Following His Light Into 2013

Psalm 119:58(MSG)
I beg you from the bottom of my heart:  smile, be gracious to me just as You promised.

The word "grace" is repeatedly being brought to my mind lately.  How timely that here it is again as I approach a New Year.  While my daughter and I sat together curled up by the fire reading the Word of God a few mornings ago , she softly said, " I hate that Christmas is over."  I thought about this and remembered back to when I was a little girl.  It was sort of a sad time, as the excitement and electricity of the season came to an end.  But, as the years have gone by and I have been blessed to be a part of many cherished Christmas celebrations, I have come to the realization that the week after Christmas is just as awe inspiring for me as the week before.  You might be wondering how that can be?  Simply because of a word that keeps creeping into my heart.  The word grace.

Taking time during this week after our Savior's birth and using it to recount all of the favor that He has poured over my family for the past year, gives me an overwhelming sense of who He is!  Reviewing all of the times when the Lord met our needs and gave us abundantly more than I could have even known to ask for or imagined, provides a confidence that comes only from Him.  It saturates me in His peace, and yet at the same time, allows a power to well up within me to face another year of security in Him.  He is very clear in His Word that He will take care of me!  He promises to sustain us and to walk us through even the greatest of trials!

Our family has some pretty big challenges that we are facing in the coming year.  I don't have any idea what you might be facing this year, but I do know the One you can face it with!  He is big.  You can count on Him to see you through the very toughest of circumstances.  His Word will give you clear instructions for how we can face every single day.  He will protect you and allow you to walk in places that you only thought you could crawl!  Now that is truly inspiring.  My prayer for my family and for you this year, comes directly from today's verse.  I pray that the Lord will smile upon us and be gracious to us, just as He promised that He would. 

I will be reading from the NKJV Bible this year.  I have chosen:  Jesus Calling Devotional Bible published by Thomas Nelson.  Feel free to join me in reading this translation or the one of your choice.  His Word is life changing!  I know that to be true.

Lord,
As always, You give us a new and fresh hope.  Thank you for Your words that brings us peace, confidence, and power to anticipate a New Year of wonderful blessings.  Show us our gifts and help us to use them to bring You glory in 2013.
In Your Name,
Amen
   

I'm Hungry

Psalm 119:57 (MSG)

Because You satisfy me, God, I promise to do everything You say.

As I ponder this verse tonight, I am taken back by the conviction of this statement.  The Psalmist is basically pledging allegiance to God.  He is clearly and concisely proclaiming that whatever God tells him to do.....he will do.  Wow!  How did the writer get to a point where he could proclaim this kind of undivided devotion?



I watched these two as they searched for food right outside my
office window a few mornings ago. 
 

I think I have the answer to this question.  It's found in the words leading up to his pronouncement.  The words..."because you satisfy me, God".  When we are satisfied by God, we too will pledge our complete allegiance to Him.  The question then becomes:  How do I allow God to satisfy me?  

To be satisfied by Him, I first need to be hungry.  Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)  states, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  So, therefore, to be able to commit our entire obedience to God, we have to first and foremost be hungry for Him!  We have to empty ourselves of everything and allow Him to fill us to overflowing with His spirit.  It is at that place, that we too shall be content and eager to take on everything that the Lord has assigned for our lives.  It is at that pivotal point that our words will become the Psalmist's words...."I promise to do everything You say, Oh God!"

Lord,
Thank You for this amazing time of year that allows us to come together and celebrate the gift of Your Son~Jesus Christ.  Please allow the trappings of this world to fall to the side, so that our focus can be found in You alone. 

In the Holy name of Christ,
Amen
 

Your Vote Counts And So Do You

Psalm 119:56 (MSG)

Still, I walk through a rain of derision because I live by your Word and counsel.

 

Your vote is significant today and you are significant every day!  Your voice matters!  One of the biggest lies pervasively present in our nation today is that you are insignificant.  If the enemy of your soul can convince you that you are too small and unimportant to make a difference, then perhaps you will be forced into a paralyzing stupor of inaction.  Inaction, on a day like today, is really action, right? 

 

 

Father,

As we live by Your word and counsel, give us strength to stand amidst the scorn and ridicule.

Only You know the heart of a man.  Cover our country in Your grace and protection and guide us into a future that will acknowledge that You are the source of life. 

In Jesus name,

Amen 

 

 

Grace! Grace!

Psalm 119:55(MSG)
I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, O God.

Rest in His grace.

Grace!  Grace!  Amazing grace....truly how sweet the sound.  On the heals of the music post from yesterday, these words are drawing me into the old treasured hymn, Amazing Grace.  The word, grace, is on my mind today, as I am reading the new book by Max Lucado entitled:  GRACE.  (A book review  will be coming soon.  I have to finish the book first, of course.)

Reading this verse today and meditating on all that is embodied in the mighty name of God, I am humbled to be called a child of the King!  He is so great that admittedly there are times when I feel extremely unworthy to call upon Him in my smallness and continued failings.  But, then, I am drawn back to that five letter word, G-R-A-C-E.  

I have heard this word described many ways throughout the years, but reading Max's words yesterday, encompassed everything that I believe the word grace means!  If you are struggling today with your humanness and perhaps being too hard on yourself...then pause a minute and meditate on the name of Jesus.  Or maybe you are thinking that if you could just get everything in your life straightened out and polished up, then you would make a decision to come to Christ....in your best Sunday clothes...all perfectly put together.  Guess what?  You don't need to do that.  You just need to come to Him...like you are...right now.  Still don't believe me?  Read the following passage from Max's book about Grace.  Let his words sink deeply in and bathe you in the loving arms of Christ.

Max Lucado from his book titled: GRACE, writes, "Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest, removing your heart--poisoned as it is with pride and pain--and replacing it with his own.  Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change.  Do you clean up so he can accept you?  No, he accepts you and begins cleaning you up.  His dream isn't just to get you into heaven but to get heaven into you.  What a difference this makes!"  (Italics my own.)

Lord,
You are a God with infinite knowledge and wisdom!  We praise Your holy name today and thank you for your amazing grace.  May it wash completely over each of us as we approach Your throne of forgiveness.
In Your precious Son's name,
Amen





 

Singing His Words

Psalm 119:54
I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way.

Ahh...the healing power of His Word set to music!  Humming His directions gives incredible strength and builds our faith to a whole new level!  Clear direct advice for us right here in black and white. 

Conversely, there is much to be lost in our closeness with the Savior when we listen to music that is saturated with dark discouraging lyrics.  Why?  Because those despair riddled words will immediately flood our minds when we are in challenging circumstances.  Those careless ideas of hopelessness and isolation, that are unfortunately quite prevalent in our society today, have the end result of submerging the listener into a sinking pit of emptiness.  Don't allow it in!  Guard against it.

God's word is like fresh water.  Without it we cannot survive.

This is a beautiful verse of instruction for our children as well.  If you are raising children, I challenge you to go through their play lists and make certain that what they are hearing is lifting them up and building a God confidence rather than a self consciousness.  During an especially challenging time in one of my children's lives, I purchased a CD at our local Christian store that set to music specific scripture that applied to the situation.  The incredible comfort gained from the simple exercise of playing the CD in the background essentially every time we were home or in the car, was immeasurable!  We were also able to memorize the verses, allowing His direction to play continually in our minds even when the music was not available!  It was life changing for us!

While writing this post today, I decided to look for scripture set to music on the Internet.  I found a beautiful blog created by a family who has applied today's scripture and made it a way of life.  If you are interested in hearing just one of their creations, click here and enjoy!  Their blog provides a large volume of scripture put to music and they have even included sheet music for free!  The URL is:  www.scripturemelodies.blogspot.com. 

Lord,
Thank You once again for Your words that guide and direct us in very simple and concise ways.  May Your strength rise up anew within us this week as we choose a leader for our country.  May Your perfect will be done.
In Christ's Name,
Amen