Great Is The Lord

Great is the Lord!  He is most worthy of praise!  No one can measure his greatness.

Psalm 145:3

God is good!  A phrase we say often when in the presence of other christians as we share answers to prayer and other blessings we see God providing in our lives.  His greatness cannot be measured by our good days and blessings!  God is good whether our day is going well or not.  Even if we are having the worst day imaginable, God is still good.  He is good because His love is pure and genuine.  He is good because everything He does is for our best!  There is no way of measuring such perfect love.  He is most worthy of praise!  

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

I will be filled with joy because of you.

I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1

A Day of Remembrance

Memorial Day is a beautiful day set aside for remembrance; It's a day to remember the fallen, the dedicated and the valiant. It's a day to remember the gifts that were freely given to us by others. Gifts of immeasurable value such as freedom, safety, and honor for our nation. Yes, today calls us to remember and be thankful.

And still as I think of the word 'remember', I am called to the number of times scripture tells us to remember what the Lord has done. Throughout both the old and new testaments, there was a call to remembrance of what God had done for Israel. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy the Israelites are called to remember how God had saved them from slavery in Egypt. He delivered them beyond the Red Sea and faithfully led them into the Promised Land despite their own faithlessness.

Even into the New Testament, the disciples remember the words of Jesus after he left them in death. They remembered all He had said and their belief in him was made stronger.

Remembrance is a recalling to the mind of facts, events, or words that have previously happened. Today as you remember the fallen and those who have sacrificed for your freedom in this country, also REMEMBER the LORD and what he has done for you! He has given His one and only Son that you might be redeemed. He has led you from slavery into freedom by the blood of Jesus Christ. And yes, without doubt, He has shown himself in your life through gracious and mighty acts. So, today, remember and be thankful!

Sing-A-Long-Saturday

Today's tune of praise is by Charles Billingsley. This song verbalizes how circumstances can be hard and unfair; It talks of trials and tough roads. Yet, through it all God is good, even when he's not understood. He has redeemed us through the blood of Jesus and that is all we need!

Click here to hear "God is Good" by Charles Billingsley

Be Persistent!

While searching scripture for a friend a few years back I found this gem of a story.  I had been in the process of praying for her and the circumstances that brought her great pain.  It had already been a while and we were both getting weary waiting on God.

The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

The lady in this story would have no waiting!  She was seeking justice and would not stop until she got what she wanted.  I have to chuckle every time I read this.  We can all appreciate what the judge was experiencing being on the other end of a nagging friend or child, but the reality is when we are asked enough, when we are worn down by questions and pleas, we too can start to give in to requests.  Now God doesn't necessarily give in to us.  He has His own great plans and His own timeline.  He isn't necessarily swayed by our persistence, but the point of the story is that we can all relate to giving in to someone, even someone we don't like, but God, who is good and perfect and loves us unconditionaly, in a way we can never understand, is sure to give us good gifts out of His love and wanting what's best for us.  Things don't always happen in the timeframe we would expect and hope for but we must never give up.  Persistence is key in prayer.  It allows us to draw deeper into God's will and teaches us things along the way.  Persistence is hard work!  It tells a lot about our devotion and desires.  God wants to give us those things we desire and if we are in His will then those things will come!  As we are persistent, the things we ask for begin to line up with His will.  We may even notice a change in our desire, as we continuously persue God's help.

Keep A Written Record

At the Lord's instruction, Moses kept a written record of their progress....

Numbers 33:2

God instructed Moses to keep a record of all the things they did as they traveled the desert for 40 years.  He was to keep track of not only their geographical progress but their spiritual progress too.  In the end, when it was time to cross into the land God had promised them, Moses was told to read his journal to the people.  He was able to remind them of all the times God helped them, the times that they made mistakes or the miracles that God perfomed along the way.  Having those notes made it possible for the Israelites to see God's hand in their journey, especially becuase many of the people were young and did not experience all of the happenings.  Moses' journal was their proof of God walking with them through every obstacle and every beautiful moment!  

God is good and it is important for us to follow His presence in our lives.  Keeping a journal will help us to look back on the answered prayers we have experienced, the things He has taught us through His word and lead us to growth and new wisdom.  God wants us to keep a record of His goodness, so that we can share that with others and ourselves.  

Write out your prayers, your hurts and your blessings!  Copy scripture that speaks to you.  Take notes from a meaningful devotion.  Get involved in your quiet time and keep record of the things God teaches you.  It will be something that you can look back on in need, in praise and to help another along the way.  God wants to be shared!  

"Grandma, Can You Stop the Wind?"

My precious grandson, Brody, is three. He has the most amazing little eyes, dark brown and deep with eyelashes that grab your attention. He is the most polite little boy, offering please and thank you so easily. And, he is a great little tool for the Lord to use to get my attention.

Brody and I were working outside the other day when I accidentally sprayed his Little Tikes Truck with the watering hose. He was upset because this truck is his baby! So I quickly turned this little mishap into into a carwash. We got out the soap, the rags and a towel. Brody worked hard scrubbing his truck like his Uncle Nick does with his big old Ford. As he finished working, he tried to spread the towel out on the grass only to be frustrated by the opposing wind. With sheer innocence and confidence in my ability to meet his every need, he looked at me with those amazing little eyes and said, "Grandma, can you stop the wind?"

I smiled and held back a little chuckle as I responded to his plea with, "No, Brode, I can't stop the wind." His quick response, "Why not?" The only answer that fit was, "Because only God can stop the wind. He can do anything!" Undaunted, he kept working to spread that little towel on the ground. Oh, the faith of a child....

And he said, "Truly I tell you, unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

And then I felt the prompting thought that we need to approach our God with the same confidence and innocence of belief and trust that my little Brody approached me with that day. Asking God to heal, change, and rescue. Asking God to overcome the obstacles placed before us. Because, with God, nothing is impossible!

 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

Be Careful!

But that is the time to be careful!  Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.  For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and heard have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!

Deuteronomy 8:11-13 NLT

The Israelites were in their last moments leading up to entering the promised land.  Moses was running through his notes from the last 40 years.  Reading his personal journal of the good and the bad that took place while they were wandering in the wilderness.  He was reminding God's people of all the mistakes that were made, the many times they forgot God and turned to idols, and was stressing the importance of holding onto God's commands.  He was anticipating the coming of good things; reminding them that when life gets really good with God's good blessings they must not forget  Who provided it. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens (James 1:17).  Not only in material things but in our health and our seasons of happiness and good thoughts.  God is our source and we must remember not only Who provides but Who is still with us when things start to go well.  

Do you ever catch yourself falling away from God when things are going right in your life?  During the the most desperate times you are driven to God but after things start to clear up do you find yourself getting more and more self sufficient, spending less time with God and more with all the good happening around you?  This scripture is a cry to stay grounded with God even when things go well.  We all know what it is like to need God in our hurt and desperation but do we all know what it's like to need God for no other reason than just needing Him because we love Him?  Don't forget God in your good situations!  That is the message Moses is trying to tell the people.  When things get good, be so very careful to remember God for the good things He provides.  Beware of forgetting God is your source of all things good......big or small, material or otherwise.  God is good and don't forget it.  Don't forget Him!