Oh Lord – Thank You for spending time with me. I know You are always available for me and yet I stay away too often. But alas, I loved our time together – You and me. You taught me so much again. I am forgiven, I am clean, You are the Restorer, You have plans for me, In You there is Hope, You will strengthen my inner-self, You alone are worthy of my praise.
Lead Me To the Cross June 3, 2009
In Brooke Fraser’s song she sings . . . “lead me tot he cross.” As I was preparing for musical worship this week I was thinking about what that meant. The cross an agent of death – a method of execution. It was the place that Jesus died the final death. So we come to the cross with our sins so that they can die. It is a place that we rid ourselves from our human error and accept the grace of God in his resurrection and his victory over sin and death. When I am on my knees in of Christ I am letting go of the “prison of me” and taking on the “freedom of God”.
Savior I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption’s hill, where Your blood was spilled or my ransom
Everything I once held dear I count it all as lossLead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh lead me, lead me to the crossYou were as I, tempted and tried, human
The Word became flesh, bore my sin in death, Now Your risen
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as lossTo Your Heart
To Your Heart
Lead me to Your Heart
Lead me to Your HeartBrooke Fraser
making You my First October 28, 2008
It seems like I am oh too much like Paul when he says in Romans 7:15-16
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. “And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.” and 7:19 “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
How do I create the spiritual habit of making God first? For it is my desire to put Him first and yet I write this post instead of spending time with Him. Ugghh
Okay – so I stopped writing the post two hours ago and spent some time with God – reading – listening. He welcomes me back every time. So that’s part of it – making the choice – not letting other things get in the way. It is a spiritual battle and it demands my choice to say “Yes God, You are First.” God doesn’t want me to do the things that get in my way of spending time with Him. He wants me to get rid of them. As it says in Matthew 18:7-9
“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
So for me the second step is to write a list and cut out the things that rob my time with God. I have to get rid of them even if I love them. I have to make some hard choices.
O for grace to trust Him more July 25, 2008
This old song was written in 1882 by Louisa Stead and William Kirkpatrick. It has been said that Stead wrote the lyrics after her husband drown. Out of grief and sorrow came lyrics that inspire. As I prepare for this week’s service on God’s will for our lives – I have learned that God calls us to know Him and then to obey Him. God knows that it is quintessential that we trust Him in order to do His will. This perhaps is why he doesn’t “lay the plan out” or “put in writing” the exact steps of our lives. If we knew all of the plans He had for us – we wouldn’t have to exercise trust. Rather, He wants us to trust Him so that we can know Him and obey Him. As the first verse says; it is so wonderful to rest upon His promise.
On a side note, Stead also included another key component of doing God’s will and that is to remove sin and self. When we actively pursue this removal we have less that separates us from God. Consequently, we are closer to Him and our relationship with Jesus grows deeper.
So I pray this song as a hope: O Lord – I cry out to You – Please pour down Your grace so that I can trust you more. For I long to know You – I long to rest in Your promise and do Your will. Amen
Verse 1
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know “Thus saith the Lord!”Refrain
Jesus, Jesus How I trust Thee
How I proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
O for grace to trust Him moreVerse 2
O how sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to trust His cleansing blood
Just in simple faith to plunge me
‘neath the healing, cleansing floodVerse 3
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus
Just from self and sin to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peaceVerse 4
I’m so glad I learned to trust Him
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that Thou art with me
Wilt be with me to the end.
send me April 25, 2008
What is God calling you to do next?
How is He asking you to take a risk?
It’s not going to be easy is it?
You feel inadequate – God knows this.
You feel weak – God knows this.
You feel small – God knows this.
He has chosen You to do His work.
He has chosen You to love others.
He has chosen You to speak of His Glory.
He knows it’s hard – He indeed knows.
He will be your adequacy.
He will be your strength
He will be the shadow that covers and guide.
Will you go?
Will you put the next foot in front of the other?
Will you not hesitate?
Will you say Yes?
Isaiah 6: “Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out.”
And then I heard the voice of the Master:
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
I spoke up, ”I’ll go. Send me!”
The Writing On My Hand March 16, 2008
These are the promises, assurances, and commands that are spoken by God through the prophet Isaiah for me to write upon my hand – today. For God’s Word transcends all time and space and speaks directly into my heart and compels me to say that I am chosen by Him. Knowing that I have been chosen by God, I can walk confidently knowing that He will be with me always. I have nothing to fear. My sins are no more. He will use me to declare that He is who He says He is – the Savior.
from God’s Word deemed Isaiah 43 & 44
this is what the LORD says . . . “fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. . .
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you . . .
because I love you . . .
Do not be afraid, for I am with you . . .
“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. . . You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” . . .
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. . .
“I, even I , am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. Your first father sinned; your spokesman rebelled against me. . . “
“But listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. . .
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessings on your descendants.
They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
One will say, ’I belong to the LORD’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand “The LORD’s,’ and will take the name Israel.
Serenity and Surrender March 4, 2008
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it: Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
I ran across this prayer today. It was my Grandmother’s (Ruth) favorite prayer. I can still hear her saying it in my head even though it’s been ten years since she’s graced this earth. I think that most of us know those first few lines. It’s the rest of the prayer that really challenges me – the part we never seem to get to. It forces the questions:
Do I trust God? yes . . . but every moment? no, but I want to
Why wouldn’t I? perhaps I’m scared. maybe I like the false sense of control. there really isn’t any reason I shouldn’t trust Him. He’s proven Himself over and over from the beginning of time throughout the ages.Do I enjoy this life God gave me? i am a half-glass-full kind of person but I don’t think I “seize the day” everyday. i want to live that life of liberty in ways that my mind hasn’t even wrapped itself around yet.
Have I surrendered my will to His? yes – undeniably i accept the call that God has placed on my life – but i know that He is calling me to surrender every little iota – i want to – but what does that look like?
Proverbs 16:6 March 4, 2008
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
Dear Lord – Thank you for saving me from my own self – the sins I commit. Your faithfulness is unfathomable. Please keep me from temptation. Amen
And can it be? February 29, 2008
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
‘Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Music: Thomas Campbell (1777 – 1844)
Words: Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)
As Far As the East Is From the West February 24, 2008
That is the difference between a non believer and a believer. Our wrong doings are tossed as far as the east is from the west. We don’t feel guilty about past sins, at least we shouldn’t feel guilty over them. It is by our own choosing that we feel guilty, not by God’s choosing. He desires us to live a life free of guilt and shame.And I can pinpoint his grace daily in my life.
Quote from Heather on Februrary 23rd, 2008. www.especiallyheather.com
