Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
Psalm 6:8-9
I don’t know how, but You, O God, will bring me through this.
I have said before:
You are enough.
Now I will live it.
You are enough.
You are my strength.
You are my Source.
Thank You for keeping me.
Thank You for loving me.
Thank You for saving me.
Thank You for using me.
I am willing to be made willing.
“Prayer is suffering’s best result.”
Eugene Peterson
“O my God, teach me, when the shadows have gathered, that I am only in a tunnel.
It is enough for me to know that it will be all right some day. “
George Matheson
“ ‘The road is too rough,’ I said;
‘It is uphill all the way;
No flowers, but thorns instead;
And the skies over head are grey.’
But One took my hand at the entrance dim,
And sweet is the road that I walk with Him.
“ ‘ The cross is too great,’ I cried –
‘More than the back can bear,
So rough and heavy and wide,
And nobody by to care.’
And One stooped softly and touched my hand:
‘I know. I care. I understand.’
“Then why do we fret and sigh;
Cross-bearers all we go:
But the road ends by and by
In the dearest place we know,
And every step in the journey we
May take in the Lord’s own company.”
-Streams In The Desert
Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says – “I cannot stand any more.”
God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands.
For what have you need of patience just now?
Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith.
“Though He slay me, yet I will wait for Him.”
Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest
Lord, I am being stretched tighter than I have ever been
God’s song for me this day – I made a slight change to personalize it.
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with me, filling me with Your love.
And for these blessings I lift my heart in praise.
Without a doubt I’ll know that I have been revived,
When I shall leave this place.
Thank You, God, for the celebration of Olin’s life; for the experience of having the sanctuary filled with the Holy Spirit; for the love and support of so many family and friends; for those who watched remotely; and for each and every prayer lifted for us.
Thank You for walking with me through this past week; for smoothing the rough road; for holding me close; for Your Holy Spirit which strengthens me and keeps me.
This morning I walked back into that sanctuary to worship and praise You. I sat in our regular pew with Emma and Charlotte on one side of me and Jacob on my other side. I was surrounded by a church family who are with me in this most difficult time. Thank You Father – I am not alone.
Thank You, only two little words, but my heart is full of praise and thanksgiving, even to this day when the sense of loss is so deep. So I say THANK YOU GOD! I pray that in all of this You would receive honor, glory and praise.
And the God of all grace,
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.
I Peter 5:10
There is a peace, which is not the peace of the Son of God.
Be not that our peace, O God!
We cannot know Thy stillness until it is broken.
There is no music in the silence until we have heard the roar of battle!
As the plow cuts a deep furrow in the field – so this pain cuts a deep furrow in my heart.
Lord, You are preparing my heart for the seed You will plant.
Day 4 5:30 a.m.
Lord, I thank You for Larry Pippin. He made a difficult day much easier.
I appreciate his kindness and concern.
Olin is with you and no longer needs his earthly body but I know that his body will be treated with respect and cared for in a loving manner – I trust Larry to do this.
Lord, be in the planning of this service.
May Your Name be lifted up in praise.
May the gospel of Jesus Christ be heard.
Use this for Your glory.
God’s Song For Me This Day
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.
By God’s Word at last I learned,
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.
Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary.
O, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O, the grace that brought it down to man!
O, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!
Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary!
More Reality Moments:
Meeting with Larry to make the arrangements and meeting with the cemetery staff.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:
And the government shall be upon His shoulder:
And His name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The Mighty God,
The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David,
and upon His kingdom,
to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
On this fourth Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Peace.
We light this candle as a symbol of the Prince of Peace.
May the visitation of Your Holy Spirit,
O God,
make us ready for the coming of Jesus,
our hope and joy.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem “Christmas Bells” after his son was wounded in battle during the Civil War. He wrote of the contrast of the Christmas bells ringing out “Peace on earth, good-will to men” while the United States was facing a civil war with its citizens fighting each other. The version we find in most Christmas music omits the third and fourth stanzas, which refer to the canon fire on the battlefield.
I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
I thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along the unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head “There is no peace on earth, I said” “For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead: nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, Of peace on earth, good-will to men
Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Sadly, the world still does not enjoy peace on earth as we enter this Christmas season. There are struggles in various locations all around the world, most notably in the middle east and in Ukraine. However, Christians are not without hope, for God has promised that evil will not triumph in the end.
The first time Jesus came to earth He came as a baby. When He returns at His second coming He will come in power and glory to set up His kingdom on earth where He will reign for a thousand years.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:1-3
After the thousand years Satan will be loosed out of his incarceration and will prepare for the final battle. God will deal with Satan and those who deny Christ for a final time.
This is what Christmas really means. God set in motion His plan to redeem a fallen world.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true,”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Revelation 21:1-8
Where are you this Christmas Eve?
Are you looking with great expectation for Christ’s second coming
And come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:
They shall come obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:10
Marva J. Dawn writes in her book Joy In Our Weakness, “Joy is the deep sense of God’s sustaining Presence, the realization that divine light is greater than any darkness that might temporarily assail us. Thus, Joy does not mean “happiness,” which is dependent upon human circumstances.”
My joy is not dependent upon my circumstances but instead comes from my relationship with my Creator, and that never changes. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
In these days of much uncertainty there is one thing for certain, and that is the God we serve.
Let us consider the words of the psalmist:
Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater JOY
Than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for You alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
What brings you JOY?
For me it is my family –
Including our furry ones –
Even the morning chores –
The breaking of a new day –
The setting of the sun –
As you light the third candle – the candle of JOY – let us remember that because Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, walked this earth in human form experiencing everything we experience, died on a cross at Calvary, rose from the grave defeating death, and now sits at the right hand of God our Father, we are redeemed. We live in the Joy of the Lord for Christ is our JOY!
But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice:
let them ever shout for JOY, because Thou defendest them:
let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.
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