I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I have pondered a lot over the happenings in our world lately. It seems that the whole world is “on fire” and no one is interested in putting the fire out. Protests all over the U.S., civil unrest over government agents doing what they were hired to do, and general disharmony throughout the world. So, what exactly is happening? I venture to say that Christ’s coming is ever closer and these events are part of getting us ready. Am I a prophet foretelling the coming of Jesus? No, of course not! I am just pointing out that we need to be ready whenever He comes back and, for me, looking at world events, the sooner the better. But He is waiting until the Father tells Him to “go” and we are waiting, too. In our time of patience or impatience, depending on the day and the events therein, we are to continue praying, working, and doing. The world’s events do not change what God has asked us to do.
I have said for a while now that the United States, along with most, if not all, nations, have lost their moral compass. For me, my moral compass is God and His Word. Denison’s Forum has an interesting perspective on the situation in our nation and the world, so I am presenting that here for you to read. Scroll down until you reach the section about the resignation of Brooks and then keep reading. Parts of this were eye-opening to me while others just made me nod my head in agreement, saying, “Yes, that is what is needed.”
I am a little sad today because it is still so icy here in Virginia that it is dangerous to be out and about, especially if you are prone to fall as I am. So, no church today. In fact, our pastor made a video of the parking lot and it’s mostly a sheet of ice. He says that they are having the 11:00 service only (we usually have four services) and only those with four-wheel drive should plan to attend. So, I will be watching the streaming service online and I am thankful that is an option. With the ice and cold and snow and cold, I have been inside, missed appointments and not very cheerful these days. God reminded me this morning that He is still the same, in the cold and icy places, too. So, I am choosing to worship and hope that you will join me.
I love hymns because they encourage me and genuinely make my heart happy. I hope you enjoy this one that Mike Huckabee shared on his Substack Prayer Tree post today.
1 There’s within my heart a melody; Jesus whispers sweet and low, “Fear not, I am with you, peace, be still,” In all of life’s ebb and flow.
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
2 All my life was wrecked by sin and strife, discord filled my heart with pain, Jesus swept across the broken strings, Stirred the slumbering cords again.
[Refrain]
3 Though sometimes He leads through waters deep, trials fall across the way; though sometimes the path seems rough and steep, See His footprints all the way.
[Refrain]
4 Feasting on the riches of His grace, resting ‘neath His sheltering wing, always looking on His smiling face, That is why I shout and sing.
[Refrain]
5 Soon He’s coming back to welcome me far beyond the starry sky; I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown, I shall reign with Him on high. [Refrain]
All of these verses speak to me about future hope and the way we make it through challenges here on earth. Jesus is always with me, so I need to always stay with Him.
Have you ever been on top of a mountain and stopped at an overlook? We don’t do that much anymore, but my husband and I and our children would pause from a long trip and just take in the view. It was refreshing to be out in the nice clean air and look at the clear sky above us and the beautiful farmland and houses scattered in the valley below us. From that perspective we didn’t see the troubles people were having, the traffic snarls or the billboards that interrupted God’s creation. We saw the beauty, the peace and the stillness that comes from rising above all of it and looking down. A totally new perspective! We would linger a few minutes, do some stretches and head back to the car to continue our journey. Our mood is better because we got to take a break from the stress of the long trip.
I think all of us need to take some time at various intervals in our lives just to rise above the circumstances that are plaguing our lives and get a new perspective. God isn’t bothered by the cacophony all around us, but we are. We need to rise above it and rest with Him, seeing things from the protection of His comforting arms and love.
What we oftentimes see as a disaster about to disrupt our entire lives ends up being a small thing instead. As I write this, I am thinking about the looming storm heading towards Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. They indeed have a disaster about to happen. I am praying that the people there will take refuge in God and that God will have mercy on them. I would like to hope that the storm will turn and go out to sea, but the prognosticators say this storm will hit the island directly and cause massive damage. I am saddened by the plight of this nation, but I know that this storm will pass as so many others have before it. It will leave destruction behind, or that is the expectation of a Cat 5 storm and helpers will appear to offer assistance and hope.
Meanwhile, we are safe in our homes, with gray skies perhaps and a storm raging in our hearts because of the circumstances in our lives. We may not have a hurricane barreling towards us, but there is always a storm somewhere waiting for a period of time when we leave the shelter of God’s protection and venture out on our own to find out what is happening in our world. My answer to that is “nothing good” so it is better to keep our eyes focused on God and stay sheltered by Him. Let the storms find us in the shadow of His wings, not running around looking for troubles. May God help us learn a lesson from the storms that others face and endure!
The lesson that I am still learning after weathering various storms in my life is that I cannot change the direction of the storm so that it changes the direction of its course, but I can change my attitude. It is in praise that I find my peace and security in God. If I look at the circumstances when I am in the middle of the storm in my life, I lose hope and begin to focus on the solutions that I can come up with in my finite mind. But when I focus on God, I have a new perspective. I rise above the storm and see things in a different way that I never expected to see. My attitude is changed from one of hopeless surrender to one of victorious expectation.
God is and always has been faithful. We change, wavering with the winds that blow into our lives. What we forget is that the winds will die down, but God will still be there, right there beside us, waiting for us to take shelter in Him. For many, that means quietly waiting before Him for an answer. For others, like me, it means singing through the storm and repeating scripture verses to help remind us of God’s faithfulness. God doesn’t change just because our circumstances do. He is always the same—always loving, always present, always ready to help us if we just try to rise above the circumstances and take time to be with Him instead of wallowing in our problems.
I was guided to a new-to-me song in my devotional this morning. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. It seems to be based on Psalm 57 and spoke to my heart about taking shelter in God and not in man-made, temporary solutions.
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before! Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banner go! (Refrain)
2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise! (Refrain)
3. Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod. We are not divided; All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity. (Refrain)
4. Onward then, ye people, Join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor Unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages Men and angels sing. (Refrain)
Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before!
This image goes along with my post yesterday about preparing for each new day with the armor of God. Today, God reminded me of a hymn to spur us on as we go into battle, so I thought a visual of the armor would be appropriate here.
One of the tricks of the enemy of our soul is to convince us that we don’t belong to God, that we are still captured by sin and just cannot ever escape. In other words, the enemy uses lies while God uses promises. If we know His Word and have it hidden in our hearts, it is much more difficult for the enemy to convince us that we are not saved from our sins. We need to know that we know that we have been adopted by the King of the Universe and we are His children. We are not slaves, running in every direction and fearing punishment if we do not complete the prescribed tasks. Rather, we are His beloved sons and daughters whom He wants to get close to and have a relationship with. The last thing our enemy wants is for us to realize our position with the Father, but it is also why he works so hard to convince us that we are no different now than before we became Christians. Remember that the walk with God is a daily journey, not a sprint to win a prize. The prize comes at the end of our life’s journey. Thus, we must be patiently continuing with the Lord and ignoring the traps laid out by the enemy to make us think we are still his. Use the scriptures as Jesus did and reply when you are tempted with the truth of His Word. The father of lies cannot stand against the truth. I am a child of the king, no longer a slave to sin and the fear of death! And if you are a believer, so are you.
What sounds are in your life right now? For me, it’s the washing machine, the dryer, my husband flipping pages of his notebook as he pays bills. And me hitting the keys on the keyboard. The sounds I want to hear are praise, so that’s what I will share as I surround myself with the comforting presence of the Lord.
So, as you travel down life’s road today, what sounds are you hearing? What are you listening to? Share in the comments and let me know the praise songs you listen to or sing as you start the day. Every day has its challenges, but every day is always better when you start with praise.
1 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home:
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2 Under the shadow of your throne your saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.
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3 Before the hills in order stood, or earth received its frame, from everlasting you are God, to endless years the same.
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4 A thousand ages in your sight are like an evening gone, short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.
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5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream, soon bears us all away; we fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op’ning day.
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6 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, still be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home!
My Musings
I was raised in a traditional church, although I did not attend regularly. But hymns were a regular part of every Sunday when I did attend, and I learned to listen to the words as I sang them. Now that I am a Christian, I have found that the words of the old hymns continue to speak to my heart of a faithful God who is eternal and unchanging. The world may change; the standards all around us may change. But God will never change, so we can count on Him to fulfill His promises and to take us to be with Him one day.
A Personal Note:
I am spending the weekend with our son and his family at a water park in Williamsburg, Virginia. This trip was planned several months ago and we all have been excited about spending time together in a relaxing environment. Unfortunately, on the Friday before our trip, I had to go to the ER because of awful pain in my left foot. After x-rays and an examination, the doctor said that he thinks it is just badly sprained but it may have a hairline fracture. So, later this month, I have to see the orthopedic specialist. Meanwhile, I am in an ortho shoe for support and using pain patches. I cannot get in the water with the rest of my family, but I am enjoying seeing their exuberance and excitement here. So, no worries because God is good all the time and I know and believe it even when my plans don’t work out as I expected!
Do you remember during your childhood when you would get a scrape or a bump? That is a normal part of growing up, isn’t it? What did you do when you got hurt? The most likely answer is that you ran as fast as you could to the one you trusted to take care of the problem. Mom, Dad, Grandmother, whoever was the trustworthy adult around at that time. I recall my Nanny (my mom’s mom) always got out the mercurochrome (ouch!), applied it liberally and blew on it to stop the burning the medication caused. Then, she applied a bandaid and told me to go back and play but be careful. I hated the medicine, but I liked the loving care that went along with it.
When my own children got hurt, usually then their dad was deployed, my first response was to pray, check to see if it was something I could handle with neosporin and a bandaid or if we needed to go to the ER and then do whatever was needed to comfort my child. For one child, it was always a cuddle, for another it was to divert attention with a funny story or a song. I was their trustworthy adult and that was a heavy responsibility for growing and adventurous kids. They knew, though, that prayer was first and then action and if I forgot to pray because I was panicking over the extent of the injury, one of them would remind me.
God is our trustworthy refuge to whom we can go when we are hurting or just need to know someone is there. He is always there for those who trust in Him. He cares for each of us, more even than my Nanny cared for me or I care for my children and grandchildren. He is invested in our lives because He created us and He wants us to be okay in this life that He has placed us in. So, running to Him is a no brainer if you have a relationship with Him, recognizing not only His power but also His mercy and great love for you. The world is full of evil and there are a lot of things that can hurt you, but we need to remember to run as fast as we can to God when we get hurt. He is the one with the words to heal and the heart that always cares. He is a good, good Father.
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