What’s Your Word?

        I thought it would be a good idea to pick a word to concentrate on this year; a word to define my outlook on the year.  After much thought, (there are sooooo many appropriate words for my life!) I decided on the word ‘faith’.  I looked faith up in the dictionary and its’ meaning is “a strong or unshakeable belief in something, especially without proof or evidence”.  Perfect word for me!

        I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a “Thomas” at times.  I know what the Lord is capable of, I’ve seen Him work in my life and all around me, but at times, there’s still that doubt.  When I pray for certain things I know that He is able and will answer my prayers in His time and His own way, but there’s that gnawing feeling of will He really?  I want to pray for things this year and have the faith to back it up.  Just because His ways or time is not mine, I know I’ll get my answer!  What’s your word for this year? 

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

“A Savior, Which is Christ the Lord”

1	And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all  the world should be taxed.
2	(And this taxing was first made when Cyre'ni-us was governor of Syria.)
3	And all went to be taxed,  every one into his own city.
4	And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,)
5	to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6	And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7	And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8	And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9	And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
10	And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11	For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
12	And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14	Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:1 – 14 KJV

"Shhh...Listen..."

     We have had a "Polar Express" week in my classroom this week.  There's a part at the end of the book that talks about the bell, and the boy says that there was once a time when the bell rang for all his friends.  They could all hear it, but as the years went on, the bell grew silent for most of them.  It still rang loudly for him, however, because he still believed. 
   
     It hit me that that is kind of like the call of Christ.  He calls to all of us at different times in our lives.  Many hear the call and choose to ignore it, hoping that it will 'go away'.  What a sad, scary, desperate state to be in when we can no longer hear the call of the Lord:  He has fallen silent.  Then there are those who sort of believe in a "higher power"...the call grows fainter and fainter until it falls silent all together. 

     I'm so glad that I still hear His call.  I hear it when I pray, I hear it when I praise Him, I hear it when I wake up, down through the day, and when I fall asleep.  Sometimes His call wakes me from sleep, and other sweet times, it puts me to sleep.  Sometimes I hear His call almost audibly, and other times I can only hear it as a soft whisper.  But I never fail to listen for it.  I pray that I, as well as you, never get to a point in our lives when we no longer hear His call.  "The bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe."

                                                  "Quench not the Spirit."
                                                 1 Thessalonians 5:19 KJV

Plans

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.”

Jeremiah 29:11  NIV

Dear Lord,   

Thank you for having a plan for my life.  Not just any plan, a specific plan that only applies to me.  I might not see Your plan all the time or understand Your ways or timing, but I’m trusting You to put Your plans in motion for my life.  I want to have the faith to understand that Your plan is the best for my life:  I know it will be for my good.  Grant me the determination to carry out Your plans.

I’ve laid my life in Your hands as an open book for You to write.  And when life seems to be at a standstill, gently remind me that You are still in control of my future – You are still busy writing on those pages.  I’m trusting that throughout the pages of my life’s book, Your fingerprints will be evident.

Amen. 

Praise

          A few weeks ago, my sister and her family came in (late) to church, while we were singing congregation songs.  She was carrying my nephew who was sleeping on her shoulder.  It didn’t take long for the noise to stir him and he woke up.  He turned around, sitting on her lap and immediately began to smile and clap his hands to the music. 

            As I watched his chubby little hands, I got tears in my eyes.  I want to be like that…able to praise God at any given moment.  I looked back at my hymn book and really let the words I was singing run deep down to my core.  It wasn’t long before I started clapping my own hands!

“I will Praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;  I will shew forth all thy marvelous works.”

Psalm 9:1

We Need to Talk

       There’s a little boy in my class who is new this year.  In his 6 years, he’s had many challenges and faces more every day, challenges physically, developmentally, and academically.  It doesn’t matter what we are doing, I could be up front teaching, we could be working at our desks, etc., but this little boy often times jumps out of his seat and runs up to me.  He only comes up to my stomach, so he’ll look up at me and say, “Miss Clock,” (Yes, he calls me “Miss Clock”…lol…we haven’t mastered my name yet, but hey, it’s a step up from “teacher”!  J)  “We need talk.”  I’ll say okay and as what he wants to talk about.  In his broken, slurred, barely understandable voice, he’ll say, “I wuv you!”  And look up at me with the biggest smile, waiting on the reassurance that yes, I love him too.

        I thought about that sweet little boy, who in most people’s eyes and in most situations seems simple.  But when he stands looking up at me with that huge, lopsided grin, there couldn’t be more love in my heart for him. 

        I’ve learned a lesson from that little guy.  I’ve made it a point that whenever I think about, I turn my eyes toward Heaven and say, “Lord, we need to talk.  I love you.”  The Lord never sees me as the plain girl I am…He sees the girl He died for and that’s more love than any of us could ever imagine.  I can always feel the reassurance that yes, He loves me too.  When’s the last time you “needed to talk” to the Lord?

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy might.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV

The Potter

        This week at school, we watched a little video about Native American life.  There was a Native American woman who was talking about making pottery.  She was describing and demonstrating the process.  She said that the first part of creating pottery is mixing the clay.  She mixes 2 different types together and it is an integral part of the process because the clay wouldn’t have substance.  The she showed us how she stepped into the clay and mixed it with her feet.  She said that when you step into the clay, it is extremely cold at first.  The more you work it with your feet, the more it warms up and responds to your body temperature. 

        I thought about how the Bible tells us that we are like clay.  As the woman was describing the process, I thought about the Lord being the potter.  How He mixes with us and creates a product of substance.  Without having Him, we don’t have much substance.  Before He lives in our hearts, we are cold: but we respond to Him and become a part of Him, in His likeness.

        Then, the Native American woman started talking about actually forming the pieces from the clay.  She said that when you start working with clay, you start with a basic idea and as you work, the clay just naturally comes together and becomes what it supposed to be.  She said that the clay is so special that you never waste it; you never throw even the smallest piece away. 

        I’m so glad that the Lord didn’t throw me away.  I was pretty basic, but he worked and worked until I formed into something in His image…which is what we are supposed to be.  The Native American woman finished up her presentation beautifully, by saying this, “When you are making a piece of pottery, you never disrespect the clay in any way.  You work with it and do what you can.  One misunderstanding that novice potters have is that you can make the clay into anything you want.  Clay will never form into something that it doesn’t want to be.” 

        Our potter gives each of us a choice.  He doesn’t disrespect us and force Himself on anyone: it’s our decision.  He works with us and gives us the choice and opportunity to be what are supposed to be.  He will never make us what we don’t want to be, but gives us the privilege and opportunity to become whatever we want for Him!

 

“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Isaiah 64:8 KJV

“He’s Got Me Covered…”

           This past week has seemed like a week where spirits have been low and there’s a sense of “doom and gloom” around.  I know that the elections play a big part in that feeling.  I’m not going to get all political, but those of you who know me well, know where and what I stand for.

      Wednesday, I woke up and the first thought that entered my head was that Heaven must surely be a busy place today.  They are working hard and putting finishing touches on it.  I, along with many others, feel like it won’t be too much longer.  But, that feeling of “defeat” or “hopelessness” lasted down through the week.  I, along with many others, prayed and thought, where are you, Lord?  Just as I was asking that question, I got an email from my best friend who is the librarian at a local high school.  She told me how a group of 6^th grade girls used their restroom break times to get in a circle, hold hands, and pray.  That’s where God was.  He was listening to a group of girls poured their hearts out to Him. 

She also said that the same week, a young man, who often ran with the wrong crowd and got into some things he shouldn’t, came into the library and informed her that he didn’t need a book that day.  She told him that in order to stay there, he needed to be reading something.  He said that he had started reading a Bible and was looking for answers.  She asked him what he’d found so far and his response?  “God knows what’s coming and he’s got me covered!”  Again, there was God:  showing an unsaved teenage boy that He is right there with him.

      I sat with tears in my eyes.  Here was an example of children, who no doubt had problems that were bigger than them.  Instead of walking around with a sad face, they were doing something about it.  I don’t know any of their names, the condition of their hearts, or anything else about them, but those kids touched my heart.  Problems seem huge and intimidating, the world seems further and further away from God, but it’s really just that simple… “God knows what’s coming and He’s got me covered.”

“…Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

Revelation 19:6 KJV

The Lamb

I’ve heard my dad use this story several times while preaching and it brings tears to my eyes every time.  I know I won’t do the story justice or may not even get it all right, but I wanted to share it.

       There was a man many years ago who had gotten a job at a slaughter house.  His job was to stand at the end of a conveyor belt type machine and kill the animals as they passed.  They would then be processed and prepared for market.  The job never bothered the man before:  he would kill the animals, knowing that it would feed hungry families and his job wasn’t in vain. 

       One day as he was doing his job, a lamb came through on the conveyor belt.  It was snow white.  As he took his knife and put it through the lamb’s heart, blood spilled everywhere, on the creature’s snow white coat, on the machine, and on the man’s hands.  The lamb didn’t die immediately.  The man stood watching the lamb writhe in pain and suffering.  The little lamb heaved itself up, as good as it could in the condition it was in, moved closer to the man and began to lick the blood off the man’s hands.  The lamb, gasping for air, licked and worked until the man’s hands were clean.  The blood was still pouring from the lamb, and what was once snow white, was now scarlet red.  The man stood with tears streaming down his face, surely wishing that the lamb would just lie down and stop.  The lamb finally took its last breath and died.  The man left the slaughter house and that job with tears flowing.

       I know another lamb whose blood was spilled.  I wasn’t present that day and I didn’t physically put the nails in, but while He gasped for breath and writhed with pain, He thought across the years and knew that a simple, small town girl named Amy had blood on her hands all the same.  He didn’t care that His once snow white coat was stained scarlet with my sins.  Gasping for air and in pure agony, that lamb licked until I was clean.  His hands were scarred, bloody, and mutilated, but all He cared was that mine were clean.     

“…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

John 1:29  KJV

The Devil’s Panties

       I have a love/hate relationship with my spanx.  When I first put them on under my dress, I love them…angel panties; after wearing them all day and taking them off, I hate them…nothing short of devil’s panties.  And as I look at the painful bluish/purplish rings around my thighs where they have sunk in and successfully started to suck the blood-flow to my legs, I wonder why bother???  Those lumps and bulges never hurt anyone…why do I insist on smoothing them out??

        I even went as far as looking up ‘girdle’ (aka: spanx) in the dictionary.  Here are some of the definitions:

“A belt or sash.”  “A corset that creates a more slender appearance.”  “A flexible, slimming garment.”

Well.  Now, that just sounds lovely.  Mr. Webster did however, fail to mention that while wearing these beautiful “belts or sashes” you will be unable to do the following:  Laugh without cracking a rib, breath without gasping, have a coherent conversation due to lack of oxygen, walk without making the “swishing” sound, sit down and stand up quickly,  divert attention away from the ‘indentions’ that perfectly circle around your thighs, bend over, etc. etc. etc.

        In all seriousness, I think a lot of times I am guilty of wearing spiritual spanx.  Things and situations in my life aren’t exactly what they should be, and they create a little bulge here.  I’m not completely surrendering things to Him and that creates a little lump over there.  But instead of working on those issues with Him, I try to cover them up with the “Christian appearance”.  I try and try so hard to put up the Godly front, that by the time I’m home and I take it off, it’s too late…I’m bluish/purple.  My prayer is that I will let Him have control of everything, no matter how ugly and embarrassing it may be.  Give my mess to Him and let Him smooth it out for me.

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:7  KJV

Sitting By a Brook in a Drought

“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.  And the word of the LORD cam unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward and hide thyself by the brook of Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.  So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.  And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve often wondered why the Lord told Elijah that a drought was coming and that He wanted him to go sit by a brook.  I mean, a BROOK??  The Lord could have told Elijah to live be the Jordan since it was so deep.  He could have told him to sit by one of the huge lakes.  But instead, he chose a BROOK?  A puny little stream which would obviously be one of the first bodies of water to dry up in a drought.  And if it didn’t dry up first, would be drank up in a drought!

I’m sure when the Lord told Elijah where He wanted Him to sit; it didn’t look promising for Elijah.  But, the Lord had other plans.  Maybe He wanted to prove to Elijah that even in tough times, He would sustain His children.  Elijah was obedient:  he didn’t question it (out loud, lol) or try to take matters into his own hands, like I may have tried to do…he simply started walking to the brook and sat up camp.  He was waiting on the Lord’s plan to unfold, which it did.

When I am going through tough times and it seems like I won’t survive, I want to trust His plan.  I want to be able to say, “Okay, Lord, you know what you’re what you’re doing” and set up my camp.  Even if my campsite isn’t where I think it should be, and my means of survival seem slim to none, I want the Lord to help me realize that Him and His mercies are all I need for survival and He will sustain me!

Blood Harmony

    I’ve been told that when Emily and I sing together at church, our voices sound the exact same when we sing the same part. I sing harmony most times and I have found that it’s easier to harmonize with her than anyone else.  That is because of something referred to as blood harmony.  Blood harmony is when immediate family member sing together they reach a level of harmony that is effortless.  It is almost like you are harmonizing with your own voice.  Genetics reveal that immediate family members share the same tone to their voice.  They have the same nature and nurture to the voices which makes it extremely easy to blend into one sound.  No matter the amount of practice, blood harmony can never be mastered unless you are actual blood relatives.

    Blood harmony is also a term that neurologists have adopted to help treat patients who are hanging in the balance…they could go either way:  back into life and consciousness or death.  That’s why they urge family member to use their voices to talk to the patient: try to coax them back into consciousness.  The patient hears the tone and voice and it is like they are hearing their own voice.  It doesn’t always work, of course, but it is one of the most urged forms of treatment for some patients.

    I may share a blood harmony with Emily that makes singing easier, but there is one harmony I have that’s so much more important.  I share a blood harmony with Jesus.  He bought me with His blood a long time ago and now I’m an heir. 

When I was a little girl I heard His voice and it harmonized with something in my heart and He coaxed me to choose life – EVERLASTING life.  It’s easier for me to synchronize my life after Christ than after things of the world.  I want people to hear Him when I talk, see Him in my actions, and feel Him through my doing.  I’m so glad that when I was that little girl I made the most important choice for myself and harmonized my life with His.  It hasn’t always been easy and I’m by far perfect, and made more mistakes than I can count, but my life, blended with Him, has been nothing but beautiful harmony throughout my journey so far.

 

“Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

Philippians 2:2 KJV

Pumpkin Boy

Well, it’s officially here.  The time of year when mom gets out a 3 foot tall stuffed decoration, shaped like a boy with a pumpkin head.  He has affectionately been named “Pumpkin Boy” over the years.  This little guy is made for decoration, but mom LOVES to scare people, so we have found an alternate purpose for him…to scare each other, lol. 

Pumpkin Boy has ended up standing in closets, behind the shower curtain, under the sheets, anywhere you can imagine and when you hear the scream, you just laugh and know that someone has discovered Pumpkin Boy.  (Entertainment around this town stinks!  LOL!)  You know that when you walk into mom’s, there’s a great possibility that you will be scared by Pumpkin Boy…you know it’s coming, but you let your guard down for a second and he gets you everytime.

That’s how I feel about satan.  You know he’s always hiding somewhere: Tempting you with something, putting thoughts in your head, trying to just steal your joy.  A lot of times I get complacent with my walk with the Lord and let my guard down.  That’s when satan pops up.  I want to keep my defenses up against him and not let him sneak up on me.  I know he’s out there, hiding in places I may least expect the devil to hide.  I want to stand guard and keep my heart and life protected from whatever he’s preparing to throw at me! 

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

Job 1:7 KJV

And as for Pumpkin Boy…I’m already thinking of a new hiding place for him!  J

When Faith Becomes Sight

         You always hear people in churches talking about how the people you worship with are like your family.  A lot of times, you have a bond with them that’s deeper than family ties.  I am finding out this week how true that actually is.  A dear sweet lady in our church went home to be with Jesus and I am feeling it as if she were a part of my actual family.

        Janice got saved later in life after turning away from the Lord, but when she got back in, she got in!  It was not uncommon for her to stand up and testify and before too long, you would hear the edge in her voice and know that her shout was coming!  Sometimes she would get out and walk the aisles and other times simply raise her hands while tears ran freely down her face.  She had faith like none other.

        She lived her life walking with that faith.  She didn’t care that she might not immediately see her prayers answered or her miracles happen, but that never deterred her:  she never gave up the faith of knowing they would happen in His time.  I went to visit her the day she passed away, unaware that in a few hours she would hear her name called.  While I was there, her daughter told me about how in the middle of the previous night, she put her hands straight up toward the Heavens and clearly, audibly said, “Wow!  This place looks amazing!”  I think that was the moment sweet Janice’s faith turned into sight.  The Lord allowed her a glimpse of everything she had believed in for so long.

        I never want to lose my faith.  I want to be able to leave this world and see what I’ve believed in, what I’ve been striving for, just like Janice.  I pray for myself and you all that we each continue, or even begin, living our lives with the faith that will one day turn into sight.

It’s been nothing short of a blessing and privilege to call you my sister and worship with you down here.  See you on the other side, Janice.

“Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.  For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:6 - 7  KJV

Just a Glimpse

         Do you ever have those days where you get ready and think you look alright?  You know you’re not exactly “workin it” that day, but you don’t really look homeless either.  Well, I had one of those days last week.  I got ready, went to school, started going through my day, all the while forgetting what I looked like.  UNTIL, I was walking my class down the hall and I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the library windows and WHOA!  Was that really me??  Was I really walking around looking like that??  To my disbelief, annoyance, and any other negative emotion you would like to put here, I was!  I had looked in the mirror that morning, but then forgotten about it.

        I thought of the verse from James.  It says, “And, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like.”  (James 1:24 NIV)  I thought about myself before I got saved.  I may not have done some of the things or gotten as far into sin as some others, but I was a sinner still the same.  When I caught my reflection then, I saw a mess.  Then, the Lord cleaned me up and now my reflection is pure and clean.  My reflection never catches me off guard, because even when I’ve forgotten what I look like, when I catch a glimpse, it’s still the same…I look like Amy.  A girl who has been claimed and cleaned up by the only one who can!    

        I know verse 24 goes along with the verses around it and has a completely different meaning and interpretation in its entirety, but in that moment of looking at my reflection, that’s what it meant to me.  And by the way, I grabbed my makeup bag and hairspray and went to work in the bathroom!  lol!   

Sweeter Than Chocolate...

I went to Kroger earlier this week and on my trip picked up a bag of Dove Raspberry Dark Chocolates.  I’m not much for dark chocolate, but let me tell you…if you haven’t tried these things, you should…TODAY!  Anyways, when I got in the car of course I opened the bag to eat “just 1 or 2”.  Dove candies always have a little quote on the inside of the wrapper and I read every one.  (Yes, I take advice from the insides of chocolate wrappers!  Lol)

The first one I opened said, “True love is unconditional.”  The first love that popped into my head was Jesus’ love for me.  It knows no bounds, it isn’t fickle, and it isn’t based upon merit or entitlement:  it is simply there, all encompassing, true, underserved, and unconditional.  The thought that not only someone, but the Lord of all creation loves me that much was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

The second wrapper said, “True love is delicious because you always want more.”  I thought about my own life.  In my walk with the Lord, I always want more of him.  I want more of His love to be in my heart, I want more of His wisdom to rule my thoughts, more of Him to shine through me in every situation or circumstance.

Once again, tears were in my eyes and I was praising Him for that love.  Since I was sensing a “theme” and felt like He was trying to show me something, I kept eating the chocolates…only so I could read the message, of course, lol, and every message spoke directly to my heart and led me back to praising Him for His sweetness.  His sweetness is so evident in our lives, but if you’re like me, sometimes He actually has to spell it out for me to see it clearly!

So all of you calorie counting friends who are reading this post, in answer to your burning question, yes I had a moment of guilt for eating half the bag of chocolates, but hey, who am I to mess with God’s work!  J

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103  KJV

The Ropes That Bind Us

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

   If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

  And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Daniel 3:16 - 25

            I love this story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  We know that the Lord was walking in the fire with them and that none of their clothing or hair was burned or singed.  However, the part that always catches my attention in this story, is what DID burn. 

            If you remember, when they were thrown into the fire, they were bound, tied up.  But when the king looked in, they were loosed.  That leads me to believe that the ropes that had them ties were the only things that burned. 

            I’m sure the three men were apprehensive, even though they trusted God…it’s human nature.  They probably thought that if they died in the heat, they would die a martyr for Him.  However, just when they were the most scared and nervous, I think they looked up and saw the Lord, walking toward them through the flames.  I like to picture the ropes on their hands and feet engulfed in flames, burning until they simply fell off.  I don’t think they had to be untied or cut.

 Isn’t that so like Jesus?  We might be thrown into the fight of our lives where it seems that the heat is 7 times hotter than normal and right at the very moment we think we’re going to be done, we look up and see Him coming toward us through those flames.  He shows up and when he does, the thing(s) that had us tied up and bound simply burn away.  We might not be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…we may have a few battle scars, but if we trust His promises, He’ll show up!    

Search and Know

“O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.  Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.”

Psalms 139:1 - 5 KJV

 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for today.  You gave me new breath this morning and a new strength for this day.  You knew what was going to cross my path today and you went ahead of me and prepared the way.  Thank you for searching my heart, keeping it tender enough to beat only for You.  You have known my thoughts down through the day and you were guiding me all along.

Thank you for seeing something in me that I may not see, nor others, but You see perfectly.  You know all my shortcomings and failures, not just from today, but in life.  You know my thoughts and you know my heart, more completely and fully than anyone ever has.  You know that I want to serve You wholly and do your work, no matter what it may be.  Thank you for going before me and behind me and laying your hand on me so that others might see a glimpse of You through me.

If it’s your will, grant me another day to live for you and provide me with more opportunities to praise You, just in case I missed any of those opportunities today.  Thank you for taking the time to search my heart and for simply      "knowing" me.

Amen