Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion... Philippians 2:1-4
Many heartaches await wicked people, but mercy surrounds those who trust the Lord.
Be glad and find joy in the Lord, you righteous people.
Sing with joy, all whose motives are decent. (Psalms 32:10, 11 GW)
Rich Mullens has a song entitled, "Hold Me, Jesus". Even when we are in a time of uncertainty or even darkness, the mercy and Grace of God are at work and sufficient for us. His mercy encompasses everything that seems exposed and weak. His grace reaches to the innermost parts of our being. This is the perfect time to find joy in The Lord. Our faith and hope in Him shines brightest in the darkness.
Before I became a Christian, when the name of Jesus was spoken (not cursed) but spoken, something inside of me felt like I was punched in the stomach.
After becoming a child of God, when the name of Jesus is mentioned my heart rejoices.
So that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel. Philippians 2:10 Spending time praying and praising...join me. His name is Holy. His name is Jesus!
You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame. You will sing about your wealth instead of being disgraced. That is why you will have a double measure of wealth in your land. You will have everlasting joy.
I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people’s work. I will make an everlasting promise to them.
Then their offspring will be known among the nations and their descendants among the people. Everyone who sees them will recognize that they are the descendants whom the Lord has blessed.
I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:7-10 GW)
God has never and will never forsaken the righteous, those whom He has called as His own. God, my Father is faithful. Praise be to His Name! You, O God, are faithful to a thousand generations. Your eye is on the sparrow and I know You watch over Your own.
Today is Ash Wednesday. Over the last few months, I have been reevaluating what I believe about fasting. It seems others are doing the same from some of the questions I have been asked. The main question asked boils down to "Why do we fast?"
Before I have been under the impression that we must replace the fast with prayer or worship or something that would make it more than skipping out on a meal or missing out on something important to me. While that is part of it, it is more the symptom than the reason.
During what others have called a dark night of the soul, I realize that fasting is what I must do. It seems that food and other things that would occupy my time simply do not provide the strength needed to breath, or talk, or get through the day. Those things even food become a simple substitution that I do not have time for while relying on the strength that my God alone gives freely to us His beloved children.
So this year, I will not fast, but rely with all that my soul can relinquish. Simply because HE is more faithful than food, His cup does not run dry, He sustains all things, even me.
A few scriptures are running together in my mind like this...Humble yourself under the Mighty Hand of God, for in due time you will reap a harvest if you faint not.(1Peter 5:6, Galatians 6:9)
Is my default when I hear the state of my brother or sister's heart to pity to pray?
So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed. Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective. (James 5:16 GW)
So in obedience we speak with boldness and faith to each other and for each other to the One who is faithful to hear our prayer and whose arm is NOT to short to save!
4 “Suppose
a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99
sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds
it? 5 When he finds it, he’s happy. He puts that sheep on his shoulders and 6 goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, ‘Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ 7 I
can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one
person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over
99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval.”
The Great Shepherd follows, goes after, pursues the lost sheep until He finds it. What a great God we serve, all the while we walk away from Him and pursue other things, in His prevenient grace, He pursues us... until we turn, until we fall, until we see our need for Him.
I have often understood this parable from this perspective, but what of the other sheep. What are they doing? Sometimes I think they are getting in the way trying to save the sheep themselves. Other times they may get bewildered and go their own way too, since the Shepherd is not taking care of things right now. What will I do? Trust and Obey is my answer out of habit and I am glad. Sometimes the obeying is harder and sometimes the trusting is harder, but to be happy in Jesus, that is what I will do. While I do, maybe sometimes I will be the sheep crying out for the Great Shepherd and maybe sometimes I will be the sheep dog, helping others to remain faithful along the way.
The picture above hangs on my office wall as a reminder...
Jesus while You do what You do best, I will trust, I will pray, I will cry, and I will be faithful to the One called Wonderful, the Great Shepherd.
Arise, arise, put on strength, O thou arm of the Lord, arise as in the days of old, in the ancient generations. Hast not thou struck the proud one, and wounded the dragon? (Isaiah 51:9 DRA)
There is a song, "Give Me Faith" that repeats, " I may be weak, but Your Spirit's strong in me!"
For everything there is a season. Now it seems good to me to "Rise Up". The dawn is here, God is alive and good. He alone is mighty to save. May my heart rest, trust and rise up in Your Name Jesus.
