Picnic of grace...

Psalm 139:14a
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works...


As we picnicked under the shade of a weeping willow, Patrick said, "boy TonnTonn, it sure is nice to eat outside!" I smiled and simply took in, not just the loveliness of the moment, but, the beauty of the chaos as well. The kids ran and laughed and played against the ever changing back drop of life As my heart pumped life to my physical body, the breath of the Holy Spirit to my soul; I was simply amazed by the graciousness and goodness of my Lord!

Over the last couple weeks, I have been prompted within my Spirit to meditate upon God our creator... And when I sit back and really take in all the beauty of His creation, I am amazed; but while everything He made was deemed good, WE are yet His most glorious creation for we were created on HIS very image!

If we had no other witness to the God other than the earth itself, we could not deny His existence. But WOW, the amazing facts about us as His creation are liken unto one letter, in a word , in a sentence, in a paragraph, on a page, contained in one volume in a series of books where the story never ends...

For instance, did you know that...

The human bone is as strong as granite in supporting weight. A block of bone the size of a matchbox can support 9 tons- that is four times as much as concrete can support.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
5As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.


Or...
That the focusing muscles of the eyes move around 100,000 times a day. To give your leg muscles the same workout, you would need to walk 80km (50 miles) every day.

Psalm 25:15-16
15Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

And hmmm...
In 30 minutes, the average body gives off enough heat (combined) to bring a half gallon of water to boil.

2 Kings 4:34
34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.


What about the staggering fact that...
Our nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Ever wonder how you can react so fast to things around you or feel pain the instant you hurt yourself? This is why!


Or how about this...
Your brain is much more active at night than during the day

Daniel 2:29-30
29As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

And...
When you sleep, you grow by about 8mm (0.3in). The next day you shrink back to your former height. The reason is that your cartilage discs are squeezed like sponges by the force of gravity when you stand or sit.

Psalm 4:8
8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

This fact blows me out of the water...
The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Lamentations 3:21
21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Philippians 4:8-9
8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

...And when "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul"(Genesis 2:7)
He made your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.

What about the fact that...
Our sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph...
and if you think God created OUR sneeze to be that fast and forceful, just look at what HIS did...

Exodus 15:8
8And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

And we all like to eat right? Well...
During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. In order for anything to have a taste, chemicals from the substance must be dissolved by saliva.
God is so awesome! Not only did He make the food, he made it so we could enjoy every bite!

Job 34:3-4
3For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.


...and why oh why do we NOT beam from ear to ear more often when it only takes 17 muscles to smile and so much more effort to frown by using 43?
We have too many reasons to be joyful!!

Psalm 144:15
15Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

And the Lord made me go "hmmmm" when I learned this little tid bit...
The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.

Psalm 34:13
13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile

And...
The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone.

Psalm 35:27
27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.


Oh be careful little feet where you go cause...
The feet account for one quarter of all the human body’s bones. Of the two hundred or so bones in the body, the feet contain 52 of them. You use 200 muscles to take one step...no wonder we need to put on the shoes of the Gospel ;-)

Psalm 119:105
105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path


And one last truth that made my heart soar...

A baby acquires fingerprints in the womb at six months. At only 6-13 weeks of development, the ridges of what will be fingerprints have already developed. And they don't change from that moment on! There is no one person the same as the other...we may have similar traits...but in God's infinite wisdom and creative love, He made us unique, incredibly special and totally identifiable as separate individuals! ...look at us...each finger with a different print ...just try, for a moment, to fathom this...10 per person and how many people are on the planet? And we increase in number every day...STAGGERING!!! The mind of God...who can know it? No one!


Psalm 139:13
13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

We are forever finding out the newness of His creation, the newness of the Human mind, body and spirit.

"In the beginning God created" is the very foundation of our faith. Knowing this to be a truth beyond any other is the basis of why we believe all the other wonderful promises of our Lord! And there will never be an artist as creative, an author's pen more exciting; no inventor with more genius, not a baker's dish with spices more savory, nor a musician's ear more in tune than Elohim, our creator, our GOD's

So, Patrick, I agree...it WAS nice to eat outside today!!

Handfuls on Purpose...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.8Charity never faileth...

Recently a friend of mine and I were reading a bracelet that had an inscription of 1 Cor. 13:4 on it.  They said, in jest, " do you really believe that kind of love exists anymore?"  and as you guys are getting to know me, you know that this of course got me to thinking...

do I just SAY that I believe it exists or do I TRULY  believe it DOES exist? 

My life would say I do simply because it seems that when I love, I love with all I've got: but, that isn't what this passage is saying at all...anyone can have the capacity to love with with their flesh and be quite dedicated; yet still not embody ALL that having charity breathes because how can you truly love another the RIGHT way if you don't love God this way? 

Mark 12:30-31 

30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

And,  I have NOT always loved my Savior the way that I should have.  Even as of late, I have not been the faithful bride that I have been set apart to be. As I pondered this lack of faith and commitment on my part, I began to recall the story of Ruth.  

This was a woman we all could learn from when considering how to live a faithful, God-willed life of love.  She loved her Mother-in-law Naomi, she believed that Naomi wanted what was best for her...so much so that she left all the comforts and securities of her home to follow a God she didn't know...trusting he would somehow do the same for her that He had done for Naomi and her people.  

Ruth 1:16-17 

16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

It would do me well to take a page from Ruth's book...

Page one... Ruth's testimony preceded her...

Ruth 2:5-6 , 3:11 

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 11And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a VIRTUOUS woman. 

People are watching your life rather you believe it matters or not...it does!

Page two...She was humbled by and thankful for the life she'd been given...

Ruth 2:10-11 

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 

God resists the proud people...but draws close to those that are humble.  

Page three...She continued to work in the field of service that she was given...

Ruth 2:8 (KJV)

Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:  23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law. 

God not only provided the RIGHT field, he gave her more than what she could have gleaned in the WRONG field. 

Ruth 2:16-17 (KJV)

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

 Page four...She did no more and no less than she was prompted to do...

Ruth 3:5-7 (KJV)

5And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. 

We make wrong choices when we regard our own desires instead of what the Lord tells us to do in His word...line your choices up with it, friends...line it up!

And Page five...She waited...

"...sit STILL my daughter and SEE thou how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day"...

And at the end of the day, Ruth did find herself blessed and her story a shining testimony of the Glory of God to everyone!!

Ruth 4:10-13 (KJV)

10Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife...11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in bethlehem 13So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

She was highly favored of God, for she was used to bring about the lineage of His very Son...OUR kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ!  ( Matt. 1 )

 

 When we, like Ruth, keep our eyes on the things He has set before us and with  with willing and obedient hearts, do them; then He has promised we WILL eat of the good of the Land.  But, if we refuse and rebel then it is plain that we delay His blessings and lose what we coulda had originally. (Is. 1:19-20)

I spent a better portion of my life searching in the wrong place for love... Leaning unto my own hastiness to know what's best for me.  I don't know, maybe it isn't hard for you, but, the desire to love and BE loved is a toughie for me.  It has often been a distraction.   But, praise the Lord, it is never too late to be redeemed and start a fresh! Just look at the woman at the well who had had FIVE husbands, she ended up a missionary folks! MANY believed on Jesus because of her willingness to take the good news of the gospel back to the people of Samaria!,( John 4 ) Or what about Rahab the Harlot (Joshua 2,6)  ? She ended up with a life I am SURE she never dreamed possible...she was BOAZ's Mom! Ain't that a blessing to know!! 

As women of God, our soul desire should be to live IN Him and FOR Him...all the other stuff will happen in time.  I know...ick!...there is that pesky little word...Patience!  Girls, it surely  has NEVER been MY strongest suit either...patience with myself and with the Lord is not an easy lesson to learn.   I haven't listened to Godly advice in my past  and made some big mistakes.  Waiting on the Lord would have yielded so much better for my life.  

The SINGULAR pursuit of  finding your "dream guy" can be a stumbling block and lead you to a hasty decision.    Keeping your heart and mind fixed on God can only bring good things to pass! His word says so! When the right guy comes along, and you have been living a life for Christ; that guy, just like Boaz, is gonna know it and appreciate it.  There is no need to do anything other than stay committed to the Lord and wait!

Ruth is a wonderful testimony of what amazing things God will do when we trust Him.   Listen to the Lord's prompting ...wait on Him WHILE continuing to glean the fields of service for your Savior!  Just like with Ruth, He will leave handfuls of goodness ON PURPOSE!

The following is this week’s Sunday School lesson for my four-year olds at Church… I wanted to share it with you guys because it has so blessed my heart to know that God has a purpose for every creature he made… yep, even and ant!

 

 

Genesis 1:24-25 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

Today we are gonna talk about insects … yea, BUGS!

 

Did you guys know that God created every creepy crawly thing and gave them a purpose? He sure did! From fleas to bumble bees…. They all have a job to do.  There are a few that I would love to talk about for a minute …so, let’s sit down and listen to what God has to say about YOUR favorite BUG!

 

BEES…

 

And after a time he returned to take her and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion and behold there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion…

 

Bees made honey for Sampson to eat.  Now Sampson was a strong guy who fought armies in the name of the Lord…so we know he would need A LOT of energy.  Bees produce honey and are very important to any garden, especially the small gardens where bees are most likely doing a majority of the work. :) they carry nectar from one flower to the next so that they can grow and grow…without bees we wouldn’t have either…can you just imagine that??

 

Frogs…

 

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

 

The Pharoah in Egypt was keeping God’s children {the Israelites} captive as slaves… the Lord had told him that if he didn’t let them go he would send a plague of frogs…and he did…they covered the land completely…that is what a plague is… there wasn’t one inch of anywhere that DIDN’T have a frog on it…so Pharoah told the Lord “yes! I WILL let your people go… just remove the frogs from here”  The Lord did and the ones he left behind stayed in the river. Maybe THAT  is why little frogs live on lily pads… such little creatures were used to change the mind of KING

 

Lady Bugs…

 

To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven..

 

Yes, even lady bugs have a purpose…they eat the little mites that kill plants..and guess what…

They smell with their feet… isn’t that odd…and they eat those other little bugs that are determined to kill all the plants that our food come from in a garden… they are the gardner’s little helper’s…isn’t that and you know if God has a plan for a lady bug then  he for a fact  has one for YOU!

 

And my personal favorite, Butterflies…

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away behold all things are become new.

 

Butterflies are the most active during the day…a lot like us… They also help spread the pollen from one flower to another so that we can have all the pretty blooms that we see everyday on all different kinds of plants.  They remind us of God’s beauty and grace…do you guys know how a butterfly comes to be?  Well they start off as a caterpillar… crawling and not so pretty…but when it’s their time, they turn in to a NEW  creature… a beautiful butterfly.  When we learn about Jesus and accept Him as our Savior, we too become new creatures and all the old ugliness of sin gets to be beautifully forgiven by His grace…and we can fly!

 

 

There are other creepies mentioned in the Bible like…ants and beetles and spiders…they all have a purpose and sometimes it is just to learn from the way they work… an ant carries and prepares all its’ own food…they are very resourceful and hard working… locusts don’t have anyone to tell them what to do and how to do it, but they all work together and get the job done and spiders well, they catch all those flies and ya know what?  the bible says that they are even in palaces…

 

 

Ants…

 

The ants are a people not strong yet they prepare their meat in the summer.

 

Locusts…

 

The locusts have no king yet go they forth all of them by bands

 

The spider…

 

The spider taketh hold with her hands and is in the kings palaces

 

MEMORY VERSE…

To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven..

 

Remember we ALL have purpose!!! And we as human beings are sooo very special to him and ya know what else… all those little creatures are his creation too and just think, if he cares about even the smallest creepy crawly then he DEFINITLEY cares about you!

Heavyweights

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

(Matthew 6:24-25)

 If you aren't in opposition to something then you are for it, right? Right! 

The bible says that you can not serve man AND God.    I am finding out the hard way that just because you are saved and on your way to Heaven, does NOT mean you can't still be trying to do just that...the flesh fights and kicks on it's way out...It's a battle that goes on within the spiritual realm ...

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  (eph 6:12)

And if for one second you think your are impervious to it then you better start praying cause something is surely amiss.  I had a friend send me a quote one day that read something like this...

"if you aren't FACING the devil each day then you two are going the same way" 

...You see, the devil knows He has just a short time until He is cast into the Lake of Fire for the rest of all time

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 12:12, 20:10-11 )

...He also is very very aware that Christ has already fought AND won the battle over death and hell when He completed  the work of Calvary;

"Be  it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."  (Acts 4:10-12 ,Revelation 1:18-19)

...And because of his defeat, he is gonna do his best to throw you off your game ... So pad up... For you are in for the heavy weight fight of your life!

He is the Sugar Ray to your George Foreman...I know I know, there is much debate in the sports arena as to who would win and who's the best...for the sake of argument, I am just gonna say this...MAN'S OPINION DOESN'T MATTER...it is all in how much you train for the fight...knowing your opponent! ..

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made" (gen 3:1a)

...he floats like butterfly, but boy, given the opportunity he WILL sting like a bee!

So..."What do I do?" , this is question that goes over and over in my head as I stand in my corner pounding my gloved fists together, gritting my teeth and dancing from side to side as I stare my opponent down.  

When the referee rings the bell to the first round, I barely have begun to take the first swing and...UGH! A swift jab comes outta nowhere! ...I fall to my knees reeling from the doubt and fear.  Filled with confusion,  I am disoriented for a moment seems all I can hear is the jeers of the crowd...and I feel like throwing in the towel, I start to hear a cheer of reassurance coming from MY corner saying... 

GET UP!...'What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?' ( Rom. 8:31)...

GET UP!!...'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' (2 Tim 1:7) 

FIGHT!...'Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.' ( Rom. 8:37-38) ... 

I feel my heart begin to pump with life...

'"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him' Psalm 28:7-8)  

I begin to focus on my training...

Trust  in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It  shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (Prov.  3:5-8)

 I  begin to feel strength find it's way to my legs...

'My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. ' (Ps 57:7)... 

I KNOW this player! He fights the same dirty way every single time...

'because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,   (1 pet. 5:9)

He is a tempter and a deceiver... my BEST  bet is to "bob and weave" 'cause the punches are gonna be quick and sneaky!  ... just as the bell of the round was ding-dinging I remembered the awesome combination punch of truth (ps. 37:3-7) I had been taught  and he's down for the count...

Trust in the Lord..BLAM, left hook to the kisser!...1-2-3

Delight in the Lord...UGH, punch to the gut!  4-5-6

Commit unto the Lord...WHAM!...he is on knees now...7-8-9

Rest in the Lord....KAPLOW!...10 -- knock out!!

The world and the flesh are always in the devil's corner and all around the ring taunting you, trying to distract you from your goal...you see, the world WANTS you to fail...your flesh WANTS you to give way to the punches of sin and doubt.  When you trust in any other opinion in spiritual matters other than the Lord's,  it's like asking your opponent's coach to train you for the fight...makes NO sense at all!  Giving in to fear, indecision, self pity, lusts, vanity, pride and a whole host of other sins will allow your opponent to beat your spiritual  man to a bloody  pulp in the ring of life. You will find yourself confused and ready to throw in the towel. :-/

But, when we rely on the Lord's game plan and Pad up with the whole armour of God...

STAND therefore, having your loins girt about with TRUTH and having on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS  And your feet shod with the preparation of the GOSPEL of peace;  Above all, taking the shield of FAITH, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of SALVATION , and the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD of God PRAYING always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and WATCHING thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.  (Ephesians 6:13-18)

Then and only then can we find total victory time and time again and we WILL BE able to stand against the wiles of the devil...

so, the next time you find yourself in the ring with a swollen lip, sweat pouring down your face, confused and ready to give up...remember your training...

"faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (BOB))...

God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of loveand of a sound mind  (WEAVE) 

and "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (COME UP SWINGING)!

Just DO it!

Nike had a slogan several years back where they encouraged people with a catchy little phrase... " Just DO it!". Now, when I was faced with an heart-wrenching hurt this past week,  this ad came to my mind.  I was reading about Solomon's prayer for wisdom and knowledge.  It was NOT just a vain prayer that he THOUGHT God wanted to hear, NO, Solomon pursued God...he sought Him out ( 2 chron. vs 6,8)  God saw that it really WAS the desire of his heart to do right unto Him ( v.10) therefore, He granted Solomon what he asked of Him and so much more (v11-12)   God wants to give us the desires of our heart and He will... He knew what Solomon needed...yet He asked him...'what shall I give thee'... Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give the desires of thine heart (ps 37:4) is a promise for those who truly seek the Lord in our lives. He desires is for us to pray and ask!!  Now, this got me to thinking about my prayer life.  Do I pray with this kind of sincerity? Do I pray with all faith BELIEVING that I have the power of Christ inside me to even change God's mind? Whoa! "Strange concept", you say? "Impossible!", you chide.  well, not so my friends... There are too many instances in the Bible where the prayers of a saint change the mind God. One such instance was with Hezekiah.   It was his time to die, but just listen to what unfolds because of His prayer of faith... 2 Kings 20:1-6 (KJV) "In those days was Hezekiah sick UNTO DEATH, And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for THOU  SHALT DIE AND NOT LIVE.  Then he turned his face to the wall, AND PRAYED unto the  Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have HEARD thy prayer, I have SEEN thy tears: behold, I WILL HEAL thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.  And  I WILL ADD unto thy days fifteen years; and I WILL DELIVER  thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I WILL DEFEND this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." The scripture says he was SICK unto death.  I am sure that his body was trying to fill his mind with doubt and fear. Yet, he put his face against the wall and cried out to the one He KNEW could change it!  It says he 'wept sore'...see, that is where we miss the boat.  We don't pray with THAT kind of conviction and fervency, the bible says that the 'effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Prayers are powerful people! We reason and plead our case when we cry out to Him to help us and it CAN change your circumstance!  No matter how impossible it seems.  Do you think for one second Hezekiah didn't recognize this? Of course he did. But, he believed in God's  power to heal and in the end got even more than he had originally asked for...not just healing, but...FIFTEEN years ADDED to a life that was already settled to be over AND deliverance from his enemy AND  a defense of his city...so you see, your prayer of faith can change the lives of those around you as well!  And not only did God grant Hezekiah's request to remember him, just as he did with Solomon, he gave him even more than he had asked in the first place.   Hezekiah personified the kind of guy Nike execs would have loved...Because, even while up against enemies, his body wracked with illness and facing death, he poured it all out and took a chance, believing God could change his situation.   Just like with Solomon...he knows our hearts intention ...He knows what you need, but He wants YOU to seek it out! and He, just like with Hezekiah, knows if you are gonna waste the wisdom and possiblities that come with an extra 15 years or not.  Hezekiah's heartfelt  pleas didn't go unnoticed, neither will yours...Are you willing to be obedient unto the call of our Savior? He is watching and waiting for your cry...He will meet you in the midst of your storm...listen to Him, seek Him and  " just DO it"!!

Domino Effect

TRUST....DELIGHT...COMMIT...REST From Kings to servants to prophets to ole sinners like myself, this question has been posed..."what should I do Lord?" Well here we go...  8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee,  but to do justly, and  to love mercy, and  to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8) I had not remembered reading this scripture until yesterday. I  know  I make my life so much more complicated than it should be. He has shown us what is good...to behave JUSTLY (Fair, morally right in weighing out decisions),  to LOVE MERCY( to pleasure in being Compassionate and lenient toward others ) and to  HUMBLY (with submissive  respect, modesty, not arrogant in behavior) walk with Him!!   Now some of you may be just like me and at first say, "well I get WHAT you're saying, but HOW am I supposed to DO this?" my friends, believe me when I say this, He NEVER leaves us without perfect instructions on the " how to's..."   Number one...TRUST... trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (ps. 37:3) Now I know that some of us have a difficult time putting our trust in anyone or anything.  It's a personal battle...but, my friend, we can't base our decision to do this on the way others have let us down or disappointed us, because He ain't like that! He is God...the creator, the one who CHOSE to leave all of Heaven to take on the lowest estate of man; to suffer the  ridicule and  shame of Calvary and ultimately sacrifice His life for you and I! The stripes he bore upon His back, the times he faced mocking and betrayal of those He loved...can you just stop, take a moment and breathe that thought into your soul? If you will, I promise it will change the way you see trusting in Him...it won't be so hard anymore! He is the Master of bringing the impossible to pass! And we are promised when we trust in Him, we will always find refuge and an ever present help!...He will NEVER fail. Number two...DELIGHT... Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (ps 37:4 ) If you are like me, sometimes finding delight in anything can be a challenge.  This is sad, but true! We get so distracted by the effects of sin; that to experience sadness, anger and doubt is easy.  These emotions flow out of us naturally...but, to take great PLEASURE in the beauty of God's instruction and grace is, well, quite frankly, a struggle! I am finding out more and more that when my life is upside down, it is because my delight isn't in the right place.  Instead of finding honesty, loveliness  virtue and just living (phil4:8), just to name a few; I am enjoying the sins of the flesh far too much and far too often. D'oh! Did I strike a nerve ? Well good! Because, when the Lord struck mine, it began to change my way of thinking about delighting in Him...think back about the Cross again for a minute...no, I mean REALLY consider the work of Christ.  "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2-3) Our Savior DELIGHTED in doing the will of the Father so much that he saw His suffering and sacrifice as a JOY! He WAS the epitome of mercy! Now can you start to see how our hearts should delight in the LORD.  It really isn't difficult to find great pleasure in loving and living for someone who JOYFULLY gave his life so that you can have life, for without HIS delight in you, you wouldn't have that precious gift! How can We NOT find ourselves take great pleasure and comfort in that! Number three...COMMIT... Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (ps. 37:5) In today's cynical "does love exist" world where the grass is always greener on the other side;  people find it difficult to decide on what to do for dinner and make a decision, let alone pledge their whole path in life to someone they can't physically see and feel...lots of doubting Thomases live here...we don't see how true love has existed before creation! It was His love that brought us INTO existence. When your fears and prideful doubts give way to the gravity and grace of the Cross, you won't find it so hard to bind yourself to Him.  Your behavior will begin to unfold with His character when you meditate upon the love and power displayed at Calvary. He has a perfect plan for our lives.  When we seek him, we WILL find Him and all goodness the world could never offer, HE will bring to pass...it's a promise!  And finally...REST... Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (ps.37:7) In the hurried society we are faced with, it is easy to just exist and not actually LIVE! It seems the demands that we place on ourselves AND others just set us up for failure! Rest seems to elude us. But, it is just like steps one, two and three...it's a choice! I know, I know...how can a person rest with the weight of day's problems on their shoulders? Well, it really is much simpler than you think...TRUST, DELIGHT, COMMIT ! Because, when we do these, we behave justly, mercifully and humbly; therefore we do good and no matter what comes, how busy we are, what adversity we are facing, we will surely run and not grow weary, walk and not faint because we have the promise that HIS yoke is easy and HIS burden is light! So, if you are overwhelmed to the point of no peace...examine your burdens, see what you are yoked up to because God does NOT lie! You will find that there are some chains no doubt that you need to ask the Master to free you from.  Give Him your worries and fears, let Him replace them with the peace of trusting in His will to come to pass! I guarantee that no matter WHAT the days bring, His grace is sufficient to give your the strength to choose rest!  11Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (ps. 42:11) A humble walk with God in the cool of the Garden of grace, filled with the fragrance of mercy and justice, is where we do good! So, heed to the instructions of truth and...trust, delight, commit and rest in the powerful and completed work of the Cross! His life for ours...He came so that we could have, not only eternal life to come, but an ABUNDANT one while we live here on earth... One of blessings beyond our finite imagination...One of a peace that passes all understanding...One where joy can be found in the midst of struggles. I like to think of it like this...There is  a domino effect that kinda happens when you begin to trust in Him...True trust brings a joy and peace that births a delight in serving Him which only encourages a commitment to the one who keeps you...Jesus and when you truly know this truth, then rest is an absolute! 

FAITH HICCUPS...

I, myself, am overcome with the burden to help someone when they are hurting. I pray to say and do the right thing that might uplift them in some small way...I quote comforting and strengthening verses from the Bible, lend a listening ear, give pep talks...but what happens when the shoe is on the other foot and it's myself that needs the pep talk? I somehow develop spiritual amnesia! For about an Hollywood hour, I forget every comforting and strengthening truth I know! Crying and inconsolable...jumping to every fearful conclusion that my silly mind can muster up, I develop a case of the faith hiccups! "really, It's all good...hiccup, oh no, I can't do this, hiccup, well, something good will come, hiccup, ummm, yea, this must be cause of my past..." blah blah blah... fears -HICCUP! doubts -HICCUP! and confusion -HICCUP, all ensue until... The God of all truth and light calls to my heart all those wonderful scriptures that He has been hiding within my soul...ahhh, water...LIVING Water! The cure for my hiccups of doubt, fear and anxiety... be strong and of GOOD courage... He is an ever present help in time of trouble... Weary not in well doing, for in due season... He never leaves nor forsakes... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord... be not afraid...be not afraid....DO NOT FEAR!!!... Brethren count it ALL joy... I can do ALL things through Christ... Be anxious for nothing... So, why did I almost lose it today when faced with potentially scary news. As one of my new favorite preachers, Eric Ludy, says...LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... I almost stepped outside the fortress! I, for a moment, cracked the door, looked out and saw the fiery darts begin to assail...and, had it not been for my fellow warriors pulling me back in, I might have been quenched by them. I tend to make things waaaay more complicated than they are, dream up the worst case scenario; but when I am walking IN Christ and living out His Word, there is nothing I have to fear...IN Him, I am given the power to hold captive all those scary thoughts and cast them down back to their owner where they belong! I am instructed to do so ... "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exaltheth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity very thought to the obedience of Christ" We are to submit ourselves unto God...not just our fleshly bodies, but our minds as well...when someone is in prison, they are not at leisure to do as they will...there is no freedom to just do as they please...consider that for just a second...step back behind that inpenatrable wall that is covered by the blood of our Savior...when we take our thoughts captive and place them unto the obedience of Jesus, they no longer hold any sway over us. When our thoughts and lives are truly given to HIS will, fears and doubts that would otherwise bring confusion, only bring us closer to Him and strengthen us because they make us realize just how big our God is to deliver us from ANY thing that comes our way!! It isn't that we won't ever have fears or doubts...it's a fact that we will "In this world ye SHALL have tribulation, (hiccup)... relax, take a deep breath... ...be of good cheer for I (Christ) have overcome the world!!!"... Now what happens to those old hiccups of faith when ya guzzle that Living Water of truth? Why, gone of course! :)