Check out this news article I just read - Click HERE. This is the article title: Non-Political, Non-Religious: Massive "Abortion Changes You" Campaign Greets New York Subway Riders
My heart is heavy as I write tonight... I am not even sure what I came on here to write about except that I felt compelled to come here tonight and write... I guess what I am thinking about on a positive level is the great friendship that God has extended to us... that we can come and know Him; love Him; fellowship with Him... talk with Him (pray), on and on... Also, I feel so blessed by the godly friends that the Lord has brought into my life... being that we are eternal beings in Christ... I know that we are linked together and will share this love (of Christ); this fellowship for eternity even if on this earth they have been brought into my life for but a brief time... there are others however that the Lord has placed, etched deeply into my earthly life, into my heart... they are a treasure... a joy and a blessing.
Have you ever experienced such deep and true friendship? The kind that encourages; the kind that helps you become the you God created you to be; they speak truth in love to you; they celebrate with you; mourn and grieve with you; it does not matter the distance that may separate you, for they are in spirit there with you.... They pray for you; stand up for you; laugh with you; rejoice with you; cry with you... and they desire the absolute best for you (what the heart of God desires for you). Precious, precious are these treasures... those who come along side you in prayer, fellowship, bible study, encouraging you always in Your walk to keep your eyes, your heart focused upon Christ.
These friendships are a true treasure, a special gift... they are what the Word calls us to and a glimpse of the something more than the ordinary in our human lives. And the thing is that with God we have been given even more than this... what He offers us is so much more than this, that it is mind boggling! Praise be to the Father who has blessed us His children with every good thing in Christ Jesus. Praise be the Savior who laid down His life for us... that we might be saved, that we might know Him. Praise be to our Lord Jesus who intercedes for us ... Who has bathed us in prayer, who knows our names, who knows our hearts, who knows our needs, and who listens to us when we call! Praise be to Him for He is worthy of all praise!
Yes, my heart is heavy for I am grieving for a loved one right now but I am not defeated ... I am thankful for I know my God is in control; I have joy because I know He works all things out for good and that nothing can ever separate us from His love; I am content despite circumstances because I know He knows what is needed and He is our Provider and our Rock... I choose faith, I choose love, and I have hope... My God is a mighty and an awesome God... there is no other - He is the Great I AM! Praise you Father, Praise you!!!
And if you are one of those treasured friends in my life reading this right now... know that you are loved, you are treasured and you are prayed for... Our God is good, all the time - Our God is good!!!
Praise Him,
This morning my thoughts turned to the LORD and thinking upon His Sovereignty... He is sovereign - over all things - they rest (we rest) in His hands. He knows every hair upon your head; the number of stars in the sky; the sand upon the shore... There is nothing that He does not know and He is always in control.
Nothing happens by chance, luck or fate... God is working out His plan (not to say that He in any way promotes the evil in this world... that is not of God because He is light and no darkness resides in Him). What I am trying to say is that even the Enemy (Satan) has to ask for permission to sift Job, to which God allowed but commanded that Satan could not lay a finger upon Job, himself. And no the sifting was not fun but Job was faithful and he was blessed.
I guess what I am trying to say is that in all the turmoil in this world... many people are afraid. However, for those of us in Christ, what have we to fear? Yes, we should have a holy, godly, reverent fear of God... but if God is for us, what have we to fear?!
May the God of all Creation, the One who knows your name and has it engraved upon His hand, the Prince of Peace let peace reign in your hearts and minds today and always as you trust and walk with Him! Amen!
On a separate note I heard a great message this morning - The Glory of the Lord, check it out! If you prefer to read the transcript click here.
Psalm 25 -
2in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame...3No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame...4Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long...
7Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great...
15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.
18Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins...
20Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.
Have you come to a point in your life where you felt as David did? Have you ever had a time in your life where you wondered "Why God?"... why me (as maybe Moses wondered), why now, why here, WHY....? David cries out to God... he places his hope and trust in Him and he tells us that no one who does so will ever be put to shame (v. 3). He prays for the LORD to guide him and teach him to walk in His ways and His truth... to teach him. He prays and ask for forgiveness and declares that the LORD is good and upright... that all of the LORD's ways are loving and faithful for those who keep His covenant. ALL of the LORD's ways are loving and faithful for those who are truly seeking Him and endeavoring to walk in His ways! ALL OF THEM... even if we can't see it at the time. Even if we like David feel lonely and afflicted and have great troubles upon our heart... God can and will free us - He is the only one who can, the only one who saves.... He is who we take refuge in and trust in and hope in ... He is all that we need, because our hope is in Him we will not be let down!!! Trust Him!
That is what I keep hearing from the Word and what the Spirit keeps leading me back too... Trust, hope, faith... love. I keep getting another reminder... His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). He is not a human that He would think like us; that He would become tired or weary in doing good ... we cannot fathom His understanding (Isa. 40:28). He is the LORD, the everlasting God, the Creator... his ways are not ours...
I say all of this to say... we cannot always know or understand why we are going through what we are going through, or where the Lord has us today... but that we can trust Him to do what is best for us, as we are seeking Him and following His ways (Rom. 8:28)... He desires the greatest good for our lives... not the fleeting temporary happiness, but our greatest good - for all eternity and upon this earth.
Do we think that we serve a Lord who does not understand? (Heb. 2:10-18; Heb. 4:15-16). I say to you He not only understands... for us He endured much more! (Isa. 52:13- Isa. 53:1-12). Are you lonely, despised, afflicted, rejected? Are you suffering? Oh beloved He understands!!! Cry out to Him, cry out to Jesus! May He comfort you, free you from your anguish and be gracious to you. May you rest and take shelter in Him who intercedes on your behalf and who has endured and done much for you to live free, to know and to love him! Call out to Him today... He is near!
Oh most gracious and loving Father, come and comfort us now and draw us ever closer to you. Help us to trust in you to guide us and to provide for us and to lead us...even when we cannot see what lies ahead... let your Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path; that with each step we take, we take it in faith and following so closely to you that we cannot stumble. Hold us close and bring us LORD deeper and deeper into a loving, growing relationship with you. For you oh LORD can do anything! Nothing is impossible with you!!! You can even bring life to dried up bones! Breathe a fresh word of hope and life into us today! Amen. (Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 119:105; Luke 1:37).
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