Mercy Grace

New Every Day!

On my heart this morning was the following passage from Lamentations 3:22-26:

 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul,"therefore I will hope in Him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Exodus 16 is the beautiful passage where God feeds the Israelites quail and manna.  He rained manna from heaven for them and provided enough for each particular day.  The Israelites were to take as much as they needed; anything left over until the next day would ruin and be full of worms.

However, on the sixth days they were to gather enough for both that day and the next day, which was the Sabbath.  The manna would not ruin on that day.  God provided their daily bread each and every morning--just exactly what they needed.  They couldn't store it up for the next day (except for the Sabbath as God commanded), but every single day, fresh manna rained down from heaven for them.

That's how it is in our own lives.  The Lord gives us exactly what we need for each new day.  His mercies are fresh every single morning.  We can be assured that as each day rolls around, His new mercies are available for us!  Because of His great mercies, we are not consumed!!!

Read the account in Exodus, and then meditate on the passage from Lamentations 3.  See how wonderful God provides for His own.  O yes, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!!!

God's Ever Amazing Grace

Looking back through my blog earlier today, I re-read and remembered the awesome ways He ministered to my family and me, and took care of us through some very challenging times.  The entire year of 2006 was probably the hardest I'd seen up to that point in my life, yet God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom, sustained me through it.  He never left us; He was constant and faithful and oh, such a wonderful Father to a scared daughter! 

Much of what I wrote was very lengthy.  Writing and posting poems, song lyrics, personal observations, the depth of my heart--all of these were truly therapeutic for me.  Of course, I was out of work for the majority of 2006, so I had a great deal of time to pursue my writing interests.  Even after starting work, I made time to sit at my computer and write.  Such joy it is for me!

Although it was only the boys and me, (and our dog Ginger, too!) we were never alone.  The Lord taught us incredible truths as we learned to lean on Him and trust Him on that particular journey.  I'll confess; there were times I was really afraid.  I mean, I knew that the Lord was able to take care of us and provide all our needs, but deep down, I had a little bit of fear.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of failing Him.  It was then, however, that I read where David himself told the Lord, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

So patiently and lovingly, the Lord led us from one day to the next.  It's one thing to say you put your trust solely in the Lord; it's another thing altogether to actually have to LIVE it.  The rubber meets the road in the most dramatic ways sometimes, and it's then that you really see yourself in light of God's Word.

And that's what I want to continue to do.  The Word of God is our plumb line.  It is absolute truth and I absolutely need to absorb every single part of it.  More than anything, we should desire to be more like Christ on our journey here, letting His love shine through every aspect of who we are so that He will receive all the glory. 

The longer I live, the more I see His glory in even the smallest of things. The more I see Him, the more I long to be with Him in HIS glory.  And now more than ever, I realize that everything truly is all about HIM.

To God alone be glory!

God is Jealous

 
God is, indeed, jealous over us. All morning long, I have been thinking about this. Exodus 34:14 declares: "For you shall worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God..."

In Deuteronomy 4:24, we read: "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

And in Hebrews 12:28-29, the Word declares: "Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire."

I had the distinct privilege of speaking with a dear friend of mine earlier today. We met at Fort Irwin, CA at PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) there. Our friendship was and continues to be such a blessing from the Lord, and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to speak and pray together!

In our discussion, she mentioned some things that I've been thinking about all morning, in addition to what I wrote above. Her heart for God has always inspired me, and hearing her love for Him in her voice today touched me yet again.

So as I write these things, I realize that I am not alone in my feelings concerning certain things. Obviously the Lord is stirring His people all over the world. It is evidenced by the fact that so many are speaking quite the same things, and how awesome it is to see "the unity of the Spirit" all over the place!

But even though there are those who are hungry and thirsty for the One true, living God; for His unchangeable and infallible and powerful Word; for intimacy with the One who gives us life, there are still many who go about their lives in pure complacency, content to be a part of the status quo yet not challenged to do anything but merely "be."

We've become expert at being a Christian. We know all the terms, all the phrases, all the methods and parts to play. We think because we go to church and sing, or pay our tithes, or volunteer our time, that we are doing just fine. But many are dying on the vine, so to speak. Certainly while doing those things are good and fulfilling, but if they are done merely remotely or out of a sense of duty rather than out of love for the Lord, they are just motions in the wind.

For idolatry is rampant in this land, and not just the things that we want to readily identify in others' lives as idols. The idol of "Self" is probably the most widespread, yet many do not even recognize it as a truth.

If you'll listen long enough and close enough, you'll hear people talk about their own personal "self"... "I want this, and I want that, and I'm going to get such and such, and you don't mess with me like that, after all, I'm a child of the King, who do you think you are? " and on and on. We grumble and gripe at the drop of a hat. We dabble in things, sometimes "just a little bit, not like so-and so's doing" and try to justify our actions by claiming that "we're not perfect, just forgiven."

And while it is true that 1 John 1 tells us that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, and even that if we sin, we can confess that sin, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, that does NOT give us license to go out and willfully and knowingly sin against the Lord!

God is light. In HIM is no darkness at all. Think about that. Why do we participate in things that Christ Himself suffered and died to deliver us from? I'm talking about all of us here. If we continue in a lifestyle or a sin without repentance, without even trying to abstain from it, we are only deceiving ourselves if we think that's acceptable to the Lord. We can try to justify our behavior all we want, but any time we play with darkness, we're going against Scripture. It's as if there is no fear of God before our eyes (Romans 3:18).

We make so much of US when we should really be making much of Christ. For the Christian, it is ALL about Jesus. Our lives are not our own; we've been bought with a price--a GREAT price. Jesus shed His blood for us. He ABSORBED the wrath of God for us. He desires us to yearn and long and run hard after HIM. Instead, we seek to gratify the lusts of our flesh, and when our SELF becomes more important than God, when our self is what we'll please "no matter what", then SELF is our idol.

God is jealous for us. He was reconciling the world back to Himself through Jesus, and He looks at us through Blood stained eyes. We are His own possession and He does love us with an everlasting love. But like I've heard a man of God say recently (which he quoted from the Word)...let us examine ourselves. Let's walk in the light as He is in the light. Let's turn away from the weights and sins that so easily beset us, determining to follow hard after Jesus no matter what. Even to the dying of our SELF. That is when we truly begin to live!

Much Ado About Someone

We need to make much of Christ.  Not just in our churches, but in our workplaces, our homes, and our individual lives.  Instead, we tend to make much of everything else, including ourselves, which is nothing short of idolatry. 

Jesus Christ is all in all.  It really IS all about Him!

Make much of Jesus!

"For by Him all things were created, in heaven & on earth, visible & invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him."~ Col. 1:16 

Afterward

How happy are tried Christians, afterwards. No calm more deep than that which succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty, we sit down in the arbour to rest; after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life. Our sorrows, like the passing keels of the vessels upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them “afterwards.” It is peace, sweet, deep peace, which follows the horrible turmoil which once reigned in our tormented, guilty souls. See, then, the happy estate of a Christian! He has his best things last, and he therefore in this world receives his worst things first. But even his worst things are “afterward” good things, harsh ploughings yielding joyful harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by dying, and becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what shall be the full vintage of joy “afterwards” in heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed “afterward!” Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown which cometh afterwards? But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not for to-day, nor the triumph for the present, but “afterward.” Wait, O soul, and let patience have her perfect work. – C.H. Spurgeon from Spurgeon’s Evening by Evening for  May 18.

AMEN!!!!!!

(Thanks to Mike Ratliff for posting this on his blog.) 

Tough Love?

 

Parenting.  It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.  Mothering four children has been the most rewarding of all endeavors.  Not to say that I haven’t made mistakes, because I have.  Or that I haven’t regrets concerning some things, because I do.  I believe we all, as parents, have a good bit of retrospect and are able to have perfect hindsight vision!  I know I do!

One of the many, many things I love about the Lord is how He uses my own children to teach me about His relationship with me.  Often, He’ll drive a point home using a situation concerning one (or more) of the kids, or He’ll give me great analogies to share that helps them understand His great love for them.

Currently I’m dealing with a situation concerning one of my teens still at home.  Being a senior, he’s about to embark on the beginning of his lifelong journey as an independent young man.  Yet there are struggles within him that are more indicative of heart issues rather than the normal transition into life beyond high school. Words are thrown carelessly like arrows hastily released from the bow, and are painful.  Actions that betray speech are surprising and just as injurious.  My heart grieves as I seek the Lord as to how to deal with all of these things.  Why doesn’t each kid come with his/her own instruction manual??!

While there are no exact blueprints in existence that help us in parenting each child individually, God has given us His Word.  We are to train up a child in the way that he should go.  We’re told to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  They have been loaned to us for a season.

So what does one do when everything you’ve tried to instill in your child/children seems to have fallen on deaf ears?  How does the heart cope when you see evidence contradictory to your lifelong ministry to them?  I’ve asked myself this question frequently in recent days.  And again, God shows me another truth…

As my Father, He has invested much into my life.  He has taught me from His Word and His servants.  Life’s experiences have shaped and molded me by the fashioning of the Holy Spirit.  He has prodded, whispered, shouted, led, pushed, listened, held, comforted, corrected, and cried with me.  A true Father He has been, loving me all along, even when I would stand with a rebellious heart before Him.  If the actions and speech of my children have wounded, disappointed, and grieved my own heart, what in the world have I done to HIS?

So in answer to my own question, I must do as He does with me:  Wait patiently.  Be steadfast and consistent.  Love.  Be available.  Speak the truth.  Love.   Don’t compromise.  Show mercy.  Show grace.  Love.  Be the parent.  Be godly.  Love.

Confession:  I feel so inadequate at times when I feel as though a situation is not seeming to straighten up in the manner that I think it should.  I realize that it’s because I’m trying to control things instead of relinquishing the matter to the Lord.  It is my place to bury myself in HIM and allow HIM to do a work that only He can do in the first place.  I’m not the Holy Spirit.  I need to pray, believe, wait, stand, serve, and love.  Not try to take matters into my own hands and “make it work out.”  That’s God’s area of expertise.  Oh, how deeply and fervently He loves us!!!  And oh, how desperately we need to lay everything at His feet, doing all we know to do, and trust Him with the results.  After all, He IS our Father. 

Parenting.  Yes, the toughest job you’ll ever love.  But also the most rewarding!

Reflective Truth

 

I'm so glad that mirrors were invented, although there are some days I'd rather not look into one at all!  One glance will tell if a hair's out of place, or if something's between our teeth, or how our attire looks before heading out into the world.  If something's not to our liking when we look, we start adjusting ourselves until we're pleased with the end result.

The Bible is much like a mirror.  We look into it and see how things really are.  But rather than trying to adjust our lives to line up with what we see in the Word, sometimes we try to make the Word fit what is really going on within our own lives.

This shouldn't be the case.  As we see what God says to us about our heart, our soul, our life--and if we realize we're falling short or missing the mark altogether, we need to simply humble ourselves before Him and ask His help to be all that He's calling us to be.  It might not be comfortable; it may be a painful process, but it will ALL be worth it!

Figuratively Speaking

 

There is no doubt that Scripture shows how Jesus used a lot of parables and spoke figuratively in His interactions with His disciples and with people.  Many times the disciples weren't fully aware of the significance of His words until after He'd gone back to the Father. But there should be no doubt at all that EVERYTHING that Jesus taught, did, and lived, was the truth.

I'm dealing with a family member right now who has been listening to one of his friends.  This friend has been "studying Revelations" and has been looking up the "literal" meanings of words, and has thus concluded that Jesus' teachings, particularly on hell and utter punishment for the unredeemed soul, was only figurative--that Jesus is merely going to have that soul go through a refining and purification process for whatever amount of time that soul lived on earth, and then that soul would stand before Jesus, fully forgiven and fully accepted into the Kingdom of God.

This family member has been brought up in the ways of the Lord, being taught the Scriptures.  However, this person now thinks that all of that was wrong; that we all have been taught wrong all these years.  And that all we want to do is see sinners punished in hell for eternity, so that's why we cannot "stand to admit the truth."

It literally breaks my heart. I've mentioned John 3:16-18; the entire chapter of 2 Peter 2; among others.  This person has challenged me to search the Scriptures to see what he's saying is true.  I challenged this person to sit with me and let's go through the Scriptures together.

This is rampant, though.  I hear alot of people talking of their "great theological discoveries" and how now they "finally see it the way it really is."  They are exchanging the truth of God for watered-down delusions; for lies.  And that's how deception is.  The one being deceived is not aware of it--they don't see the deception.

We need to immerse ourselves so deeply into the truth of God's Word, pray for wisdom and discernment, and ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and our eyes to His truth.  We need to walk in the Light as HE is in the light, and we'll have fellowship one with another.  We should humble ourselves and pray, and seek His face for our own relationship with Him and for those whom we dearly love, allowing the love of Christ to reign.  The Word teaches that in these last days, scoffers, doubters, mockers, etc will come.  This is no surprise.  But it surely does hurt your heart seemingly harder if the one you're encountering is a dearly loved one.

Let's encourage one another daily, and seek to be vessels in the hands of the Holy One.  Please pray for me to have wisdom, discernment, and patience.  Please pray for my family member, as well!!

May the Lord's blessings be upon you all!  Thank you!

Joey's 18th!!!

 
My sweet Joey turned 18 on March 3.  What a blessing he is in our lives!!!  I can hardly believe it--also in a few months, he'll graduate from high school.  Wow, how time flies!!!  Here's a picture of him with his IPod Touch.  There are other pictures on Facebook!

The Lord has blessed us with four wonderful children, and I can see His hand upon each of them.  My greatest joys outside my own salvation are my family and friends, and what a privilege it is for me to be their mom. 

Thank You Lord, for entrusting Shane, Holli, Joey and Josh to my care, even if for a season!!!

Help, Anyone?

One look at the world around us at any given moment would easily explain the fear and worry that many people are facing. Our economy is in a pitiful state; unemployment figures are at an all time high. Here in Georgia the rates have risen to 10.4%. We're fighting wars in foreign lands as well as on our own soil. Divisiveness is apparent on many spectrums. Political tensions are running high, and the future looks bleak and uncertain. So what do we do? Where is our hope?

Our hope does not lie in political heroes or charismatic leaders who promise trouble-free lives. Nor does it lie within our own efforts to be self-sufficient, as noble as they may be. No, our hope can only be found in the Lord.

First Corinthians 15:19 declares that "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." It's easy sometimes to look at the things around us and become concerned-frightened, even. I personally can attest to the fear that tries to rise up in my heart concerning some health issues I'm facing. Not to mention the fact that I've yet to find another job.

But I'm learning day by day to put my trust in the LORD and to leave my worries at His feet. He cares for us; He knows the future, and He's already there! We can't change a thing by fretting and sweating. God knows our hearts and everything we're facing, and He lovingly invites us to cast our cares onto Him.

Psalm 121 comes to mind, and I'd like to post it here. In these days, let us encourage one another daily. Let's look to Jesus, who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith--the One who holds us up and takes care of us minute by minute! He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. So when we start feeling overwhelmed by the things we see and hear, may we take all the cares, concerns, fears and anxieties straight to where they belong--into the very strong and able hands of Jesus! I love you all!

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
He who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, He who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
He will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.