I Love You, Lord

"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord's Presence as I live here on earth!" ~ Psalms 116:1,2,5-9, NLT

"And so I walk in the Lord's Presence as I live here on earth!"

What an amazing thought! Close your eyes and let it steep for a minute...the Lord's Presence...I walk in the Lord's Presence as I live here on earth! Wow.

Beloved, I pray the Lord will make this a reality in each of our lives. We know it in our heads, but we need to know it in our knowers. We need to be bathed in the depth of this truth. Elohim, the Creator of the Universe dwells in us. He walks with us. He talks with us and, yes, He tells us we are His own. We are surrounded by His love, guarded by His angels. We are not alone, no matter the struggle we are facing. We are not alone.

Can you say today, "I love You, Lord"? Are you overcome with the goodness of the Lord - His mercy, His provision, His faithfulness? Take a minute to think on these things. Remember His goodness. Remember that answered prayer. Remember the peace that made absolutely no sense. Remember the strength offered to weary bones. And then say, "I love you, Lord".

Yes, our Lord is with us.
Praise His Holy Name.

Father, Quicken this truth to our hearts. Make Your Presence a reality in our lives. Open our eyes to see You, to recognize You in our everyday lives. Teach us to look for You, Lord. And, Lord, for your faithfulness we say thank You and we love You. Yes, we love You and we give You praise.



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Dancing for Joy

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19

The pop of white caught my eye. Out in a meadow overflowing with tall, wiry grasses and thickets of briars, a small patch of daisies grew. The patch held its ground in the midst of the hostile environment, waving its glory around in the breeze. I wanted to say, "You, go girl!", assuming that the daisies were female, but as I thought about the image before me, my mind wandered to this favorite scripture in Habakkuk.

Habakkuk is an Old Testament prophet. Although the book of Habakkuk is short, it is a powerful message of understanding the essence of God. Habakkuk journeys from doubt to worship in this prophetic Word. He comes to the conclusion that, regardless of the circumstances around him, his hope belongs in God. He realizes that God is the source of his strength and joy and, in this revelation, Habakkuk doesn't just experience a sweet little moment of well-being. No! He leaps for joy in the God of his salvation!

The Hebrew word of joy is gil (geel). It suggests dancing for joy, leaping for joy, spinning around with intense motion. Now that's joy! Everything in Habakkuk's world was going wrong, but the eyes of his heart were opened to understand the sweetness of fellowship with Almighty God.

That's the kind of joy the daisies expressed.
That's the kind of joy I want to express.

I would love to hear the Lord say, "You go, girl!"

Father, Open our eyes to see You! No matter how difficult this old world gets, You are our constant, our source, our refuge. Your fellowship is so sweet. Thank You for never leaving us. Thank You for giving us strength and joy to dance in the midst of hostile environments. You are a great God. We love you.

Open Your Mouth Wide

"I AM the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." ~ Psalm 81:10

The flame-colored blooms teemed of glory as they stretched toward the sun. The long stalks of the day-lilies stood determined as they swayed high above the bountiful foliage at their base. The foliage was rather chaotic as it bunched and looped and fought for space in the garden. But,in spite of it all, the flower stalk shot out of the chaos and stretched towards the heavens, the orange face posed with a mouth wide open, ready to be filled.

The Lord says to us, "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Focus your gaze on Me, stretch away from the chaos with intention, with determination and I will not disappoint. I stand ready to fill you with good things. I stand ready to sustain you with life and joy and peace. I AM the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I did not shove you. I did not crack a whip and herd you out of there. I brought you out, leading, guiding, caring for you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. You are Mine."

Beloved, your Heavenly Father cares deeply for you. He knows your pain, your worries. He knows everything there is to know about you. And He loves you anyway.

Open your mouth wide and let Him fill it with good things.



Father, thank You for the power of Your love. Open the eyes of our heart to understand its depth. Fill us with Your Spirit, Lord. We love You.

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The Strong One

"Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely." ~ Psalm 63:7,8

I love the imagery found in these two verses. Picture yourself running through the wilderness as David was. He was weak and exhausted and yet, with intention, David gave praise to God.

Psalm 63 begins with, "O God, You are my God." The second word used here for God is 'El'(Hebrew) meaning "The Strong One." David is singing praise to The Strong One. He is remembering God's faithfulness on the journey. "Because You have been my helper I can sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. Even though the enemy pursues me, I know I can trust in You. I can give You praise because You are with me, O God."

"Because You are my helper, I cling to You." When our daughter was a toddler she did not want to let me out of her sight. On Sunday mornings I took her to the church nursery. As I tried to leave, Nancy Marie would lay on the floor screaming and grab hold of my ankle. That girl was clinging to her momma and she wasn't letting go! Oh, that we would cling to the Lord like that. The New King James reads, "My soul follows close behind You." To follow closely is to press in as though you are afraid of losing sight of Him, clinging to Him. Being desperate for God.

When we are desperate for God, nothing else will satisfy.
When we are desperate for God, we won't let Him out of our sight.
When we are desperate for God, we don't lollygag. We follow Him swiftly because we want to be with Him.

The Strong One has been our helper through the journey. He has never failed us. He has been mighty in power, faithful in His love. Because He has been our helper we can sing for joy. Yes, we can cling to Him, knowing that He will respond to our outstretched hand.

Father, What an amazing God You are! You HAVE been our help throughout the journey. It is You that has protected us, provided for us, and sustained us with Your love. Thank You. Because You have been with us, we can sing. We can sing, Lord! We can sing in the face of our enemy because You have given us strength. Thank You Lord. We give You praise.

How Great Thou Art

"'To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
~ Isaiah 40:28-31, The New Living Translation

We live out in the boonies down a winding mountain road. There are no street lights or neon signs, only the warm beckoning glow of an occasional porch light and the serenade of a kazillion little peep frogs. On a clear night the stars form a diamond studded canopy that stretches into the depths of eternity. The majesty of the Lord is all about us. "Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?" Isaiah said. Indeed. Who created all the stars?

Elohim is His Name. Elohim, the Creator of the Universe, the God above all gods, our Redeemer, our Lord. He is the One who never grows weak or weary. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. No one can measure the depths of His understanding - it is unsearchable, never ending.

And no matter what you are facing today, He is able. God is able! He is bigger than any problem that would challenge your faith. His joy stands ready to replace your sorrow. He offers hope in exchange for your despair, the garment of praise for your spirit of heaviness. And peace. Child, His hand is outstretched to you with peace on His fingertips.

But you must acknowledge Him. Give Him praise for Who He is. Recognize His power. Thank Him for His mercy and His love. And as you do, you will begin to soar high on wings like eagles high above the storm, far above the fray into the secret place of the Most High.



Father, You are glorious in majesty, holy in righteousness! We give you praise sweet Lord. You alone are worthy of our praise. Thank You for Your love.

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Lord, You Want Me to Do What??

"'We are afraid, because the men who explored the land told us that the cities are large, with walls that reach to the sky. The people who live there are taller and stronger than we are, and some of them are Anakim. We have nowhere to go.' Then I said, 'Don't worry! The Lord our God will lead the way. He will fight on our side, just as He did when we saw Him do all those things to the Egyptians. And you know that the Lord has taken care of us the whole time we've been in the desert, just as you might carry one of your children.'" ~Deuteronomy 1:28-31, Contemporary English Version

The Israelites were preparing to enter their Promised Land - Canaan. Remember the story? Spies were sent ahead of them to check it out and returned with frightening reports about the Anakim - giants - who lived in the land. Not only were the Anakim giants; they were the most dreaded inhabitants in all of Canaan. And they DEFINITELY had a problem with Israel.

The Israelites were like, "Uh, Moses, you've got to be kidding, right? You surely can't expect us to go up against these dreaded giants!"

Ever feel that way? Have you ever said, "Lord, you want me to do WHAT?? I can't do that! This is WAY bigger than me!"

And His response is, "EXACTLY! But it is NOT bigger than Me and I am with you so you need not be afraid!"

"I am with you. Do not be afraid."

Verse 31 in the New King James reads, "...in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went..." He CARRIED His children! Do you see the tenderness of our Father? He carried them through the floods and they were not drowned he carried them through the fires and they were not burned.

Are you facing giants? I sure am! Is the enemy of your soul doing everything he can to defeat you, to terrify you and prevent you from entering into God's purposes for your life? Yes ma'am! It's a battle!

Then I want you to do something.

Close your eyes and allow the Lord to fill your mind with the image of Him carrying you through the wilderness. Can you fathom His love for you? Experience the warmth of His arms wrapped around you. Listen to His heartbeat. Sense the security, the safety of His strong embrace.

And be comforted, my child. You are not alone.

Father, You carry us! I can see this clearly. Thank You for showing me this Truth and for using it to comfort me as I face my fears. I need Your strength, Your Presence and that is why I praise You, Lord. I bless You. Open the eyes of my heart that I might experience the knowledge of being carried by You through enemy territory. You are great and mighty and I worship you, Lord.

The Depth of Our Need

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today I am posting an excerpt from Beth Moore's book, Praying God's Word Day by Day. I believe you will find it to be comforting, encouraging and empowering.

"UNLIKE PEOPLE, CHRIST IS NEVER INTIMIDATED BY THE DEPTH OF OUR NEED AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF OUR WEAKNESS.

You, my Lord, are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You will not grow tired or weary, and Your understanding no one can fathom. You give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but when I hope in You, O, Lord, my strength will be renewed. I will soar on wings like eagles; I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:28-31).

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you! (Jeremiah 32:17)."

Sweet friend, be encouraged today. El Roi, the God Who Sees, knows your struggles, sees your pain. You are not alone in your sorrow. Hope in Him today - completely, without reservation. He, alone, is your strength, your joy, and your peace.

A Scarlet Thread

The cool morning Breeze wrapped its wings around my weary body causing my spirit to sing. I sensed the Lord's Presence, His tender mercies, His amazing love. From the corner of my eye, a bright burst of red caught my attention - a male cardinal. His scarlet feathers stood in stark contrast to the deep shades of green all around him. He chirped his happy song, feasted on the bounty of sunflower seeds, and flitted from branch to branch in the century old cedar.

God's creation testified all about me.

The wings of the wind wrapped me in His love.
The morning light overcame the velvety darkness of the night.
The scarlet song moving through the ancient cedar witnessed to my spirit.

Like a scarlet thread woven into the holy draperies of the Tabernacle, the Master wove the color of His love all through history until it dripped from the nail-pierced hands of His Son. And now, rocking on my porch in the mountains of North Carolina, surrounded by the glory of creation, His scarlet thread once again testifies of God's love.

A scarlet thread securing us to the garment of righteousness.
A scarlet thread binding us to Him from generation to generation.

Thus Far

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"
~ 1 Samuel 7:12

This marks a very important event in Israel's history. This place called Ebenezer is the same battle site where the Philistines had defeated the Israelites many years earlier and stolen the ark. During the ark's absence, the children of God had once again forsaken the One True God. Without evidence of His Presence in their lives they had begun to worship foreign gods with total abandon.

And then they had a change of heart.

Samuel summoned the people to pray and lament before the Lord. Verse six reads, "So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, 'We have sinned against the Lord.'"

I learned what this custom of drawing the water and pouring it out before the Lord is a symbol of distress and brokenness. Isn't that beautiful? These sin-filled people poured out their hearts before the Lord and He restored them. He forgave them. He reconciled them to Himself.

That's what He does for us. As we pour our hearts out before Him, emptying our heartache, our filth, our doubts and fears - God, in His mercy fills us back up with His goodness.

The Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah and planned an attack. Fear rose up among the children of God as they realized that their enemy was once again in hot pursuit.

Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered him.
Jesus cries out to the Lord for us and the Lord answers Him.

"The Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel" (verse 10).

It was at this point that "Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"

"Thus far the Lord has helped us."

Know what this reminds me of?

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Was blind, but now I see.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe THUS FAR,
And grace will lead me home.

Grace! It is God's grace that has carried us thus far, protecting us, forgiving us, healing and restoring us. God's grace.

Amazing.

Father, Oh that we could understand Your grace! Thank You. Your love is undeserved. Your love is without end, unconditional, and saturated with grace. We are so grateful, Lord. Thank You.