The Lord, our Shepherd RJD March 2014

Journal Entry March 6 2010

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23:1 (NIV)

The Lord is—God is alive. He is active.

                       He watches over us.

                        He stretches His hand to protect us.

                        He wraps His arms of love around us.

                         He is present.

my shepherd—He guides us; He protects us.

                        He watches over us; He tends our hearts.

                        He helps us when we get into trouble.

                        He is alert to our enemies.

                        He is alert to our needs.

not be in want–with God directing our lives, our wants are minimal. He provides all our needs

                        We must thank Him for our daily provisions.

Update:

In the past four years, since I penned these words, God has been with us.  Our son got established in a good job. We have enjoyed some fun times with our friends down where Hubby grew up. I have had the opportunity to expand my writing opportunities. I thank God for each of these blessings.

As I sit here entering these thoughts into my computer, I have to trust God for the outcome of a few health issues that seem to have entered our lives. All I can do is remember that God wants what is best for us. When you think of me, please say a prayer asking God’s will for us. I am not at liberty to say what all of this is about but I know you will pray for us.

Linked to:enthusiasticallydawn

Our Lenten Witness-

            “A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.” Proverbs12:17 (NIV)

            “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours our lies will not go free.” Proverbs 19:5(NIV)

             

 { Because of my schedule with my therapy and some other things that entered my life, I have chosen to revisit some previous Lenten messages from my archives.}

            As children of God we have opportunities to witness for Him. We are not aware of the number of times we have made a statement for Christ.

            My husband and I stood in line at a local cafeteria. I had to decide on the type of roll I wanted with my meal. I looked longingly at the cinnamon roll. The worker behind the counter noticed what I saw. She asked, “Do you want that cinnamon roll?”

            I rallied from my wistful state and said, “I gave up sweets. I better have the wheat roll.”

            As we were eating our meal, the young lady made her way around the nearby tables, asking if the diners needed anything. She came to our table.

            “What made you give up sweets?” She looked at me as she waited for my answer.

            I paused and whispered, “For Lent.”

            “You’re my hero.”

            Here this young woman responded to my short answer. I didn’t know this person. I hadn’t seen her working there before. I only had these short snippets of conversation with her and, yet, she may have been searching for God. Only He knows if my witness planted a viable seed.

Graphic: www. vine2victory.com

Book Review: When The Glass Ceiling is Stained

                           by Mary Detweiler

When God gives His children Spiritual Gifts, He plans on those gifts to be exercised. Some feel that women have no place in leadership roles of the church.

Mary Detweiler has researched this issue by studying Old Testament women who led people through catastrophic times—Deborah, Huldah, and Rahab and Esther. God equipped these women with the gifts they needed to lead their people though the difficult times those people groups faced.

She has documented her book with writings of John Maxwell, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and other Christian writers.

This book is not a diatribe against the church but a positive book pointing out how God has used women in the furtherance of His Kingdom. Mary refers to Rahab, Deborah, and Huldah and Esther in the Old Testament and to Mary Magdalene, Mary (the sister of Lazarus), Euodia and Syntche, and Priscilla, in the New Testament.

In today’s world, we see godly women leading or assisting the leaders of their churches by employing their Spiritual gifts. We also hear of some sectarian groups who cling to the belief that women are not equipped to participate in Kingdom work in the role as pastors, even pastoral assistants, or even ministry group leaders. Having worshiped in one denomination and now worship in another that doesn’t exclude women from leadership roles; I believe I have grown in my faith because of the experience of their learning and their instruction.

I received a copy of this book from the author. All she asked in return was my honest and truthful review.

Remain in My Love

“’As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.’”  John 15:9-12 (NIV)

Jesus puts it very plainly, when we obey His commands, we show our love for Him. He also tells us that His Father loves us just like He loves His Son.

God’s love stays with us during the times of illness—personal or of a family member, financial hardship, loss of a loved one and its aftermath.

There is something unique about an earthly parent’s love for a child. That unusual quality is magnified many times over when we describe the love God has for Jesus and the Lord, for His children.

When God sees us living for Him, doing His Will, and following His guidance, He smiles. When this happens, we receive a joy that surmounts anything we will ever know. 

Hymn: He Abides

Graphic: www.popularhymns.com

Added note: I will be unplugging from posting here until March 3, 2014. at the time I posted this entry, I start physical therapy in a  few hours. I also have a set of books to start reviewing.  Please pray for me when you think of me. Thank you.

No Greater Love

 

“Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.

 You are my friends if you do what I command

 I no longer call you servants, because a servant doesn’t know his master’s business.

 Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father

I have made known to you.” John 15:13, 15 (NIV)

This scripture tells us that there is no love stronger than the Lord’s love for us. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus spoke to the disciples and told them, “I now call you friends.”

In our world, today, when we call someone a friend it means we have a relationship with them. When Jesus used the word to describe that relationship with us, it becomes more special. He has shared something with us; we have obeyed Him. He honors us when he calls us ‘friend’.

In today’s world, we have a relaxed meaning of the word ‘friend’; relationships are more casual and less long term. Our teenagers have the term “best friend forever’ (BFF.) But how long does ‘forever’ last? Those in this generation want one of their relationships to be permanent. But, alas, certain issues cause these desired relationships to languish. One moves away, one gets married and the other stays single for a while, they might find something that causes them not to accept the other’s way of thinking. 

But, with Jesus’ saying he calls us friend we have a stronger bond, when we obey Him.

Song:.Now I Belong to Jesus

Graphic: solid rockchristianchurch.org

Obedience Equals Love

 

“’As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,

just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.’”

John 15:9-12 (NIV)

Jesus puts it very plainly, when we obey His commands, we show our love for Him. He also tells us that His Father loves us just like He loves His Son.

God’s love stays with us during the times of illness—personal or of a family member, financial hardship, loss of a loved one and its aftermath.

There is something unique about an earthly parent’s love for a child. That unusual quality is magnified many times over when we describe the love God has for Jesus and the Lord, for His children.

When God sees us living for Him, doing His Will, and following His guidance, He smiles. When this happens, we receive a joy that surmounts anything we will ever know.

Song: Such Love

graphic: www.aroyaldaughter.com

Book Review: The Question That Never Goes Away, Why

     

By Philip Yancey

_{Mr. Yancey discusses the always present question when things go wrong. When he was a year old, he lost his father to Polio. His first book, entitled Where Is God When It Hurts?” dealt with the grief and pain of times when God allowed suffering into the lives of His children.}

_{In his latest book The Question That Never Goes Away, he visits three areas of the world where disaster prevailed. He discusses the tragedy of the earthquake/tsunami and the aftermath. He relates what he saw in the bloodbath of the Balkans some 30 years after the civil war there. He then writes about his experience of going to Newtown, Connecticut and speaking to those who lost children in Sandy Hook Elementary School.}

_{Clive Calver, someone with whom Philip had worked some time ago, called him to come to Newtown and speak on his first book Where Is God When it Hurts? Mr. Calver served as a minister in a church just outside the town limits of Newtown. Several of the church members were teachers at that school. Philip Yancey asked for prayers from a group of close friends to pray for him as he spoke at “the toughest speaking assignment” he ever had.}

_{This book is not an ‘easy read’. It is a necessary read for Christian counselors, first responders, pastors, and dedicated prayer warriors,}

_{I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through its BookSneeze program. All I was asked to do was read it and give an impartial review.}

_Graphic:http://booklookbloggers.com/