Sing For Joy

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 63. It is King David’s, written while he was in the wilderness in Judah. He stirred himself up recounting the goodness of God. Sometimes all you need is a little real and deep worship to clear the mud out of your eyes…The whole psalm is awesome! I hope you’ll read it for yourselves.

In the meantime, this song never fails to make me feel as if I’m right in God’s embrace! Thank you, Kari Jobe.

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Maybe He’s Doin’ You A Favor

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 30. Psalm 30 is King David singing to the LORD. The whole thing is beautiful! (Psalm 30:6-7)”As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.” (ESV) This one really caught my attention. I’ve had three or four of those mountains in my life. There’s a twofold revelation here. First, we can get so caught up in our success(es) that we forget who got us there. “King/Queen of the hill, I am.” You’re already in trouble the minute you think it. I know; you think God would say, “Oh, yeah?” He doesn’t. God says, “Oh, no!” He knows what you’re in for. The devil loves to knock you down. That’s where the second revelation comes in. “By your favor,” O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong.” Oh, oh; what happened to my mountain? My high place just turned into a desert wilderness! It’s a mountain of sand! And here comes the storm! “God, why did you let that happen? God, can you hear me down here?! GOD, ARE YOU LISTENING?!! GOD, HELP ME!” “Yes, my child, I am listening. Now you’ve got it right.” (Matthew 5:1-14) (ESV)

Proverbs 30:1-9 reinforce Psalm 30. It’s almost like a small recap of Job. “I’ve learned my lesson, and I’ll just shut up and praise you now, LORD/Lord.” LOL Proverbs 30:7-9 go on with a short request by Agur, of the LORD. Then the rest of the proverb gives us some observations Agur has made. He ends with a bit of wise advice.

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Your Holy Attire

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 29. Verses 1&2 “Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. *(or, in holy attire)-(ESV) The whole Psalm is beautiful; written by King David, of course.

When I think about holy attire, especially on Sunday, when we gather to worship the LORD/Lord, I’m looking at my heart. I must admit that my heart has not always been right before the LORD, in church on Sunday morning. Praise and worship poured out of my mouth; but my heart was far from Him; more times than I can count, I’m afraid. I had to actually go before the LORD/Lord, and ask Him to give me His Heart. I’m so thankful for His mercy and grace. He is so very patient with us. Yes, He answered that prayer for me. I still ask for His Heart; every morning! Believe me; it helps tremendously; and on a daily basis!

The rest of the Psalm speaks to us about God’s Voice. Verses 5-8 are really awesome, and touch on exactly what I was talking about above. “The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.”

Think about your hardened heart, on a Sunday morning, maybe after an argument with your mate, or fighting traffic all the way into town, etc. Sometimes, everything that can go wrong does, doesn’t it? There you stand…going through the motions…JESUS, HELLLLPPPP! Am I right?! He steps right up, and speaks to the storm; doesn’t He? Fire purifies and that wilderness just vanishes. When I think of that wilderness, and how it took them forty years to make a three day journey…I think I’m pretty sure that I’m gonna holler right away, Lord! I want to hear that “Peace be still!” The LORD’s voice is stronger than COVID! Have a beautiful day!

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Interludes Of Peace

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, bids us to protect our peace at all costs. We’re told to stop everything and regain our peace whenever it’s been disturbed. As I read this message, I think about Proverbs 4:23, which tells us to guard our hearts above all else because everything we do flows from it.

I found, some time ago, that little interludes of peace throughout the day help to keep me unruffled. These can include a few minutes of some quiet instrumental music-I love bamboo flute music for calming and refreshing my spirit. I used to take a short 30 minute “awake nap” after work each day. This helped me to switch gears and get back into Mom mode. Of course, an evening drive after dinner, or even a sunset picnic out in a quiet area make for a wonderful interlude of peace. I wrote a song titled “Little Wild Rose,” after a drive in the country with my then husband. See how that works? Creativity is always refreshed after an interlude of peace.

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He Is The Source From Which It Flows

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that God is our only source of salvation. We are to see Him as our only supply. Everything else is a resource and/or a channel through which that supply flows.

Salvation comes daily, and it comes in many ways and from many things. Poverty of spirit, lack of desire or energy, lack of love or peace within, etc. These spiritual needs are as important to God as our physical well being is. If God can send ravens to feed a prophet in the wilderness, He surely can send provision to us through whatever channels are available to Him. All channels are available to Him, because the earth is His, and the fullness thereof. (Psalm 24:1) “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”

Deuteronomy 28:8 is referenced by the message: “The LORD will decree a blessing on your barns and on everything to which you put your hand.” All the blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28 are the result, or fruit, of our obedience to God’s Word. They go hand in hand. This means that whatever I work at, or whatever effort I put forth in accordance to God’s Will and Word, will bring results. This is also true of spiritual needs. Whatever spiritual need I have, God will meet it. Jesus promised us that if we ask, we will receive. Just the other day, I had to ask the Lord to help me pray, because I really didn’t feel like praying for anyone or anything that morning. I wanted to scream until the world just exploded. I asked; I received. God’s a good God! Amen!

When I read Deuteronomy 28, I get a picture of how things operate in the Kingdom of Heaven. Seed time, and harvest is the modus operandi. That means that I have to sow something (time, effort, prayer, etc.,) in order to harvest something. The really cool thing is this: God not only gives us the harvest, but He also gives us the seed to sow. We just sometimes miss it, because we’re looking for a harvest when or where we have not sown…or because we have sown in fallow ground. (Jer. 4:3) Basket and kneading bowl suggest gathering and working with what’s gathered, or working with what you’ve got. Trust is the key to prosperity; prosperity of spirit, which is most important, and physical, or material prosperity as well.

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Saturday Silly – August 16, 2019

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I was doing some reminiscing about Montana the other day. I had been checking out the Wolf and Bear Center up by Yellowstone Park. I love the wildlife and wide open spaces in Montana. One of my loves as a teenager there was a Native American boy. I loved his sense of humor most. Most Montanans have a pretty good sense of humor…and they love to tell those “Big as the Big Sky” stories.

One beautiful Saturday morning, He and I headed out to a little butte just outside of the reservation. His grandma and grandpa lived on the reservation. We were going to spend the morning exploring, and then have a nice picnic lunch. After lunch, he said he’d promised to send a smoke signal message to his grandpa, at home. He built a fire, took a blanket out of the back of the truck, and sent some smoke signals up. Then he asked me if I would like to learn some smoke signals! “Won’t that be fun,” he asked. I thought that was awesome. I thought anything he did was awesome. He gave me the blanket, and said, “Okay, you’re going to signal the word, “butte.” Then Grandpa will know where we’re at.” Then he said, “Just kind of swoop it down, and sweep it slowly over the fire. That’s “butte.” I did as he told me to. He said, “Hmm, I don’t think you got it quite right, honey. You swept too fast. Try again.” Again, I swooped and swept-slowly, of course. “No,” said he. “This time, swoop just a little bit slower. But the sweep was good there.” Again, I swooped-slowly, and swept. Right about that time, we heard sirens. Up the hill came this little fire engine. I thought, “Oh no, we’re in trouble for having a fire up here.” The fire truck stopped and a couple of Native American firemen got out. “What’s the trouble,” one asked? “there’s no trouble”, I said. “I was just learning smoke signals. I signaled “butte” to tell my boyfriend’s grandpa where we’re at.” “No,” said the fireman. “You signaled, “My butt’s on fire!” Some of those Native American boys are real pranksters! Those firemen were his cousins. I used to be soooo gullible! That was my “Big as the Big Sky” story.

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The Greater Works

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us of Jesus” words: “Greater works than these shall you do, because I go to my Father.”

As I read the message, I thought about Jesus’ words to the woman at the well. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” The issues of life flow from the heart. The good man, out of the good stored up in his heart, brings forth good things; and the evil man, out of the evil stored up in his heart, brings forth evil. When you add this truth from Romans 12:21 to the mix, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” you can see where the greater works need to be done. Your body is just your vehicle. Actually, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God breathed His life into every single soul that ever has, does now, and ever will, walk this earth. That tells me something about what I need to put into the hungry, the hurting, all I minister to.

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This is from Luke 7:28. It ties in with the truth part. I see so many Christians trying to “look” perfect, or perfected. You see them in every church. But let me tell you something about humility. It takes a courageous person to tell the truth on himself, or herself. And, you have to humble yourself to do that when, really, what the world expects, is that your life is perfect because your’e a Christian. It must be, right? I mean, God’s supposed to be good, isn’t He? What about all that blessing stuff, Lady? Oh, yes, dear, God just happens to be the One who got me through all that ugly stuff, all that hurt, fear, anger, etc., etc., etc., But I am a work in progress; and will be till the day I arrive at those pearly gates. Do you know why John the Baptist didn’t have any problem with sin? He didn’t live with anybody; he was alone in the wilderness. It was just him and God. See, when he came to town, he started shouting and telling people the truth about themselves, didn’t he? LOL

Seriously, though, John preached repentance from sin, and baptism. Jesus came to show us how to walk after God. He gave us back our authority over sin-or, the author of sin. But, we are still in the world. He said we would have tribulation here in the world. He also said, “be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, though. That’s why we’re told to put on the full armor of God. We need to lift one another’s spirits, bear one another’s burdens, share one another’s concerns. As I’m writing this paragraph, I’m thinking about the disciples in the boat during the storm. You know what? There was only one boat. That tells me we’re all in the same boat. When one team member gets tired or discouraged, the whole rest of the team encourages and cheers that one on. They minister to that one’s spirit. That’s where the greater works are done.

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He’s in the Boat With You!

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Yes, I’m still smiling…still praising the LORD…and I want to encourage you today, no matter what’s going on around you, how dark it might look, or how wild the wind and waves may be…Jesus is right there in the boat with you. Oh, my soul, be still and know that He is God.

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