Psalm 78

It was a sweet morning of prayer, reading and reflection for Mr. Cartwright and I . We were woken at 4 a.m., a little earlier than normal. I got our much needed java going and whipped up some oatmeal for an energizing breakfast. But what was more invigorating than the physical sustenance, was the spiritual manna that we ate. We opened the Scriptures to the Psalm we had left off at. Our Lord sure knew we needed it as we are heading down some potentially anxious roads.

As we read, we both acknowledged the original intent of this Psalm. Asaph, the writer of this particular psalm, is reminding himself and the people he is leading in Israel, about their Good Shepherd. Reminding them of where they have been and what they experienced in the past because of their unfaithfulness. But we used this as a secondary application in our lives and it certainly brought a peace as we saw God's great hand in times past!

O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,

 for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.

We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
    he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
    to teach them to their children,

 so the next generation might know them—
    even the children not yet born—
    and they in turn will teach their own children.
 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
    not forgetting his glorious miracles
    and obeying his commands.

At this point we surrendered again our own desires for our children, confessed where we haven't taught as needed and praised God for his faithfulness.

 Then they will not be like their ancestors—
    stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
    refusing to give their hearts to God.

We reminded God that He placed these beautiful children in our lives and we begged Him to continue to work and ultimately redeem them from the life they would have lived apart from knowing the Gospel.

 The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
    turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
 They did not keep God’s covenant
    and refused to live by his instructions.
 They forgot what he had done—
    the great wonders he had shown them,

 the miracles he did for their ancestors
    on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
 For he divided the sea and led them through,
    making the water stand up like walls!
 In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
    and all night by a pillar of fire.
He split open the rocks in the wilderness
    to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
 He made streams pour from the rock,
    making the waters flow down like a river!

 Yet they kept on sinning against him,
    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
    demanding the foods they craved.
 They even spoke against God himself, saying,
    “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
    but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
 When the Lord heard them, he was furious.
    The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob.
    Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
 for they did not believe God
    or trust him to care for them.

We prayed for our children to remember what they have been taught. We prayed that God would not let them forget forever! We prayed for open eyes! And then we read the graciousness of God and how He rained provisions down on His people. How He gave them bread to eat to remind them He is their BREAD of LIFE! He gave them LIVING WATER; yet, rejection was right around the corner.

But he commanded the skies to open;
    he opened the doors of heaven.
He rained down manna for them to eat;
    he gave them bread from heaven.
 They ate the food of angels!
    God gave them all they could hold.
 He released the east wind in the heavens
    and guided the south wind by his mighty power.

 He rained down meat as thick as dust—
    birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
 He caused the birds to fall within their camp
    and all around their tents.
 The people ate their fill.
    He gave them what they craved.
But before they satisfied their craving,
    while the meat was yet in their mouths,

 the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed their strongest men.
    He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.

BUT THEY FORGOT!!!! Oh, how the world calls to our children. Our prayer this morning was for our God to arise and break down the hard hearts of those we love.

 But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
    Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
 So he ended their lives in failure,
    their years in terror.
 When God began killing them,
    they finally sought him.
    They repented and took God seriously.
Then they remembered that God was their rock,
    that God Most High was their redeemer.
But all they gave him was lip service;
    they lied to him with their tongues.
 Their hearts were not loyal to him.
    They did not keep his covenant.

Yet, God withheld His judgment for a time. He showed great mercy. He forgave their sins. We prayed our wayward lambs would do this. That they would cry out for mercy.

 Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
    and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
    and did not unleash his fury!
 For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
    gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

 Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
 Again and again they tested God’s patience
    and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power
    and how he rescued them from their enemies.
 They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt,
    his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
For he turned their rivers into blood,
    so no one could drink from the streams.
 He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them
    and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
 He gave their crops to caterpillars;
    their harvest was consumed by locusts.
 He destroyed their grapevines with hail
    and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
 He abandoned their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock to bolts of lightning.
 He loosed on them his fierce anger—
    all his fury, rage, and hostility.
He dispatched against them
    a band of destroying angels.
 He turned his anger against them;
    he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives
    but ravaged them with the plague.
 He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family,
    the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.
 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
 He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.

 He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

 But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws.
 They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
    They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
 They angered God by building shrines to other gods;
    they made him jealous with their idols.
 When God heard them, he was very angry,
    and he completely rejected Israel.

The ending for Israel wasn't all the grand. We begged our Lord for a different ending with our treasures! Our hearts are heavy, sad and full of potential fears. But we were able to end our worship time with dwelling on Matthew 6; seeking first His kingdom and trusting him for all else.

A Piece of My Heart

It is not supposed to be this way! It's time to let one of my lambs out of the pasture and find his way, but this is not happening in a way that is peaceful, nor hopeful, humanly speaking. My lamb is 19 and feels ready to face the wolves and thorns out there.

Deep down inside, I know he is not ready.

He may end up on a steep precipice bleating for help.

Parenting these lambs is so difficult. I want to be that person reaching down to save him. I want to keep him from falling any farther. My heart breaks as choices are made despite the edge he sees. There is no face to this man reaching down to help, but I know the only face that belongs to him. My God. My Savior. My Shepherd. At times my belief that he will be saved waivers. My hope diminishes.

This week I heard a message about 1 Corinthians 13 expounding on what true agape love is. My whole life I have heard sermons describing love. I have attended wedding after wedding where this Scripture was read aloud. Beautiful.

But, listen to this. LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS! LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS!

Emotions entangle truth. They drown it out altogether sometimes. So I have to go back to the Word that is the Breath of Life. The Bread that satisfies. The Living Water that quenches. I must believe because I love. I must hope because I love.

The pig sty may have a new visitor eventually. But I BELIEVE that God will pluck him out and set him on the road back home. I have hope in my Heavenly Father.

The skies have flown him to another state all together. I thought there would be no goodbyes. No see you laters. No hugs. No thank yous. No peace. But at least, I did get a hug with a mumbled, "I love you too."

My God's people are everywhere. My prayer during this separation is that God will search him out and not let him rest. That God will be the Hound of Heaven pursuing him at every turn.

Please pray for him too.

Finding a Little Gem of Hope

As I opened up the devotional book to read to my princesses today, I found myself mesmerized by a handwriting from yester-year! A handwritten note with letters that I hadn't seen for quite a while...maybe 12 years ago.

There was a faded highlight over certain words.

Forgive

He loves you

in your place

God has promised

forgiveness

turn away

Jesus as Lord and Savior

I immediately knew who wrote it, and tears came to my eyes. I was full of hope in the knowledge that somewhere deep inside one of my lambs was the introduction of eternal life, sin, hope, salvation, and promise. Somewhere along the way of life he has faltered and allowed many things to crowd out the most essential things. Hurt, pain, anger and idols, among other things, yet I have a renewed confidence in my powerful Savior that He is working all things together. The path looks ugly right now. It hurts.

There is separation and anxiety. There are choices being made that are damaging. But my God is a healer. Lord Jesus, help my unbelief.

But today, I was reminded that over the years, God has been faithful. There is a big boy who at one point in his life was a little boy with a tender heart. And I trust those truths received will not turn void. So I pray again today, as like every day, that God would do the miracle only He can do.

Back to the Basics

Life gets complicated sometimes. Even our spiritual walks can become burden downed or we can become so distracted that we forget the main thing.

Five Traits of a Christ-follower, edited by Doug Nuenke, is a 30 day small devotional that is designed to help us return to the basics of what it means to follow Christ. Each small chapter is written by a different author. They, in turn, remind us of various facets of the Christian walk that can become muddled as we journey through the thing called life.

They tackle everything from obedience defining a believer to evangelism. They key in on the fact that those who name the name of Christ must have intentional time with the One they say they belong to. Delighting, knowing, memorizing and living out God's Word is essential to growth. Community (the body of Christ) is also vital to developing Christ-likeness.

It is ironic how many tools we have at our fingertips, yet, somehow, all those tools make our lives complicated at times and we forget the basics of living for Christ. This little book serves a great big purpose. It's the little reminders that bring us back to the beginning of that most important relationship in our lives.

Note: As a part of the Tyndale Blogging Network, I received a free copy of this book.

God Uses the "Special"

I have a beautiful daughter who has special needs. She is now 16 years old and growing more beautiful day by day. Her heart and soul ooze Jesus. This is the epitome of beauty.

But this doesn't take away the hurt and struggles that she lives with daily. Especially as she ages, she sees these differences.

She has had a couple of meltdowns frustrated at her inability to understand or be able to discuss things with others her age that she can't get. But overall, she has come to an understanding of God's miracle in her life and the mantra we drilled into her...."God cares more about your ability to love others, to show kindness and overcome evil with good, than He cares whether you know how to add or subtract."

As I was reading through the book of John this week I came across a story in chapter 9 that I have heard many, many times before. But as I read about Jesus healing the blind man from birth, it struck me how it all came to happen.

Jesus was with His disciples and they questioned Jesus about this blind man they saw on the side of the road. The blind man never cried out to be healed. There is no commentary except the disciples wanting to know why he is blind. Jesus says an amazing thing: "This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him." We see that after Jesus healed him, he testified to the religious leaders, believed and worshiped the "One" who did this.

Now, I'm pretty sure that at the time of his birth, his parents did not think to themselves, "God made our boy special to be used by Him to proclaim His glory." I am pretty sure they were hurting and struggled to accept this initially. I think most parents do. But how exciting for them later on to have their son healed.

 Yet, you read in the narrative, that they were afraid to tell the religious leaders who healed their son, because they had announced anyone proclaiming Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. But, their blind son, who now saw, believed.

In this age of euthanasia and throwing away of those who don't measure up; in this world of medical pressures to abort when faced with a "special" baby, we must remain steadfast that God's glory is on display. Choosing life is choosing God's way. Choosing life is choosing for God to work in ways that we have a hard time seeing initially because of our own pain. I know several families who have children with down syndrome. I know those who care for their precious children with the utmost care and believe without a shadow of a doubt that they are placed in this world to be God's glory-shiners.

I have a beautiful daughter who radiates God's miraculous work. I have been asked by doctors, nurses, and other professionals what we did to help her excel as much as she has. I then, have an opportunity to gospelize. I have a starting point at which to say, "God; He is the maker of all things beautiful. He gives us wisdom. He gives her understanding that she may not have ever had otherwise."

So I leave the blind man with Jesus and head to John chapter 10, ready to read about my Good Shepherd, who watches over the souls of those He loves. I know whatever may happen to my little lamb as she ages, she has a Wonderful Great Shepherd who will never leave her.

A Beautiful Touch To Your Morning With Your Savior

There is nothing better than to open the Bread of Life each morning. But, if I could add one thing to make it better, it would be to commune with the Lord in the midst of his creation. Whether I am sitting out back on my deck in the sunrise mornings, or on vacation in the mountains or at the beach, taking in the beauty of His gift to us adds a dimension to His glory!

Miriam Drennan has helped us to revel in this by writing the book, Devotions From the Garden. The photos are unbelievably awe-inspiring. They are true photos from nature. On each day she uses the topic of gardening to bring about a spiritual concept to our daily walk with Christ. It is thought provoking and exceptionally beautiful. This is a beautiful addition to a study through the Word of God. She adds personal contemplation, prayers and encouragement through the beauty of God's creation.

As part of the booklook blogging network, I received a free copy of this book.

Worthy or Not?

What picture does your mind conjure up when I say humility? A soft spoken person? Washing feet ceremony? An elderly deacon in your church? A soldier just home from war?

I came across a picture of humility that I had never seemed to notice before. And a picture of a contrast between the religious (and puffed up) elite and a strong man with a conscience that saw the need for Christ.

Luke 7:1-10

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." And Jesus went with them. 

The Jewish leaders never got it. Their pride was in the way. Their perspective was not to see Christ as much, but to see themselves and their leaders as much. Look at the contrast of the centurion's friends perspective. 

When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent Friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

And Jesus rewarded this humility.  May our lives be mirrors of this. 

James 4:6 reminds us, "...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

My prayer for you and me is that our lives would be marked by this kind of humility. Whether it is the simple act of seeking your child's forgiveness for an unkind word or impatient gesture, or looking to a friend's needs greater than your own. Strive for this today, friend.

God's Wisdom Vs. Ours

We think we have things together way too often. We navigate through life with the attitude of "I'm in control."

When we really don't. When we really aren't.

James 4:13-15 reminds us:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

It is 3:00 in the morning. My eyes are wide awake and my mind is running. Thinking about my to-do list. Thinking about decisions that have been or need to be made. Thinking about my children and the path they are on. Thinking I need to go to prayer as I might be on the edge of worry. 

I'm so thankful God is the One in control. He knows the answer to all these things.

So I rest in this. 

And I meditate on this:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:31-34

Reminding Myself...

When life throws the curve ball, which seems to come way too often at 103 mph, I fight to turn to the Scripture, where I know I will find hope and peace. The fast pitch came in last night and almost hit me in the ribs. Actually knocked my breath away...again. I stumbled. I fell to my knees. Anger tried to capture me, but it wasn't long before the Spirit brought humility and right thoughts.

So as Mr. Cartwright and I opened the Word this morning, we turned to the innumerable promises of our Great God.

I meditate on them today.

Here are just a few.

*We will be rewarded for perseverance.
Matthew 10:22 "The one who endures to the end will be saved."

*The Lord will give us rest.
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

*The righteous will shine.
Matthew 13:43 "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

*The Lord gives wisdom.
Luke 21:14-18 "Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand on how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand and contradict. You will be delivered up even by brothers and parents and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for My Name's sake, but not a hair of your head will perish."

These are just a few of God's Words that give hope when all around gives way. My thoughts turn to those Believers in Iraq and other countries that are fleeing for their lives.

That puts life into perspective. My God and their God is good. He remains good and will uphold His children.

More promises to come.....

Encouragement Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

Yesterday, the girls and I ventured to Bradenton Beach for a little sun, surf and sand. We were accompanied by my sister, Melissa and her friend. It was an absolutely perfect day. The sun hid for a few minutes but always came back out at our bidding. 

Of course, my little nature lover spotted the turtle nests. She was full of questions about who, what and why? My  prayer is always that she would see the Creator as more important than the creation. I can definitely see her hugging some trees. ;)

 

My two Black Beauties!

 

As we were packing up to leave, my sister handed me a box that was light as a feather with a surprise in it. 

When we arrived home, I opened it to find blown up balloons and a card.

 

What a terrific idea! And a super big Encouragement! Each day the girls and I will be looking forward to the Scriptures and focusing our minds on His Word.

(This couldn't have come at a better time.)

 

I belong to the truth! There is rest in His presence.

When I show love in deeds not just words. Wow! So convicting too.

 

My sister is going through many trials herself and took the time and energy to put each handwritten note inside a balloon! This is love in deeds! 

How can you show purposeful love today?

The Hound of Heaven

I listened to this today and was hit AGAIN over the head heart by a two by four. (Please take a minute to listen to it as well.)

Everywhere I turn lately I am hearing confirmation after confirmation of what God wants to do in my life.

Forgiveness.

Love.

Perseverance.

Faithfulness.

Loving God's Word to Renew my mind.

Seeing those who are sinning against me as lost sheep, not my enemy.

Forgiveness.

Love.

Forgiveness.

Love.

The mantra continues.

And I want to continue to persevere.

Truth vs. Lies

Lie: "I can't keep doing this thing called "Mothering"!

Truth: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Children are blessing not a burden."

Lie: "I want to quit. I failed (again) as spiteful words came out of my mouth."

Truth: "My grace is sufficient for your. My power is made perfect in your weakness."

Lie: "How can God forgive me for ____________, for the upteenth millionth time?"

Truth: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Lie: "This little white lie won't really matter."

Truth: "There are six things the Lord hates, no seven, that are an abomination; haughty eyes, a lying tongue...."

Today, if you are struggling with your thoughts lining up with God's Word, you are not alone. Our minds are full of deceit so often and we must put off those lies and put on the truth of God's Word. The key to this is being in the Word of God. Putting it before our eyes and mind's eye. Dwelling on and meditating on the very words of our Creator.

So when you are tempted to think contrary to this, be proactive. Write down a few verses and put them on your mirror, in your car or at the sink. 

Think on truth today!

The Gift of Love

I love good stories, especially the ones that are true.

The Gift of Love, written by Amy Clipston, is the memoir of her journey of caretaker and organ donor. The devastating news of her husband's illness happened soon after there marriage. This is a story about waiting. Waiting on God. Waiting for Him to answer. Waiting for Him to move. This deep pit that the entire family went through was tremendous. Just when you think it's getting better, more downward spirals. But through it all God gives wisdom and guidance and the body of Christ.



But as Mrs. Clipston reminds us in the story, God is the sustainer of their faith. As I read this book, you could feel the emotion jump off the pages. The author is real and authentic. Emotions range from depression to anger and back to trust. These are the stories that make me once again thankful for trials.

James 1:2-4 reminds us that the trials in our lives are producing in us the endurance that will aim others to glorify God. This is the story of the Clipston's lives.



I received a free book as part of the booksneeze bloggers network.  

How Deep Are Your Roots?

Five years ago, the bottom fell out.

And God assured me through these verses that as long as my trust was in Him, I would make it.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when the heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Is Your trust God, Himself?

He is my living water, where my roots will be quenched in the parchness of this desert journey.

Fear and anxiety are my two strongest enemies that seem to choke me at times...but I will resolve to continue to be steadfast in my trust.

This has become a mantra in my life that I meditate on daily. I want this for my life.

So in the journey of these last five years, I have had a strong desire to hang the
se words on my walls. God brought a new friend into my life a couple of years ago. She has started her own business of painting and other crafts. She is one of the most resourceful people I know.

(If you are interested in ordering, please leave a comment and I'll get you her info.)

So here this 2 x 3 board painting hovers near our kitchen table where I can remember these promises.

A Tired Soul

That's me.

I don't know about you, but I believe it might be true of you too. Parenting is such a difficult and tiring road.

So today I am meditating on these verses.

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

He is the Prince of Peace. He is the Burden Bearer. He promises rest.

In light of this I want to love well too. I find myself so snappy and on edge when I am worn out. Sleep is important, but I love the days like today when I wake early without an alarm with prayers on my lips. I know the Spirit tends to do this when my heart is heavy and burdened. So I tossed and turned hoping to pray myself to sleep. But to no avail. I arose. I grabbed my Bible, journal and Devotional book (Disciplines of a Godly Woman, by Barbara Hughes) and put the coffee on. Three o'clock seemed a tad too early, but I always end up treasuring those days that I rise and have much more time than usual. Today was one of those days.

Though my body and mind were up when many others are resting, God met me and gave me rest in Him. My heart was heavy. My burdens were many. Six-thirty came and I was rested. My Jesus helped me to focus on Him and His will for my life.

Oh. What a great added dimension too. My lover, "Mr. Cartwright", was part of this morning. Nothing does a heart more good in marriage than when you read God's Word together. I love that man!

Strong Faith in A Stronger God

The girls and I have been studying through the story of the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings. Elijah had been through many trials which included running for his life from wicked King Ahab. He was fed by ravens appointed by God. He was fed by the widow who was on the verge of starvation herself. He was used by God to bless that same widow by pronouncing the coming birth of a son and then later when that son became sick, raising him from the dead. But when we came to the end of the escapade on Mt. Carmel, I was struck by Elijah's faith.

His faith in God to provide. (Which I too often lack)
His insistent prayer for rain. (Prayer that resulted in a continual knocking on the throne of heaven. An expectant prayer.)

Remember God has caused a drought to come on the land of Israel for their sin of rebellion. I found it quite comical that as Elijah was setting up his altar on Mt. Carmel, he called for the men to dump water all over it....3 times. Not only did God come down and lick up the sacrifice. The fire of the Lord sucked up all the water too!

Elijah then kicked butt. He slaughtered all the false prophets. He joined his servant whom he asked to go find King Ahab and tell him to jump in his chariot and get going for the rain was coming.

But there were no clouds.
There was no wind.
God hadn't promised rain yet.

BUT ELIJAH BELIEVED!!!

He sent his servant back SEVEN times to look for a rain cloud. (This makes me wonder how our prayers affect God's will and sovereignty.)

This brings to mind James 5:16b-18
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Oh, do I desire to have this type of faith. So many of us worry we are presuming on God because he hasn't spoken forth in an audible voice, but we have so many promises from His Word of his faithfulness and care.

Let's pray, friends. Let's be prayer warriors.

As I write this, I look over to my right and see the wall of prayer we have had up for 3 years. A wall of prayer that God has heard and answered in a DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT way than I could have every imagined.

And my heart is filled with thankfulness.

A Prayer for "Hoss"

I find myself at a loss. I know what I should be praying for our son, "Hoss" but my emotions get in the way and I have to fight my way out of selfish prayers.

So today, as I wept and prayed and prayed and wept wailed, I came across these verses. 

So "Hoss", my prayer for you today is that you may truly understand this:

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
"Rejoice, Young Man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes. Yet know God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."

Through this dark, deep valley God has shown up, just like He has always done in the past. 

Bundled Up

"Hoss" finds himself in a deeper pit than he has ever been in so far. But I know those deep pits are where God can radically redeem a soul. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "There is not pit so deep that God is not deeper still." Since this boy/man of mine is part of me, I tend to spiral down as he makes his way deeper.

BUT..... (this word keeps my head and heart knowing and grasping for the truth)

I know the truth of my God. I know that He orchestrates all these things for our good. I know.....

So as I struggle for breath today, I opened my devotional to today's date. I am longing for the milk that refreshes my soul. My mouth is parched with fear. And God again shows Himself in ways that He and He alone knows I need to see and hear.

1 Samuel 25:29 "Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

Abigail uses an amazing word picture as she encourages King David in dealing with her wicked husband. This verse reminds me again of how I must trust in the ONE who already knows the past from the future.God protects His children. What a beautiful picture of the arms of our Creator holding us and keeping us and protecting us. 

Psalm 32:7, "You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." 

Psalm 36:7, "How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

He promises us to bundle us and be our refuge and fortress. 

These thoughts bring peace to a very weary soul.

Full Reliance in the Midst of Bondage

I just finished reading the book of Nehemiah. This is probably my fifth time reading it from start to finish. 

I walked away with an acute awareness of Nehemiah's reliance on the Lord. He fasted and prayed. He cried out to God for the Lord to remember him in the midst of a rebellious people. God heard. Every time he needed wisdom, he went to God to seek for an answer. 

As I read I kept coming across the phrase, "God put it into my heart..." Nehemiah and God had that relationship that I desire every day. Nehemiah knew that the direction he was taking in making decisions and leading was directly from the Lord. We might call this in the New Testament church, being Spirit-led.

Troubles came in all ways. Enemies that hated his rebuilding of the wall. Enemies that hated his God. Enemies that wanted to take his life away. And Nehemiah was a strong leader to went to the Lord his God for help. And God heard. 

Nehemiah wasn't a king. He wasn't a priest. He was a cupbearer to a pagan king. Yet, God used him in such instrumental ways. 

Because he relied on His God.

So take a few days and read through this amazing narrative and see a man who FULLY trusted God; a man who knew the answers did not come from his own wisdom; a man who was driven to his knees when all seemed to be crumbling around him.

Be encouraged. Our God hears. He sees. He knows.

Is He Your Everything?

I just finished reading Everything, What you Give and What you Gain to Become Like Jesus, by Mary DeMuth. Let's just suffice it to say, I am speechless and on my knees. 

Mary DeMuth speaks from experience when she challenges us to embrace all that God has for us, even in the painful valleys. She calls sin, sin. She takes those Scriptures that so many people tend to throw out to "encourage" you and teaches them from the context of Scripture, many still being able to be a source of help. She very candidly reminds us what God requires of us, but doesn't leave us hanging there. He cares so much about our spiritual life; so much more than our physical. 

God moves the DeMuth family to France to minister. This was a very difficult season for Mary as she takes us through what God taught her and how He works through His children. We all struggle our whole lives in the fleshly body to overcome sin, handle the daily pressures, some which tend to take our breath away, and strive to become more like Jesus. This book is one of the best I've read to help women accomplish all of these things.

Little did I know how much I needed this in light of the next month of my life. I love the Lord and so want to be a picture of His grace. I can't go down fighting. I must embrace Him as everything.