Lord...You Keep Your Promises.

Seems like this week I need to know and to trust that God keeps His promises more than ever. This verse solidifies my soul like an anchor in the Solid Rock:

LORD God of Heaven, You are great and fearsome. And You faithfully keep Your promises to everyone who loves You and obeys Your commands. -- Nehemiah 1:5 (CEV)

My Lord, You Are Faithful and I am...
Grateful

My Sweat. His Blood.

I often pray this prayer as I seek to be a faithful minister of the Good News of Jesus Christ and a "carry-outer" of His Great Commission to us:

Lord, remind me over-and-over again as I live my life for Your glory:
"It's not much about how much I sweat!
It is all about how much You bled!"

'Tis so sweet to trust in You, Jesus!

Trusting Him must overwhelm trying harder.

Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:20 (NKJV) -- For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

The Overseer of the Overcomers

Years ago, I was given an audio recording of Bishop S.M. Lockridge reciting his original proclamation titled "He's My King! You Can Trust Him!" It is probably the most awesome exaltations of Christ I have ever heard. It was in that exaltation that I first heard the Lord referred to as "The Overseer of the Overcomers!"

A few weeks ago when my mentor, James Spruill, was praying about whether he should lead his medical missions team to Haiti with all of the uncertainties following the island nation's devastating earthquake, the Lord comforted James' heart and confirmed that the trip should indeed happen with the words of Psalm 121:8: The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

James and the medical team made the lives of those they encountered in Haiti delightfully different just by showing up in the hour of Haiti's greatest need. They have now returned safely back to the States. Surely, our our Lord loves proving that We can trust Him, because without a doubt He is "The Overseer of the Overcomers!"

The words of our Lord in John 16:33 are surely sweet to the souls of His saints: I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Take Time to Be Holy

Today is my precious Mom's 68th birthday. I just talked with her on the phone. After I had spoken well wishes and given thanks for her life, she, as always, tenderly turned the conversation away from herself and to our Lord. She said. "Son, I haven't been able to get the words of that old hymn, Take Time to Be Holy, off of my mind."

Lord, I am so grateful for the gift of a Christlike Mom. Help her eldest son to saturate day-by-day in the words of the holy hymn that's on her mind today. In Jesus' Holy name, I pray. Amen.

Take Time to Be Holy -- William D. Longstaff, 1822-1894

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in Him always, and feed on His word.
Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let Him be thy guide,
and run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus, still trust in His word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Spread It All Out Before The Lord!

In 2 Kings 19, King Hezekiah received a threatening letter from his enemy that scared him to death. In verse 14 of 2 Kings 19, King Hezekiah placed his faith in His God over his fear of the enemy. Here's how he did it:

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.

As the New Year rises before us, surely fear of the unknown threatens our trust in The Living God. But, we can do just as King Hezekiah did. Yes, we can just spread it all out before the Lord. How do we practically do that? We spread it all out before the Lord in prayer! So, LET US PRAY!

ALL... JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful

Look At The Birds!

Seven words in Psalm 50:11 (NIV) speak powerfully to me about our God's compassionate attention to His Creation: I know every bird in the mountains...

Jesus then says in Luke 12:24 (NIV): And you are far more valuable to Him than any birds!

Lord, I pray that we would trust You like the birds do. You challenge us to have confidence in You with these words You spoke in Matthew 6:26: "Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your Heavenly Father feeds them."

Like the birds, Lord, let our lives be characterized by worship, not worry. We should not dwell in sorrow, but we should instead sing of Your love forever. Amen.

ALL... JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful (P.S. Added Later in the Day Below)

P.S. This morning after I wrote and posted this blog entry, I sadly found a frozen mourning dove in the midst of black-oil sunflower seed that I keep plentiful in my yard for my winged-friends. I buried the beautiful bird in the ground underneath the snow at the foot of the Manger in our outdoor Nativity Scene. (Because I know the symbolism of a dove in the Bible and because I know that God's Son was born to die, burying the breathless, beautiful dove was a very deep and agonizing moving experience for me.) Still, it was an amazing experience for me,too, in that I had just read Psalm 50:11 late last evening. Think about it: The God I love, knew this dove. When the dove died, I can vouch that it was not hungry, but when it breathed its last breath, our compassionate Creator God cared. And how much more valuable are we than birds. An inspiring illustration for my soul.

Turn Worrying Into Worship

After reading Mark 4:35-41 this morning, this is my solemn prayer:

Lord, help me to turn all of my worrying into awesome worship of You. Amen.

Mark 4:35-41 (NLT) -- (35) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let’s cross to the other side of the lake." (36) He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). (37) But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. (38) Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke Him up, shouting, "Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?" (39) When He woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. (40) And He asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?" (41) And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, "Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey Him?"

ALL JOY!
Grateful