According To Your Steadfast Love

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 25. “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.” This is our children, mates, and other family members, with us. To go one step further, anyone you lead, employ, and otherwise have charge of. It is our responsibility to instruct correctly. “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” We play a big part in their successes and failures. And, they are eager to learn from us. “Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!” When we instruct, admonish, and discipline, we need to do so according to our love, and God’s love. Love always lifts one up through mercy, grace, and knowledge; it empowers uprightness. Love does not keep track of someone’s wrongs; it doesn’t throw them back up in their face. “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. If you’re not being instructed, but only belittled and shamed, you need to seek someone else to teach you and help you. If you are not instructing, but only belittling and shaming, you need to get help for yourself. All the paths should be steadfast love and faithfulness! That means check yourself/your motives and instruction against 1 Cor. 13-Love is…The faithfulness is not only faithfulness to God and His Will and Word. It is faithfulness to your loved ones/family/those who look to you. It is faithfulness regarding their well being and empowerment to succeed. (God forgive me, please, where I failed.) “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me…” Turn to me, meet me in my need. This is grace. There is loneliness (separation from the herd) and affliction (fear, guilt, shame, self loathing) *Satan’s favorite playthings, in sin, every time we sin, be it accidently (error) or knowingly (playing with fire, disobedience), until it finally captures us. That’s when we get into iniquity. We are the guardians of one another’s souls. That integrity and uprightness is not only theirs, but this refers to us/to ours, as well!

Proverbs 25 speaks to us about a king/queen’s ways; especially in the face of the wicked. The entire proverb gives a very clear and powerful picture of a child of God.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

God’s Salvation Grows In Us

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 21. “O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation! You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked You for life, and You granted it—length of days, forever and ever. Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High, he will not be shaken.” Psalms 21:1-7(BSB) WOW!!!!! Can you wrap your heart and mind around that one?! We can exult in our salvation because God, from the moment we give our hearts over to him, welcomes us as His children. Just like the father welcomed his prodigal son in (Luke 15:11-32), God welcomes us with joy and celebration when we repent and accept Jesus’ gift of salvation. (Luke 15:7)

I like what I read in verse 8 of the Psalm. Because of God’s loving devotion to us, we will not be shaken! That’s a two-fold revelation about how we need to deal with our children; and how we need to treat ourselves. Love yourself better than that! (self bashing, defeatist attitudes, words like “can’t”, etc.) Setting your expectations too high is also not loving to your child, or to yourself. We have a tendency quite often, to want to complete the whole journey in one step. Then we get overwhelmed, confused, and defeated within. This makes me think of the song they sang, in Santa Claus is Coming to Town, about putting one foot in front of the other. Then, just watch what God can do with you!

Proverbs 21:1-8 are all about keeping our heart right before the LORD/Lord. Verse 4 warns us that haughty eyes and a proud heart are sin. they are the lamp of the wicked. Jesus warned us of the same thing in (Matthew 6:22-23) “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” In this passage, I believe Jesus is talking about our understanding, and conviction; referring to them as our eyes. Verse 22 is an admonition to tear down the strongholds that keep us from living effective lives. This goes with (2 Cor. 10:5) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Strongholds are false beliefs, attitudes, excuses, and denial. We have to root these out, and cast them out first and foremost. We have to do it every time they rear their heads. We can stay on top of this by giving thought to our ways, and by staying disciplined to stay on track, and get back on track, every day, every time. As we do this, God’s salvation grows in us.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Believing Is Seeing

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that feeling is not an indicator of whether or not we have God’s love. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who believes and has not seen.” So, on those days when we don’t feel as if He’s with us, we know He is; because He promised never to leave us or forsake us. “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age,” our Lord said.

I know it’s been a long year, and we’re all a little tired. Covid19 has taken quite a toll worldwide. But we have a God who sees and hears. He’s been with us every step of the way; and He will walk with us to the victory! Look up, for your salvation draws near.

Casting Crowns is one of my favorite group of worshippers. I hope this blesses you as much as it does me.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Just Walk It Out With Him

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that building up stone by stone means taking it step by step, that requires discipline and perseverance. We are bid to never lose sight of the glorious work to which we’ve been called. Therein, we can find joy in each step. As I read this message, I think of my life since I met Jesus. I have to say it: I got the joy, joy, joy…every day!. This song says it for this little country girl. Thank you Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson; two of my favorite country singers.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

The Gifts Of The Quiet Times

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that God does indeed redeem the time. Quoting directly from the message: “Your simple daily tasks done in My strength and Love will bring the consciousness of all your highest hopes.”

The message speaks of adding beautiful peace and joy to our golden years. But, when I thought about this, I thought of weariness that clings at times. I thought of disappointment and doubt in self, in my progress, even in the Lord, in those times I just could not understand that He was working all the while. There are many times it seems like not a prayer one is getting through, and not a thing one is being done about our complaints, our weariness, our frustration, etc. It’s in those times, that we need to seek that quiet time with Him, and get refreshed and strengthened.

I found a list of scriptures about being refreshed, renewed, and strengthened in spirit. I’m going to list them so you can look them up. Isaiah 40:31, my favorite: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 31:25, Psalm 29:11, Psalm 68:35, and Psalms 92:10. I’m sure there are so many more, but this is a pretty good start. These are the gifts of the quiet times. They empower us to just live our God’s will for us in His strength and love. When we do this, almost unconsciously we will rise, step by step, one step at a time, to new glories, and new triumphs.

Here’s Paul McClure with Waymaker. I hope you get stirred up in your spirit by this song-and remember, you’re not walking alone!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

It Must Come Out First

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that this walk with Jesus is a lifelong journey. From my own experience, it’s the journey of a lifetime.

The message tells us that we can only proceed upward step by step and stage by stage. “And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18) No journey is taken in one step; but step by step.

When I read this message, I think about Psalm 23:5 -“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Being transformed into God’s image and likeness involves constant intake of His Divine Nature, His Word, His Love for us. However, as we fill up with it, we must make room for more. (Proverbs 25:16) That’s why we must be doers, and not only hearers of the Word. In the hearing, we are being empowered with truth and wisdom. It’s in the doing, however, that our faith and character grow. Our spirits are strengthened, our hope is renewed, and joy rises up within us over our growth in Christ Jesus, and the things of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Romans 2:13)

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Step By Step, Stone By Stone

Happy Veteran’s Day, one and all. Thank you, Veterans, for your dedication to preserving and protecting our freedom. God bless you all! And, God bless America!

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we are not ready to see the whole picture. We cannot, as we are now, bear the beauty…and I know that the tragedy of all that may be lost on that day is already pretty hard for me to bear. It brings me to tears as I’m posting this.

I hope you’ll read the message at twolisteners.org It’s both encouraging, and sobering. I’ve chosen this song by Don McLean . It’s titled, Crossroads, and it speaks to me so powerfully, in regard to this message. If you don’t know Jesus, I pray that you’ll let Him into your heart now-because that day in Heaven, beyond the veil, will be so wonderful. If you do know Him, be encouraged that He is with us every step of the way; and He’ll be jumping just as high as you and I will be when we finally get there.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Me And My Big Gulp Cup

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that the first step is always praise. It brings our God on the scene. Always turn to the LORD/Lord-He’s right there for us. Even when we’re ashamed of our feeble faith and failure, Jesus is still the Savior-even in your shame, and especially in the distress of your shame.

As I read the message this morning, I thought about the desert I was in sixteen years ago. I had long ago forgone the well of my father Jacob. I knew that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I was dying of thirst in this desert my life had become. And, true to his nature, the evil one whispered in my ear, trying to keep me there. “There’s no Jesus here,” he whispered. “There’s no well here in this place.” Here’s where I have to thank God again for my Grandma. See, she always said I could do anything I wanted to do. She even told someone not to tell me I couldn’t do something. Thanks to her, I got this spirit of “yes I can,” in me. So, I said to that devil, “Oh, yeah? Is that a rock I see over there?!” LOL I’m laughing now, but let me tell you, when I got to that rock, and it turned into a wellspring… Jesus said, “I saved a cup for you.” And let me tell you, I drank and drank, and drank some more! I was so parched it wasn’t even funny. These days, I have to laugh every time I see one of those Big Gulp cups from Seven Eleven. Thank you, Jesus!

One of my favorite praise and worship songs is Sometimes It Takes A Mountain. Every time I hear it, I’m reminded that there is treasure in every distressing moment. And, sometimes, because I get so busy, or so distracted, stubborn, pouty, and even have gone off and away at times…I find myself distressed by the shame of failing, flailing, and faltering…but Jesus is faithful, and always there with arms wide open. He rushes in to save me in my distress, to correct me, and to encourage me to keep going. I hope this song blesses you; it always does me. *I don’t go off and away from the Lord anymore-I finally learned that’s where I want to stay-especially in times of distress.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Truly, All I Need

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, bids us to draw as near as we can, very near, to our Lord, Jesus. Isaiah 53:2 is referenced by the message: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Every time I read the verses in that chapter, I feel just as if He’s drawn me into His embrace. It’s like a group hug; me and Jesus, and our Heavenly Father. Thank you, Lord for loving me! I love you so!

I hope this one, done by Hillsong will help you step into that group hug today!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

One Step At A Time

Today’s message from God Calling – A. J. Russell, reminds us that the way we walk is one of uncertain future and faltering steps.

The Way is, however, not one of uncertain future. Nor do God’s steps falter. We are bid to put all fear aside and trust Him wholly. “Know,” says the message. We are admonished to walk assured of God’s promises; that He is leading, and that He will reveal Himself and His will and way to us.

The key to walking in assurance and power is to walk one step at a time. I don’t worry about whether or not God’s going to wake me up on this side – because I know that whether here or there, I will be with Him; and He will be with me. He is with us always, knows the end from the beginning, and has already prepared the victory for us. We have but to walk it out. And, the reason we do that, is to learn our true identity in Christ Jesus, and to master that identity as kings and queens in the earth. When we keep that mindset, holding fast to the truths in the Word of God, it gets a little easier to walk in assurance. One day, you realize that you’re no longer even wondering about the future, because you already know God is your future.

Someone asked me recently what I thought of all the suffering I’ve done. I told them, “I see it all practice to help me as a queen. -“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” (Matthew 2:15) You see, Jesus came to serve; not to be served. That’s the mark of a great ruler; don’t you think?

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu