Lord, Save Me

There is not a word on my tongue, but behold O Lord You know it altogether. For all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of the One with whom we have to do. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly. But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Lord, save me.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.

A lot of things keep going wrong in my life and it is hard not to complain about it. I don't want to come off sounding like the children of Israel in the wilderness. So I ask You to guard my tongue and help me to meditate on and be thankful for what's going right. Heal my foolish and broken heart so that the words of my tongue are righteous and wholesome. I want to pull out of this so we can move on to higher ground. There has got to be more to life than what I am experiencing right now. You always cause me to triumph. Do not let this season hold me back when there is so much more to see and do. Let us not mark time here, but let us forward march. March on, till victory is won.

You know Lord that I love You. I do not understand Your ways, but I love You still. Draw me nearer blessed Lord. Bind me to Your side.

Forgive my sass mouthing. You know the meditations of my heart. Thank You for being my Father... and a friend that sticks closer than a brother, your loving daughter.

The Restless Sea

Restlessness: unquiet or uneasy, as a person, the mind, or the heart -- never at rest -- perpetually agitated or in motion.

God of hope, will You fill us with all joy and peace in believing that we may abound in hope and living above our circumstances by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us?

Peace, be still.

Watch this powerful video.

Go in peace.

Rest and Relax

When the Lord sent Manna to eat out in the wilderness, each morning the children of Israel were to collect enough to have for the family to eat that day, with no left overs. If they collected more than they could eat that day, the Manna bred worms and gave off a foul odor.

But... so they could have a day of rest, they were instructed to collect twice as much on the sixth day so they could rest on the seventh day, and in that case the Manna did not go bad over night. Also, no Manna fell on the seventh day, so even if they went out to collect, there was none on the ground.

Moses even commanded them to stay inside on the seventh day. It was to them a day of rest. The cloud that led them by day and the fire by night, did not move on the seventh day. It was a Sabbath rest for the children of Israel.

Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.

In the beginning, when God created heaven and earth, He also rested on the seventh day. After everything was completed and He had ended His work, the Bible says, "He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done (leaving us an example). Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work."

It is not a sin to stop and relax. Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 6:31, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going and they had not even had time to eat.

Sometimes I feel guilty if I take a lunch break in the middle of a busy day. But God is teaching me that it is needed and He is not disappointed with us if we are not able to complete our whole to do list in one day.

When I first came to Christ in 1999, I thought I had to fill up my week working for Christ.  I joined several auxiliaries and boards at church. I started a church newsletter (which most did not read). I taught Sunday School. I was wearing myself out. I began to feel distant from the Lord, and that bothered me. I was tired all the time. I remember one Saturday night I literally stayed up all night preparing for church the next day. I had so much to do, that I shrugged off sleep.

Finally, I made a list of all the work that I was doing and posted it on my bulletin board. It was about 16 different operations that I was involved in. I told the Lord to close the door on the ones that He had not appointed, and leave the ones that He wanted me to continue. As He closed the doors one by one, I crossed those items off the list and it gradually dwindled down to 4 things that He wanted me to do. My relationship with Him was restored, and I got my sleep back.

God is not in the business of wearing His people out doing a work for Him. Jesus said, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Get some rest. It's okay!

Taking A Vacation, Eternally

CELEBRATE ME HOME

“I’m going home on the morning train.” That’s a song we used to sing at church way back in the day.

For the last couple of days, that song has been refreshed in my spirit. I have been so home sick for my heavenly home that I almost feel teary-eyed. I’m not suicidal or anything at all like that, just longing to be at rest and free of struggle, evil and unrest.

God's kingdom is so opposite of all that. God will wipe away all our tears. There will be no more struggle.

The lion will lay down peacefully with the lamb. There will be love in the air and everywhere.

The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. (Isa. 11:8)

My neighbors’ dogs will not be barking like they’ve lost their minds.

I will not have to lock my doors to prevent thieves.

I will not have to worry about the bills piling up and the many other responsibilities of life that require my attention. All week I kept forgetting to buy toothpaste. A small thing, but so very important at 6:45 a.m.

I will have a mansion that is so laid, it will make even the most fabulous mansion here, look like a tent.

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS

“Eye has not seen,

nor ear heard,

nor have entered into the heart of man

the things which God has prepared

for those who love Him.”

I still think I will have something to do in heaven, but whatever it is, it will make my heart sing. It will not be a struggle and I will have no more enemies to fight, no more heavy sighs, no more tears to shed, no more heavy hearts, and most importantly, no more traffic and idiot-drivers. Depression will be a thing of the past. Our glorified bodies will not be able to experience sad emotions or disappointments. Love, joy and peace will be manifested in whole… (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) the apostle said in Eph. 5:9.

DOVE OF PEACE

Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.” I believe there is a place in the spirit realm (if we can find it), that no matter what is going on in life, we can still have peace. I have not quite discovered it yet and I think that is part of my problem. I must learn how to let it be... Let go, and let God... Cast my cares... Take my burdens to the Lord, leave them there and walk away (or run away). Either way, don't pick it back up.

If I know, for sure, that I am in the will of God, and trouble rears it’s ugly head in the midst, then I must also believe that God is using it somehow to work things out for my good. The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked (Prov.24:16 NLT). God is bigger than evil and He has not lost control of what is going on.

Jesus said we could speak to the mountain and command it to be removed from here to yonder place. But God meant for us to climb some rough mountains here and there, and we will not be able to command them away. BUT also, don’t forget… He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

Jesus said to the apostle Peter, “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” One thing is sure of the believer, we are bought with a price and our lives are not our own.

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Cor. 6:20).

I went on a trip with my former husband one time, and I didn’t know any of the people there. I was so uncomfortable. They sat around reminiscing about the good old days and since I didn’t know them back then, I just sat quietly with nothing to say. I wanted to go home so badly that I couldn’t think of anything else but home. I wondered why the Lord even had me there in the first place, if all they were going to do is talk about the good old days, and ignore me like I wasn’t even there.

At the end of the trip, we met this lady through the people we were visiting. She was looking for a ride back to Dallas and we lived in the Dallas area so we invited her to come with us.

On the drive back home, we found out that this lady was having all kinds of trouble with her teen aged son. She was at her wit's end. She needed answers in a bad way. It was on the drive back home, that I realized why I was there in the first place. God needed someone to minister to this lady, and He put us in her path. By the time we got back to Dallas, she knew she had experienced the Lord that day, and that He cared about her situation and He was bringing her deliverance.

Just as Jesus had warned Peter, He girded me and carried me where I did not want to go, but in the end, a weary mother’s life was changed, and I too had experienced the Lord that day. Jesus told His disciples, we need to go through Samaria this time. They had traveled that way before by a different road. There was a Samaritan woman there that He was going to meet. He was to minister to this lady and she was to be the catalyst that introduced Jesus to all the Samaritans.

This journey called life is full of ups and downs. The down times may cause us to long desperately for home. The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). So, if living is for Christ, then even during the down times, I’m still up.

I’m not weak, I am strong in the Lord. He is my strength for this journey. Out of my belly flows rivers of living water and there is no drought nor dearth in my spirit, for the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want nor lack. He makes me lie down in fresh, tender green pastures, and leads me beside still and restful waters.

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)