... His master saw that the LORD was with him.

"... how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against GOD?" Genesis 39:9

As I was reading through the account of Joseph, I was encouraged to read of God's presence in Joseph's life...and the impact it had on him and those around him.

Joseph feared God, and what a testimony that was to those around him! We find the LORD not only blessing Joseph, but even those around Joseph...

" And his master saw that the LORD was with him, 

and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand." 

Genesis 39:3

"And Joseph found grace in his sight..." 

Genesis  39:4

"... the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph's sake." 

Genesis 39:5

"And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored." 

Genesis 39:6

And as I was reading of the Lord's goodness towards Joseph ... even when tempted... even when thrown in prison... even when "forgotten" by the one he had done good to... that I began thinking how little I dwell on the power of God's presence in my life.

You know, sometimes I walk about fearful, I shy away from grief and pain, I find myself faithless...
But oh, the power of God that directs our every step.... and the knowledge to know and trust in the promise that our God never leaves us!

For Joseph, even when in prison, God's presence was still with him,

" But the Lord was with Joseph, 

and shewed him mercy 

and gave him favour 

in the sight of the keeper of the prison." 

Genesis 39: 21

How often I forget the power of God's presence in my life... that even in the midst of trials, my God never leaves me... but rather shows His mercy, and favor! Yes, He shows His mercy and favor when we think we can no longer bear the pain.

And then I couldn't but think how very important it is... that others might see God's presence in my life.

Do others see that the Lord is with me...  be it in joy and or in sorrow? Do others get blessed by seeing me have a total dependence on Him... the One who is able to save? Does my life show forgiveness to those that have wronged me... or do I hold a grudge?

We see Joseph not holding a grudge against Potiphar, for throwing him into prison, nor with  the chief butler who had forgotten about him in prison... furthermore, we don't see Joseph holding a grudge for his brethren, but rather loving them!

Only through the presence of God in his life, could Joseph ever have such love... and be able to consider the "evil" that his brothers had done unto him, as God's favor toward him.

How often I fail to see God's goodness to me... even in the trials and afflictions that come my way. Oh, that I would see them as God's favor towards me!

However, I am most thankful for God's presence in my life... through His Word and Holy Spirit.
For I am encouraged that Christ alone is able to use me... and you... to reflect His presence in our lives, and even bless those around us.

" Now unto HIM who is able to keep you from falling 

and to present you faultless before the presence of HIS glory 

with exceeding joy, 

to the only wise GOD our SAVIOUR, 

be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 

both now and ever. 

Amen" 

Jude 24,25

Holy Father, Help us today to honor your presence in our lives, by living a life worthy of your calling, in thought and deed. May our lives reflect and manifest towards those around that you are in us and working though us.

May you be encouraged to look unto the LORD ... and trust in the power of His presence to guide your life... and He will perfect that which concerns you today.
Ellie

And Jesus stood still...

"... For HIS WORD was with power." Luke 4: 31

I'm always amazed when I read through the life of the LORD JESUS, as related in the gospels, and find the same words I may have read over and over... once again renewed to me. 

This time around though, I was encouraged with a simple phrase I must have skipped over so many times,

And JESUS stood still...

For some reason when I read those words, I immediately noticed the Lord's ways... in the simple fact that HE stood still... 

In His stillness, He manifested His kindness...His compassion...His gentleness as He reached out towards those in need.

The Lord Jesus, though busy in the midst of a great multitude which followed Him... found the time,

...to STOP 

...to BE STILL... 

and 

...HEAR the cries of 2 blind men when they cried, " Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou son of David." 

"  And Jesus stood still 

and called them, 

and said, 

"What will ye that I shall do unto you? " 

Matthew 20:32

The words of Jesus... powerful.

Words the 2 blind men hoped to hear... " What will ye that I shall do unto you? " 

The Lord stood still for them... and His words had power... for it brought hope and healing.

And then I couldn't but think how the Lord Jesus Christ is the same today... just as in the times when He healed the blind and the sick. 

The gospels relate the amazement of the people.... when they saw the result of Jesus' words in His teaching, in the healing of diseases and in the forgiveness of sins.

"... He taught them.., insomuch that they were astonished, and said, 

Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?" 

Matthew 13:54

 "...For His word was with power." 

Luke 4:32 

"What a word is this!..." 

Luke 4:36

Yes, even today, His WORD has power and authority.... to save and deliver... and forgive sins.  

He stops and inclines His ear towards us as well and hears our cries,

" Because HE hath inclined HIS ear unto me, 

therefore will I call upon HIM as long as I live." 

Psalm 116:2

What a joy to know the power of the LIVING WORD... that we too, as the blind men, can cry to the LORD GOD  for mercy and bring all our petitions and requests before the ONE who is able...

"Blessed be God, 

which hath not turned away my prayer, 

nor HIS mercy from me." 

Psalm 66:20

Precious Father, How thankful we are for the Lord Jesus, the WORD of life. Help us to treasure your Word and trust in your unfailing promises towards us. Thank you for hearing our cries for mercy and having compassion on us.

May you delight in the living WORD of the Lord Jesus... and find rest for your souls in the presence of a mighty KING.

~Ellie

Take therefore NO thought for tomorrow...

" But seek ye first the KINGDOM of GOD, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and ALL these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

Do you ever worry for tomorrow? Do you ever take the heavy load of tomorrow upon your shoulders today? 

How often I am burdened today... for the things of tomorrow.  

I fail to seek first and foremost the kingdom of God and His righteousness... forgetting that all the other things that concern and burden me... the Lord promises that HE shall take care of.

A well known hymn says it so well... a great reminder to seek the LORD first.

Take time to be holy, 

speak oft with thy Lord; 

Abide in Him always, 

And feed on His word. 

Take time to be holy, 

Let Him be thy guide, 

And run not before Him, 

Whatever betide.

Isn't it wonderful to simply rest in the Father's love for us... and be still as He works in us? 

" Behold the fowls of the air, 

For they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; 

Yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 

ARE YOU NOT BETTER THAN THEY? " 

Matthew 6: 26

Yes, sometimes we get discouraged, sometimes we think of the tomorrows, sometimes we may lack faith, sometimes we may fear and get anxious.... but, oh the wonder of God's care for us. 

His love abides with us forever... and... His thoughts towards us are precious... 

" How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! 

How great is the sum of them! 

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand..." 

Psalm 139: 17, 18

Don't we have a most gracious and loving Father? How can we not trust in His ways as being good for us? He knows our every need!

Father, thank you for your kindness towards us. Thank you for your constant care and love each and every day. Help us to take no thought for tomorrow, but rather seek to walk  righteously before you knowing you shall take care of all our needs. 

May you be encouraged to seek the Lord's presence and trust the Heavenly Father's care for you.

~Ellie

The LORD shall open unto thee His GOOD TREASURE....

" This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein..." Joshua 1:8

This morning while reading through Ephesians chapter 5, and while undergoing a trial that brought about unrest, I found joy and kindness from a loving Savior who desires to pour out His good treasure upon His children that hearken and obey His voice...

Such peace we gain from God's HOLY WORD... that I felt the need to write down a few points that encouraged my husband and I this morning....

Because it's not always easy to accept a trial in our lives with joyfulness... nor is it easy to give thanks for a hurt you are experiencing... I found God's gentle encouragement in His Word to be the nourishment we needed  this morning... to lift our eyes above the clouds and give thanks in ALL things.

Yes, God is faithful!

And so, chapter 5 of Ephesians was loaded with a list of reminders for us to follow...

...for just as in Joshua 1, if we observe to do according to God's Holy Word, ..." thy way shall be prosperous and thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8b

Encouragement that gave us rest from the unrest:

EPHESIANS 5

• Be ye therefore followers of God (v.1)
• Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us (v.2)
• Ye are LIGHT in the Lord, walk as children of light (v.8)
• See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise (v.15)
• Redeem the time, because the days are evil (v.16)
• Be filled with the SPIRIT (v.18)
• Sing and make melody in your heart to the LORD (v.19)
• Give thanks ALWAYS for ALL things (v.20)
• Submit yourselves to one another (v.21)

If we think on the things above... the things below will slowly fade away.

Father, How gracious you are towards your people. You rejoice over us to do good to us when we obey you. Help us to serve you with joyfulness and gladness of heart for indeed you've poured your abundance upon us in all things.

May you be encouraged today to put your faith and hope in a God that changest not... a God that is mighty to save.
~Ellie

Be of good courage; IT IS I; Be NOT afraid.

" And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:32

In this morning's Bible reading I was blessed yet again when I read the marvelous and mighty acts of the Lord Jesus being performed. And yet this morning I stood a bit to meditate...

I thought about what it means to be in the presence of the One who could heal, give faith and strengthen. 

Have you ever felt the "wind being still" when in the Lord's presence? Do you find strength in His presence... in His Word... when everything around you is tumultuous?

Who can calm your soul when  "high winds" and "waves so big" make you feel utterly helpless and ready to sink?

Such thoughts crossed my mind while reading through chapter 14 of Matthew. I marveled when reading through the account of the Lord Jesus being followed by a great multitude. I thought of the people longing for healing. 

One thing the multitude knew... they knew the Lord Jesus could heal. 

The Lord's compassion  and care was evident upon all... not just a few, but the whole multitude... 5000 people! And He knew their needs...

" They need not depart; give ye them to eat. " 

Matthew 14:16

 and, 

"Bring them hither to me." 

Matthew 14:18

O, what calm and peace when in the presence of the One who takes care of our needs... physical and spiritual!

And as I read of the disciples' fear when encountering the tumultuous waters about them...  tossed about from high winds and waves... I thought again of the peace found only in the presence of the Lord.

How calming and assuring the Lord Jesus' words were,

" Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." 

Matthew 14: 27

Peter's desire to walk on water, right along with the Lord, shows how he placed his trust and hope in the One who alone could save him from the tumultuous seas. 

And yet the minute Peter took His eyes off the Lord... fear crept in. However, the Lord never once left Peter...

... and He never leaves us!

It was so very comforting to me when I read that the Lord immediately reached forth to take Peter's hand ... AND CATCHES HIM... before He could ever sink. 

 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" 

Matthew 14:31

How important it is for us to trust and not look away from the One who is our strength.

The wind ceased ... when they were all in the ship with the Lord Jesus.

What a beautiful reminder for me this morning... in the presence of the Lord Jesus... all waves cease!

Oh that I would desire to be in His presence. He alone controls and calms the winds that come in my life...  no harm can come upon me when I am in His presence.

And when I lack the faith needed to stand, He immediately takes hold of me... and catches me... so I would not sink. 

Isn't it marvelous...the Lord's tender care for us?

May you be encouraged to rely on the Lord Jesus to calm the winds in your life.

~Ellie 

Be STILL and know that I am GOD...

"Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD GOD of Israel 

in the isles of the sea." 

Isaiah 24:15 

Do you ever have a hard time being still before the LORD? I'll be honest I struggle often to be still. 

Being still before the Lord is one of the hardest things to do, especially when circumstances around us may seem like they need our attention. 

I don't know, but I often struggle with the idea that I need " to do something about it ".  And usually that sense overrides my LORD's desire... to abide in Him... without struggling... and to bring everything before Him.

I thought about the well known verse: 

" Casting ALL your care upon HIM, 

for HE careth for you." 

1 Peter 5:7 . 

HE cares!  The LORD cares about our struggles. He desires that we be still before Him... and allow Him to work on our behalf.

This morning as I was reading through Isaiah, the Lord brought a beautiful verse to my attention. I'm always amazed at God's mercy... and His grace poured forth to us in time of need. It was a verse I truly needed this morning. A verse that I need to apply daily in my life.

" Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, 

even the name of the LORD GOD of Israel 

in the isles of the sea." 

Isaiah 24:15   

The Lord reminded me not only to be still before Him, but to also glorify Him... even in the "fire" or "remotest place" I may find myself in.

Our joy is in the LORD. We find comfort and strength in Him alone. We can triumph through faith in the ONE who is a LIGHT unto our path.

"For with THEE is the fountain of life;

 In THY light, we see light." 

Psalm 36:9

What a beautiful thing it is to see God work... to be still before HIM... even in the midst of fiery trials.  

Thank you, Lord... for the beautiful reminder today... to glorify you in every place, however "hot" or "remote" it may seem.  

" Let us set aside every weight... 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith... 

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. "

Hebrews 12:1,2,12

May you know today...the PEACE the LORD gives... not the "peace" the world gives.

~Ellie

How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

" For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song..." Psalm 137:3

This morning as I read psalm 137, I immediately thought, " What can I learn from this psalm today. It's so difficult to understand. "  My attitude was one of  a deep sigh. I wanted something easy to understand at the moment. Something that was plain and simple... with words that would immediately encourage me and give me the strength I needed for the day. I even thought to jump to the next psalm. Surely it would be more promising than the one I read...

Do you ever get the same thoughts as I do? Where you want to skip over a section ... because "there's nothing there"?

Ashamed, I went back and  started re-reading the psalm. Surely God's WORD never fails.

As I began to meditate on the words I was reading, the LORD in His mercy brought food for my soul. There was  a treasure I had quickly read over and completely missed the first time around.

Is it possible to sing a song ... in a strange land? In moments when held captive? Do we opt for "hanging up our harp" because we feel sad and helpless?

" We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof..."

Psalm 137:2

Do we cry and weep when we remember moments in our lives when "everything was well"? Do we give up and forget God's goodness to us...

Such was the case with the Israelites... such is the case with us today. Woe to us if we forget God's lovingkindness...

" If I forget Thee, O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her skill.

If I do not remember Thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.

If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy...."

Psalm 137: 5-6

And so  I was deeply encouraged by a Psalm I had "given up" on. How grateful I was to God  who opened my eyes... to see my need to sing a song of praise... even in the midst of adversity. And to prefer Him above all chiefest earthly joys.

Thank you Lord... for your patience with me... and for steering me  ever so gently to see the light.

Never hang up the harp...

And may you be encouraged today to lift your voice on high and praise the LORD with your whole heart.

~Ellie

 

 

For the Battle is NOT yours, but GOD'S...

" Ye shall NOT need to fight in this battle; SET yourselves, STAND ye STILL, and SEE the SALVATION of the LORD with you..."  2 Chronicles 20:17

The word of God has always been of  comfort to me. It never fails to uplift me as I read it. And as I was reading a passage from a daily  calendar, STREAMS IN THE DESERT, I instantly loved the verse that was quoted:

" When they began to sing and praise,  the LORD set ambushments... and they were smitten."

2 Chronicles 20:22

The passage talked about singing and praising the LORD more... and dwelling less on our problems. Just as the birds sing in the early morning hours... without a care in the world...  so ought we to sing. The  last thing the robins do in the evening is to sing... shouldn't we sing a song of praise to Him who carried us through the day?

Sometimes the problems of the day can be sung away... We need not fight the battle, for we have GOD on our side... and He will fight for us. Resting still before Him, with a song of praise, will stablish us ... and make us prosper throughout the day. (2 Chron. 20:20)

What victory we have through our heavenly Father who goes before us, and wins the battle on  our behalf. I simply love how the WORD is so rich in comfort and peace. God's word never fails to remind us that HE is in control.  All we need to do is to fix our eyes upon HIM... for our GOD rules the world... and NO ONE can withstand HIM!

"  O Lord God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? And rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in Thine hand is there not power and might that none is able to withstand Thee?"

2 Chronicles 20:6

Doesn't this verse just overwhelm you with peace? Nothing can happen without God allowing it.

Furthermore, the LORD GOD is so gracious and merciful... that He gives us yet another verse... just  to solidify HIS lovingkindness over us.

" If when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in THY presence, for Thy name is in this house, and cry unto THEE in our affliction, then THOU wilt hear and help. "

2 Chronicles 20:9

What a loving God! So powerful. So full of mercy and help.

It is enough that we trust Him to win our battles, whatever they may be. He hears us. He helps us.

Let us sing a song of praise to our  God..." that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

May you be encouraged to be still before our God... and allow Him to fight the battle that concerns  you today.

~Ellie