"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
This morning as so many mornings I awoke with a song going over and over in my heart and mind. Often I have shared them with you, this morning I am doing the same. The words of this song speak a tremendous message to us all. It doesn't matter where you are this morning- on a mountain top, in the deepest pit of grief, in the darkest place of your life, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, hemmed in at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army pressing in behind, facing the fiery furnace- you are not alone. Your God is with you and He is for you. You have no reason to fear, even evil. Our great and mighty God conquered the powers of evil at the cross. He gained the victory for you in every area of your life. Don't fear and don't give up. He is with you and He never lets go of you.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn backI know you are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let goIn every high and every low
Oh no, You never let goLord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
Have a great day. Don't let go because He never lets go!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
"Stay Connected"
"...and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper." 2 Chronicles 26:5b
When you are going through the fire, what do you do? When you are going through the valley, what do you do? When you are in the wilderness, what do you do? When you are facing difficulties, what do you do? When you are facing times of affliction and distress, what do you do? When the problems are mounting, what do you do?
In these times we tend to draw back, become reserved, stop praying, stop reading the Bible, we stop praising, we don't seek the Lord, we begin to forsake our church attendance, we just seem to go through the motions of life. Let me give you a word of caution/warning this morning, the last thing you should do is "pull away" from the Lord. You need to draw near Him more than ever. His strength will be made perfect in your weakness but if you don't draw near to Him you will remain weak. In His presence is peace, outside of His presence is confusion, anxiety, worry. In His presence is grace, grace to empower you to walk through these times.
If a light bulb is not connected to the electrical socket it will not shine. If a car is not connected to the battery it will not run. If a baby in the womb is not connected to its mother it will die. If a person is put on life support, they will die if they are disconnected. You must stay connected to the source of your strength, the source of your peace, the source of your help, the source of your power, the source of your provision. The Lord is that source, He is our source of life.
Have a great day. When these times come, don't let them disconnect you from your source!
When you are going through the fire, what do you do? When you are going through the valley, what do you do? When you are in the wilderness, what do you do? When you are facing difficulties, what do you do? When you are facing times of affliction and distress, what do you do? When the problems are mounting, what do you do?
In these times we tend to draw back, become reserved, stop praying, stop reading the Bible, we stop praising, we don't seek the Lord, we begin to forsake our church attendance, we just seem to go through the motions of life. Let me give you a word of caution/warning this morning, the last thing you should do is "pull away" from the Lord. You need to draw near Him more than ever. His strength will be made perfect in your weakness but if you don't draw near to Him you will remain weak. In His presence is peace, outside of His presence is confusion, anxiety, worry. In His presence is grace, grace to empower you to walk through these times.
If a light bulb is not connected to the electrical socket it will not shine. If a car is not connected to the battery it will not run. If a baby in the womb is not connected to its mother it will die. If a person is put on life support, they will die if they are disconnected. You must stay connected to the source of your strength, the source of your peace, the source of your help, the source of your power, the source of your provision. The Lord is that source, He is our source of life.
Have a great day. When these times come, don't let them disconnect you from your source!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"Change Of Plans"
"Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]." Ephesians 5:1 (Amplified Bible)
Have you ever had your plans change? Have you gone to bed with plans of doing certain things and accomplishing certain tasks the next day? When you wake up in the morning, do you already have your plans laid out for the day? Why is it that things don't always go as "planned"? Our plans often get changed or are changed for us.
My plan is to get the newsletter in the mail, but a printer that isn't working properly changes those plans. I plan to go to the nursing home to have a service, but wind up sitting in the hospital emergency room all day with a family member. I plan on spending a quiet day reading the Bible, meditating on God's word and communing with Him and instead the phone rings "off the hook". You know what I mean about plans changing, and they aren't always changed by us.
When they get changed, how do you react? Do you get aggravated, upset, impatient, angry, anxious? Do you take it out on other people? Do you make the one who was the cause of changed plans feel guilty? Does every one know how unhappy you are that you did not get to do what you had intended to do? Let me ask you a question- How would Jesus react? Would He get mad? Would He get upset and impatient? Would His temper show? Would He make others feel bad? Would He have a sour attitude?
We are to be imitators of God- children who copy what they see their Father do. We need to copy His reactions, His attitude, His speech- not only when our plans get changed, but all the time, in every situation, in just the everyday dealings of life. The way we act is a reflection on our Father. It sends to those around us either a good message or bad one of who the Father is and what He is like.
Whatever you encounter today- changed plans, unpleasant situations, unkind people- watch the way you respond to them to see if you are imitating your Heavenly Father.
Have a great day. We are to imitate our Heavenly Father- do what He does, say what He says, handle situations the way He handles them, react the way He would react and have the same attitude He would have.
Have you ever had your plans change? Have you gone to bed with plans of doing certain things and accomplishing certain tasks the next day? When you wake up in the morning, do you already have your plans laid out for the day? Why is it that things don't always go as "planned"? Our plans often get changed or are changed for us.
My plan is to get the newsletter in the mail, but a printer that isn't working properly changes those plans. I plan to go to the nursing home to have a service, but wind up sitting in the hospital emergency room all day with a family member. I plan on spending a quiet day reading the Bible, meditating on God's word and communing with Him and instead the phone rings "off the hook". You know what I mean about plans changing, and they aren't always changed by us.
When they get changed, how do you react? Do you get aggravated, upset, impatient, angry, anxious? Do you take it out on other people? Do you make the one who was the cause of changed plans feel guilty? Does every one know how unhappy you are that you did not get to do what you had intended to do? Let me ask you a question- How would Jesus react? Would He get mad? Would He get upset and impatient? Would His temper show? Would He make others feel bad? Would He have a sour attitude?
We are to be imitators of God- children who copy what they see their Father do. We need to copy His reactions, His attitude, His speech- not only when our plans get changed, but all the time, in every situation, in just the everyday dealings of life. The way we act is a reflection on our Father. It sends to those around us either a good message or bad one of who the Father is and what He is like.
Whatever you encounter today- changed plans, unpleasant situations, unkind people- watch the way you respond to them to see if you are imitating your Heavenly Father.
Have a great day. We are to imitate our Heavenly Father- do what He does, say what He says, handle situations the way He handles them, react the way He would react and have the same attitude He would have.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
"Hand And Face"
"This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." Psalm 24:6
When it comes to seeking God, you can either seek His face or seek His hand. To seek His hand means to seek His provisions, to seek His blessings, to seek His answers, to seek Him for that which He can give you. To seek His face means to seek to know Him- what He looks like, what He desires, what pleases and displeases Him, to know His heart. So, seeking His hands has to do with that which He can give, and seeking His face has to do with who He is.
Most people seek God's hands more than they seek His face. They think it's all about what God can do for them, what He can give them, about His meeting their need. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." (Psalm 27:8) It's His face that He tells us to seek- not His hand. I am of the very strong belief that if we would spend more time seeking His face, we would not have to spend as much time seeking His hands. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) To seek the kingdom means to seek Him- the King of the kingdom. Seek Him, not His provisions. As we seek Him, He promises that our need will be met, the provisions will come our way, His hand will move on our behalf.
Does this mean that we should never ask God to provide for a need we have? Of course not, but if that's the only time you are seeking Him, then something is wrong. You have it all backwards. It's His face we want to seek. It's His face that He wants us to seek. He wants us to know Him, not just what He provides. So which are you seeking this morning? His provisions or Him?
Have a great day. Seek His face then you will find His hand.
When it comes to seeking God, you can either seek His face or seek His hand. To seek His hand means to seek His provisions, to seek His blessings, to seek His answers, to seek Him for that which He can give you. To seek His face means to seek to know Him- what He looks like, what He desires, what pleases and displeases Him, to know His heart. So, seeking His hands has to do with that which He can give, and seeking His face has to do with who He is.
Most people seek God's hands more than they seek His face. They think it's all about what God can do for them, what He can give them, about His meeting their need. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." (Psalm 27:8) It's His face that He tells us to seek- not His hand. I am of the very strong belief that if we would spend more time seeking His face, we would not have to spend as much time seeking His hands. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) To seek the kingdom means to seek Him- the King of the kingdom. Seek Him, not His provisions. As we seek Him, He promises that our need will be met, the provisions will come our way, His hand will move on our behalf.
Does this mean that we should never ask God to provide for a need we have? Of course not, but if that's the only time you are seeking Him, then something is wrong. You have it all backwards. It's His face we want to seek. It's His face that He wants us to seek. He wants us to know Him, not just what He provides. So which are you seeking this morning? His provisions or Him?
Have a great day. Seek His face then you will find His hand.
Monday, June 1, 2009
"Today I Know"
"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
Well, it's another new day. Who but God knows what it holds in store. I certainly don't. I don't know what will happen, will it be a happy day or a sad one, will the needs be overwhelming, what new challenges will I face, will it be filled with sunshine or rain, blue skies or clouds, good news or bad news, will I even live to see the end of it.
I may not know a lot, if anything, about this day, but ask me what I do know about it... I know that today God will be faithful to me. He will not leave me nor forsake me. He will show me mercy and forgiveness when I fail. He will pick me up if I fall. He will uphold me with His strong right arm. He will be my present help in time of trouble. His name will be a strong tower to me. He will supply all my need. He will load me with benefits. He will give me strength in my weakness and peace in confusion. He will not stop loving me. He has given me everything I need to be victorious. His word will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. He will answer my prayers. He will keep what I commit to Him. He will make a way even when it looks like there isn't any. He will be a shield of protection for me. He will not withhold any good thing from me. He will lead me and guide me as I acknowledge Him and don't lean to my own understanding. He will make a way of escape when I am tempted. He will hear me when I call to Him.
That's just a little of what I do know about today. I know that no matter what I face, what the day may bring, what may happen, my God will be with me and will give me everything I need to get through it. And this one more thing I know, I can trust Him to take care of me and this new day.
Have a great day. I don't know about this day, but I do know about my God and His promises to me for today.
Well, it's another new day. Who but God knows what it holds in store. I certainly don't. I don't know what will happen, will it be a happy day or a sad one, will the needs be overwhelming, what new challenges will I face, will it be filled with sunshine or rain, blue skies or clouds, good news or bad news, will I even live to see the end of it.
I may not know a lot, if anything, about this day, but ask me what I do know about it... I know that today God will be faithful to me. He will not leave me nor forsake me. He will show me mercy and forgiveness when I fail. He will pick me up if I fall. He will uphold me with His strong right arm. He will be my present help in time of trouble. His name will be a strong tower to me. He will supply all my need. He will load me with benefits. He will give me strength in my weakness and peace in confusion. He will not stop loving me. He has given me everything I need to be victorious. His word will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. He will answer my prayers. He will keep what I commit to Him. He will make a way even when it looks like there isn't any. He will be a shield of protection for me. He will not withhold any good thing from me. He will lead me and guide me as I acknowledge Him and don't lean to my own understanding. He will make a way of escape when I am tempted. He will hear me when I call to Him.
That's just a little of what I do know about today. I know that no matter what I face, what the day may bring, what may happen, my God will be with me and will give me everything I need to get through it. And this one more thing I know, I can trust Him to take care of me and this new day.
Have a great day. I don't know about this day, but I do know about my God and His promises to me for today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)