CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

Let the words of my mouth and

the meditation of my heart be

acceptable in Your sight, O

Lord, my strength and my

Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Through my preteen and teen years, we had a wonderful youth group in our Baptist Church. We met for our BYF meetings an hour prior to the Sunday evening service and most of us were very close friends. The Randolph's were our leaders. They often had us all out to their house for social times if there weren't any ballgames to attend. The Randolph's are in Heaven now and only there will they come to know what they meant in our lives.

At the end of our meetings on Sunday evening, there was a tradition. Our closing prayer was the above verse. We would stand in a circle holding hands with heads bowed and would repeat the verse. I've always loved the verse primarily for spiritual and now some sentimental reasons. It wasn't until as a young adult that I began not just reciting the verse but personally looking at it for content.

The verse starts out with the word LET. That indicates that it must me, on my own accepting the responsibility of putting that verse into practice. It is a fact that what's in the heart of a person will come out often quite loudly for the world to hear.

Words can heal or words can harm. We use words just in every day communication and we don't give it a thought. That's how we talk with each other verbally or in other different ways. The danger comes when we determine certain things we are going to speak to someone no matter what. Such words can be words of anger or frustration often spoken in a much different way than intended. We can determine just as well to speak to someone in kindness and perhaps to encourage.

The above verse indicates the use of words in a very definite way. We may often feel captive to what comes out of our mouths. The problem is that what comes from our mouths have already been formed in our hearts. Our conversations might in the end indicate a heart problem and that's a problem only our Father can help us with.

Thank You Father for speaking love into my life through Your Word and Your sweet Spirit. Help me to continually see the connection between my words and the meditations of my heart. May my words always reflect Your Words as I spend time in my Bible daily. Forgive my rush to speak when I should wait to listen. In Jesus name....Amen

A REFUGE FOR SURE

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

My grandparents had a noticeable small hill in their yard on one side of their house. My grandmother loved gardening so that small hill was just covered with all sorts of brightly colored blooms. It was the kind of little hill a little girl would love to just simi-crawl up. I was strictly told that it was a place where little girls were never to play. I still loved that pretty little hill and it took a little time for me to notice that some vines on that hill had grown over a door.

When I asked my Grandpa about it, he said that it was a storm cellar. He explained it was a place to go in case a storm or tornado came into town. I knew about storms but not tornadoes. I learned again later that in the early 1900's a horrible tornado had swept through a part of our town that did terrible damage. After that many folks had put storm cellars in their yards. My grandparents had never used it so they used it to store foods my Grandma had canned at the end of the summer.

Thinking about what a refuge might be, I found it's basically a place of safety and security. It might make a family feel better to have a storm cellar if they lived in a tornado-prone area. It would serve well in times of needed physical security, but what about those times we are in need of spiritual or emotional security. We might like a storm cellar of such things but afraid there really isn't such a thing.

I remember just the chorus to a hymn we often sung years ago:

O Jesus is a rock in a weary land

A weary land, a weary land.

O Jesus is a rock in a weary land

A shelter in the time of storm.

No matter our need, when the storms of life come, we all need Someone, somewhere to flee to. We may have a special place of peace we love for when we read, pray and meditate. However, places often change. Friends may be wonderful in encouraging us when we are facing difficult times, but sometimes even friends change in place or attitudes. We have One sure place and Person to run to...our own storm shelter that never changes, open 24/7 and that takes the form of very loving arms, the hollow of a hand...even wings to hide under. There is no earthly storm shelter or refuge that can provide all of that. Only our Heavenly Father stands with open arms, real security the world will never be able to provide. He's our shelter and refuge in the time of any storm we face.

Dear Father, I'm so grateful for the salvation I enjoy because of Jesus but You have so many other things in store for us. Thank You for our live-in Holy Spirit who speaks to us through Your Word and through other godly ones. Thank You that I don't have to make an appointment to talk to You and enjoy Your presence any time I want. In Jesus' precious name...Amen 

 

GOOD GRAICOUS

And He said to me. “My grace

is sufficient for you, for My strength

is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore most gladly I will rather

boast in my infirmities, that the

power of Christ may rest upon me.

II Corinthians 12:9

For many years in my Bible reading, I wondered in Paul's writings that usually after the first two or three verses of each of his books, he used the phrase “Grace and peace be with you...” He was so consistent in that wonderful greeting to those he loved and with whom he shared his heart. I often wondered why he didn't say “peace and grace.” I eventually caught on to the fact that without the grace of God, there can be no real peace.

I don't know about you, but I used to hear the above title two-word phrase said by adults when I was but a very young girl. I don't know how often someone said to me, “Good gracious Glendarae....” It took me some years to get the words grace and gracious connected. Let me quickly say that any human graciousness can never be compared to the grace God showers into our lives consistently.

Gracious people I have known are really nice people. They are kind and very accommodating in being of help and encouragement to people they know and often with folks they don't know well. The problem for we human beings is that we aren't always nice. When we are troubled, irritated with someone or even going through a time of illness, our graciousness can be on the limited side. Our graciousness can be tempered by moods or circumstances.

 hear a lot, though, about God's grace. We know for a fact that Scripture tell us that by grace we are saved. That gives us our first real introduction to grace. Any grace God extends to us is totally undeserved. We don't deserve God's blink of His eye toward any of us but that is who God is. His Son paid the highest of price for us thanks to the grace of His Father.

We also have an everyday, every hour grace that God extends into our lives that we again don't deserve. God will never withdraw it or lessen it. In fact, Paul was told of God's grace and it's sufficiency in his life no matter the circumstances. He was assured of God's ongoing power, a grace sufficient for every circumstance.

That was great for Paul, but guess what....it's sufficient for us as well no matter what our days look like. Because of God's grace in our lives, we are to extend that graciousness into the lives of others. There are folks who don't deserve our favor but we extend it anyway just as our Father pours His undeserved grace into our lives.

Father God, without Your grace, we would be nothing, floundering in life with no purpose. Thank You for not giving up on us even though we don't deserve a moment of Your graciousness. We are grateful because of Jesus love....Amen

 

PRESS ON

I press toward the mark for

the prize of the high calling

of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

Been watching the world track championships this week. Brian watched anything that had to do with track and field. That was a a consistency for us from the time we got married. The older I get the harder it is for me to watch anyone lose in their sport.

There was always one thing that just irked us when it came to any of the races, be it men or women, no matter the distance. Many of the races came down to the final turn headed for the finish line. I would imagine there are coaches of the runners who grew gray hair in the process of watching their athletes headed for the finish line.

Perfect example...I recently watched a race where one runner was obviously going to win his heat. The young man in second kept looking back from side to side to see how near his competitor was to him, how much of a threat. Only the first two winners of a particular heat would go to the final race. Fortunately for the gaping young man, he did come in second which did move him into the final race. There have been times when we have seen such going on and such a runner has lost. That was always sad to watch when in reality, he should have gotten into the finals, but he was distracted.

In a sense, we believers are also in a race, a race that demands our putting our focus where it should be. We aren't in a race for any medal or standing proudly on the winners podium. Our race involves much more than any athletic event we could ever participate in on this earth. Our reward is a prize beyond measure or earthly treasure. No matter who we are whether young or old, all as believers are participants.

World athletes train vigorously in so many ways to be the best they can be. They exercise, watch their diets, get needed rest and of course, sponsorship. We have the best Sponsor in our race. We have His word to feed upon along with His promised rest. We should exercise in obeying our Coach and actively serving Him and others. Our job is to press on, aiming and focusing on the finish line. Our goal....finishing well to God's glory.

Father, help us to avoid distractions of this world that would keep us from being all for You we can be. I know I'm not racing to beat any human being. Satan doesn't want me to count for You but You are so much more than he is. Help me to stay focused on You and those things that count for You. In Jesus' name...Amen

FIND ME IF YOU CAN

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from

Your presence?

Psalm 139:7

Growing up and still quite young, I had a huge imagination that I know would be hard for anyone who knows me to understand. Most of my adventures were alone. I was big on making “play houses.” Many girls will remember that term. I made mine all over the place. We had a very high front porch and I had a place all cleaned out under there where I could play for hours. I loved our old broken down coal shed. When my Mother couldn't find me, she would go there and would find me chewing on a piece of coal.....I loved the taste of coal. I could find places mostly near our house for my adventures. Once my “house” was ready, I would go get my dolls and there would teach them songs and tell them stories. I feel bad that kids today know nothing of such play times.

For years, I have loved Psalm 139. If smeone reads and absorbs it, taking it to heart, it's a wonderful Psalm that can make a person feel more than important to God. It's a wonderful piece of Scripture to build a healthy self esteem because of God's personal attention.

The questions we know answer themselves. You and I can go absolutely no where but what God is there. In this Psalm we see a couple of instances where it would seem there are those who would try to get away from God. They might even try to escape even being in the presence of God. A few of the following verses give examples of where folks may like to escape to from God. The places mentioned seem to ridiculous to me but are: ascend into heaven, bed in hell, fly on wings, parts of the sea...that person may really feel escape is possible. But then we read in verse 10:

Even there [places mentioned] Your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

Sometimes my Mother had to get out of the house to find me. I had my secret places but she always found me. God didn't have to go looking. He knew no matter my secret places, He always knew where I was.....by the way, He still does.

Thank You Father for keeping an eye on me, always knowing where I am and what's going on in my life. I pray I will never desire to hide from You but always be in close and loving fellowship with You. Keep me close. In Jesus' precious name....Amen 

THY WORD

Thy word is a lamp unto my

feet and a light unto

my path.

Psalm 119:105

One Sunday in November of 1949, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Our church was finishing up a revival week. During that Sunday morning sermon I felt funny {convicted} regarding my need of Jesus in my very young life. I had no family in attendance at the time so rushed home to tell my Mother. She was very dubious to say the least. For some reason, she felt one who was 12 years old and older could be saved. Well, I knew I was saved despite her age regulation.

In this process, my first desire was to have a Bible of my own. Here again, it would seem I needed to be 12 for this to happen. My friend Donna had a nice Bible. A few times I sat beside her in church and she would let me look on the pages with her. I noticed how she marked her favorite verses. I just wanted a Bible whether I marked a verse or not. I did get a Bible when I was 12. My aunt had been told that sending me one would be okay for my birthday. Since those days, my Bible has been such a precious possession. I've worn through some but that's okay. I think of adults in some countries, saved people who would give anything for a Bible or even a few pages from one.

Psalm 119 has been a favorite of mine for years. In every verse except for about 3 there is a synonym, a word that means “Bible” to us. Some of those words are: laws, statutes, judgments, commandments, testimonies, precepts, and word. When I get a new Bible, one of my first exercises is going to Psalm 119, reading it and in that process, circling each of those words. God has provided His Word to us in so many ways that may speak to us from different angles.

What a wonder God's Word is teaching and ministering to us right where we are no matter our times or circumstances. For weeks after Brian's Homegoing, I spent hours daily reading it. At times it was through tears, often hardly knowing what I was reading. However, God's Word will always meet our needs. It is a book of comfort and encouragement in the toughest of times. How can we allow it to just sit on a table or counter, ignoring what the God of all has to say to us? Those precious pages are calling!

Father God, thank You for Your Word and Your desire to show us just some of Who You are through it. Help us to be faithful in spending time in it not just for study but for getting to know You so much better. In Jesus name....Amen 

THE GOLD OF SILENCE

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

for my expectation is from Him.

Psalm 62:5

Silence in our culture is a kind of lost art. No matter where we go, there is noise. Some of that noise isn't necessarily offensive, but we are almost programmed to demand sound of some sort in the background of our lives. Almost every store we go into, we are greeted with background music. While putting gas in one's car, there is often music or news coming from the speakers near the gas pumps.

We are often the ones at fault when it comes to appreciating the need for silence in our lives. We don't see the need to practice being still. The quiet moments in our lives can often be nerve wracking...we don't seem to feel comfortable in our own silence. In our day, if we are to have silent moments where we can think and pray, it will take discipline on our part, and yes, even some work. Many years ago, I recall “older” people saying, “Silence is golden...let's get rich.” It was a nice way of asking for silence in the moment.

In recent days, I read a paragraph regarding silence that left such an impression on me. No author was noted but I loved the thought. The paragraph said, :”Silence is a direct path to God's presence. Silence is the door where God stands waiting to enter.” The statement is simple yet so profound. Only in silence can we REALLY hear what He has to say to us. I also read from another general source that silence allows a connection to God beyond what words can express.

For me, the only background sounds that aren't disrupting for me would be the sounds of God's creative nature. I have a place not too far from our house where I park by the river. I lower the front car windows and hear the gurgle of the river's movement and at times, light breezes passing through the tree tops. Those sounds, the handiwork of God's hands, are not noticeable to the point of being a distraction. I have been addressing this thing of needed silence in my own life. I have counseled myself with the following verse:

Be still and know that

I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Noise to one person may not be noise to another but we all have distractions. Minus those distractions, especially when reading the Word, we'll come to know and love our Father better.

Thank You, Father for listening to us through all the noise and distractions of or our lives. Help us to know the importance of being in Your presence with little if any distractions. Thank You for being so patient with us. We love You. In Jesus' precious name...Amen

 

THE FAITH OF FOUR

Then they came to Him,

bringing a paralytic who

was carried by four men.

Mark 2:3

The incident mentioned in Mark of four men getting a paralytic man to Jesus for healing has been one of my favorites. Reported in this incident, we really see more about the four men and their activities than that of the paralytic. We begin with Jesus preaching in a residence. The house was full and many people were in the overflow. Those carriers, however, were very determined. If they couldn't get in the door to Jesus, they would find another way. There was a strong determination to get that handicapped man to Jesus. Jesus' reputation had spread and they saw Him as their friend's only help and hope

I don't know how the house owners felt about it, but the men went up a side stairway that was common to houses in that day. Common also was the construction of roofs. They had no air conditioning and little accommodation for air circulation. Most houses then had removable large pieces of a roof that could be opened and moved to one side. Those guys were very creative and determined to get their friend to Jesus. It worked. They lowered that paralytic down right to Jesus.

How about us? We may not have ever been paralytic physically in times past, but I believe there have been other times of paralysis...emotional, spiritual, difficult circumstances where for some reason, we just couldn't get to Jesus. It was never the fault of Jesus because we know He's always with us, never forsaking us. Some things happen that just seem to stop us in our tracks. At those times, nothing feels normal.

Obviously, the four men in the incident above were toting some kind of stretcher with each of the men taking one corner. We don't know the size of the paralytic but it would seem that four were needed to carry that man to Jesus. You and I in our most difficult of times have had “stretcher” carriers that in it all have worked on our behalf to get to Jesus. 

 In my own life I'm thinking of a dear Sunday school teacher, deacons, pastoral staff members, children and good friends. They haven't all functioned at the same time, but I've often had four or more who have ministered in my life to get me to to Lord. Salvation wasn't the issue...rigors of life were. As I often say, they were “Jesus with skin on.” Never underestimate the importance of being a burden bearer in the life of another even if it means taking some unusual steps in doing so.

Father God, I'm so grateful for those who have carried me along over the last several months. Bless them and somehow let them know what their ministry has meant to me. Keep me aware of times I need to take hold of a corner of one's life encouraging that person of Your loving care. In Jesus' precious name....Amen 

 

WEEDS

If we confess our sins, He is

 faithful and just to forgive us our

sins and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

Well, I finally did it....I did some weed pulling around my rose bushes that are up against the front porch of the house. I've noticed them increasing around the bushes but have very little energy to get down on the ground and do the pulling necessary. By now, there are weeds I'm quite acquainted with. Some are just little green tufts that are easy to pull. Having had a good rain in the last couple of days, I knew they would come up with little resistance.

The next weeds are those that are a little more mature. They take some pulling. They almost look at you like a rebellious teenager daring to be pulled and yanked on. They are tough to pull out but not totally impossible.

Then there are the wide spreading ones that look like they should be on the lawn itself and not near any rose bushes. They require more attention. One can trim some of their leaves away but then the tugging and pulling must be applied. It's not a place to use a shovel. I could dig some of the dirt from around them but the dirt wasn't the problem... a well established root was the problem. The long root secured the bunch of grass but it did more. With some effort, I found two places where I pulled single roots that were close to two feet long. Those roots were also generating small shoots of grass on down by another rose bush.

I came in the house, hot and dripping from sweat. Took time to cool off and in thinking of the process I had just participated in, I found myself comparing all that pulling and tugging with sin than can so easily take root in our lives.

Sin has beginnings and that's the time to prayerfully get them out of our lives. That's easier than the next step when a particular sin can become a little more at home in us. Ridding ourselves of it can take a lot more effort. Gone unattended that sin can take very deep root, growing and even multiplying itself. It may even become comfortable for some depending on what it is.

The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us and we respond in repentance no matter the sin, how old or how deep it runs. Taking care of it in it's early stages can be much easier. Any of the processes must be done through our love of Jesus who paid all that we might have victory over sin that can so easily beset us and take root in us.

Thank You Jesus for loving us and forgiving us when we allow sin to invade our lives. Thank you too through Your Spirit encouraging us to repent of all sin that loves taking root in us. We praise You for the victory and freedom we have in You...In Your precious name, .Amen

PRECIOUS SCENTS

Now thanks be to God who always

leads us in triumph in Christ, and

through us diffuses the fragrance

of His knowledge in every place.

For we are to God the fragrance

of Christ among those who are

being saved and among those

who are perishing.

II Corinthians 2:14,15

The last time my grand girls were here, something interesting happened and it was just a moment. We were standing in the front yard and I noticed Hannah kind of looking up and taking some deep breaths. She wasn't trying to bring any notice to herself, but I asked if she was okay. She told me that she liked breathing in the air here where I live that it smells so good. Living here, I don't pay much attention to it but know the air is definitely different from other places we have lived. Trees breathe. They take in the bad stuff and give off oxygen...the good stuff. It makes a great difference in the air compared to other locations.

Our sense of smell is something we take for granted. One of the problems with aging among others is that the elderly tend to loose some of their sense of smell. Smell may not rank up with the senses of hearing and sight but we would greatly miss it if some physical problem took it away from us.

Just think of the things we smell. Smell alerts us often to things that must be taken care of RIGHT NOW. For instance...burning food on the stove, a baby's dirty diaper, overly used kitty litter, smoke from somewhere in the house, garbage, and so many other things. However, we love the sweet smelling aromas we have come to know such as: fall leaves, bread baking in the oven, familiar perfume worn by a grandmother, flowers of various types, lotioned baby after it's bath, husbands after-shave lotion, etc.

There is a certain aroma all of we believers are expected to exude. It's not a smell that comes out of a bottle, oven or flower garden. However it is a sweet spiritual aroma that comes through us to others that is only possible through our close relationship to Jesus Christ. It is an aroma from us to both saved and unsaved people. It's a fragrance that can't be purchased or given to us as a gift from a friend. It comes through our spirit because of who we are in Christ. That fragrance can be affected by our closeness to Jesus or lack thereof. I've been around some who claim Christ in their lives who because of sinful lifestyles, don't smell so good spiritually speaking. Perhaps bad choices have been made and one's spiritual fragrance is affected.

The sweet aroma of Jesus that can come through us to others is not only a joy to us but can be of an encouragement to others who come in contact with us. It should be a part of our witness and testimony before others. May we so live for Jesus that His sweet aroma will be a blessing in the lives of others.

Father, thank You for Jesus and all the benefits He brings into our lives. Thank You for loving us so much that You want to use us to be an influence for You. Keep us close to Yourself that Your sweetness will continue to rub off on us but only for Your glory. In Jesus' name...Amen