"...He hath dealt boutifully with me."
Had a dream last night about end time events-I know, strange. It was actually a very cool and exciting dream! It was sooo vivid and real! I rememeber seeing everything that was happening and thinking to myself how happy I was that my children were saved! I said, "The Lord's coming is any second, I know it's always been any second but it REALLY is any second now!! We're going to hear the trumpet soon!!" The song, "Your Redemption Draweth Nigh" was in my mind in my dream too. I got up about 6:00 and it was still dark and Ahren was leaving for work and I was a bit disturbed in my heart and sought comfort from God's Word. I've been reading through the Psalms and came to chapter 13:5-6 which states, "But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." I know that these times are scary and I really try not to think of all that could happen, but God's Word is where we need to find our comfort and strength. We KNOW the LIVING GOD! HE IS VICTOR! He HAS dealt bountifully with me! His mercy IS everlasting-Praise the Lord! We DO have MUCH reason to sing! The world needs to hear our song, that they might receive the love of the truth-our precious Lord Jesus. (2 Thess. 2:10)
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
A Virtuous Woman
I just want to thank the Lord for my grandmother. She and Grampa were married 63 years! In the years I've known her, I've NEVER known her to do something wrong. That's remarkable! I spent a lot of time with her. Even as a young child, I remember her being frustrated with me at times, but never out of control. She has always, only been nothing but kind, sweet, understanding, empathetic, patient and wise. She has encouraged me so many times. Her faith in the Lord is strong and steady. Gram was and still is always busy! She is NOT idle! God has truly blessed Gram and me! I'm grateful for the heritage she has been building and that she will leave behind one day. I will always cherish her and respect her too. She is my beloved Grandmother.
I just want to thank the Lord for my grandmother. She and Grampa were married 63 years! In the years I've known her, I've NEVER known her to do something wrong. That's remarkable! I spent a lot of time with her. Even as a young child, I remember her being frustrated with me at times, but never out of control. She has always, only been nothing but kind, sweet, understanding, empathetic, patient and wise. She has encouraged me so many times. Her faith in the Lord is strong and steady. Gram was and still is always busy! She is NOT idle! God has truly blessed Gram and me! I'm grateful for the heritage she has been building and that she will leave behind one day. I will always cherish her and respect her too. She is my beloved Grandmother.
CHOICES
"Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes." I think of this verse and it sounds to me as an exasperated cry from one who is lazy. I know that David wasn't like that, but for me, so often I "want" to be close to the Lord, but am unwilling to put in the effort required to be close. I pray for the Lord to help me be this of that, to help me with this or that, etc. but never let Him have His way when He sends the "lessons". I fail each test and get a big, fat F on each day's report card! Why do I do this over and over and over? How stupid can I be? How unbelievably lazy! Sometimes I'm shocked that Jeremiah 17:9 is actually true! I so often find myself thinking that I'm not so bad. Look at how God has blessed me! But those blessings should make me even more grateful and humble before God; even more dependent on Him and even more willing to work toward a closer relationship with Him and yet I continue to be lazy. IT'S A CHOICE. Did you read that? A CHOICE. My Mom told me that everything I do is a choice and she is right. If I'm lazy-it's my choice to be. "Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthenth me." I just saw that little word, "which". I take this to mean that I will be strengthened when I realize that I CAN do all things through Christ! How cool. I never saw that before I don't think! But again-it's a choice. Will I do that which is required of me and be strengthened? Choices-that's where the rubber meets the road.
"Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes." I think of this verse and it sounds to me as an exasperated cry from one who is lazy. I know that David wasn't like that, but for me, so often I "want" to be close to the Lord, but am unwilling to put in the effort required to be close. I pray for the Lord to help me be this of that, to help me with this or that, etc. but never let Him have His way when He sends the "lessons". I fail each test and get a big, fat F on each day's report card! Why do I do this over and over and over? How stupid can I be? How unbelievably lazy! Sometimes I'm shocked that Jeremiah 17:9 is actually true! I so often find myself thinking that I'm not so bad. Look at how God has blessed me! But those blessings should make me even more grateful and humble before God; even more dependent on Him and even more willing to work toward a closer relationship with Him and yet I continue to be lazy. IT'S A CHOICE. Did you read that? A CHOICE. My Mom told me that everything I do is a choice and she is right. If I'm lazy-it's my choice to be. "Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthenth me." I just saw that little word, "which". I take this to mean that I will be strengthened when I realize that I CAN do all things through Christ! How cool. I never saw that before I don't think! But again-it's a choice. Will I do that which is required of me and be strengthened? Choices-that's where the rubber meets the road.
The Importance of Gentleness
I'm reading through the Psalms and this morning I'm in chapter 6. I've read these verses so many times, yet today God used them to speak to me about how I deal with my children when they've done something wrong. Verses 1 & 2 say, "O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak..."
I shouldn't "rebuke" my children in anger or "chasten them in hot displeasure" because they are weak- mentally, emotionally and physically. Angry words wound deeply and how often I've been the cause of those wounds. I don't want that to continue! "A soft answer turneth away wrath..."
I am seeing more and more just how important GENTLENESS is. Psalms 18:35 says, "...and thy gentleness hath made me great." Gentleness speaks to the heart. It draws one to a peaceable place and opens the ears of the heart. God has been working in me concerning anger and He is patiently bringing me to a new place in my life where anger doesn't reign supreme! How thankful I am for the Lord's love and grace!! I want to be controlled by His gentlenss and His mercy. I don't want to overlook wrong, but to deal with it in the right way. I want my children's view of God to be a loving view. I want them to see the Lord's control of me and my emotions.
The other night I couldn't sleep so I went out to read a book called "Creative Correction". In this book the author has sections she calls the "Toolbox". They are verses or stories that one can use to help in the various situations that arise in a day. I was reading about anger. The verse to read was Proverbs 10:12, "Hatred stirreth up strife: but love covereth all sins." I wondered what "covereth" meant in the Strong's concordance. There were various words mentioned but "overwhelm" stuck out at me. It made me think that if you respond in gentleness, that gentleness could overwhelm the anger that may have occured instead. I can make my children obey, but if they aren't obeying from the heart they're really not obeying. I want to be gentle and merciful and pray that by God's grace and control my children will obey from the heart and that's how I want to respond to the Lord as well.
I also, as well as my children, need to learn to hear God's voice in the authority's voice. If there is someone over me-I need to remember that the Lord wants me to obey and so it is HIS voice I need to listen to and obey not the person speaking to me. This is hard to do, but when simply obeying the Lord becomes more and more a habit, I believe it will be easier to do.
These thought from the Lord have been a blessing to me and a huge help too. God is so good. I'm so thankful that He loves me in spite of who I am. I'm thankful He gave me my children. I love them so much. I want to love them better-they deserve it!! What a great, loving and gentle heavenly Father we have. "Thank You, Dear Lord for being God."
I'm reading through the Psalms and this morning I'm in chapter 6. I've read these verses so many times, yet today God used them to speak to me about how I deal with my children when they've done something wrong. Verses 1 & 2 say, "O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak..."
I shouldn't "rebuke" my children in anger or "chasten them in hot displeasure" because they are weak- mentally, emotionally and physically. Angry words wound deeply and how often I've been the cause of those wounds. I don't want that to continue! "A soft answer turneth away wrath..."
I am seeing more and more just how important GENTLENESS is. Psalms 18:35 says, "...and thy gentleness hath made me great." Gentleness speaks to the heart. It draws one to a peaceable place and opens the ears of the heart. God has been working in me concerning anger and He is patiently bringing me to a new place in my life where anger doesn't reign supreme! How thankful I am for the Lord's love and grace!! I want to be controlled by His gentlenss and His mercy. I don't want to overlook wrong, but to deal with it in the right way. I want my children's view of God to be a loving view. I want them to see the Lord's control of me and my emotions.
The other night I couldn't sleep so I went out to read a book called "Creative Correction". In this book the author has sections she calls the "Toolbox". They are verses or stories that one can use to help in the various situations that arise in a day. I was reading about anger. The verse to read was Proverbs 10:12, "Hatred stirreth up strife: but love covereth all sins." I wondered what "covereth" meant in the Strong's concordance. There were various words mentioned but "overwhelm" stuck out at me. It made me think that if you respond in gentleness, that gentleness could overwhelm the anger that may have occured instead. I can make my children obey, but if they aren't obeying from the heart they're really not obeying. I want to be gentle and merciful and pray that by God's grace and control my children will obey from the heart and that's how I want to respond to the Lord as well.
I also, as well as my children, need to learn to hear God's voice in the authority's voice. If there is someone over me-I need to remember that the Lord wants me to obey and so it is HIS voice I need to listen to and obey not the person speaking to me. This is hard to do, but when simply obeying the Lord becomes more and more a habit, I believe it will be easier to do.
These thought from the Lord have been a blessing to me and a huge help too. God is so good. I'm so thankful that He loves me in spite of who I am. I'm thankful He gave me my children. I love them so much. I want to love them better-they deserve it!! What a great, loving and gentle heavenly Father we have. "Thank You, Dear Lord for being God."
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