We have so much to be thankful for!
In my little corner of the world I find it sometimes easy to focus on the "what ifs", and the "if onlys".
Jesus has an entirely different reality for me to live in. One of praise and thanksgiving for who He is!
There was a little incident in our home today that caused me to be still and think about what is truly important- a priority check!
There is nothing that can enter my day, that has not been sifted through the hands of my Heavenly Father.
I am given the choice to reject the situation as "unbearable" or accept it - along with the grace of God.
My thoughts go to so many Scriptures right now...I'll just put down a couple.
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Cor. 9:8
" Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Phil. 4:4
If I had one of those neat little "play lists" that play music while you read a blog, I would have this song playing right now:
Rejoice in the Lord
by Ron Hamilton
God never moves without purpose or plan
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.
I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.
Now I can see testing comes from above;
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;
Through purging more fruit I will bear.
O Rejoice in the LORD
He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried
And purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
Source(s):
http://www.hymnlyrics.org/lyricsr/rejoic…
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Abiding
" I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5
Am I trying to accomplish things for God, or is He working through me?
This morning I read this little line, "Let me not seek out of Thee what I can only find in Thee, peace and rest and joy and bliss, which abide only in Thy abiding joy."
As I go about my day there are so many moments of feeling like I'm just not accomplishing enough...our precious Lord reminded me today that it isn't how much is done that He is concerned about. It is how much I am communing with Him, how much I am resting in Him.
Now, there is a contrast: feverishly working, or resting.
The other thought that came to me, is the question of the value of all I do.
The things I accomplish may bring praise to me, (from people) but is it bringing forth fruit? Not if I am not abiding in Christ.
Jesus will take the simplest task as a sacrifice of praise when done in Him. Then my attention will be focused on Christ, not on what/how much is "accomplished".
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!
Am I trying to accomplish things for God, or is He working through me?
This morning I read this little line, "Let me not seek out of Thee what I can only find in Thee, peace and rest and joy and bliss, which abide only in Thy abiding joy."
As I go about my day there are so many moments of feeling like I'm just not accomplishing enough...our precious Lord reminded me today that it isn't how much is done that He is concerned about. It is how much I am communing with Him, how much I am resting in Him.
Now, there is a contrast: feverishly working, or resting.
The other thought that came to me, is the question of the value of all I do.
The things I accomplish may bring praise to me, (from people) but is it bringing forth fruit? Not if I am not abiding in Christ.
Jesus will take the simplest task as a sacrifice of praise when done in Him. Then my attention will be focused on Christ, not on what/how much is "accomplished".
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Joy comes in the morning!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces;…
Isaiah 25:8a
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Philippians 1:20
How I praise the Lord that His joy comes in the morning!
In Christ I have the hope of being reunited with those who belong to Jesus!
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
At this time in my life words cannot describe the pain of missing people that I love, nor the longing I feel to be with Jesus. However, I am rejoicing (some days that is simply a choice) in hope... hope in the Word of God that is always true,...
hope in my Savior- Who loves me and carries my burdens,...hope in the coming of Jesus Christ!
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces;…
Isaiah 25:8a
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Philippians 1:20
How I praise the Lord that His joy comes in the morning!
In Christ I have the hope of being reunited with those who belong to Jesus!
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
At this time in my life words cannot describe the pain of missing people that I love, nor the longing I feel to be with Jesus. However, I am rejoicing (some days that is simply a choice) in hope... hope in the Word of God that is always true,...
hope in my Savior- Who loves me and carries my burdens,...hope in the coming of Jesus Christ!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Lord's way is best!
1 Peter 3:1-2 in the Amplified
"In like manner, you married women,be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any obey not the Word [of God],they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives,
When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him--honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]."
Sometimes it helps me to look at a passage in the Amplified version. Opening my eyes to practically living out the Word of God.
What is true subjection?
SUBJECTION, n.
1. The act of subduing; the act of vanquishing and bringing under the dominion of another.
The conquest of the kingdom and the subjection of the rebels--
2. The state of being under the power, control and government of another. The safety of life, liberty, and property depends on our subjection to the laws. The isles of the West Indies are held in subjection to the powers of Europe. Our appetites and passions should be in subjection to our reason, and our will should be in entire subjection to the laws of God. Websters 1828 dictionary
This definition makes me think of Galatians 6:1 "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
What is true liberty?
Realizing that my subjection is to God, [ultimately]. In the Lord's love and wisdom, He takes my subjection to my husband and uses it to draw my husband to His own self.
May I stand, not in fear of what the outcome may be, but in awe of my Savior...and may I subject myself.
"In like manner, you married women,be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any obey not the Word [of God],they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives,
When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him--honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]."
Sometimes it helps me to look at a passage in the Amplified version. Opening my eyes to practically living out the Word of God.
What is true subjection?
SUBJECTION, n.
1. The act of subduing; the act of vanquishing and bringing under the dominion of another.
The conquest of the kingdom and the subjection of the rebels--
2. The state of being under the power, control and government of another. The safety of life, liberty, and property depends on our subjection to the laws. The isles of the West Indies are held in subjection to the powers of Europe. Our appetites and passions should be in subjection to our reason, and our will should be in entire subjection to the laws of God. Websters 1828 dictionary
This definition makes me think of Galatians 6:1 "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
What is true liberty?
Realizing that my subjection is to God, [ultimately]. In the Lord's love and wisdom, He takes my subjection to my husband and uses it to draw my husband to His own self.
May I stand, not in fear of what the outcome may be, but in awe of my Savior...and may I subject myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)