from the birds that sing or children playing is beautiful!

Praise the God who has created you and all the things you enjoy!  Praise this God of the universe!  Our God of the universe-vast and marvelous and our God of intricate details in all His designs.  Thank You, God, for everything!!

The Guilt or Trespass Offering-Your Walk with God

Leviticus 5:14-19 The LORD said to Moses: ¹⁵ "When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. ¹⁶ He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.¹⁷ "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. ¹⁸ He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a guilt offering; he has been guilty of wrongdoing against the LORD."

This was a personal offering. A ram without defect is offered for your sins.  You lay your hands upon the animal as a symbol of passing your sin to the animal while confessing your particular sin. You state that you have sinned and rebelled against God but also state you are repenting and this animal is your atonement for that sin. This may be an intentional sin or an unintentional sin. Both types of sin required the same sacrifice.

The ram is split open and the priest offers the fat of the inward parts upon the Altar. The priest then sprinkles the blood back and forth on the Altar.  The remainder of the blood is poured out at the base of the Altar.  You must also make restitution for any harm you may have done to another by reimbursing in full and adding twenty percent to the value of his loss.  This brings about reconciliation between the you and the one you harmed.

Note the words restitution and reconciliation.  Restitution means an act of restoring.  Reconciliation means to restore to harmony, to settle or to resolve. When Jesus became the guilt or trespass offering, He did this to restore our fellowship-our harmony with the Holy God.

We are by our very nature sinful.  It all started in the garden with Adam and Eve.  Because of sin we can not come before a Holy God on our own.  God is a Holy God and can not tolerate sin.  God instructed Moses to set up a system of sacrifices to express the sinful nature of man and begin the process of showing His people the way of making restitution with Himself.  This system pointed the way and was fulfilled in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.