For the past few months I have been praying scripture every day using Beth Moore's "Praying God's Word" card set. It has been wonderful for me and so often God will speak to me through one of the scripture verses.
This morning the verses are from Isaiah 43:15-16...
My Father, You are the LORD, my Holy One, my Creator, my King.You are the One who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters.
I especially like the cards reminding me of just exactly WHO God is and what He is like. So often, as I contemplate the day's demands before me, I get overwhelmed by all the things I need to do and accomplish and I lose sight of the fact that the God whom the winds and waves obey (Mark 4:41) is the God who loves me and watches over me. I love God's Word - especially verses that LIFT my eyes UP to see HIM!
HE is the ONE who makes a way through the sea...a path through the mighty waters!
Today I need the reminder of just exactly who God is to help me deal with the temptations toward being overwhelmed by the things looming over me... I pray today that we will LIFT our eyes UP and remember our great and awesome Father God who makes a way through big and seemingly impossible circumstances...He is our Mighty God...the God who LOVES us dearly!
Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.
Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
May you see Him as He really IS today!
MR
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Consider the Tulips...I Mean Lilies!
Outside my kitchen window I have a small plot of earth containing tulips. Over the past several weeks I've been noticing an interesting thing about them as I've looked at them throughout the day...they turn their “faces”, if you will, in whatever direction the sun is shining!
Interesting... This reminded me of the passage in Luke 12 and particularly verses 26-27 which say:
"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
"But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
Everyday the tulips open and point their faces toward the sun...and God made them absolutely beautiful! All they are doing is being what God designed them to be...tulips...and they are absolutely gorgeous in simply being themselves. In this they reflect the glory of God who created them...tulips.
I remember reading years ago in an Elisabeth Elliot book where she said something to the effect that when we are being exactly who and what God created us to be, we bring Him the most glory! God made each of us unique with different looks, abilities, talents, spiritual gifts, etc., all for His glory. It’s when we wish we were someone else, doing something else, and look like somebody other than who we are that we get all confused and discontent...and we worry...
Instead let’s consider the lilies...or the tulips...and praise the God who made us just as we are...and let’s glorify Him with our lives by lifting our faces every day – THIS day – toward Him...wherever He may be at any given moment in our day! Look for Him, my friends, because He is not very far from any of us... (Acts 17:27)! O, Praise Him!
Acts 17:22-29 (NASB)
Sermon on Mars Hill
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
23 "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD ' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
29 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
MR
Interesting... This reminded me of the passage in Luke 12 and particularly verses 26-27 which say:
"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
"But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
Everyday the tulips open and point their faces toward the sun...and God made them absolutely beautiful! All they are doing is being what God designed them to be...tulips...and they are absolutely gorgeous in simply being themselves. In this they reflect the glory of God who created them...tulips.
I remember reading years ago in an Elisabeth Elliot book where she said something to the effect that when we are being exactly who and what God created us to be, we bring Him the most glory! God made each of us unique with different looks, abilities, talents, spiritual gifts, etc., all for His glory. It’s when we wish we were someone else, doing something else, and look like somebody other than who we are that we get all confused and discontent...and we worry...
Instead let’s consider the lilies...or the tulips...and praise the God who made us just as we are...and let’s glorify Him with our lives by lifting our faces every day – THIS day – toward Him...wherever He may be at any given moment in our day! Look for Him, my friends, because He is not very far from any of us... (Acts 17:27)! O, Praise Him!
Acts 17:22-29 (NASB)
Sermon on Mars Hill
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
23 "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD ' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
29 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
MR
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
A Beautiful Collision
Have any of you heard the song "A Beautiful Collision" by David Crowder Band? I have been thinking about it all morning...thinking about the collision of our souls with God...
The heart breaking makes a sound I never knew could be so beautiful and loud, fury filled and we collide. So courageous until now, fumbling and scared. So afraid You'll find me out, alone here with my doubt. Here it comes, a beautiful collision is happening now. There seems no end to where You begin and there I am now You and I collide. Something circling inside, spaciously You fly, infinite and wide, like the moon and sky collide. Here it comes now. (from "A Collision", David Crowder Band)
I'm reminded of the verse in 1 John 3:1 which says:
It also brings to mind Colossians 3:3 which says:
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Praise Him! "Here it comes now....a beautiful collision..."
Love Him today!
MR
The heart breaking makes a sound I never knew could be so beautiful and loud, fury filled and we collide. So courageous until now, fumbling and scared. So afraid You'll find me out, alone here with my doubt. Here it comes, a beautiful collision is happening now. There seems no end to where You begin and there I am now You and I collide. Something circling inside, spaciously You fly, infinite and wide, like the moon and sky collide. Here it comes now. (from "A Collision", David Crowder Band)
I'm reminded of the verse in 1 John 3:1 which says:
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
It also brings to mind Colossians 3:3 which says:
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Praise Him! "Here it comes now....a beautiful collision..."
Love Him today!
MR
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