In the Light of His Countenance

 

  

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                                  Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound\!

                 They walk, O Lord, in the light

                     of Your countenance.

                   In Your name they rejoice all day long,

                    And in Your righteousness, they are exalted.

                  For You are the glory of their strength,

               And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

                                                                      Psalm 89:15-17(NKJV)

I came across this passage as I participated in a time of prayer and fasting. It caused me to pause and reflect on certain phrases.

who walk in the light of Your countenance

We, who claim to be believers in Jesus, must choose to walk with Him and do as He directs us.

In Your name they rejoice all day long,

From time to time in each day, we may have events, small or large, that cause us to give praise or thanks to Jesus for. Your list may be different from your best friend’s. We may give thanks for having the sunshine coming through our windows. We may feel thankful that we have heat or air-conditioning and fans, depending on the weather or time of year. We may receive an answer to prayer. We may give praise to God for the progress a friend has made after being severely ill.

Prayer: Father God, Thank You for Your presence each minute of the day. Thank You for everything You do for us from the time we awaken to the time we go to sleep. You are so precious to us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN

God’s Guidance for Us

 

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When we ask God to guide us, what are we asking Him to do? Do we ask Him for His guidance, or do we ask Him to approve our plans for what we want to do?

By asking Him to guide us through a difficult time, we allow Him to:

Guard us from questionable influences.

Unite us with others who can help us.

Infuse us with Your Spirit.

Don’t give up on us.

Envelop us, Your children with Your love.

I have been going through a difficult time this summer. Most of what I write will reflect what I have been feeling. The Lord knows all about this time of my being down. He and I have had some good talks about the issues involved. Some of these circumstances are long standing situations that I really had no knowledge of.

Trusting Him

 

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Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, But he, who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.

Psalm 32:10 (NKJV)

We say we trust God, but do we? Sometimes don’t we mouth those words to those around us and deep inside we think, “I know what I am doing.”?

Recently, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning. We were taking a daytrip to a reunion of the class my husband would have graduated with had his family not moved away from there.

I noticed something about my vision. It was not good. The next few weeks were going to be busy ones for me. I give a Children’s Moments message at church one Sunday a month. I was planning to do preregistration for Vacation Bible School for three Sundays in a row. We had to prepare for this event in the meantime.

Add into this mix my getting my donated items ready for the Church Rummage Sale, which comes the end of Father’s Day week. Plus, how was I going to get to church on Sundays and to Bible Study on Thursdays?

All these dates were running through my mind as I lay there trying to go back to sleep. Suddenly, God planted my WOTY, word of the year, TRUST, in my mind.

I focused on that precious word and fell back asleep. When I woke again, I checked my vision and saw that it was restored to where I could see pretty well.

My main concern was how was I going to get done what I needed to do? Get decorations for my VBS preregistration-registration table. How was I going to get my donations to the Church for the rummage sale? I didn’t think I should trust myself driving and my Hubby shouldn’t be driving when he hasn’t been able to get the proper sleep he needs.

Add to that the Zoom meeting I needed to attend for our Conference Prayer Network. Also, my printer seemed to have a mind of it’s own.

So far, God has taken care of most of these needs. God knows my needs and I have to trust Him. I have to praise Him for his help and guidance through these issues.

Trust, at All Times

 

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:7-8 (NKJV)

Words of David

David gives testimony to what roles God has in his life.

God is David’s;

Salvation

God and God alone saved David.

Glory

David continually gave glory to God

Rock of his strength

God is the source of what David can do, can withstand.

David then tells his readers, and us, to rely on God at all times. He urges the people to tell God all that is on their hearts. He goes so far to tell them that God is a safe place for all of us.

From time to time, we all have circumstances that enter our lives that seem so difficult to those around us. A personal illness, a family illness, a long-standing situation between ourselves and others. When we trust God for the outcome, we can get through the circumstances.

A lady I saw recently told that her daughter was in hospice care. The lady wondered why we have to go through such prolonged times of tough times. She had heard that we are to learn humility. I believe we are allowed to learn to trust God more, to trust God with everything-everything we have and everything we are.

'Til the Storm Passed By

 

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This is a hymn that came to my mind this week. I became acquainted with it back in 1978. It has helped me through some difficult times. I just wanted to share this with you. 

Our son is coming home for a delayed visit. I have to get a few things done before he arrives.

Fervent Love

 

Etsy

And above all things have fervent love for one another,

for “love will cover a multitude of sins’

1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Words of Peter

When we worship God in a corporate setting, we unite with our fellow worshipers to praise Him, to seek His guidance, to encourage others.

Peter tells his readers, then and now, that they and we are to love each other fervently.

Just what does fervently mean?

Webster’s New World Dictionary tells me that fervent means: Showing very warm or strong feeling; intense; ardent, as in a fervent appeal for help.

We have those times when we show love for one another through prayer, through visiting, through sending a card.

We have times when our prayers must be fervent,

*When there is an urgent need for God to intervene.

*When we need His guidance about an issue or circumstance.

*When we are asked to intercede for a friend.

Our church has had a time of fervently praying for our pastor and his wife. A couple from our church who reside in another state are facing a serious medical situation for which they will be returning to our town for medical treatment. This couple will receive, and has already received, fervent prayers from those that know and love them.

Father God: Please guide us through those times when we ae to be fervent in our love and in our prayer life. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen

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 me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)

Words penned by David.

Having had too many nights with either minimal or no sleep, I picked up my Bible and reread this verse. A dear friend shared it with me many years ago.

What I realized as I went through another sleepless night was that I was not trusting God for some things going on around me that may affect me.

This verse tells me that David would be able to rest in peace and then sleep. He then tells the LORD that He alone keeps him safe.

How did God keep David safe? By being with him during the times Saul was chasing him. Also, when his son was hunting him down.

Each of us will have times when we feel that our back is against the wall or that we are in a circumstance by ourselves. God is with us as we go through those rough spots.

Our pastor has spent the past 50 days recovering from a stroke, there were days that it was one step forward followed by two steps backward. Prayer has kept him and his wife going as he has received intense therapy at a hospital in a neighboring city. He will be coming home in four days.

Prayer: Father God. Thank You for being with us during the difficult times in our lives. Thank You for reminding us that You are always are with us, guiding us through those times. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen

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Ash Wednesday Music

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 Here are the hymns we sang at our Ash Wednesday service this evening.  We loved singing these old favorite hymns. I hope you enjoy hearing them. Sing along with them, if you choose.

Are Ye Able Said the Master

When I Survey the Wonderous Cross

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

                                                                    

                                                            The Old Rugged Cross

                                           

                                           

                                                  

                                              

God Alone

 

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I will both lie down in peace and sleep;

For You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)

Words penned by David.

Having had too many nights with either minimal or no sleep, I picked up my Bible and read this verse. A dear friend shared it with me many years ago.

What I realized as I went through another sleepless night was that I was not trusting God for some things going on around me that may affect me.

This verse tells me that David would be able to rest in peace and then sleep. He then tells the LORD that He alone keeps him safe.

How did God keep David safe? By being with him during the times Saul was chasing him. When his son was hunting him down.

This issue of trust is connected to faith. I have learned that we must have faith in order to trust God without reservations. Years ago, the pastor I sat under said that a lot of people practice “Billy Goat” religion. They say they believed in God, then the next word they said was.”But”.

A scripture passage I found recently has given me pause. “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV) I believe I need to learn to live by faith more than I do.

Prayer,

Father God. Please help us, Your children, to trust you more as we live each day for You. Guide us as we make decisions and as we talk to those we meet in our daily activities, In Jesus’ Name, I pray. AMEN

The Gift of Life

 

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I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 b (NKJV)

My best friend often reminds me that each day is a gift and even that life is also a gift. We often seem to have difficulties in our lives. However, God allows them to ultimately cause us to learn a lesson we need.

Another gift that God gives us is our very lives. I am reminded of the saying;

“God gives us each of us our life as a gift.

What we do with do with that life is our gift to Him.”

We may have had lofty ideas about what we wanted to do with our lives. God has His thoughts about what He sees as what He wants from us.

I remember one time when I was feeling pretty low about how my life was going. Someone my age in my stepfather’s family was doing some significant things with her husband, newsworthy items. My mother reminded me that I was raising a son with certain medical issues and I had nothing to be ashamed about. I had not thought of myself in that light.

God has brought our family of three through some very difficult times, all the while teaching me some very valuable things.

Prayer

Father God: Thank you for giving each of us the lives we have. Thank You for giving us the lessons You have given us in order that we may show Your love to others. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen

The Ultimate Forgiveness

 

I recently found a small book by Dr. David Jeremiah in my pile of ‘things’. It is entitled “Why The Nativity?”

The book contains 25 different questions people may have about Christmas. In the last chapter, question 25, Dr. Jeremiah makes two very interesting thoughts.

* “Finally, we should believe in Jesus because only through him can we find forgiveness for every sin- past, present and future-and thus live with the hope of eternal life.” (1.)

* “We should believe in Jesus because he is our one and only hope of forgiveness in this world and of joyful existence in the next.” (2.)

God forgives us because of His love for each one of us. He does not keep a ledger book of our life that highlights our transgressions. When we ask His Son into our hearts, Jesus takes away our sin. He did that at Calvary.

And for that, we who know Him are eternally grateful.

_____________

(1.) Why The Nativity, David Jeremiah, © 2006, Tyndale Momentum, Carol Stream, IL p.109

(2.) Why The Nativity, David Jeremiah, © 2006, Tyndale Momentum, Carol Stream, IL p. 110

Be Thankful, Bless His Name

 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

                                                            Psalm 100:4 <NKJV)

How we enter God’s house can forecast what we get out of the worship experience.

If we have been rushed and are frazzled because of that fast pace, we will not receive what God wants to give us.

I once read that our days actually begin the night before. If we have a time of restlessness at night, we could have a difficult day on the following day. I am attempting to work on this condition in my life.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

Yes, we must enter God’s house with a thankful attitude. We serve a God who loves us.

                                * He saved us from our sins.

                                * He has been extremely good to us.

                                * He may have brought us through some very difficult times.

And into His courts with praise.

When we enter God’s sanctuary, we must give praise to Him.

                            * Praise Him that we got to His house safely.

                            * Praise Him that we are healthy enough to be in His sanctuary.

                            * Praise Him for those others who are able to be there.

                            * Greet those who are there.

                            * Greet those who are visiting. Make them feel welcome.

Be thankful to Him and bless His name.

                         * We must give thanks for each gift God has given us.

                        * We must give God thanks for those things He allowed that we thought were

                            difficult issues that we learned from those circumstances.

                        * We must bless His Name because of all He has done for us. We do not deserve                                         anything from God, except death and, yet, He has given us eternal life.

 We had a special family group of singers at church yesterday. One of the songs they played was "Revive Us Again!"

At the end of the time, the couple's daughter sang one of my favorite carols. "O, Holy Night"

          Yes, I am looking forward to Advent and to Christmas.

 

 

 

David’s Thought about His Sin

 

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Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight--

                                                                                Psalm 51:4 (NKJV)

Words of David

David, confronted by Nathan the prophet, realized that he had sinned by his actions with Bathsheba.

He knew he had transgressed God’s law immediately when he heard the story that Nathan told.

David instantly went into a state of seeking forgiveness for his sin. The baby died and David came out of his “sackcloth and ashes” state and went in to provide comfort to Bathsheba.

In today’s world we may have dealt with people who take the attitude of: “Yes, I did it; and I will do it again.”

David’s message here seems to be part of his repentance process. He considers himself to be blessed because God forgave him. (Psalm 32:1-2)

God extends to each of His children the privilege of repentance and receiving His forgiveness. It is always our task to seek forgiveness and to repent of our wrongdoings.

We, like David, must come to realize that we ultimately sin against God. If we don’t seek His forgiveness, we will face consequences. Some parents have taught their children that all actions have consequences. I wish that all parents would realize that and convey it to their children.

God, Rich in Mercy

 

” But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6 (NKJV)

God has made us alive because of Christ. He rescued us from the sins of our trespassed and will give us a place in heaven when our time here on earth is over.

God showers us with mercy, His great love, and His grace.

When Jesus returns to earth, God will bodily raise those who have lived for Him, giving them each a resurrected body that will be reunited with their spirits.

Our son was born with a birth defect that caused him not to run “like the other boys.”

One evening when he was in either kindergarten or first grade, he asked me, “Mom, when will I be able to run like the other boys?”

I thought for a second and answered him, “When Jesus comes again.” I believed it then and I still believe it all these many years later.

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Several years ago, we started attending a different church. There we met a man who, several years before, had been in an accident on his motor scooter. This was his second accident that summer. He was a quadriplegic. At the time we met him, he lived with his mother who, with help, took care of him.

This man was unable to do anything physical. However, he could pray and pray, he did. He would call me from time to time and we would talk and then we would pray for each other. When he prayed for me, I felt prayed for.

When God called him home, I wrote a poem about him. My first thought when I heard of his passing was that “Heaven is Richer Now”. That was what I entitled the poem. Our pastor at that time read it at his service.

My Senses and Forgiveness

 

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Can forgiveness be experienced through our senses? Do I see an object in my home that reminds us of having been forgiven?

Yes, there are several objects in my living room that remind me of forgiveness. On a small wooden shelf sits a plate with the words, “God bless our marriage”. My husband bought this for me when we were shopping at an outlet mall. The significance of this plate is the writing on it. He is not one to talk about his relationship with God or with the church. Due to his health, he does not attend church with me.

Do I hear words that remind me of forgiveness?

When our son calls us, just before we hang up. I always tell him that we love him. He always responds with, “I love you, too.” Our son has had some hurdles to get over as he has gone through life.

Do I taste things that remind me of forgiveness?

Whenever I eat fresh sweet corn on the cob,or watermelon I think of the farmers who grew those crops and the work they do to get it to market. I taste the forgiveness of God in each bite. He has forgiven me so that I can enjoy good summer produce.

Can I feel God’s forgiveness as I go through each day?

Yes, I feel God’s presence, especially when I am stressed by worldly circumstances. His presence reminds me that I have been forgiven and can stand tall against the issue before me.

Can I smell forgiveness?

Yes, When I have chosen to bake something. I don’t always bake muffins, cakes, or cookies due to my husband’s health. But, when I do, I can smell that sweet aroma of God’s forgiveness wafting through our house.

Set Free From Sin

 

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For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Romans 6:20-22 (NKJV)

People caught up in sinfulness do not seek righteousness, moreover they do not understand about righteousness.

Paul asks an interesting question. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? As I think on this, Paul is asking the believers What ‘reward’ did you have then that now you do not care about?

He tells them that the outcome of sinful ways is death. He then tells the believers that once we are set free from bondage, we have our reward and also everlasting life.

We must always look to the LORD when we see things that would lead us back into the slavery of sin. When we realize we might be headed into sinful habits, we can ask God’s forgiveness and repent from sinful actions.

Abide

 

... then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

” Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.” John 8:31-33,36 (NKJV)

Words of Jesus

Jesus gives His disciples guidance for being free from sin and guilt.

If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.

The Lord states that His disciples must stand fast in what He teaches them and what He tells others about how to be free from sin.

And you shall know the truth

When we set out to discover God’s truth, we learn of Jesus and His ways and how to follow Him in our daily lives. We learn these things by studying the Bible, reading devotions, and by praying to God.

the truth shall set you free.

When we discover the truth of God, we should have no fears about circumstances that normally would affect our lives. We become free from worry and live at peace.

if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed

When Jesus makes us free from worry and guilt, we can experience a new-found state of freedom that no one can take away from us. Yes, I know, the enemy will try but as long as we take those issues to Jesus, we are still free.

Why Pray, How God Answers

 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

Has anyone ever asked, “Why do you Pray?” How would you respond? Here are some reasons Jesus’ children pray.

           *We pray to tell God that we love Him.

* We pray to give thanks for what He has given us. Our homes, our transportation, our families, our health.

*When God heals us or our friends from disease.

*We pray to seek His guidance when we find ourselves facing harsh circumstances, those things we never expected to happen to us.

*We intercede in prayer for our friends or people we hear of who need guidance or comfort in t heir lives.

*When our cities and towns have had horrific crimes committed against their citizens.

God chooses to answer our prayers in His own way and in His own time. Sometimes, our requests may take a few years to be fulfilled. God has His reasons for seeming to withhold that answer. While we think that our way is best, God may have other plans for that request.

We often try to follow a format for our prayers: One that is easy to remember is the ACTS format.

Adoration-We are to tell God we love Him.

Confession-We are to tell God all that we have done that displeases Him.

Thanksgiving-We give God thanks for ALL He has done for us.

Supplications-We make requests for ourselves and those requests of others we have committed to pray                         

for.

Forgiveness Is Vital

 

<I>...when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. </I> Mark 11:25 (NIV)

Words of Jesus

Jesus shares a very basic thought with His disciples, the importance of forgiveness.

What this passage tells me is the importance of forgiveness. In order for God to be able to forgive us of our sins, we have to forgive those whom we believe have caused us hurt.

A young woman was sobbing as I went into the restroom after church service one Sunday. She shared with me why she was terribly upset. An older woman who served on a committee with her had said something that was very hurtful about a project that the younger woman had worked on. As far as I know, the issue was not handled correctly. The result, the younger woman and her companion and eventually her daughter and grandchildren left the church. Also, the older woman seems to attend services spasmodically. In essence, as I see it, this issue never got resolved in a Christlike manner.

I wonder: How many times in Christ’s kingdom has forgiveness not been practiced when it should have been.

I have written before that when we can’t extend forgiveness to another person, we can ask God to forgive him or her for us. I have had to do this. It helped me to get over some deep hurts and to function in my life.

From time to time, we need to examine our lives to see whether we need to extend to or ask forgiveness of someone. This is very important to who we profess to be in our Christian walk.