Beauty for Ashes…

 1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,

As when at first He lightly esteemed

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

And afterward more heavily oppressed her,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

In Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation

And increased its joy;

They rejoice before You

According to the joy of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden

And the staff of his shoulder,

The rod of his oppressor,

As in the day of Midian.

5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle,

And garments rolled in blood,

Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.—Isaiah 9:1-7

As I read the verses above my heart rejoiced!  I was one of those peoples who ONCE walked in darkness!  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved me, even when I was dead in trespasses and sin, made ME alive together with His Son.  He redeemed my life from destruction.  The Morning Star has risen in my heart bringing His light and His hope to my entire being. What a difference my Jesus has made in my life. I no longer live in the land of the shadow of death.  The light of life lives in my heart.  My darkness has become light and my earthly death will bring me into His presence forever. Beloved, He has come…

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”—Isaiah 61:4

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.—Psalm 30:11-12

Father…May the government of my life be on Your shoulders. You are my Wonderful Jesus…my Counselor, my Mighty God,

my Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace.

Holy Longings…

 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.—1 Corinthians 16:13

I can never pass up this verse without a holy longing to see it lived out in my own life.  

By His Spirit who dwells in me I want to live…

Watchful and expectant in the light of my Jesus’ imminent return…

Believing God…firm in my faith…immovable…persevering and persisting…abounding in His love and in His work.

Bravely without fear knowing that He dwells in me and is with me.  

Strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Strengthened with all might, ACCORDING to HIS glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.

Owing no one anything but love because love is the fulfillment of the law.  

Oh Father…May all I do and say be motivated by the love You have poured out in my heart.   

Last Days Encouragement…

 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

55 "O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.—1 Corinthians 15:50-58

As a believer in Jesus Christ, we are not destined for wrath. Verses 50-57 outline our victory and our subsequent destiny.  This ball of dirt is not our home.  We can reach forward and press on toward what is ahead. We fight a battle that has already been won. Our salvation is now nearer than when we first believed.  Truly, someday soon, we will see our God’s face in righteousness and be satisfied when we awake in His likeness. 

THEREFORE…

my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Beloved…nothing is in vain in the Lord.  Because this IS true…Live here in the shadow of His wing and in the light of His love. Live here in the light of the reality of eternity.  Do the next right thing.  Be faithful to do what He has called you to do and trust Him with the results.  Lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

“In God’s world, for those who are in earnest, there is no failure. No work truly done, no word earnestly spoken, no sacrifice freely made, was ever made in vain.” F. W. Robertson

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.—2 Timothy 4:7-8

A Place for Refuge…

For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.—Exodus 40:38

Lord...May Your divine Presence today guide and direct my path.  May it fill me with Your grace and strength and enable me to go from strength to strength being a shelter and a soft place to fall for each member of my family.  

 ❤️❤️

And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.—Isaiah 4:5-6

❤️❤️

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.—Ps 78:14

Underneath Are His Everlasting Arms…

 26 "There is none like the God of Jeshurun (Israel),

Who rides the heavens to your help,

And through the skies in His majestic glory.

27 "The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place,

And underneath are the everlasting arms;

He drove out the enemy from before you,

And said, ‘Destroy!'—Deuteronomy 33:26-27 AMP

Father...if the heavens are the work of your fingers, what must be the strength and power of Your everlasting arms??

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust."...

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.—Psalm 91:1-2;4

—You, my God, are my strong habitation to which I can continually resort.  

—You are my Owner and Protector

—You are the shield of my help

—You uphold me with Your righteous right hand

—You keep my faith from failing and my spirit from sinking.

Your merciful kindness toward me, Father, is great and Your grace is sufficient.  I am more than a conqueror through You who loves me. 

—You, my Father in Heaven, have strong, everlasting arms, and You will never let them fall or fail. 

The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him,

Who shelters him all the day long;

And he shall dwell between His shoulders."—Deuteronomy 33:12

28 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:28-31

16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

Let such as love Your salvation say continually,

“The LORD be magnified!”

17 But I am poor and needy;

Yet the LORD thinks upon me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Do not delay, O my God.—Psalm 40:16-17

Leaning Upon Her Beloved….

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?--Song of Solomon 8:5

O Father, may this be said of me!  Who better for me to lean on then You, the One who has the words to eternal life...who better to cleave unto than unto Your Son who makes roads in the wilderness and rivers in the deserts.  Help me, O God, to hearken and consider, to incline my ear to You and allow You to be my perfect Peace...my all in all.  Let me not trust in man but in You, my Father, who hears me, helps me and fights my battles.  You are my Hope, my Maker, my Husband, my Redeemer and my Friend...You, Father, are my God over everything.  You place Your banner of love over me and cover me in Your righteousness. 

You are my King who greatly desires me...You are my Lord and I worship You.  I am your beloved, leaning on your bosom, and You are mine.  Your grace is sufficient for me and Your strength is made perfect in weakness. You who make all things new...You who are my strength in weakness...You who brings beauty from ashes....You who can make my darkest night light about me and my greatest grief a spring...it is YOU who are my God! 

You, my mighty God, are in the very midst of me!  You will save me...You will rejoice over me with gladness.  You will quiet me with Your love and with singing You will "joy" over me.

Without Love, I am Nothing…

 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail;—1 Corinthians 13:4-8

These words from 1 Corinthians 13 always have the effect of blowing my pride out of the water, so to speak. They make me collapse on the inside because they confront me with my insufficiency.  That, however, is such a good thing! I AM INSUFFICIENT!  My God, thankfully, is not and He is my Helper. 

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:8

To be a Christian is to first and foremost love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love is the bond of perfection. Love is the debt that is always owed.  It is the one thing “we” can do to fulfill the law completely.   As believers, love for Christ must be the motivating force behind all that we do and all that we say. 

It would be great if this kind of self-sacrificing love were our natural response toward others. Unfortunately, it is not. In fact, we don't even often have loving feelings toward those around us. Most of the time our thoughts are on how they can love us. Since their thoughts are probably on themselves also, we are at an impasse. Biblical love, however, is a command. Our response therefore, is a matter of obedience.

As was said earlier, in and of ourselves this kind of love is impossible.  With God, however, all things are possible. When we believe, His love is poured out in our hearts by His Spirit who now dwells in us.  It is ONLY by HIS love that we can love others as He loves us.  Without His love we are nothing and can do nothing good.  

If I feel myself going awry during the day, it is ALWAYS helpful for me to remember love...to pray and surrender what “I WANT” and allow the Spirit of God to do what I cannot - love the precious people around me with His love.  

Beloved, by His Spirit love one another fervently; love never fails because love is of God.   When we walk in love, we walk in His perfect will and shine like lights in a dark world.  When we walk in love, we also walk effectively, not only temporally but also eternally.  I love thinking on that.  Loving others with God’s love has eternal consequences.   God’s love reaches beyond this world and into eternity.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.—1 Corinthians 13:2

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:8-10

Hear the Voice of Truth…

 The Beloved

1 Behold, you are fair, my love!

Behold, you are fair!

You have dove's eyes behind your veil.

Your hair is like a flock of goats,

Going down from Mount Gilead.

2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep

Which have come up from the washing,

Every one of which bears twins,

And none is barren among them.

3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,

And your mouth is lovely.

Your temples behind your veil

Are like a piece of pomegranate.

4 Your neck is like the tower of David,

Built for an armory,

On which hang a thousand bucklers,

All shields of mighty men.

5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,

Twins of a gazelle,

Which feed among the lilies.

6 Until the day breaks

And the shadows flee away,

I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh

And to the hill of frankincense.

7 You are all fair, my love,

And there is no spot in you.—Song of Solomon 4:1-7

Beloved…Hear the words of your Bridegroom, Jesus, as He praises Your beauty and extolls your graces. You, as a believer, are His lovely bride and His words to you are truth.  Hold them in your heart and rest in His perfect love.  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.—Ephesians 1:3-6

So often we listen to the self-serving and fickle voices of those around us or worse, the ugly, condemning voices in our own heads that the voice of God is drowned out and we become discouraged and disheartened.  Beloved…Hear Him!  He is the Voice of Truth.  Fill your mind, heart and soul with His precious word. It will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. 

Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One, And Come Away…

To My Precious Daughters..

I love the Song of Solomon...it is one of my favorites.  People laugh when they hear me say that, because there are so many interpretations to this book...some see it as an erotic love poem...others as the love between the king and his maiden and there are many viewpoints in between.  I see it as a beautiful picture of the love that Jesus has for me personally and corporately for His Bride, the church.  

With that said I was reading  the Song of Solomon  and came to chapter 2. Read the following verses as a love letter from the Lord or as if He is outside your bedroom window speaking to you before the dawn of a new day. 

My beloved spoke, and said to me: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.   For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!  "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely." Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.  My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag Upon the mountains of Bether. 

These verses always speak to my heart about what is truly important and how I need to give Jesus the pre-eminence in my life.  Jesus wants to spend time with me.  I am His love, His fair one, the one He died for...He is asking me to come away with Him.  He wants to see my face and hear my voice.  My king is outside my window before daybreak and is calling me to come...Other things in life (the little foxes) try to get in the way of my time with Him.  But He says, spend time with me, this is your all.  Don't stay in bed and leave me outside...come with Me.  You will need my grace and mercy.  You will need my guidance and my love today.  There are things I need to tell you.  Come away with me my love.

If only we would heed these words of Jesus...to come away with Him and let Him speak to our hearts.  But many times we roll over in bed and tell Him that yes, we are His, but we will meet Him later...you know...after the sun is up...at a less ungodly hour...or at a less inconvenient time. If you read further, what you will find is that as the day starts she finds that she needs Him and searches for Him in the city streets and in the broad ways...but she found him not. She had missed the moment. As soon as she does find Him, however, she takes Him to the closest place available to be with Him and would not let Him go. 

May we never not hear and obey His voice when He calls us to come away and be with Him.  May we put aside the business of living for a moment and focus on Him when His Spirit speaks to our hearts. Put nothing before Jesus and even your dark times He will make light about you. 

Love

Mom

Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters…

 Cast your bread upon the waters,

For you will find it after many days.

2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,

For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full of rain,

They empty themselves upon the earth;

And if a tree falls to the south or the north,

In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

4 He who observes the wind will not sow,

And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,

Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,

So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed,

And in the evening do not withhold your hand;

For you do not know which will prosper,

Either this or that,

Or whether both alike will be good.—Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

I love these verses!  So full of encouragement, wisdom and good advice.  

Cast your bread upon the waters,

For you will find it after many days.

Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,

For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

Freely you have received, freely give.  Don’t grow weary in doing good for in due season you will reap if you don’t lose heart. We can never out give God.  He is a debtor to no man. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

3 If the clouds are full of rain,

They empty themselves upon the earth;

And if a tree falls to the south or the north,

In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

4 He who observes the wind will not sow,

And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

Give generously…give often. It is so easy to put off doing good.  There is always a reason we can come up with as to why we shouldn’t…always a concern or worry for our own future. If we think like this we will never give because the time will never be right. So let us do whatever the Lord has placed on our heart and do it now.  

5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,

Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,

So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed,

And in the evening do not withhold your hand;

For you do not know which will prosper,

Either this or that,

Or whether both alike will be good.

None of us can even come close to understanding the ways of God.  We, as Job says, see the mere edges of His ways. Beloved…Stay the course…trust God. Keep giving. Sow in the morning and in the evening, do not withhold your hand.  Give not only of your wealth but give of your heart.  Keep sharing the love and grace of God with those around you.  Be faithful…be obedient. Not only will it be return to you pressed down and overflowing in the day of your own trouble, but you will be laying up treasure in heaven as well.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.—Galatians 6:7-10

His Lovingkindness Toward Me is Great….

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him— Psalm 103:11

Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.—1 Corinthians 10:24

This morning as I read through my readings, I saw the above two verses as beautiful complements. I CAN put others first.  I don’t NEED to seek my own interests or well-being. Because I am the Lord’s, the rule in my life can ALWAYS be others over self.  Why?  

Because my God’s mercy…

His lovingkindness…

His favor…

His goodness…

His faithfulness…

His steadfast love…

IS GREAT TOWARD ME!

I do not have to think on me.  I don’t have to protect my own interests.  He already does.  My God has got me covered.  He cares for me.  I can trust Him. He will not withhold from me any good thing.  

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!—Psalm 84:11-12

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23:6