Thursday, June 25, 2009

Everlasting Lovingkindness

June 14, 2007 - (This entry was written during a family crisis, details of which have been omitted)

One thing I know – You Lord, have not changed. Your promises still are true. And whatever the outcome I believe it will be for our ultimate good. Because Your mercy and lovingkindness endures forever!

Psalm 136 - I choose not to be discouraged. I choose to keep trusting You. I choose to praise You for the work of Your grace in our lives.

I choose to rely on your love for us and that you have not had me praying just to give me something to do. Prayer works and prayer is hard work! But You hear and answer according to Your perfect purposes.

And I praise you.
I worship you
I love you with all my heart, strength and soul.

Prov 3;5,6 I will trust in You with all my heart. I will not lean on my own understanding. I acknowledge you in all my ways and I allow you to direct my path (and my thoughts and prayers).

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Unfading Halos

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Isaiah 35:3-10 (The Message)

Energize the limp hands (Yea Lord, my hands are weak and bent and gnarly with arthritis). Strengthen the rubbery knees (My left knee is deformed, angled to the left and painful). BUT! . . .

God is here – right here! On his way to put things right. Courage! Take heart, my Dear. (v 6) lame men and women will leap like deer. The voiceless break into song.

Jean, it is not the condition of your body that really matters – it is the condition of your heart and spirit, of your relationship with Me. I am the One who causes your heart to sing (and whistle).

Sing, Sing, Sing to Me and with Me. Listen as I sing and dance over you with great joy.

Do not despair – Rejoice. You are my Redeemed One. (v10) I give you “unfading halos” of joy encircling your head. I welcome you home with gifts of joy and gladness. All sorrows and signs scurry into the night.

Keep praising me. Keep worshiping Me. You will never regret it!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Who is in charge here?

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 – 7:00 a.m.

Isaiah 33:6 (The Message) “God keeps your ways stable and secure – salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus and best of all, Zion’s treasure – Fear of God!”

v. 8 (NIV) “The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

In the midst of a very evil world, where evil men are in control, and where everyone does what he pleases, you, God, keep your people stable and secure. Our treasure is You. All around us may be in utter chaos but when we trust in You, You are enough.

In the middle of our failing economy, empty apartments, not much income, You keep us going. I am grateful. Roy works too hard, and yes he worries, and I do too at times. But we both know You are our source of all we need.

You have promised to care for us in our old age – we are trusting you. Those who will survive will do so because of Isaiah 33;15 (Message)
Live right
Speak truth.
Despise exploitation,
refuse bribes, violence and evil amusements.

(v16) This is how we raise our standard of living! It is a safe and stable way to live. A nourishing and satisfying way to live.

Center your worship on God. God Himself is the place. Let God make all the decisions. He runs the place and He will keep us safe.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Grace and more grace

June 4, 2007
Isaiah 30:18-19 (The Message)

Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me.”

But God is not finished! He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right – everything!

Those who wait around for Him are the lucky ones.

“So wait, Jean. Don’t get discouraged, don’t give up, God is not finished yet! And as you keep crying for help He hears and answers.

(v 19) “Cry for help, Jean – and you’ll find grace and more grace!”

Then, Isaiah 31:29 “But you will sing, sing through an all night holy feast! Your heart will burst with song and make music like the sound of flutes on parade.”

Friday, June 5, 2009

Seeing the Splendor of God and "Getting It"

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Isaiah 26:10, 15 (the Message). (v 10) “if the wicked are shown grace, they don’t seem to get it. In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living, blind to the splendor of God.” (v15) “But the living You make larger than life. The more life You give, the more glory You display, and stretch the borders to accommodate more living.”

“Stretch the borders of life.” Lord, this is my prayer today. May I be willing to allow You to stretch my life, that in the “living” of it day by day, my life will display Your glory. That others, even Christians who are living (or rather existing) in cramped prisons where they cannot see Your grace, and others who truly are wicked unbelievers, would have You open their eyes to see Your grace and get it.

I think too of the ‘retreat’ the Women’s Ministry Center is planning. May this be a stretching in all who make come.
A stretching of our faith,
of our love,
of our hope,
of our trust,
of our abilities and gifts.

A stretching of our capacity to receive Your love and to give it
A stretching of our worship
A stretching of our desire to praise You in all things,
A stretching in our giving, not just money, but our love, gifts, and talents, our hospitality.

When I think again of stretching our capacity to receive your love and grace, Oh God, we all need this stretching. We are so wrapped up tight in the struggles of everyday life, we don’t even realize our need, let alone recognize the grace when it is offered.

Lord, we want to “get it” – to recognize it – to believe it is for us personally, and that it is attainable.

Stretch us Lord, as Bruce Wilkerson says, “stretch and enlarge our borders, in every possible area and where we are closed up and small.”

So we may see the splendor of God, and “get it.”

Monday, June 1, 2009

Grace and Kindness

Saturday, May 12, 2007
Rainbows!!!
Thoughts prompted by the Message Bible.

Ephesians 2. The world doesn’t know the first thing about living. Sometimes we fill our lungs with polluted unbelief and then exhale disobedience. Oh God, what a perfect description of what we do. I do.

Then You, in immense mercy and GRACE, and incredible love, embrace us. You make us alive in Christ. Then You pick us up and set us down in the highest company with Jesus, Our Messiah!

(v 8) Now God, you have us where You want us – and You have all the time in this world, and the next one, to shower GRACE and kindness upon us in Christ. WOW!