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 more

Verse 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 flood

Verse 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 peace

Verse 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.

Set My Heart At Rest April 6, 2008

1 John 3:16-19

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

God – Thank You for pouring Your love down on me.  Thank You for the life You gave to me.  God – please make me a woman who sees and responds without hesitation to the needs of others.  Make me less concerned about my own self and more and more concerned about what other people need.  God let my actions be filled with love – not pride or recognition.  I long to set my heart at rest in Your Presence by doing as you have willed me to to – love others.  Amen

Unearth Your Talents March 14, 2008

Tonight a friend of mine reminded me that we should not bury our talents (the gifts God gives us).  How often have we failed to take the next step out of fear, desires to feel safe, and insecurity?  But God says we have nothing to fear.  But God says that He is our refuge.  But God says that He is our identity.   It is when we step into our fears, take risks, and find our worth in Christ that we are following His will for our lives.  Clearly none of these acts are simple or easy – they just require us to cling closely to Him.

Matthew 25: 14- 30

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was going to another place for a visit. Before he left, he called for his servants and told them to take care of his things while he was gone. He gave one servant five bags of gold, another servant two bags of gold, and a third servant one bag of gold, to each one as much as he could handle. Then he left. The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money and earned five more bags. In the same way, the servant who had two bags invested them and earned two more. But the servant who got one bag went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

“After a long time the master came home and asked the servants what they did with his money. The servant who was given five bags of gold brought five more bags to the master and said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of gold, so I used your five bags to earn five more.’  The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’

“Then the servant who had been given two bags of gold came to the master and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of gold to care for, so I used your two bags to earn two more.’  The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’

“Then the servant who had been given one bag of gold came to the master and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not sow any seed. So I was afraid and went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your bag of gold.’26 The master answered, ‘You are a wicked and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed. So you should have put my gold in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would have received my gold back with interest.’

“So the master told his other servants, ‘Take the bag of gold from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags of gold. Those who have much will get more, and they will have much more than they need. But those who do not have much will have everything taken away from them.’ Then the master said, ‘Throw that useless servant outside, into the darkness where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.’

Walk By Faith March 8, 2008

Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to win my endless fears
You’ve been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Well I’m broken- but I still see Your face
Well You’ve spoken- pouring Your words of grace

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Well hallelujah, hallelu (I will walk by faith)
Well hallelujah, hallelu (I will walk by faith)

I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith
I will, I will, I will walk by faith

song lyrics to Walk By Faith by Jeremy Camp

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?