"God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the crushers, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed." (O. Chambers)
More often than not, when things don't go as I expected, when circumstances are of those that I never would choose for myself, my tendency is to object. When I cannot "see" a situation changing or what can be with God, I get discouraged. And after reading this I feel like saying, I am sorry. Then, I don't understand, I don't like it, followed by I am sorry again. I am sorry that I don't let God "squeeze" me without me objecting lot of times. I am sorry that I cannot go without my understanding, trusting God and liking it. I realize that I am not living life in faith, but in my own understanding in times and am giving the enemy an opportunity. Which I know not to do.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5,6
Lord, may I acknowledge You in all my ways. Thank You for making my path straight. Lord, I do not choose the scene of my own martyrdom. May I trust You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding.
Not at myself, not at others, but looking at Jesus...
Living He loved me, dying He saved me...
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises One day when sin was as black as could be Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin Dwelt among men, my example is He Word became flesh and the light shined among us His glory revealed
Living, He loved me Dying, He saved me Buried, He carried my sins far away Rising, He justified freely forever One day He's coming Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain One day they nailed Him to die on a tree Suffering anguish, despised and rejected Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree And took the nails for me
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer One day the stone rolled away from the door Then He arose, over death He had conquered Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him From rising again
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming One day the skies with His glories will shine Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing My Savior, Jesus, is mine
Glorious day, Oh, Glorious day
Jesus, thank You for revealing Your glory. For loving me, for saving me, for carrying my sins far away, for justifying me forever. That makes this a glorious day. Thank You for dying for me, for rising to be my Lord evermore. Thank You for coming for me. Oh what a glorious day!
"Therefore you also must be ready,
for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
~Matthew 24:44
"And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in clouds with great power and glory."
~Mark 13:26
"Behold, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him,
and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen."
I received this song, which I never heard before, but reminds me of her heart and the times we worship together. I keep listing to it. Thank you for sharing.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" ~Psalm 143:10
And I received this picture, which reminds me of the times we spent together on the trail. I have always loved the sunshine shining through the trees. Thank you for capturing it for me, since I can no longer be there.
Jesus, thank You for my friends that are far, yet so close. Bless them, Lord. Spirit lead us where our trust is without borders, may our faith be made stronger in the presence of our Savior.
My dearest faithful friend shared with me a statement that I keep meditating on and that will stay with me.
When we look into ourselves we get depressed, when we look at others we get distressed, when we look at Jesus we can rest. (Joseph Prince) Oh, Lord, how true, especially the first part.
Jesus, may I look to You. To You only. As You promise also that Your presence will go with me and that if I come, You'll give me rest.
"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Would I believe You when You would say Your hand will guide my every way Will I receive the words You say Every moment of every day
Well I will walk by faith Even when I cannot see Well because this broken road Prepares Your will for me
Help me to win my endless fears You've been so faithful for all my years With one breath You make me new Your grace covers all I do
Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace
I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith I will, I will, I will walk by faith
~Not complete lyrics
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
~2 Corinthians 5:7
Reminding myself today that we walk by faith, not by sight. Even though I cannot see, I am trusting that this "broken road", prepares Your will for me, my Lord. Shift my heart from earth to heaven. Help me to set my mind on things that are above, because the "earthly" things are little too much for me right now.
According to my calender, today is the first day of Fall. I was going through an "online flyer" and one of the page's title was... "Fall for something beautiful", which was followed by... Nature is putting on a show outside, so why shouldn't it be just as colorful inside? Eye-catching decor and dazzling lighting let you capture the beauty of the season. Fall and beauty sticked out, the play on words and the outside - inside contrast. Yes, God is definitely putting on a show. With it's beautiful colors and comfortable temperatures, which allow me to wear vests (another one of my favorite), Fall is my favorite season.
With the word "fall" I cannot help but think about "The Fall" and what the Bible says.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
~Romans 3:23
The inside - outside contrast reminds me of how God looks at things, looks at us. How He does not look at the outside appearance, but at the heart. And how He is concerned about the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which is not anxious or wrought up (1 Peter 3:3,4 AMP).
"But the Lord said to Samuel
“Do not look on his appearance
or on the height of his stature,
because I have rejected him.
For the Lord sees not as man sees:
man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart.”"
~1 Samuel 16:7
"Do not let your adorning be external—
the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry,
or the clothing you wear—
but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart
with the imperishable beauty
of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which in God's sight is very precious."
~1 Peter 3:3,4
So, with the start of a Fall,I want to ask...
Come Holy Spirit Fall afresh on me Fill me with Your power Satisfy my needs Only You can make me whole Give me strength to make me grow Come Holy Spirit Fall afresh on me
Holy Spirit, come. Fall fresh on us. Fill us with your power, satisfy our needs. Only You can make us whole. Give us strength to make us grow. May we be adorned with imperishable beauty and a gentle spirit, which is not anxious or wrought up, but is very precious in the sight of God.
And don't forget to fall for something beautiful...
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother
and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
~Genesis 2:24
Seventeen years ago, also a Saturday, a man lived this verse and for me, it was when I said "I do." And I married this man God chose for me. I say that, because I wasn't really looking. And at that time I did not even know God. It was through my husband that I "found" out about Him. He chose me. He chose me to be a wife to this man. I have to remind myself of that in times when things are not all on the up and up. It gives me confidence that whatever we face, we can "conquer". It comforts me, because God knows us both so well. And He knew, and knows what I need.
