Invisible Evidence

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.  Daniel 5:5

Wouldn't it be something if we saw God's physical hand write instructions or warnings on the walls of our homes as we begin our day?

    "Go here-"

    "Don't go there-"

    "Help so-and-so-"

Can you imagine hearing the voice of God speak when He told the gathered crowd how pleased He was of His beloved Son when Jesus was baptized? Matthew 3:17

Wouldn't it make life easier if we could just have an audible conversation with our Lord?

This past week I had to drive into town to do some errands and to help a friend.  I can count 4 times on just this trip into town when I could have been in a serious car accident.  FOUR TIMES!  

Did I see God's physical hand of protection?  No, but His hand was evident.  Why?  Because there is no other way to explain my safety.

I've heard God 'speak' to me as well.  Not audibly, but so evident that I looked around to see if someone in my house was speaking to me.  His message was crystal clear.

God Has given us His Living Word.  It will guide you physically and spiritually, and you will hear God speak His will to you through it.

You just have to read it, study it, know it...

    and listen.

        But that's just me!

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:8

Safe wherever I go,

Peace the world cannot know;

Sins all forgiven, and heaven my home, 

I'm safe wherever I go.

(Hymn-John Rice 1972)

Delight!

 ...but the prayer of the upright is his delight.  Proverbs 15:8b

Websters dictionary defines delight as, a high degree of gratification, pleasure or joy.

After reading this verse in Proverbs, it got me thinking, what delights the Lord?

    He delights in the prayer of the upright- Proverbs 15:8b

    He delights in honesty- Proverbs 11:1

    He delights in those who are upright in their way-Proverbs 11:20

    He delights in those who deal truly-Proverbs 12:22

    He delights in those who know His ways and approach Him-Isaiah 58:2

    He delights in mercy-Micah 7:18

    He delights in wisdom-Proverbs 8:30

    He delights in His Son-Isaiah 42:1

And He delights in me!  Psalm 18:19

Knowing all the things that delight the Lord, I turned to Scripture to see what should delight me:

    Delight To do His will-Psalm 40:8

    Delight in the LORD-Psalm 37:4

    Delight in thy comforts-Psalm 94:19

    Delight in the Lord's way, in the way He leads me-Psalm 37:23

    Delight in His statutes- Psalm 119:16

    Delight in His testimonies and counselor's- Psalm 119:24

    Delight in the path of His commandments-Psalm 119:35

    Delight in His commandments:  Psalm 119:47,143, Psalm 112:1

    Delight in His Law-Psalm 119:70,77,92,174

So, as a child of God, what should bring me great gratification, pleasure and joy!

    The Word; Jesus Christ.

I delight in Him, He delights in me.

    How delightful!

        But that's just me!

" The great secret of the Christian life is to begin experiencing God as He desires me to experience Him.  God's greatest DELIGHT (capitalization mine) is to bring me into His presence."

    A.W.Tozer

Fainteth

 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small-Proverbs 24:10

Without the italic words, this verse would read like this:  Thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength small.

There is no 'if' about it.  It is when and why.

When I write out this verse with the words defined, it would read like:

If thou lack courage and spirit in the day of a serious misfortune and continued difficulty there will be no endurance to resist the attack, and influence will be minor.

Is that how I want to live my life in Christ?

No, but often I do.

So, the question is-

    When hard times come, do I give up?  Quit?  When God doesn't seem to answer my prayers and my situation seems to never end, do I release my influence and testimony over to my attacker?  My enemy?

OR-

    Do I remember where my help comes from?  Psalm 121

    Do I continue to run my race with endurance?  Hebrews 12:1

    Do I remember that Christ has overcome the world?  John 16:33

    Do I remember where the true battle lies and Who has already won?  Galatians 6

I am not a physically strong person, but because of Christ, I can be a SPIRITUALLY strong person!

    But that's just me!

David did not need to know the strength of Goliath-

He already knew the strength of his God!

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  2 Corinthians 4:16,17

Chronic Pain

When dealing with chronic health issues, it's easy to focus on the problem.  They become overwhelming and we can find ourselves making things worse because we grow weary of the constant battle.  Pity parties begin, and then we begin to ask God for the reasons we go through some of the things we go through.

Then I begin to pray for my friends who endure chronic health issues and begin to realize that my problems really aren't so bad.

Instead of asking God the 'why?' I begin to ask myself, 'Am I standing on the problems of life, or am I standing on the Promises of God?'

And, what brings God more glory?  My strength, or His strength through me?

I think we already know the answer to that question.

David and Job come to mind when I think of those who endured health problems.  Job was on the brink of death, and yet he continued to glorify and praise God.

I've witnessed that same testimony in the life of my friends who battle cancer on a day-to-day basis, and I witnessed that in the life of my mother before she died of cancer.  She kept telling me over and over, every day, 'God is so good!' 

One day we will receive our glorified bodies, and boy what a day that will be!

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

So, until then, I'm going to quit demanding an explanation for everything and stop asking the 'why' and will strive to learn to live with unanswered questions, because that, my friend, is where our faith begins.

    But that's just me!

Weary Traveler

by Jordan St. Cyr 2022

Weary traveler

Beat down from the storms that you have weathered

Feels like this road just might go on forever

Carry on.

You keep on givin'

but every day this world just keeps on takin'

your tired heart is on the edge of breaking

carry on.

Weary traveler, restless soul

you were never meant to walk this road alone

it'll all be worth it, so just hold on

Weary traveler, you won't be weary long.

And no more searchin'

heaven's healing's gonna find where all the hurt is

When Jesus calls, we'll lay down all our heavy burdens

Carry on!

Someday soon we're gonna make it home!

Wisdom

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:4

Solomon could have asked God for anything, and yet we find in verse 9 of the same chapter, that Solomon asked for wisdom.  

God was so pleased by his request that not only did God give him wisdom like no other man, but God blessed him with things Solomon did not ask for. (Verses 10-14)

God went above and beyond in blessings because Solomon chose wisdom.

I was reading Proverbs chapter 8 this morning, a Book of the Bible, and chapter written by Solomon.  It lists the added blessings that come with wisdom:

    Excellent and right things-

    Truth-

    Righteousness-

    Understanding and Knowledge-

    It is better than silver, gold and rubies-

    Prudence and witty inventions-

    Discernment-

    Counsel, sound wisdom and strength!

    High positions of authority-

    Fruit, and inheritance filled with treasures!

    Blessings, life and favour!

WOW!

Choosing God's way, His path, His wisdom, His word, only brings me blessings!

So why do I sometimes choose my own way?

Do I please God by the things I ask of Him?

I had a lot to think about this morning.  When I want my own way, I'm robbing myself of blessings God wants to give me for choosing His Wisdom.

    But that's just me!

"The chief means for attaining wisdom, and suitable gifts for the ministry, are the Holy Scriptures, and prayer."  John Newton

 

Seen

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

Luke 19:3,4

Recently while on vacation, we stopped at The Painted Canyon Visitor Center in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Western North Dakota.  A beautiful part of the Badlands!  As we walked along the path, we stopped next to the guard rail to look out over the view.  Suddenly my son pointed to the ground and said, 'Look, there's a rattle snake!'  My son who is six foot tall, and my husband who is five ten, stood beside each other like the walls of Jericho, oohing and aahing over their discovery, and much to my dismay, for I was pushing on their backs trying to make them move out of the way so that I could see the rattle snake too!  By the time I pushed through the barrier, my son said, 'Sorry, Mom, it's gone.'

I missed it!

This reminded me of another person who was short in stature, a man by the name of Zacchaeus.  He was a tax collector in Jericho, and he had heard that Jesus was going to be passing through his town.  The crowd was great, and as hard as Zacchaeus pressed against the crowd to see Jesus, he could not!  So, he climbed up into a sycomore tree!  Can you imagine his excitement?  He was going to see Jesus!

But more importantly, Luke 19:5 tells us that Jesus saw Zacchaeus!

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Are there times in your life when you can't see Jesus?  Take heart!  He sees you.  Right where you are: whether you are in a tree, or under a fig tree like Nathanael. (John 1:48) Are you on the mountaintop, or are you in a valley?

God sees you.

1 Peter 3:12a For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

You may lose sight of the Saviour from time to time, but the Saviour will never lose sight of you!

    But that's just me!