Wednesday, June 25, 2008

GOD REJOICES OVER YOU!

Life is hard. There is no getting around that. There are many hurting people in this world. There are many lonely people in this world.

Maybe you are one of them. Maybe you feel like you are totally alone...that no one cares about you...that no one loves you. You may feel like 'what's the use?' Honestly, I think we've all been there at one time or another. It's one of the fiery darts that Satan throws at us to defeat us. But today I want you to hear what GOD has to say:

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."
Zephaniah 3:17

I want to encourage you to read and re-read that. Mark it in your Bible. If you are like me, it may take you a few minutes to even find Zephaniah! (Hint: it's between Habakkuk and Haggai)

Know today that you are NOT alone. God is with you.

He is mighty....and He is on YOUR side. Nothing is impossible with Him.

Let Him quiet you with His amazing love. It is His heart's desire.

And just think on this all day....He rejoices over you with singing!!! Has anyone ever sung a song about you before? Well just know today that the God of all creation, the One who fashioned you and breathed life into you, is doing just that today!!!!!!!

When my children were babies, I'd rock them in my arms and sing to them :

God is so good...

God is so good...

God is so good...

He's so good to me.

He gave us you...

He gave us you...

He gave us you...

He's so good to me.

As I sang, the tears would drip down my cheeks because my heart was so full of love for these precious gifts from the Lord. If I felt that way about MY children, how much more God feels about each one of us. He is REJOICING over you today and He is singing a song that describes just how much He loves you!!!!!!!!!! Take that thought and that verse with you today. And no matter what Satan throws your way today, just know that your Heavenly Father is singing over you and you are LOVED!!!!!!!!


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

DARKNESS OR LIGHT?

"When you turn away from Me, you are vulnerable to the darkness that is always at work in the world. Don't be surprised by how easily you fall into sin when you forget to cling to My hand. " June 24 entry in JESUS CALLING by Sarah Young.



It's scary, isn't it, how easily we are pulled away from the Light to the darkness.
The pull of the world is strong, never ceasing, energized by the enemy of our souls. We can be walking with the Lord one minute and the very next be in sin up to our eyebrows!

The sin nature is ever with us. Have you ever noticed that you do not have to teach a baby to sin? Their sin nature will cause them to assert themselves and shout "NO!" or "MINE"!! You have to teach them how to share, how to obey, how to respect....the opposite they will do without prompting. Before one comes to Christ, before he is a "Believer", he cannot NOT sin. It is his very nature.

But, as Believers, we have a "switch", if you will, that allows us to choose WHO we will yield our will to....to the sin nature or to the Holy Spirit. We no longer HAVE to sin. Moment by moment we must choose. If we will keep our eyes focused on the Lord and His ways....the LIGHT....we will choose to yield to Him. But if we take our eyes off the LIGHT and yield to the pull of the world, we will walk toward the darkness. Every step toward the darkness, takes us one step farther from the LIGHT...the Lord. That is why we must be careful and conscious of the choices and decisions we make throughout the day. One thing that makes it easier to yield to the Lord rather than to the sin nature is to have your heart and mind filled with the Word of God. You see, God's Word is like no other written material. It is God-breathed and it is alive. It is God Himself speaking to us. Listen to how John describes it in John 1: 1

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God"!!


When you read the Word of God, you are not reading from the pages of some ancient manuscript. You are ingesting the very WORDS of God Himself. You are literally taking God into yourself. It is like no other book you will ever read. It has the power to change your life!

Isaiah tells us "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it." Isaiah 55:11. Did you get that? God's Word will not return void. If you take the time to study it, to learn it, to memorize it, God will see to it that it profits you. It may be years since you have read a particular verse, but just when you need it, it will come to your mind.

That scene has been replayed thousands of times in the lives of Believers but never more vividly than in the lives of prisoners of war. So many of their testimonies were of being in church as a child, learning memory verses and singing songs about Jesus. But as an adult they had drifted away from Him. However, in the loneliness of a prison cell, shut out from the world and from all human contact except for their torturers, they would begin to pray and as they prayed verses of scripture would come to their mind. Sometimes only in fragments, but it would come. One told of how he communicated by Morse code with a fellow prisoner in the next cell. He would tap out his portion of the verse and miraculously, the other prisoner would know the remaining portion and together they began to piece together large sections of the Word!! And that is what got them through those horrendous circumstances. God's Word did not return void.

Like a computer, however, you only get out what you put in. So if you are not reading the Word on a regular basis, why not start today? Psalms is a good place to begin. You knew I'd say that didn't you? Yes, it is my personal favorite, but it's also easy to read, easy to understand and easy to remember. John is also a good one. The important thing is to start somewhere. Even if you only read 1 chapter a day, that is a good beginning. Read it, meditate on what it means to YOUR life today, pray over it asking God to reveal to you all that He wants you to know. Try to memorize a passage or two. Then ask God to help you live it out. As you do, you will find that you are living more in the LIGHT and less in the dark.






Saturday, June 21, 2008

DO YOU REALLY KNOW HIM?

How much do you think about God? Do you think of Him when you awaken in the morning? Does He come to mind as you move throughout your day? Does His Word ever come to your mind? Are you aware of His presence in your life? If you are NOT in a crisis mode, do you ever talk to Him? When was the last time you picked up a Bible and read it as if God had written it for your benefit?

I know without a doubt there are those today who are walking through their day who never THINK of God. He is that unimportant to them. However, if you asked them, they would tell you they believed in Him. They would tell you, most likely, that they are a Christian. But their life would be belie that fact.

What's missing is a relationship. Many people have "religion". They believe in God. They may have their name on a church roll and even occasionally attend. They call themselves a Christian. But there is no relationship. And the sad thing is they do not realize that anything is missing. They think that little dose of "religion" is all that there is.

If you are there today, let me tell you there is MORE...so much MORE!!!!!!!! God offers us a relationship...up close and personal....with the God of the universe. The great I AM...the Creator of this world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The One who will come to this earth again one day and will establish His kingdom anew longs for a relationship with you. Yes, it is mind-boggling...but it is nonetheless TRUE.

He longs for you to talk to Him. You do not need to use "thees" and "thous"...just talk to him as you would talk to your very best friend. Tell him what you are feeling, where you hurt, where you are afraid, what your needs are. He's listening. He is constantly waiting for you to come into His presence. He yearns to spend time with you. It's not that He needs for you to inform Him of all these things....He already knows them all. But He wants to know that you recognize His authority over your life and to acknowledge that He is in control of your life...NOT you!

He wants to walk with you and talk with you. He wants to guide you down the right path. He wants you to lean on Him and to trust Him just as you would your most trusted friend or loved one. He loves you SO much and He wants to bless you in ways you never imagined.

Oh friend! There is much you are missing if you are not in relationship with Him. He is so personal. He cares so much about every detail of your life! But to have a relationship with Him, you must KNOW Him. Open your Bible today and begin in the book of Psalms. Just read about His character. Who HE is. Underline or highlight each reference that tells you WHO He is....


Holy
Omnipotent
The Lifter Up of your head
Strong high tower
Rock
One who saves


These are just a few. But they will get you started. Meditate on them. Recognize that He longs to be ALL of those things to you and more. Do you REALLY know Him today? You can. Jeremiah 29:13 says "You shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart." IF you will seek, you WILL find!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

I want to wish a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to 3 very special guys!!!!!!!!!

First, to my sweet husband and the father of our two wonderful children. What an amazing Dad he has been! His Dad died when he was in high school, so he did not get the benefit of having his Dad for very long. Yet he was committed to being the best Dad possible! He was a "hands on" Dad from the beginning, encouraging me to have natural childbirth so he could be present. (That was a pretty new concept at the time). He never minded changing diapers, walking the floor or doing whatever needed to be done. He spent as much time as possible with them when they were little. When they got into sports, he was ALWAYS there! He coached our son's ball teams and was present for every piano recital and cheerleading competition that our daughter participated in. That was not easy because he often had to swap shifts with someone, or work 16 hours just to do that. But the important thing to him was to BE THERE!!!!!!!!! He continues to be there for them whenever they call and now he is the most wonderful PAPAW around!:) He loves his granddaughter and enjoys taking her to see the ducks and helping her catch lightening bugs. He is a godly man who loves His Lord and we are SO thankful that God has blessed our family with him.

Next, I want to wish a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to our son. His baby is "on the way"....due in December!! So he probably does not FEEL like a Dad yet, but he is. He's had a good role model so I know that he's going to be a GREAT Dad!! He's already been an adoring uncle so he's had a little practice. Yet he has no idea how much his life is about to change and he will not believe the feelings that are going to come over him like a river when he first holds that little angel. May God bless you, Son, as you prepare for this wondrous miracle in your life!!!!!!!!!

And last, but not least, I want to wish a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my favorite son-in-love. Our family has been so blessed to have this young man become a part of our family. He is a blessing to each one of us. He is a terrific father and his daughter adores her Daddy. He is a man who is seeking to live his life walking with the Lord and to teach his daughter about her Heavenly Father. I am SO grateful for that!!!!! He,too, is a "hands-on" Dad and is doing a marvelous job! May God bless you today, Josh, and may you continue to seek to walk in such a way that every step will lead your daughter straight to the Savior!

In closing, however, I want to draw our attention to THE Father of all FATHERS.......GOD!!! I would like to share a passage from a book titled "WHAT IS THE FATHER LIKE" by Phillip Keller:

Savior…is my supreme title in all the universe.
From my perspective, this means I am He who delivers…sets free. I emancipate you fully from the dilemmas in which you live. I am the Savior, who alone can loose you from all the difficulties and distress of your human condition.
I can set you free from
Deception in the world
Snares of your Enemy
The guilt of past misdeeds
The Grip of sin in your daily life
Enslavement to your self
The regrets of wasted years.
I can set you free from an empty, hollow life, to live with me in profound purpose and superb peace of soul.
The so-called wise ones of the world, and the devil himself---these will oppose all I tell you. But be of good courage! I come to you with clear guidance and wonderful wisdom established in my Word to you. I am the One who saves you daily from wrong decisions; from subtle deception spawned by the world system; from the delusion of your archenemy; from your own self-deception.
To save…I have given you my Word. You will find absolute truth and sure solutions there.
Spend time meditating upon my clear instructions to you. Take them seriously. Act on them deliberately. Comply with my wishes for you. You will be amazed how, through my Word, I save you from your dilemmas and safeguard you from endless difficulties.
The same saving power is at work to deliver you from the guilt caused by the misdeeds of your past. No man, no woman is without a past…The mistakes of youth, the vanity of glory-seeking, the hungry pursuit of empty pleasures, the unrestrained fantasies and outrageous behavior, the sowing of "wild oats"---all of it stains the soul, corrupts the character, defiles the body. And no one is exempt from these human experiences! Some may pretend to be perfect---but they are living behind a façade. They insist they have no need of a Savior.
On the other hand, when you turn to me in genuine remorse because of your misconduct…I am a strong deliverer! The moment you cry out, "Be merciful to me a sinner!" I begin to respond…
I, the Friend of sinners, speak sweet solace to your spirit: "My son…my daughter…be at peace. Your sins are forgiven!"
As your Savior, my infinite grace pours out to set you free from guilt…free to follow me in gratitude. Learning to live in freedom is the seal of your salvation. For as your Savior, I am committed to you—at work to re-create you in character and conduct. I am able to construct something new and strong and worthwhile from a destructive past. I am able to bring the brightest light of joy where there has been darkest despair. I redeem all the empty, pointless pursuits of your past. Instead of the wretched harvest fields that the locusts of lawless behavior have ruined, I birth in you new life…with bountiful years ahead!!
All this is possible because I come to reside with you and in you. I transform, reshape and re-create a new character in you, akin to my own character. This new growth occurs day by day as you quietly allow my character to work in you.
All I ask from you, my child, is your calm compliance with my simple commands. Carry them out quietly and you will find supreme contentment. Trust me to work wonders in your life---I always do!
You will be astonished to find you really are free…not only from the futility of your old life, but also from the folly of your old self and your self-centeredness.
Being saved from the dreadful despair of self preoccupation is a glorious deliverance. Most people do not realize they are indeed their own worst enemy. They are so chained to their own desires. They do not understand how they struggle to satisfy their own selfish impulses. They labor under the load of self-gratification---an unrelenting bondage.
Over and over, I invite the worn and weary to come to me and find rest for their souls…along with new zest for abundant living.
I am the Savior who says, "I long to live my life in you day by day. You must determine to live out your life in my, hour by hour."
For my part…I am steadfast to carry out all of my eternal commitments to you,. On your part…you must choose to carry out my command in loyal devotion, confident that I can care of you completely.
Simply, do whatever I direct you to do. Learn to say "yes" to my wishes and "no" to your old inclinations and desires. The instant you do this you find both my energy and my faith is given to you to live in freedom from your old nature. From a revengeful spirit, I save you to do good to those who despise and misuse you. From a quick-fire reactive defensiveness, I save you to calmly respond as I would respond. From a sick soul that falls into every wallow of sin, I save you to triumph over every snare of sin in this world. I can empower you, so you no longer need to be a victim.
It is my saving presence that
Provides your power
Supplies your peace
Insures your purity
And ALWAYS prevails
But to know the fullness of your salvation you cannot live independent of me. That is to live a lie and I have no part in it. Here are the fundamental facts of our life together.
It takes two to be friends. Friendship works both ways. Friends have close communion. Friends have common interests. Friends find great delight in each other’s company. Friends make much time to be together. Friends are loyal.


I am your Friend,

I am YOUR Savior!


I am YOUR Father!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A "DAD"

There is a little saying that is often printed on greeting cards, plaques, figurines, etc. It says



ANY MAN CAN BE A FATHER,


BUT IT TAKES SOMEONE SPECIAL
TO BE A DAD








I believe that is true. Many men produce offspring, never to participate in their lives at all. A few hang around at the start, but drift away after a while. Others are present in body, but are absent where it really counts.






So what does it take to make a DAD?






Adrian Rogers once said you spell LOVE: T I M E








I think that is the first ingredient. To be a Dad, you must be willing to spend time with your child, to show them they are important to you. You must be willing to give up some of YOUR time for them. That may mean giving up some hours at work, giving up your favorite TV show, football game or naptime. But they need you to be present in their lives..to laugh with them, roughhouse with them, read them stories, take them for ice cream. They need you to be at their ballgames, piano recitals and cheerleader competitions. They need you to be their number one fan!

A Dad also needs to know how to have fun. Yes, his children need to respect him and obey him, but he does not need to be so stern and so serious that they do not want to be around him. Most men are just little boys anyway, so they need to get on their child's level and have FUN! They need to play games, roughhouse with them, play catch with them, read to them, and go for ice cream. For Dads with boys that is generally not too hard. However, Dads with daughters sometimes find it hard to know how to play with them. Here is a Dad who has it all together in that department:











Another element of being a Dad is to show affection. Dads need to hug their kids, kiss their kids and hold them every chance they get.............even after they are grown! Some guys think they are too macho for this, but get over it! Men need to be affectionate to their kids. He also needs to express it verbally...He needs to tell his child " I LOVE YOU "!








Dads need to be the spiritual leader of the home. They represent the Father to their children. Their children will learn their concept of God from them. Dads need to point their children to God, walk before them in such a way that their footsteps will lead their child TO God. They need to model how to pray, how to worship, and how to follow God. Tall order! No Dad can do that without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself. No Dad can do that without walking with the Lord daily. He can't share what he does not possess.








And a Dad needs to demonstrate how to love Mom. As the old saying goes "The greatest thing a Dad can do for his children is to love their mother." He needs to demonstrate to his sons how to love, respect and care for a woman; and he needs to show his daughters how a woman SHOULD be treated so she will seek the kind of man that will treat her just like that.






Sooooooooooooo Dads....how do you think you're doing?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

NEVER GIVE UP!

Several years ago we transplanted 26 very large azaleas to our wooded area. These were given to us by a friend who was getting rid of all his azaleas. They were probably 11 or 12 years old, so you can imagine how large they were. My husband worked for 2 straight days digging those huge things up, loading them onto a trailer and bringing them to our place and then transplanting them. Whew!! What a job! So far about 12 of them have survived. I've nurtured them and babied them to keep them living. Some are doing beautifully, others are hanging on by a thread. As I surveyed one the other day, it reminded me of many Christians. They start out on their walk with the Lord and are on fire for Him. They grow and put forth "new growth" and are on their way to becoming a fruitful, mature believer. But, somewhere along the way, something happens. That journey gets interrupted by the world and all that's in it. They stop feeding on God's word, they stop drinking from the wellsprings of prayer. Little by little their life begins to change. After a while, they look a lot like one of my azaleas:












At one point, this was about all there was left to this azalea. Just a few leaves. The rest was only dead branches. A lot of people would have dug it up and thrown it away. I admit I was tempted. But I just did not want to give up on it. So I kept watering it, kept fertilizing it and kept praying it would survive. (Yes, I do pray for my plants.) But I also did some major pruning. I cut away a lot of the dead wood. I figured I'd either kill it or cure it. And....it worked!





It has put out new growth and is beginning to thrive once again!!




Does this remind you of anyone you know? Or maybe it's YOU? Dear Friend...do NOT give up! Do not give up on your loved one. Do not give up on yourself! God does not give up on us! Maybe you or your loved one needs pruning and God may be in the process of that. Or maybe they just need you to keep believing in them and keep praying for them. The fertilize of prayer is one of the most powerful tools we can yield as a believer. Keep praying for this loved one. Keep encouraging them and loving them, even if you only see a hint of "green" showing. God, the Master Gardener, is able to resurrect the most unlikely and bring them back to a fruitful, productive life again. If this life is yours, do not despair. God has promised to give back the years the locusts have eaten if we will put turn to Him, repent, and follow Him. It is never too late.











Wednesday, June 11, 2008

GOD IS IN THE DETAILS

I've missed being able to post to this blog in recent days. Just a lot going on in my life right now. My mother is having tests tomorrow for some problems she has been having and facing possible surgery next week. So everything else has had to take a back seat as we have made doctor's appointments and tried to prepare for all this. I covet your prayers for her if the Lord brings her to your mind (even if you don't know her...God does!)

I am once again reminded how precious "normal" days are. I know...you probably think "here she goes again", but seriously....you really do not appreciate NORMAL until your normal is toppled.

My friend, Cyndi and her husband, Jim are in Houston, TX this week as Jim undergoes treatment for a malignancy on his spine, a metastasis from lung cancer. They know all about normal being interrupted. Cyndi, a writer herself, likens life being interrupted by cancer this way:


Living with cancer is like living with an uninvited giant in your home. After you recover from the initial shock of his arrival and realize he has decided to stay a while, you must decide how you will adjust to his presence. Do you get to know him better so that you are prepared for his next attack? Do you make a battle plan hoping to slay the nasty interloper? Do you ignore him and hope he will disappear as mysteriously as he appeared?
After a while you become accustomed to his presence but you never, ever forget he is there. You tiptoe around him because you know that any minute he might awaken, threatening and irascible or docile and sluggish. You never know if he will devour you in one large bite or be satisfied with a little snack to hold him over while he returns to hibernation. Sometimes he is so quiet you think he might be dead, but then he stirs, rears his ugly head, and comes back more ferocious than he was at first appearance.
A young family whose child was in our church's preschool recently learned their four year old daughter had leukemia. Believe me........their life is ANYTHING but normal these days, with regular trips to St .Jude, spinal taps, procedures, hair loss, taking temperatures around the clock, watching every bite she eats, and guarding her from sources of infection we don't even think about!
Yet in all of these...God is in the details. He meets our EVERY need, whether we are having a precious NORMAL day or a giant of an ABNORMAL day.
Cyndi emailed me something this morning that made me think of a verse of scripture. I emailed her back, including that verse. She emailed back that she had spent all morning trying to find that very verse to include in something she was writing!! Coincidence? NO WAY!!! You might believe that, but my dear Friend, I KNOW better!!!!!!!!!! God is in the details!
I cannot tell you how many times I've been in the pit over something and crying out to God when suddenly my phone will ring or I will get an email from someone who knows just what I need to hear to encourage me. They won't know my problem...won't have a clue I'm even having a bad day. But GOD KNOWS! He is in the details!
I read somewhere the other day ( I wish I could remember where and give whoever credit) that God speaks to us in a myriad of ways throughout the day in the little things. But, if we refuse to pay attention,then sometimes he has to SHOUT to us through difficult circumstances to get our attention. I want to be attentive to those LITTLE things so that He does not have to shout at me, don't you?
So look around you right now. What has been put in your path today to point you to Him? Was it an email you received earlier today? A phone call? A beautiful flower that you failed to pay close attention to? The voice of your child or grandchild, calling out to you? Stop! Pay attention to the little things. Listen for the voice of God. Open your eyes to the things around you. Realize that God is in the details!! He is sending His love to you in a number of different ways through a wide assortment of avenues. Be alert! Be looking! Don't miss the blessings that are right in front of your eyes! If you feel prompted to make a phone call or send an email or stop by and say hello to a neighbor, DO IT! You will never know how much they may need it! I wish I had a dollar for every time I've sent someone an email...usually a copy of a devotional that someone sent me...but I felt that person just needed it for some reason...and had them reply "That was just what I needed!!! How did you know?!" Answer? I didn't...but God did!
GOD IS IN THE DETAILS OF YOUR LIFE AND MINE!!! WATCH FOR HIM!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

HOLINESS OF GOD

"In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet and with two he did fly. And one cried unto another and said HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" Isaiah 6: 1-3 KJV

"...I beheld and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindred and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb.' And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying AMEN, BLESSING, and GLORY and WISDOM and THANKSGIVING and HONOR and POWER and GLORY be unto our God forever and ever" Rev. 7: 9-12

GOD IS HOLY.

He is to be reverenced and worshipped in the beauty of holiness.

He is NOT the "man upstairs". He is not "THE MAN". He is not to be taken lightly or brought down to our level. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is eternal. He is righteous. He is GOD ALMIGHTY.

I think somehow we've lost sight of that. We've become too flip about God. Our worship styles have changed and somehow that got lost in the mix. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not opposed to contemporary music. Quite the contrary, I like it. I really identify with a lot of the worship songs that we sing today. They speak to my heart and I thank God for the talented men and women like Mercy Me, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, and many others whose music has blessed my life and encouraged me. Yet somewhere along the line, I'm not really sure where or how, reverance for God has become distant memory.

We must not forget that God is HOLY! He is without sin. He is pure righteousness.

A long time ago, I visited a church in our area...the largest church in our area, to be exact. This church has a reputation for doing things in a big way and using all of their resources to bring others to Christ. On this particular evening, they had a visiting speaker. Her name was Esther Ahn Kim. As a young Korean Christian, she had faced imprisonment, torture and even death at the hands of Japanese warlords, yet she had remained true to her God. Hers was a moving testimony to say the least. (If I Perish, by Esther Ahn Kim published by Moody Press, 1979) But what was to follow her testimony I remember to this day.

The stage was unveiled and a glorious throne was there. Soon the music began and a host of people began to come forward dressed in white robes, each carrying a magnificent crown. As the strains of "Behold the Lamb" swelled, these "saints" proceeded to the foot of the throne where they knelt and laid their crowns. It was one of the most moving scenes I've ever witnessed and before it was completed every person in that huge auditorium was on their feet, standing in reverance and in worship of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

That was an earthly re-creation of a scene that will play out in actuality in Heaven one day. We won't enter Heaven joking with Saint Peter. We won't enter Heaven high-fiving the Lord. We will enter Heaven falling to our knees as we worship the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, the Great I AM, HOLY GOD Himself. We will bow in worship, adoration, and humility. As the song by Mercy Me says "I can only imagine.....will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall, will I sing allelulia, will I be able to speak at all?" But it will be a holy moment that is for sure.

We serve a BIG God, a HOLY righteous God. He is worthy of our praise, adoration and respect. Let us give Him no less. He alone is worthy!!!!!!!!!!


Sunday, June 1, 2008

WHAT A DAY!

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy" I Timothy 6:17

I had one of those days yesterday that we don't get too often. Just a quiet, leisurely day. What a blessing!

I began my day on my back porch, the favorite feature of my entire house! I sat there with my cup of coffee, just drinking in the morning stillness. The dew was glistening on the grass, the birds were singing a Hallelujah chorus from the trees and a light breeze was blowing through the trees in our small wooded area.

I delighted in the beauty of a cluster of yellow daylilies in full bloom. They made me think of Mother who grows them and delights in them like no one I've ever known. In fact, she joined me later in the day as we sat in the lounge chairs in the woods, again savoring the surroundings. She had given the daylilies to us when we built our house and they have never been more beautiful than this year. The spring rains have caused everything to be exceptionally beautiful this season. Jesus thought a lot of daylilies too. He said that Solomon, the richest man in the world who could afford and did have probably the most exquisite wardrobe of any man EVER, was never outfitted as beautifully as just one of these lilies! Any wonder my mother loves them so? Each one is a masterpiece of the Master Designer.

Not to take anything away from the daylilies, but just past them in a shady area of the woods is my hydrangea bed. My hydrangeas are blooming with mopheads of blue and a blush of pink. They are a thrill to me because after several years of babying them, this is the first year they have bloomed. And I LOVE hydrangeas. So I routinely find myself just staring at them with joy and delight at their beauty.

It is so seldom that we are able to be quiet and still, to enjoy the beauty that God has placed for our enjoyment around us. We live in such a fast paced world that our schedules don't allow for much "down time" or else if we stop, we feel guilty for all the things we SHOULD be doing.

Yet God created times for us to do just that. To stop, to feast our eyes on His creation, to enjoy the quiet stillness of the day. He said "Be still and know that I am God".

So make time today to obey His word. BE STILL. Take a look around you at the beauty He has placed in YOUR path today for your enjoyment. It may not be daylilies or hydrangeas. It may be the face of your child, the warmth of your spouse's hand in yours, a huge bowl of delicious ice cream or swim in your pool. But just recognize that these simple pleasures are for your enjoyment. Your Heavenly Father delights in providing them for you so that you may relax and unwind and be still before Him. May you hear Him speak in the quietness of those moments.