Category: Faith Ponderings

The God who provides…

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“Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost….Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:1,2,6

God, through his prophet Isaiah offers nourishment and life to those who seek Him.  The Hebrew people would understand this concept and remember how God had provided manna from heaven to their ancestors while wandering in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.  They would also recall how God led them into the promised land and brought them victory at Jericho.  

God provides all that we require to live this life here on earth as His servant.  All that we have to do is seek Him daily and have faith in His unlimited provision.  But His provision doesn’t just stop with His children, He longs so desperately to extend His grace and blessings upon the rest of the world as well.  After all, Jesus came for the whosoever (John 3:16) and if anyone would seek Him they will find the storehouses of God are never ending.  

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33.

Are you thirsty today?  Are you hungry for more in this life?  Is there something lacking in your life and you can’t seem to find out what IT is?  God still calls the righteous and the whosoever to come to Him.  The very first two words of Isaiah 55:1 says; “Come ALL”.  It doesn’t say “Come some of you”, or “Come you VIP’s”…it says “Come ALL”!  

Allow God to replenish your storehouses today.  Allow Him to renew you.  If you’re seeking Him for the first time why don’t you pray this prayer with me: 

PRAYER

How to Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.
Amen.

For additional information on what you just prayed check out this link:  

http://www.billygrahamlibrary.org/PGView.aspx?pid=13

 

 

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Ash Wednesday (a poem…of sorts)

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He wore the ash upon his head

my childish eyes, I thought him dead

a blackened cross, creased and stained

of sweat and dirt the mark remained.

 

I glanced again, i’m not sure why

partly out of foolish eyes

prying back these feeble thoughts

of how the dead could somehow walk

 

I gripped my father’s hand real tight

as the moon shone down on that night

stained glass, an aged building bright

with church goers streaming, it was a sight.

 

With reassurance my father said, 

be not afraid, they are not dead

though on that night an organ wailed 

and we walked a pilgrim’s trail.

 

A cross is smeared upon their head

much alive, though some are dead

a reminder to this heart so true 

to love and serve God, now…will you? 

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The God who holds our hand

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When our first son was just an infant he slept in a crib which was right next to our bed.   Each night we had a routine that we had to go through in order to get him to sleep.  Perhaps it was because we were first time parents or perhaps he was just a needy baby.   But each night, after he was dress in pajamas and had his blanket he would stick his hand out from between the crib railings and demand he hold either my hand or his Mom’s.  Try as we might we could not break this cycle with him.  He needed to have physical contact with us in order to fall asleep.  He needed to have this assurance that we were there watching over him and that he was save and sound.  

Sometimes I think back on those moments and wonder humorously why we didn’t buy a fake hand for him to hold on to or why we didn’t just break him of that dependence all together.  But as I consider those precious moments that we had with our first born I realize how important those moments of contact were for him as he was growing as an infant.  He needed to feel our touch, to know we were there and to be reassured that we were not going anywhere.  

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God still does this for you and for me as well!  We constantly question if He’s there.  We sometimes cry out to Him just to check if He is listening.  We hold out our hand, sometimes in a demanding nature and hope that God’s touch will reach us.  We hope that He’s really there and willing to remain near us.  

The truth is God desires so desperately to hold our hand and to remain right beside us.  He loves us so much that He longs for us to trust Him and to reach out to Him through every season of this life.  Are you willing to reach out your hand to Him today?  He is here, right now and He is not going anywhere.  Trust Him.  Lean on Him.  Allow His love to fill your life with His joy, grace and peace. 

 

-Just a thought for the day. 

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Longing for God

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of The Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” -Psalm 84:1-2

Do we take the time to truly consider what the courts of The Lord looks like? Do we long for His holy presence every day?

I think if we’re honest with ourselves there are days when thoughts of the courts or the presence of God is far from us. There are times when we journey this path of life without Him…and it’s dry and lonely. There are times when all that we long for is our own selfish desires and prideful yearnings. We find ourselves far from what Christ implores us to be; “If anyone would come after me, let him deny HIMSELF and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

I have found myself refusing to deny myself. I have found myself refusing to pick up that humble and rugged cross of Christ…but if I don’t, I don’t refuse myself and accept the cause of Christ I will never find that longing for Him again.

What are you longing for today? Are the things that you are longing for Holy, humble and Christ-like? Or are you longing for a self-indulged life full of pride and human arrogance? This second path is dry, cold and lonely.

I pray we long for His dwelling place and for Him to dwell with us today, everyday, moment by moment. He longs for YOU to come to Him. Will you in turn long for Him? Cry out to Him today, for He cares, He hears and He loves unabashedly…He loves YOU!

-Just a thought today.

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Storming The Forts of Darkness

I am sitting in meetings with Commissioner Christine MacMillan and she is a great mover within the realms of Social Justice.

We have been moved by her speaking, but most importantly the Holy Spirit has fallen on us.

Here is what The Lord has impressed upon me (I know it is different from person to person sometimes) :

There is very real darkness out in our world, and sometimes that darkness is also within us (Christ-followers). I am reminded of the words of General John Gowans a number of years ago. He said, “there is an automated voice on the trains of London that says ‘mind the gap’.” The dear General went on to say that as Soldiers of our Army we are to help others mind the gap.

Within the darkness there are those dying in our world and who will stand in the gap for these people? Who will stand in the gap for those who are about to be lost forever?

There is light…and darkness is just the absence of that light of God.
Can those of us who are Christ-followers help to bring that light into hose dark places? Can we stand in the gap for those who are falling and dying?

Ezekiel 22:30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”

I pray that God looks down upon us and finds someone, anyone to stand in the gap and bring the light into the darkness!!!

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