How important are your prayers?

Weekend Read sat/Sun June 30 2012:

During my times of testing and trials, I have learned, in order to endure successfully, I need to have others lifting me up in prayer.  Soon after our son was killed, the Lord gave me several songs and poems.  I offer one here for your benefit, to let you know how important your prayers are to your friends and family:  I know for a fact if we had not been blessed by the numerous prayers of  friends and family, we would not have experienced the peace and comfort that surrounded us in our time of loss!

Your Prayers Matter
Don't think your prayers don't make a difference
I know they do, my friend
For when my name by you is uttered
I'm on the other end
And often when I walk in sorrow
Burdened down with cares
the clouds are lifted
The sun shines through
I'm floating on your prayers

Don't think your prayers don't make a difference
I know they do, my brother
For in His Holy Word it's stated
To pray for one another
I know when days are dull and dreary
And I'm caught in Satan’s snares
The valleys seem to escalate
I'm floating on your prayers

When you think your prayers don't matter
When it seems God never hears
Don't give up or be discouraged
I am floating on your prayers.
A. Paget/Jan.31,1999

Even if you think "not" the Lord is right beside you.

Friday June 29 2012:

Psalm 16:8.  “I know the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken for he is right beside me.”

Maybe you are having a less than perfect day today, maybe you are having a downright “bad” day!  Some days it is difficult to wake up praising the Lord. It is true, some situations bring us down and cause despair.  I want to remind you of the promises in God’s Word.  When days are dreary or even tragic, we can identify with King David as he,  so often, experienced tragedy in his life.  His saving grace was the knowledge that God was with him!  Even though David committed many sins that, to us, seem unforgivable, like murder and adultery, he knew God continued to love him and was beside him.

There are many reasons for us to be distressed and we often look inward  which leads us to be the prime victim of a “pity party”. This will never lead to a favorable solution or a way out of the deep.

There are many Psalms that depict King David as a man of despair, when we see the “me” word used we can be sure the writings are sorrowful and desperate. However, when he turns his eyes upon the Lord in praise and thanksgiving;  that is where we see the victory! 

These are the Psalms that give us hope in the midst of our sorrows and stresses.  We know the Lord has promised never to leave us or forsake us even in the midst of our troubles and sin, He is there! Just as he honored David and brought release and joy to him many years ago he wants to do for us today!

Prayer for today:  Dear Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that you want to bless me today.  Help me to turn my eyes upward and look at you for my answers.  I often tend to pity myself, forgetting my numerous blessings, please forgive my selfishness. You have promised a victorious life in you and I claim your promise today.  Help me be all that I can be, to be where you can use me for your honour and glory.  I know this is difficult when I keep my mind on my problems so help me to truly know you are beside me, always.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Know God's Word!

Thursday June 28 2012:

John 8:32.  “And you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

If we truly want to experience the victory that comes from a guilt free spirit and the knowledge of total forgiveness of all our sin and the assurance of salvation and eternal life, and if we desire to live a Christ-filled life that will speak to those around us, and if our desire is to live victoriously while on earth, what do we need to know?  The truth! Because it is the truth that sets us free, victoriously!

The question is then, how do we find the truth?  Jesus says it is from obeying his teachings! How do we know what the teachings of Jesus are?  From his inspired word that he gave us exactly for this purpose! 

When we read His Word with prayer and a desire to know the truth, our eyes are opened to what we need to see.

I have talked to unbelievers who have spent time reading the Bible and find it interesting, “like a novel” they say.  It is difficult for me to accept this because for a believer, it is the very essence of life and everything I need to know about living a Christian life is contained in this Holy book.

If you are wondering about living a full life for Christ, get yourself a Bible that you can understand and a concordance that will give you instruction on how to study and you will be on your way to living a victorious life for our Lord!

Prayer for today:  Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for giving me your inspired Word so I can know the truth.  Help me to spend more time in your Word so that I may be able to speak with authority about you and your teachings.  Give me a new understanding when I spend time in the Word, and open my eyes to see what you want me to see and do what you want me to do.  I love you Lord and desire to follow you every day of my life and I desire to have your peace dwell in me forever.  In Jesus name , amen.

Receiving the victory in the midst...........

Monday June 25 2012:

1 John 5:4.  “For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory.”

Where does victory over defeat come from?  When you are experiencing loneliness, hurt, rejection,. where or who do you turn to?   We often go to a close friend or a Pastor or counselor because we think they have the answer, and that is often true, but not always.

 

Our troubles are many in this world, sometimes it seems overwhelming.  John says we will be victorious in this evil world by trusting in Christ.  Doesn’t it make sense to go to Him first? Because in him is found the answer! 

I encourage you to go to Jesus first, the next time you are burdened with the inevitable cares of this world,   heartache, loneliness or perhaps sickness.  He will give you rest and he gives the victory if we are willing to give him our burdens and troubles and concerns.  I know this is true.  It took me years to truly give my worries to Jesus.  When I finally realized he could not take them from me if I was not willing to give them, I found true victory in living each day and overcoming the worries that we experience in this world.

Prayer for today: Dear Lord, You are great and greatly to be praised and today , I especially want to thank you for the promise of receiving the victory even though my life seems to be riddled with problems and worries.  Help me to realize the benefits of being able to lay my burdens at your feet.  You say we can defeat this world and receive the victory and I claim your promise today. Increase my faith so I may learn to trust you implicitly  and truly give you my worries.  In Jesus name, Amen.

being faithful in small matters and the mercies of the Lord!

  Weekend Read:

Luke 16:10.  “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones.”

Several years ago, I attended a little fellowship that met in a community hall.  There was a single elderly gentleman who faithfully came early every Sunday morning.  He would spend time making sure the snow was cleared, the furnace turned on and the chairs lined up in straight rows.  He performed this labor of love each week for several years. 

I remember being impressed by his faithfulness and dedication to such a mundane task.  One day he died, unexpectedly and very suddenly.  I had the privilege of singing at his service.  We all missed him and it took us some time to find someone who could do the required task as well as he had.  As a matter of fact, I believe we had to pay someone to carry out these important duties.  I have often thought about him and how diligently he did what needed to be done.  I imagine him now, readying a heavenly chapel with authority because I know the Lord will lavish his rewards on him.

Sometimes we see early rewards in earthly lives to those who are faithful in small matters and we often see these same people chosen to do big important tasks following the mundane, but I believe there will be untold rewards awaiting these faithful people when they arrive in God’s mansions that he is preparing!

Prayer for today:  Heavenly Father, Thank you for trusting me to do your work.  Sometimes I feel as if what I do is not important but I pray that you will help me do my duties as unto you and not to impress someone here on earth or to achieve recognition.  Help me to do the little things that you entrust me with as well as I possibly can and not to neglect them. Thank you for loving me even when I fail at the responsibilities you ask me to perform.  In Jesus name, Amen.

 Addend

"This is a weekend read that was scheduled to be here but last week was a bit of a flurry so some devotions were somewhat mixed up and I did not want to miss this passage"

Lamentations 3:22-33

“The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! 

By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 

Great is his faithfulness;  his mercies begin afresh each day.

 I say to myself, “ The Lord is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.”  The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. 

So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.  And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline.  Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands.  Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them.  Let them accept the insults of their enemies.  For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever.  Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love.  For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.”

God remains faithful,even if we do not!!

Friday June 22 2012:

Hebrew 2:13.  “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”

Because God is faithful, as we know, and God is true, undisputedly, he cannot be a liar or even untruthful!  It is always the created one that becomes unfaithful; it is I! Not ever God!

Years ago there was a cartoon strip in the daily newspapers called,’ Pogo’  a classic line from that creation has remained with me, It’s when Pogo says, “I have seen the enemy and the enemy is us!” Isn’t this true?  Our God is forever faithful and loving and cannot be anything else because that is who he is! 

It is always "I" who  becomes unfaithful and less loving!  We can take great comfort in this promise and it has been proven over and over again.

As I look back on my life, I can see the times when God was a faithful God even though I chose to ignore his desire to be near me and I  neglected the close relationship we had for a long, rewarding time in my life. 

When the time came for me to rekindle my first love, My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he didn’t bring up past sins and accuse me of neglect, he simply accepted my repentance and forgave me and welcomed me back into his fold.  Why?  Because he is a faithful God! God’s faithfulness is as sure as his love and forgiveness.  If you feel God has abandoned you, read Hebrews 2:13 and believe it!

Prayer for today:  Dear Lord, I am so very thank full that you are a faithful God who never gives up on me.  Even though I cause you hurt and neglect you so often, you are always here for me to talk to and draw near to.  I want to thank you for being who you say you are and I know I can always rely on you no matter what for you have promised to be closer to me than a brother.  Thank you for loving me, always!  Help me to stay close to you and be faithful to you and your word!  In Jesus name, Amen.

God provides

Wednesday June 20 2012:

Lamentations 3:23 “Great is his faithfulness, his mercies begin fresh each day.”

The Lord provides enough grace and mercy for each day.  We never have to be afraid there won’t be enough.  We never have to reach back to yesterday for today or save some of today’s mercy for tomorrow, because He gives enough for each day!  Why do we worry then?  If we trust God as we say we do, we should not worry.  Worry is a selfish emotion and happens when we turn our eyes inward, towards our selves.  When we worry, we are calling God a liar because he tells us, not to worry.  His mercies are new every morning, and it is our job to rest in the promise that he will provide whatever we need. His faithfulness is great and his mercies begin fresh every day!

Prayer for today:  Precious Lord, I know you are a merciful God and provide all I need, every day.  Forgive my selfishness and anxiety.  Help me to keep my eyes on you and trust you for each day’s provision of whatever I need.  Help me to familiarize myself with your promises and learn to live by them.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Love for our children........

Tuesday June 19 2012:

Psalm 106:1  “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.”

God’s love is too vast for us to comprehend but as a parent, I can sometimes experience an inkling of how great his love must be.

When our three sons were growing up, it seemed one was always in trouble.  I’m sure they intentionally took turns, it was as if they had secret meetings each night to decide who would be the ‘culprit’ the next day to test Mom and Dad. 

As they grew older, their ‘shenanigans’ escalated into more serious offences until, in one instance, we were forced to tell two of them they could no longer live in our home. They were being blatantly disobedient and refused to follow the rules of our home and we were out of options. 

I remember being extremely frustrated and angry in my disappointment with them but in spite of this, I never stopped loving them.  Regardless of how deep our love was for them, we could not allow or accept the choices they insisted on making for their youthful lives.  Although my heart broke when they moved out, I knew in my mind, we were doing the right thing.

Even though we took this drastic step, our love for them endured and one day they made the decision to change their ways and share in the faith of knowing Jesus Christ, which enabled our family ties to grow .

I am so thankful for this experience because it gives me a glimpse of what the  Heavenly Father goes through when we sin and when we choose to go our own way. I also have an inkling of understanding of the unconditional love  my Saviour, my Abba Father has for me and I know he is ready to forgive when I ask him to.

Prayer for today:  Father, I am so very thankful for your forgiveness and never ending love!  Thank you for allowing me to go through the valleys that enable me to see a glimpse of your love for me.  I love you , Father and I am sorry for the hurts I have often brought to your loving heart. I thank you for your faithfulness and pray that I could be more like you. In Jesus name, Amen.

God never ignores us!

Monday June 18 2012:

Psalm 66:20.  “Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.”

God never withdraws his love from us!

 

When I think he does not love me and I feel he is far away, it is never God who has moved, it is always me!

 Each time I sin, and sin comes in many forms, I place a wedge between God and myself.  The separation begins subtly, hardly even noticeable but a repeat offence drives the wedge deeper creating a wider gap.  As I continue to sin, it is I who drive the wedge still further and soon I start to wonder why God seems far away!  It is only, when I realize my neglect and  abuse of my relationship with him that I go to him in repentance.

 He always waits for our communication with him and he always hears us and forgives  so we can, again, experience and enjoy the closeness and comfort of his unfailing love.

Prayer for today:  Father, today I want to thank you for being patient with me and always forgiving me when I ask you to.  You are an awesome God and I know I don’t deserve your unconditional love.  I praise you almighty God for you are great and greatly to be praised.  I ask you, today also, to help me to become what you want me to be, to strive to be without sin, even though I know I can’t attain this while I am here on earth.  Help me to be more Christ like. Only in God is my soul at rest in Him is my salvation. In Jesus name. amen.

In quietness and confidence............

Weekend Read:

Quiet Confidence:

Isaiah 30:15

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

 I love silence...........but it is difficult to find!  The whole earth seems to be filled with noise!  Some ‘noises’ are pleasant.  I enjoy good music, for example.  all kinds of music, all genres, blues, classical, country, gospel, some rock.  I like vocals, solos, trios, quartets, groups, choirs, harmony, unison, etc. etc.

There is a man in back of us in the RV Park where we spend our winters who practices his guitar about 18 hours at a time, each day, which, of course, leads into the wee hours of the night!  I have noticed an improvement over the last couple of months, which is more pleasing to my ears and must be encouraging to him!  It is not so loud that it disturbs us but we can hear his diligent perseverance!

My husband and I almost always have music playing in our home, whether it is in our motor home or in our stationary home!  When I am not listening to the radio or CD’s, I often haul out my keyboard and play and sing for hours at a time. So it’s not as if I am obsessive about quietness.

We love to walk, perhaps 2 or 3 days a week.  We like to walk where there’s no traffic.  Walking in silence is most enjoyable.  It increases my senses and appreciation for nature and it enables me to hear the diverse and delightful song of the birds or the breeze rustling through the leaves.  I love the subtle melody of creation.

When we’re driving in a vehicle, we often listen to music but my favorite drives are in the majestic mountains where there are no radio signals, we  drive for hours lost in our own thoughts.  We seldom know what the other is thinking but it doesn’t matter because we are at peace with each other and most comfortable after so many years of being together.  I silently talk to God and wait for him to plant thoughts and ideas within me; and he does.  I understand there are couples that feel compelled to talk to each other almost always but we are very comfortable riding in serene silence. .

When we are with our children and grand children, I enjoy listening to the excited voices as they almost always all speak at the same time.  There is an air of excitement when all eleven of the cousins are together.  These are very special occasions which only happen two or three times a year.  It is a great blessing to be the Gramma at these gatherings.  After a few hours everyone disperses and returns to their own significant homes.  We are alone once more and even though the silence is deafening and contrastive to the day, it is also refreshing and restful.  As we sit together , just the two of us, we reminisce quietly over the high lights and treasures of the past several hours.  Then we rejoice because we can revel in our serenity once more!

In my quiet, alone time, I almost always talk with God.  I know he hears me and he cares about me and that is what enables me to continue in the hustle and bustle of life in this world where we must dwell.  In the quiet I gain confidence as I ponder the promises that are written in his Word.  I also spend quiet moments asking for clarity as I search his word for guidance and direction in my everyday life.  This quietness is so important because it provides the confidence I need to continue, the confidence that confirms my uniqueness in the knowledge that I have been selected to be special because I am a child of God.

Although sound is necessary and I am thankful I have the ability to hear, I am also encouraged to enjoy the silence because it is during these times, I can hear what the Lord is saying to me.  Silence is important and a quiet time in your life each day may be what it takes to enable you to face today or tomorrow.

The art of Listening!

Wednesday June 12 2012:

Proverbs 10:19.  “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin.  Be sensible and turn off the flow.”

I find this a difficult proverb to follow and yet, as I look back on my life, I see many instances where my submission to it, would have greatly benefited me.

Sometimes, we say things that are deemed as wise and this is where we should stop.  Many of us don’t need much encouragement to continue on and on and on.......... and soon we destroy and muddle the initial message by superfluous prattle!   When this happens, our listener is soon turned off and forgets what the kernel of wisdom even was.

Sometimes it behooves us to keep totally silent and pray for wisdom before answering or advising.  In doing this, we discover our wisdom or advice is not required and this allows the other person to learn the lesson that God is teaching them.  We, in turn, benefit by learning a valuable lesson ourselves!

Prayer for today: Father, God, you know how foolish I can be sometimes when I disregard the inner voice inside that tells me to keep quiet. Help me to remember that other people are blessed with wisdom and I don’t know as much as I often think I do.  Help me to be a better listener and less of a talker unless I hear from you that I need to speak. In Jesus name, Amen.

In quietness and confidence..........

Tuesday June 12 2012:

Isaiah 30:15.  “...........in quietness and confidence is your strength...........”

When I first renewed my relationship with the Lord, after many years of wandering on my own, I decided it was my job to convince my husband to give his heart to Jesus.  I chose my words carefully to “hit him” where it “hurt”.

I soon realized, the more I talked, the less he listened and in fact, grew to resent my ‘well chosen’ words.  One day in a Christian bookstore, I happened to see this verse on a wall plaque and the Lord opened my eyes to what I had been doing. 

I realized, I had  been taking the total responsibility of saving someone else’s soul rather than leaving it to the Lord.  I decided to stop ‘preaching’ and asked God to help me live a more Christ like testimonial life that would enable me to “walk the talk” rather than, “talk the walk”.  It took some time but soon I began to see a new respect for my faith and beliefs. 

Quiet confidence is an invaluable and necessary quality, if we want others to desire a relationship with Christ.

Prayer for today:  Dear Lord, thank you for the deep peace that enables me to be silent instead of prattling unnecessarily and yet harboring the confidence of your presence.  Let your love and kindness be seen in me and help me to portray the peace that passes all understanding in knowing you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Watch what you promise!!

Monday June 11 2012:

Ecclesiastes 5:5 “It is better to say nothing than to promise something you don’t follow through on.”

The Bible is a wealth of common sense with kernels of wisdom as we can see in this verse. We need to heed the wisdom transferred here.

I had an Aunt who always made wonderful promises to our seven-year-old daughter.  She promised her outings, jewelery and special times, all of which never transpired.  As a result, our daughter grew to mistrust this person because it became evident the promises were empty and meaningless.

I have often heard parents promise children wonderful things, sometimes to elicit a desired behavior, that were not even considered after the initial words were uttered.  This kind of discipline models deceitfulness.  Unless a promise is kept, it is useless and children soon discover the truth about that person.

Solomon warns us not to do this!  Jesus says our “yes” should be yes and our “no” should be no!  He even says by our adding a promise to our word shows something is wrong.  (Matthew 5:37)  We often make a mockery of this instruction when we fail to stand by our word.

Let us encourage each other to use caution when we speak so we don’t mislead others into disappointments by our words.

Prayer for today:  Dear Lord, Thank you for not ever making empty promises.  Your word is as true today as it was when it was inspired thousands of years ago.  Forgive me for the times I have flippantly made a promise I could not keep.  Help me ,Lord, to think before I make idle promises.  Help me become aware that my word should be one that can be relied upon, always.  Let my “yes” be yes and my “no” be no and help me refrain from compromising on my word in the eyes of you or others.

Letter to my son,Drew!

Weekend Read:

A personal journal entry, October 21, 1998:  For Drew (February 22, 1962 - October 6, 1998:)

I have suddenly lost a son, October 6, our third son, Drew was taken from us in a fatal car accident.  He fell asleep at the wheel of his van as he was returning to his home in Cremona Alberta. He had been visiting with a client and about midnight, he left for home.  About 1:00AM, he fell asleep and missed a crucial curve in the highway.  The RCMP didn’t  find his body until 5:00AM.

Our family is still reeling from this, but there is a deep peace as well.

 

Drew has two beautiful children who will miss his games, hugs, love, weekend fun and kisses and so much more that they enjoyed doing together.  They are young and that is a blessing.  My prayer is that Terri (Mother) and Ken (significant other) will be a loving couple and provide the laughter and love and discipline in their young and impressionable lives.

As a mother, I can’t describe the deep hurt of this terrible loss, and yet, God gives me peace in the midst of this storm!  I have been able to withstand even though this is a hurt like I have never experienced before......It is indescribable!

My dearest, youngest son, my love for you is very special.  You held a place in my heart that no one else can possibly fill and now that you are gone, the place in my heart that was yours is very empty.  I had room for your hurts and laughter and long chats on the phone and the “cute” little “deeds” that only you could perform, like putting the broom in front of the door when you came to visit and we weren’t home.  There are so many memories and I am thankful for each one of them but the hugs and the phone calls are gone.  I shall miss you more than words can say.  You were a unique individual and I was very proud of you, for many reasons.  You were a wonderful Father, your children always came first in your life and you were always loving and affectionate.

Oh, my son, you were not perfect, none of us are but you were trying so hard to be a better person.  Some of your efforts were evident, like the anger management classes that you attended and donating your talents and time to Habitat for Humanity.  Not long ago you took me out to dinner to Chianti’s.  We had a wonderful visit, as we often did.

What can I do with this hurt? I know in time it will become easier but that emptiness will always be there.

A treasured memory is my retirement party, you wrote a silly song on a napkin in tribute to me and even though there were hundreds of people there, you asked if you could get up and sing it into the ‘mike’.  I pretended to be embarrassed but I was really very proud of you for doing that.

I have a beautiful brooch that you gave me one Christmas.  I wear it a lot and love it even more now.  It is a precious gift and keepsake from you.

You had so many wonderful qualities that I shall miss - but, my son, you also experienced extreme emotions and when I think about the hurts you were experiencing in your life, I am thankful that you never have to suffer hurtful emotions ever again.  When you loved, you loved with all your heart and soul and mind and when you hurt, you hurt with such a very real and deep hurt.  I take comfort in the fact that you will never be hurt again, emotionally, and physically or any other way. 

I know it hurt you because  Dad and I were not a bigger part of your children’s lives, I have no excuse except we did not know how we could be more than we were.  For so many years, your life was far removed from us because you were such a free spirit!  When it was time to “reign in” we didn’t know how close you really wanted us to come. You were an idealist and I know we didn’t measure up to your ideal standards.  We are not perfect either and I know you didn’t let that disappointment come between your love for us and for that I am truly thankful. So many times, you expressed your love for your Dad and myself.  You were a wonderful son and your absence will never be understood.

I take great comfort in knowing you gave your heart to Jesus and I have no doubts that one day we shall sit together and I’ll be able to hear you say, “I love you , Mom.” This is a great comfort and I am so thankful for the promises God makes to us in His word.

And so my sensitive, loving son, until that glorious day, I know your spirit has truly found freedom to soar.  I know you are in the presence of ‘perfect’ love where there are no tears or hurts and I am deeply happy for you.  I will continue to trust God for the well being of your children; that they will grow in the knowledge that God loves them and is with them even though you can’t be. So good-bye for a little while, Love, Mom.

Beauty for ashes...........

Friday June 8 2012:

Isaiah 61:3. “........He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair............”

This promise was given to the Children of Israel who mourned and were often in despair, and this promise is also for us today.

I have seen the transformation of despairing, mourning people who have finally turned to the Lord and allowed him to heal.  I have witnessed lines on worried faces disappear and stooped statures become erect with the acceptance of the love of Jesus. 

I have observed the healing power of the stripes suffered by Christ in the life of a young woman who was burdened with weak and crippled legs.  She came for prayer and received love and support and prayers and she was able to accept the healing balm of the Saviour.  We were in awe at the work done in this hurting soul by the power of prayer and love. She went on to become a physically healthy mother and wife again.

His promises are as valid today as they were thousands of years ago because He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  We are included in the promises he gave to the Israelites. All we have to do is ask and then accept the love, the beauty and the joy, and start praising him instead of despairing and looking only at ourselves.  He is the healer! 

Hide this verse in your heart and claim his promises today as a child of the King!

Prayer for today: Father God, thank you for loving me and offering healing power for my mourning and despair. I realize sometimes I complain more than the Children of Israel did long ago and yet you still loved them and kept your promises. I also know your promises are just as valid today as they were then. Lord you are beautiful and you can even make sinners beautiful.  Thank you for performing a miracle in my life by helping me trust in you and accepting your forgiving power and love. In Jesus name. Amen.

Sing praises to your God!

Thursday June 7 2012:

Psalm 66:8.  “Let the whole world bless our God and sing aloud his praises.”

Why are we instructed to sing ‘aloud’ his praises?  We know God knows what is on our hearts so why are we to praise him out loud?  It is for our edification and well being that we openly and audibly sing praises, as well, the enemy cannot read our thoughts and when we praise God orally, he flees from us because he cannot compete with our audible praises to God.  Our praises lift our spirits and diminish the  despondency.

 

When our surroundings seem dark and gray, the sound of praise and worship causes the darkness to flee.  I liken it to lighting a match in a dark room.  It’s amazing how the light from a little match can illuminate an entire room, isn’t it?  That is exactly what the sound of praise to God does for a weary and dejected spirit, it lightens and brings a joyful peace to our being.

Prayer for today:  Oh Lord, Thank you for the gift of song and praise.  Without it, Lord, we would never know the joy that is possible. Help me to remember to sing praises unto you even when I don’t feel like it.  Sometimes, I know, Lord, it takes initiative on my part. Help me to remember that singing praises to you brings peace and happiness in the midst of the storm. You are great and greatly to be praised! In Jesus name, Amen.

God inhabits our praise!

Wednesday June 6 2012:

Psalm 33:1-3.  1)“Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord, for it is fitting to praise him. 2) Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;  make music for him on the ten stringed harp. 3) Sing new songs of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy.”

Music is a gift from God!  Even in the book of Genesis, we read that Pharaoh’s courts sang praises about Sarai because of her beauty.  This tells us music was used as an expression of love and admiration even then.  It is an inherent part of worship.  The Lord loves our songs of praise.  I have discovered when I feel weary and sad, a song to the Lord changes my demeanor.  When I start to sing, the depression disappears and my attitude changes to one of joy and elation!

David loved music.  The Psalms are mostly a collection of praise and worship!  God inhabits our praise, He is pleased when we sing praises to Him! Singing praises is an important component of worshipping the Lord. We are instructed to sing praises and play instruments to honour God and glorify Him!

Prayer for today:  Thank you, Lord for our voices that enable us to sing praises to you and to glorify you.  Help me to be more like David who was uninhibited by peer pressure that tried to squelch his public praises.  He was overflowing with joy because of your presence with him and displayed his joy by playing instruments and singing and dancing for your glory.  Lord, you are great and greatly to be praised, help me to praise you with everything I have and bring honour and glory to your holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.

God cares!

Tuesday:

Psalm 32: 8.  “The Lord says, ”I will guide you along the best   pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.”

Oh, my friend, how often have we disregarded God’s plan for our lives?  Many times, we believe God doesn’t really care about us or the “little things in our life.  Sometimes it seems as if God is very far away or even abandoned us.  That is a lie that the enemy would like us to believe.  God promises to be with us at all times and even show us the pathway we should follow for our lives to be what He planned. 

When it seems as if nothing “Godly” is happening in our lives, perhaps we are to learn patience and wait.  When the valley we are in is very dark, perhaps only then we look to our heavenly Father for strength. 

When we are in despair over the loss of a loved one, perhaps we will avert our eyes to someone else to extend comfort.  When we think God has abandoned us we can take comfort that, no matter what happens, God has the pathway planned and we can rest in the assurance that he knows exactly what he is doing.

Prayer for today:  Father, God, Thank you for having a plan for my life.  Even when it seems you don’t care or you are far away, I know you are with me and you DO care about my life and me.  Help me to remember how much you love me and let me rest in that assurance, always!  I am so thankful you chose me to be your child and I know you will never give me more than I can handle.  With you as my guide and advisor, I will be victorious in this life until that glorious day when I see you face to face. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ahh! The joy of being forgiven!

Monday:

Psalm 32:7.  “For you are my hiding place and, You protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.”

In Psalm 32, David admits his past struggle with repentance, but O! The joy and elation that is his when he finally confesses his sins and stops trying to hide them.

Have you ever tried to hide your sin?  It brings nothing but despair and misery.  The fact is, we cannot hide our sins from God.  The good news is when we confess our sins; He is faithful and just to forgive them and to cleanse us from all iniquity. (Or wrong)  (1 John 1:9)

When he forgives, we are justified, just as if we had never sinned. 

God promises to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west. When we arrive at the crucial crossroad where we must make the choice of confessing or continuing in our sin, we know confession brings us songs of victory, peace and complete forgiveness.  That is where we find David in Psalm 32. after confession and forgiveness, we can have the same assurance David had; we can also be protected by a personal hiding place, in Jesus Christ and be filled with victorious songs.

Prayer for today:  Heavenly Father, thank you for being willing to forgive all my sins, even the ones I don’t talk about.  I know you are aware of every sin in my life that I have not dealt with and if there are any sins that are keeping me from abiding in your perfect will, help me to remember them and bring them to your alter of forgiveness so I may have songs of victory.  Help me, also to be forgiving as you are forgiving.  In Jesus name, Amen.

A Loss, A lesson!

Weekend Read:

Who’s In Control?

Sometimes it takes a great deal of time and teaching for us to become what God can really use. Some of us were created with stubborn natures and controlling personalities.

Genetics are an interesting phenomena but I believe we cannot use this as an excuse to be less than we are capable of being.  When I was teaching, many times, I heard, 

“Well my Mom can’t spell so I guess I inherited that from her.” Or, fathers would tell me, "Well, when I was his age, I was quite a scrapper so I guess he comes by it honestly.” 

I always cringed when I heard things like this because it provided an excuse for a child to stop trying in these areas and accept the “shortcoming” of whatever area the parent excused the behavior in. After hearing the “excuses” time after time, it becomes a “self - fulfilling” prophecy and soon the child believes that they are incapable of hurdling that obstacle. I finally realized, in my life, that God wanted to change some of the inherited traits I was “blessed” with and it was through the process of letting these go that I became and am still becoming, what God wants me to be.

As a young person, I thought there was nothing I could not control and if I made up my mind about something, I would harass, nag, cajole and work until it came to be. I had to endure many difficult situations in my life in order to learn that I really didn’t have control over everything. 

When my Mother became very ill with cancer, it never dawned on me that she would not get better.  I had an innocent child like faith that would not accept the possibility that she would not be healed. After all, my family believed in divine healing and surely God would honour that faith. My memories of my Mother are sitting at her feet and listening to her wonderful stories of when she was a young girl in Siberia or listening to her beautiful soprano voice and trying to emulate it.  The songs she taught me as a young child are still precious memories. I think about sitting beside her in church and laying my head on her lap to nap when the sermon became too boring for a young child to bear! Mothers are good with this, Father’s, on the other hand don’t realize this is important sometimes.

We don’t know why God chooses to call his children home at a young age, my Mom was just 38 years old, but I believe that was the beginning of my realization that I did not have the power to control everything.  She went home to be with Jesus the day before my eleventh birthday.  It was a huge loss and a very difficult lesson but as I look back I realize that difficult lesson may have begun the process of molding and shaping me into what I needed to become in order for God to be able to use me.

I realize my Mother’s passing was not only for the benefit of teaching me but it was the first of many lessons that finally brought me to a place where I knew I needed to rely on my Heavenly Father for guidance and direction in all areas of my life and let him control instead of me! 

I believe if we use the valleys and trials in our lives as learning experiences and reflect upon them as opportunities to grow spiritually, and even ask God what he wants us to learn, we often find they bring us to a place where we become pliable and willing to give up stubborn traits that hinder our closeness with God. I have learned time and time again, as Paul, “Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” and through the pain in tribulation ask, “What are you teaching me, Lord?”

Today, I still mourn the loss of my Mother, but not as the world mourns. I know she has been transported to a glorious place that I am not capable of comprehending at this stage in my life.

Isaiah 57:1, “The righteous pass away; the Godly often die before their time .................  God is protecting them from evil to come. 2) For the Godly who die will rest in peace.”   This verse has always been my comfort and also the fact that one day I will see her again and sit by her feet and listen to her tell me stories and sing me songs.  What a glorious promise to look forward to!