Feb 16, 2009 Wait for the Lord

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:13-14

Feb 16, 2009. When we are in a waiting time, what are we doing with ourselves during that time? We may wait for a dream to come to pass for 8, 10 years, or more. What are our thoughts, what is our attitude before God. He wants us to take that time as opportunity to prep to be ready to receive the blessing. We should be in the Word and praise to Him daily, growing in all of the ways He has designed us to grow, so we can be equipped and effective for Him. His spirit will make us strong to achieve the goal. His spirit will give us wisdom to solve the difficult decisions we have yet to come. Certainly so.

If we are impatient, grumbling, comparing ourselves to others who seem to be betting what we want way before us, we miss out on the quiet times, and rest with Him al along the way. He is sparing us from burdens by not giving us things before their time. Let's try to walk in unison with God's timing, and enjoy that he "makes me lie down in green pastures".

We can constantly realize that God knows every atom in the universe. Do we question how things are supposed to work? I am always changed when we go for a vacation to the coast, or anywhere out in nature. I can just sit and gaze on the beauty, and get filled with peace that God totally knows my needs, and is working at changing things for my benefit at all times.

Feb. 12, 2009 I Will Walk By Faith Not By Sight -2 Corinthians 5:7

2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.

I simply must fix my eyes upon Jesus, and not the natural circumstances right now. I feel like Goliath is standing in my field, mocking my God and I'm looking for those stones. They are the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. If I keep my head in the Word, that power overcomes the feeling that I am too small for the situations I must get through.

Solomon said "wisdom has built her house", and I can tell that Solomon understood after what he went through with indulging himself that following God's laws of life are the only wise way to do things. A person can be the richest person on the earth and be a fool about it, and then come away totally empty inside. it is much of the basis for ecclesiastes where he laments over the fact that we can work, and toil, and it will all feel meaningless unless the Lord is at the center of our motivation and plans.

Feb 13, 2009 - They are PLans for good... Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New Living Translation)

I admit, I have been feeling the strain of the financial ebb we are in, and the fatigue of the ongoing issues... My ego sometimes takes a beating, and I want to have more power to relieve the stress off of you. I sometimes get weary of us being a part of other people's programs, and they hold the chips, and us having to stretch to help their thing. (I know what we are doing is God's thing, so I have to constantly do the mental battle.) I just want to be in charge with the money for a change. I want to know what that feels like. I know I can be this honest before God, and he can handle the raw emotions. I just know that I need to make sure that I have an attitude of praise in the midst, and an understanding that He needs me to grow, to go through the challenges, to get better when times are tough.

He cares about my thoughts feelings, and my future.

I will put on the garment of praise for the spirit of Heaviness, because I want the oil of gladness to flow down from His throne.

Isaiah 61:2-4
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

I know that in spite of what I feel in the natural, the best thing for me to do is live according to the spirit.

Feb 10, 2009 - It is Well With My Soul

This song, "It is Well With My Soul" is one of my favorites. The melody, and lyrics just take me "there", you know what I mean. The story behind it deepens it further. I have posted it below.

It Is Well With My Soul: The Story Of Horatio Spafford

Written by Administrator of Inside Worship.com blog

James Mumford unfolds the story behind the famous hymn of trust, It Is Well. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blessed assurance control That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul My sin, 0 the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part but in whole Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 0 my soul! And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight The clouds be rolled back as a scroll The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend Even so, it is well with my soul This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled, 'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, "When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy. Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire. Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone." On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God." Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn. The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was. His worship does not solely depend on how he feels. "Whatever my lot", he says, come rain or shine, pleasure or pain, success or failure, "Thou hast taught me to say / It is well, it is well with my soul". Nor does his worship centre on himself He focuses on what God has already done (0 the bliss of this glorious thought / My sin ... is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more) and what God will do in the future ("Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight / The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend"). In fact, Spafford's worship brings us back to the bottom line: at the end of the day, come hell or high-water, it is "this blessed assurance" that holds us fast.

Let's Expect to Hear Reports of God's Glory From Each Other

Today, while driving up to WA to pick Shelley up from B.C. where she went to pick up her passport, I was struck by the recurring theme on Christian radio today. The pastors were teaching aoub the scriptures being alive in us so that we pray, and think differently about the power of God being manifest by our prayer together. We are lit up by missionaries coming home with reports of what God is doing. Let's live day by day expectantly of these kinds of things to happen in our own sphere of influence.

I Corinthians Chapter 1

2/2/09 - Time With God

2/2/09 - It's a beautiful day, a sunny a day off. Why do I feel anxious? I didn't need that coffee at breakfast. I had a great night of sleep the night before, and had a surplus of energy, so the caffeine was not necessary. Did I take time to trust God this morning? Even for whether I would feel ok, and have enough energy for the day? Working out almost every day isn't enough? The fact is that I didn't take time with God this morning. It makes such a difference. Shelley is in a great mood, and I should reciprocate the love she is giving me. I have a teeth cleaning at noon, and my hygienist and I end up having a great time of fellowship. This brightened my mood, because she felt encouraged by something I said about marriage.
Shelley and I had a great day the rest of the day, going to look at guitars at McKenzie River Guitar Shop. We looked at new songs for our set list, and cooked a soup. It was just some nice bonding time we have taken this weekend. It helps us realize how much the Lord has given us, and how much we should treasure each moment we get.
I ended up feeling inspired to go consider thinking differently about my prayer life. To see it as exciting because we can see God change things through the power of prayer. 1 Peter 4:8-11