As the peace of the Sabbath falls over our home tonight, the words of this song ring in my heart…our hearts always hunger for more of Him.  If you don’t know the song, you can hear it on the playlist of the main page of my weblog. 

 

As I  thought about what picture to put with this post, this painting called “Ever Interceding” came to mind…ponder the image and the words of this song…be blessed.

 

Wonderful Merciful Savior

Can you see Him interceding for you?

Can you hear him calling for your heart once again?

Since 9pm last night my daughter was admitted to ER in excruciating pain and vomiting and in our four hour stay there it was confirmed that she has a kidney stone, so until she passes it the next couple of days will not be fun….today she is totally drained and resting.  We fell into bed at 1.35am this morning.

 

And then at 8.12 am I get a call from my son who was on his way to college telling me he is okay, but that he crashed and the car he was driving is not okay and that it is down an embankment…my words to him are “I am glad you are okay, don’t stress, God knew this was going to happen this morning…"

 

What a difference it makes to know…

 

That everything that comes to us, has to pass through the hand of God before reaching us

 

Nothing can happen to us for which He has not made provision

 

I can trust Him always in every circumstance and every situation

 

He has His hand over our lives

 

And He has made provision and will supply all our needs

 

That every promise in the  Book is mine

 

I don’t have to be anxious because I know that He holds our lives in His hands

 

I am thankful that both my children know and understand this!

 

I am praying that the Lord will allow the stone to pass quickly and as painlessly as possible and that she will be able to keep some food down…please pray too.

 

When I went to take my son an extra warm jacket  and to see where the car had crashed it was clearly evident that one little young tree had halted the progression of the car down the embankment – thank you Lord for this and for saving him from injury and the car from rolling!

 

I am so thankful for His hand over our lives....great is His faithfulness.

 

“Living By Prayer”

O God of the open ear,
      Teach me to live by prayer as well as by providence,
      for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;

Give me a heart frameable to thy will;
      so I might live in prayer,
      and honor thee,
      being kept from evil, known and unknown.

Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do,
      and the good I can distill from everything.

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring my will to thine,
      and that without this it is folly to pray;

When I try to bring thy will to mine it is to command Christ,
      to be above him, and wiser than he;
      this is my sin and pride.

I can only succeed when I pray
      according to thy precept and promise,
      and to be done with as it pleases thee,
      according to thy sovereign will.

When thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokenness,
      it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised,
      for thy glory, as well as for my good.

Help me not only to desire small things
      but with holy boldness to desire great things
      for thy people, for myself,
      that they and I might live to show thy glory.

Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,
      out of love, willingly, not of necessity;
      that I may come to thee at any time,
      to lay open my needs acceptably to thee;
      that my great sin lies in my not keeping the savour of thy ways;
      that the remembrance of this truth is one way to the sense of thy presence;
      that there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed
      by my own lusts for my own ends.

Many phrases caught my eye....and resounded in my heart....

 

to live by prayer

 

a heart frameable to Thy will

 

to see…the good I can distill from everything

 

I can only succeed when I pray

 

Thou wilt give…for Thy glory as well as my good

 

with holy boldness to desire great things

 

that it is wisdom for me to pray

 

What speaks to you?  What inspires you?

Two things I have enjoyed  and that have inspired me this weekend….

reading the first few pages of “Follow the Lamb” by Horatius Bonar…

and the autumn leaves in my garden.

I love the Sabbath and the time it gives me to connect with God, my family and others….

today I am thankful for….

81.  assurance

82.  warmth

83.  companionship

84.  time to ponder 

85.  inspired moments

86.  inspired words

87.  hymns of worship

88.  prayer

89.  devotion

90.  food for the soul

What has inspired thankfulness in you today?

 

 

Words that resonate in my heart and soul...

 

Resonate defined:  To vibrate or sound, especially in response to another vibration; To have an effect or impact; to influence;

 

Utter helplessness

 

The stark reality that without Him I can do nothing of lasting value.  It is not about me but all about Him.  My best efforts are nothing compared to His perfect plan.

 

Absolute dependence

 

To trust Him more than I trust myself.  To realise that I am dependent on Him for every breath and for every step I take.  To seek His wisdom in every circumstance, every decision. 

 

Perfect confidence 

 

To have an unwavering certainty that what He says He will do, that His promises are in reality mine as I trust Him

 

Entire consecration

 

Nothing of me that it might be all of Him, pervading every part of my life.  My heart and life His, safe in His hands. 

 

Perfect Conformity

 

To be like Jesus, to become more and more like Him – not because I am able, but because He empowers me.

 

Abundant Fruit

 

To the glory of God and the blessing of others.  That the life and love of Jesus will be seen in my life and that others will want to know Him because they have seen that He is everything to me – that they will long for a relationship with Him for themselves too. 

 

What words resonate with you?

 

One of my most favourite parts of the day is the quiet time in the morning when I can just be still and spend time connecting with the One who loves me so much.  Sabbath mornings are slower than during the week when I have to go to work, and  I look forward to taking unhurried time to just be in His presence and to soak up what His Word has to say to me. 


This morning Isaiah 9:2, 6 & 7 just seemed to speak these truths to me…


Each day that  I live here in the land of the shadow of death I have the choice to live in the light of the presence of God or to walk in darkness…


It is my choice….I can’t be indecisive or sit on the fence, I must choose.  Not to choose is really to choose darkness…


In this uncertain world we live in, I only have today, I am not promised tomorrow…


Am I choosing to live in the light of His presence
or are we too busy with what we want to do….
           are we self focused, self directed,
                        afraid to give up control of our lives to Him,
afraid of what we might have to sacrifice,
                 foolishly thinking we know better?


In the light of the presence of God I find
       I have a Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God,
an Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace
                       as my constant companion.


Wonderful Counselor…
        He certainly has something to say about my life,
                the wisdom to order my days,
help for every circumstance…


Mighty God…
            He is just waiting for me to “give up”
      and let Him work in my life…
He can do everything I ask and more than I can imagine…
                  why so many times let self linger and take control?


Everlasting Father…
      He will always be  there for me,
                  He will always love me
Always care for me.


Prince of Peace…
        His gift to me is rest, freedom from fear….
hope…how many times
                       He has poured out His peace
into my fearful heart.


In the light of the presence of God there is….
          unlimited love
                                 perfect peace
                                                         wisdom for living
          power, strength & deliverance

He supplies all that I need.


Oh may my one desire always be to live in the light of Your Presence.


                        May we live in the light of the Risen Lamb.

He Knows Us

God wants people that He can depend upon. He could say of Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children . . . that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken." God can be depended upon; He wants us to be just as decided, as reliable, as stable. This is just what faith means.

God is looking for men on whom He can put the weight of all His love and power and faithful promises. God's engines are strong enough to draw any weight we attach to them. Unfortunately the cable which we fasten to the engine is often too weak to hold the weight of our prayer; therefore God is drilling us, disciplining us to stability and certainty in the life of faith. Let us learn our lessons and stand fast. --A. B. Simpson

God knows that you can stand that trial; He would not give it to you if you could not. It is His trust in you that explains the trials of life, however bitter they may be. God knows our strength, and He measures it to the last inch; and a trial was never given to any man that was greater than that man's strength, through God, to bear it.

Share with me how He has been your strength recently…

 

 

My son had this song playing the other day and I was

once again impressed with the beauty of the words of this song.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

 

My faithful Father, enduring Friend
Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into Your presence
I stand in wonder once again

CHORUS:
Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees
Your grace still amazes me
‘Cause Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour, You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You, Lord, what can I say
I know there’s no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise

It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
It’s deeper it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
than anything my eyes can see

As I ponder these words I am truly in awe of His amazing grace that

is continually poured out like a river which flows into and through my life...

Take time to ponder them and be moved by His grace today.