Getting ready for work this morning it became quite clear to me what I need. Psalms 23 has long been a favorite of mine. I remember as a child learning this when a children's evangelist would come to our church each year for a week. I learned this passage because I wanted to win a prize but the pictures he presented along with it always drew me in....I just didn't know whom I was being drawn too. This morning I have a whole new take on it....
Yes....I know the Lord is my Shepherd....but I have a hard time letting Him always lead. But what I want....I want Him to lead me into those green meadows and walk with me beside those peaceful streams. I need to willingly let go of everything and just go there! When I do that I know that He is more than capable of renewing my strength....my daily strength and my strength in Him. Strength to meet Him in those dark places that I can't seem to leave behind. I want to walk all the paths of my life with Him and I want to only bring honor to the Lord....not shame. I have walked....as we all have....through many dark places in my life....most of them were of my own making. Yet I am trying so hard to not be afraid when in my mind I remember....trying to let go....why is it so hard....for all of us....for me....to do that at times. Knowing that He is there to protect and comfort me....knowing that all I want is more and more of Jesus! The Lord has prepared so much for me and is still. I am well taken care of and yes I have many blessings. He has always loved me with unfailing....unending love....that I can't even come close to comprehending. He has pursued me all of my life and all I ever did was run....and fail miserably. But I have a goal and that is....too live with our Lord....my Lord....forever....in unending love!
Read Psalms 23....it is wonderful and freeing....if you will let it be....
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
A Jumbled Mess
For awhile now I have had many many thoughts but I just can't seem to sort them out enough to write them down. In my minds eye I see them as a jumbled up mess of yarn with no end in sight to grab a hold of. If I could just get a hold of the end....I could pull and unravel the mess....then fix the problem. In my heart I know what it is....why I can't write....but I can't sort through it until I do write. Does that make any sense at all??!! Because....it somehow does make sense to me....so I am writing. You may want to opt out of reading this now....if not....it could be a different sort of ride.
It's taken me a while to get to this point but here it is....
I believe satan is in the middle of all of this. Right in the middle of my mess of yarn....holding on to both ends. I pull and dig....looking for the end....the solution....but he knows I have not been ready to turn it loose and give it to the Lord. That's a revelation for me right there. I didn't know it either until just now. Writing....writing is good for me....I listen when I write. Writing is like a therapy session for me....the Lords therapy.
Another revelation....in the first paragraph I said....
If I could unravel the mess I could fix the problem. There it is....I can't fix the problem....only God can! I know these things....I know!! In church this morning we heard about sin....confessing it....forgiveness....forgiving ourself. The whole sermon just brought it all right back to the mess in my head. I knew it then and I know it now....I just don't like it.
Some of the sermon....
Psalms 51....David asks God for mercy...asks for forgiveness. God will do that for us....we just need to be sincere and believe. For some things I have a hard time believing it. As the Pastor said....and as I know from experience....it is hard to forgive yourself for some things. My thought....If you can't forgive yourself does God still forgive you? I don't know and that scares me. Pastor also said something that is so true that I would like to share with you....
All sin is the same in essence, but all sin is not the same in consequence.
That is the best way I have heard sin described....it hit home to me. I have heard it said so many times that....sin is sin. True. But for me sin is on a scale. 1 is the least offensive and 10 is setting off all the bells and whistles there are!! They're all the same....essence....but some just have lasting effects you can't get away from....consequence!
This afternoon I heard a song that was really good. The only words I can remember are....
Jesus Your presence is Heaven to me. To me that one line is so true. If you can just get into the presence of the Lord....you will be okay! Jesus will help you to work it out!! I have truly been in....and felt....His presence within me before and it is the best thing ever!! All the bad....the heartsick....the feelings you just can't explain to anyone....melt away!
His presence....get into His presence. Turn your eyes....your hearts eye....towards Him.
The mess of yarn is about half as big now so.....
I will end this with a scripture that sits on my desk.
Matthew 11:28-29
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
"until we see Jesus....face to face"
It's taken me a while to get to this point but here it is....
I believe satan is in the middle of all of this. Right in the middle of my mess of yarn....holding on to both ends. I pull and dig....looking for the end....the solution....but he knows I have not been ready to turn it loose and give it to the Lord. That's a revelation for me right there. I didn't know it either until just now. Writing....writing is good for me....I listen when I write. Writing is like a therapy session for me....the Lords therapy.
Another revelation....in the first paragraph I said....
If I could unravel the mess I could fix the problem. There it is....I can't fix the problem....only God can! I know these things....I know!! In church this morning we heard about sin....confessing it....forgiveness....forgiving ourself. The whole sermon just brought it all right back to the mess in my head. I knew it then and I know it now....I just don't like it.
Some of the sermon....
Psalms 51....David asks God for mercy...asks for forgiveness. God will do that for us....we just need to be sincere and believe. For some things I have a hard time believing it. As the Pastor said....and as I know from experience....it is hard to forgive yourself for some things. My thought....If you can't forgive yourself does God still forgive you? I don't know and that scares me. Pastor also said something that is so true that I would like to share with you....
All sin is the same in essence, but all sin is not the same in consequence.
That is the best way I have heard sin described....it hit home to me. I have heard it said so many times that....sin is sin. True. But for me sin is on a scale. 1 is the least offensive and 10 is setting off all the bells and whistles there are!! They're all the same....essence....but some just have lasting effects you can't get away from....consequence!
This afternoon I heard a song that was really good. The only words I can remember are....
Jesus Your presence is Heaven to me. To me that one line is so true. If you can just get into the presence of the Lord....you will be okay! Jesus will help you to work it out!! I have truly been in....and felt....His presence within me before and it is the best thing ever!! All the bad....the heartsick....the feelings you just can't explain to anyone....melt away!
His presence....get into His presence. Turn your eyes....your hearts eye....towards Him.
The mess of yarn is about half as big now so.....
I will end this with a scripture that sits on my desk.
Matthew 11:28-29
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
"until we see Jesus....face to face"
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Jesus Is With Us
At times I wonder why things happen. You know....why we have the problems we have. This morning when I awoke into the same problem I was having when I went to sleep I thought ....why? Why Lord won't this issue just go away....why don't You just make it stop? After about an hour I turned on some music....hoping for something slow and worshipful....and they were singing a fast song. The first few seconds I didn't pay much attention to the words but then...."But GOD"....then I heard it. Did you notice those two important words I threw in? "But GOD!" The words of the chorus are....
Jesus is with me when the storm clouds gather
He's standing by my side when I hear the thunder roll
He holds my hand when I began to tremble
When the winds of this world are blowing strong
There you have it. Jesus is with me....Jesus is with you....when the thunder starts rolling in our life! Things may be going crazy....you might not know if you are going to get to the other side of the problem your facing....and you don't know why God just doesn't make it stop! I don't know either but there is one thing I do know....
JESUS is with me! As bad as it can get at times in our life....JESUS is with us and He's got us....holding us....telling us....Don't worry, I've got you! When satan is throwing one of your biggest fears at you JESUS is saying....I've got you....hold on to my hand....I've got you....you don't need to be afraid....I've got you....trust in Me because whatever happens....I've got you!
Isaiah 41:10
Jesus is with me when the storm clouds gather
He's standing by my side when I hear the thunder roll
He holds my hand when I began to tremble
When the winds of this world are blowing strong
There you have it. Jesus is with me....Jesus is with you....when the thunder starts rolling in our life! Things may be going crazy....you might not know if you are going to get to the other side of the problem your facing....and you don't know why God just doesn't make it stop! I don't know either but there is one thing I do know....
JESUS is with me! As bad as it can get at times in our life....JESUS is with us and He's got us....holding us....telling us....Don't worry, I've got you! When satan is throwing one of your biggest fears at you JESUS is saying....I've got you....hold on to my hand....I've got you....you don't need to be afraid....I've got you....trust in Me because whatever happens....I've got you!
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
When I went to look up a scripture for this post this was not the one I had in mind....but guess what....this is the scripture GOD wanted here. Isaiah 41:10 is the scripture of the day on my Bible app....the first one I read this morning. Do you think GOD is speaking this morning? I know for me He is and I believe that for some of you....He is as well.
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Psalm 62:5
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
Psalm 62:8
O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.
Tonight I am reading in the Psalms and somehow it just makes me feel better. There is just something about the many songs....the prayers....that when I read them they just kind of burrow themselves down deep inside of me and speak to the things that need spoken too. Spoken too by a God that loves....that cares....about all the sick and broken places. These two verses just serve as a reminder that there is always hope and that all we need to do is trust in the God who sent His son Jesus to die for us. To take upon Himself everything that I need to give Him....my sin....my brokenness....my worries....my sickness....my day to day struggles....anything and everything in my life. Verse 8 tells us to pour out our heart to Him....why don't I do that more....why don't we do that more?! I must Trust Him because He is my refuge....my stronghold....my calmness on a rough and rolling sea! Jesus is all of this for all of us....and much more! This is all very personnel for me tonight because I need to remember that Jesus is hope....He is my refuge....He does hold me securely in His strong right hand....He does hide me in the shadow of His wings. When that wave of fear comes in....crashes over you....starts pulling you under just remember....the Lord has got you and He won't let you go!
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
Psalm 62:8
O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.
Tonight I am reading in the Psalms and somehow it just makes me feel better. There is just something about the many songs....the prayers....that when I read them they just kind of burrow themselves down deep inside of me and speak to the things that need spoken too. Spoken too by a God that loves....that cares....about all the sick and broken places. These two verses just serve as a reminder that there is always hope and that all we need to do is trust in the God who sent His son Jesus to die for us. To take upon Himself everything that I need to give Him....my sin....my brokenness....my worries....my sickness....my day to day struggles....anything and everything in my life. Verse 8 tells us to pour out our heart to Him....why don't I do that more....why don't we do that more?! I must Trust Him because He is my refuge....my stronghold....my calmness on a rough and rolling sea! Jesus is all of this for all of us....and much more! This is all very personnel for me tonight because I need to remember that Jesus is hope....He is my refuge....He does hold me securely in His strong right hand....He does hide me in the shadow of His wings. When that wave of fear comes in....crashes over you....starts pulling you under just remember....the Lord has got you and He won't let you go!
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Monday, June 9, 2014
Take Me Back Lord
Do you ever think about the day you accepted Jesus and what an awesome day that was? Tonight I've been doing that. It seems that whenever I'm going through a rough place....wondering about it all....just about
ready to go into a head first downhill slide....something happens that
starts bringing things back into focus a bit. Tonight it was a song that brought the day I first believed back to memory....a flashback moment.
Take Me Back (Andre Crouch)
(Chorus)
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed.
(Verse)
I feel that I'm so far from you Lord
But still I hear you calling me
Those simple things that I once knew,
Their memories keep drawing me.
I must confess, Lord I've been blessed
But yet my soul's not satisfied.
Renew my faith, restore my joy
And dry my weeping eyes.
(Chorus)
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received You.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed
I tried so hard
To make it all alone
I need your help
Just to make it home.
Right now this song really says it all for me. When it came on I knew it was for me. If you could open my heart....read the words inside....you would see this song! I have been thinking these very things but just couldn't get them out.
I'm only sharing this because I think there are others out there feeling the same way. We all have different journeys and different reasons we get to this place. And really....I don't think it's a bad place because it's in this place that we really see our own need for our Savior. It's in this place that we realize what Jesus has done for us....where He has brought us from and where He is taking us too. Like the last couple of lines say....
We can try hard but we will always need HIS help to make it home!
Take me back dear Lord and renew my faith. Restore me to what you want me to be....not to what I believe I am. Amen....
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Take Me Back (Andre Crouch)
(Chorus)
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed.
(Verse)
I feel that I'm so far from you Lord
But still I hear you calling me
Those simple things that I once knew,
Their memories keep drawing me.
I must confess, Lord I've been blessed
But yet my soul's not satisfied.
Renew my faith, restore my joy
And dry my weeping eyes.
(Chorus)
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received You.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed
I tried so hard
To make it all alone
I need your help
Just to make it home.
Right now this song really says it all for me. When it came on I knew it was for me. If you could open my heart....read the words inside....you would see this song! I have been thinking these very things but just couldn't get them out.
I'm only sharing this because I think there are others out there feeling the same way. We all have different journeys and different reasons we get to this place. And really....I don't think it's a bad place because it's in this place that we really see our own need for our Savior. It's in this place that we realize what Jesus has done for us....where He has brought us from and where He is taking us too. Like the last couple of lines say....
We can try hard but we will always need HIS help to make it home!
Take me back dear Lord and renew my faith. Restore me to what you want me to be....not to what I believe I am. Amen....
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Let The Holy Spirit Guide
Today I decided I was going to need to adjust my perception of things....or take a long nap....because my day was not going real well. I haven't been sleeping much and then I had a call....at 8a.m....from a customer that wouldn't believe anything I said. She thought I surely didn't know what I was talking about and nothing I said helped....when I could get a word in edgewise! Finally I passed her off to someone else that had more patience than I did this morning. So when I had lunch I decided maybe I should read my Bible a bit....
None of my Bibles are just regular Bibles. They all have study notes of some kind in them. This one has different notes and prayers and what I will call....little tidbits of wisdom and encouragement. I opened it up....flipped through....and stopped on the last page of Galatians. There in the margin it said....
Because God is called Holy Spirit I will let Him guide my life and attitudes.
Reference;
Galatians 6:16 NLT
May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle;
they are the new people of God.
Then I read the verse above it....
Galatians 6:15b
What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
There it is. We need to let God transform us into who we need to be. We can't do it on our own. We can't be the person we need to be....the person that others can see Jesus in without first letting Him change us....our life and our attitudes....our old nature.
After reading the 6th chapter I turned back a page and started reading at....
Galatians 5:16 NLT
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
That's the secret....let the Holy Spirit guide us. We need a guide to be able to live a holy life in this world. He helps us along the right path in life if we let Him.
When I read all of this today it made sense to me and I immediately thought I needed to share it. I hope that somehow what I wrote makes sense to those who are reading this now.
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
None of my Bibles are just regular Bibles. They all have study notes of some kind in them. This one has different notes and prayers and what I will call....little tidbits of wisdom and encouragement. I opened it up....flipped through....and stopped on the last page of Galatians. There in the margin it said....
Because God is called Holy Spirit I will let Him guide my life and attitudes.
Reference;
Galatians 6:16 NLT
May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle;
they are the new people of God.
Then I read the verse above it....
Galatians 6:15b
What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
There it is. We need to let God transform us into who we need to be. We can't do it on our own. We can't be the person we need to be....the person that others can see Jesus in without first letting Him change us....our life and our attitudes....our old nature.
After reading the 6th chapter I turned back a page and started reading at....
Galatians 5:16 NLT
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
That's the secret....let the Holy Spirit guide us. We need a guide to be able to live a holy life in this world. He helps us along the right path in life if we let Him.
When I read all of this today it made sense to me and I immediately thought I needed to share it. I hope that somehow what I wrote makes sense to those who are reading this now.
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Psalm 68:19
I found a new verse tonight....
Psalm 68:19 NLT
Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior!
For each day He carries us in His arms.
This verse was almost jumping off the page at me tonight. When I read it I knew it was the Lord telling me not to worry....He's got me! I just need to stay close to Him....walk with Him....and keep praising Him! There is nothing more important than Him!
I heard an old song today that fits for this. Whether you live in a city or in the country....whether you are young or old....listen to the words.
Just A Closer Walk With Thee...click the link.
Psalm 68:19 NLT
Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior!
For each day He carries us in His arms.
This verse was almost jumping off the page at me tonight. When I read it I knew it was the Lord telling me not to worry....He's got me! I just need to stay close to Him....walk with Him....and keep praising Him! There is nothing more important than Him!
I heard an old song today that fits for this. Whether you live in a city or in the country....whether you are young or old....listen to the words.
Just A Closer Walk With Thee...click the link.
"until we see JESUS....face to face"
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