Dec
31
Steadfast in the Midst
By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off
Psalm 46:9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
This Psalm starts out with the familiar verse – God is our refuge and our strength and very present help in trouble . (vs.1) Later on, it includes another familiar verse – Be still and know that I am God. (vs.10) The Psalmist tells us not to fear even if the mountains be moved into the sea.
You, if you have dedicated your life to Christ and have received the Holy Spirit, are now a temple in which God dwells. He will never leave you. In His steadfast love, He remains, always with you in good times and in the bad. It is up to us to acknowledge His presence in our lives and to turn to him for strength and comfort. He is always just a breath away, there in the midst of your life, your soul and your body whether you realize it or not.
Pretty daunting thought, isn’t it? Yet as warm and comforting as a fluffy towel straight out of the dryer wrapped around you. A missionary once told me to lay my hand very close to my cheek and feel the warmth. That was how near God was always to me. The next time you pray, try that and feel His presence. You have to be still, but You will feel Him there in the midst of you- your life, your troubles and your joy – steadfast, and loving you as His child now and forever more.
Dec
31
Auld Lang Syne
By Jan Ross | Comments Off
When we think of New Year’s Eve, we immediately think of celebration—a new beginning, a fresh start, the old is past and the new lies ahead. The world will celebrate with parties and feasts, fireworks and confetti, family and friends.
David wrote of a celebration in Psalm 145, one in which every believer should engage himself or herself every day of the year.
“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” (Ps 145:3-7 NIV)
We the New Year approaches a few short hours from now, will your celebration be like the world’s or will it more closely reflect the Psalmist’s?
Why not take advantage of your time with family and friends to tell of God’s mighty works, to speak of the glorious splendor of His majesty? Take some time today to meditate on the wonderful things the Lord has done for you and through you this past year. Share with others the power of what God can do through a submitted life. Proclaim His great deeds. And, celebrate His abundant goodness while joyfully singing of His righteousness.
Take a moment to read the original words penned by James Watson in 1711 while considering David’s words in Psalm 145:
Auld Lang Syne
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
on Old long syne.
CHORUS:
On Old long syne my Jo,
in Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
on Old long syne.
My Heart is ravisht with delight,
when thee I think upon;
All Grief and Sorrow takes the flight,
and speedily is gone;
The bright resemblance of thy Face,
so fills this, Heart of mine;
That Force nor Fate can me displease,
for Old long syne.
CHORUS
Since thoughts of thee doth banish grief,
when from thee I am gone;
will not thy presence yield relief,
to this sad Heart of mine:
Why doth thy presence me defeat,
with excellence divine?
Especially when I reflect
on Old long syne
CHORUS
(Note, the literal translation of “Old Long Syne” or “Auld Lang Syne” is “Old Long Since.”)
Should “old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” Our “acquaintance” with God should never be forgotten, on New Year’s Eve or any time. Don’t let your relationship with the Lord sit on the shelf while you celebrate the New Year. Don’t allow your testimony to be forgotten while you ring in the New Year with family and friends. Rather, tell of His greatness, praise Him for His awesome works, and celebrate His abundant goodness as you joyfully sing of His righteousness.
Don’t let your relationship with God be “Old Long Since” but rather keep the flames of passionate love for the Father burning bright this New Year’s Eve. Celebrate the New Year with a heart full of expectation and anticipation for the incredible greatness of God to be displayed in our individual lives and throughout the whole earth!
Father, when I consider all that You have done in my life, I am in awe. Thank You, Lord, for being so real to me and accepting me as Your very own. Lord, help me to be a beacon of light in the darkness of this world, never forgetting the special relationship we enjoy. I look forward to this next year as a precious gift from You, to do with me, through me, and in me as You will. I will celebrate Your abundant goodness today and every day! And, all that Jesus Christ might be glorified…amen!
© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved
Dec
30
Sanctified Help
By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off
Psalm 20:1-2 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!
Sometimes it goes against our grain to ask for help. Perhaps we feel unworthy. Maybe we were raised with a do-it-yourself attitude. It might be that we have been disappointed in the past and people just have not come through for us, or so we thought.
When we turn to God for help, do we always see how He answers? Or do we wait for the help to come in the form we want it to be? We serve a creative God. He always knows not only the best way to send us assistance, but the way that will glorify Him and uplift others. He can send us just the tools we need to get out of a certain situation or to find comfort. Those tools can often more than not be from the sanctuary – from the group of fellow believers. If God is with us, He will certainly use us as His temple. We are called to support each other.
The next time someone offers to help, don’t turn them down. They may just be the answer to your prayer. Allowing them to serve you allows you to be served by God, and vice versa.
And, if God spurs you to reach out and help someone else, heed the call. Even if it a simple prayer. In the hands of God, it can be a mighty sword.
Dec
30
A New Year’s Look
By Jan Ross | Comments Off
The Psalmist, through the picturesque words penned at a time when he was awesomely aware of God’s presence as recorded in Psalm 121:1-2, was probably speaking about the “hill” on which the temple was built, Mount Moriah. When he was at a distance, he would look toward the sanctuary, knowing his help came from there; he knew his help and strength came from the Lord.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.“ (Psalm 121:1-2)
This next year promises to bring many challenges to us personally and as the Body of Christ. The Lord warns us in the last days that evil will increase and the days will become more perilous. We must all place our confidence in God with the fact that He who made heaven and earth and everything in them is able to take care of us—OUR help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Regardless of your situation today, your help comes from the Lord, the Creator, our Sustainer, and our Help. He can and will make a way where there seems to be a way. Not only is He our Waymaker, He’s the Source of our strength, He’s the Strength of our life, He’s Holy, Wonderful, Marvelous, Glorious, Magnificent and Righteous, and Mighty…He’s our Help!
Approach this new year with a new look! Look to the “hills from when cometh [our] help.” Circumstances will lie but the Lord’s promises are forever true; He is our help.
Lord, my circumstances at times seem to overwhelm me and I fall short—I worry, fret, and allow fear to take hold in my heart. Father, help me remember that You ARE the strength of my life, You ARE the source of my strength! Help me hold onto your unfailing hand as we—You and I walk through these next days together. Lord, I lift my heart to You in total praise. There is nothing too difficult for You, and that’s why I can say without reservation, “My help comes from the Lord!” Amen and Amen!
© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved
Dec
29
Psalm 18:19 - He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Why is it good to be brought out into a broad place? We often hear the Christian life is straight and narrow, not a vast expanse. But for the person who feels hemmed in by circumstances, or so closed in by life they feel they cannot breathe, being lifted to a place with an abundance of room and “breathing space” is a wanted change. What a relief to see sunshine, feel the fresh air, be able to turn around and move about.
In a broad expanse you can see all around you. There are no surprises lurking in dark corners. But you can also be vulnerable because there is no place to hide. Remember the scene in the movie Bambi, for example, when his mother teaches him about wide open places.
But with God rescuing us and hovering over us because he delights in us, we need not fear. We can bask in the glory of being his children – protected and free. No more feeling trapped. No more cowering in a dark corner. He ( or she) who believes in the Son of God is free indeed. Breathe deeply and relax. His way is the broad way. It is opened to so many new possibilities He wants us to experience, if we can only trust in Him to be our guide and protection.
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