What Lacking Self-Control Looks Like

 

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A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Proverbs 25: 28 (ESV)

Words of Solomon, the son of David.

Someone without self-control seems to fall for ‘the latest’, what he or she hears from the television or reads in the newspaper. That person is not grounded in faith.

We see this result in our world today with the seeming popularity of “groups” that promote ideas that were unheard of 40, 50, or more years ago.

Carla Gasser, author of The Beauty of An Uncluttered Soul, tells us that a person who practices self-control practices spirit- control. That person lives with the Holy Spirit guiding him or her.

At first, it is not easy to function with the Holy Spirit leading our lives. I believe it gets easier to do as we go practice giving issues to the LORD through our days. Even then, we may have times when the enemy chooses to test our resolve.

We must remember that we serve a LORD who understands the stress when the enemy tempts us. He tempted Jesus and Jesus rebuked him.

My sister-in-law had a friend give her a print-out of a meme that had a special message:

“When the devil knocks at your door, ask Jesus to answer it.”

Let's Remember

Do you remember the song "Do Lord" 

One memory I have of this song is that I sang it when I was in labor when our son was born. I found out several years later I sang it wrong. I thought it was " Do Lord, do you remember me?"

 

Who of us could not use a bit of joy in our hearts and lives?

I heard this Children's song as a young mother. I love the message that God can use anyone at any age to do His work.

I am trying to work on something special for children. Please pray for me as I attempt to follow God's leading in this area. I will share more with you later. I believe I am doing this out of obedience to God.

Peace and blessings to you and yours.

God’s Purpose

 

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” Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father glorify Your Name." John 12:27-28a (NKJV)

Here Jesus speaks to God from His humanity. His soul is troubled. He knows what lays ahead for Him, yet He fears the separation from His Father that He has to endure.

Jesus Christ knew God had led Him to this point in His ministry. He asks the question if he should ask God to save Him from that hour.

However, Jesus realized and stated that what He was about to go through was God’s plan and purpose.

Our God has plans and purposes for each of us. In researching God’s purpose for our lives, we begin to see His plan unfold for each of us.

1. Keep in touch with God through prayer.

2. Study His Word (Read the Bible)

3. Apply what you read to our hearts.

I have had a terrible time getting onto the internet this afternoon. I spent almost an hour and five phone calls to my carrier. I had to go pick up some things at the dry cleaners. I was online when I returned. We had supper and I could not get back online again. I had to switch browsers in order to get this posted. I also had to get a new password. I believe there is a message in this. At the moment, I am unsure what that message is.

Husband knows to not ask any questions or cross my path when things like this happen. I get very upset.

Let Your Gentleness Be Known

 

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Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Philippians 4:5 (NKJV)

As believers, we must not haggle over unimportant details.  One afternoon recently, I had two incidents with a clerk at our CVS store. I had to ask where something was that I could not find. His response was, “Aisle Seven.”

Instead of responing to my query, I felt that he should have accompanied me to the area. That to me is good customer service.

When I checked out, I had two coupons, one of which did not get applied to my bill. I was not in the best frame of mind when I left the store. I did not know that the second coupon was not applied until I had returned home and checked my receipt.

I decided how to handle my response on this. This is not the first time I have had issues with his service.

Then, I read this scripture. I do have some work to do on this gentleness issue. When I was asked to evaluate the service I received (online), I gave the store middle valued response. When I had to evaluate the person who checked me out, I gave that person low markings.

My reasoning for the action I took was as follows:

# I am a senior citizen, in my late 70s. If a person working in a store treats a senior citizen badly, it reflects on the store. I have seen people in the business world help and guide an elderly person through the process he or she has to go through to complete their transactions or even to find what they are looking for.

# I walk with a cane, it is sometimes hard for me to get around. When I have to hunt for the location of a product, I get frustrated when I have looked and still can’t find it.

As I said above, I do have some work to do on this gentleness issue.

Show Humility to All Men

 

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Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Titus 3:1-2 (NKJV)

Paul’s words to Titus whom he describes as a “true son in our common faith.”

Paul lays groundwork here for believers to follow.

* To submit to rulers and authorities.

* To not speak badly about anyone.

* To live peaceful lives.

* To show humility to all we know.

Paul makes some very strong points, getting to the core of human relationships. He writes these words to a pastor who is young. Titus faces a huge task, that of establishing churches.

As we go through our days, we must follow these words of guidance from Paul. We are tasked to helping enlarge the kingdom of God, however, we must learn to daily practice gentleness.

This is a very difficult thing to do. Recently, I received a phone call from a friend who lives in my neighborhood. She wanted my advise on something. She told me her feelings on an issue and I told her that if she felt uncomfortable doing what she was asked, then maybe she should not do it. She had some good reasons about why she felt the way she did. I could have been more gentle about certain related issues she spoke of. I intend to be more careful in the future.

Do we always find ways to show humility to those around us?

Faith-Our Lifeline

 

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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised

is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)

When a person gives his heart to Jesus, he or she becomes a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has forgiven that person for his or her sins. This is basic to the Christian belief.

Each new Christian goes through a time when all things are new and bright. However, certain issues enter the new Christians’ life that can cause them to fall away.

The writer of Hebrews tells us we are to hold fast to that which we experienced when we first met Jesus. We are not to waffle in our beliefs or “sit on the fence” about our faith. We are in the world but not of the world. We have a life-line that we can hold onto when we are faced with issues the world puts in our path.

We can hold fast to our beliefs and our salvation because we have the promises of God.

                              

July Reflections

 

Writing

In one of my blog posts, I wrote on the passage Micah 6:8. One of my readers is possibly a Messianic Jew. She commented on my thoughts and gave me insight into the order of how some read the Torah. We never know what we will learn from one another. I was humbled by her thought and her comment.

Advocacy Efforts

On Wednesday, July 13^th, the Energy and Commerce committee in the House of Representatives unanimously passed by voice vote the bill to technically correct the Medicare law to include coverage of Lymphedema compression garments and sleeves. It now will go to the floor of the House for a vote. (Please note, there are 350 House co-sponsors of this bill.)

Review Book

My most recent review book is one by A.W. Tozer, Going Higher with God Through Prayer. I chose this particular book mainly because it is on prayer and because I am drawn to what the author has said in the others I have read.

Husband’s Surgery On Hold

Jim’s knee replacement surgery had been scheduled for August 10. His Pr e-Operative Tests has caused them to put everything on hold. His a1c, a blood sugar indicator, number was too high.

And Then the Rains Came

We had not had any rain for about seven weeks. On July 16^th, we got a gentle rain.

On July 17^th the sky opened up and we had a deluge. Water was standing everywhere. We had a power outage that started at 3:23 in the afternoon. Power was restored at 2:15 the next morning. The television weather people said we had NINE inches of rain.

Our side yard is an extra city lot. This lot is lower than where the house sits. When we have water standing in it we always say that we are going to stock it with fish. Our basement got flooded because of the power outage. We are waiting for the furnace to dry out. Hubby does not do well with stress. I am afraid that over the years his health has affected his level of tolerance.

My Austerity Efforts

Due to my having Lymphedema, I have some compression sleeves that I wear and a compression garment that I wear at night. Over a period of one year, at the price I see on the insurance information that I receive, this could be costly for those who rely on these tools to keep the condition from worsening. I prefer to not wait until I receive a statement from the hospital telling me I owe them a large amount of money. I have changed my word processing carrier to one that is free. I receive coupons from my pharmacy that help me save a little bit each time I shop. I cut back on extra mission giving at church.

August is here and, before we know it, it will be gone. Meanwhile, I hope to do better about writing and living for the LORD.

What Will It Take?

This is a departure from this month's theme. I felt so moved by hearing an answer to my thought. Because of this experience, I am also journaling this verse, one phrase as a time.

##

quiet spirit 

Recently, as I read our local newspaper, I became sad about the violence occurring in our cities, our nation, and our world: People unable to peacefully resolve their differences, others, carrying weapons going into schools and taking out the lives of defenseless children and those called to educate them.

 

Memorial Day weekend saw multiple mass shootings across our nation. These followed the Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York tragedies.

 

As I was working in my kitchen, I wondered, “What will it take for order to come back to our world?” I received an answer to my question. “If my people. . .will humble themselves and pray.”

 

 If My people who are called by My name,

            The Lord is speaking about those who say they belong to Him. 

            He knows our hearts.

 

will humble themselves”

            We must recognize our sin, confess it to Jesus and leave it with Him.

 

 and pray

            Go before the LORD and ask Him to guide us, to help us conquer these sinful                issues.

 and seek my face.

            Diligently look for the LORD. Spend quantity time with Him.

 

 and turn from their wicked ways,

            Renounce and forsake the evil thoughts, and actions. Move away from anything              that God dislikes in us. Repent from the questionable language and behaviors.

 

 then I will hear from heaven

            The LORD patiently waits to hear us calling out to Him. He listens whenever we call upon Him.

 

and will forgive their sin

            God, in return, will forgive His people of their sin. He will not remember them.

 

 and heal their land

            God will heal those things that continually vex His people.

 

Some things to think on:

 

1.         Do we need to humble ourselves?

2.         Have we harbored “Christian” sins in our hearts?

3.         Do we truly pray, seeking His will or do we dictate to God what we want?

4.         Do we spend quantity time in prayer as we  seek His guidance, or do we pray on the run?

5.         If we have any bad thoughts and habits, do we want to give them up?

 

 

 

 

 

  

Jesus’ Invitation

 

 

                 he said to them, “Come away with me by yourselves and get some rest.

 Mark 6:31 (NIV)

 

                This verse comes in the middle of a passage where the apostles had reported to Jesus about “all they had done and taught.”

The twelve were so crowded by people they did not have a chance to eat. Therefore, Jesus encouraged them to go to “deserted place and rest awhile” (NKJV)

 

Each believer needs rest, especially after a harrowing event in their lives. A family funeral, a time of surgery, a time of great excitement, during an illness.

 

The LORD Jesus often went to Gethsemane by himself to commune with His Father. God rested from his work of creation on the seventh day.

 

In our American culture in the past, there were what is referred to as ‘Blue Laws’. No unnecessary businesses were open on Sunday. People knew this; they made sure they had gasoline in their cars and food in the house.

 

A corner grocery store in our neighborhood was open for a few hours on Sunday. It was owned and run by a family. As I remember, they only had maybe one or two employees over the years.

 

Things seemed simpler when we obeyed the words of God about resting on the Sabbath.

 

The author of one of the blogs I used to follow stated repeatedly that she took Sunday as a Cyber Sabbath. I did it for a while, but I got out of the habit. I believe I need to practice it again. 

We Must Not Forget

 

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But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25 (NIV)

 

When we practice our faith, we study what God had done for us. Primarily, His deeds are written in His Word. We have evidence that He performed those deeds.

 

Friends of ours had their son and their youngest daughter in the first Gulf War. The mother was not handling it well.  She told me one day that God reminded her of the things He had brought her through in the past. Some people call these reminders, benchmarks.

 

When God presents these benchmarks, we should feel that God has things in control whether it looks like it or not.

 

We all have times when events look out of focus for us. When we have faith in God, we see His hand at work in our lives.  

 

God handles all things to His liking. When we believe that we will receive blessing upon blessing.

Celebrate Our Freedom

 

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I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45 (NIV)

 

As we in the United States celebrate our freedom this month, I think of how we celebrate Christ.

 

I once heard that we celebrate Jesus Christ every time we gather to worship. It came to me that we celebrate God when we honor Him through our personal daily prayers and devotional times.

 

We honor God when we speak of Him or His Son to another.

 

When we extend love to those who are hurting, we share their sorrow or their grief. When we do not give up on someone who is going through tough times, we are representing and honoring God.

 

The Psalmist tells us he has sought out His precepts.

We honor God in another way when we give Him His tithes and our offerings. I was at a revival meeting the first time I heard a pastor say something about giving God His tithes, the statement caught me up short. I had not thought of the first 10% belonging to  Him. I learned something precious at that meeting.

 

Can you think of other ways we celebrate Jesus? Would you like to share them with me?

He Carried Jesus’ Cross

 

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Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NIV)

 

We read these words, but do we really pay attention to what Jesus says here? Let us look at one who carried Jesus’ cross along the road to Golgotha.

 

Who is Simon of Cyrene?  

Simon attended the Passover Feast in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.

 

Why did he do it? 

He was ordered to by the Roman centurion in charge of the journey to Golgotha.

 

Where is Cyrene? 

Cyrene was what is now modern-day Tripoli, located on the northern coast of Libya. (Daily Bible Commentary, Gospel of Luke, William Barclay p.335)

 

Why was he in Jerusalem?

To observe the Passover. He may have saved for a long time to be able to make this pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Barclay tells us, Simon, most likely. saved for many years to make this pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. The account of the Simon’s conscription for this task by Mark tells us he had two sons, Alexander, and Rufus. 

 

How did Simon feel when he was ordered to carry Jesus’ cross? 

He could have felt anger toward the Roman centurion for making him do this task against his will. Maybe he had hard feelings against Rome (for taking over the government of Jerusalem). 

 

How might he have felt when he was at Golgotha?

Was he caught up in the crowd that wanted to see Jesus crucified? He knew that crucifixion was a criminal’s death. Did he have compassion for Jesus that grew as He walked alongside Him, carrying His cross?

 How did he react to what he heard?

 “Father, forgive them.” Did Simon wonder how Jesus, a perfect man, could ask God to forgive the people for this travesty?

 “They know not what they do.” Did Simon wonder what Jesus meant by saying this? These people were causing life to end for no reason.

 “Mother, here is your son.” Jesus Christ made provisions for Mary to be taken care of in her later years of life. He voiced his wishes for everyone in the crowd to hear. Did Simon marvel at Jesus’ words?

“Here is you mother” Jesus spoke these words to John, but did Simon realize what was happening with these words? He may have had lots of time to ponder these words.

 

How did he feel when he heard that Christ had risen?

Simon must have realized that Jesus was truly the Son of God. We are told that Simon and his family became believers in Jesus. The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans they are to “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. (Romans 16:1)

We can conclude that Simon and his family became believers because of this event at the Passover Feast. The task Simon was ordered to do was not one he would have volunteered for. Because of that task, the kingdom of God was enlarged.

 

Sometimes in our Christian walk, we will be faced with a task we really do not want to do. We find ourselves doing it because we feel we must. Later, we find that we have grown from the experience. God uses even the tasks we find distasteful to enlarge His kingdom.

Serve One Another In Love

 

                                 

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 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

 

Paul writes to the Galatians that we are to serve one another in love. He warns them, and us, that our freedom should not be used in a questionable or sinful way.

 

How can we keep from causing hurt to others when we serve them? We should ask the LORD to guide us in our actions and our speech as well as our attitudes.

 

Sometimes we must engage what some call filters in our speech. (Gauge how something might sound if we spoke certain things.)

 

Other times, we must just do our jobs and choose not to listen to things that cause us to slip up and fall into the ‘world mode’.  This takes some maturity in Christ.

 

We must remember that God loves those we serve and those who serve with us as much as He loves us.

 

 

Book Review: Flooded

 

By Nicki Korziarz

                            (The 5 Best Decisions to Make When Life is Hard and Doubt is Rising)

 

Ms. Nicki Korziarz has written a book dealing with the tough issues of life. She divides her book into what she calls five decisions, each of which has three chapters.

In each section, she shares with the reader some of the times she felt swamped and even inundated by the events that touched her life. She also relates these decisions to the life of Noah.

 

Each of us have had times of uncertainty as we try to deal with difficulties that life throws our way. We see that Noah displayed obedience and followed God’s directions.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who seems to be ‘hemmed in’ by stresses that seem unbearable. I would also recommend this book to those who are Christian counselors or pastors.

 

I received this book from Bethany House, free of charge. All they asked of me was that I give an unbiased review.

 

God Sees Me-Mary

 

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And Mary said: “My soul glorifies

the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God

my Savior, for he has been mindful of

the humble state of his servant.

Luke 1:46-48 (NIV)

 

God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Mary. He carried a wonderful message from God. He conveyed two messages. The first being God chose Mary to bear His Child. The second was that Elizabeth, her older relative, was bearing a child.

 

Mary went to visit Elizabeth. Upon her arrival the baby Elizabeth was carrying ‘leaped for joy’ at the sound of Mary’s voice.

 

Mary felt blessed by Elizabeth’s words. She sang a song giving glory to the Lord. She does this to give thanks to God.

 

I love the phraseology of this translation (NIV) ‘for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”

 

This tells me that God saw Mary and he chose her for the awesome role of bearing His Child.

 

God calls his children into professions that magnify Him. Pastors, Missionaries, Doctors, and healthcare workers (nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists, x-ray technologists, to name a few.)

 

God sees each of His children as special. He uses each of them as He desires to expand His Kingdom.

 

Do we remember that God sees us at times when we are not at our best? I have learned that God sees us at all times. This is something I have had to realize and repent of my behavior.

 

                 

Showing God’s Love, Part A

 

 

Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

 

Praying with/for Another Person

                                               

Several years ago, I went through a very dark time. My close friends knew I was bothered about some things. I did not feel as if anyone was reaching out to me. I bravely called a dear lady I felt I was close to. I asked her why no one seemed to care about where I was in this “downtime.”  She had an incredibly good response; no one felt able to help me. (Speaking here in the physical sense.)

 

One Sunday night, I went to the altar with my need. Another friend came to pray with me. I told her I needed to know that there were people praying for me. She assured me that people were.

 

I developed a habit. When anyone at that church greeted me and asked,” How are you?” My response was, “Thank you.” When I gave my response, I got the strangest stares.  It was shorthand for, “I appreciate your caring, but we do not have the time for me to tell you everything I am going through.” I began to feel the prayers of God’s people.

 

During this time of darkness, I could not laugh. One fall, I attended a special Praise Gathering in Indianapolis, filling in for someone who found she could not attend. A Christian comedian was excellent and drew me out. I was able to enjoy his humor and laughed out loud. That night, the friend who asked me to fill in for her stepdaughter came to my bedside and told me that it was good to hear me laugh again.

 

The night before Thanksgiving, we had a special worship service at church. Each of us was asked to tell five things we were thankful for. One of mine was the gift of laughter.

 

Yes, prayers for others and with others show God’s love for them.

Book Review: True Worshipers by Marja Verschoor Meijers

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Marja Verschoor Meijers has written the eighth installment of her series about the Ten Commandments. Her latest installment is instructive, interactive, and full of scriptural guidance.

 

She instructs her readers in ways to bring glory to God. She researched the Old Covenant ways and more fully explained the LORD’S plan for us through the New Covenant. In each chapter, she includes scriptures to bring out her points.

 

At the end of each chapter, she has a page for journal thoughts. She asks two questions related to the topic. She has given space for the reader to respond to the questions.

 

I needed something to lift my spirits after a different and difficult spring. This small book (121 pages) helped me see what I needed to see and will help me do what I must do to worship, witness, and live more fully for Jesus.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who feels that something is lacking in their relationship with God and wants to work on getting closer to the LORD.

 

I purchased this book from the author. All she asked of me was to give an honest, impartial review.  

 

You can find True Worshipers in paperback or Kindle at Amazon.com. Here

 

 

What Do We Do Pray; How Do We Pray?

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This, then, is how you should pray

 Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

When we are asked to pray about a request for a friend and that request causes us great concern. How do we pray? Do we pray as that person asks?

Several years ago, I was asked to pray for a family who had lost their son because of domestic violence. A friend knew this family. The perpetrator was caught and faced trial. During the trial, another friend asked me to pray for the perpetrator, the wife of the deceased man. My second friend was acquainted with some of the wife’s family through where she worked.

I was confused about how to pray for this situation. I muddled about it for a couple of days. Then, I somehow heard the words, “Why aren’t you praying for My Will?”

Do we sometimes forget to pray for that request? I practice praying for a request at the time I receive it, be it in person or over the phone and even online.

Presently, several of my requests I place before the LORD are simply that His presence be felt by a friend who is in stage 4 cancer. Another request is that God allows His Will to guide someone who is considering relocating back to our area.

We pray for God’s Will for any request. When we pray, we pray for the Lord to intervene and allow Him to work out the perceived need according to what He wants for that person.

We Need to Humble Ourselves

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This is a repeat of an older post, with an additional thought or two.

Due to some concerns and anxieties that some of my friends and I have experienced, I found myself fretting over some issues I could not completely put out of my mind. I remembered this scripture and studied it again. Please bear with me as I explain what it means to me.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) 

Humble yourselves--when we look at our habits, our ways, and our activities, through God’s eyes and compare them to His teachings and what He expects from us, we humble ourselves.

under the mighty hand of God under God’s direction. All our thoughts, words, and actions must come through the filters He gives us. (see Philippians 4:8-9)

at the proper time, -- God will act on our needs and the requests we make when He sees we are ready. We might have to grow closer to Him to understand what is happening around us.

he may exalt you; -- He will use his discretion to lift us up. He is the One who calls the shots, makes the decisions about circumstances in our lives.

casting-- Picture a fisherman as he throws his line into the water. He reaches back over his shoulder, rod in hand, placing his arm behind him or her. The angler brings that arm across his body. The line flies across the water. The hook lands a great distance from him or her.

all your anxieties-- I find the important word here is “ALL”. We are not to withhold any fear or concern from God. Nothing is too small or insignificant for God to handle.

because he cares for you. -- God made each of us. Because of that, He loves us. When we have times when we think no one cares about us God does care.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:

During this time of shelter-in-place orders, things have been rather monotonous for a lot of my friends. However, we have had more time to spend with God and reading different devotional writers.

I have had time to listen to the news journalists and discovered that there are some out there in the world who seem to believe as I do. Our world needs to know that certain thoughts we hear are not correct and we still have to stand for God and for what is right.

Rest and Guidance

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 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters.

 Psalm 23:2 (NIV)

What does this verse mean to us who live in the 21^st Century?

He makes me lie down

 God allows us time to rest and recover from those times when we have suffered loss or have been harmed. When a family loses a loved one, Our Father allows them to grieve the loss.

 in green pastures

As children, we may have laid down in our yards and watched the clouds in the sky. I remember rolling down an embankment of grass and squealing with delight that it was a fun thing to do.

 what He can do for us.

 he leads me beside quiet waters.

God takes us, as He took David, into calming settings in order to talk to us. Have you ever watched fish in an aquarium?

When my stepmother underwent radiation therapy, the lobby of that area had two fish tanks built into the walls. I found it peaceful to watch as I waited for her daily treatment to be completed.

As we wait for the stay-at-home orders to be lifted, we must listen to God’s voice as He guides us through each of our days.