Where is Your Heart?

"The God of this people of Israel whose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought them out of it.

And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

And after that he gave them unto judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will."  ~ Acts 13:17-22

God has always had a hand in our life, whether we always see it or not is a different story.  How we live our lives though is up to us, and sometimes unfortunately.  God gave human beings a free will, which often gets us into more trouble than we typically desire.  However, we are given the opportunity to follow Christ and have sweet fellowship in Him.  We may not always remember it, but God is there for us.  All our friends and family may leave us, but He is always there, waiting to guide us and strengthen us.  He will never force us to see His way, but He may let trials into our lives that will help us remember to look to Him for strength and guidance.

God desires that we take that step and follow Him.  Throughout this history of Israel that Paul teaches, only on person did God consider after His own heart.  David is constantly seen seeking God's will and talking to God in the Bible.  He actively sought God's face and even had the desire to build a house that people could come worship God in!  Even though David sinned, he always repented quickly and accepted his punishment for the deed he had done.  He acknowledged that through God was the only way he could be redeemed and have a life full and bountiful with His blessings.  How often do we long for the blessings without the relationship?

Honestly, God looks for those who want to be near Him and following Him to be used in His ministry.  Sounds harsh and a bit unloving, but how is He supposed to use someone who doesn't want to be used?  It's like trying to us a spoon to fill a moat with water, it doesn't work the way we need it to.  David went out, looking to be used by God and kept himself prepared to be used by God by staying in His word (what he had back then) and staying in contact with God through prayer and praise.  Are we in a state to be used by God? or are we sitting on the sidelines waiting for God to call us onto the field?

We are not called to sit and wait, but to go out and work while God prepares us to be in the mission field.  David was always being proactive, even after he had repented of his sin with Bathsheba and the verdict was made, David prayed and fasted that the child may live.  And though the child did not, David accepted what had happened at face value and moved on, ready to be used by God again however He saw fit.  How often do we center on ourselves when something goes wrong versus centering on God and trying to see what He has planned for us?  Life can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to run our lives.

God cannot use us if we allow ourselves to become slack in our relationship with Him and our desire to be used by Him.  I almost think of it as trying to use a clay pot that hasn't been through the kiln yet to dip water, it just doesn't work.  We have to be strengthened, formed, and shaped into the person God knows we can be, and should be, before we can be used by Him.

Where is your heart?  Is it with God, waiting to be used?  Or is it still dabbling with the world?

Listen to God

"My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go stray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.
All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers."
~Jeremiah 50:6-7


Who do we listen to?  What do we listen to?  Do we listen to God, or do we listen to man?  Do we compare what man says to what the Bible says? Do we put voices and music in our lives that elevate God and others?  Do we allow music into our lives that doesn't glorify God?  How often do we let ourselves become desensitized to wrongful music and negative voices? How often are we caught in a store or a coworker's car tapping and humming along to a song?  Is it helping or hindering our relationship with God?

Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I often catch myself wondering, "Is what someone told me of any use to the glorifying of God or helping me help someone else?"  Sometimes it's information that someone else might need help but won't ask for it.  How many times do we catch ourselves listening to gossip about someone who isn't there to defend themselves though?  How many times do we respond to something someone said and not even realize until later that our response wasn't uplifting or helpful, but discouraging and harmful?  It's difficult sometimes, and that is why it is always beneficial to surround ourselves with those who look to God for guidance in their life.

In this passage, however, Jesus is talking about how the shepherds have led the sheep astray.  These shepherds are the religious leaders of that day. They had been feeding the people lies for many years, telling them that compromising was okay and that God was simply an overbearing being that only had Himself in mind.  This however is far from true and God called Jeremiah to remind the people of this.  These religious leaders had smudged the people's thinking and turned them more towards the world than the God who loved them so much.  The people were not remembering the God who had done great and mighty things for them when the nation was close to Him, but turning towards the idols of the land that only brought grief, sorrow, famine, and death.

These "gods" that the other lands served were full of hate and malice and the stories built around them were to cause the people to fear and pray for mercy, but we have a God who just wants to show us His love and have us obey Him.  He is so forgiving when we do so much wrong, and has such great plans for our lives, better than we can only imagine.  We have to remember though, just because someone says they are a Christian does not mean that they really are.

The term "Christian" has taken on a looser meaning over the past years than it used to be.  To be a Christian is to be "Christ-like", but many people like to use the term as a substitute for being religious.  Being religious will only change a life for a little time.  Only God can change a life in a radical way.  Unless we are saved and have completely given our will and our life to Him, there is no way we can be changed positively in a long term way.  We will always sin and be forever fighting, struggling, and often losing against our sins.  Life isn't easy, it was never meant to be.  We were created to have a relationship with God so that He could supply our every need and even sometimes things we didn't know we needed.  It's amazing the things He can do in a person's life when they surrender it to Him.

We need to be surrendered though, completely and utterly.  These nations who attacked the nations of Israel and Judah had no remorse and stated that they had not sinned because Israel and Judah had turned their back on God.  I can honestly see where they come from because once these 2 nations stepped outside God's will for them and rejected God, they were outside His protection.  They stepped into the World's playground and expected everyone to play fair.  The spoiled pet rarely gets treated well once the master is not able to protect it though.

We cannot dabble in the things of the world and expect God to protect us from the consequences.  God is like the oven mitt we wear when reaching into a hot stove.  When we are in His will, He can protect us from the heat, but once we decide we know better and try to go without, we get burned because there is no protection anymore.  God loves us, but He also wants us to grow and learn to trust Him.  He will place people in our lives who will help us grow and understand His will for us.

God will NEVER tell anyone to go against the Bible or to preach only partial truths.  Those who teach only the parts of the Bible they agree with are wrong and lie to those around them.  They lead God's people astray when possible and are being used by Satan to keep God's sheep straying to the world and keep them from being useful to God.

Who are you following?

Do You Love Him?

This weekend's devotional actually has a song in it this time, so I won't put another one on here.  This small blurb is a shocking reminder that sometimes, we love because of what is done, not because of the person themselves.  So I ask, do you really Love God?  It's a good reminder, even for those of us who have been in a relationship with God a long time...

The Day of Thanks

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." ~Philippians 4:4

A day late and a dollar short, but we're supposed to be thankful everyday right?

We tend to forget sometimes that even the mundane things are things to be thankful for, thus the reason I don't do well at Thanksgiving.  For me, Thanksgiving is a time for other people to say out loud a lot of what I've been thinking in my head as often as I can.  Now, don't take me wrong and assume I'm saying I've been through every struggle everyone else has been through.  I will never be through half the things that my Brothers and Sisters in Christ have been through probably.  And you know what, I can be grateful that they have gone through that experience and are able to praise God for His continued faithfulness to His children and the knowledge that they now have so they can help others.

I'm Thankful that God really is in the little things.  He's in control and while we may look around and have that "head knowledge," how often do we really believe it in our hearts?  Do we really think about how our next breath could be our last if God is not in the after that?  How about that moment you miss a step on the stair and slide instead of stumbling and hitting your head?  One moment I especially thank God for is when I'm on a side road trying to stop, but it's so slick my car only stops at the last moment, but it still stops.  It's in that moment that I'm reminded that though my car should have kept going, God allowed it to stop.  

The little things in life...what are you thankful for?

I'm Thankful that God decided who were to be my Parents.  My parents are a special couple who have been through a lot.  I don't tell them often enough, but I'm thankful for them, because ultimately, I would not be the person I am today without them in my life.  They've taught me so much, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  I've learned to be brave, outspoken, kind, helpful, loyal, hardworking, honest, daring, optimistic, trusting, considerate, and other aspects that I cannot put a word to.  But these have come from my parents and watching them, I cannot claim them as my own.  I thank God that He gave them to me, and I to them.  Though I grew up as an only child in a military family, they gave me the blessing of showing me their love for me, for their families, and for God.  Without them, I would not have the relationship with God that I do today.

I'm Thankful that God brought my Grandparents together.  Going back to the little things, I always think about what would have happened if just one little stone in the river of my life would have been placed differently, and remember to thank God that it's been placed where it is.  I have learned many things from my grandparents as well, both sets.  So many stories to be told and the remembrance of the brevity of life.  Though I do not expect my grandparents to pass anytime soon, each visit is a reminder that I don't know what day anyone I love will pass.  They have all been such blessings to me and daily reminders of why my relationship with God is so sweet.  The love that God gives is so unconditional and pure.  Just as my grandparents love me without condition, even when I don't talk to them like I should and want to, God still loves me, and so much more.  I love my grandparents, all of them so much.  I pray daily that when this passing world is done, I will see them again in Heaven.

The people in life...who are you thankful for?

Most of all, I'm Thankful that God desired to have a relationship with me so much that He sent his Son to die for me.  Ultimately, I'm a sinner.  I've broken God's rules and still do from time to time.  It may seem silly and somewhat ridiculous to believe and say it so straightforward, but I'm a lying, thieving, covetous human being with other titles that could probably be added to the list.  God saved me from such a dark pit of despair when He sent His Son to die in my place and I finally accepted His free gift of salvation.  I had tried being a good person to cover up my sin and help me forget it, but only God could make it disappear.  One day soon I will put my salvation story on here, and it might make more sense.

Man loves darkness.  We hide our secrets in darkness and wait for darkness before we do our evil deeds.  Why do we sneak through the house for midnight snacks after all?  Even the smallest thing that we don't really think of.

I serve the God of Light though.  I live with Him in my heart, and in my life.  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  The Beginning and the End.  He is All I need in this life.  Man can take everything from me, but he cannot take my God.

The God of life...do you really thank Him?

Late Night Snack

This will not be a typical post today, but a valid one nonetheless.  Especially as I have missed the past few days while trying to finish an essay that just won't finish itself.  I am currently a victim of being taught to make my points nice and concise so that others don't have to read through a book to get my point...and currently I'm trying to finish an 8-10 page essay.

This essay is different though.  I'm trying to convey the point that something is wrong and I have a way it can be fixed and why it needs to be put into place.  You see, there are many things and places in our lives where we will go astray and try to ignore something that is wrong when it really needs to be fixed.  Or we don't even realize that something is wrong to begin with.  There is always someone who is there to show us when something is wrong in our own lives though.

That someone is God.  Thankfully He is always by my side when I need help in my life.  Granted, He can't help unless I ask for it...and sometimes I have a problem with that.  Especially tonight as my mind continues to draw a blank on my essay but these words flow gently off my fingertips.  A walk with God is always more enjoyable than a walk with the world.

There is so much wrong with the world that until the whole world gets its head out of the ground and actually looks around, we will never have peace and there will ALWAYS be something wrong.  No matter what we do, no matter what we say, only God and fix us and our world.  Sometimes I just look around me and wonder if there really is a point to this life I live, and then I remember the still small voice telling me, "These people you are looking at, I need you to show Me to them through your actions and words.  You won't always see the fruit of it, but you will make a difference if you will only reach out and trust that I am with you."  I draw this voice from verses like Mark 15:16, 1 Cor. 3:6, Prov. 3:5, and many others that I cannot list by reference just yet.

I also draw strength through songs that have been written in ages past that bring glory to God and most are a constant reminder that He alone is God above all.  I love that songs are used for so many things, but one of the biggest blessings they can be sometimes, is a prayer.  A true sincere prayer for those days that words alone cannot comprehend.  The deep utterings of the heart where all we can do is say "Lord, I need you" or "Lord, stay close to me."  The yearning of the heart is so strong sometimes that the mind cannot keep up...

I pray that my late night ramblings are understandable and somewhat useful for thought...

Signing off
~Sarah

Channels Only by Mary Maxwell

I love the depth this song goes into with
how we should ask God to use us.
Sometimes we forget just where we are
supposed to be and sing from memory
without actually listening to the words we
are singing.
I encourage you to look it up and listen to
the song and think about the words being sung.
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1. How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
   That Thy love laid hold of me;
   Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
   That I might Thy channel be.
2. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Chorus:
4. Channels only, blessed Master,
5. But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
6. Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
7. Every day and every hour.
8. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9. Just a channel full of blessing,
10. To the thirsty hearts around;
11. To tell out Thy full salvation,
12. All Thy loving message sound.
13. 
    

Chorus

1. 
   
2. Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
3. A clean vessel in Thy hand;
4. With no pow’r but as Thou givest
5. Graciously with each command.

Chorus

1. 
   
2. Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
3. Setting free from self and sin;
4. Thou who bought me to possess me,
5. In Thy fullness, Lord, come in.
6. 
   
7. Chorus

1. Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
2. Hearts that full surrender know;
3. That the streams of living water
4. From our inner man may flow. 
5. 
   
6. Chorus

God Knows All

"For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God." ~Hebrews 3:4
"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." ~Psalm 127:1


God is in control.  That's all there is to it.  We may think we're in control, we're not.  The decisions we make may alter His plan for us, but there is still a plan bigger than ours.  We may take longer getting to where He may want us, or we may even completely deviate from what we need to be doing, but He is still in control in the end.

There is not a thing that is in our control.  We can't make ourselves taller or even know the day we will die.  That is all in God's control.  He knows everything that has, is, and ever will happen in all of our lives.  He may let hard times come into our lives for inexplicable, but He is still in control.

God knows what we need to get to where we need to be, we do not, for our hearts are deceitful and we cannot truly know them.  God can, and does know the deepest thoughts of our hearts though.  There is nothing hid from Him.  We can hide everything from the world and go about our day acting like someone else, but God knows who we truly are when we are alone.

When we try to do things our way, they will never work out like we plan them to.  Like the Foolish man, our house built on our own ways will crumble and fall, but God's house will stand.  We don't have to build upon this crumbling foundation though.  There is a rock that will never fail.

God will never leave us or forsake us, but we can move away from Him and lose our focus.  He is always there, waiting for us so He can continue to build our lives upon the Rock with us and help us to grow in His way.

There is only one way to build a sure and steady life, and that is through basing it on God, the only true way to live a complete life.  God is the only one who can save us from the wretched lives we live on this Earth full of sin and bring us to a life in peace with Him.

This does not mean that our lives will not have their share of trials, but we will have an advocate who will be with us every step of the way.  With God, all things are possible when we are within His will.

Leaning On The Father

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." ~Romans 5:1-5


No matter what we are to go through, if we have a relationship with God, we can always have peace in the storm.  Sometimes God will calm the storm, sometimes He will calm His child.  However, He can only help if we look to Him.

He knows everything that will take place, but leaves it to us, and our free will, to decide if it will turn out the way He has planned for us, or if we'll try to make it on our own.  If we follow our own inhibitions, it won't end well usually.  However, if we follow Him every step of the way, there will come strength and peace when it is least expected.

Each day we are given new trials to face and new thoughts to ponder. Whether good or bad, they are there and an integral part of our relationship with God.  They are let into our lives so that we can be strengthened in the areas in which we are week.  Each spot that is strengthened will lead to another weakness being revealed and worked upon.

There are not many people who will admit at first that they are patient people.  For some Christians, this is because we have listened to the stories of older Christians where God helped them learn patience, and we don't like the way they learned.  BUT, if we are to portray Christ to others, shouldn't we be willing to learn and let God work through us?

It is not for us to be perfect already, but to learn from Christ and His example that He is to us.  God will give us what we need to get through a trial and when we see the end result, we can look back at how good He really is to us.  Through every test, trial, and storm, He is there, it is up to us to call upon Him and ask for His peace and joy to be in our lives.

Who will you depend on in your hour of need?  Will you let God work His way in you?

Just Pray

"Pray without ceasing." ~1 Thessalonians 5:17
"We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us which cannot be uttered." ~Romans 8:26


Today's My Utmost for His Highest was a real truth to what today is going to be filled with.  Many times when we pray, we pray for specific things that need God's hand and we pray for them to go one way or another.  Sometimes, however, what we have planned for a situation is not the way we need it to go.  Oswald Chambers helps draw us back to remind us that only God, and thus the Holy Spirit which dwells within us, knows what we truly need.

We may have things that we are consciously praying for, but when we step aside and let the Spirit speak through us, there are things that we do not know of being asked for in our stead.  "The is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9)  This applies to our prayers sometimes as well.  We, as humans, have the ability to pray selfishly sometimes without even knowing we are.  However, the Holy Spirit will never pray selfishly on our behalf.  If we need to be taken down a notch or two, He'll work that into His talk with God.  If we need encouragement, He knows, and thus, God knows too.

How are we praying?  What are we praying for?  Are we even praying at all?  There will never be a time where talking with God is not a necessity in our lives.  Why would there?  We as humans crave communication with others; why would communication with God be any different?

Listen to the still small voice of God.  We may not understand where a thought about something within a prayer comes from, but never forget to bring it before God.  We may not understand why we are thinking about it, but bring it before God.  Pray.  Pray for others, pray for yourself, pray for our country, pray for the world.

God is coming again.  

It may not be today or tomorrow, but do you know, for sure, what you will be doing when He does?  
Do you know what your family will be doing when He does?

It won't be fun when God comes again for many.  Those who are saved will be taken out of this world, but my friend, those who are left behind will be left in despair and ruin, headed for an eternity that will never release it's grip on their souls.  A place of pain, suffering, and separation from God our Father.

Please, pray for our world, and let God work through you for what is truly needed.

A Time for Trial

"And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison." ~Genesis 39:20

"I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." ~Ecclesiastes 3:17

Right now as we come to the eve of "Election Day", many are in fear and frustration of what tomorrow shall bring.  Some say that the lesser of two evils is the best we can do.  I will always say that God is in control though.  No matter what may happen, there is a reason for what is going on and I cannot change it on my own.

Only through prayer and acting in God's will can we go on our course throughout the day.  God alone knows what tomorrow will bring for He sees both the past and the future.  He brings us through trials and tribulation sometimes because He knows that we can become stronger through them if we will let God work in our lives.

Just as Joseph went through hardship without being able to see the end, so should we stay faithful to God.  No matter what happens, there will never be a reason to turn our backs on God.  Wherever we may stand, there is a purpose for every turn along the road.  Whether it is for just us as we go along, or if we are to be a support for those around us.

We are being watched.  Through it all, there are people watching us to see what we will do and how we react.  Prayerfully we will react in a way that is pleasing to God and will give Him the glory, because sometimes, we can honestly say that we would have reacted VERY differently in our flesh.  Many times, however, we will begin by leaning on our own understanding.  This is a natural response that comes from our flesh.

Everything and everyone that God puts into our lives is there for a reason.  Above all, they are there to glorify God, but also to help us grow in our relationship with God.  Is there anything keeping you from having that relationship and having sweet communion with God continually?  Is there a roadblock that you need to ask God to remove?  Ask Him today so that He can open the door and work through you today, for every thing has a purpose.

Thankful on the Wonderful Days

Hello! and welcome to Sunday.  I'm working with a wonderful friend of mine who has the blog Making Music for The Master.  She's a beautiful Servant for God and lets Him work through her life in so many ways.  I HIGHLY recommend going over to her blog and reading all that she has so far!  I praise the Lord that we were able to cross paths when in all reality, there was no reason for us to.  She has been such a blessing in my life and I pray that what she writes will be a blessing to you too.  Today's "Sunday Snippet"(as she refers to them) is just a small taste of what awaits you over at Making Music for The Master.  So without further ado, my friend Mykaela.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deuteronomy 8:11-14 "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage..."

We've got a bit of a longer passage today, but I encourage you to read it carefully. Let's break it down and analyze it a little bit. In these verses, God is giving us a solemn warning, signified by the term "beware". When anyone says beware, it's usually best to listen, but when the God of the universe says it, you absolutely better hold everything and pay attention.

So what is God warning us of? In verse 14, it tells us: the warning is against us becoming lifted up in pride and forgetting The Lord who has done so much for us. Wow. In the verses following, it lists some of the things that God has done for the children of Israel. Since we are applying it to ourselves today, let's list some of the things He has done for us.

Are you on your way to heaven? Has God given you a family and friends? Do you have a roof over your head, clothing on your back, and food to eat? Do you have a means of income, however small? Do you have a church? My guess is that most of us are blessed with all of this and a whole lot more. The God who gave us all these incredible benefits, and holds our very existence in His hands...surely we couldn't forget Him, right?! Obviously God would not be warning us against this grave sin unless it were possible for it to happen!

Now that we have established this, when are we in the most danger of falling into this trap? When bad things happen, maybe? Or when our pockets are empty and we don't know how we are going to pay the rent or buy dinner?

No.

No, this awful error of pridefully turning our backs on God will become a temptation in a completely different time. A time when everything is going our way! When we have lots of money in our checking account, delicious food overflowing the pantry and fridge, and extra time to spend vacationing, hanging out with friends, and relaxing. In short, when all is right with our world, so to speak.

In those great days, when the sun is sparkling down on us, is when God says to beware; to watch and be so cautious. Because it's at that time that we can become complacently lifted up in our own pride...we can begin to think that it's of our own goodness or strength that we were able to get these things! And from there, it is a slippery slope downhill. Eventually, we could be led completely away from following God, who is the One who poured these blessings on us in the first place! Oh what a black day it would be for a Christian to turn their back on God as they revel in His gifts!

So how can we fight against this happening to us? In the verse before this particular passage, it tells us: "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee." We combat the sin of unthankfulness and pride by blessing God's name! Every single day of our lives, whether we wake up to sunshine or rain, we need to be praising God for the blessings He has given us. I don't care how bad you think you have it, I can promise you that if you're God's child, He has not abandoned you, and if you look for it, you will see that you have so much more to be thankful for than you think! Be careful...be so, so careful to never stop worshipping at The Saviour's feet, whether your wallet is full or empty. Spend time in His Word, listening to what He has to say. Serve Him with your whole heart. And if He has you rich or poor physically at this time in your life, you can always become more rich in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving is coming up, what are you most thankful for? I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Mykaela
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The words that God gives her are truly a blessing and I sincerely hope that you will ponder what she has shared.  Once again, please go over to her blog Making Music for The Master and share the blessing with your friends!! God Bless and have a beautiful day.

How Beautiful by Twila Paris

One of my favorite songs that's sung beautifully by

A family I once had the pleasure of knowing.

Pray it makes you think. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread
And the sons of the earth.

How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty roads
And the hills to the cross.

Chorus:
How beautiful
How beautiful
How beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sin
And bore it instead.

How beautiful the tender eyes
That chose to forgive
And never despise.

Chorus

And as He laid down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as he died,
Willing to pay the price
Willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radient Bride
Who waits for her Groom
With His light in her eyes.

How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives
So that others may live.

Chorus

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news
And the love of the King.

How beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread
And the sons of the earth.

Chorus

The Loving Father

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest to things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."  ~Hebrews 2:17-18


As mentioned yesterday, there are many examples in the Bible for us to follow that God has made sure to put there.  However, there is one example that will always stand out above all others.  The only example who has multiple books in the Bible devoted to His story.  This example is Jesus.

Now many people will push this aside saying, "Yeah, but He was God.  He was perfect and had everything going for Him.  I'm just a human being and will never be able to live up to what He did for other people or even go through the same trials He did with the same outcome."  If we really think about it though, like some people do, Jesus wasn't just God, He was human too.  It's a bit contradictory to some, and highly confusing as He was 100% both man and God, but that's how God works.  He uses the unexplainable to glorify His name.

With being 100% human, Jesus had the ability to sin.  It is shown in Mark 14:36 that His flesh did try to speak out, yet in this He did not sin because He continued to rely on the strength of His heavenly Father to get Him through.  If there was no possibility of a sin nature even with Him being human, why would Satan even try to tempt Jesus with sin?  Satan even tried using scripture against Jesus, albeit he used the scripture out of context.  Yet being filled with the Gospel and being God, Jesus was able to thwart the Devil by knowing and believing the scriptures and using them against him.  What makes us think that we cannot do the same thing, but, since we are obviously not God, we instead hide God's word in our heart and let the Holy Spirit work His way in our lives?

We may be facing hard times, but we have a Saviour who understands our hard times.  We may feel rejected, ignored, or misunderstood by others, but we have a Saviour who was almost stoned because He spoke the truth, rebuked wrongly because He spoke the truth and the authorities didn't like it, and literally separated from God because of our sins that He took upon Himself.

We as humans have never truly been neglected by God, though sometimes it feels like He is not near.  I praise God that, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and the free gift of life that He gives, I will never have to face the pain.  Because of the pain Jesus suffered, I have a Father who truly understands whatever trial I may go through and He will always be there to support me, as mentioned in verse 18.  He knows what I need at any given moment and is there to give guidance, direction, strength, and support for where I may fall short.

What kind of a relationship do you have with the Father?  Do you believe He is faithful to His creation, or do you believe that He is too perfect to understand the pain we have?

Praying Always

"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers."~Philemon 1:4


Sometimes the Bible doesn't always speak to us in commands and promises, but in examples.  God made sure to put plenty of examples in the Bible for us to look up to.  We may not find any one person who went through the exact situation we are going through today, but we can almost always find someone who went through something just as difficult, if not harder.  These examples can help us run the race and contend for the faith.

But what about the times when a trial may not seem as difficult as others. When we see a situation that doesn't seem as bad so we shove it aside and try to cover it up by our own strength.  Sometimes it will work, though normally we just continue to bottle it up inside until the meltdown happens.  These meltdowns can always be avoided by looking to the Father and casting our burdens upon Him, for He cares for us.  Sometimes these circumstances can be unknowingly interceded upon by a friend though.

Here, Paul mentions how he makes mention of Philemon in his prayers for the blessing that he is.  It is always good to thank God for the people He has brought into our lives, whether good or bad, for every person we encounter is there for us to learn something.  It could be someone we help alongside the road, someone we bump into at the store, or even someone from work that we don't particularly like.  We don't know what God has been doing in their lives or what they have been going through within their own lives.  Granted, that is not to say that we will always be an Energizer bunny of happiness and wisdom, but it does mean that whatever we do, wherever we may be, there is always room for prayer.  Whether driving in the car to work or school, working out at the gym, or just as we are falling asleep, we should take some time to pray for someone and thank God that they've been brought into our life so that we can be an example or witness to them.

We may never know what is apprehended or who is blessed in different ways when the Father is called upon to help someone out one way or another.  God has many blessings that He is able to bestow upon us, all He asks is that we allow Him to do so by asking Him.  It may seem weird, but interceding on the behalf of others is actually a blessing behind the scenes that we can give others.

It is not our place to give so that we can be acknowledged and praised, but to give so that God can be glorified.  Yes, Paul mentions here that he was praying, but it's out of gratefulness.  When we are facing a trial, isn't it always comforting to hear and know that someone is praying for you?  I know it helps more to know that someone thinks of it from time to time.  Even small prayers get answered by God.  They may not get answered in the way we were expecting, but all the better for giving God the glory when it works out differently.  The song says, after all, To God be the glory great things He hath done.

Will you thank God today for someone today?

Where Did We Come From?

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;"  ~Titus 3:3-6

Sometimes we need a reminder of where we came from. Our relationship with God didn't begin when we were born, but rather when we were born again; when we finally admitted we were sin filled creatures and there was only one way that situation could be alleviated.

Everyone begins a sinner separated from God. There is only one person who was born into the world that did not start this way, and that is our Saviour, the only person who remained sinless His whole time on this Earth. Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to live a pure life, but rather that we should be pushed to show others that there is another way to live.

We are not sent to judge those who are living in sin, but to point them to the cross, to show them that a life of sin is not the only way, or even the best way. We were sinners once too. We reveled in it and loved our sin, which is why we could not live a life with God. He cannot tolerate sin or even be in it's presence. But that is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross. The only living being that could completely cover our sins and make them disappear. Our sins are as far as the East is from the West.

There is only one way in which we can show others the Cross, and that is by showing them what Christ has done for us. We cannot force someone else to see their sin the way we do, but we can be examples in the way we live and ask questions that will make others think about what they believe; show them information and let them make decisions for themselves. 

Are we living a life of judgement where we look like we hate everyone, or are we showing the love of Jesus Christ? We are called to love the people, not their sin, and we can only do that by letting God work through us. Who is in control? It is only by the grace of God that we are saved from an eternity separated from Him, are we letting that grace work in our lives and letting it shine towards others? Let us not forget where God saved us from.

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."  ~1 Cor. 6:11

Fear Not

"But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee." ~Isaiah 43:1-3

I've loved these verses ever since I learned that someone put a tune to them so I could randomly pull them out of my head and start humming the tune. They hold such special meaning to the child of God.

Firstly, He created and formed us. Even in Psalms 139:13-15 and Jeremiah 1:5, it shows that He has a special hand in forming us as we are growing in our mother's womb.  He looked down at the Earth and decided that it needed one of us.  He wouldn't create something and then simply let it flounder around to figure things out for itself.  God has a special interest in making us the exact way and time that He does.  We may not know what His purpose is just yet, but as we follow His steps we will eventually.

Secondly, the only way we can be in sweet fellowship with Him is when we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Thus, through being bought by His blood, we are His forever and rightly He calls us His own.  When we buy something with our own money, it is ours, just as we were bought with His blood.  Jesus didn't have to die for us though. He could have killed everyone and started over with a clean slate: a new species that was given no free will perhaps.  But He didn't.  God chose to die for sinful man so that we could be in fellowship with Him.  He could have created us to have no free will in the first place, but isn't it so much more meaningful when someone WANTS to do something rather than when they HAVE to do something?  Why wouldn't God want that same special relationship with us?

Thirdly, no matter what God lets us go through, we will never be alone.  He promises to always be there with us and protect us.  We may face trials where there is pain and we don't understand why the trial we are facing is happening, but God will NEVER give us more than we can handle with His strength.  It may be the toughest battle we've ever seen or been in, we may be beaten, bruised, and tired. We may not even be able to see the end, but just as Jesus was on the water with the disciples in the middle of the storm, so will He be with us.  All we need to do is call upon His name, place our worries, cares, and needs at His feet and He will hear us.  We may not feel immediate relief from the pain we are feeling, but He will bring peace into our lives that, in all reality, would not be there if it were not for Him.  It 's not natural to feel peace in the midst of a noisy battle or a devastating storm, yet when we are with the Master and relying on Him, we can feel such peace as no man has ever experienced on His own.  The only One who can calm the storms is waiting to calm yours.

Lastly, He has already promised us that the world will not win if we will only stand in His will.  He has defeated all the enemies of Israel over and over again.  Just as He protected the Israelites, so will He protect and defeat the enemies of all His children.  We may not even see all the enemies that He protects us from, and praise God for that.  Sometimes the enemies we face are difficult enough, if we had to face ALL the enemies that come our way, sometimes life would be questionable about whether there is anything good at all.  There is one who is always good, and that is God.

We may face hard times, and there may even be many moments where we don't understand why and feel neglected by God, but we need to remember that we are His and have been called out by name.  God will not forget His own and He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  He is always there, waiting to protect and guide us, His children, through every trial and situation that we may go through.  All that is required of us is to fully give Him our all.

Is there anything blocking your relationship with God?  Will you call upon Him today in your hour of need?