This has been a Philippians 4:13 kind of week. A week full of caring for a sick spouse and children. But the funny thing is, it is well with my soul. The Lord has been so gracious to give me His peace and help me lean on Him.
My usual M.O. is to be anxious and fret through these trying times. I am so thankful that, in recent months, He has been enabling me to lay my burdens down at His feet and to trust His sovereign decisions and care for me and my family. I am SO grateful for the change He has created in me in this area.
I am praying for my sick loved ones, of course. And I am praying for His continued strength. (Phil. 4:13) And I am praying He continues to enable me to trust Him. Because I KNOW that apart from Him, I can do NOTHING! (John 15:5) I know as soon as I begin to think I have anything to do with handling this well, I will fall flat on my face. It is God Who is sustaining me. (Isaiah 46:4)
Thank You Jesus!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
George Muller
I am reading The Autobiography of George Muller. I was reading about his primary motivation for beginning his orphanages. I was expecting that he did it because of the great need of the children or because of his great love for them. However, this was not the case.
His main motivation was to have a tangible vehicle by which to display God's faithfulness to answer prayer and to provide for His people. He had repeatedly tried to counsel believers to trust God's provision but could not seem to fully encourage them to do so. He knew that God's provision for the orphans would be a highly visible way of showing God's activity in behalf of His children who trust Him fully.
INCREDIBLE!!! And very convicting!
His main motivation was to have a tangible vehicle by which to display God's faithfulness to answer prayer and to provide for His people. He had repeatedly tried to counsel believers to trust God's provision but could not seem to fully encourage them to do so. He knew that God's provision for the orphans would be a highly visible way of showing God's activity in behalf of His children who trust Him fully.
INCREDIBLE!!! And very convicting!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Waiting Patiently
Waiting! Yes, patiently waiting!
Till next steps made plan shall be;
To hear, with the inner hearing,
The Voice that will call for me.
Waiting! Yes, hopefully waiting!
With hope that need not grow dim;
The Master is pledged to guide me,
And my eyes are unto Him.
Waiting! Expectantly waiting!
Perhaps it may be today
The Master will quickly open
The gate to my future way.
Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
I know, though I've waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.
Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
The Master will not be late:
He knoweth that I am waiting
For Him to unlatch the gate.
J. Danson Smith
(Streams in the Desert)
Till next steps made plan shall be;
To hear, with the inner hearing,
The Voice that will call for me.
Waiting! Yes, hopefully waiting!
With hope that need not grow dim;
The Master is pledged to guide me,
And my eyes are unto Him.
Waiting! Expectantly waiting!
Perhaps it may be today
The Master will quickly open
The gate to my future way.
Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
I know, though I've waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.
Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
The Master will not be late:
He knoweth that I am waiting
For Him to unlatch the gate.
J. Danson Smith
(Streams in the Desert)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trust
I cannot know why suddenly the storm
Should rage so fiercely round me in its wrath;
But this I know--God watches all my path,
I may not draw aside the mystic veil
That hides the unknown future from my sight,
Nor know if for me waits the dark or light;
So I can trust.
I have no power to look across the tide,
To see while here the land beyond the river;
But this I know--I shall be God's forever;
So I can trust.
(Streams in the Desert)
Should rage so fiercely round me in its wrath;
But this I know--God watches all my path,
And I can trust.
I may not draw aside the mystic veil
That hides the unknown future from my sight,
Nor know if for me waits the dark or light;
So I can trust.
I have no power to look across the tide,
To see while here the land beyond the river;
But this I know--I shall be God's forever;
So I can trust.
(Streams in the Desert)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Perfect Paradox
I love the amazing paradoxes God has us walk by.
Though it seems you have every reason to worry, don't.
Though you sin all the time, if you belong to Jesus, He sees you as 'white as snow.'
And my favorite one is the result you get when you put John 15:5 and Philippians 4:13 together.
John 15:5 "Apart from Me, you can do nothing."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."
Colossians 1:29 goes right along with these. "...I labor, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me."
These verses are my constant companions, helping me through each day. As I walk knowing I am incapable of doing anything by myself, I lean on His power and ability to help me do all He wants me to do, trusting Him to strengthen me.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
Though it seems you have every reason to worry, don't.
Though you sin all the time, if you belong to Jesus, He sees you as 'white as snow.'
And my favorite one is the result you get when you put John 15:5 and Philippians 4:13 together.
John 15:5 "Apart from Me, you can do nothing."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."
Colossians 1:29 goes right along with these. "...I labor, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me."
These verses are my constant companions, helping me through each day. As I walk knowing I am incapable of doing anything by myself, I lean on His power and ability to help me do all He wants me to do, trusting Him to strengthen me.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Never Waste Your Pain
by Dick Innes
Dear Lord,
Please grant that I shall
Never waste my pain; for...
To fail without learning,
To fall without getting up,
To sin without overcoming,
To be hurt without forgiving,
To be discontent without improving,
To be crushed without becoming more caring,
To suffer without growing more sensitive,
Makes of suffering a senseless, futile exercise,
A tragic loss
And of pain,
The greatest waste of all.
by Dick Innes
Dear Lord,
Please grant that I shall
Never waste my pain; for...
To fail without learning,
To fall without getting up,
To sin without overcoming,
To be hurt without forgiving,
To be discontent without improving,
To be crushed without becoming more caring,
To suffer without growing more sensitive,
Makes of suffering a senseless, futile exercise,
A tragic loss
And of pain,
The greatest waste of all.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Praise Jesus!
“Life is pain, Highness.
Anyone who says differently
is selling something.”
(Wesley, The Princess Bride)
Anyone who says differently
is selling something.”
(Wesley, The Princess Bride)
“In this world,
you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.”
you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.”
(Jesus Christ, Messiah, The Holy Bible John 16:33 NIV)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Mind Your Own Business
I have been reading through the Message this year. It certainly has a different way of looking at some things. (Some I agree with, and some I don’t.) Some times, it hits home hard!
Like today...
Romans 14 is very convicting about not judging others. The Message tends to personalize things even further. So, in verse 12, I read this:
“So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.” (I, of course, substituted crocheting for knitting!)
Then in verse 22:
“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others.”
Wow! Ouch! Yikes!
I’m going to be some time pondering the wide scope of implications here!
Like today...
Romans 14 is very convicting about not judging others. The Message tends to personalize things even further. So, in verse 12, I read this:
“So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.” (I, of course, substituted crocheting for knitting!)
Then in verse 22:
“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others.”
Wow! Ouch! Yikes!
I’m going to be some time pondering the wide scope of implications here!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sovereignty
Not until each loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the pattern
And explain the reason why
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.
(Streams in the Desert)
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the pattern
And explain the reason why
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.
(Streams in the Desert)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Amazing Grace
Romans 5:8 (NIV) says: "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
The Message puts it this way: "God put His love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death while we were no use whatever to Him."
Either way, WOW!!! And He doesn't stop there!
In Romans 8:32, He goes on to say: "He Who did not spare His Own Son, but gave Him up for us ALL---how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us ALL things."
NOW THAT'S GRACE!!!
In verse 34, it says that Christ (Who gave up His very life for us) is at the Father's right hand interceding for us, praying on behalf of all of us though we are the very ones that made His death necessary.
NOW THAT'S LOVE!!!
AMAZING!!!
Why do we so often fight against Him Who loves us so much?
The Message puts it this way: "God put His love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death while we were no use whatever to Him."
Either way, WOW!!! And He doesn't stop there!
In Romans 8:32, He goes on to say: "He Who did not spare His Own Son, but gave Him up for us ALL---how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us ALL things."
NOW THAT'S GRACE!!!
In verse 34, it says that Christ (Who gave up His very life for us) is at the Father's right hand interceding for us, praying on behalf of all of us though we are the very ones that made His death necessary.
NOW THAT'S LOVE!!!
AMAZING!!!
Why do we so often fight against Him Who loves us so much?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Delighted
Isaiah 61:10
"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."
Zephaniah 3:17
"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
I am heart glad that the LORD and I are mutually delighted with each other! Doesn't it just make you smile, knowing He is delighted with you?
"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."
Zephaniah 3:17
"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
I am heart glad that the LORD and I are mutually delighted with each other! Doesn't it just make you smile, knowing He is delighted with you?
Friday, October 2, 2009
More on Grace
Of course it is more about grace. Recognizing His grace in my life is just what this blog is about.
Romans 10:9-10 (Message) “This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not ‘doing’ anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being, you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: ‘God has set everything right between Him and me!’”
Now that’s exciting! I am trying to embrace a new freedom. Amazing how long it takes to work something into your life. I’ve been walking with the Lord for 27 years now.
So I’m joining in with Paul and saying:
“GOD HAS SET EVERYTHING RIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND ME!!!”
Not EVERYTHING except for... EVERYTHING, as in ALL!
Woohoo!
Romans 10:9-10 (Message) “This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not ‘doing’ anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being, you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: ‘God has set everything right between Him and me!’”
Now that’s exciting! I am trying to embrace a new freedom. Amazing how long it takes to work something into your life. I’ve been walking with the Lord for 27 years now.
So I’m joining in with Paul and saying:
“GOD HAS SET EVERYTHING RIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND ME!!!”
Not EVERYTHING except for... EVERYTHING, as in ALL!
Woohoo!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Grace
I have been pondering grace a lot lately. Being a structured person, I fall into legalism many times and God has to remind me that He is doing the work in my life.
He tells me: "This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]." (John 6:29 Amp.)
That's it! My only work! Everything else Christ is working in me. (Philippians 1:6 "...He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.") And even the work of believing is with help because without Jesus' help, I can do nothing. (John 15:5)
This good news is a boon to my soul. I am learning to rest in Him, trusting Him to work in and through me. I have added my name into the Message version of Romans 4:3 and placed it where I can see it daily.
"Lezlie entered into what God was doing for her, and that was the turning point! She trusted God to set her right instead of trying to be right on her own."
He tells me: "This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]." (John 6:29 Amp.)
That's it! My only work! Everything else Christ is working in me. (Philippians 1:6 "...He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.") And even the work of believing is with help because without Jesus' help, I can do nothing. (John 15:5)
This good news is a boon to my soul. I am learning to rest in Him, trusting Him to work in and through me. I have added my name into the Message version of Romans 4:3 and placed it where I can see it daily.
"Lezlie entered into what God was doing for her, and that was the turning point! She trusted God to set her right instead of trying to be right on her own."
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