Mar 4 March Forth! And Stand!!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs! 

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed “deities” are in their graves! 

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  As of September 2021, all or some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,495 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud. 

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.  

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

You have chosen to bless us as a nation.  And show Your love to us in our freedoms and prosperity. But I believe a storm has come to this country in my time.  When the storm is over, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Feb 26 My Anchor, my “Tiqvah”

“Put your HOPE in God”

O Lord, the vain philosophies of man are overwhelming and dividing our country. People are blindly following the traditions of men rather than seeking spiritual values and answers.  Young people are being deceived as the evil one’s influence seeps into our values and behavior standards.  And war has once again broken out in our world.

It’s as if a dark veil has been pulled over their senses and spirits.  This is why my spirit is so downcast.

But Your solution in this Psalm is to put my hope in You.

The Hebrew word for hope is “tiqvah”, defined as a cord that attaches one thing to another.  It’s from the root word “qavah” which means to bind together, twisted for increased strength.  It is the word used for the cord that binds a ship to its anchor.

A ship will drop its anchor in times of troubled seas, when it can no longer steer itself against the strong waves.  It is the anchor that keeps it from drifting too far and being completely lost.

You are my anchor, Lord.
You keep me from drifting too far and being completely lost.

My hope is what keeps me tightly and securely bound to You, keeping me safe in the storms of life.  And it is what gives me hope for my family and our nation.  There is life after storms.  And “I will yet praise You!”  Amen

Psalm 42:5

Dec 23 My wise Carpenter

David says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way.” I echo those words Lord.  I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend, a letter from someone, a song, a verse – exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well.  You created me.  You knew beforehand the

purpose of my life,

the places I would go,

the perils I would face.

Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. 

You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do.  You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. 

So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening.  I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side.  Where the waters are calm.   And the winds are favorable.   And the sky is blue.

And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling.  Amen

Psalm 142:1-7

Dec 5 Peace in the Storm

“[My] help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, You are my help, the help I turn to when things are not going well.   You are the help I acknowledge when things are going right.   I love the old hymn:

“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”

 You are my place of shelter and of rest.  I live on the earth now, and You shelter me.  One day I will have rest in my eternal home with You. 

Like David does in this Psalm, I can look back over my life and see times when I was guarded and protected by Your hand.  I can say with David: “if You had not been on [my] side when people attacked [me], they would have swallowed [me] alive when their anger flared against [me]; the flood would have engulfed [me], the torrent would have swept over me, the raging waters would have swept [me] away.” 

I have faced circumstances I thought would do me in.  Times when I could see no way out to be at peace again.

Some were physical challenges or health issues with myself or loved ones.   Some were situations at work or with relationships I thought could never be reconciled.

Some were simple hardships like times of being out of work, or the basement flooding.  At times it actually felt like turbulent, raging waters pulling me down, away from my ability to cope.

But Father, You have shown up to give me hope when the world offered no hope.  You would often show me scripture, or sing me a new song to help me sense Your presence and be encouraged.  One such song’s chorus goes:

You calm me down, You give me peace

You make this battle inside of me cease

You give me hope to carry on

when all the hope the world can give is gone

Thank You that You are my hope, and my help.  Thank You that John reminds me that You have given me eternal life.  That I can have confidence in approaching You.  And know that even if I have to walk through hardship, You will be my help.  And I will never be alone.  Let me remember to focus on that when challenges come. Amen

Psalm 124:1-8; I John 5:13- 15

Sept 6 A Day of Rejoicing!

O Father, Your Word paints a glorious picture of You returning to judge Your people!

I can see it in my mind’s eye as a massive, wall-sized painting… with rays of light gleaming from Your figure, and shadows playing in the storm clouds around You with strikes of lightening flashing out.  Just like one of the old masters’ paintings – like Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

Or maybe as a majestic motion picture, with powerful, turbulent action between the fire and the oncoming storm like Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments.

When I speak Your Words, the action begins in my mind’s eye as You appear in slow motion:  “The Mighty One… God… The Lord… You speak and summon the earth…You are perfect in beauty, You shine forth…A fire devours before You and around You a tempest rages…the heavens proclaim Your Righteousness.”  The most beautiful, powerful being imaginable appears in the sky, advancing slowly. 

Flames precede You, lashing out with almost blinding light and incredible heat.  And around You, clouds, dark and terrible, build; billowing and blowing, roiling up and out, far and wide, with flashes of lightening streaking across the sky. 

From the darkness of the storm, rays of light shine forth out of Your very being.  Your voice thunders through the heavens and rumbles down to the earth causing the rocks and ground to tremble.   And in the background, the booming voices of ten thousand angels singing out, glorifying You!

“The heavens proclaim His righteousness” and I fall on my knees in reverence to join in the praise to honor You.

What a day of rejoicing that will be!  To be in Your presence.  To see You in Your glory.  What a powerful vision!  To You, I offer all my praise.  Amen

Psalm 50:1-7

Mar 29 What would Jesus do?

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing.

In general, people get more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control.

And that may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control!

But why didn’t the disciples know that?

They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles.  Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead!  So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake,” it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, “Let’s do something” I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too.  Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

So when the hard part comes, the storm, I want to be sure I’m doing my part.  Rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, help me be so confident trusting You, that I too am calm and at rest.

If I am with You, it will all work out. Either I will reach the destination with You, or I will perish: in which case I will also be with You.  It’s a win-win!  Amen

Luke 8:22-25

If you are struggling with worry in the midst of this storm, please call 1-888-388-2683 and someone will pray with you at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association 24/7.

Mar 4 Worship! and Stand!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs! 

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed “deities” are in their graves!

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  As of September 2021, all or some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,495 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud.

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

You have chosen to bless us as a nation.  And show Your love to us in our freedoms and prosperity. But I believe a storm has come to this country in my time.  When the storm is over, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Feb 26 My Anchor, my “Tiqvah”

“Put your HOPE in God”

O Lord, the vain philosophies of man are overwhelming and dividing our country. People are blindly following the traditions of men rather than seeking spiritual values and answers.  Young people are being deceived as the evil one’s influence seeps into our values and behavior standards.  And war has once again broken out in our world.

It’s as if a dark veil has been pulled over their senses and spirits.  This is why my spirit is so downcast.

But Your solution in this Psalm is to put my hope in You.

The Hebrew word for hope is “tiqvah”, defined as a cord that attaches one thing to another.  It’s from the root word “qavah” which means to bind together, twisted for increased strength.  It is the word used for the cord that binds a ship to its anchor.

A ship will drop its anchor in times of troubled seas, when it can no longer steer itself against the strong waves.  It is the anchor that keeps it from drifting too far and being completely lost.

You are my anchor, Lord.

You keep me from drifting too far and being completely lost.

My hope is what keeps me tightly and securely bound to You, keeping me safe in the storms of life.  And it is what gives me hope for my family and our nation.  There is life after storms.  And “I will yet praise You!”  Amen

Psalm 42:5

Sept 6 A day of rejoicing!

O Father, Your Word paints a glorious picture of You returning to judge Your people!

I can see it in my mind’s eye as a massive, wall-sized painting… with rays of light gleaming from Your figure, and shadows playing in the storm clouds around You with strikes of lightening flashing out.  Just like one of the old masters’ paintings – like Michelangelo’s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Or maybe as a majestic motion picture, with powerful, turbulent action between the fire and the oncoming storm like Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments.

When I speak Your Words, the action begins in my mind’s eye as You appear in slow motion:  “The Mighty One… God… The Lord… You speak and summon the earth…You are perfect in beauty, You shine forth…A fire devours before You and around You a tempest rages…the heavens proclaim Your Righteousness.”  The most beautiful, powerful being imaginable appears in the sky, advancing slowly. 

Flames precede You, lashing out with almost blinding light and incredible heat.  And around You, clouds, dark and terrible, build; billowing and blowing, roiling up and out, far and wide, with flashes of lightening streaking across the sky. 

From the darkness of the storm, rays of light shine forth out of Your very being.  Your voice thunders through the heavens and rumbles down to the earth causing the rocks and ground to tremble.   And in the background, the booming voices of ten thousand angels singing out, glorifying You!

“The heavens proclaim His righteousness” and I fall on my knees in reverence to join in the praise to honor You.

What a day of rejoicing that will be!  To be in Your presence.  To see You in Your glory.  What a powerful vision!  To You, I offer all my praise.  Amen

Psalm 50:1-7

Mar 29 What would Jesus do?

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing.

In general,  people get more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control.

And that may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control!

But why didn’t the disciples know that?

They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles.  Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead!  So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake,”  it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, “Let’s do something” I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too.  Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

if the disciples had asked back then WWJD?   What would Jesus do?  The answer was right in front of them: sleep!

When the hard part comes, the storm, I want to be sure I’m doing my part.  Rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, help me be so confident trusting You, that I too am calm and at rest.

If I am with You, it will all work out.

Amen

Luke 8:22-25

Mar 4 Worship! And Stand!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs! 

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed “deities” are in their graves!

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  As of September 2020 some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,415 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud.

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

You have chosen to bless us as a nation.  And show Your love to us in our freedoms and prosperity.  But I believe a storm has come to this country in my time.  When the storm is over, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Feb 20 In the storms

Father, so many times I act just like the disciples in the boat during the storm.

I choose to focus on the storm around me.  In the face of the strong winds, the high waves, the tossing of the boat, I look at the opposition, the circumstances that block my way, and the hopelessness of things turning out right.

All the time forgetting Your promises of protection.  Even though I know You are there with me, I do not see how You are at work in the situation, and I cry out to stir You to my cause.   “Lord, don’t You care…?”

Many times, I can almost hear You say the same words to me that You spoke then; “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”

Sometimes You do calm the wind and still the waves.  Other times You simply hold me in Your arms while the waves buffet me.  And sometimes You inspire me and increase my faith with a vision of future calm waters and blue skies, reassuring me that it will be all right.

 Thank You for being with me in the storms.  Thank You for speaking to me in songs, scriptures, promises, and visions.

Thank You for the truths You give me in Psalm 37: “My salvation comes from the Lord; You are my stronghold in time of trouble.  You help me and deliver me; and save me. Because I take refuge in You.”  Amen

Mark 4:35-41; Psalm 37:39-40

Dec 5 Peace in the Storm

“[My] help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, You are the help I have, the help I turn to when things are not going well.   You are the help I acknowledge when things are going right.   I love the old hymn:

“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”

 You are my place of shelter and of rest.  I live on the earth now, and You shelter me.  One day I will have rest in my eternal home with You.

Like David does in this Psalm, I can look back over my life and see times when I was guarded and protected by Your hand.  I can say with David: “if You had not been on [my] side when people attacked [me], they would have swallowed [me] alive when their anger flared against [me]; the flood would have engulfed [me], the torrent would have swept over me, the raging waters would have swept [me] away.” 

I have faced circumstances I thought would do me in.  Times when I could see no way out to be at peace again.

Some were physical challenges or health issues with myself or loved ones.   Some were situations at work or with relationships I thought could never be reconciled.

Some were simple hardships like times of being out of work, or the basement flooding.  At times it actually felt like turbulent, raging waters pulling me down, away from my ability to cope.

But Father, You have shown up to give me hope when the world offered no hope.  You would often sing me a new song along with scripture to help me sense Your presence and be encouraged.  One such song’s chorus goes:

You calm me down, You give me peace

You make this battle inside of me cease

You give me hope to carry on

when all the hope the world can give is gone

Thank You that You are my hope, my help.  Thank You that John reminds me that You have given me eternal life.  Let me remember to focus on that when challenges come.

He reminds me that I can have confidence in approaching You: that “if I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me.”

Father, help me see and know Your will.  Align my desires with Your will.  So that when difficulties come, and they will, I will be able to ask for Your perfect will to be done, knowing that even if I have to walk through hardship, You will be my help.  And I will never be alone.  Amen

Psalm 124:1-8; I John 5:13- 15

Sept 6 A day of rejoicing

O Father, Your Word paints a glorious picture of You returning to judge Your people!

I can see it in my mind’s eye as a massive, wall-sized painting… with rays of light gleaming from Your figure, and shadows playing in the storm clouds around You with strikes of lightening flashing out.  Just like one of the old masters’ paintings – like Michelangelo’s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Or maybe as a majestic motion picture, with powerful, turbulent action between the fire and the oncoming storm like Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments.

When I speak Your Words, the action begins in my mind’s eye as You appear in slow motion:  “The Mighty One… God… The Lord… You speak and summon the earth…You are perfect in beauty, You shine forth…A fire devours before You and around You a tempest rages…the heavens proclaim Your Righteousness.”  The most beautiful, powerful being imaginable appears in the sky, advancing slowly.

Flames precede You, lashing out with almost blinding light and incredible heat.  And around You, clouds, dark and terrible, build; billowing and blowing, roiling up and out, far and wide, with flashes of lightening streaking across the sky.

From the darkness of the storm, rays of light shine forth out of Your very being.  Your voice thunders through the heavens and rumbles down to the earth causing the rocks and ground to tremble.   And in the background, the booming voices of ten thousand angels singing out, glorifying You!

“The heavens proclaim His righteousness” and I fall on my knees in reverence to join in the praise to honor You.

What a day of rejoicing that will be!  To be in Your presence.  To see You in Your glory.  What a powerful vision!  To You, I offer all my praise.  Amen

Psalm 50:1-7

Mar 29 What I see You do

If you are struggling with worry in the midst of this storm, please call 1-888-388-2683 and someone will pray with you at the Billy Graham Association

 

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing.

In general, people get more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control.

And that may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control

But why didn’t the disciples know that?

They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles.  Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead!  So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake,” it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, “Let’s do something” I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too.  Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

So when the hard part comes, I want to be sure I’m doing my part.  Rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, help me be so confident trusting You, that I too, am calm and at rest. Amen

Luke 8:22-25

Mar 4 Worship! and Stand!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs!

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed “deities” are in their graves!

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  As of 2019 some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,385 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud.

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

When the storm comes, and I believe it is coming to this country in my time, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Dec 5 Peace in the storm

“[My] help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, You are the help I have, the help I turn to when things are not going well.   You are the help I acknowledge when things are going right.   I love the old hymn:

“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”

You are my place of shelter and of rest.  I live on the earth now, and You shelter me.  One day I will have rest in my eternal home with You.

Like David does in this Psalm, I can look back over my life and see times when I was guarded and protected by Your hand.  I can say with David: “if You had not been on [my] side when people attacked [me], they would have swallowed [me] alive when their anger flared against [me]; the flood would have engulfed [me], the torrent would have swept over me, the raging waters would have swept [me] away.” 

I have faced circumstances I thought would do me in.  Times when I could see no way out to be at peace again.

Some were physical challenges or health issues with myself or loved ones.   Some were situations at work or with relationships I thought could never be reconciled.

Some were simple hardships like times of being out of work, or the basement flooding.  At times it actually felt like turbulent, raging waters pulling me down, away from my ability to cope.

But Father, You have shown up to give me hope when the world offered no hope.  You would often sing me a new song along with scripture to help me sense Your presence and be encouraged.  One such song’s chorus goes:

You calm me down, You give me peace

You make this battle inside of me cease

You give me hope to carry on

when all the hope the world can give is gone

Thank You that You are my hope, my help.  Thank You that John reminds me that You have given me eternal life.  Let me remember to focus on that when challenges come.

He reminds me that I can have confidence in approaching You: that “if I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me.”

Father, help me see and know Your will.  Align my desires with Your will.  So that when difficulties come, and they will, I will be able to ask for Your perfect will to be done, knowing that even if I have to walk through hardship, You will be my help.  And I will never be alone.  Amen

Psalm 124:1-8; I John 5:13- 15

Sept 6 A day of rejoicing!

O Father, Your Word paints a glorious picture of You returning to judge Your people!

I can see it in my mind’s eye as a massive, wall-sized painting with rays of light gleaming from Your figure, and shadows playing in the storm clouds around You with strikes of lightening flashing out.  Just like one of the old masters’ painting – like Michelangelo’s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Or maybe as a majestic motion picture, with powerful, turbulent action between the fire and the oncoming storm like Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments.

When I speak Your Words, the action begins in my mind’s eye as You appear in slow motion:  “The Mighty One… God… The Lord… You speak and summon the earth…You are perfect in beauty, You shine forth…A fire devours before You and around You a tempest rages…the heavens proclaim Your Righteousness.”  The most beautiful, powerful being imaginable appears in the sky, advancing slowly.

Flames precede You, lashing out with almost blinding light and incredible heat.  And around You, clouds, dark and terrible, build; billowing and blowing, roiling up and out, far and wide, with flashes of lightening streaking across the sky.

From the darkness of the storm, rays of light shine forth out of Your very being.  Your voice thunders through the heavens and rumbles down to the earth causing the rocks and ground to tremble.   And in the background, the booming voices of ten thousand angels singing out, glorifying You!

“The heavens proclaim His righteousness” and I fall on my knees in reverence to join in the praise to honor You.

What a day of rejoicing that will be!  To be in Your presence.  To see You in Your glory.  What a powerful vision!  To You, I offer all my praise.  Amen

Psalm 50:1-7

Mar 29 What Would Jesus Do?

illustration by Good News Productions Int.

 

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing.

Instead of relaxing like You did, people usually get more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control.

That may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control!

But why didn’t the disciples know that?

They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles.  Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead!  So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.   What You said was, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.”

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, “Let’s do something” I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too.  Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

So, even in the hard part, the storm, if they had asked back then WWJD?   What would Jesus do?  The answer was right in front of them: sleep!

So when the hardest part comes, yes, I want to be sure I’m doing my part.  But rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, let me do what I see You doing.  And be so confident in my trust, that I become calm, and at rest.

Bottom line:  if I am with You, it will all work out.

Either I will reach the destination with You, or I will perish: in which case I will also be with You.  It’s a win-win!  Amen

Luke 8:22-26

Mar 4 Worship! And Stand!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs!

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed ”deities” are in their graves!

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  It has been translated into 3,223 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud.

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

When the storm comes, and I believe it is coming to this country in my time, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Feb 26 My anchor, my Tiqvah

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You O God.  My soul thirsts for You, the Living God.”

O Lord, the vain philosophies of man are overwhelming and dividing our country. People are blindly following the traditions of men rather than seeking spiritual values and answers.  Young people are being deceived as the evil one’s influence seeps into our values and behavior standards.

It’s as if a dark veil has been pulled over their senses and spirits.  This is why my spirit is downcast.

But Your solution in this Psalm is to put my hope in You.

The Hebrew word for hope is “tiqvah”, defined as a cord that attaches one thing to another.  It’s from the root word “qavah” which means to bind together, twisted for increased strength.  It is the word used for the cord that binds a ship to its anchor.

A ship will drop its anchor in times of troubled seas, when it can no longer steer itself against the strong waves.  It is the anchor that keeps it from drifting too far and being completely lost.

You are my anchor, Lord.  You keep me from drifting too far and being completely lost.

My hope is what keeps me tightly and securely bound to You, keeping me safe in the storms of life.  And it is what gives me hope for my family and our nation.  There is life after storms.  And “I will yet praise You!”  Amen

Psalm 42:1,2,5

Dec 5 Peace in the storm

“[My] help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, You are the help I turn to when things are not going well.   You are the help I acknowledge when things are going right.   I love the old hymn:

“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”

You are my place of shelter and of rest.  I live on the earth now, and You shelter me.  One day I will have rest in my eternal home with You.

Like David does in this Psalm, I can look back over my life and see times when I was guarded and protected by Your hand.

I can say with David: “if You had not been on [my] side when people attacked [me], they would have swallowed [me] alive when their anger flared against [me]; the flood would have engulfed [me], the torrent would have swept over me, the raging waters would have swept [me] away.” 

I have faced circumstances I thought would do me in.  Times when I could see no way out to be at peace again.

Some were physical challenges or health issues with myself or loved ones.   Some were situations at work or with relationships I thought could never be reconciled.

Some were simple hardships like times of being out of work, or the basement flooding.  At times it actually felt like turbulent, raging waters pulling me down, away from my ability to cope.

But Father, You have shown up to give me hope when the world offered no hope.  You would often sing me a new song along with scripture to help me sense Your presence and be encouraged.  One such song’s chorus goes:

You calm me down, You give me peace

You make this battle inside of me cease

You give me hope to carry on

when all the hope the world can give is gone

Thank You that You are my hope, my help.  Thank You that John reminds me that You have given me eternal life.  Let me remember to focus on that when challenges come.

He reminds me that I can have confidence in approaching You: that “if I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me.”

Father, help me see and know Your will.  Align my desires with Your will.  So that when difficulties come, and they will, I will be able to ask for Your perfect will to be done, knowing that even if I have to walk through hardship, You will be my help.  Amen

Psalm 124:1-8; I John 5:13- 15

Mar 29 What would Jesus do?

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing. Instead of relaxing, people usually get more and more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control. That may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control!

But why didn’t the disciples know that?? They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles. Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead! So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.  Your words said, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake”.

 

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, “Let’s do something” I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too. Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

So, even in the hard part, the storm, if they had asked back then WWJD?   What would Jesus do? The answer was right in front of them: sleep! So when the hardest part comes, yes, I want to be sure I’m doing my part. But rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, let me do what I see You doing, and be so confident in my trusting, that I become calm, and at rest.

Bottom line: if I am with You, it will all work out. Either I will reach the destination with You, or I will perish: in which case I will also be with You. It’s a win-win! Amen

Luke 8:22-26

Feb 26 My Anchor, My “Tiqvah”

O Lord, this week I have been feeling overwhelmed by the direction of politics and society; by the vain philosophies of man our people seem to be blindly following, by the traditions of men that seem to deceive many of our young people, and by the work of the evil one seeping into our values and behavior standards. It’s as if a dark veil has been pulled over their senses and spirits. This is why my spirit is so downcast.

But Your solution in this Psalm is to put my hope in You. The Hebrew word for hope is “tiqvah”, defined as a cord that attaches one thing to another. It’s from the root word “qavah” which means to bind together, twisted for increased strength. It is the word used for the cord that binds a ship to its anchor.

A ship will drop its anchor in times of troubled seas, when it can no longer steer itself against the strong waves. It is the anchor that keeps it from drifting too far and being completely lost.

You are my anchor, Lord. You keep me from drifting too far and being completely lost. My hope is what keeps me tightly and securely bound to You, keeping me safe in the storms of life. And it is what gives me hope for our nation. There is life after storms. And “I will yet praise You!”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You O God. My soul thirsts for You, the Living God.” Amen

Psalm 42:1, 2, 5

Dec 5 You give Peace in the storms

“[My] help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, You are the help I have, the help I turn to when things are not going well.   You are the help I acknowledge when things are going right.   I love the old hymn:

“O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”

You are my place of shelter and of rest. I live on the earth now, and You shelter me. One day I will have rest in my eternal home with You.

Like David does in this Psalm, I can look back over my life and see times when I was guarded and protected by Your hand. I can say with David: “if You had not been on [my] side when people attacked [me], they would have swallowed [me] alive when their anger flared against [me]; the flood would have engulfed [me], the torrent would have swept over me, the raging waters would have swept [me] away.”

I have faced circumstances I thought would do me in. Times when I could see no way out to be at peace again.   Some were physical challenges or health issues with myself or loved ones.   Some were situations at work or with relationships I thought could never be reconciled. Some were simple hardships like times of being out of work, or the basement flooding. At times it actually felt like turbulent, raging waters pulling me down, away from my ability to cope.

But Father, You have showed up to give me hope when the world offered no hope. You would often sing me a new song along with scripture to help me sense Your presence and be encouraged. One such song’s chorus goes:

You calm me down, You give me peace

You make this battle inside of me cease

You give me hope to carry on

when all the hope the world can give is gone

Thank You that You are my hope, my help. Thank You that John reminds me that You have given me eternal life. Let me remember to focus on that when challenges come. He reminds me that I can have confidence in approaching You: that “if I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me”. Father, help me see and know Your will. Align my desires with Your will. So that when difficulties come, and they will, I will be able to ask for Your perfect will to be done, knowing that even if I have to walk through hardship, You will be my help. Amen

Psalm 124:1-8; I John 5:13- 15

Mar 29 I do what I see You do

Dear Lord, when I read this report of You being asleep in the boat when the squall came up, it seemed so amazing. Instead of relaxing, people usually get more and more anxious when things intensify and we begin to feel out of control. That may be the key – You knew that nothing could happen that was out of Your control!

But why didn’t the disciples know that?? They had witnessed You performing many, many miracles. Not only healing the sick and lame and blind, but raising people from the dead! So if they had listened to Your words and trusted them, it seems they would have had more confidence in the outcome, squall or no.  Your words said, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake”.

Lord, I want to be so confident with You that when You tell me, ‘Let’s do something’ I will trust You so completely that there is no question of whether it will be accomplished or not.

I want to do what I see You doing.   If You are resting, that’s my cue that I can rest too. Because if it doesn’t bother You, and I am with You, then it shouldn’t bother me.

So, even in the hard part, the storm, if they had asked back then WWJD?   What would Jesus do? The answer was right in front of them: sleep! So when the hardest part comes, yes, I want to be sure I’m doing my part. But rather than quake with fear, or anxiously try and control the outcome, let me do what I see You doing, and be so confident in my trusting, that I become calm, and at rest.

Bottom line: if I am with You, it will all work out. Either I will reach the destination with You, or I will perish: in which case I will also be with You. It’s a win-win! Amen

Luke 8:22-26