Tag: thorns

From Despair to Praises to God!

Every rose bush has it’s thorns but we celebrate the beauty of the flower.

Focus is the key.

In our broken world, I have choice. You have choice. We all have choice to focus on the thorns or the rose.

I might start my morning strong in believing my Lord, but often, dark clouds of trial and hurt, pain and sorrow come quickly to cover the Son’s warmth and love by noonday.

The praise to God in my heart flies away leaving me flat and despairing.

I become cut up by the thorns of life and forget to be careful in my thoughts. I forget to enjoy the rose.

As a believer in Christ, I’m tested. We’re tested. We pray for this when we ask of God to:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 119: 23,24.

The Lord is faithful to answer my request. He shows me . . . Impatience. Inner destructive dialogue of myself and others. Stubbornness. Unbelief. Hatred.

The beauty of the Lord is: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” 2 Timothy 2:13.

Let’s choose to change our mind when we’re flooded with troubles and tempted with thoughts that destroy, and instead choose to grow in the grace of our Lord and in knowledge of Him.

How? We’ll proclaim aloud His glory from His Word and grow in believing:

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness Psalm 96: 13.

Do I believe He will? Do we believe God?

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary Psalm 96: 4,5,6.

Do I believe He is? Do we believe?

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land Psalm 95:3.

He is the great King above all gods.

How can we despair in the midst of praise?

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.

Can we say together? Has our faith increased? Yes, we will:

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity Psalm 96: 7-10.

I will focus in the morning. I will re-focus at noon. Join me in desiring to have a song the whole day through:

Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:1-3.

Jesus is the rose:

“I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys” Song of Songs 2:1.

Can we help each other keep our eyes on the Rose? Together, we win.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care Psalm 95: 6.

Amen. Amen.

Let me know if you joined me in proclaiming, “In Jesus name, Amen.”

United sound brings a sweet fragrance/ Amazing Grace

Common knowledge learned, in the reach to smell a rose is, “Every rose has its thorns.”
“Ouch!”
How this world with vast beauty and joy, is also sharp and prickly. It punctures and so often, brings about so much more than a “whine”.
Yet,”For God so loves the world.”
How can it be? There are days I can’t “love” anything.
I feel so far from smelling the roses. The “thorns” seem to be, like weeds, surrr-rrrou-nnn-ding.
The darkness of nursery rhymes come to the surface, “Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”
“Whoever wrote these rhymes anyway? Though the origins are argued, we must believe, it was a day of “thorns” in a struggle to smell the rose.
Common knowledge. Community. Comforts and joy in the reciting. Children gather, hand in hand. Going around and ’round, making familiar sounds. “Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”
Amidst dark clouds, and thoughts of ashes – being together, gathering around, common words chimed – heaviness dashes.
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.”
The song is sung and we all join along, even if the tone is completely wrong. The melody flows from all lips with a smile. In full agreement, hearts receive the gracious love God freely gives.
There’s no strife when hearts unify. There’s no disagreement in the “wretch” that we each be. The thirst seems quenched. The heart instantly warmed.
The smell of roses comes vibrantly alive, when we put sound on our voice and in a common hymn sing! This is where God abides. This is where He dwells. We can all agree. Yes, we agree and somehow our blindness is made to flee:
“‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.”
As if time stops. Glory invites. “For God,” gave His Son, that we might overcome. The song, is sung. And we agree together, and sing along:
“Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
Jesus can turn water to wine. Jesus can heal. Jesus can restore. The fragrance of joy is smelled. Let us put sound on our voice. And join together and sing.
Let us unify. Let us give thanks. Let us worship our King.
“Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God!”