Friday Sep 30

Last day of September 2011.  Ten turbulent years have gone by since 2001, a decade of many historic events both here and abroad.  In my life, wow, what a decade.  The most life changing since I came to America... but, no matter the losses and heartaches, no matter the personal disappointments and sorrows, I know in Whom I believe, Jesus Christ my Risen Savior, and thus I am blessed.  I hope and I pray for better things for my family and my loved ones.  I know that these next 10 years, the Lord willing, will also be life changing.  Don't know if I even have 10 more years, but then so much the better, for if I leave this shell behind, I will stand in His Glory, in amazing and unimaginable love, praising God and knowing my Lord and Savior.  So, onward.


Today's meditations:
From Charles Spurgeon:



Laughter and Singing
"You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing." (1Peter 1:8, The Message).
Imagine Peter's delight in watching a generation rise up of those who never saw Jesus — but yet loved and believed in Him. Not only that, but they believed in the face of great difficulties and strong opposition; they loved and trusted Jesus without seeing any evidence of His presence. And furthermore — they did all this with laughter and singing!
Their behavior proved their belief. Something far greater than this world held their hearts, and as a result their lives were unleashed with joy and praise — even though their world was falling apart!
It is indeed a mysterious thing that the Lord does when He lifts the loads we carry through life, and enables us to then lift our heads and see life from His point of view. Yes, we may have to put up with all kinds of aggravations, but we do so realizing that pure gold put in the fire comes out proved pure.
In the same manner, genuine faith put through suffering comes out of it proved genuine. And after all, isn't that what you really want? To be proven pure and genuine?
So whatever is going on is this topsy-turvy world, filled with strife created by greed, lift your vision higher and look unto Jesus. And let your life be marked by laughter and singing — knowing that God has His eyes on you, and is committed to proving you true.


And from F. B. Meyer:



September 30


THE TALISMAN OF VICTORY
"In all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us."-- Rom_8:37.


CAN ANYTHING separate me from the love of Christ? was the only question that St. Paul felt worth consideration. In this paragraph he takes the extreme conditions of being, and carefully investigates them, knowing that they include all between. First, he interrogates Existence--"death and life"; next, created Intelligences--"Angels, principalities, and powers"; next, the extremes of Time--"things present, things to come"; next, of Space---"height and depth"; lastly, the created Universe --"any other creature." Each of these extremes is passed in review. He is like a man proving every link of the chain in which he is going to swing out over the abyss. Carefully and fervently he has tested all, and is satisfied that none of them can cut him off from the love of God.
We strangely misjudge and mistrust the Love of God our Father, and think that our distresses and sufferings, our sins and failures, may make Him love us less. But in the home, it is not the troop of sturdy children that engross the mother's care so much as the puny feeble life, that lies in the cot, unable to help itself and reciprocate her love. And in the world, death and pain, disease and sorrow, sin and failure, so far from separating us from God's love, bind us closer.
Oh blessed Love! that comes down to us from the heart of Jesus, the essence of the eternal love of God--nothing can ever staunch, exhaust, intercept it. It is not our love to Him, but His to us, and since nothing can separate us from the love of God, He will go on loving us for ever, and pouring into us the entire fullness of His life and glory. Whatever our difficulties, whatever our weakness and infirmity, we shall be kept steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; gaining by our losses, succeeding by our failures, triumphing in our defeats, and ever more than conquerors through Him that loved us.


PRAYER
Yea thro' life, 
thro' sorrow and thro' sinning 
He shall suffice me, 
for He hath sufficed: 
Christ is the end, 
for Christ was the beginning, 
Christ is the beginning, 
for the end is Christ.


May you have a blessed day, in God's love, in His Grace.

Thursday Sep 29

Life can be so hard.  Especially when we rely on our own powers, intelligence, abilities, pride.  We by ourselves are just one, we can not affect much, we are but one of billions on this planet.  
But when you + God then you open up infinite possibilities.  
Consider today's mediations, first from James Ryle:



September 29


The Future Starts Now!
"What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!" (1 Peter 1:3-4, The Message).
When Jesus came to earth He brought heaven with Him. His mission was thereby half completed. When he died on the cross and rose from the dead, He finished the job and reconciled earth with Heaven. Mission accomplished!
This Good News, called in a more formal tongue The Gospel, has been preserved by God through the ages and preached in every nook and cranny throughout our world. Some believe; some do not. Where do you stand?
For those who do believe — the future starts now.
The same Jesus who brought heaven to earth, and then reconciled us to God, now brings heaven into your life. And as a result, even though your feet are yet firmly planted upon the ground, your spirit soars to heights of glory as you hear God's voice, see His wonders, learn His Word, experience His power, and fulfill His purposes in your life.
So, what are you waiting for? The future starts NOW!


So that you never, ever think that it's all about you, consider this from Bob Hoekstra:



September 29


Pride and Shame or Humility and Wisdom
When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom . . . The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.  (Pro_11:2 and Pro_3:35)
In order to live by the grace of God, we must be willing to walk in humility, instead of in pride. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1Pe_5:5).  
We must be willing to acknowledge our daily, desperate need for God. Any other approach to life is based upon pride (which is a foolish, inaccurate assumption that we are adequate to produce a life on our own). Those who walk in pride end up with shame. Those who walk in humility end up with wisdom.  
The scriptures describe those who foolishly walk in pride, as well as declaring the shame that they experience. "When pride comes, then comes shame . . . shame shall be the legacy of fools." One example would be the wicked way that many privileged and powerful persecute the downtrodden and the vulnerable. They are demonstrating their pride. "The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised" (Psa_10:2). 
Their shame is that they can become entangled in the very schemes that they have contrived. Another example is those who arrogantly oppose the people of God. "This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the LORD of hosts" (Zep_2:10). Their shame was announced as a barrenness so severe as to be likened unto the end of Sodom and Gomorrah.  
" 'Therefore, as I live,' says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah — overrun with weeds and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation' " (Zep_2:9).  
In contrast to the shame that comes to the prideful, is the wisdom (and resulting glory, or honor) that comes to the humble. "With the humble is wisdom . . . The wise shall inherit glory." 
Those who walk humbly before the Lord find the godly wisdom that is available in the Lord's infallible word. "The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" (Psa_19:7). 
This wisdom from God brings honor to the humble ones who live by it. "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor" (Proverbs 29:23). 
Again, this honor for the humble is in striking contrast to the wretched and ignoble ends that pride engenders.


Dear Lord of glory, 
how fitting that those who pridefully oppose You will be brought low and will end up in shame. I do not want to be numbered among them. 
I want to walk in humility. I want to eagerly acknowledge my desperate need for You every day in every way. I want to be compassionate toward the needy. I want to bless Your people. I want to humbly seek the wisdom of Your word. I want to be a vessel of honor unto You, through Christ Jesus, my Lord, Amen.

I pray that you will have God's love and His Holy Spirit fill you and make you a true servant living in humble service to His cause.

Wednesday Sep 29

We are near the end of September.  Time is so important to me now.  I look with great joy toward the day I go home to Heaven and thence into the presence of my God, my Savior Jesus, and to know intimately my Guide and Helper, the Holy Spirit.  I look forward to that day.  From that Joy I work backwards and celebrate each day God gives me now to do His work and live and love in His Will for me, my loved ones, for the world.  
I know God is in charge of it all.  God has a plan and design for all things.  That is my belief and that is the foundation of my Hope.


Consider today's meditations- the first from Charles Spurgeon:



September 28


Morning
“The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.”  - Psa_33:13
Perhaps no figure of speech represents God in a more gracious light than when he is spoken of as stooping from his throne, and coming down from heaven to attend to the wants and to behold the woes of mankind. 
We love him, who, when Sodom and Gomorrah were full of iniquity, would not destroy those cities until he had made a personal visitation of them. 
We cannot help pouring out our heart in affection for our Lord who inclines his ear from the highest glory, and puts it to the lip of the dying sinner, whose failing heart longs after reconciliation. 
How can we but love him when we know that he numbers the very hairs of our heads, marks our path, and orders our ways? Specially is this great truth brought near to our heart, when we recollect how attentive he is, not merely to the temporal interests of his creatures, but to their spiritual concerns. 
Though leagues of distance lie between the finite creature and the infinite Creator, yet there are links uniting both. When a tear is wept by thee, think not that God doth not behold; for, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” 
Thy sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline his ear unto thee; thy prayer can stay his hand; thy faith can move his arm. Think not that God sits on high taking no account of thee. Remember that however poor and needy thou art, yet the Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him.
Oh! then repeat the truth that never tires;
No God is like the God my soul desires;
He at whose voice heaven trembles, even he,
Great as he is, knows how to stoop to me.


Evening
“Go again seven times.” - 1Ki_18:43
Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when his people are earnest in a matter which concerns his glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah’s courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but “Go again.” 
We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel’s brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. 
She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us: his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire.


And this wonderful thought from James Ryle:



September 28


Bloom Where You are Planted
"I am writing to the exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten." (1 Peter 1:1, The Message).
From one point of view we see a national disaster — hundreds of thousands of citizens uprooted from their homes by an occupying army, and driven like cattle into the highways and byways; scattered to the four winds, and now known only as exiles. That's a rather bleak picture.
But from another point of view we see something altogether glorious. The word for scattered in the Greek New Testament actually means "to be sown as seed." In other words, while they may be viewed by man as exiles from their country; they were seen by God as seeds planted in new fields of glory.
If we would learn to always see our shifting circumstances from God's point of view, we would not be caught up in the drift of a culture that stirs up strife and debate over things that inconvenience us. Rather, we would live as thankful people, praising God for His faithfulness in all things at all times — 
and we would bloom where we are planted.
God knows who you are, where you are, and what His plans for you are. If you will but humbly acknowledge that He is in control, a shift will occur in your heart and in your outlook — sunshine will break through the dark clouds and your life will sprout with new purpose and great effectiveness.


May you bloom today and let God's love shine through for you!

Tuesday Sep 27

How are you getting along in life?  Isn't it a wonderful journey.  So many passions, so many trials and challenges, so many opportunities to get to know and love God!
Are you happy, or at least satisfied with what you have and what you are?  You should be, because you are where you are by all the previous decisions you made earlier.


Consider today's thoughts by James Ryle:



September 27


On Assignment by Jesus
"I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah" (1 Peter 1:1 The Message).
Delightful thing this is, to be on assignment by Jesus. The word means to appoint a particular person to a specific use. Os Guinness wrote, "Our passion is to know that we are fulfilling the purpose for which we are on earth. All other standards of success - wealth, power, position, knowledge, friendships - grow tiny and hollow if we do not satisfy this deeper longing."
Deep in every heart is the God-planted desire to live a life that makes a difference. Many spend their lives looking for that one things to which they can give their all. Somehow we human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us. The truest way to fully express those gifts is by being on assignment by Jesus.
How wonderful it is to be able to say, "I am on assignment by Jesus." All my talents, gifts, abilities, experiences, discoveries, longings, dreams, thoughts, and labors are focused on doing His bidding at this time, in this place, for this reason.
May the grace of God so work in your life to bring you to the place of your assignment!


May God bless you in your work today!

Monday Sep 26

Last week of September, Autumn is here now.  The seasons come and go, the pace of life quickens and I am alone in my room thinking and praying and hoping.  So much seems to have happened and so much seems to have gone wrong, certainly not the way I had hoped it would be now.  There are days when I feel like I've been orphaned again, alone, poor, and spiritually weak.  
Then I remember that I have all that I need and that God provides, that God never abandons us.  
So why do bad things happen to good people?


Consider today's meditations:
First from George Morrison -

In the Unfolding of Our Individual Life ,  think, too, that we become conscious of this truth in the unfolding of our individual life. There comes a time in the life of every one of us when, not for our sin but for our deepest good, the angel leaves us as he left Simon Peter. In childhood we were very near the angels; we heard the beating of their wings sometimes when the world was hushed and everything was dark. We never thought of law or will or character; we lived in a dreamland, and the great dream was God. "Heaven lies about us in our infancy." In my church in the far north— and a beautiful church it was— we had curtains on each side of the pulpit. The way into the pulpit was through the curtains. And I often used to notice a tiny girl gazing at these curtains with very eager eyes. It was quite clear it was not the minister she was looking at. It was whenever the curtains moved that she would start and stare. I found out afterwards what all the interest was. The little child thought that heaven was behind the curtains. It was only a wilderness of joists and planks, but she thought that Christ was there; she thought that God was there; she thought that the minister stepped out from God into the pulpit, and every time the curtain rustled— little heart, little eager, beating heat! who could tell but thou mightst catch the shimmer of an angel there? Ah, well, she has passed on through one street since then, and forthwith the angel has departed from her. She will never mistake an organ-loft for heaven again. She never expects to see the gleam of wings now. And it may be that she looks back half wistfully to the day of glory in the grass and splendor in the flower. But my point is that the angel must depart if we are to walk the street of life in our true dignity. We are not here to dream that heaven is near us; we are here so to live that heaven shall be within us. 
And if at every turn the angel met us and the vision of a dream enchanted us, we should lose heart and nerve and power for the struggle and be like the lotos-eaters in ignoble quietude. The angel may go, but duty still remains. The vision may disappear, but truth abides. We never understand what will is, we never realize what we can do, we never feel the worth of personality moved by the spirit of an ascended Lord, till the hour when the angel goes away. 
Therefore, in the interests of highest and holiest manhood, we shall thank God for the angel-atmosphere of childhood, and thank Him nonetheless that when we have passed through one street, forthwith the angel has departed from us.
In the Experience of the Death of a Loved One
I think, too, we may swing this thought like a lamp over the dark chamber of the grave. In a great congregation there are always mourners, and I do not like to close without a word for them. It may be there is someone here who, looking backward, remembers an angel presence. Perhaps it was a mother, perhaps a sister;, but they were so gracious, so gentle, and so patient, that you see now it was of heaven, not of earth. And you thought it was going to be a lifelong comradeship; you would travel on through all life's streets together. But you only passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from you. And you are not yourself yet, any more than Simon was. The streets seem strangely unreal; how the wind bites! But like Peter when he came to himself, you too shall say, "It was the Lord who sent His angel to deliver me." There was some work to do, and it was done. There was some help to give, and it was given. There were chains to break and prison doors to open, and you can bear witness that it was all accomplished. Remember the doctrine of the departing angel when the heart is empty and the grave is full.


So, we are lead by God, blessed by His Spirit, and helped when needed by His angels.  No matter what happens in my life, I must turn it all over to God and lean on His Grace and Mercy.  Never forget that Jesus died for us all and that the Holy Spirit is in this world to comfort and lead us.  In the end, God will make all things clear, so have comfort.  Consider Jeremiah's stout witness:



Jer 29:11  For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
Jer 29:12  Then you shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 
Jer 29:13  And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 
Jer 29:14  And I will be found by you, says Jehovah; and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Jehovah. And I will bring you again into the place from where I caused you to be exiled. 


Be strong, be faithful, pray and praise God.  

Sunday Sep 25

Hard to believe I am over 60.  Never thought I'd get this old.  Yet here I am, blessed by God to have lived a good, full life thus far.  A life of trials, many temptations - to which unfortunately I did yield too many times, some hope and goodness that did make this life worth living.  Yes, 60 years is now just the beginning, get to 70 and you are getting mature, I guess 80 is now "old".  
Don't know, don't care how much time I have left.  I do know the time is running out, that the winds of winter are blowing and soon the great liberation will be here.  Until then, I am on this journey for God's glory.  
Consider today's meditation by Charles Spurgeon:



September 25


Morning
“Just, and the justifier of him which believeth.”  Rom_3:26


Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Conscience accuses no longer. 
Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of his people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. 
It seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this gives us our terror at first; but is it not marvellous that this very same belief that God is just, becomes afterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God be just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished; but Jesus stands in my stead and is punished for me; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change his nature before one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by any possibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer-having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that his people ought to have suffered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with glorious triumph, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” Not God, for he hath justified; not Christ, for he hath died, “yea rather hath risen again.” 
My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, he is my righteousness. 
My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.


Evening
“Who of God is made unto us wisdom.”  1Co_1:30
Man’s intellect seeks after rest, and by nature seeks it apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of education are apt, even when converted, to look upon the simplicities of the cross of Christ with an eye too little reverent and loving. They are snared in the old net in which the Grecians were taken, and have a hankering to mix philosophy with revelation. The temptation with a man of refined thought and high education is to depart from the simple truth of Christ crucified, and to invent, as the term is, a more intellectual doctrine. 
This led the early Christian churches into Gnosticism, and bewitched them with all sorts of heresies. This is the root of Neology, and the other fine things which in days gone by were so fashionable in Germany, and are now so ensnaring to certain classes of divines. Whoever you are, good reader, and whatever your education may be, if you be the Lord’s, be assured you will find no rest in philosophizing divinity. 
You may receive this dogma of one great thinker, or that dream of another profound reasoner, but what the chaff is to the wheat, that will these be to the pure word of God. All that reason, when best guided, can find out is but the A B C of truth, and even that lacks certainty, while in Christ Jesus there is treasured up all the fulness of wisdom and knowledge. All attempts on the part of Christians to be content with systems such as Unitarian and Broad-church thinkers would approve of, must fail; true heirs of heaven must come back to the grandly simple reality which makes the ploughboy’s eye flash with joy, and gladens the pious pauper’s heart-”
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when he is believingly received, but apart from him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” “A good understanding have all they that do his commandments.”

May God bless you and give you His Grace through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.  

Friday Sep 23

God is an Awesome God, God is beyond comprehension, God IS.


Sometimes I live like I know what the heck I'm doing.  Really, I do not, I have to rely on God's love and grace to keep me safe, on point, on His mission.  I am nothing without God's love and guidance.  Consider today's meditation by Charles Spurgeon:



September 23


Morning
“Accepted in the beloved.”  Eph_1:6
What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term “acceptance” in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, should be the objects of divine love! But it is only “in the beloved.” Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience, at least, that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father’s sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honour the Saviour! Rejoice then, believer, in this: thou art accepted “in the beloved.” Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, “There is nothing acceptable here!” But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. 
Thy sins trouble thee; but God has cast thy sins behind his back, and thou art accepted in the Righteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted in him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts thee; be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for thou art accepted in him who has broken Satan’s head. Know by full assurance thy glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than thou art. They are only accepted in heaven “in the beloved,” and thou art even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.


Evening
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe.”  Mar_9:23
A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The father, having seen the futility of the endeavours of the disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ, and therefore, when he was bidden to bring his son to him, he said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” Now there was an “if” in the question, but the poor trembling father had put the “if” in the wrong place: Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the “if,” kindly puts it in its legitimate position.
“Nay, verily,” he seemed to say, “there should be no ‘if’ about my power, nor concerning my willingness, the ‘if’ lies somewhere else.” “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” 
The man’s trust was strengthened, he offered a humble prayer for an increase of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out, with an injunction never to return. There is a lesson here which we need to learn. We, like this man, often see that there is an “if” somewhere, but we are perpetually blundering by putting it in the wrong place. “If” Jesus can help me-”if” he can give me grace to overcome temptation-”if” he can give me pardon-”if” he can make me successful? Nay, “if” you can believe, he both can and will. You have misplaced your “if.” 
If you can confidently trust, even as all things are possible to Christ, so shall all things be possible to you. Faith standeth in God’s power, and is robed in God’s majesty; it weareth the royal apparel, and rideth on the King’s horse, for it is the grace which the King delighteth to honour. Girding itself with the glorious might of the all-working Spirit, it becomes, in the omnipotence of God, mighty to do, to dare, and to suffer. 
All things, without limit, are possible to him that believeth. My soul, canst thou believe thy Lord to-night?

Thursday Sep 22

Since this is mostly a statement of Faith to my self I can safely state that my life really sucks at the moment.  Not as bad as Job had it, perhaps not as bad as any Saint had it, but really Dear God, my life is at a nadir and I pray that You will show loving kindness, forgiveness through the Blood Redemption of Your Son Jesus, Grace and Love through the Holy Spirit.  I am now over 60, my life is mostly complete, I am in the winter of my life and I come to You in fear and hope.  


Dear God I ask for your Blessings.  All that is IS YOURS.  All the universe.  I ask for your blessings in shallowness and selfishness... 


I ask for thy Salvation and Blessings on my children: Mia, Hoya, Yoona.  Guide them, protect them, bless them with Your Love and Grace. I know I have not been the best dad or example.  I am struggling to find my path, only through Your Grace am I even sane.  But Dear God, bless my children, bless the orphans, the poor, and become relevant to those who have and can help.


Dear God, bless me with Your Grace and understanding.  Let me be strong for you, be your servant and living example of Your Love.  Dear God, please guide me and fill me with the Holy Spirit, send Him to me and fill me with Your Love and Grace.  "Restore unto me the Joy of Your Salvation!"


Almighty God, I yield my life, my all to You.  I can't even lean on my understandings for I have none.  I trust in You my God and Redeemer... This I pray in Jesus's Holy Name, Amen.  

Wednesday Sep 22

Life is such a mystery.  The more you know the less you understand.  The more you think you understand the less you know!
So much of my life I've been looking for answers and shortcuts, secrets to this and that, the better way to do things.  All I've really learned is that I am not wise, I am not bright, and I can do very little except go through each day and just survive.  
All this would be hopeless, for that's what all the other animals do, were it not for the fact that God loved and loves me enough to have sent His Son to died for me, that God forgives me and redeems me through the Holy Blood sacrifice of my Lord Jesus Christ.  Then the icing on the cake, the ultimate gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit to inspire me, to breath into me life and joy, to guide me and lead me, to comfort me and to hide me in times of sorrow and loss in His Love and Grace.  
Only God makes life worth living, only God gives meaning to this baneful existence, only God can lift us out of our baseness and fills us with Holy and Loving Grace.  
Thank you Lord God, my creator, my redeemer, my Heavenly Father!  


Consider today's meditation by F.B. Meyer:



September 21


GOD'S RESOURCES
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"--- Gen_18:14.
"Ye Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee."-- Jer_32:17.


THERE IS no doubt as to the identification of these three guests that suddenly appeared before the tent-door of Abraham. We are expressly told that "Jehovah appeared unto him." It was thus that our Lord anticipated His Incarnation. He came incognito, and "His delights were with the sons of men" (Pro_8:31). 
During His earthly life, He loved the homes of men, lodged with Peter and Zacchaeus, and in the dear home where Mary loved and Martha served. After His resurrection, He tarried with two of them in the village inn. So He will come to thy heart and mine. Though He is the High and lofty One, who inhabits Eternity, yet He will plead for admission to sup with us and we with Him (Rev_3:20). But He often comes disguised as a wayfaring man, hungry and athirst. Let us "run to meet Him," remembering Mat_25:40.


God is no man's debtor; He always pays for His lodging, hence His promise to Sarah! She laughed with incredulity, but is anything too hard for the Lord? That is one of God's unanswered questions. It has accosted the human conscience all down the ages.


 Let us look away from the difficulties imposed by nature, to Him who holds the oceans in the hollow of His Almighty hand. Then we can stand with Him on the mountainside, and plead for Sodom; then God Himself will draw us on to ask for more and yet more, till, when our faith gives out, He will do something far in advance of all that we asked or thought.


PRAYER
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, World without end. AMEN.


May our Loving and Gracious God do exceeding abundantly for you  above all that you ask, could want, or even think!  Go bless you!

Tuesday Sep 20

Good morning,  how are you doing today?  Did you have good rest, are you recharged for a great day?  I pray that you are.


Today's meditations gives insight to the real source of our life energy and more importantly our spiritual life energy.  Consider these thoughts, first from James Ryle:



September 20


Crowding Out the Things that Matter
"What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?" (Matthew 26:40).


A few years ago National Geographic magazine did a report on Yosemite National Park, and featured a story about Carl Sharsmith, an 81 year old guide at the historic site. Carl was in his tent after a long afternoon with tourists. His nose was flaked white and red with sunburn; his eyes were watery, partly from age but also from hearing again an old question after a half century of summers in California's Yosemite National Park.
"I've only got an hour to spend at Yosemite," a lady tourist declared, "What should I do? Where should I go?"
Carl sighed. "Ah, lady, only an hour?" he asked; and then softly added, "I suppose that if I had only an hour to spend at Yosemite, I'd just walk over there by the river and sit down and cry."


The same could be said for those who have such little time to give to reading and reflecting upon the Word of God. Oh, what treasures we forfeit; what loss we incur – simply because we imagine ourselves too busy to take the time.
But, out of curiosity, just how much time do you think it would take to read from Genesis to Revelation? Well, if you would read the Bible out loud slow enough to be heard and understood, the full reading time would be seventy one hours. If you break that down into minutes and divide it into 365 days, you could easily read the entire Bible in one year by taking only twelve minutes each day.
The treasures you will find are of inestimable value. Here's but one fine example — a prayer taken from the Psalms:


"Train me in your ways of wise living. 
I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. 
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you've done it. 
I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it. 
Be generous with me and I'll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road. 
Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. I'm a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions." (see Psalms 119:12-19, The Message).


Truly our life only begins when God takes the control, when we yield all of ourselves to Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit!


And now think about this from Bob Hoekstra:



September 20


Access to Grace through Humility and Faith
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble . . . through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.  (Jam_4:6 and Rom_5:2)


Thus far in our daily meditations on growing in the grace of God, we have examined various areas of biblical truth: such as, the Old Covenant of law, the New Covenant of grace, God's sufficiency for godly living, living by the promises of God, and Old Testament saints who lived by God's grace. Now, we return to an extended consideration of how we avail ourselves of the glorious riches of God's grace. As noted earlier in our studies, God's grace is accessed through humility and faith.  
If we desire to live by God's grace, we must be willing to renounce pride and to walk in humility. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 
The Lord is opposed to the path of self-sufficiency. When we pridefully assume that we can produce the kind of life God calls us to live, spiritual progress is prevented. Humility involves agreeing with God's pronouncements concerning our inadequacies. 
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves" (2Co_3:5). The person who is willing to walk humbly before the Lord has an accurate understanding of our comprehensive need for the Lord to work in and through our lives. "Without Me you can do nothing" (Joh_15:5).  
Along with humility regarding ourselves, God wants us to walk in faith regarding Him. The Lord wants to work in our lives by His incomparable grace. Faith accesses grace: "through whom [Jesus] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." The Lord is pleased by the path of "Christ-dependency."  


Whenever we face any issue of life by faith in Jesus Christ, we are drawing upon the abounding grace of the Lord. When we dependently accept that God can produce the kind of life He calls us to live, spiritual progress is assured. Faith involves agreeing with God's pronouncements concerning Him being our adequacy: "but our sufficiency is from God" (2Co_3:5). 
The person who is willing to walk in faith toward the Lord has an accurate understanding of His comprehensive ability to work in and through our lives. "He who abides in Me . . . bears much fruit" (Joh_15:5).  
Also, as noted earlier, humility and faith are relational realities. Neither can be produced by us. They are not the result of human labor. They can only develop as an increasing reality through a growing relationship with the Lord Jesus.


Dear Lord, I humbly admit my own insufficiency to produce the life You want me to live. 
Nevertheless, I confidently confess Your grace as my sufficient resource for abundant fruitfulness. Lord, I want to know You better, that humility and faith might be growing realities in my life, Amen.


May you have a life abundant in the Love and Grace of our Lord Jesus!

Monday Sep 19

Welcome to another cycle of life.  Are you fulfilled, happy, content, at peace, joyous, harmonious, altruistic, caring, sharing, loving, giving, forgiving, tolerant, accepting, in love with God?
Most of us aren't , we are too busy and wrapped up in ourselves and our challenging lives to look outside our own skins to see beyond us and our wants.  
Then the day comes when all hell breaks loose.  Then what?  Where do you go?  Whom do you turn to?  
As a Christian, a follower and professed devotee of Christ, you have  answers, not questions.  You have peace, love and joy founded on Faith, Hope and Love.  You have Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who personally came to redeem all of you, all you ever will be.  You have the Holy Spirit Who is directly and immediately available each microsecond of your life to help you and give you God's love.  Consider today's meditation from Charles Spurgeon:



September 19


Morning
“The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free."   Gal_5:1


This “liberty” makes us free to heaven’s charter-the Bible. 
Here is a choice passage, believer, “When thou passest through the rivers, I will be with thee.” You are free to that. 
Here is another: “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee”; you are free to that. 
You are a welcome guest at the table of the promises. Scripture is a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. It is the bank of heaven; you may draw from it as much as you please, without let or hindrance. Come in faith and you are welcome to all covenant blessings. There is not a promise in the Word which shall be withheld. In the depths of tribulations let this freedom comfort you; amidst waves of distress let it cheer you; when sorrows surround thee let it be thy solace. This is thy Father’s love-token; thou art free to it at all times. Thou art also free to the throne of grace. It is the believer’s privilege to have access at all times to his heavenly Father. 
Whatever our desires, our difficulties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread all before him. It matters not how much we may have sinned, we may ask and expect pardon. It signifies nothing how poor we are, we may plead his promise that he will provide all things needful. 
We have permission to approach his throne at all times-in midnight’s darkest hour, or in noontide’s most burning heat. Exercise thy right, O believer, and live up to thy privilege. Thou art free to all that is treasured up in Christ-wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 
It matters not what thy need is, for there is fulness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee. O what a “freedom” is thine! freedom from condemnation, freedom to the promises, freedom to the throne of grace, and at last freedom to enter heaven!


Evening
“For this child I prayed.”   1Samuel 1:27
Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God’s especial love in them. 
When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, “asked of God,” they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah’s one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at “the well of him that prayed!” Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings. Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God’s faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. 
Have we petitioned for success in the Lord’s work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations. 
Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found him after having sought him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. 


Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, “Of thine own have I given unto thee.” 
Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which?

Sunday Sep 18

Life is truly a journey and an adventure for most of us.  Those of blessed to have enough of the essentials and not have to struggle to survive, and thus can focus on the true essentials of knowing God and living in Faith in God, we are blessed.  


If you have food enough, clean water, shelter and thus all of life's necessities, Thank God for your blessings.  If you are reading this on the internet, thank God for your blessings, because you have more wealth than over half the people on earth.  We are blessed, you and I to have so much.  But what is all these things for, what purpose?


Consider today's meditation by James Ryle:



September 18


Five Lessons for Dreamers (Part 5)


"Now Joseph had a dream." (Genesis 37:5)
Looking back upon the story of Joseph the dreamer, and seeing how God exalted him in the land of Egypt and blessed him with favor and great success — a pattern emerges, providing us today with guidelines we may follow into our own place of blessing and honor.
Here are five lessons for Dreamers from the life of Joseph:
Lesson #5 — See everything in life from God's perspective (see Genesis 45:7, and 50:20). 
After all the years had passed between when the dreams were first given to a young boy, and when a grown man now stood in the midst of the dreams coming true — one thing towers above all others: Joseph had learned to see things from God's perspective.
On two occasions he reassured his brothers of this fact. First he said, "God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way." (Gen 45:7). What a remarkable view he possessed of the dreadful night when his brothers had beaten him, thrown him in a pit, and then sold him as a slave to an Egyptian caravan. "God sent me on ahead of you...." — that's how he saw it.
And then once more, bringing even greater clarity to his words, Joseph said it best when he spoke thus: "As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (Gen 50:20).


Yes, his brothers had done a very evil thing — but Joseph saw how God used it to work things out in so extraordinary a manner as to bring about the salvation of two Nations: Egypt, and Israel.
Learn to see everything in life from God's perspective, my wistful friend, and your dreams will take on epic value.
Have a good night.


How do we do this, by Faith and Hope in God!


Charles Spurgeon's thoughts shows us how to life in a fuller relationship with God!



“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
- Gal_5:25
The two most important things in our holy religion are the life of faith and the walk of faith. 
He who shall rightly understand these is not far from being a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points to a Christian. You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after the one without the other! There are some who cultivate faith and forget holiness; these may be very high in orthodoxy, but they shall be very deep in condemnation, for they hold the truth in unrighteousness; and there are others who have strained after holiness of life, but have denied the faith, like the Pharisees of old, of whom the Master said, they were “whitewashed sepulchres.” 
We must have faith, for this is the foundation; we must have holiness of life, for this is the superstructure. Of what service is the mere foundation of a building to a man in the day of tempest? Can he hide himself therein? He wants a house to cover him, as well as a foundation for that house. Even so we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in the day of doubt. But seek not a holy life without faith, for that would be to erect a house which can afford no permanent shelter, because it has no foundation on a rock. Let faith and life be put together, and, like the two abutments of an arch, they will make our piety enduring. Like light and heat streaming from the same sun, they are alike full of blessing. Like the two pillars of the temple, they are for glory and for beauty. They are two streams from the fountain of grace; two lamps lit with holy fire; two olive trees watered by heavenly care. 


O Lord, give us this day life within, and it will reveal itself without to thy glory.

Saturday Sep 17

Well, here we are on the down side of September.  All the transitional activities have started - schools, football, cooler weather, the touch of chill in the morning... Autumn is almost here in full, the Autumnal equinox as the sun passes south of the equator and thus slowly brings us winter. 
We are all waiting for something better.  No matter what, we are a species that always wants more and wants better.  I guess that's our basic programming to continue to grow.  So what is all this for?


Consider today's meditation by Bob Hoekstra:



September 17


Waiting on the Lord, Hoping in the Lord


I will wait on the LORD . . . and I will hope in Him . . . Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! . . . Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.  (Isa_8:17; Psa_27:14; and Psa_31:24)


Living by waiting on the Lord offers another helpful perspective on living by grace. Waiting on the Lord is the same spiritual reality as hoping in the Lord. "I will wait on the LORD . . . and I will hope in Him." Waiting on the Lord is not merely about waiting (that is, allowing time to pass). Rather, it concerns humbly placing our hope and expectations in the Lord God as time is passing. This is what living by grace comprises (looking to the Lord to work on our behalf and within our hearts).  
Waiting on the Lord (hoping in the Lord) is a privilege that is appropriate for every area of our lives. Furthermore, wondrous consequences result from hoping in our God. "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! . . . Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD." When we place our hope in the Lord (waiting for Him to work in our lives and circumstances), He brings us spiritual courage and spiritual empowering within our inner man.  
Those who wait on the Lord have a distinctively different destiny than the wicked, than the evildoers. "For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth . . . Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it" (Psa_37:9, Psa_37:34).
Evildoers (the wicked, who have no interest in the way of salvation) end up cut off. They lose everything that they attempted to accomplish in the developing of their personal earthly kingdoms. They thought they could take over a portion of this world, which belongs to our Creator God. Instead, they lose it all. They are cut off forever from their achievements, as well from the God who made them. On the other hand, those who hope in the Lord inherit all of creation, as well as an eternal relationship with their Creator Redeemer.  
Truly, "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him" (Lam_3:25). Therefore, let us "hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption" (Psa_130:7). Yes, let us "hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever" (Psa_131:3).


My Creator Redeemer, I want to live all my days waiting on You, hoping in You. What growing expectations You give me as I hope in You. I anticipate courage, inner strength, Your abundant goodness, an eternal inheritance, and (above all) an everlasting relationship with You. Praise Your name!


May you be blessed and fulfilled in the Lord our God.

Friday Sep 16

And so?  So What?  Whatever!
Yeah, words that challenge us, words that request answers, words that need hope and encouragement.  Many feel like a cog in the wheel, just going through the motions.  


What do you live for, what is your reason, you source of hope and motivation?  Consider today's meditation, from James Ryle:



September 16


Five Lessons for Dreamers (Part 3)
"Now Joseph had a dream." (Genesis 37:5)


Looking back upon the story of Joseph the dreamer, and seeing how God exalted him in the land of Egypt and blessed him with favor and great success — a pattern emerges, providing us today with guidelines we may follow into our own place of blessing and honor.
Here are five lessons for Dreamers from the life of Joseph:
Lesson #3 — Stand with integrity in trials and temptations (Genesis 39:9). Sooner or later SEX is going to be an issue. It always is — because the devil has won so many, many hard fought battles with this one thing. Yeah, money and power are tied in second place — but SEX is his weapon of choice.
Dreamers must stand guard against any attempt by the devil to seduce you into the snare of money, the snare of power, and the snare of sex. For Money will corrupt your motives, and you'll soon be nothing more than a soothsayer — prophesying for the highest purse.
Power will swell your head and diminish your capacity for dreaming what is true. Vanity will always beget vain imaginations — and thereby flush the truth out as trash. And Sex will possess your powers of reason as it weakens your will and your knees — rendering you apathetic and indifferent to the things of God.
The third lesson we learn from Joseph is that we must stand with integrity in the face of trials and temptations.


Truly, we are challenged, tempted and lured each day.  May God grant you the peace and serenity of His Love to resist evil and do the right thing each day.

Thursday Sep 15

So hard to hang on, isn't it?  You work hard, do your best, do the right things, be honest, have integrity and dedication... yet, things work against you and circumstances turn out poorly for you.  You get fired, you get accused, you get into many troubles and challenges because your life is in turmoil and troubles are like the stars.  


Consider today's meditation from James Ryle:



September 15


Five Lessons for Dreamers (Part 2)
"Now Joseph had a dream." (Genesis 37:5)


Looking back upon the story of Joseph the dreamer, and seeing how God exalted him in the land of Egypt and blessed him with favor and great success — a pattern emerges, providing us today with guidelines we may follow into our own place of blessing and honor.
Here are five lessons for Dreamers from the life of Joseph:
Lesson #2 — Make the best of bad situations (see Genesis 39:4,21). There's an old saying that goes, "You can't keep a good man down." This is especially true of a man or woman whose heart has been captured by a dream from God.
Once God has shown you what He is going to do in your life — nothing that happens can ever derail you from maintaining a single focus upon His unfailing faithfulness. As a result, you become an eternal optimist. Everything works together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Even when things seem not only contrary — but awful bad — a dreamer will make the best of the bad situation. Joseph did so first in Potiphar's house, and then again when he was falsely accused and sent to prison.
In both situations he prevailed, for he learned how to overcome what he was undergoing. The dream had him, and would not let go. In the same manner God will pull you through to the other side, if the dream in your heart was given to you by Him.
The best way to know for sure your dream is from God is seen in the second lesson we learn from Joseph — can you make the best out of any bad situation? Then God's hand is on you, and your headed to a place called Dreams Come True.


Hang on dear friend, and wait on God's blessings and guidance.  God will not abandon you.  Go to him!

September 14

How do you go about making decisions?  This is a great question for sure.  We all want to make good decisions.  Wouldn't it be great to be able to have "20/20 hindsight" wisdom, to be able to project ahead and then look back at our current situation and say, "ah yes, we should have gone this way..."?  Yeah, so much of our lives have moments of regret!  So?  What can we do?


Consider today's meditations by Charles Spurgeon:



September 14


Morning
“There were also with him other little ships.”
- Mar_4:36
Jesus was the Lord High Admiral of the sea that night, and his presence preserved the whole convoy. It is well to sail with Jesus, even though it be in a little ship. When we sail in Christ’s company, we may not make sure of fair weather, for great storms may toss the vessel which carries the Lord himself, and we must not expect to find the sea less boisterous around our little boat. If we go with Jesus we must be content to fare as he fares; and when the waves are rough to him, they will be rough to us. It is by tempest and tossing that we shall come to land, as he did before us.
When the storm swept over Galilee’s dark lake all faces gathered blackness, and all hearts dreaded shipwreck. When all creature help was useless, the slumbering Saviour arose, and with a word, transformed the riot of the tempest into the deep quiet of a calm; then were the little vessels at rest as well as that which carried the Lord. Jesus is the star of the sea; and though there be sorrow upon the sea, when Jesus is on it there is joy too. May our hearts make Jesus their anchor, their rudder, their lighthouse, their life-boat, and their harbour. His Church is the Admiral’s flagship, let us attend her movements, and cheer her officers with our presence. He himself is the great attraction; let us follow ever in his wake, mark his signals, steer by his chart, and never fear while he is within hail. Not one ship in the convoy shall suffer wreck; the great Commodore will steer every barque in safety to the desired haven. By faith we will slip our cable for another day’s cruise, and sail forth with Jesus into a sea of tribulation. Winds and waves will not spare us, but they all obey him; and, therefore, whatever squalls may occur without, faith shall feel a blessed calm within. He is ever in the centre of the weather-beaten company: let us rejoice in him. His vessel has reached the haven, and so shall ours.


Evening
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”
- Psa_32:5
David’s grief for sin was bitter. Its effects were visible upon his outward frame: “his bones waxed old”; “his moisture was turned into the drought of summer.” No remedy could he find, until he made a full confession before the throne of the heavenly grace. He tells us that for a time he kept silence, and his heart became more and more filled with grief: like a mountain tarn whose outlet is blocked up, his soul was swollen with torrents of sorrow. He fashioned excuses; he endeavoured to divert his thoughts, but it was all to no purpose; like a festering sore his anguish gathered, and as he would not use the lancet of confession, his spirit was full of torment, and knew no rest. At last it came to this, that he must return unto his God in humble penitence, or die outright; so he hastened to the mercy-seat, and there unrolled the volume of his iniquities before the all-seeing One, acknowledging all the evil of his ways in language such as you read in the fifty-first and other penitential Psalms. Having done this, a work so simple and yet so difficult to pride, he received at once the token of divine forgiveness; the bones which had been broken were made to rejoice, and he came forth from his closet to sing the blessedness of the man whose transgression is forgiven. See the value of a grace-wrought confession of sin! It is to be prized above all price, for in every case where there is a genuine, gracious confession, mercy is freely given, not because the repentance and confession deserve mercy, but for Christ’s sake. Blessed be God, there is always healing for the broken heart; the fountain is ever flowing to cleanse us from our sins. Truly, O Lord, thou art a God “ready to pardon!” Therefore will we acknowledge our iniquities.

If you travel in the company of Jesus Christ as your Lord, then He will smooth your paths.  How can we travel with Christ?  By being pure in heart and clean!  How can we be clean?  By confession.  Confess and let out your sins, weaknesses, and all your human short comings to our Lord Christ and He will forgive you.  He has already paid the fine, made the restitution... all you have to do is come before God's throne and plead "Guilty" and let Jesus your Counselor pay your fines (already done) and you are then free to live, work, travel and do all you are lead to do through the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.  

Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and inspire you to do what you are supposed to do - then you will make the right decisions!  

Tuesday Sep 13

Have you noticed the rhythm of the seasons and time, the events that come and go that mark our passage on earth?  From the annual journey of our earth around the sun with the seasons that it brings, the moon and it's beautiful phases, the month passing - each with it's own flavor to savor.  September - the bitter sweet month, passing from summer's fun and sunshine to the mellower times of harvest and celebrations.  Yeah, so many poems, analogies, and such.  
For me, as I move from the autumn to the winter of my life, as the snow has fallen on my head and the years get fewer and shorter... I have to think that my journey has be wonderful and God blessed.  


Today's meditation by James Ryle addresses one of the more difficult things in our lives... the hard and difficult times we all go through sooner or later:



September 13


Tested By the Word of the Lord
"He sent a man before them — Joseph— who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters; he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him." (Psalm 105:17-19)
Joseph waited years before his dreams came true. The waiting was not in vain. God used the time to refine Joseph as gold in a furnace. Joseph's dreams were from God, but his childish pride was not. The harsh years were not for the sake of proving the dreams true, but for proving Joseph to be true.
The Lord's refining process does the same in our lives today. Many receive dreams and visions from God, but conduct themselves with immaturity. Like Joseph, they must go through seasons of refinement.
Joseph held to the vision God gave him for his life. It kept him through everything he experienced. He was restrained from sin, redeemed from sorrow and restored to honor by holding on to the dreams from God.
It may be, my fellow traveler, that you are undergoing a test from the Lord, which is applied in love to insure that when your dream comes true — you will be true as well.


May God bless you and refine you so you are worthy of His calling and ready to receive His Loving task. 


Praise God from whom all blessings flow!