We Are Being Fed Our Daily Bread (Toni Rypkema Original)
Loss.
Hurts.
Pain runs deep.
Today, there is not a child, mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, widow, aunt, uncle, nephew, or niece, that hasn’t experienced loss, pain, sickness, and great trial. BUT GOD. HE IS.
Jesus suffered. He died. And He rose from death and lives, forevermore. He experienced every agony and uncomfortable moment a gazillion times more than any of us did.
HE DID. GOD DID!
The disciples watched Jesus retreat for hours and even days to pray to His Father. He witnessed oppression, cruelty, sickness, and pain. He experienced great persecution, was misunderstood, and suffered wrong in His innocence.
If God’s Son, Jesus, came down from heaven and retreated to commune with His Father, shouldn’t we follow His example?
“This, then, is how you should pray,” Jesus said,
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen] ” (Matthew 6:9:13 NKJV & AMP).
I share the sound of children, singing a free version of this powerful prayer.
We Are Being Fed Our Daily Bread is hope in the midst of darkness. It’s a focus on God in the midst of brokenness, sorrow, loss, and pain. This song helps remind us, God is what we need. He’s our daily Bread. And He faithfully will feed us when we seek Him in spirit and in truth.
Be willing.
Be transformed and renewed on the inside.
I pray the Lord God becomes your sufficent grace, love, and peace today as you allow children to sing His precence in your heart and mind, (as they give you a song to sing with them).
Be filled with the fullness of receiving His salvation and joy, this day:
The Word of God. Hymns. Music Therapy. God’s help and comfort for us right NOW.
In a shattered world, where do we find real, living, powerful, present comfort? The Bible tells us in Psalm 119, our comfort comes from the Word of life.
When we have no words to pray, Psalm 119 provides the prayers:
Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times. You rebuke the proud—the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors Psalm 119:17-24.
Yes, God is not silent. He speaks. His Word shows us the way.
Do we desire to be children of light in a dark place? What do we do?
Now is time to speak aloud truth. The Bible says, “Thy Word is truth,” John 17:17. We either believe this or not. God gives us choice. He sees each man’s heart, even if mankind thinks he’s his own person not needing Jesus.
Who is born of God? Those who believe in His name. What can we proclaim as true about Him regarding our lives today? Speak aloud Be Still My Soul by Kathrina von Schlegel:
Be Still my Soul, the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide,
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still my soul, thy best and heavenly friend, Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end . . . Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul! for God will undertake to guide the future surely as the past. Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know the voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Maybe our hope and our confidence is shaken a bit, but we will not be greatly shaken. We will choose this minute, and move about by the power of the Spirit of God to know Him more and be still.
Rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and in everything giving thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.)
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10.
Are we on God’s side?
He’s on our side.
He will guide the future.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, and all is darkened in the vale of tears, then shall you better know his love, his heart, who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears.
Do we have His love? His hope?
God’s heart beats with constant love for us. He doesn’t change. His ways are unsearchable. Do we believe in Jesus?
Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8a.
May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ -2 Thessalonians 3:5.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with . . . singing. —Zephaniah 3:17
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. —2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Our hope is our faith in a true and living God.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them – 1 John 4:16.
You, me, we can trust Him always.
The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. —Romans 8:18.
Music Therapy of the Hymn Be Still My Soul and Psalm 18 is provided to meditate on God’s Promises. He alone is true to His Word:
You O LORD, keep my lamp burning. My God turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop, and with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is flawless and He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God beside the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? Psalm 18: 28, 29, 30, 31.
The phone’s misplaced. A mini-computer loaded with personal dates, numbers, and important information is missing.
This sudden irritation brings about . . . a frantic search.
The moment of realization that something of value is missing brings about a halt of less important activity and heightens a new direction to find the lost item.
Change occurs.
After crisis, a cancer diagnosis, scheduled chemo treatments, scheduled surgery, or crashing disappointment, hurt and pain, there is realization of a loss—peace and security have disappeared. Crisis brings about search for answers.
Questions flood the intellect and emotions are restless.
I remember sitting in the infusion chair receiving my first chemo treatment. God sent a friend who gave me a story about a pearl merchant searching for precious pearls.
When this pearl merchant finally found a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought the precious pearl.
He didn’t hesitate to pay full price. He sacrificed all for its possession.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” Matthew 13:45-46.
We quickly think, “This is a Bible story.” The merchant must be people searching for God. Jesus is the Pearl of great worth.
And when we, merchants searching for God find Jesus, the most worthy pearl, we give God our heart to receive His amazing grace. We lay down our lives to follow Him.
But wait.
The picture can be drawn completely different. In a time of crisis, when searching grows deeper, there’s discovery of an entirely new picture to this parable.
What if Jesus is the merchant looking for fine pearls?
We don’t feel fine.
An irritated grain of sand in an oyster is the beginning of the making of a pearl.
The oyster surrounds the irritant with a covering. Over a process of time the crystalline covering hardens and creates a pearl.
Jesus is the merchant. He searches to and fro.
When He finds us seeking Him with an open heart, He reveals Himself.
We awaken to His sacrifice.
He gave up His life.
In our pain and suffering, we become fully aware,
He suffered for us.
Broken, hurting people irritated by grains of sand, sin, and pain, receive a covering of His grace. Jesus re-creates us into a pearl.
Jesus makes beauty from irritants and sins. He covers us in His righteousness, as we search for Him.
“. . . to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” Isaiah 61:2,3.
Viewed as a pearl of great price, yes, of course, our Jesus.
But Jesus’ view of us, precious and covered in His love and delight,
His covering brings, beauty out of pain, peace and rest.
I had salvation, believing what Jesus did for me on the cross, but, at a time of sickness and dread, I opened a hymnal on the shelf.
“Be Still my Soul,” He spoke to me that day, “the Lord is on thy side.“(1)
His arm reach out in love and His hand took hold of mine. My Savior met me in the cold, dark hour and ministered life to me through a hymn.
“He is on my side.” My heart was revived.
The words ministered to me, the truth of His love and faithfulness, when all my mind kept rehearsing before, “Won’t He give me a break?”
I came to know the Lord with contemporary choruses of praise. Though God allowed great brokenness and loss within my life, He faithfully ministered greater light and life, and His presence in my time of need. I would never exchange a moment of it, not for anything.
This hymnal proved to be a treasure chest of hope, life, and promise. The Spirit moved me with increased faith as my mind thought on His Almighty power.
Today, I write, in the face of a battle, with enemies of Overwhelmed and Fear, and Discouragement lurking. I find a Charles Wesley hymn written around the armor of God in Ephesians 6, published in 1749.
God’s therapy, or counseling session for me, is that my mind think on words like these: Soldiers of Christ, arise, And put your armor on, Strong in the strength which God supplies Through His eternal Son. Strong in the Lord of hosts, And in His mighty pow’r, Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more than conqueror.
“Strong in the strength which God supplies,” because He can clearly see, I am not strong, in and of myself, I am tired and weak. God counsels with direction that I must meet: Stand then in His great might, With all His strength endued, And take, to arm you for the fight, The panoply of God; That, having all things done, And all your conflicts passed, Ye may o’ercome through Christ alone, And stand entire at last.
I will admit, the word panoply was not in my vocabulary, so I looked it up. The dictionary spelled it out in this way:
pan·o·ply
noun
1. a complete or impressive collection of things.
2. a splendid display.
3. a complete set of arms or suit of armor.
“Stand then in His great might,” yes, I must take hold and clothe myself with all that’s true, and the collection of “armor” God has equipped us with.
We don’t “wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6, KJV, speaks solid and clear of who our real enemy is. We must fight and remember Who it is that is with us handing us all we need to win:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (2)
The hymn inspires and exhorts. Actively reaching out a Hand to pick me up:
Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul, Take every virtue, every grace, And fortify the whole. From strength to strength go on, Wrestle and fight and pray, Tread all the pow’rs of darkness down And win the well-fought day.
Yes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (3) This is it! This is my therapy session with a hymn. This is direction, hope and how I will keep a sound mind.
I will speak this hymn and clothe myself with the armor of God that the faith God increases in me can pass any test. How about you? Has this hymn touched you?
Let us praise God before the “Red Sea is parted.” Let us praise God ever-more. To God be the glory, Strong in the strength which God supplies Through His eternal Son. Strong in the Lord of hosts, And in His mighty pow’r, Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more than conqueror.
(1) Katharina A. von Schlegel, 1752
(2) Ephesians 6:14-17, NIV.
(3) Ephesians 6:18.
“Loved with Everlasting love, led by grace that love to know. . .”
The Hymn by George Robinson, I Am His, and He is Mine, 1876, is especially speaking to my heart as I sit on a couch in 2018, reading the words aloud.
This world seems to coldly whirl by and grab, push, and shove, but this timeless hymn carries me, as if “grace” took my hand out of anxiety and stress, and an impossible mess, to remind me:
I’m Loved with everlasting love, Led by grace that love to know; Gracious Spirit from above, Thou hast taught me it is so!
Oh, this full and perfect peace! Oh, this transport all divine! In a love which cannot cease, I am His, and He is mine.”
How my frame is weak and my heart grows weary, thoughts of doubt and terror flood in, “I can’t do this. I’ll never make it through. There is nothing left for me to do. Temptations to escape and lose this race flood to my view.
But, the Spirit breathing from above, saves me from inner turmoil, time and time again. My Rescuer, my Comforter, my present Help in need, the Spirit of the living God, He does “fall afresh on me.”
This new day, the Spirit says, “Rise,” open the hymnal. Though sitting on my living room couch, I feel as if carried to view the beauties and the healing powers of creation. Increased faith helps to lift my eyes:
“Heav’n above is softer blue, Earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen;
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow, Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine;
Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine.”
I pray, “Let me know Lord, even now, that ‘I am His, and He is mine.'”
Scriptures suddenly flood my mind, washing the filth of the faithless world away: Be still and know that I am God. (1) You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (2) In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (3)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (4)
Hymns and the word build faith like no other. God hears our prayers and leads us to sing. He wants us to remember, . . .
Him:
“Things that once were wild alarms
Cannot now disturb my rest,
Closed in everlasting arms,
Pillowed on His loving breast;
Oh, to lie forever here,
Doubt and care and self resign,
While He whispers in my ear
I am His, and He is mine.”
A prayer:
“Dear Lord Jesus, teach me to number my days.
That I walk, knowing, believing I am a child of the living God.
That I would not walk in a way that seems orphaned and restless.
Today, let me put my hand in Yours, Father, and allow You to lead me.
Trusting with joy that You provide all I need for this moment.
Spirit lead my eyes to “look to the hills.” Give me a new song to sing.
I am Yours Lord, and You are mine, today, tomorrow, for all of time.
Amen, Amen. And, in Jesus’ name, Amen, again and again.
It was time for a new song. A new attitude. Of Faith and belief.
This happened to be the very beginnings of a New Year.
Those who came to the Sanctuary, for the first mid-week service of the New Year, of praise and pronouncing truth from God’s Word, heard the Pastor ask,
“What do you hear God speaking to you for this coming year?” Then he offered to share the mike.
Everyone was thinking, and some came forward to speak. I heard not audibly, mind you, but impressed upon my heart,
“Sing God’s victory song, before the victory.”
“Before I part the Red Sea, sing praises to My name.”
The starting is easy, it’s the persevering that’s tough. As the old saying goes, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts.”
My thoughts often raced at an accelerated pace, filled with new courage, but then Fear came running to trip up the steps. But God is greater, each step of the way, my mind would gird up thoughts: “Guard your heart.
Guard your mind.
Guard your tongue. And then, God’s gentle Spirit would remind, ‘The battle’s Mine:'”
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).
The Word of God directs continually.
By February, only weeks after my “mountaintop moment,” I felt the crashing of waves and fear enveloped me.
The fight to praise was overcome by fretfulness.
God prepares us ahead of time, giving the remedy to stand and succeed. Do you feel as me? Do you face a giant sea of circumstance? That always shouts out, “There is no chance!”
Then an army comes: Fatigue, Fear, Failure, and chariots of Doubt and Depression at my heart’s door. Their main goal is to defeat and destroy.
What is God’s plan for us? We must keep His plan in view and continue to walk in victory. The Battle is rough and we grow weak. Yes, the Lord watches us be as the disciple’s story in Mark 4:35:
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Can we remember to sing the victory song at such a time as this?
Oh, how sad to look as the disciples in my trials. Forgetting that God is on the boat with me. God’s Word is the remedy that I need.
“Lord Jesus, help me read, and receive, and let Your Word transform me. How I fail and become faint-hearted and forget that You care. I forget that You see. I forget that You are with me. My thoughts become circumstancial only, . . . instead of praising Your Name, trusting fully.
Mark 4:39,Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
I am thankful that His voice sounds compassionate to my heart. Perhaps today, you and I can make a fresh new start.
Let us hear His voice, Be still, and know that I am God; Psalm 46:10.
Let get back on the horse again. Let us give God praise for being gentle and kind, and though we may stumble, we will not fall, “for the LORD upholds us with his hand.” Psalm 37:24.
Let us lift His Victorious name in the midst of our storm, and watch Him deliver us from all harm. Amen, He is able.
Amen. He loves.
Together we will worship and lift up His Glorious name. “Jesus, we thank You for Your love everlasting.”
“Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name, . . .” May I come to You with pure motives.
So many times I don’t.
I come for myself. You already know.
May I draw near to seek Your holy face.
But God, our Holy Father, you see when I only seek Your hand of blessing, without a thought to give You praise.
My thoughts aren’t Your thoughts. My ways aren’t like Yours.
May I seek to worship now. Thank You for Your everlasting love. You see my heart, Your know my thoughts, You know . . .
I have failed to stop and remember, of what You’ve already done. You’ve carried the cross up that steep, rugged path. You willingly suffered nails in Your hands.
You loved me first. You love me last. You love beyond the farthest star in the Universe.
I am held in Love’s grasp.
I love You Jesus. I draw near to You. And You draw near because Your name is Faithful and True. Not because of anything about me. You died on the cross.
“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, . . .” in this heart, right now. Cover me with the blood of Your Son.
You rose from the dead.
May I come to know the power of Your resurrection.
“Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us, . . .” from our natural ways.
All to Jesus, I surrender, all to Him I freely give,
let me do whatever lies before me as if it were for You Lord.
For You Lord, may my work be my praise. May this hymn be my song, all of my days:
All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame. Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to His name!
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23.
May I praise with all that I do, today. In Jesus name, Amen.
The horse precedes the cart. Does it not? If it’s to move forward it must.
Am I guilty of putting the cart before the horse? Am I am guilty of lifting my hands in praise to my God, yet often forgetting to remember He is Holy. He is Just.
Have I forgotten?
He knows every thought in my heart.
Do I come through God’s doors seeking blessing and peace?
And yet expect perfection from others, not trusting, making lists of their wrongs, and then come to praise God, lift my hands. What is it I seek?
“Our Father who is in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Do I even come close to understand the words I’m saying?
“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.”
We all have debts, we all have debtors. God knows this world is hard and painful, but He breathed out His letters.
“As we haveforgiven our debtors.” This is the method Jesus instructed we pray. How sharp, and at the same time grace-full; instruction and warning yet, “always believing.” This the Lord’s, (not man’s) way. “Help my perceiving.”
I have forgiven. I have spent time in prayer. God knows I have, but then, am I being tempted that I haven’t?
The battle is great, my constitution weak:
And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.” (1)
I won’t for a minute longer try to celebrate the joy of the Lord, until I have first come, asking mercy, with a heart ready for surgery from His Word.
I come to the cross. Drawing near to God. He laid down His life. He took all my sin—my ugliness, my strife.
I must not worry about what others think, I must first come to Jesus, and be willing to hear Him speak.
Tempted to run, but right here I’ll stay. Today must be a day of atonement for me. To be at-one-with-God. To know Him and His love and His compassionate, gracious way.
So I look up atonement, and let God’s Word (and Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible on Leviticus 23), speak.
Thetenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD . . .
A time to be sorry for sin. For looking . . . in.
But then on the same page, in the same chapter and all, is a feast, a celebration, a joyous time. I continue to read in Spurgeon’s Devotional,
“So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; . . . On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches . . . and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.“
Sorrow for sin is the “horse” so to speak. The horse must precede the cart, or nothing gets moving.
Sorrow for sin is the hallway I must go through, before I enter the room of atonement. “If sin is sweet to my tastebuds and life, I will miss completely at-one-ment with Christ.”
The horse precedes the cart. This is the only way to move forward. This day of mourning and sadness for sin, leads on to gladsome feast and in the Lord, great rejoicing.
No work of mine. Not one thing I can do. Jesus did the work for me. And He paid it in full . . . for you.
We’ve all been broken. We’ve all fallen. We so often miss the mark. But He’s risen and alive!
The day of atonement must come first. But then the joy of the Lord will move the cart.
Daily let us come to the cross and seek His grace. Receiving and believing, this moment, then . . . we wash the tears from our face.
Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible brought insight for this blog. Feb. 24—Evening, Leviticus XXIII.
(1) Matthew 6:9-13
I wrote a piece yesterday for our Word Weaver’s (of Lexington) Meeting in the evening. I called it “A Child Can Teach Many Things.” After time with other writers and gentle critique, I share with you ideas in editing, so you might be encouraged to join us once a month that the words God has put on your heart would be written and shared. And God is in control of all that happens through the process.
God calls a meeting.
He’s tugging at my heart.
I’m hungry. I’m tired. My tapestry is unraveling.
I’m seeking, but not finding. There’s a Dead End again.
Where is this place of meeting? Does my heart yearn to go?
My thinking goes amiss. I think, “Before the meeting, I have to do this.”
“I have to get rid of that, but I can’t. I can’t. Or maybe, it’s more like, . . . I won’t.”
Is this how we think? Do we believe, “God doesn’t want to meet with me, I’m way too lost. I’ve gone too far.”
God calls a meeting, time and time again. Do I continue to run the other way?
Do our minds spin out of control?
God saw me running. So He brought me a 3 year old. To simply watch and listen.
A child’s smile, the skip, the joy, the love. How we’re always changing, but some things never change.
As I was watching a child at play, it was like a first day of spring. It was like a sky with fun, puffy clouds.
I was running from God, so He brought me a child. So I could see with my eyes, something I knew of before. Of forgiveness and grace, gentleness, and noise. Of making a mess, but having a second chance – of two sides of a coin.
God called a meeting and I kept putting it off, until He brought a child in my view.
I heard the song coming from their heart during play, “A,B, C, D . . .” So accomplished and confident. So, I broke in and asked, “What’s your favorite song?”
She began to sing: “Jesus loves me . . .”
I watched a tender faith. I witnessed a confident trust. I knew these words. They were hidden deep down in my heart. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
My heart was pierced, that very moment. I forgot what was true.
I forgot what I knew.
As sheep often do.
I left from following the Shepherd. I thought I had to “plow on through.” By myself. On my own.
I became like the prodigal. Hungry, far. With pig slop for food. It was when that child sang, “Jesus loves, . . . ” That I heard, “Remember Me.”
The child sang, “this I know . . .”
My thought, “No, I don’t know anymore.”
The Lord kept His appointment. He spoke: “Remember Me.”
Gentle and kind. God used a little child to remind. To remind me it’s not “Do this.” “Don’t do that.”
Simply, “Jesus loves.”
How I forgot.
So, I turned around that moment. That moment was new. Because, in my heart, instead of my back, I turned to face the Lord. Inside my heart was bursting.
I held it all in, but, if I didn’t I would have a face filled with tears.
Immediately, . . .
I felt hope.
Out of a child’s praise, I remembered God’s amazing grace. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.I will be found by you, declares the Lord, . . .” Jeremiah 29:12-14.
The evergreen is brought in, this time again. Adorned with lights, and gifts, and angels of white, baubles of red and garlands of thread. With my thoughts ringing, “Do not be afraid, …” remembering what the angel said. “So much has changed.” as I hang a nativity up on the tree. “Dear God, I need You to speak in such a time as this. Please don’t be silent. I’m tempted to doubt that I can get through this …
So I open up the story, told over and again, and I read the words of the angel to Mary, from a long, lost time, from way back when: “… for you have found grace with God … you will give birth to a Son and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the most High … and of his reign there will be no end.” Luke Chapter 1 verse 33, Amplified. And, then You hear my heart cry, “Oh God, what does all this mean for me? In the midst of the night, let me hear, let me rest. Let me simply sit in this uncomfortable – ness!
So, I sit. In the night. But I marvel at the sight. Amidst anxious thoughts, wrestling to overthrow my rest and peace, I look upon the evergreen. “For with God nothing is ever impossible, and no word from God shall be without power …” the Amplified version of Luke 1:37 speaks. I read them, and I wonder, “Do I believe? Do I really believe the Word of God? Or only on sunflower days, and when the sod is soft and green. do I believe God when all seems against all my understanding?”
So as I look at the evergreen in the room. Adorned with lights, and gifts, and angels of white, I see the baubles of red, and remember the blood that was shed. I see the garland of thread, and think of the Good Word I have read:
Mary’s response to the news of the angel: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, …”
Somehow I forgot Luke 1:47. How could I miss the response that was given.
“Oh dear Lord, may I choose to rejoice as well, and worship You, for, … “…for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant … for the Mighty One has done great things for me— His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
This is the story, Luke 1:48-50. These are the words breathed by God, to tell –
to tell me that today, even in the midst of night, that He is great and will extend mercy, even on me, all the same. “Give me grace, dear Lord Jesus, to magnify and give You my praise, through my heart’s tears and through the dark rain. The Son dwells in my heart forever. The Son Of God does great things, and this Christmas, I will again, believe. “O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
“O soul are you weary and troubled. No light in the darkness you see. There’s a light for a look at the Savior and life more abundant and free.” (1) Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, a hymn quite familiar to many, speaks compassion and comfort for the brokenhearted and lonely. God says, “Speak of the hymns,” in His Book of Ephesians. So, speak we will, seeking a light for a look at the Great Physician.
Others are praying in this time of great pain. Prayers going out during this dark of night. But greater still – Jesus is praying – He, the giver and keeper of Life itself. The King greater than all other Kings, He’s praying for us. The prayers, “Through these tears – “O Lord,Give us sight, through this darkness and night.” O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s a light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
His Word shall not fail you—He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (2)
“Behold the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him, Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like as shepherd; He will gather His lambs in His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” this is Isaiah Chapter 40 verse 10 and 11. These are words breathed out straight from heaven.
Chapter 30 verse 5 in the Book of Psalms: “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
“Oh Lord God, give us sight. Give some relief as we wait and are tempted to wonder, ‘why.‘ Open our eyes for spiritual things. We are weak, our mouths are so dry . . .
“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.” The LORD speaks, He is our Immanuel, yesterday and today. He is near, forever.
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double (forgiveness) for all her sins.” (3) This is the word that will not fail, this is the Word of our Immanuel.
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, And every mountain and hill shall be made low …” (4)
Oh, how we need to be reminded that God, the Creator of the Universe – He’s in control.
“The crooked places shall be made straight, And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”(5)
These are promises given for our hearts to take hold. When there’s darkness and pain and endless oppression, we must remind ourselves, ‘the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’
“All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, …but the word of our God stands forever. O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain, . . . You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities, . . .“Behold your God!” (6)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; Over us sin no more hath dominion— For more than conquerors we are! “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (7) There’s a light for a look at the Savior . . . His word shall not fail you, He’s promised . . . Over us sin no more hath dominion – For more than conquerors we are! “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8)
The light has been given, the weak hands that hang down, are strengthened to hold the sword of God’s word. Nothing has changed, save the spirit inside us, now transformed and encouraged to hope and have faith and to love – Victorious! There’s a light for a look at the Savior. A light, so abundant and free : God’s love never fails …For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. (9) Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. (1) Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Perhaps your body hurts with too much pain.
Or your heart is broken, there’s so much strain.
The sadness has caused your eyes to close.
“Jesus loves me …” in this day, who knows?
The clouds are too thick. Is there a Son rise?
Forever, yes. And not as far as you think.
If you stop, and be still … and open your mind.
Put off the doubt, and a young child do find.
If you are able, sit with a youngster or just watch, the wiggles and squeals for a short while or else: think back of a sweet memory as far back as you can, and sit in the warmth, to cheer up your soul.
Make thinking ‘on good’ be your new style. Sacrifice some time to offer to God a thankful heart for awhile.
Put off the dark colors for a minute and see, the light, the blues and yellows and pink. The Lord will cover you in His tenderness and get you through the moments of great sadness.
Sacrifice thanksgiving, even though clouds still hang from the sky, somehow, miraculously,
you see the sun rise. “He, (Jesus) said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:13-15.
Can you see you are His child in His arms? He desires to touch and bless you, even now,
even today,
with His love charms of hope and grace always. “And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10: 16.
Let us make a ‘Thank offering.’ Oh how beautiful the Son is to our eyes. “…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-13.
Considered one of the wisest men. One called to pen wise words of God, Solomon wrote, “To everything there is a season, a time for very purpose under heaven…”(Eccl. 3:1). “A time to be born, and a time to die.”(Ecc. 3:2).
But it doesn’t make sense. There is silence. There is stillness. There is emptiness. There is void. But everything else around just keeps moving on and on and on.
People get up, people have jobs or school. Cars go down the road. Coffee is still being served along with lunch and dinner, and on and on…
But, there is ‘a time to be born, and a time to die.’ “It’s not fair!” “It’s not fair!” is all a hurting heart can cry!
A grieving heart, bleeds. A grieving heart…just bleeds – even though it knows, “to everything there is a season… a time to be born, and a time to die.”
‘Yes, a time to be born, but it’s too soon, and the one who suffers loss asks, “Why?” So many questions, so many “Why’s”.
But there is only silence. Silence inside. But there’s all this action that keeps going on. Can’t the world just STOP! For even a few minutes! Can’t the world stop, so the hurting can get off? “A time to plant, And a time to pluck up what was planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast a way stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear and a time to sew; A time to keep silence,… and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecc. 3:2-8).
To everything there is a season. But God, He speaks comfort, even in the silence. Yes, He speaks His love to the broken hearted, even by… just,
His breath: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1,2,3).
“So, you ask Me, “Be of good cheer?” when I’ve made you to lie down, with great loss and humility. I have allowed tribulation, where you cry out, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” but my child, you can’t see it now, but when the dust begins to settle, you will take notice, the pastures you’ve been made to lie down on are covered with green sod.”
“Can you hear My voice say, “I see your strength indeed, is small.” Andyou respond, “You’ve said it Lord, it is true, it is true.” “But what comes next my child, you do know this hymn, what does it say, “Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me, your All in All.” Yes, perhaps you’ve sung these treasured words, but today they were written specifically for…you.”
“Be of good cheer?” “Be of good cheer?” Today, today- it’s the HOW? that’s not clear. ‘In this world you will have tribulation’,You warned us ahead, but I had no idea, no idea the blows I would receive…”Be of good cheer?” O GOD, what else is it that You’ve said?” “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I AM your God,“(Is. 41:10), these are My words for you today. Be of good cheer, I am with you right now, “It is I; do not be afraid,” (Mark 6:50), ” remember, ‘I AM your God! I am YOUR God!’ that is how! that is how!
“Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world,” I will give you sufficient grace to rise above this present weakness. I will give you grace sufficient-remember the biggest diamonds lie under the heaviest stones. I will increase your faith, that you may turn away these heavy burdens. Faith, my child, faith in My love, is what’s needed, even more… than FITNESS!
“Turn over the burdens and cast them to Me, you will ‘find My power, and mine alone, can change a leper’s spots and melt a heart of stone’. Don’t let your heart grow hard, come meet Me at the Table in the presence of your enemies. That’s where you’ll discover My great healing power as you take of the wine of the new covenant and of the broken bread. You will taste and you will see that you – are – not – alone! “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me,…”(Ps. 22:1), yes, I’ve spoken these words too. “But be not far from Me, O Lord; O My help, hasten to aid Me,”(Ps. 22:19), this also has been My cry. Remember, remember, remember, I KNOW, and I love you. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name, [and has personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness; and trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never]”, This is my voice amplified.” “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33)“Call unto Me and I will answer you. I will show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know…” (Jer. 33:3,Amplified). Yes, you must have strength to turn over those heavy stones, but the strength is all Mine, My love is Agape, TRUE and ALWAYS, of the FOREVER kind!”
“Let Me lead you, and let your words be few. Lean not on your own understanding, fix your eyes on Mine, and come often to My Table that I’ve prepared for you. Moment by moment, not just a one time thing, walk with me My child, let Me be your breath, you’ll discover I make My abode in the Song that you sing: “For nothing good have I, Whereby Thy grace to claim; I’ll wash my garments white, In the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. And when before the throne, I stand in Him complete; “Jesus died, my soul to save,” My lips shall still repeat: “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it…white – as – SNOW!”
“How, you ask. How? by remembering My promises My child. “Your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His Name.”(Is. 54:5), “Seek Me, you will find Me, call upon Me for I am near. I will hear your call, ‘child of weakness watch and pray, find in Me, thine all and all!”
The phone’s misplaced. A mini-computer loaded with personal dates, numbers, and important information is missing.
It was time for a new song. A new attitude. Of Faith and belief.
Let us lift His Victorious name in the midst of our storm, and watch Him deliver us from all harm. Amen, He is able.
