Tag: receive

“He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all . . . “

“He saved me from my low estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, 1782.

When temptations rise to be afraid or heavy-hearted under life’s weight, the hymns immediately change my mind.

After-all, doesn’t the Lord tell me, (and you), in His Word to, “Fix (y)our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable” Philippians 4:8, NLT.

And furthermore, to “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.“

The hymnal, (along with the Bible, of course), is a safe place to find excellent and praise-worthy thoughts:

He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all; He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, Loving-Kindness, 1782.

To wake and imagine my sweet Lord, patting the seat next to Him on the sofa,”Come a sit by Me.” So, I sit to be with the Lover of my soul as I open the hymnal:

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song for me,
His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

(In the back of our minds, do we have the report from the doctor, or that call on the phone, or the piece of mail that recently arrived?)

The Lord in my heart, is near. He’s right here. And He reminds me today from this hymn long ago:

Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
Though earth and hell my way oppose,
He safely leads my soul along,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

The Comforter, the Holy Spirit speaks to me. He reminds me of a favorite psalm,

Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him Psalm 42:5.

When trouble like a gloomy cloud,
Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
He near my soul has always stood,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!

God’s Word is living water refreshing my soul. Word-picture perfect, Psalm 42 reminds me, “God knows.”

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God . . . My tears have been my food day and night,While they continually say to me,“Where is your God?” . . .

For I used to go with the multitude;I went with them to the house of God,With the voice of joy and praise, Psalm 42:1,3,4.

I will think on this today, “His loving-kindness, oh, how good:”

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life . . .

Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God;For I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God Psalm 42:8,11.

My eyes are up. My heart is tuned.

“He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song for me, His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

His loving-kindness, oh, . . .

how free!

Revive us Oh Lord. We speak aloud Your Word:

 “Sing, . . . Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes . . .
Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
   the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    he is called the God of all the earth . . .
Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you Isaiah 54:1-10.

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise.

“His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”

Loving-Kindness by Samuel Medley, 1782:

  1. Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
    And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
    He justly claims a song for me,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
  2. He saw me ruined in the fall,
    Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
    He saved me from my lost estate,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
  3. Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
    Though earth and hell my way oppose,
    He safely leads my soul along,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
  4. When trouble like a gloomy cloud,
    Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
    He near my soul has always stood,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
  5. Soon I shall pass the gloomy vale,
    Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail;
    Oh, may my last expiring breath
    His loving-kindness sing in death.
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness sing in death.
  6. Then let me mount and soar away
    To the bright world of endless day;
    And sing with raptures and surprise,
    His loving-kindness in the skies.
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness in the skies.
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O For Grace to Trust Him More

The taste of sweet treats I challenge myself to put away, and as a new year begins, I pray instead for increased craving for the promises of God.

For motivation, I open the Amplified Word.

“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied” Matthew 5:6.

Who doesn’t want to be joyful and nourished by God’s goodness? Well, maybe some, but if God tells us how to be blessed, I want  to know more of Him and His Word.

This brings to mind an old hymn: ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to take Him at His word. Just to rest upon His promise. Just to Know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Today’s news is hard. Storms are brewing. Yet, if I take delight in the sweet, precious Word of God, and remember what saith the Lord, then I have no reason to fear, because I’m reminded the best truth of all, that God is with me.

Even if I “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” in our hard, demanding days, when I choose to draw near to God, He promises to draw near to me.

“Oh how sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to trust His cleansing blood, and in simple faith to plunge me ‘neath the healing, cleansing flood.”

Spending a little time in God’s Word and thinking on this related hymn, I’m reminded that, “In Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:28.

He surrounds me.

I can rest upon His promises.

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
 say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you” Isaiah 35:3,4.

My mind and heart are not strengthened by excess of anything, except perhaps, the Word of God and the reading of the hymns.

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Taking hold of God’s provision, life and rest, and joy and peace, is most satisfying. ‘Tis so sweet. This is how we can be blessed. Yes?

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Oh, to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

 “Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

 “Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

Oh for grace to trust Him more.

a prayer for the morning

Today, Lord God, give me a teachable heart. Let my mind bend and not be fixed and stubborn.
Give me willingness, that I might listen.

Teach me honor. What it means to honor You, my Father in heaven. What is honor to mother and father and family, or those who most closely watch over me?

Your Book is not all honey, it brings light to my faults. May I make changes toward harmony. Search me and show me where to start.

Take the critical and bitterness out. Season the words from my mouth . . . with salt.
Teach me to put other’s interests and ideas above my own. Minute by minute, I can’t do this alone.

Make me to lie down, and discover Your pastures, they are sufficient for me. To Be still and know “true love.” Give me sight that I might “see”
that perhaps, I need to make things right.

To turn around in my ways and consider Your broken heart. Today. Today, let me walk in a new light.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Mold me into a vessel for Your glory and not mine. As well watered clay, transform me . . . by Your love.

Help me live this day, as if it were my last day in earthly time . . .

In Jesus name, Amen. Hear my morning prayer, again, and again.

Psalm 51: 1-15, to be read aloud, that we might hear with our ears, the sounds, and let God’s love abound:

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.

The Gift Giver

Notice, freedom to choose.

Given by God.

God gives, God gave.

 

Freedom to hate.

Choice has been given to man from God.

He’s the Creator above.

He’s the Author of life.

Choice was given, because God loves.

It’s so sad to see what we do to God.

Blame Him,

The Author of life. An eye for design, has gained pleasure with color,sound, shape, and line.
But His greatest joy, I believe I have learned, is when we choose to believe, receive and love Him back in return.
Then a song develops deep in our heart, and abiding in Him, strengthened by Him, joy returns with each day’s new start.
He’s a gift giver, our Father in heaven, reaches out His great hand. He sees, He knows, He is able … and He waits … ’till we reach out to Him.
If we don’t, we won’t see – that our Father in heaven sent Jesus to save us and the Holy Spirit of promise to keep, comfort, and help us.
The gift of God is gloriously expressed in heavenly sunsets, and sunrises. He is the Master Artist, the Author of life, and patient as He waits … for us to call Him beside us.
He’s the Creator of all that we see. He is Great. He is God. And we all have a choice. To live in the Spirit in fellowship with Him, or walk away from Him and follow the lead of our own voice.
Freedom to choose. God, the greatest gift giver.  Freedom to love. When we choose Jesus, we bring God complete pleasure.
Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
John 1:12,  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Jesus died for sinners.

Jesus died for the guilty. This is a fact.

I’m guilty, is another fact.

Every living human being on this planet is guilty. Go ahead and blame Adam and Eve, but we would have done the same thing if we were them.

We’re naturally rebellious. We all struggle with temptation and curiosity. Doesn’t the wisdom of the world always sound like it makes more sense than God’s Word?

Science and scholars convince themselves (and everyone else) that the Bible is only mythology and fables.

But, what we believe doesn’t change who God is, His story, or His Word.

The Bible tells us that Jesus died for liars.

He died for haters.

He died for adulterers and murderers.

Jesus faced nails hammered into His hands, the agony, ridicule, and shame of the cross for the hopeless.

I wonder if our denying Him hurts more than all His scars put together? The spit, the tearing out of His beard. The harsh words, the cruel behavior, the flogging, the whipping.

He didn’t say, “Forget it Father, these people aren’t worth dying for.”

Instead, when it was all said and done, moments before dying, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing . . . ” Luke 23:34.

Who can do this?

Jesus.

The human race is born spiritually blind and mute. Faith is the eye opener.

Do you know Jesus? Let an old hymn unlock Faith’s door:

I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small,
child of weakness
Watch and Pray-
find in Me – thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow!

He washed our stain of sin, white as snow. That’s why we make a big deal about Jesus. His power changes us when we ask forgiveness and believe in His name.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

A heart of stone made soft? Change from the inside out?

That’s what Jesus does. And He humbles us of pride:

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Nothing good on my part, save believing on all He has done.

Jesus paid it all. He suffers long and waits. And when we receive Him, life everlasting is ours for the taking:

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat. 

“Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.”

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