God's Love

Has anyone ever doubted God’s great love? Has anyone ever doubted that God is in control of all things? If so, take a look at Psalm 136. There are 26 verses, and all 26 verses tell me of God’s love that exists in all things. 

     I took a look at different versions and here are a few:  

 

KJV            “…His mercy endureth forever.”

NIV            “…His love endures forever.”

EGT            “…His love is eternal.” 

ESV            “…His faithful love endures forever.”

RSV            “…His steadfast love endures forever.”

TLV            “…His loving-kindness continues forever.”

MSG           “…His love never quits.” 

 

I take comfort in the fact that God created and controls all things in love for me.

The Hidden Word

One of the first verses I memorized when I was growing up was from Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Of course, it was the King James Version which is always my go-to for discerning scripture. There are not many ways a Bible version can change the words of this verse. I did look up the International Children’s Bible Version which stated it this way, “I have taken your words to heart so I would not sin against you.” 

     This scripture is completely self-explanatory, I have to study God’s Word in order to hold it fast in my heart and my thoughts to follow God’s laws and help me resist Satan’s temptations. 

2025 Is Here!

It is here! 2025! 

     "God be gracious to us (me) and bless us (me), and cause His (Your) face to shine upon us (me). Psalm 67:1 

     This is my desire for 2025. I pray God blesses our country. I pray that God blesses others as well as myself, and I pray that when God blesses me, I will use that blessing in and through me to benefit someone else. 

     I need to pass it on!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Praise

For me, praise is to glorify, and God is who I need to glorify.

Psalm 150 tells us:

1.     Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary- praise Him in the firmament of His power.

2.    Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

3.    Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp.

4.    Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. 

5.    Praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the hight sounding cymbals. 

6.    Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

 

For someone like me who has no musical ability I will praise Him in my way: 

 

Praise Him in                 Prayer

Praise Him when I         Rise

Praise Him by               Abiding in Him

Praise Him                    In all things

Praise Him by what I    Say

Praise Him                    Every day 

 

Delivered

 We were asked to read a few verses in Psalm 34 and insert our name. I zeroed in on verses 4 and 7. They held real meaning, mainly because of a recent incident. "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." vs 4 "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and deliverth them." vs 7
     Often I do not realize the protection the Lord and His angels provide. Then there are times when I really do; as in an incident which happened while traveling recently.   

     I was driving in my lane headed west, passing a long line of slow traffic moving east. I was in a deep curve with double yellow lines on the road and with traffic behind me, as well. One car was driving very close behind me.  When I cleared the curve and could see around it, I was face to face with a black SUV in which the driver had become impatient and decided to pass in a curve. This was a head-on collision with possibly a rear-ending, as well, just seconds from happening. There was no time to think, much less call out to God. I could not completely slam on my brakes or the car behind would slam into my rear. I was attempting to take the shoulder since there was still traffic in the other lane when the on-coming car also took the shoulder. I quickly jerked my car back into the driving lane and managed to pass through with the other driver driving passing on the shoulder of the road. All traffic continued moving with no slow down and no injuries. That was protection by the hand of God, and His encampment of angels. My husband and I gave God all the praise immediately!
    For this reason, I took the above two scriptures and wrote: 

Delivered

Mary called on the Lord,

And He heard.

Her heart was stirred.

Out of trouble, He brought her.

Only He knew what for.

His angels encamped about

To help Mary out.

He delivered!

Mary shivered!

In awe of His power

Through every minute and hour, 

Mary gives thanks and praise

For His protection and love throughout her days.

Thank you Lord!

     

            

A Song of Praise

 I love reading the Book of Psalm. David wrote many songs of praise to God. As I was reading one this morning, I felt the desire to write one of my own. It is as follows: 

A Song of Praise 

I will praise you, O Lord;

With my whole heart, I praise.

By Your love, You amaze!

I praise Your marvelous glory

Oh, let it be my daily story!

I praise for how my joy is complete

As I lay my burdens at your feet. 

I praise you in the morning.

I praise you at the noon of day.

I praise you in every way.

I praise your majestic name

For how it sets my heart aflame.

I praise you in the night.

I praise You as the King of Kings;

Heaven’s reigning Knight.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 5/5/2023 

 

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” Psalm 9:1 KJV

Look Up and Praise

     Psalm 34:19 reminds us that although we all know troubles, "the good man does not escape all troubles-he has them too."  Yet, as the verse continues, God gives us encouragement, "The Lord helps him in each and every one."  Even before this verse, we are told what we should be doing daily regardless of troubles.  It is found in verses 1and 2 , "I will praise the Lord no matter what happens.  I will constantly speak of His glories and grace. I will boast of all His kindness to me.  Let all who are discouraged take heart."
So, I conclude that when troubles come:

Look Up!

          Praise!

Psalm-Focus on God

     The book of Psalm helps me focus more on God than my problems.  I find when I thirst for Him, my heart is at peace-problems dissolve.  

     Psalms 63  gave me great comfort.  "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water "(vs 1).  "For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy." (vs7)

     

Sufferings

     Jesus was just like you and me when He was on earth.  He was human.  He hungered, he knew pain, denial, temptation, and all the infirmities we know today.  Yet, He was God's Son.  The point is that though Jesus went to prepare a place for us, He also knows our sufferings because He felt them.

His humanness as follows:  

     Matthew 1:25 "And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and He called His name Jesus."   Here we find that Jesus was born a human baby, and I am sure He caused Mary as much pain in birth as any other baby being born.  

     Luke 2:40  tells us that "...the child grew..." and again as a boy in verse 52, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

     When Jesus, as a small boy, stayed behind in Jerusalem, without His parents knowledge, He caused His parents to become anxious.  You see, they thought He had gone missing and had to go looking for Him and, when found, His mother asked, "...why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing."  (Luke 2:48b) Just like children today, Jesus did not stay close to His parents that day.  It wasn't intentional, but often children do things which cause their parents to become anxious unintentionally. 

     When we recognize Jesus as our Savior and receive the Holy Spirit, we are asked to acknowledge Him through baptism.  Jesus, Himself, acknowledged His Father through baptism.  Luke 3:21, "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."   

     After this Jesus went into the wilderness.  During His time here, He was tempted just as we are tempted by the devil every day.  Matthew 4:1 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

     Next we find in Matthew 4:2 that Jesus "was afterward an hungered."  Again in Matthew 21:18 "...He hungered."  This occurred after the cleansing of the temple which we also read about in Matthew 21:12-13.  "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves.  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."  This tells me that Jesus had righteous indignation over what was going on in His Father's house just as we  have indignation over what we find going on around us.   

     Again we find the human side of Jesus in Mark 44:38, "And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow..."  Jesus needed sleep and rest just as we do.  Mark 6:31, And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while..."

     Before we even come to the part about the pain and suffering Jesus went through on the cross where He died to redeem us from our sin we are told in Mark 9:12 that Jesus will suffer. "...and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought."

     Just before Jesus' arrest He went through a time of agony in Gethsemane.  He "...began to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch."  (Mark 14) Jesus knew his fate.  He was deeply troubled and He needed His disciples with Him to watch and pray with Him.  In Luke 22 we find the depth of Jesus' agony.  "And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."  There are so many times we become depressed and sorrowful unto death.  We need others to console us.  Jesus knows our need for He had this same need.  Our consolation is that we know Jesus is there to walk us through the pain of suffering.  We often beg God to take our cup of suffering away just as Jesus did, "saying, Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." 

     Let's not forget that Jesus was abandoned.  Peter is the only one I found mentioned who  "followed afar off."  But, in the end, Peter denied Jesus three times.  Luke 22:61, "And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.  And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." 

     Now, we get to the crucifixion.  Jesus knew pain and humiliation.   The Message describes a vivid account in Mark 15.  They "...put a crown plaited from a thorn bush on His head.  Then they began their mockery: 'Bravo, King of the Jews!'  They banged on His head with a club, spit on Him, and knelt down in mock worship.  After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put His own clothes back on Him.  Then they marched out to nail Him to the cross."

    To add to Jesus' injury, just before His death, God briefly looked away as all of our sin was heaped onto Jesus for God knows no sin.  Jesus knew loneliness as He cried out "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" 

     Finally, we know that to have nails literally driven through our human hands, there has to be a remaining scar.  Thomas said in John 21, "...except I shall me in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."   Jesus answered Thomas's unbelief.  "After eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.  Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither they hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

     Through the reading of His Word we come to realize that Jesus knew and knows all that we go through in life.  Romans 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

     So where is God in our suffering?  Read the 23rd Psalm. He leads be beside still waters, walks through the valley of the shadow of death with me,  and protects me from evil.  He restores my soul.   

       

    

      

    

 

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.       

You Know Me

I often wonder if I will ever get to where God wants me to be?  I was reassured today as I read Psalms.

Psalms 138:8 "The Lord will work out his plans for my life-for your faithful love O Lord, endures forever...."

God truly knows me.

Psalms 139:1-18   A psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
⁴ You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
⁵ You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

 ⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave,^[a] you are there.
⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
¹¹ I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
¹²     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.
 ¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.
 ¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me,^[b] O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Dressed in Splendor

     I have gotten into the Book of Psalms which is about words of music or poetry that offer up feelings to God.  As I read, I decided to put together my own words of feelings.  So here they are.

                                      Dressed in Splendor

Lord, from North to South, East and West, your wonders are eloquently dressed;

  The snowy mountain peaks, the raindrops that grace my cheeks,
  The flowering meadows, the woodland shadows,
  The bubbling brooks, the waters seeping into creeks and nooks,
  The shimmering sand of the desert floor, and so much more.
The miracle of your hand is seen across the land;
  The oceans deep, bordered in sleep,
  The light of morning shimmering loud or cast in fair or menacing cloud,
  The stars, the moon, commanding the night in peaceful tune.
You, O Lord, are over it all;
  The barren trees of winter to the summer ones dressed in splendor,
  The flowering blossoms of spring and all that your love brings.
  The winds, the rains, the storms obey your call,

You're in it all.   
The wonders of your hand are set by your command;
  The flocks, the herds, all creatures, and matter of birds,
  The fish of the sea, all mortals that be.
Lord, from North to South, East and West, your wonders are eloquently dressed.
                         Mary Crisp Jameson 3/15/2018

The Day The Lord Made

 One of my favorite scriptures comes from Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."     If I can start my day with a reminder of this verse, it helps me see the day as one of opportunity and blessings.  My days are not just past times, they are filled with meaning and life.   What I choose to do with them make me who I am and speaks volumes for my Christian walk. 

        The Day The Lord Made

"This is the day the Lord hath made.

I will rejoice and be glad in it."
  For, One day He died, yet arose;
  One day He saved me - a child He chose;  
  One day He forgave all He knows.
"This is the day the Lord hath made.
I will rejoice and be glad in it."
  For, this day, my burdens He hears;
  This day, He sustains through all my fears;
  This day, there are no forgotten years.
Oh!  Let me rejoice!
Let me lift up my voice.
  For this day He loves me;
  This day I am set free;
  This day, His grace helps me, just be. 
"I will rejoice and be glad in it."
  For, this day I am saved through Heaven's Source;
  This day I cast away my sins and remorse;
  This day He establishes my course.
Oh, yes!  Where is my voice through life's choice?
Let me sing and kneel to the King.
  For, "this is the day the Lord hath made.
  I will rejoice and be glad in it."
                                         Mary Crisp Jameson

Seeking Good

     Psalm 34:10, "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."
     It is sad to know that although Christians have found Christ, we all have a sin-nature which causes us, too many times, to find ourselves on our knees before God asking forgiveness.  I am so thankful I have a forgiving God.  I am even more thankful that He is a loving God; One who gives me what I need.  When I look at Psalm 34:10, I know that only the One True God is good.  By seeking God daily, I am also seeking good in my life.    
     Other scriptures within the chapter of Psalm 34 substain me.  Verse 17, "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their trouble."  The chapter ends with verse 22, "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate."   
     Oh, what a mighty God we serve!  I praise His name. 

The Desire of My Heart

     Psalms 37:4 reads, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  
      I do not know about any other reader's interpretation of this scripture, but I have always wanted to think that if I did what God wanted, then He would provide my desires.  Of course, this is taken completely out of context. 
     Upon serious reflection of this scripture, it suddenly came to me that if I actually delight in the Lord, I will need to search His Word, seek Him, and give Him my full devotion.  When I truly make God the love of my life, He will actually become the desire of my heart.  This kind of thinking is actually confirmed in Isaiah 26:9 (NIV),   "Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you, your name and renown are the desires of our hearts."
    
    

Joy

     There is no greater feeling than having joy in my heart.  For those who walk around with a frown, disgrumbled with life, and have no joy or great pleasure and happiness, let me just say, I will strive to avoid you at all cost. 
     Why?  It is not that I do not like you, but the fact is, you have the ability to remove my joy if I let you.  It is, in some cases, human nature to take on the feelings of others. 
     Let me explain.  When I was working, I often went into the office with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  I would walk past a co-worker and say, "Good morning!"  I often received a grumbled back, "Good morning..." but I could tell there was no joy to that greeting.  That person just did not want to be there.  I instantly knew I would get no laughter that would lift my spirits further but rather a dissertation on something like, "what's good about the day?"   If I allowed that feeling to pass on to  me or stop and listen to the negatives of life, my joy was going to "fly out the window."  I much preferred to seek out someone who was enjoying what life had to offer.  

      One of my favorite verses is Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." 
There are so many other verses that tell us to rejoice; among them are:

     Psalm 96:11  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is it."     
     Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!"

     To quote the writer of IN Touch, "When we, through wisdom, allow God to do His work in our life, we will begin to experience blessings, see His power, and feel His love in new ways,  And this new growth brings great joy?"

 

 

Fear

     Fear seems to be a natural occurrence in the heart of anyone who anticipates danger, faces illness, or unknown circumstances.  I have to remind myself continually about releasing my fear to the One who is in control.   To do this I have to return to scripture:   

John 14:27   " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

     I know that God alone can give me peace when I lift up my voice to Him in prayer.  I don't have to remind myself of God's peace through scriptures.  All I have to do is pray to find it; however, the following are some of my favorite scriptures of his promises.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Philippians 4:7  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

     As I sit here in "A Friendly Shade" and face an unknown situation which recently cropped up in my life, I find myself relying more and more on my God who sent His only Son to die on the cross for me.  If He loved me that much, how much more will He do to keep me and my loved ones from harm?   My peace comes from Him.  He is the living presence in my heart; His peace truly "transcends all understanding." 

      If anyone does not know the God of peace, you can find Him through accepting Jesus as your Savior.  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

 

   

Adore Him

     I often find myself complaining about so many little things until I begin to admire all that surrounds me in "A Friendly Shade".  It is then I stop and think my Lord for all the wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon me, and I feel ashamed for my doubts, fears, and complaints.  God has indeed been so gracious and showed me so much love, not just for my current blessings, but for His amazing deed and willingness to die on the cross for a complainer and sinner like me. 
     So often I fail to give Him praise and adore Him.  As I remembered the song "O come, let us adore him," I decided to write my own praise to glorify His name.



Adore Him

Glory and honor belong to Him;

God first, foremost, my daily hymn.

Let me adore Him with song;

My Keeper the whole day long. 

Let me adore Him with thanksgiving;

The One for whom I'm living.

He reigns!

Fills the land, the fields, the plains.

The sea is His; He who formed dry land,

Then stamped it with His mighty hand.

Glory and honor belong to Him;

He who wipes my tears till sorrow grows dim.

My Rock, my strength;

Peace that comes at length.

Come! Let us adore Him;

For the cross; the blood shed from limb to limb.

Adore the One from whom love shines,

His life, the Trinty that binds.

Glory and honor is His alone;

A Savior, my sins to atone.

Oh, come! Let us Adore Him

Till joy fills us to the rim and our eyes grow dim. 

                                                       Mary Crisp Jameson

Psalm 95:1 "O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our

   salvation."

Psalm 96:1 "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth."

Psalm 97:1  "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof." 

Psalm 98:1 "O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right

   hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory."

 

 

    
      

The Mobile Call 24/7

      Since the evolvement of cell phones, I see people everywhere talking on mobile phones; in restaurants, in the car traveling, and even in the workplace.  We simply can’t “leave home without them.”

     This tells me that most people pick up the phone regularly to either talk with a close friend or family member.  We are either sharing some exciting event or complaining about the frustration of the day.  We simply need someone to listen, to console us, to provide re-assurance, to advise or give agreement. 

    How frustrated do we become when the phone rings and rings yet no one picks up?  Then if we should be so lucky as to have the call answered, I wonder how content and uplifted we really are at the end of the conversation.  If our call gets dropped, how much more frustrated do we become?   

     If our day has not been an amazing watercolor of events are we left fearful, anxious, or fighting back tears because our problems were not solved?  We needed a relaxing, reassuring calm voice from a loving individual.  Did we get it, or did our call get dropped?

     Take a moment to image a completely different phone call – a phone call to God.  What would He say?  It might go something like the following:

     Ring, Ring…

     “Hello my child.  I have been eagerly waiting for you to call.  Be still and know that I am with you.  Yes, I saw it all today, but I want to reassure you that I love you from the inside out.  Remember, I fashioned your heart and I know your works. 

     Rejoice in me!  Trust me!  All will eventually be well with you for I am your help and your shield. 

     No, you are never a bother.  I want you to feel free to seek me in all your times of need for I am always ready to listen and be with you through any heartache and pain.

     Have faith in me!  Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

     Please don’t feel rejected or lonely for I will not leave you comfortless.  I walk beside you every moment of every day, and I will always be with you.  In other words, I “have your back.”  There is no need for tears.  If you will focus on me, I will guide you onto whatever path you need to take.

     The earth is mine.  Be of good courage.  If you have a pure heart, you shall receive my blessing.    

     My desire is that you stay connected and don’t ever hang up the phone without joy in your heart, my child.  I loved you enough to die for you, and I am here for you twenty fours a day, seven days a week.” 

Psalm 33:15  He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Psalm 28:7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

John 14:18  I will not leave your comfortless: I will come to you.

Hebrews 13:5-6  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.   So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

Psalm 24:4-5 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  

Psalm 34:18-19  The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Get There From Here

     “Get There From Here” is a slogan often given by advertisement agencies.  However, while traveling this past week I found myself saying, “Can’t Get There From Here.”   Honestly! We couldn’t.  We had left our motel to fulfill one of the items I had on my “bucket list” of things to do and was attempting to return to the motel.  However, there was a special football game in town at the Cardinal Stadium.  The stadium just happened to be within a block of our motel, and our return to the motel was at the same time the game was getting ready to start.  In order to accommodate the participates, (appeared to be the whole town and more) all nearby streets were either blocked or closed.  Every time we attempted a turn we were redirected the opposite direction onto a nearby street.  We even tried returning to the interstate and going toward our street in a different direction.  There was just no way to get there!
     Actually getting back on the interstate was the worse possible thing we could have done.  We were left with only the option of staying on the interstate headed toward Indiana. If we exited to head back toward Louisville, KY we would end up in the lane of traffic backed up for miles trying to get to the game.  Staying where we were resulted in miles of unforeseen construction.  Finally, out of construction, we took the nearest exit announcing "places to eat."
     Where were we?  At this point, it didn't really matter.  We were hungry, ready to eat, and wait patiently for the traffic to clear.  Embarrassed but laughing, we asked the waitress, "What town are we in?"  As it turned out we were in Clarksville, IN about twelve to fifteen miles away.  The next funniest thing about the situation was the fact that we got to actually watch the game on the television screen from our restaurant seats and then select the right moment to hit the road. 

     Are you lost and  “Can’t Get There From Here?”  If so, it may be time to “Let Go and Let God.”  Psalm 23 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd…He restoreth my soul…He leadeth me…”

     When we find ourselves on a street that doesn’t go anywhere, we can cry out to God.  Psalm 142, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.  I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble.”

     Sometimes, we have to stop and let the red light turn green.  Then, as in our case, when our second attempt at reaching our motel turned into a calm success, we can rejoice as quoted in Psalm 66, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye land.” 

     I much prefer the slogan “Get There From Here With God’s Help!”