God has been hitting me with a lot of Stuff today. I praised Him today for His Word. I praised Him today that His word is actually alive, that it actually pierces through bone and marrow, that it actually cuts opens and reveals the darkness and exposes it to light. I praised Him for His Word in my life and for showing me where I am weak even though I pretend to be strong.
Today when I read this scripture from Jeremiah 3, I saw myself. While I may not be a prostitute walking the streets, how many times have I been guilty of using my gifts for unworthy purposes or sitting by waiting for things of this world to fill me, neglecting the true power of His Word; neglecting and living out the fact that HE IS ENOUGH!
I have been guilty of defiling what He has given me, doing wrong, knowing full well He sees me and sees my heart. I have acted as though I can be disobedient and still expect the heavens to pour down on me. I have had unrepentant, unashamed sin in my life and kept quiet when I see it in the lives of those I love. Today I praised God for making things clear.
Today I am reminded that the floodgates of heaven are opened not because of what I have done or not done, but because of what He has done. I am reminded that each and every time I fail, He delights for me to return. He delights to call me His child. He delights in blessing me. My Father delights in me.
Thank you God for what Your son, Jesus Christ did. Thank You that He made it possible to return, to confess and to receive forgiveness. Thank you, that through your power, I can live a life of repentance and walk in grace and mercy. Thank you that I can speak of your love to the lost.
This is the song I wrote today
Return, oh return
Return, return, oh return
Sittin by the road side you sat waitin'
Waiting for your lovers to come by
You defiled the land with your prostitution
and your wickedness right before my eyes
But He declares.....
Return, oh return
Return, return, oh return
Therefore the showers have been held back
and no spring rains falling down, down, down
You have that brazen look of a prostitute
You refuse to blush, no shame, no shame, no shame
but God says......
Return, oh return
Return, return, oh return
How gladly I will call you child
How gladly will I give you this land, this nation
Just return, oh return
Return, return, oh return
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Just a Thought~Romans 12:1-2
I think what struck me in all it's simplicity today when I was reading and praying about Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's perfect will is-His good,pleasing and perfect will", is that it is so simple.
How many times do we ask what is God's will for us in our life and talk of our struggles in knowing His will because life is so complicated and there are so many variables. I think the answer could be, often. But here it seems so simple. If I do not conform to the pattern of the world and renew my mind with His word, so becoming transformed, THEN, I will be able to test and approve God's good, pleasing and PERFECT will.
So, walk with Christ, let His Word transform me and renew my mind so that I can test and confirm, and then I will know. Seems so easy, yet maybe the lack of daily renewal, the tiptoeing in the pattern of the world, and forgetting to test and approve what His will is, makes God's instruction appear more difficult than it is.
Just a thought running through my heart and mind today. Lord, be with us this day that we might daily, hourly and moment by moment be transformed and renew are hearts and minds through your word, so that we will know Your perfect will in our lives. God you are great and worthy of all our honor. I am humbled by your grace over my life and the lives of those you love. Amen!!!
Remedy: Remember
Jeremiah 2:13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
It seems that so many of my struggles today come from the same two sins. When I forsake God, when I forget that He is sovereign over every detail of my life, that He holds this whole world in the palm of His hand, when I forget that He knows the plans He has for me and that they are good, when I forget the passion I once had for him, when I forsake speaking to Him about every detail of my life, when I forsake Him, I fall into sin. I fall into doubt. I fall into worry and most of all, I fall into forgetfulness.
Then there are moments of my life when I too dig my own cisterns, my own vessels to carry the living water. I may do this by putting my trust in someone else, in something else. I may run to others first instead of running to the true Spring of Living Water. The vessels that I build out of my own resources crack and fade and lead me to disappointment, frustration and forgetfulness of the One True God, the True Living Water, the one who has no cracks, my Savior and Lord.
Sadly, sometimes I can walk through month like this. I have walked this way, in the past, sometimes for years. As of late, it may be day, a week, or even a moment. Yet, even in those moments it is a still painful reality, a painful memory. It's the pain of the shame of forgetting, but it's a shame that turns me back to the One, the source of all strength, the Bread of Life, the water for my soul.
"The only remedy for forgetting is to remember." What a joy to remember daily what He has done. What a joy to speak of His love for us that caused Him to send His only son to be sin for us, His son, who knew no sin so that we should be called righteous and holy. What pure joy to remember that I am white as snow, even though my sins are as scarlet. What a joy to remember that through faith in Jesus Christ my sins are as far as the east is from the west. What a joy to remember that I am redeemed. Oh to remember and never forget.
What a joy to remember that My Lord sings over me and quites me with His love. What a joy to remember that He is my strength when I am weary, that he is my strong tower and that I, being righteous, can run to Him and I am safe. What a joy to remember that He loves me.
What a joy to remember that he remembers me first and will never leave me or forsake me. What a joy to remember that His love knows no bounds. what a joy to remember that He first loved me and calls me His own and has made me an heir to His kingdom and that His kingdom will know no end. What a joy to remember that His mercies are new every morning and that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. What a joy to know that He is coming soon.
Who would ever want to forget theses things. Lord Jesus, help me to never forget. Thank you for your love and your faithfulness. To You be all glory, honor and praise, AMEN!!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Main Topic~GOD!
Habakkuk 3:1-6
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
What a way to start a prayer~acknowledging His fame, acknowledging that He is the topic of all our praise as we stand back in awe and wonder of who He is. Lest we forget, God make Yourself know and remind us by all means necessary. Wow!
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
His Praise! God is the topic, the main point of our praise. What else is there to boast about, surely nothing in me except my weaknesses, as Paul says, that once again really boast of the Lord's strength. He IS the topic of the Praise of our lips.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
What a picture of magnificence. Rays flashing from His hands as the glory of the Lord rises among us like a brilliant sunrise coming out of nowhere, hidden no more. FLASH~BANG! There He is!!
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
I'm trying to imagine how a mere look, a mere glance in my direction from the Lord can cause the nations to tremble. Who is this God? How Mighty is His name! Who is there in Heaven, but You, Oh Lord? Where can I go that you will not see me, where can I hide?...No where! You are there! Who is this King of Glory? God Almighty is the topic of my praise!!
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed—
but he marches on forever.
Oh Lord, Heaven and earth may pass away, but the name of the Lord marches on forever. He will not fade away. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yet my prayer and hope is that in my life, and the lives of all of you, day after day, He would grow brighter in our eyes and that we would grow in knowledge and understanding and most of all, awe of Him. May God be the topic of our praise. May God be on our lips. May His goodness be evident and march on though this world wastes away. May God be the topic of all praise. GOD BE PRAISED! I can't say it enough. God be praised!
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
What a way to start a prayer~acknowledging His fame, acknowledging that He is the topic of all our praise as we stand back in awe and wonder of who He is. Lest we forget, God make Yourself know and remind us by all means necessary. Wow!
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
His Praise! God is the topic, the main point of our praise. What else is there to boast about, surely nothing in me except my weaknesses, as Paul says, that once again really boast of the Lord's strength. He IS the topic of the Praise of our lips.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
What a picture of magnificence. Rays flashing from His hands as the glory of the Lord rises among us like a brilliant sunrise coming out of nowhere, hidden no more. FLASH~BANG! There He is!!
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
I'm trying to imagine how a mere look, a mere glance in my direction from the Lord can cause the nations to tremble. Who is this God? How Mighty is His name! Who is there in Heaven, but You, Oh Lord? Where can I go that you will not see me, where can I hide?...No where! You are there! Who is this King of Glory? God Almighty is the topic of my praise!!
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed—
but he marches on forever.
Oh Lord, Heaven and earth may pass away, but the name of the Lord marches on forever. He will not fade away. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yet my prayer and hope is that in my life, and the lives of all of you, day after day, He would grow brighter in our eyes and that we would grow in knowledge and understanding and most of all, awe of Him. May God be the topic of our praise. May God be on our lips. May His goodness be evident and march on though this world wastes away. May God be the topic of all praise. GOD BE PRAISED! I can't say it enough. God be praised!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Hebrews 12
I am considering Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that I will not grow weary. I am remembering the man who endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. Seriously, I have not even resisted to the point of shedding my blood in my struggle against sin.
I have been called back to Hebrews 12 repeatedly over the past few months. It seems that so many of my personal struggles against sin and my desire to live a life of Joy are summed up and addressed in this chapter. All scripture is useful for teaching, correcting and guiding me, but the Lord keeps bringing me back to this section. I could chew on it all day. Maybe part of my problem is that in actuality I don't chew on this section all day and so easily forget all that it says as I go through certain days and certain situations. But, the Lord in His mercy keeps calling me back, keeps molding me and shaping me. Thank you Lord for not growing weary of me.
I think it is easy for me to discern incorrectly certain struggles in my life and think I am suffering for Christ when in fact, I am suffering because of pride and selfishness. That is not the kind of suffering that produces the joy set before me. My prayer is that those struggles would be crucified daily and taken captive and crushed into obedience to Christ. I pray that my suffering would be the struggles that result from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient to his call.
It is here where I must remind anyone that reads this that I am not a prolific writer or expounder of the Word. I simply know what the Spirit reveals to me, or I am taught by those who know it well. I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, just a lover of the Lord and His Word in my life.
I pray that each of us would chew on His Word, love God, love others and serve in obedience out of the love and grace that God has poured out onto us through His son Jesus Christ. This is my prayer; these are the cries of my heart. These are the things I pray for in my life and for you the one that reads this.
I have been called back to Hebrews 12 repeatedly over the past few months. It seems that so many of my personal struggles against sin and my desire to live a life of Joy are summed up and addressed in this chapter. All scripture is useful for teaching, correcting and guiding me, but the Lord keeps bringing me back to this section. I could chew on it all day. Maybe part of my problem is that in actuality I don't chew on this section all day and so easily forget all that it says as I go through certain days and certain situations. But, the Lord in His mercy keeps calling me back, keeps molding me and shaping me. Thank you Lord for not growing weary of me.
I think it is easy for me to discern incorrectly certain struggles in my life and think I am suffering for Christ when in fact, I am suffering because of pride and selfishness. That is not the kind of suffering that produces the joy set before me. My prayer is that those struggles would be crucified daily and taken captive and crushed into obedience to Christ. I pray that my suffering would be the struggles that result from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient to his call.
It is here where I must remind anyone that reads this that I am not a prolific writer or expounder of the Word. I simply know what the Spirit reveals to me, or I am taught by those who know it well. I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, just a lover of the Lord and His Word in my life.
I pray that each of us would chew on His Word, love God, love others and serve in obedience out of the love and grace that God has poured out onto us through His son Jesus Christ. This is my prayer; these are the cries of my heart. These are the things I pray for in my life and for you the one that reads this.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
KOEHNE'S CORNER
I think that today is the day of me getting to share all the wonderful pieces that other people write that inspire me and hopefully will bless you too. Among one of them is my dear husband who simply writes a blurb each week at the High School he works at. I really enjoyed what he said this week, so I would like to share that with you....And as I say "you" I do wonder who "you"are, let me know. Regardless, be blessed this day as I have been.
Here it is. . . . . .
KOEHNE’S CORNER
Advent is here. A time of preparation, but what are we preparing for? A lot of our time is spent preparing for a concert, or a party, or buying gifts for friends and family. I wonder what Mary’s time of preparation was like? What we know is that Mary’s response to the angels was “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38) Will we have this same attitude as we prepare? Will we take the time to be the Lord’s servant when it feels like there is so much to be done? I hope this Advent is a time for all of us to be able to focus on the coming Christ and the opportunities that we have to be like Mary and say, I am the Lord’s servant. ~Bob Koehne
Here it is. . . . . .
KOEHNE’S CORNER
Advent is here. A time of preparation, but what are we preparing for? A lot of our time is spent preparing for a concert, or a party, or buying gifts for friends and family. I wonder what Mary’s time of preparation was like? What we know is that Mary’s response to the angels was “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38) Will we have this same attitude as we prepare? Will we take the time to be the Lord’s servant when it feels like there is so much to be done? I hope this Advent is a time for all of us to be able to focus on the coming Christ and the opportunities that we have to be like Mary and say, I am the Lord’s servant. ~Bob Koehne
Some Food for your Life
I read my dear friends devotions each day that she sends them. Today spoke to me deeply as I was in the midst of doing my own Bible study dealing with loneliness and the Apostle Paul was one of the followers we learned from. I learned how Paul dealt with the possibility of loneliness, being imprisoned and isolated in that cold damp prison. He even wrote to Timothy wanting him to come and visit. Yet even in that loneliness Paul ran to His Father, He sought comfort and safety in His Lord, Jesus Christ.
That is really all I have to say, the rest I wanted to share with you through my friends blog. Enjoy. May theses words bless you today where ever you are at and remind you of what a great and faithful Lord we have.
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