Exalted

"Be exalted, O YAHWEH, in your strength! 

We will sing and praise your power."

Psalm 21:13

I rejoice to think that there is no one greater or stronger than my God. He needs no one to raise Him up and exalt Him, He is able to lift Himself up by His own strength. 

He does not need me to praise Him in order to be honored and magnified--He is sufficiently honored and magnified in and of Himself. 

Yet He allows me to praise Him, and in fact, desires my praises! What a privilege to do so! 

And what a comfort knowing that when I fall, He who exalts Himself is able to lift me up!

how does God see our trials?

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
Think about that! The worst thing you have ever had to go through, the toughest thing in your life, the situation that you have cried the most tears over. God says that no matter what suffering
you have had to endure what is to come is so amazing that our
trials are so small in contrast they are not even worthy of
being compared.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
‘far more exceeding‘, I love those words! and notice the end of
the verse, I think it reveals something key. Our trials fall into perspective when we refuse to look at the things which are
seen (pain, hate, selfishness, impossible circumstances) and instead set are focus on those things we can not see, eternal things, things that will last.
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you,…” 1 Peter 4:12-14
How often do I look at trials as some strange thing that has
happen to me, but I shouldn’t! Not only that but God tells
us to rejoice. Rejoice, again because of what is to come.

“My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-4Count it all joy. So when you list off your problems the top ofyour list should read Joy. Hard stuff hun? This is something that I think we have to do consciously. We don’t just automatically have joy when things ‘go wrong’ . No, we have to again set our minds to consider it joy. How can we possible do that? Because God has told us the good things our trials will produce. We don’t look at the trial
we look at what wonderful thing we know will come as a result of the
the trial. It’s called faith.

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint…” Romans 5:3-5
GLORY in!

“rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” Romans 12:12
Are you patient in tribulation? Am I?


“These thing I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Wow, I can remember running into this verse for the ‘first’ time.
It’s a bit of a blow if you have been expecting life to be a breeze
to find that in actuality God has promised us that we will have
tribulation in this world. But praise God He has overcome the
world! Not only that but in Him we can have peace. Do you
have peace in your trial? If not remember it is not because it’s
unavailable. Ask God to help you to have peace in Him and
expect that you will have to let Him change some of the ways
you think in order for that peace to fill you.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be NO MORE death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4Here is our ultimate comfort and stay. This promise from God that however bad it is right now it won’t always be that way. All ofour sorrow all of our crying, all of our pain will one day pass away

　

Hebrews 6:19

Jesus Christ the Lord!

I AM

. . . Simply beholding His face is enough! . . .
through reading His Word . . .

through prayer. . .

through meditation. . .

and someday . . . face to face in glory . . .

Yahweh is righteous; He loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold His face.

(Psalm 11:7)

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;

When I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness

[as a bride is satisfied in seeing her dear husband 
beside her when she awakes].

(Psalm 17:15)

. . . Why am I satisfied with Him? . . .

I say to Yahweh,

“You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You.”

You make known to me the path of life;

in Your presence there is fullness of joy;

at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalm 16:2,11)

“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in Him.”

(Lamentations 3:24)

Yahweh is my chosen portion and my cup;

You hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

(Psalm 16:5-6)

. . .What is this inheritance? . . .

This shall be their inheritance:

I AM their inheritance:

and you shall give them no possession in Israel;

I AM their possession.

(Ezekiel 44:28)

This last verse is a statement God made to the Levitical priests.

It holds true for any who are God's children and priests to Him through Christ.

We hold no inheritance nor possession in this world.

Our reward is in Christ alone and in His eternal kingdom.

I capitalized “I AM” to emphasize God's all-sufficiency—

His ability to be all that we need.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places . . .

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us,

in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will,

according to His purpose . . .

In Him we have obtained an inheritance . . .

In Him you also,

when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him,

were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,

to the the praise of His glory.

[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory . . .

give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,

that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you,

what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.

(Ephesians 1:3, 7-9, 11, 13-14, 17-19a)

~

And we all with unveiled face,

beholding the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image,

[the image of Christ],

from one degree of glory to another.

(2 Corinthians 3:18)

a deserted place

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.” Mark 1:35

Jesus is our prime example. We are to love as He loved, obey as He obeyed, serve as He served, and forgive as He forgave. That is why I think this verse and others like it hold special significance for us as Christians. They are such a brief part of the narrative in the gospels that it would be easy to miss them. Still here they are pointing us to our Savior who sought out time alone to pray. Isn’t that significant! God’s Son, the Holy One, more than once during His time on earth got away from everyone, sought out a deserted place, and spent time talking to God! I suppose one of the reasons this surprises us is because we think that Jesus shouldn’t have needed that. Surely God in the flesh would be ’above’ such things with unlimited recourses did He really have to spend time in prayer? The Bible tells us so little about this habit of Our Lord that we really do not know the exact why behind it. Did He ’need’ to do this or did it spring from His great love for His Father, or both? If it was important for us to know God would have spelled it out clearly, the important thing is in the powerful testimony it is for us as His followers.

From several of the keys words in these verses I imagine that these times Jesus spent away from everyone were something more than just our every day time in the Word. We do need those daily times and they are of inestimable value but here I think is something different. Jesus went to remote places, climbed mountains (Mark 6:46), found somewhere He could be alone. There is not an indication that this was something He did daily. I don’t know about you but climbing a mountain or finding a spot where I am truly alone everyday is definitely not a possibility for me, but it is a practice I benefit from on occasion. Jesus withdrew when He heard of John the Baptist’s execution (Matthew 14:13), after feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:23), and before moving on in His ministry to preach in Galilee (Luke 4:42). I think that here too we can learn from our Lord much about when we need to spend extra time with Him. Finding such a time or place may not always be easy but again we turn to God as are example. Some of the description in the verse I quoted at the beginning of this post cut deep into my heart; “very early in the morning” “while it was still dark”. All I can say is that sounds a little painful! I should not shrink however at giving up a little time or early morning sleep to be with my God! And I have a feeling that once the sacrifices are made and you are in that remote place - in truth before the throne of God - the treasures to be found there are of far far greater value!

So do you feel God calling you to a deserted place just to pray and be alone with Him? If so trust Him to provide a way. You may not have a mountain available but there are alone places closer to home that God can supply. Perhaps your mountain could be a barn loft, or the middle of your woods, or even your own home when everyone else is away. I would challenge you, my sisters, to seek out such a time with God ’s help in the weeks to come. Take advantage of the stillness to lay your heart before your Father and to tell Him about your burdens. I nearly always run out of time before I run out of things to say to God. What would it be like to pray until you’re empty, or rather to pray until you have exchanged every burden of your heart for His peace and joy? We put such a low value on prayer in the church today, but should we? Jesus didn’t.
　
　
　
　
　
　

a quote...

"If you would live in victory over the circumstances great and small that you come to each day... and if you want God's life and power to well up from the depths of your being... then you must refuse to be dominated by the seen and the felt." - Amy Carmichael

moments to remember

Its a very rainy, icy, windy, wet, cold, muddy sort of day outside...

What a perfect opportunity to spend some time with Jesus-- under the shadow of His wings... in the warmth of His presence, thinking about His Word, worshiping Him in my heart!

"The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over You with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

How often do we imagine God as singing?   This was a new thought for me.  I picture it like a mother soothing her child by singing quietly to him/her...  (I remember my mommy singing "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" to me when I was little, if I'd had a bad dream or when I was sad.  To this day that song brings me very special memories...)  Oh the comfort we'd find during difficult seasons if we'd bring our troubles to the Lord and lay them at His feet, and allow Him to quiet us with His love.

God of compassion

“… But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, …” Nehemiah 9:17

“…You did not abandon them …because of Your great compassion. " 9:19

“… In Your abundant compassionYou gave them deliverers, …” 9:27

“… You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your compassion.” 9:28

“…However, in Your abundant compassion You did not destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.” 9:31 　

Are you seeing a resounding theme here?! In this one chapter in Nehemiah the word compassion is applied 6 times to God. I encourage you to read the whole chapter on your own to get a fuller picture. I think that you will be overwhelmed, as I was, by this glimpse of God Almighty. Isn’t it wonderful that our God is compassionate! Imagine if the God who created this world were cruel or heartless, unforgiving or merciless. How horrible it would be to live in such a world with such a King, but no! our God is not like that!! In fact He takes great pains in His word to tell us of His graciousness, faithful love, and abundant compassion. Stop for a minute and read those passages again taking time to really think about what they mean.
I think there is a very real reason why God tells us of His compassion so many times in the scriptures. I think He repeats this truth so frequently because somehow it is hard for us to believe. Of course we would never say that we do not believe any part of the Bible and we may even think that we do believe, but the true test is our lives. Do we live as if we serve a God of compassion? Let us take a look at ourselves…

Are we afraid of God? I do not mean do we fear God in the sense of reverence, respect, and awe, all that is rightly due Him. No, but do we shrink from God? Do we run from His presence as one might from an unkind father? Are we afraid to approach His presence in prayer? God does not want that kind of fear from us! (Revelation 1:17) If we are afraid of the Lord our relationship with Him will not grow. After all no one seeks out someone they are afraid of. Our heavenly Father tells us of His compassion so that we will be drawn to Him. He wants us to bring everything to Him and to trust Him with our every need. How different would our walk with Him be if we truly internalized the truth that He is compassionate?
　
Do we fear God will not forgive us? Do we wrestle with guilt even after we have confessed our sins to Him? Do we think God is like the people in our lives who keep a record of our sin, harbor bitterness against us, and when we fail them one to many times give up on us? How tragic to believe these things about our God when He tells us so many times that He is a forgiving God and He is compassionate!

Are we afraid of the future? Do we fear God’s plan for our lives may involve something that is too hard for us? Are we too fearful to surrender the road that stretches before us because we are just sure that He will send us exactly where we most dread going? Oh we need to often remind ourselves of God’s compassion. How can we tremble at the future when we know a God of compassion holds it in His hands?!

My Refuge, My Stronghold!

Yahweh roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But Yahweh is a refuge to His people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

What an amazing thought! While the unrepentant tremble and despair for terror when the power of God is manifested, I, His child, find great comfort and security in His power! For those who reject God, His power is terrible. The day of judgment is darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it (Amos 5:20, 8:9; Joel 3:15). 

 

God is my refuge, my stronghold. The wicked run from Him. I run to Him and cling to Him. He surrounds me with the power of His steadfast love!

Psalm 145 declares: “[Your children] shall speak of the might of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness . . . all Your saints shall bless You!” (verses 6 and 10b). God's children rejoice in His power!

It is my privilege to praise God for His works and my responsibility to “speak of the glory of [His] kingdom and tell of [His] power, to make known to the children of man [His] mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom” (verses 11-12) so that those who sit in darkness may desire to come into light.

What are the awesome and mighty deeds of God that I am to speak of? Let's look at the rest of the Psalm. God's power comforts, preserves, and blesses those who seek Him and fear Him. It enables Him to remain faithful in all His words and kind in all His works. He is able to uphold all who are falling and raise up all who are bowed down. He is able to provide food for and satisfy the desire of every living creature. He is able to be near to all who call on Him in truth, fulfilling the desire of those who fear Him, hearing the cries of His children, saving and preserving them (verses 13b-20). 

 

God is good! God is mighty! “[He is] not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He has forgiven me and poured into me the riches of His grace through Christ so that I may be a light and a witness to the praise of His glory (see Ephesians 1:3-14). I must speak of the goodness of His power so that those who tremble may understand and know “that God [in His might] works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

worry = living as if God is a liar

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? …Therefore do not worry, … ~Matthew 6:26&31

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ~Luke 12:6-7
　
My thought for you today is very simply expressed in my title - worry equals living as if God is a liar. I think if you stop and think about it you will agree with me. We have so many amazing promises in God’s word of His protection, love, faithfulness, control, etc. that there really is no legitimate excuse for worry. Though it is not pretty I have had to face up to the facts in my own life; when I worry I am calling God a liar with my life. Think how sad that must make my King! Think how unbelievably foolish it is. I do not want to live in worry, but the truth is I fall into it repeatedly. I do not have the power in myself to truly believe God and so banish worry from my mind, so I am asking Him today to purify me and give me a trusting heart.
　
Said the Robin to the Sparrow
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”
~Elizabeth Cheney
　
Let us rejoice today in the amazing care of our heavenly Father and give all of our worries to Him.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting ALL your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:6-7
　

path of life

"A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others... the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.  They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."  Isaiah 35:8-10

worship

“Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,…” Exodus 20:4-5


The second commandment is one we tend to ignore in Christian society. Making graven images just isn’t that popular in our culture and we probably smile at the thought of being tempted to bow down and worship something made out of wood or stone or brass. If that is our only definition of idolatry then most of us probably can check off that commandment on our spiritual ‘to do’ list and go on our merry way. But is that all there is to it? Certainly bowing down to a physical man made object is part of the sin described in this commandment but there is more than one way to make an idol for ourselves.

What if we expanded our category of false gods beyond the realm of statues to included anything that we value or seek more than Adonai Yahweh, the Lord God? What if considered that idols can be things like; money, power, a friendship, our personal appearance, a job, education, a hobby, service, a house, or even ourselves? Is there something, anything, that you feel you could not live without? - ‘If _____ was taken away I’d fall apart!’ - Is there something that fills in that blank for you? Is there something or someone that you seek to give you joy, contentment, to fill that hole that only God can? Is there something you want so badly that you would sin to achieve it? If you look at idolatry through those lenses we are all guilty, in fact in may even be our most common sin! I know for me putting God first has never been easy. I have often believed the lie from Satan that something else could satisfy me better, that I must have God + _____ but it is such a lie! The truth is that anytime I put something on the same level as God it will bring me no lasting happiness but only heart ache and pain. Idols don’t fill us. They can’t. Instead they destroy us when we put our trust in them. I dare not seek a person above God because that relationship can never fill me and looking to that person as my god will devastate our friendship. It is so sad to rob ourselves of the pure joy good gifts from God can bring by putting them up on a pedestal, by sinking our claws into them and saying ’this is mine! Don’t take it away, I need it to live!’

But it is hard to let go. Hard because our hearts are sinful and still believe, whatever we try to tell them, that our idols are necessary for joy and life. To be free from this sin we must ask and allow God to transform our hearts. It can be easy to become discouraged when we come face to face with our own ugly sin but take heart my sisters, that’s why Jesus died, to save us from our sins!! He is in the business of changing lives so surrender your idols to Him and ask for strength to believe that God is ALL you need. I want to be single minded and whole hearted, don’t you?

As I have pondered idolatry in months past, trying to guard my heart against desiring anything too much and sometimes feeling my sin too great for me, a very wonderful thought came to me. There is one person I can never cling to or think about too much. I never have to worry that I might be loving Him too much, He can never occupy too high a place in my heart. I am of course talking about my King and Savior, Jesus. All my adoration, all my tribute, all my service will never become sinful because I can never give Him too much. Isn’t it freeing? Freeing because we were after all made to worship! Idolatry directs our worship in the wrong direction, from an all powerful God to some fallible part of His creation. Let us turn our hearts from our pitiful false gods to the True and Living One and pour our lives into worshiping Him. I imagine the more we know of HIS greatness the less likely we will be to turn again to empty things.

love that will not...

“O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace that rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.”
~George Matheson

This Hymn writer did not write this song theoretically.  George Matheson knew what it was to experience pain and to have to bear a heavy cross.  You see he went blind at age 18 and when his fiancé heard of it she broke their engagement.  Yes, George Matheson wrote from the depths of His soul and  ’proved’ God true even in such trying circumstances.

One of the things I find most precious as I walk longer with God is seeing glimpses of His promises worked out in my life.  This is such a beautiful hymn and it blesses me so much more because of the things life has brought me.  I have experienced nothing as hard as the writer of this song yet I can see traces of what he is saying in my own life and so it rings true in my heart.

Love that will not let me go, will not let you go, I pray you have experienced it.  I wander sometimes from God.  I don’t mean to, but I see something, something that glitters, something that I think deep down in my heart will satisfy me and before I know it I have stopped looking up to God for all I need and am chasing a vapor.  Perhaps it seems good for a while, I am giddy with the hope that I shall soon grasp what I want, but this new idol of mine is illusive.  I can not attain it.  It runs from me and then suddenly an enormous thunderclap shakes my world and I find that I am alone with nothing sure to cling to …only not really alone.  I whirl around to run back to the good path I left and run straight into my Father’s arms.  He was there all along.  I was not looking for it, but His love was following me.  I see it now in all my little circumstances, even while I was straying, He was seeking to draw me home.  That terrible thunderclap He allowed, not to terrify me, but to send me home because He knows that I will find true security and love nowhere else.  Only there will life, can life richer fuller be.  Is not our God’s love amazing?

O light  Why do I so often wander from Him?  Why do I foolishly make His light follow me instead of yielding to Him?  Surrender is not easy.  So often I want to control my tiny flame.  I am afraid of His path, to my sin filled heart it looks unpleasant, scary, very much like a place where I will have to die to myself.  Have I forgotten already that there is no joy in the path I chose?  Do I not remember that the object I thought would bring me happiness refused to be grasped and brought me only pain?  God does not promise to do things my way, but we do know He promises that He will do only what is good.  He can only do what is good because He is good.  "...God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." 1John 1:5  This life of mine this borrowed ray is in much better hands if given back to my Creator.   I may think I can create a better destiny for myself but only in surrendering my borrowed ray can my life brighter fairer be.  In Him is light.

My favorite verse, O joy that seekest me through pain.  It is true is it not?  Joy does seek us through pain.  In the very midst of our greatest trial, when it is darkest all around us she meets us in that hard place,  but sometimes we turn away.  We do not want to acknowledge joy, I do not want to acknowledge joy.  I would rather wrap my pain around me.  I know my pain is real and in self-centeredness think that joy may lesson it’s reality.  No I say with my back toward her, come back tomorrow, today I would rather abide in my pain.  But God is good.  His joy keeps seeking us through pain.  Those rainbows, they are more precious are they not because of their setting of rain.  Such little things in each day are our rainbows; frost sparkling in the sunlight, an unexpected phone call, a little want supplied…  Yet we have a choice to accept these rainbows as true reasons for joy, or reject them because they come through the rain.  My favorite rainbow came at a very trying time in my life.  I do not even remember what I was struggling with.  I know in desperation I had told God I did not feel I could keep going.  His answer?  He sent me out in the dark and cold late at night -figuratively kicking and screaming - to deliver a meal to a new mom I hardly knew.  There I was in her minuscule living room so much barer of things than my own living room at home,  sitting on her little coach, holding her new son, the tiniest baby I have ever seen.  He didn’t weigh a thing in my arms but his blue eyes were so big in that adorable face.  He looked at me, a little one who had never met his father and I listened as his mother opened her heart to me.  She was puzzled by how kind a few of God’s children had been to her, She isn’t used to people being nice to her, she is used to being unloved and alone.  “Thank you Jesus,” I think to myself,  “that I know so little of what that is like!  But thank you Jesus that I know a little of what that is like.”  I can understand her heart now, yesterday these would have just been words.  This love that flows only from Christ,  she did not recognize it, she did not understand it, but she did see it, she knew it was real.  Driving home it was still dark, and cold, and even later than before, but my house had never looked so large before.  My problems were still there but there was something else deep down sparkling beside them, outshining them.  It was joy.  Not a light flippant emotion but deep heavy one.  Perhaps one can only know it through pain.  It was hopeful and knowing.  God whispered in that joy, through my pain, “see -I’m not finished yet, see -I am working, see -trust me.”  Yes, Joy seeks me, seeks you, through pain.  Is not our God gracious beyond all measure?

O cross, the hardest perhaps, how can we not shrink from such a burden?  Yet it goes on - I dare not ask to fly from thee-  I dare not!  Such a perspective, have you felt that pull before?  We dare not ask to fly from the crosses that God has brought into our lives.  Why?  Perhaps because of what we have found there.  Have we not grown closer to our Heavenly Father in these places and tasted the sweetness of deeper fellowship?  Have we not learned that His path while not painless is so much better than our own?  Do we not want more of that deep and abiding joy?  We dare not ask to leave such places because of what we would miss.  It would not be worth it to gain a life without crosses and loose all the gold we gather by them.

Whiter Than Snow

Where I live now, I do not see much snow. But I love snow, and as I recall memories of its beauty, these thoughts come to mind:

He does great things that we cannot comprehend. For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth.’

Job 37:5b-6

He gives snow like wool; He scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them; He makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

Psalm 147:16-18

If God can say to the snow, “Fall to the earth,” and it falls, and, “Melt,” and it melts, can He not say to me, “Be cleansed of sin,” and I am cleansed?

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7

I cannot comprehend the power of God—power over sin, death, and all creation.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts, [declares Yahweh].

Isaiah 55:9

To see the gentle snow is to behold the mighty power of Yahweh, the living God! Falling snow is a testimony of our Creator's control over His creation. When He speaks, creation yields.

Praise Yahweh from the earth . . . fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Psalm 148:7-8

Just as snow covers the earth's blemishes, purifying and beautifying it, so the blood of Christ purifies, cleanses, and beautifies our sinful hearts.

Come now, let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Isaiah 1:18

prayer request: elementary school shooting, Connecticut

Please stop with me for a moment to think and pray.

I'm assuming you all heard about the horrible, nightmarish thing that happened in Connecticut yesterday afternoon.  It's hard for me to fathom that while I was blissfully unaware and going about my business yesterday, these six adults and twenty beautiful, innocent little children (under the age of ten) were being slaughtered in that school building by a shooter just a little older than I am (he was 20).  Try to empathize for a moment: imagine being one of the people who discovered that they would never see their child or loved one again?  That would crush me.

How could something like this happen?  What would possess a person to do this unspeakable thing?  A question that a lot of people are asking is  "Why would God allow this?"

For one thing, the Bible says that things like this would be characteristic of the last days on earth.  The fact is that Jesus is coming back very soon to judge.  People need to get right with God.  Please read 2 Timothy 3:1-7.

Another thing (I've said this before): America (for the most part) has forsaken God.  They have rebelled against Him.  They have thrown Him out of the school system entirely, thus making themselves (and all the children in school) readily available to the one responsible for every evil thing: Satan.  What a painful thought.

When people refuse the Lord's presence in their lives Satan will gladly take charge immediately.  That's why a person could commit a crime like this-- Satan is ruling in that person's heart.

That is also why God allows things like this to happen.  God cannot protect a nation that Satan is actively ruling.

This is very scary.  I mean, there is no promise that something like this won't happen again tomorrow!

People need Jesus!  If only they would cry out in repentance to the Lord, He would set them free from sin, and from Satan's death grip!

If we are followers of Christ, we need to be out sharing our faith and the love of Christ with these hurting and lost souls-- I mean, who knows?  If someone had taken the time to reach out in the name of Christ to that poor young man who was obviously struggling intensely inside, perhaps this whole shooting event might have been prevented.

Anyway, please stop right now and praying for the families of the shooting victims.  Pray that they would start to seek the Lord because of all this, not pull away.  Pray that they would realize their desparate need for Jesus Christ.

I wonder how many families will start thinking about the benefits of homeschooling after this?

"For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify  Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools... and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do things which are not fitting."  Romans 1:20-22,28

Jesus said, "The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

SING!

Singing. Have you ever thought about it in reference to spiritual things? My understanding was instantly taken to a whole new level when I read this verse.
“And these are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.” 1 Chronicles 9:33

Wow! You mean there were special men whose service in the temple was solely to sing!? Somehow I had not grasped how important to God songs of praise are, but looking closer we can find much more in the Bible that speaks to singing than just this verse. Think about it, what is the longest book in the Bible? It’s psalms! A whole book of nothing but songs written to God. In other books of the Bible we find many references to singing as well, here are just a few



“Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him: talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name… 1Chronicles 16:9-10

“Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things; this is known in all the earth. Isaiah 12:5

“Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers Jeremiah 20: 13

“’Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ says the Lord” Zechariah 2:10

　
So I wonder are we as the church faithful in this? Do you suppose that now, at every moment, of every day, God always has a song of praise being lifted up to Him just like in the days of the temple? If not don’t you think there is something wrong?!

What would keep us from this amazing work God has called us too? It’s not hard. There are many excuses however I think the main reason we sometimes fail in this is simply because we do not meditate on God and His greatness and therefore our minds are empty of praise. Look back to the verses I listed above. When God’s word tells us to sing it nearly always gives us a good reason; His wondrous works, His deliverance of the poor, His soon return, and we could each make our own list. Our Salvation, God’s constant faithfulness to us, His unconditional love toward us, the forgiveness he gives us again and again, this beautiful creation, His daily care for us manifest in so many ways,… Your list will look different from mine but no matter what trials we are going through we ALL have a very real, very long list of things to praise God for. We simply do not always recognize these things or turn them into joyful song.

And you know what else? I believe God moves when His people praise Him! Listen to this piece of an incredible story from the Old Testament

‘And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.’
2 Chronicles 20:21-22

Are you getting excited? I am! I am definitely beginning to think there is much more to singing to the Lord than I ever realized. We may never know the significance of this service to God but is it not thrilling that we get to enter into it! So my sisters will you take part in this mission with me? When we are cheerful let us sing! When we are discouraged let us sing! When we are facing a battle let us sing! Will you join your voice with believers everywhere and the angels in heaven praising our great God? for He truly is praiseworthy!

keep your heart

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."  Proverbs 4:23

Your heart is where your dreams are born!  Your heart is where your character and mannerisms are formed.  The things in your heart say who you really are... they lead to the choices you make and how you live your life... they pave the way for the quality of your future.  Ultimately, the things you ponder deep within your heart reveal where you'll spend eternity.

So what's in your heart?  Consider it...

Ask yourself-- do the things in your heart honor Christ?  Do you think of ways to benefit others?  Do you dream of Heaven and the splendor of spending eternity in the Kingdom with your Christian brothers and sisters?  Do you seek to draw closer to the Lord, to feel the warmth of His presence and love?  Do you desire to understand God's word to acquire wisdom and discernment from it?

Or are there thoughts in the secret places of your heart that you would be ashamed to reveal?   

I can't see what's in your heart, and a lot of times, I can't even make sense of what's going on in my own heart, but God always does... He sees and knows.  Ask Him to purify your heart completely.  It's a matter of surrendering it all to Him and desiring to change.  "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."
Jeremiah 17:10

The world is full of individuals who are lost-- their lives are void of Christ and their hearts are full of unholy and impure things.  They are suffering... emotionally and often externally as well... Remember, the things you fill your heart with lead to the way you live your life.  (Thank the Lord that He can purify and bring light to even the darkest of hearts!!!!)

So how do you "guard" (or keep) your heart?  First of all, set aside time every day to spend in God's Word.  Fill your heart with good things from the Scriptures (Philippians 4:8), meditate on it as often as possible (Psalms 1:2), and spend time with other like-minded Christians for accountability (Hebrews 10:24,25)  The best way to cause evil thoughts to die is to stop feeding them.  Be very careful about what you're viewing on the internet or TV, what your reading, or who you're hanging out with. If a certain influence is causing you to be tempted in your heart or thought-life, it's time to cut it off.  Instead, if you feed wholesome, productive, purposeful and kind thoughts on a regular basis, that's what will start to thrive.    Furthermore, guarding your heart will begin to characterize who you are-- how you act, what you choose to do day to day.    

Guarding your heart has life-long benefits!

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit."
Psalms 51:10-12

Press On!

Train yourself for godliness; 

for while bodily training is of some value, 

godliness is of value in every way, 

as it holds promise for the present life  

and also for the life to come. 

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 

For to this end we toil and strive, 

because we have our hope set on the living God, 

who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe . . .

Set the believers an example 

in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 

Until I come, devote yourself 

to the public reading of Scripture, 

to exhortation, to teaching . . . 

 Practice these things [spiritual gifts],  

immerse yourself in them, 

so that all may see your progress. 

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.  

Persist in this, 

for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

(I Timothy 4:7b-10, 12b, 13, 15-16)

My life is about my walk with God, about making progress, about revealing His character and His glory to others. Nothing matters so much as this. And nothing is so dangerous to a Christian as stagnancy or, worse, degression.

Let us know; let us press on to know Jehovah;

His going out is sure as the dawn;

He will come to us as the showers,

as the spring rains that water the earth. 

(Hosea 6:3)

What motivation! To devote myself to knowing God. Not growing weary in well-doing, but longing for Him. And not just longing, but pursuing, actively pursuing godliness, pressing on the upward way, striving for the higher ground.

This is what God requires of me. This is how I glorify Him. By toiling and striving and progressing and persisting.

Devoted to God, practicing godliness through the gifts He has given me, immersing myself in service to Him, progressing in sanctification, keeping myself pure.

God does not demand perfection.

He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 

(Psalm 103:14)

He does require change.

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

(Romans 12:2b)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,  

are being transformed into the same image 

from one degree of glory to another. 

(2 Corinthians 3:18)

God is on my side. The battle is the Lord's! Press on!

O LORD, I pray, give me success [in my Christian walk]! 

(Psalm 118:25b)

bought with a price

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

It’s a simple statement with profound implications. My body, my spirit, I do not belong to me. Your body and your spirit do not belong to you. Why not? For one very glorious reason - if you have accepted God’s gift of salvation - the death of His Son Jesus bought your life from it’s slavery to sin. Such an overwhelming price to be paid, the death of God’s Son a perfect, spotless lamb, for such a sinful wretch as I and for such a sinful wretch like you.

It’s sobering to realize that we don’t belong to ourselves because we very often live as if we do. It’s easy to get up in the morning and put on what you think makes you look good, eat what you find tasty and spend your time on what you find enjoyable or even what you think is good. We need to refocus and get our eyes off of ourselves and what we want. It may seem restrictive at first to think of being owned by someone else but when that someone is the almighty, all loving God it is actually freeing. Imagine if we had only to live for ourselves, what a shallow existence that would be! Imagine if we had to decide on our own how to best spend our life, how frightening that would be!

So if our body belongs to God - He calls the shots in the area of our clothing. If our body is God’s - perhaps He has ideas about how we eat and take care of that body. If our body is God’s - you know He has plans for how it can be used for His glory. Are you willing to serve Him when He calls? On the other hand let us not fret or worry about what God’s plan is for us, rather simply surrender ALL areas of our life to Him.

To correct this self-centered way we often live we must submit to Him and to the knowledge that nothing in our lives is beyond His jurisdiction. Humbly seeking His will and changing through His power and grace as He shows us areas in our life where we are not honoring Him with our spirit and body that belong to Him - that is living as one bought with a price!

sensitivity to His will

"Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith..."
1 Peter 5:6-9a

This is a subject I have recently given quite a lot of thought to.  I believe that while we, as Christians, are in a world full of the devil's schemes and traps, we need to be careful, watchful, and "vigilant" about how we live our lives.  Are we getting into areas that our Lord would rather we stayed away from?  Are things of this life subtly stealing our hearts?  Is the devil trying to get in and make you think that you're okay even if you harbor things in your life that displease your Savior?  

I believe that walking through this life as a Christian is literally like walking through a mine field...  If we aren't really, really, really careful about our actions and the things we allow in life, the devil might get victory.  If he does, there will be a detrimental explosion in your faith... possibly a fatal to your spiritual life.  We need to be very alert!

Spending time in God's Word will show you very clearly the things you need to do, and the things you should not do.  This is God's designed way for us to obtain sensitivity!

Being a Christian means giving up a lot... our comfort, our cravings, our sin.  It's radical!!!!  It might be a little stressful sometimes trying to live up to the standards set forth in the bible... but isn't that what grace is all about?  First, grace saves you from your sin.  Then it empowers you to live an upright, watchful life.  In Christ, and because of His grace, we can do ANYTHING! (Philippians 4:13)  Isn't it invigorating to think of it that way?

Besides, if giving up certain things in this life means gaining eternal bliss in the presence of our loving Creator and Sustainer forever (FAR greater importance in comparison) don't you think that the little bit of suffering would be worth it?  (Matthew 16:26)

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  Ephesians 5:15-17

The Lord will give us a supernatural sensitivity and awareness of His desires if you ask for it!