Give Me Jesus

     On my morning walk, I thought about Jesus and what He has done for me.  I couldn't help but sing to myself.  Trust me.  That is the only way anyone would ever want me to sing, except to myself.  But, no matter how badly my singing is, Jesus can change it to an instrumental note to His ears.  At least, I hope He does!  

     I started off with "Give me Jesus" and added to it during the day; as follows: 

                     Give Me Jesus 

Give me Jesus in the morning through the bright and sunny day.

Give me Jesus through the damp and misty dew.

Let me place my hand in His;

Let my troubles pass on through.

  Ohhh-- yes! Give me Jesus every hour of every day.

  May He open up the doors;

  Giving blessings by the scores.

  Ohhh--yes!  Give me Jesus every hour of every day.

Give me Jesus in the noontime through the rain or troubling storm.

Give me Jesus through the warmth or cold of life. 

Let me follow in His footsteps;

Let our time not slip away.

  Ohhh-- yes!  Give me Jesus every hour of every day.

  May He direct my path;

  A refuge from His wrath.

  Ohhh--yes!  Give me Jesus every hour of every day. 

Give me Jesus in the dusty dark of night.

Give me Jesus through the calm of evening shade.

Let me listen for His voice;

Let my soul be not dismayed.

  Ohhh-- yes!  Give me Jesus every hour of every day.

  May my life not be in vain;

  Causing others undue pain.

  Ohhh--yes!  Give me Jesus every hour of every  day. 

Ohhh-yes!  Give me Jesus every hour.   

Praying

     I don't have any problem praying to God, but I know He must get awfully tired of my same old habitual prayers.  I am a person of few words and my prayers have got to be, sadly, boring to God.  So I took interest when our pastor recommended a book written by Donald Whitney, Praying The Bible."   Instantly, I thought, "Maybe this book will give me the solution to a better prayer life."  
     I have not actually ordered the book yet, but I did take a look at the reviews.  One reviewer gave a simple description of what the book presents, as follows: 

"1. Select a passage of Scripture (usually a Psalm) and read it.
2. Read the first verse. If a subject for prayer comes to mind, stop and pray. Use the words of the Scripture to help guide your prayer.
3. When you're done with that verse, move on to the next verse.
4. Repeat until you run out of time.
It's really that simple. Dr. Whitney advises that the Psalms are the easiest Scriptures to pray through, and are most easily applicable to this method..."  

Yesterday, our Pastor posted Psalm 59:16-17 on his facebook page.  

But I will sing of your strength: I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.  For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.  o my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.  

I read the Psalm and did the prayer.  Wow, my heart was full.  This will take some practice on my part but hopefully I will learn a better way of praying.       

The Living Water

     I never thought when I was growing up that I would be buying water to drink.  Well water tasted pretty good, spring water was refreshing, and later water from our faucet at home was good, too.  Yet, overtime there has become this notion that so much of our drinking water is polluted.  Even chemicals are being added so we have began to rely upon bottled water to sustain and satisfy our thirst, and this has become quite costly.
     No matter which bottled water we choose, it will never be as pure or as good for us as the Living Water.

"And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of he Lamb." (Rev. 22:1)  

     The wonderful part of this is that we can all have it, and it is free and easy to obtain.

John 7:38  "He that believeth on me (Jesus Christ), as the scripture hath said, our of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."    

John 4:10  "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

   

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

     Being raised with fairy tale stories, I remember Snow White's evil stepmother asking, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"  In other words, "Who is the most beautiful in the land?"   She wasn't satisfied with the answer she received from the mirror.  To be perfectly honest, I am never satisfied with the answer my mirror reflects back.  I have never liked my freckles, my long nose, my thin hair, or my long neck.  There are so many more flaws the mirror says I have but, for now, enough is enough.  I live by what Popeye says, "I yam what I yam and dats what I yam."
     Come to think about it, who am I to question what I look like?  I was wonderfully made by God's own hand.  I am told that in Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT).   "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was even born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, and you are still with me!"
   

Change of Heart

     When people first fall in love, they simply glow.  They can't wait to see each other, to hold hands, to talk and laugh together.  Yet as time goes on, some simply began to take it for granted.  There is no extra effort to keep the spirit of love growing;  they become comfortable and complacent.   While others continue to build a solid foundation, adding steel and anchors to make it strong.  Each new day is a revelation, an attraction, a growing.  Companionship becomes a passion.
     I asked myself, "What do I want?"  The answer is a joy which comes from a passionate companionship.   For me, the only way I can love myself , my husband, my family, and others is to, first, develop a loving, growing, passionate relationship with God.  Only with God can I find the joy within to love others.    God must, first, be my solid foundation upon which I build a structure of  steel and iron around all that effects my life.   I should be thrilled at meeting my Love in the garden alone and allowing Him to fill my heart.  It reminds me of a song:

In The Garden 

        I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

What a love song!  God is awesome!  Let me fix my eyes upon His Almighty presence.  He is the One who gives me joy and peace;  He is the One worthy of my praise.  Thank you God for your voice of encouragement, hope, and blessings.  

Glorify God

    I often think, "what can I do for God today," knowing I was born for a purpose.  "How can I be of service, or what good deed can I do?"  My mindset is usually about doing something for others.  I still believe I should do good deeds and serve others, but there are days the opportunity does not present itself.  Then what?  Of course, there is always prayer for others, and there is a whole list of friends and acquaintances who need daily prayers.   God does hear these prayers, and He answers with what is needed and in His time.
     However, I found still another way to please God in my Sunday study of Revelations 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."   You might say, a light bulb lite up!  The teacher of our lesson stated it plainly and simple.  I was created by God for God's pleasure.  "What pleases God?"  he asked.   "Praise and worship! "
     So what other purpose do I have?  It is to glorify and praise God.
     "Holy, holy, holy, 
     Lord God, the Almighty,      
     who was, who is and who is to come."  Rev. 4:8b

Three Special Men

     God was not pleased with the people of Israel when He gave the prophet, Ezekiel, several messages to deliver to them.  God's displeasure of His people's sinful ways was enough to make me shudder at my own sinful ways and what God might want to do to make me reconsider my own thoughts and actions.
     However, when I read Ezekiel, Chapter 14, verses 14 and 20 I sit up and took notice of how righteous God considered three other men in past scripture.  (vs.14) "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God."  (vs.20) "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness."
     Obviously, God was well-pleased with these three men.  Maybe I should go back and take special notice of how these three men lived their lives.
     I am sure Noah was not perfect, but he loved God, and we were told of no serious sins.  He tried to do what was right and appeared to love his family.  When God told him to build an ark for a coming great flood, Noah obeyed, even though he had never seen rain, much less a flood, during his entire lifetime.  Furthermore, he continued his God-given task even though all the people mocked him.
     I don't know what Daniel's character flaws may have been, but I found him to be humble, never promoting himself.  He was intelligent, but gave God credit for interpreting the dreams of others.  Daniel remained true to his convictions.  He was truly a man of prayer, and one who trusted God and remained faithful even when thrown into the lion's den.
     In the beginning verse of Job, we are told, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Then in verse 8 God told Satan, "...there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth god, and escheweth evil."  Now that is a pretty impressive description of a human man living in a sinful world.  What makes Job even a greater man, in man's eyes, is that he lost all his worldly possessions, yet he never denied God.
     I believe I would do good to strive to exemplify these character traits. 

Whet The Appetite

     I was surprised this morning when I opened my back door to see several deer still feeding on corn which had been sprinkled on the the ground.  Usually any small noise or sound of the squeaky door hinges will cause the deer to spring into action and jump quickly out of sight.   But not this morning.  They were too concerned with whetting their appetites to worry about anyone watching.
     I paused to consider how concerned I am when I am feeding my sin appetite to stop and think about who may be watching and what effect that may have on them.

Luke 17:1  "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. "

A Real Christian

     While reading "When I Relax I Feel Guilty" by Tim Hansel, I came across a quote by A. W.Tozer.  Since it is struck me as unusual but true, I decided to share it.

"A real Christian is an odd number, anyway.  He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst.  He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible; hears the imaudible; and knows that which passeth knowledge."

How many of us can say we are "real Christians" daily or do we admit to being "almost" Christians?

God's Promises

     According to an unknown writer, I am given 54 promises which God made to me.  These, as quoted by him and followed by supporting scripture, are as follows:

1.  ...for the Lord my God will be with me, wherever I go. Joshua 1:9
2.  God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is 'stayed' on Him.  Isaiah 26:3
3.   I (the Lord) will never leave you or forsake you."  Hebrews 13:5
4.   I am with you, always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20
5.  The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7
6.  He cares for me.  1 Peter 5:7
7.  I will do even greater things than Jesus did, because He went to the Father.  John 14:12
8.  If I remain in Him and his words remain in me, whatever I ask will be given to me.  John 15:7
9.  The Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth.  John 16:3
10. The Holy Spirit will give me the right words when I need them.  Mark 13:11
11.  In this world I will have trouble.  John 16:33
12. If I seek to live godly in Christ Jesus, I will be persecuted.  2 Timothy 3:12
13. I am justified by Him, freely, by His grace.  Romans 3:24
14. I have peace with god because I've been justified by faith in Jesus.  Romans 5:1
15. I have access into this grace.  Romans 5:2
16. There is no condemnation on me because I am in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1
17. The Holy Spirit will help me to pray.  Romans 8:26-27
18. All things work together for my good.  Romans 8:28
19. Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ.  Romans 8:35
20. I shall bear the likeness (and resurrection body) of Jesus, the 'man from heaven.' 1 Corinthians 15:49
21. My labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1 Corinthians 15:58
22. God has created good works for me to walk in, today.  Ephesians 2:10
23. I am being transformed into His likeness.  2 Corinthians 3:17
24. God won't let me be tried or tempted beyond what I can endure.  1 Corinthians 10:13
25. God comforts the downcast, including me.  2 Corinthians 7:6
26. God is able to make all grace abound to me, so all my needs will be met.  2 Corinthians 9:8
27. I am worth (to God) more than the birds that He feeds.  Matthew 6:26
28. God will supply all my needs.  Philippians 4:19
29. God won't forsake me (the righteous in Christ) nor have my children become beggars. Psalm 37:25
30. God's grace will be sufficient for me.  2 Corinthians 12:9
31. I will reap what I sow.  Galatians 6:7
32. I have an inheritance.  Ephesians 1:14
33. I have been brought near by the blood of Jesus.  Ephesians 3:12
34. I may approach God with freedom and confidence.  Ephesians 3:12
35. The Father has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints.  Colossians 1:12
36. Christ now is in me!  Colossians 1:27
37. God is faithful and will sanctify me.  1 Thessalonians 5:24
38. God will repay with trouble those who trouble me.  2 Thessalonians 1:6
39. God has given me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7
40. I have a crown of righteousness awaiting me, because I long for His appearing.  2 Timothy 4:8
41. God won't lie to me, because God cannot lie.  Titus 1:2
42. Jesus will help me if I'm tempted.  Hebrews 2:18
43. Varied trials will lead to my maturity.  James 1:2
44. If I ask for wisdom from God, He will give it to me.  James 1:5
45. If I ask, God will provide it.  James 4:2
46. If I resist the devil, he will take a hike.  James 4:7
47. If I draw near to God, He will draw near to me.  James 4:8
48. Prayer is effective.  James 5:16
49. After i have suffered for a little while, He will strengthen, confirm and establish me.  1 Peter 5:10
50. A new heaven and earth await me, called the 'home of righteousness'. 2 Peter 3:13
51. He forgives and cleanses me as I confess my sins to Him.  1 John 1:9
52. When Jesus re-appears, I'll be made like Him.  1 john 3:2
53. God has given me eternal life. 1 John 5:11
54. I am a present possessor of eternal life, which is mine in the present tense verb "have."  1 John 5:13

The writer further states, "If you are in Christ, and He is in you, these staggering promises are all yours!  You have inestimable wealth - not the silly kind of mansions and money, yachts, and luxury cars - but the wealth of the presence, power, purpose, and promises of the eternal God, made known to us in Jesus. and sealed with the comforting Holy Spirit.  You and I are wealthy, indeed!"