Reminders...

No one knows as well as I how much I owe to our Lord for His gift of salvation and newness of life. I do attempt to do the things I know that would please Him. Every now and then, however, I am reminded that I might not be all that I should be as a Christian.

I am grateful that His Still Small Voice speaks, by His Spirit and through His written Word, to my heart. As a shepherd with an errant lamb, my Good Shepherd gently leads me on the path to a better way. He is patient with me, knowing my silly reasons for thinking and doing all that I do. His hope is that I will grow to be more like Him as I walk with Him. It is my hope, too.

Recently a new reminder was presented. I have been reading a number of new blogs, one of which is written by a young woman who was formerly a member of an Amish community. She writes with such honesty and humility and conviction! As I read of her hardwork, her bright attitude, her gentleness and lack of judgement and complaint, I think how I must look in comparison. Much of what she was raised with in her faith are so foreign to me, and I'm sure she could say the same about my life. It has led me to examine my ways, to hold my tongue, to rethink the thoughts that form judgements of others.

I'm not saying that I'm comparing myself to this woman, I don't need to do that. What I need to do is to look at myself and try to see where I'm falling down in my life as a child of God. If comparison is done, it should be Jesus that I need to measure up to.

Lord, please forgive my failings. Help me to keep my eyes on You, and to grow closer to You in my efforts to measure up to all that You would have me to be. And...thank you for all the reminders you send my way to help me to please You.

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With a Grateful Heart

Lord, it is with a grateful heart that I come to You this morning. You do so much for me that tends to be overlooked. I know that You know that I don't purposely ignore You and all that You do, and perhaps I've no excuse. But, there are days when it seems that I'm so busy that I don't remember to say 'thank you', even if I remember what it is that You've done.

Maybe that's why You tell us in Your Word to 'Be still and know that I am God." When I find those quiet moments in which I can be still and reflect upon You, I realize so many things. I remembered the prayers which were prayed and I see what Your answers were. When I look around me, I realize all that You have granted me in my life, which makes my life more comfortable. Even the fact that I can sit and 'listen' to You in stress-free moments is a wonderful gift. The word and meaning of 'stress-free' is also a tremendous offering from You.

The world around me...the colors, the views, the amazing environment....it's all so overwhelming, when I sit back and think about it. All You had to do was 'think' it into being. Not only did You think 'tree', You made each type of tree....fir, pine, disiduous. Not only did You think 'color', You spoke hues and shades of each color. What Your thought resulted in was an overwhelming beauty that we might notice, but not offer thanks for.

Lord God, Creator of all things...I give you thanks. Not just for the creation You spoke into being, but for everything that You have brought into my life. For every pain that I've endured and You have allowed, for it has brought with it some meaningful lesson. For every moment that You've kept Your hand upon me, enveloping me in Your care even when I was unaware of it, I praise You. So many things, Lord, swim through my thoughts right now....and I thank you for each one.

More than all else, Father, I lift my gratitude for Your love and Your tremendous plan of salvation which You made known to me. Without that message, without Your plan, I'd be wandering lost and alone, but because You made a way, I belong, eternally, to You! And, my heart is full of thanksgiving. Bless God...

Let Go....

Lord, why do I stress over things? Why do I think there's something I can do about them, like I'm in control? Time and time again, I've done something with that idea in mind, only to fall flat on my face. I can NOT fix it! But....I know Who can!

I'm learning. I've been praying for almost as long as I've been breathing. Somehow, I always knew that You were there, and listening. Of course, my early prayers were more like playing "Let's Make A Deal" with You and most often those prayers were answered in a way that I was happy with. As I grew older...and a little wiser...I learned to pray in a different way, but still hoped things would turn out my way. Now, these days, this old lady has learned that YOUR way is the best way, no matter what I might ask for or think I'd like to see.

I've figured out that there's really not one thing I can do about anything, and that worrying is such a waste of time. When I pray, I know You hear. I know You are not sleeping or inactive. I know You are interested in doing what is best, and I know that no matter what I want, You will have Your will. So....I'm learning to let go.

Thank you, Jesus, for always doing what is best. Thank you for helping me to Let Go and turn it over to You. You've already got the controls, but You do delight in hearing me say, "Go ahead. You drive. I'll just sit back and watch the scenery."

I love You, Lord! Drive on.....and I'll try not to be a back seat driver.

Lord, I'm having one of those Goliath moments. You know....the ones that are too big to think of without some heart pounding and some mind racing. No matter what speeches I give to myself, the fears continue to rise.

Yes, I know, Lord. There's no sense getting stressed out about the unknown future events. But that's exactly what causes the stress....the unknown! When you know what to expect, you can prepare yourself to deal with it. But there's no dealing with the unknown.

I guess that's where trust in You comes into play. Why would I need to trust if I knew what was coming and how to deal with it? So, I determine to trust You in this stuff, and stop trying to figure these things out. I make a decision, here and now, to place this in your hands and not take it back. I place it in your hands and leave it there. You know best how to untangle the knots and make straight the entanglements that cause confusion and mess. I don't know how to handle anything, and anything I do would not accomplish anything, for I don't know what I'm facing in the future. And....what can I do about it, anyway?

Here, Lord. Take these stresses, these fears and this giant moment that weighs on me. I ask that You might refill those spaces within me with peace and knowledge that You've got it all under control. I know You do....and I will practice trusting You for whatever I'll need today and in the future days. You know that I love You, Lord and I know that You love me. Together we'll get through the known and the unknown.

Thank you, Lord....for....everything.

Blessed

Lord, so often I hear the news of some trial or huge challenge that one is facing. My heart fills with compassion for that one, and my words form in prayer, asking You to give all that the person needs in order to come through victoriously.

I am blessed to be able to help in such a way. I've had situations that were too big for me to handle gracefully, and You've always answered my prayers and those of others who pray on my behalf. Thank you for providing for me...grace for every situation. You never fail us.

I am blessed to have that gift, and the knowledge that You never leave us or forsake us. You love your children and care for them without measure, without discrimination, without condition.
Lord, thank you for that love and care. I don't deserve such love, not because of anything I've done, and yet, You freely give it, not in payment for my behavior, but because You are God.

I am truly blessed to be one of Your children, and as long as I live and breathe, I pray that I will be a well-behaved child. I hope that when I see You, face to face, that You will say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I don't want You to say that because it will be a reward for me, I want You to say it because I pleased You. I want to please You because I love You and because You have blessed me in so many ways, I want to give back.

Thank you, my precious Savior, for every blessing You have showered upon me. Help me to live my life in such a way that You are blessed by my life, and that others, too, will be blessed by my love for You. Amen

Doing Battle with Goliath

This week, my devotional assignment on vision, comes from 1 Samuel 17: 26 & 27. in regard to David and Goliath. I have yet to figure out how to write that, but in thinking about them:

I came to realize that Goliaths are in our lives all the time. Sometimes they are quiet and the SON shines in such a way that we don't see the shadows. We go on about our lives without much thought of them. At other times they are huge and noisey and the shadows overtake us, lying over our lives in darkness. It is at those times when we must work to get out of the shadows, taking a leap of faith into the Sonlight. We need to look for God in those times. We need to do battle with our Goliath, not in our own strength, but using the strength provided by God. One of those strengths, no matter how week it "feels", is TRUST. Another is surrender to the knowledge that God never fails us. No matter where we are, no matter what our circumstances, God knows best where to take us, and how to take us through
to work things out for our BEST and for HIS glory!

Do battle with your current Goliath, and don't shiver in your shoes. Stand tall, stand firm in your faith, and walk in complete surrender to the Lord. He will bring about your victory!

Awesome God

Lord, last night I lay awake between midnight and 3 am, and many thoughts wiggled around in my tired head. I thought about You.

We call You an "awesome God." Well, yes...You are awesome, but what does that mean to us? (Not what does that mean for us.) The word 'awesome' has been watered down as it has become a part of our daily useage, and though it does define You in a very real way, I'm not sure that the word has the impact that it ought to when describing You.

If we were truly in awe when we think on You, or pray to You, or lift our praises to You, how could we possibly stand in an upright position. Should we not be thrown to the ground with an over-whelming realization that we are in the very presence of the only true and living GOD?!
Shouldn't we feel, as in the Old Testament, that we were not worthy of uttering the very name of God with our lips?

What amazes me, puts me in awe, is that You want anything to do with us, whom You have purposely created to be Your children, when we have wandered so far from what You desired us to be. We have disappointed You, and still, You adopted us into Your kingdom, made us 'blood relatives' , cared for us, and called us Your children. Even then, as we disappoint You, ignore You, choose our own willful ways, when we are ready to repent, You receive us, forgiving us again, as if nothing ever happened. That puts me in awe!

You do inspire awe within my heart and mind, Lord. It is no longer what You have made. It is not even what You do. It is WHO YOU ARE that causes me to know deep within my soul, that there is no other like You! I want to physically lie down on my face and rest in the thought that You are my own! And You are awesome!