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