"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'
"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
"A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.
"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
"'Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him (saith the Lord God); I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him, and show him My salvation.'"
(Psalm 91)
This Psalm has carried me through many a storm. As I read it, I sense God's enormous love for me. I am reminded of who I am in the Light of His love. I am reminded of His covenant with me. And I am reminded that He is my refuge, my safe haven when the cares of the world come in with the furious roar of a tempest.
And I want you to be reminded of these things, as well. So many of you are hurting or you are carrying the burdens of your loved ones. Bearing tremendous layers of stress has become the new normal. Sometimes it is hard to walk by faith and not by sight.
And that's when I read Psalm 91. I love this psalm, and I am very thankful for its words of grace. Try putting your name in it wherever it says 'you' or 'yours' or any other appropriate pronoun. You will be blessed, for sure.
God be with you, friends and give you strength for the day.
Lord, thank You for reminding me of Your incredible love. It means so much to me. You are faithful, Lord. You are powerful and mighty to save. And You hold us in the palm of Your hand. Amazing.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
God Will Move Heaven & Earth For You
"When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary and Israel His dominion. The sea saw it and fled (Exodus 14:16); Jordan turned back (Joshua 3:17). The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs (Exodus 19:18). What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the Presence of the Lord, at the Presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool of water (Exodus 17:6), the flint into a fountain of waters (Numbers 20:11)."
(Psalm 114)
As I searched through the Scripture this morning, I repeatedly returned to this passage. I felt drawn to the tenacity of the Lord as He delivered His children from the bonds of slavery in Egypt and led them, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the Promised Land. He literally moved heaven and earth for their sakes!
God never gave up on His children and He never gives up on us.
When He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, "Judah (Israel) became His sanctuary." He dwelt among them because of the Holy Tabernacle - His dwelling place built according to His commandments - that traveled with them through the wilderness.
Beloved, WE are the sanctuary of God through the Blood of Jesus and the power of His indwelling Spirit. The Father has gone to great lengths to be with us. He gave His only Son as a sacrifice so that through His Blood we could be cleansed of all unrighteousness. He holds onto us with a powerful grasp. We are His special treasure.
That's worth repeating, "You are His special treasure!"
God loves you with an everlasting love and He will do anything to sustain you, preserve you and bring you into your Promised Land.
Yes, your Heavenly Father will move heaven and earth to sustain you through your wilderness.
SELAH
Lord, I receive so much encouragement knowing that You will do anything for me - nothing is too difficult for You. I am comforted to know that I am Your special treasure. Thank You. You, Lord, are my portion and I hope in You. You are precious to me.
(Psalm 114)
As I searched through the Scripture this morning, I repeatedly returned to this passage. I felt drawn to the tenacity of the Lord as He delivered His children from the bonds of slavery in Egypt and led them, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the Promised Land. He literally moved heaven and earth for their sakes!
God never gave up on His children and He never gives up on us.
When He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, "Judah (Israel) became His sanctuary." He dwelt among them because of the Holy Tabernacle - His dwelling place built according to His commandments - that traveled with them through the wilderness.
Beloved, WE are the sanctuary of God through the Blood of Jesus and the power of His indwelling Spirit. The Father has gone to great lengths to be with us. He gave His only Son as a sacrifice so that through His Blood we could be cleansed of all unrighteousness. He holds onto us with a powerful grasp. We are His special treasure.
That's worth repeating, "You are His special treasure!"
God loves you with an everlasting love and He will do anything to sustain you, preserve you and bring you into your Promised Land.
Yes, your Heavenly Father will move heaven and earth to sustain you through your wilderness.
SELAH
Lord, I receive so much encouragement knowing that You will do anything for me - nothing is too difficult for You. I am comforted to know that I am Your special treasure. Thank You. You, Lord, are my portion and I hope in You. You are precious to me.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Just Do It!
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
(Matthew 7:24-26)
Let's face it. Storms are gonna come. Circumstances will suddenly rock our world and challenge our faith.
Jesus clearly instructs His disciples on how to survive the storm, "HEAR what I say to you and then DO it!"
Sounds like obedience to me...
Obedience places us in the center of God's will. The center of His will is filled with blessings, provision, protection. When we are in the CENTER of His will, we are living WITHIN His love, completely embraced and surrounded by Him. Sound familiar?
Jesus never promised us a bed of roses (as nice as that would have been). But He did promise He would never leave us nor forsake us. He did promise that He has made us to be more than conquerors, as we trust in Him and obey His Word.
The key is to build your life upon the Rock - the Rock of your salvation - Jesus.
In His book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote, "The crisis will reveal whether we have been practicing (obedience) or not. If we obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has put in us by His Spirit, then when the crisis comes, we shall find that our own nature as well as the grace of God will stand by us."
Our faith must grow - mature. But the foundation must be sure. Build your faith upon the Rock - Jesus.
Know His Word. Know His voice. Then do it.
Just do it.
You, Lord, are my Rock - a sure and strong foundation for my life. I choose to listen to what Your Word tells me and then to apply it to my life. I desire to not be a hearer of the Word only, but also a doer. Forgive me for when I fall short and lean on my own understanding and wisdom. I know that as I depend on You, I will withstand the storms that swirl around me. Thank You, Lord.
(Matthew 7:24-26)
Let's face it. Storms are gonna come. Circumstances will suddenly rock our world and challenge our faith.
Jesus clearly instructs His disciples on how to survive the storm, "HEAR what I say to you and then DO it!"
Sounds like obedience to me...
Obedience places us in the center of God's will. The center of His will is filled with blessings, provision, protection. When we are in the CENTER of His will, we are living WITHIN His love, completely embraced and surrounded by Him. Sound familiar?
Jesus never promised us a bed of roses (as nice as that would have been). But He did promise He would never leave us nor forsake us. He did promise that He has made us to be more than conquerors, as we trust in Him and obey His Word.
The key is to build your life upon the Rock - the Rock of your salvation - Jesus.
In His book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote, "The crisis will reveal whether we have been practicing (obedience) or not. If we obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has put in us by His Spirit, then when the crisis comes, we shall find that our own nature as well as the grace of God will stand by us."
Our faith must grow - mature. But the foundation must be sure. Build your faith upon the Rock - Jesus.
Know His Word. Know His voice. Then do it.
Just do it.
You, Lord, are my Rock - a sure and strong foundation for my life. I choose to listen to what Your Word tells me and then to apply it to my life. I desire to not be a hearer of the Word only, but also a doer. Forgive me for when I fall short and lean on my own understanding and wisdom. I know that as I depend on You, I will withstand the storms that swirl around me. Thank You, Lord.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
There is the Sound of Abundance of Rain
"Then Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.' So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' So he went up and looked, and said, 'There is nothing.' And seven times he said, 'Go again.' Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, 'There is a cloud as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!' So he said, 'Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel."
(1 Kings 18:41-46)
This is a fabulous depiction of the power of prayer and the Sovereignty of God.
The children of Israel had endured a drought for three years because of their idolatry of Baal under the leadership of King Ahab. They believed that Baal was the god who could produce rain. "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word," said the Lord through the prophet Elijah. (17:1)
Now the time for rain had come, but only under the direction and power of the Lord God.
If you'll remember, Elijah and 450 prophets had battled over who would consume their sacrifice by fire, Baal or the Lord God of Israel. Obviously, the Lord won the challenge.
And now Elijah says to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
Was it raining yet? No. But the Lord had spoken this to Elijah in verse 18:1, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." Elijah stood on the Word of God. There was a promise in his spirit and he knew he could stand on it with confidence.
"...for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
Oh my goodness! Let that drop into your spirit, my friend, "for there is the sound of the abundance of rain."
I don't know about you, but I could use some rain about now...
What happened next?
Elijah went to the top of Carmel to pray. Six times he sent his servant to look toward the sea in search of storm clouds. Six times there was nothing. So Elijah continued to pray. Elijah stood on his conviction that the Lord had told him now was the time for rain.
Notice Elijah was not arrogant with God. God was not his puppet.
God was God.
And Elijah knelt in prayer, submitting to the sovereign authority of God.
And...he never gave up.
Elijah prayed expectant prayers.
He sent his servant out a seventh time and this time the servant returned with a good report, "There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea!" (verse 44) Elijah instructed his servant to go to Ahab and tell him to "prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you."
And then the sky grew black with storm clouds, the wind began to howl and the rain poured.
God is good.
And God does what He says he will do.
He is Sovereign.
He is faithful.
And He responds to fervent prayer.
Praise You, Lord! You are faithful and You will watch over Your Word to perform it. Nothing is too difficult for You. Father, I pray You will speak words of encouragement into my friends today. These are difficult days. We are in seasons of drought. I believe these are times of preparation for the days that lie ahead. Thank You for showing Yourself strong in our lives. You are worthy of our praise. Yes, You are trustworthy and mighty in power. Thank you for Your love and for the promise of Your Word.
(1 Kings 18:41-46)
This is a fabulous depiction of the power of prayer and the Sovereignty of God.
The children of Israel had endured a drought for three years because of their idolatry of Baal under the leadership of King Ahab. They believed that Baal was the god who could produce rain. "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word," said the Lord through the prophet Elijah. (17:1)
Now the time for rain had come, but only under the direction and power of the Lord God.
If you'll remember, Elijah and 450 prophets had battled over who would consume their sacrifice by fire, Baal or the Lord God of Israel. Obviously, the Lord won the challenge.
And now Elijah says to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
Was it raining yet? No. But the Lord had spoken this to Elijah in verse 18:1, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." Elijah stood on the Word of God. There was a promise in his spirit and he knew he could stand on it with confidence.
"...for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
Oh my goodness! Let that drop into your spirit, my friend, "for there is the sound of the abundance of rain."
I don't know about you, but I could use some rain about now...
What happened next?
Elijah went to the top of Carmel to pray. Six times he sent his servant to look toward the sea in search of storm clouds. Six times there was nothing. So Elijah continued to pray. Elijah stood on his conviction that the Lord had told him now was the time for rain.
Notice Elijah was not arrogant with God. God was not his puppet.
God was God.
And Elijah knelt in prayer, submitting to the sovereign authority of God.
And...he never gave up.
Elijah prayed expectant prayers.
He sent his servant out a seventh time and this time the servant returned with a good report, "There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea!" (verse 44) Elijah instructed his servant to go to Ahab and tell him to "prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you."
And then the sky grew black with storm clouds, the wind began to howl and the rain poured.
God is good.
And God does what He says he will do.
He is Sovereign.
He is faithful.
And He responds to fervent prayer.
Praise You, Lord! You are faithful and You will watch over Your Word to perform it. Nothing is too difficult for You. Father, I pray You will speak words of encouragement into my friends today. These are difficult days. We are in seasons of drought. I believe these are times of preparation for the days that lie ahead. Thank You for showing Yourself strong in our lives. You are worthy of our praise. Yes, You are trustworthy and mighty in power. Thank you for Your love and for the promise of Your Word.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Has God Stopped You in Your Tracks?
"Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' So the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.' Then Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your Name.' But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel.'"
(Acts 9:10-15)
As I ponder these words, I can't help but think about how the Lord orchestrates our lives - how he puts all the pieces in place. Through this example of Scripture, I want us to understand this principle of God's Sovereignty a little better.
To begin with, Ananias had a listening ear - he heard the Lord when He spoke. But, Ananias was reluctant to obey. He knew Saul's reputation and tried to talk God out of His plan. After being honest with the Lord, Ananias chose to trust God, even though his mind told him this was a bad idea - His faith and trust in the Lord won out. His obedience not only restored sight to Saul, but it was Saul's first understanding of how personal God is with His children. It was his first lesson in faith.
What is God's motivation or purpose for sending Ananias to Saul? "...he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."
Before Saul was even born, God had a plan for his life; He knew Saul before his birth, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them." (Psalm 139:16) God had ordered Saul's steps all along. He was created for a purpose.
But, in order for that purpose to unfold, the Spirit of God had to work through people - people with obedient hearts.
Let's start with Saul, "...for behold, he is praying." Saul had been blinded on the Damascus Road and taken to the house of Judas. "For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank." (verse 9)
He spent his time in prayer and fasting. PRAYER. Saul had met his Savior, the Christ whom he had opposed. God had literally stopped Saul in his tracks and changed the direction of his life.
Praise Him!!
Did Saul sit around murmuring and complaining? No. He prayed. And because he prayed, God spoke to him in a vision and told him that a man named Ananias would come to restore his sight. The spirit of God encouraged him through his prayer time.
What if Saul had not prayed? I don't know. Would God still have sent Ananias? Probably, because God had already ordained Saul's ministry. But, Saul would have spent these three days in fear and confusion over his blindness. Maybe he would have lashed out in anger towards God. I don't know, but I think it is safe to say had Saul not spent his time in prayer, Satan would have spent three days beating him up, creating doubt and fear.
And possibly, the purpose of his life would have been postponed.
Has God ever stopped you in your tracks? Did you spend your time analyzing your experience, feeding the doubts Satan sent your way? Or, did you cry out to the Lord in prayer, accepting in faith that He was at work?
Saul waited on God.
We must learn to wait also.
I once was blind, but now I see.
Lord, You have ordered the steps of my life. Before I was born You knew me. You have called me by Your Name. Thank You Lord. As I look back over my life I can see how you have put the pieces together to bring me to this place. I once was blind, but now I see. You have promised that "everything works together for our good, to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose." Thank You, Lord for making that promise clearer. I give You praise.
(Acts 9:10-15)
As I ponder these words, I can't help but think about how the Lord orchestrates our lives - how he puts all the pieces in place. Through this example of Scripture, I want us to understand this principle of God's Sovereignty a little better.
To begin with, Ananias had a listening ear - he heard the Lord when He spoke. But, Ananias was reluctant to obey. He knew Saul's reputation and tried to talk God out of His plan. After being honest with the Lord, Ananias chose to trust God, even though his mind told him this was a bad idea - His faith and trust in the Lord won out. His obedience not only restored sight to Saul, but it was Saul's first understanding of how personal God is with His children. It was his first lesson in faith.
What is God's motivation or purpose for sending Ananias to Saul? "...he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."
Before Saul was even born, God had a plan for his life; He knew Saul before his birth, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them." (Psalm 139:16) God had ordered Saul's steps all along. He was created for a purpose.
But, in order for that purpose to unfold, the Spirit of God had to work through people - people with obedient hearts.
Let's start with Saul, "...for behold, he is praying." Saul had been blinded on the Damascus Road and taken to the house of Judas. "For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank." (verse 9)
He spent his time in prayer and fasting. PRAYER. Saul had met his Savior, the Christ whom he had opposed. God had literally stopped Saul in his tracks and changed the direction of his life.
Praise Him!!
Did Saul sit around murmuring and complaining? No. He prayed. And because he prayed, God spoke to him in a vision and told him that a man named Ananias would come to restore his sight. The spirit of God encouraged him through his prayer time.
What if Saul had not prayed? I don't know. Would God still have sent Ananias? Probably, because God had already ordained Saul's ministry. But, Saul would have spent these three days in fear and confusion over his blindness. Maybe he would have lashed out in anger towards God. I don't know, but I think it is safe to say had Saul not spent his time in prayer, Satan would have spent three days beating him up, creating doubt and fear.
And possibly, the purpose of his life would have been postponed.
Has God ever stopped you in your tracks? Did you spend your time analyzing your experience, feeding the doubts Satan sent your way? Or, did you cry out to the Lord in prayer, accepting in faith that He was at work?
Saul waited on God.
We must learn to wait also.
I once was blind, but now I see.
Lord, You have ordered the steps of my life. Before I was born You knew me. You have called me by Your Name. Thank You Lord. As I look back over my life I can see how you have put the pieces together to bring me to this place. I once was blind, but now I see. You have promised that "everything works together for our good, to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose." Thank You, Lord for making that promise clearer. I give You praise.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My Redeemer Lives!
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, in my flesh I will see God, I will see Him myself; I will see Him with my very own eyes. How my heart yearns within me, waiting for this to happen!"
(Job 19:25-27 Inspirational Study Bible/max Lucado)
I love the fact that Job is the one speaking in these verses. Talk about someone going through a rough season!
Job taught me a very important lesson many years ago. He taught me that when I can't praise God for my circumstances, I can ALWAYS praise Him for Who He is. Job said, "Even though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before Him." (Job 13:15)
Don't you love his honesty? To me, Job displays true faith - a genuine relationship with the Lord. Job says, "No matter what happens in my life, I WILL place my hope and my trust in my Redeemer. And - AND - I will argue my points - yes, present my case to Him. Why? Because I know my God and my God knows me."
Wow - what a glorious thought!
Job has his eyes on the prize. He knows that he is chosen of God. He knows that everything about this earth is temporal - a snap of the fingers. He knows that after he suffers a little while, he shall behold Him, face to face, in all of His glory.
"How my heart yearns within me, waiting for this to happen!"
The words to a song I love came to mind as I wrote this message:
O Lord You're beautiful,
Your face is all I see.
And when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
God's grace.
Puts everything into perspective, doesn't it?
Praise You, Lord! I love Job. Maybe its because I can relate to him so easily. But, you know what? You allowed him to go through a very difficult season because You knew His heart and You knew that once it was all said and done, Job would remain faithful to You. That is my prayer. I want my heart to bless You, to honor You. I want my faith to be sure and unwavering. I am so thankful that we are in relationship, Lord. I don't know what I would do without You.
(Job 19:25-27 Inspirational Study Bible/max Lucado)
I love the fact that Job is the one speaking in these verses. Talk about someone going through a rough season!
Job taught me a very important lesson many years ago. He taught me that when I can't praise God for my circumstances, I can ALWAYS praise Him for Who He is. Job said, "Even though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before Him." (Job 13:15)
Don't you love his honesty? To me, Job displays true faith - a genuine relationship with the Lord. Job says, "No matter what happens in my life, I WILL place my hope and my trust in my Redeemer. And - AND - I will argue my points - yes, present my case to Him. Why? Because I know my God and my God knows me."
Wow - what a glorious thought!
Job has his eyes on the prize. He knows that he is chosen of God. He knows that everything about this earth is temporal - a snap of the fingers. He knows that after he suffers a little while, he shall behold Him, face to face, in all of His glory.
"How my heart yearns within me, waiting for this to happen!"
The words to a song I love came to mind as I wrote this message:
O Lord You're beautiful,
Your face is all I see.
And when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
God's grace.
Puts everything into perspective, doesn't it?
Praise You, Lord! I love Job. Maybe its because I can relate to him so easily. But, you know what? You allowed him to go through a very difficult season because You knew His heart and You knew that once it was all said and done, Job would remain faithful to You. That is my prayer. I want my heart to bless You, to honor You. I want my faith to be sure and unwavering. I am so thankful that we are in relationship, Lord. I don't know what I would do without You.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
God Came to Israel in Their Wilderness
"God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. SELAH His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden."
(Habakkuk 3:3,4)
I was struggling this morning.
Nothing I could put my finger on, just restless, ill at ease. My body felt very tired and my spirit drained. I was on the verge of tears, but I couldn't fully understand why.
The Lord reminded me of one of my speaking topics, "Drinking From the Fountain of Living Water". Instinctively, I knew I was "thirsty". My spirit was crying out for a drink of Living Water.
I walked to the bedroom and knelt by my bed.
"Jesus, I'm thirsty. I'm overwhelmed. Fill me up with You, Lord. Let me sit at Your feet. Pour Your strength and peace into me. The joy of the Lord is my strength, the glory and the lifter of my head!"
I rested in His Presence, cried a little bit, then rested some more.
He took me to Habakkuk and reminded me of His greatness.
"God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran." These words reflect
Deuteronomy 33:2 where Moses is remembering the goodness of the Lord: When Israel cried out in the wilderness, God came to them.
When I cried out in my wilderness, God came to me.
SELAH
"And His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light, He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden."
I stretched out my hand toward heaven and the mighty hand of the Father took hold. I felt His power, I experienced His glory. With love, He raised me up out of the miry clay. He shone His Light in the pit of my darkness and extended grace, peace and strength for my journey.
"The Lord is my portion, therefore I hope in Him."
Lord, Praise You! You are so faithful - Your mercy is great. Thank You for meeting me at my point of need. Thank You for Your peace and for Your strength. What would I do without You? Where would I be without my Savior? I love how mighty You are - how glorious! I try to imagine You in all Your splendor, but You are far greater than my imaginings. You are awesome Lord, and yet You know my name.
(Habakkuk 3:3,4)
I was struggling this morning.
Nothing I could put my finger on, just restless, ill at ease. My body felt very tired and my spirit drained. I was on the verge of tears, but I couldn't fully understand why.
The Lord reminded me of one of my speaking topics, "Drinking From the Fountain of Living Water". Instinctively, I knew I was "thirsty". My spirit was crying out for a drink of Living Water.
I walked to the bedroom and knelt by my bed.
"Jesus, I'm thirsty. I'm overwhelmed. Fill me up with You, Lord. Let me sit at Your feet. Pour Your strength and peace into me. The joy of the Lord is my strength, the glory and the lifter of my head!"
I rested in His Presence, cried a little bit, then rested some more.
He took me to Habakkuk and reminded me of His greatness.
"God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran." These words reflect
Deuteronomy 33:2 where Moses is remembering the goodness of the Lord: When Israel cried out in the wilderness, God came to them.
When I cried out in my wilderness, God came to me.
SELAH
"And His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light, He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden."
I stretched out my hand toward heaven and the mighty hand of the Father took hold. I felt His power, I experienced His glory. With love, He raised me up out of the miry clay. He shone His Light in the pit of my darkness and extended grace, peace and strength for my journey.
"The Lord is my portion, therefore I hope in Him."
Lord, Praise You! You are so faithful - Your mercy is great. Thank You for meeting me at my point of need. Thank You for Your peace and for Your strength. What would I do without You? Where would I be without my Savior? I love how mighty You are - how glorious! I try to imagine You in all Your splendor, but You are far greater than my imaginings. You are awesome Lord, and yet You know my name.
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