Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Yet, I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the GOD of my salvation.

" The LORD GOD is my strength,
 and He will make my feet like hinds feet 
and He will make me to walk upon mine high places..." 
Habakuk 3:19

In a world of darkness, despair, hopelessness, the light of God's Word shines bright.  What peace I was given recently ... just through a verse that reflects God's never ending love towards me.

When the world offers no hope, no joy, no peace, where can one find a haven of rest?

A deep sigh of peace and contentment washed over me as I read the verse that brought so much peace to me recently...

It was a simple promise, a simple sentence... but packed with God's love and mercy!

"When I awake, I am still with Thee." Psalm 139:18b

I often reflect on how comforting God's Word has been to me over the years.

Through trials...
Through moments of uncertainty...
Through moments of hurt...
Through moments when I lacked simple faith...
Through moments when I was without strength.

God's Word has always been a haven of rest for me... nothing gave me more peace than to know that the God of heaven watches over me, and knows my every need.

There were many times when I just held the scriptures in my hand... and could not read from the burden and overwhelming trials in my life. But God's word never failed... as it slowly brought light and peace to a soul dependent on a most merciful and loving God... a God who never forsakes or leaves His own.

Have you ever encountered moments in your life where you were simply too burdened? Where tears brought about sleep  to a tired body... only to wake and know the Lord was with you still? And found His word sufficient for your need? 

As I grow older, I realize how powerful and necessary it is for God's Word to dwell in my heart. To always desire His Word... and to hunger for it. It is the food that my spirit needs... to be reminded that the trials of today are only for a moment.

I must feed my spirit... where hope, joy, faith, humbleness, righteousness, and all things lovely dwells.
I must starve my flesh... where fear, anxiety, pride, lack of trust, wickedness and all iniquity dwells.

Only God's presence through His Word can give light in a world of darkness and pain.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." 
Psalm 119:105

What comfort to depend on His Word to lighten our path.

May God's WORD be a delight to you today... and may His Light be a tower of strength.
~Ellie 

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity..." Habakuk 1:13a

This past week I was blessed with a verse a brother shared in a recent Bible study on James. The verse  in Habakuk was mentioned in conjunction with the thought that God does not tempt us to do evil. 

There are lots of verses in the Bible that show God's attributes... His holiness, His righteousness, His longsuffering, His mercy, ... and the fact that there is no wickedness in Him. 

But the more I learn about God's character, the more I find myself in awe of God's gift of salvation. 

Such love... that God would provide His Son , the Lord Jesus Christ, to take my place on the cross.

Did you ever wonder why God had to give His Son to die? Why was a lamb without blemish required for the cleansing of sin?

 Because God cannot look upon iniquity! His eyes too pure to behold evil...

The sinner needed a SAVIOUR. 
The sinner needed a cleansing of all form of iniquity.
The sinner needed to be clean in order to stand before a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God.  

And so, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Father's requirement... that blood be shed for us... so we would have the cleansing and forgiveness of sins. 

Isn't it marvelous!

He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied
by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; 
for He shall bear their iniquities. "
Isaiah 53:11

Yes, God's eyes... too pure. 

I was so blessed with the verse! How wonderful to be given another bit of information to help us in our walk before a HOLY God...

 " But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 
1 Peter 1:15

O, Lord God, thank you for being Holy and Righteous... and Merciful. Help us to put away and make no provision for the flesh.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. " 
Romans 13:14

And so this past week, I made it a point to memorize Romans 13:14 and Habakuk 1:13 as a reminder, to myself, to put away all form of iniquity in my life... and desire His face to shine on me.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: 
But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. " 
1Peter 3:12

It's easy to compromise our Christian walk... saying,

Oh, God will forgive. God will have mercy. 

Yes, He does forgive. Yes, He does have mercy. But we are to walk in obedience and not be hearers only... but doers. How often I fail.... to do.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." 
Colossians 1:10

May you indeed be blessed by our Father's holiness... may it give you strength to obey and live victoriously through Christ Jesus... the author and finisher of our faith(Hebrews 12:2).

~Ellie

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Be clothed with humility... for God resisteth the proud.

" Humble yourselves therefore under the MIGHTY hand of God, 
that He may exalt you in due time." 
1 Peter 5:6

Today I was contemplating on a well known verse. A verse quoted many times as an encouragement to those in need... a verse we often cling to ourselves.

The verse was sent to me today... mainly as a reference. Not always very good with references, I picked up the Word of God and found the verse. 

Oh, yes.... a verse I knew quite well.

" Casting all your care your care upon Him, for He careth for you."
 1Peter5:7

I stopped a bit and thought about the verse. Yes, truly, the Lord cares for us. But then I thought how sometimes we "cast" our cares  for a moment and then find ourselves trying to "reel" those very cares right back.

Do you ever do that? 

Maybe we find ourselves desiring God to change the situation...  and when He doesn't, we kind of get in the way. Sometimes I find myself "reeling" in the problems, trying hard to adjust things on the "line", then "cast" again . Yet, I still find myself without strength. It's easy to do... this  keeping of control. 

But after reading the verse, I thought about the powerful promise the Lord left for us... we are to cast ALL our cares upon Him... for HE cares for us. .

Wanting more insight on the powerful promise, I started reading the verses prior. And as I was reading the verses, the Lord opened my eyes to a new thought in regards to the well known verse. I really never thought about it this way....

"Be clothed with humility: 
For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, 
That He may exalt you in due time." 
1 Peter 5,6.

Before we are to "cast our cares upon Him" we are to be clothed with humility... Yes, clothed in humility! Our prayers before a Righteous and Holy God should be one of humbleness.

Clothed in humility? That's often hard.  Awfully hard. It sounds much easier to just "cast my cares". But must I also clothe myself in humility?

Why, humbling ourselves requires that we be nothing... and none of us like to be treated like nothing. None of us want to lose control. We want to have some form of power... 

Humbleness... relinquishing all form of pride, our power, our will, our importance. 

When we become humble, we become NOTHING.... and God  becomes EVERYTHING. 

Only when there's absolutely nothing left of our own accord/will/power... can we truly " cast our cares upon Him" and understand that God will indeed "care for us". 

Why do I forget to rely on His MIGHTY hand? God will care for me as He sees fit... 

And His promise is that He will exalt us in due time... not our time, but His time. It's a promise! 

I thank the Lord for revealing to me today my need to humble myself before I come before Him... so that I can rest in His care of me!

 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 139; 23,24

Free of my pride, I can be sure that  He will give grace in my time of need. 
For He promises, "He will give grace to the humble". That's enough to praise the LORD as He continues to work in my life. 

May you be encouraged to relinquish all form of pride and clothe yourself with humility... before the MIGHTY hand of God.

~Ellie

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

" ... the Lord Thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself..."

And I will put my spirit within you 
And cause you to walk in my statutes, 
And ye shall keep my judgements, 
And do them. " 
Ezekiel 36:27

Lately I've been dwelling much on God's purpose for us. I've thought about His choosing us to be a people that is special to Him. 

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: 
The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, 
Above all people that are upon the face of the earth." 
Deuteronomy 7:6

I've been pondering on the word "special". Why are we "special" to the LORD? Is it because of something we have done? 

No. None of us deserved God's mercy. 

Ecclesiastes says it best...

"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
 Ecclesiastes 7:20

Then why did God show mercy to a people that disobeyed from the beginning?

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart 
was only evil continually."
 Genesis 6:5

Why Lord, ... why did you choose us? Why,... when we've profaned your name... in our actions, in our thoughts?

Then I found a verse that has been with me for the last couple of weeks... I've never read it in such a way before. 

"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 
I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, 
But for mine holy name's sake..." 
Ezekiel 36:22

Because of His HOLY name... His Holy Name.

" And I will sanctify my Great name, which was profaned among the heathen... "
Ezekiel 36:23
For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: 
For how should my name be polluted? 
And I will not give my glory unto another." 
Isaiah 48:11

God's love for us. How good He is... to make us a special people unto Himself. All because of His love and faithfulness.

Today I'm grateful for the beautiful reminder that God chose me... not because of my righteousness, not because of my love for Him, not because of anything I have ever done to deserve His love,

... but because of His Holy name. Because He chooses to make me clean. 

He sprinkles clean waters upon me... He gives me a new heart... He gives me a new spirit... He takes away the stony heart... and gives me a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:25,26)

"I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake
And will not remember thy sins. " 
Isaiah 43:25

Isn't it beautiful, what He does for us? 

And in the process of God's cleansing of our sins... we are to walk in His statues. Our new life would be one of obedience... to sanctify His name in our lives. 

For His glory. For His honor. 

May you give unto the LORD... the glory due unto His name.
Ellie

Friday, January 2, 2015

O Give thanks unto the LORD...

O give thanks unto the LORD; For He is good; 
For His mercy endureth for ever.... 
Who remembered us in our low estate, 
For His mercy endureth for ever." 
Psalm 136: 1,23

***

I Thank Thee Precious Lord

I bring to Thee my grateful prayer
A loving Father, who's been so near. 
Thy constant love so pure and rich, 
Gave life and peace all this past year.
*
No words are e'er enough, 
The love that changed my ways. 
Thy outstretched hand did steady me, 
Sufficient grace supplied my days.
*
The year with testings of all kinds,
Brought trials I ne'er once sought.
But each has built a faith in me,
 In a God that changest not.
*
Thy Word was peace amongst my fears,
Gave strength to trust Thy perfect will.
Content my Father always hears,
My heart was found to praise Thee still.
*
I ask that in the year to come, 
That Thou wouldst hear my prayer.
 Be it in sorrow or in joy, 
I'd fully trust Thy loving care.
Ellie 12/31/2014

May you experience God's blessings, comfort and peace in the new year... 
~Ellie