Friday, August 3, 2018

Strength for Our Souls


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I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased
Psalm 138:2-3 (ESV)

I bow down toward your holy temple
David humbles himself before God. As we go to God in prayer, we should also humble ourselves before Him.
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
 He thanks Him for his steadfast love and faithfulness. When we are in prayer, we should also thank God for his being there with us during times of stress and difficulties that occur in our daily lives.
for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
He recognizes God has lifted up His name and His Word. As God’s children, we need to be aware that God’s name is above all other names and His Word is likewise elevated above all other thoughts and writings done by man.
On the day I called, you answered me;
David acknowledges that God has answered him. Do we thank Him for the answers He gives us? We always have to remember God can answer in one of three ways, yes, no. or wait. We need to thank Him for whatever answer He gives.

my strength of soul you increased.

God strengthened David’s soul. As we learn to pray in a way that is acceptable to the LORD, He will give us the strength we need to face whatever challenges this life brings our way.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Strength

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The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty, yet the span is but toil and trouble, they are soon gone and we fly away. Psalm 90:10 (ESV)

God gave Moses these words in a prayer. The LORD desires that His children live 70 to 80 years. In our lives here on earth, we have work and difficult times.

Those times of “toil and trouble” build our character and give us the strength to face those later years we are on this earth.

The toil we face can be the way we provide for our family’s needs. I have a friend whose one grandson began a new job last week. That job is a 12-hour day-seven day a week job. It is somewhat seasonal but he will be able to care for his family’s needs better.

The trouble might mean the evil done by men to other men. It can also mean the logical end of man’s own bad choices. Yet another interpretation is the prevalence of disease in our world. Another friend of mine lost her daughter to heaven a few years ago, the daughter was in her late 50’s; she had an inoperable brain tumor. Yet another much younger friend lost her daughter to heaven from brain tumors. This daughter was eleven years old.

We discover that the older we get; the faster time seems to go. Yes, those years soon go into our memory banks. Those memories come to the forefront of our minds when we need them. God uses them to comfort us or to teach us a lesson He has for us.


On a day, usually appointed by God, we go to meet Him and His Son.

Monday, July 30, 2018

When God Changes Our Plans

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From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires. 1Peter 4:2 (GNT)

As I sit here beginning to work on my writing this week, I have to think about how my week could look. (In searching for a scripture, I found these words in a Good News Translation. It speaks to me.)

Yesterday afternoon, we received a phone call from Hubby’s lifelong friend. They have a mutual cousin. This mutual cousin had major surgery ten days earlier. The cousin passed away yesterday morning.

As we don’t know any of the arrangements or even if Hubby will feel up to going the 100 miles to attend the funeral, I am more or less placing most of my week’s activities on a temporary hold. When I find out what our plans are, I will notify those whom I need to notify. In fact, I have shared with most of them what has happened as a courtesy and have told them I will let them know if, in fact, I can’t attend.

God has given me peace about all this. I can reschedule a gathering I had called. That is something involving close friends.

When God changes our plans, He has a reason for His actions. In this instance, it is not about me. It’s about Him and our cousin’s immediate family.  

As most of you know, my word for this year is obedience. I am learning quite a lot about how important it is to obey the LORD in the day-to-day and the week-by-week events of my life.


Since I have adopted this word for this year, I have had peace about the majority things in my life and believe I have grown closer to God.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...