Promises

 Dear friends,

I’ve struggled with this last post – had a lot of ideas, but when it came right down to it, I felt that my ideas were not what  my friends needed to hear today.  I decided that only God’s love and truth would be my focus.  

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

I think sometimes all we need to think about is the amazing truth that Jesus, the Son of God came to earth as a man and lived a life that was constantly in the “giving” mode.  He died “giving” us all the chance to connect with Him – God in flesh and with the Father - God who answers our prayers, and the Holy Spirit - God who has come to be our helper, our comforter, our teacher, our friend.

Today, that is the way I want to see our amazing, powerful, almighty God.  He allows us to see so many facets of Himself in the scriptures and in His creation. And today we focus on His care and His love for each of us.

God is with us.  He is for us.  He loves each of us and He walks on the paths of our life, each step with us.

My mom had a plaque on the wall of her dining room.  I couldn’t remember the exact words, so I looked it up and found that it is a poem by Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932)

God hath not promised Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor and light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Mom didn’t always have an easy life.  She and my dad raised 4 children on a policeman’s pay.  It wasn’t easy even in those days.  Mom saw her share of grief and death.  She worked hard to make sacrifices for her family.  She cared for her mother in our home when it was, oh so hard.  Mom lost her husband, the love of her life, when she was only 60, and although she didn’t know how she could go on, she did, sometimes in sorrow and many days full of life and joy.  

God was my mother’s help.  She spent her life close to Him.  Her Bible was well used, and her children, friends, and Saint John’s church were blessed by the work of her hands.  

So I’ll remember the poem on her wall, but I’ll fiercely depend on the words from the Bible she was so fond of.

Psalm 42:8 (ESV) By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Psalm 86:15 (ESV) But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Singers' Prayers

 The book of Psalms sings to us in our troubles.

As we read through the Psalms we hear the "singers" crying out to God.  These songs speak words of anguish, of pain, of worry, of loneliness, of uncertainty.  But they also speak words that reflect assurance and understanding.

Let’s look at one of the singer’s cries for help.

Ps 42:3 (NIV) My tears have been my food day and night while they (people) say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Are you crying out to God with words like those?  Is sorrow filling your thoughts – are tears your food in the night?  Do you chew on worries?  It’s so easy to do, isn’t it - to let the “problems” in your life become “you”?  

It’s easy to see those problems as who you are, not something external to the “self” of you. 

If I lose a job, or something important in my life, do I see myself this way “I AM A LOSER."  Or if people don’t value my friendship, I may say to the mirror – "I AM UNLOVABLE."  Are you looking at these or other situations and seeing them as who you are?  Wow!  I’ve been there and sometimes, even though I know my position as God’s child in His family, those old thoughts still sometimes haunt my dreams.

The prayers of David and the other “singers” tell us that God is capable of handling all those tears, the anguish, and the problems in our lives.  These particular prayers speak of our assurance from God.

Assurance that God is alive and active.

Assurance that God is good.

Assurance that God cares for His people.

Assurance that God is capable.

And assurance that you are not “your situations” 

because you are a dearly loved child of the King.

The singer prays saying:

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 (NIV)

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8 (NIV)

He tells us God is capable. 

I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:4 (NLT)

My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! Psalm 57:7 (NLT)

The Psalms tell of the goodness of God.

For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11 (NLT)

How kind the LORD is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours! Psalm 116:5 (NLT)

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God? Psalm 71:19 (NLT)

 And finally, the singers remind us that we are on God’s mind.  

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:17 (NLT)

I’m on His mind.  I’m in His care.

He’s thinking thoughts of me

God sees each stumbling step I take,

and times that I despair.

He sees the worries that I face, 

the hurt, the pain that’s there.

He walks with me and talks to me

He holds me up and comforts me

No matter when or where.

My God is strong enough to hold 

the trials I cannot bear

He is the sun that shines so bright

He is the one who brings the light.

When my darkest thoughts are there.

He is here. He is kind.  He is able.

He is the almighty God.

A Midnight Prayer

 Dear Friends, do you ever lay your head on your pillow at night and wonder if there was any little thing you did or said that would please our God?  I know that sometimes I can’t think of anything terrible that I did – but I wonder if, that day, I even made God smile a little bit.

Yesterday I wrote this prayer – hadn’t planned to post it, but maybe it will touch someone’s heart.  

A prayer of repentance

Evening is closing the chapter “today.”

Many steps I have taken, some people I’ve met.

But many of them I’ve ignored on the way.

Though cocooned from the world in my own little nest

guilt keeps me from rest, holding slumber at bay.

I ponder my actions and thoughts from today

Close by my side, you were there Father, God

as I took every step, not watching the way.

I wonder tonight, is your heart even pleased

with the actions I take and the words that I say.

Gentle shepherd please come, place my sins from today.

In your sea of forgiveness as you promised you would.

With your almighty power take my heart’s guilt away.

Please speak to my soul Gentle Spirit.  

Draw near,

so your voice I will hear in the night wind,

 I pray.

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

 
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,