The LORD is God, and HE has given us LIGHT...

" For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

This morning I was truly blessed to think upon the marvelous work of God in my life. What mercy that God would look upon me and bring me to light...  

I marvel at the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and think often of my unworthiness. How thankful I am... that I should taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

As I went about my daily work this morning, I happened to hear this song playing... it was indeed a time to stop and thank the Lord for His unbounded love.

I HAVE COME FROM THE DARKNESS

(M.W. Chaplin)

I have come from the darkness to the light of the Lord,

I have come from the night to the day.

He has guided my footsteps in the truth of His word;

By His love He has shown me the way.

Chorus:

I have come from the darkness to the light,

To the light of redemption from sin.

Oh, my soul will rejoice in His might,

For my Savior dwells within.

In the light of His presence all temptations depart,

And the shadows of doubt are cast aside.

With the radiance of sunshine He has entered my heart,

Where His spirit of love abides.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being GOD and commanding light to shine in our hearts. We praise you for the Lord Jesus Christ who has brought us from death to life and has opened the door to your throne of grace. Our hearts are rejoicing that we would be made children of God and marvel at your holiness. Help us today to be a light that shines for you.

" For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: 

because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people." 

1 Samuel 12:22

May you be joyful today... offering praise to the Heavenly Father for the Lord Jesus who has brought light and life to us.

~Ellie

This is my beloved Son: HEAR HIM

"Blessed is the man that walketh NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, NOR standeth  in the way of sinners NOR sitteth the seat of the scornful." Psalm 1:1

Do you ever find yourself caught up with the counsel of ungodly men and listening to their ways?

Do you ever find yourself  walking alongside and partaking with  those that despise the law of God and walk in wickedness?

Do you ever find yourself in the midst of those that express contempt or derision and scorn those around you? 

My thoughts went to Psalm 1 while reading through the gospel of Mark. It was while reading the account of the Lord Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain before the 3 disciples, Peter, James and John... that I thought upon the verse,

" ... A voice came out of the cloud, saying, 

This is my beloved Son: HEAR HIM." 

Mark 9:7

Earlier in chapter 8 of Mark, we find the Lord asking the disciples a question,

" ... Whom do men say that I am? " 

Mark 8:27

There were all sorts of talk as who the Lord Jesus was...

Sometimes we can get so caught up with the world, and what people say...that our focus and thoughts can be misaligned... 

...we listen to ungodly counsel, 

...we find ourselves standing alongside wickedness, 

...and sit in the seat of pride and arrogance.

We may find ourselves not mindful of the things that be of God... but rather the things that be of men. (Mark 8:33)

God's beautiful reminder: This is my beloved Son: HEAR HIM.

Oh, that we would delight in the law of the Lord; and in His law meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Through the use and practice of God's Word... planted by the rivers of water... we can stand amidst the teachings of men...  his leaf shall not wither... and be able to have discernment from good and evil...  bringeth forth fruit in his season...so that in the end, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

How wonderful that we have the LIVING WORD... to guide and direct us unto godliness.... and to eschew evil, to do good, to seek peace, and pursue it.

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." 

Psalm 34:14

Righteous Father, thank you for the reminder to hearken and obey your beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your Word that is truth in an adulterous and sinful world. Help us to pursue peace and seek holiness that we may have confidence and not be ashamed at the coming of the Lord Jesus. 

May you be encouraged today to seek godly wisdom in the Word... that your way may be prosperous.

~Ellie

For thou didst it secretly...

" ... the LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." 2 Samuel 12:13

Do you ever wonder how our sins affect those around us, and how it grieves the Lord God? I know we sin, and I know God is merciful. And I also know He forgives...

...but I thought upon the need to have a pure heart before the Lord. All these thoughts came upon me recently while reading the account of Abraham and Abimelech. 

If you remember, Abraham told Abimelech, king of Gerar, that Sarah(his wife) was actually his sister....  Now Abimelech takes Sarah, but God comes in a dream and warns Abimelech, that Sarah was the wife of another man(Abraham).

In the account, Abimelech stands clean before God and says that he knew not that Abraham and Sarah were husband and wife, 

"... in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this."

 Genesis 20:5

If you  continue reading the account in Genesis 20... you'll find the Lord God protecting Abimelech from committing sin before the LORD. 

" ... yea, I KNOW that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; 

for I also withheld thee from sinning against me; 

therefore suffered I thee NOT to touch her." 

Genesis 20: 6

You know, God knows our heart. But if we are honest before Him, He goes before us and protects us from evil and committing sin against Him.

I couldn't but think upon David and his sin with Bathsheba. We are aware of David's consequences. 

But then I thought, why didn't the Lord God protect him as well? 

And so, I went and read the account a bit more in detail and compared both Abimelech and David's situation in 2 Samuel 12.

In reality, the 2 situations are exact opposites. Abimelech was honest in his act... while David willfully sinned. (2 Samuel 12:12)

But it was while reading the account of David that I was overwhelmed with the consequences of our own sins. 

It isn't that we sin against the Lord...as if that wouldn't be enough! 

BUT... 

We give GREAT occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme! 

Our sins don't just affect us... but it affects those around us in ways that bring shame to the gospel. And the Lord tells David, 

" Howbeit, because by this deed 

thou hast given GREAT occasion 

to the enemies of the LORD

 to blaspheme..." 

2 Samuel 12:14

And if you look at God's goodness towards David, you'll find the LORD God providing David with all that he could ever want... and much more! 

David didn't lack...

"... I annointed thee KING over Israel,

I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul,

I gave thee thy master's house,

AND

thy master's wives into thy bosom,

and gave thee the house of Israel AND of Judah;

AND IF THAT HAD BEEN TOO LITTLE,

I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. " 

2 Samuel 12:7,8

And then we wonder why God is grieved with His people... and why He brings judgement!

But through it all... our LORD GOD... is still merciful... and still forgives!

AND David repents,

" I have sinned against the LORD." 

2 Samuel 12: 13

I, too,  find myself willfully allowing my flesh to take precedence in my actions... and my thoughts.... and despising His commandments.

How thankful for the Lord's reminder this morning... that my willful actions against a Holy God... not only grieves our LORD... but also gives GREAT occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme! 

Oh, heavenly Father, how thankful we are for your goodness towards us. We are undeserving of your unfailing love towards us. Make us to walk in righteousness and integrity of heart before your holiness. Forgive us our willful disobedience in despising your commandments.

May you seek the Lord's mercy today and  desire to live in holiness before a righteous God.

~Ellie

And they shall see HIS FACE...

" Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like HIS glorious body, according to the working whereby HE IS ABLE even to subdue all things unto Himself." Philippians 3:21

Recently, while reading through the book of Revelation, I was extremely blessed to find HOPE, FAITH and LOVE in a book that oftentimes can be a bit hard to understand. 

While I've read through the book of Revelation many a time, I must admit I often missed seeing the glory of GOD revealed in such depth. 

" THOU art worthy, O Lord, 

to receive glory and honour and power: 

for THOU hast created all things, 

and for THY pleasure they are and were created." 

Revelation 4:1

While God is HOLY... and His JUDGMENTS are always just and true... His GLORY is graciously revealed in His LOVE for His people. 

"For the LAMB which is in the midst of the throne 

shall feed them, 

and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: 

and GOD

shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." 

Revelation 7:17

You know, sometimes my mind is SO encumbered with these earthly things, the running to and fro, the busyness of life... that my eyes are not completely fixed on the things above.

Do you find yourself, as I often find myself,  trying to "work"  and "accomplish" a whole list of things... and then find yourself so tired and weary and worn... that you are without strength to even think upon the day when we shall see the face of Him who bought and redeemed us from our sins?

While "things" do need to be accomplished... our focus for the eternal can oftentimes be clouded... and we can miss the joy of anticipation found only in the presence of our God.

Can we truly say, as the Psalmist,

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, 

that will I seek after; 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, 

to behold the beauty of the LORD, 

and to inquire in His temple." 

Psalm 27:4

Oh, the joy to behold His face one day... that makes the trials of today... quickly fade away. 

Behold, 

the tabernacle of God is with men, 

and He will dwell with them, 

and they shall be His people, 

and God himself shall be with them, 

and be their God."

 Revelation 21:3

Worthy is our God... to be worshiped and adored!

Father, how precious are your thoughts towards us. Oh, the joy to have you as our God and that you would dwell with us! Help us today to focus our thoughts on the things above, where Christ sits at your right hand. 

May you find joy and peace in the presence of our King... and be filled with hope awaiting Christ's return.
~Ellie

Therefore, we were comforted in your comfort...

" ... dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

Have you ever been comforted... because of someone else's comfort? I thought about this as I was reading this morning a chapter in 2 Corinthians. 

How many of us can truly, and in all honesty, say that we are most comforted, or happy for those around us who are doing well. Do we care enough? Do we want the lives of those around us to be enriched by God's blessings? Do we want to see growth and be blessed as a result of seeing the work of God being made manifest in their lives?

Well, such was the case for Apostle Paul and the Corinthians...  his desire for them to be cleansed "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit"(v.1). How comforted he was to hear of their godly sorrow ... and as a result, see the fruits of their repentance.  How he cared for them!

Do we care for those around us... without condemning? That's always hard to do... this caring without condemning. 

His power alone can give us victory over the flesh. How encouraging!

" Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 

Galatians 5:16

For the fruit of the Spirit is:

LOVE

Joy

Peace

LONGSUFFERING

Gentleness

Goodness

Faith

MEEKNESS

Temperance(Self Control)

Oh, that our care for one another would be evident in the sight of God and man. That we would indeed be of comfort to one another... and refresh those around us.

Father, may your Spirit cleanse us from all the workings of the flesh and strengthen us to attain unto holiness.

May you manifest God's grace in abundance to those in need... that your soul may be comforted and refreshed in the presence of a Holy God. 

~Ellie

That NO flesh should glory in HIS PRESENCE...

" That in EVERY THING ye are enriched by HIM, in ALL utterance, and in ALL knowledge." 1 Corinthians 1:5

Lately, I've been thinking about my need to have the LORD JESUS CHRIST dwell richly in me. I find myself lacking often to " put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh." How easily I fall prey to the flesh.

-Pride creeps in,
-Selfishness abounds,
-and Christ is minimized in my life.

And then I think how perfectly the LORD GOD orchestrated our lives... He perfectly knows us and our tendencies. And how easily we want self glory.

Indeed God knows our tendencies,

"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

And so I think upon my need to glory in the Lord... to glorify the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, worthy of ALL praise.

Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out: 

He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice:

 He will not afflict. 

Men do therefore fear Him: 

He respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

Job 37, 23, 24

Dominion and fear are with Him...

Job 25:2

How good to remember my  place before a Holy and Righteous God... and to remember that He alone enriches us with the the right words to speak and fills us with the knowledge of His will when we are humble before Him. For I am reminded that I can do nothing apart from Him.

"... for without me ye can do nothing." 

John 15:5

AND in all things, I am to glorify my Father in heaven,

" Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." 

John 15:8

O Righteous Father, help me to fear your name, and flee from self-exaltation. Enlighten my eyes to behold your glory with adoration as you continue your mighty work in me.

May you be encouraged to exalt the Lord on High today.... for in everything we are enriched by Him.
~Ellie

Will you not TREMBLE at MY PRESENCE?

" ... but yet I would have you WISE unto that which is GOOD, and simple concerning evil. " Romans 16:19

"... neither be partaker's of other men's sins; Keep thyself  PURE." 1 Timothy 5:22

Recently I came upon this verse in Romans, where we are instructed to be simple in the things that are evil. I thought upon this quite a bit, because oftentimes we can find ourselves dabbling in things that are not pure and righteous... and overlooking sin.

Evil surrounds us in all forms... we can easily be drawn to evil... and even place ourselves in the pathway of temptations unknowingly.

I find it comes easy for our minds to "soak up" things that our flesh desires... it can come through media, news, movies, books and all forms of evil practices. And sometimes we can find ourselves in the presence of evil company. But... 

Do we separate ourselves from these worldly passions? 

Are we aware of God's HOLINESS... and desire that we be simple concerning things that are evil? 

Do we fear GOD? 

Do we tremble at His presence? 

Do we run from evil... and seek that which is good?

We can easily clutter our minds with things that harm...

However, we are to  be wise unto that which is GOOD. We are to know God's Word..., for it has power to heal and cleanse... and teaches us the way we ought to walk.

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, 

and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 

2 Corinthians 6:17

"I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand...." Jeremiah 15:17

" Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 

2 Timothy 2:19

Yes, we are to live in this world...but we are not of the world. The Lord Jesus sent us out into the world... and His prayer was that we would be kept from evil (John 17). 

Oh, to be innocent concerning all that is evil,

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless(innocent) as doves.

 Matthew 10:16

So in my thoughts, I went to Psalm 101... a perfect guide... for the application of God's precepts.... to help us in our walk:

PSALM 101:

IN REGARDS TO OUR OBEDIENCE

• I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. 
• I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
• I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.
• I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
• A froward heart shall depart from me: 
• I will not know a wicked person.

IN REGARDS TO GOD'S JUDGEMENT ON DISOBEDIENCE

• Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off:
• Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
• He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house
• He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

AND GOD'S PROMISES TO THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY

• Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: 
• He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

Lord, I pray that  I would be wise in the things that are GOOD, RIGHTEOUS and HOLY... 

...  to be aware of Your presence in my life, to acknowledge Your holiness and purity, to flee from unrighteousness...

... and be FAITHFUL to You.

May you be encouraged today to hide God's Word in your heart... to be wise in that which is GOOD... and innocent concerning evil.

~Ellie

He hath shewed STRENGTH with HIS arm...

" He that is MIGHTY hath done to me GREAT things: and HOLY is HIS name." Luke 1:49

As I am nearing the end of memorizing Romans Chapter 8, I have been tremendously blessed by it. Oh, the treasures gained by slowly dwelling on God's word... and knowing Him more.

Memorizing has brought much strength and peace to me... not only building me up and helping me to discern His will, but it has been most helpful...

...during times of anxiety, 

...during times of discouragement, 

...during times of loneliness, 

...and during times when I needed strength for the day... or night.... when my thoughts strayed from the things above to those here below.

While memorizing verse 32 of Romans 8, I marvelled at God's love for us:

 " He that spared not His own Son, 

but delivered Him up for us all, 

how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" 

Romans 8:32

Sometimes we know not what we ask for... we want... and want.... and want. Our "needs" are never met.

But as I stayed a bit upon the verse, I realized how often we discount the magnitude of God's love... and His gift for us.

Shamefully, we don't acknowledge God's precious gift for us as being more than enough.  No, not more than enough, but rather,...

Abundant. Overflowing. Plentiful. Bountiful...

Have  you ever marvelled at God's gift for you? For indeed He has given us ALL things through His Son Jesus Christ. 

We lack no good thing.

And as I was reading through the book of Luke, I was blessed with a verse that brought overflowing thanksgiving  in my heart to the Lord... for His goodness to me. 

" He that is MIGHTY hath done to me GREAT things: 

and HOLY is HIS name."

 Luke 1:49

Indeed He is mighty... and nothing is impossible for Him.

Great things has He done for me... and HOLY is His name!

May you rejoice today in the abundance of His love for you... and praise His Holy name.

~Ellie

The KING'S daughter is all glorious WITHIN...

" So shall the KING greatly desire thy beauty; for HE is thy LORD; and worship thou HIM. " Psalm 45:11

As I was reading though the Psalms the other day, I came across Psalm 45.. a Psalm where I stopped a bit and meditated...

The love of Christ, my King.... I was reminded yet again of Christ's work on my behalf... making me a child of God.

And the Lord's desire for me... 

That my garments would smell beautiful. (verse 8)

• " For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 2:15

That I might be all glorious from within. (verse 13)

• "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

That my clothing would be of wrought gold. (verse 13)

• "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me..." Job 29:14

What a wonderful reminder the Psalm was to me ... that God has done a beautiful work for me. And I am to reflect the image of  His Righteousness in how I live...

... for I have been given the Royal garments... made a child of the KING.

There's been a change of raiment... a robe of righteousness, a garment of salvation... and a new heart.

"... put on the new man, which after God 

is created 

in righteousness and true holiness. " 

Ephesians 4:24

Therefore, my heart shall rejoice and be glad... for I can enter the King's palace!

May you be encouraged to shine brightly as a child... of a Righteous and Holy King.

~Ellie

How GREAT is His Goodness, and how GREAT is His Beauty...

" That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." Luke 1: 74,75

This past week I have been dwelling much on God's goodness. How often I go through the day and not see God's beauty in my life. How easily I focus on the things I need to "attain". How preoccupied I am with things not "going well"...

... that I find myself missing the beauty of God's goodness poured forth(in abundance) on my life.

Murmuring, discontentment seeps in unknowingly.... because I fail to count my blessings.

Do you ever get caught up with negative and critical and judgmental thoughts? Thoughts that take over and cloud our perspective on life? Do you find yourself  "running to and fro" trying to accomplish things that are not lasting?

Motives that are simply empty of  eternal value?

Well, this week I found myself thus... lacking the eternal perspective. Lacking focus on what really matters in life... what really counts for eternity.

The Lord brought some beautiful reminders as I was reading His word. How precious to stop and dwell on the Lord's goodness and beauty.

• For I am to be a witness UNTO HIM...

But ye shall receive power, 

after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: 

and ye shall be witnesses unto me..." 

Acts 1:8

• I am to serve Him in holiness and righteousness BEFORE HIM...

"... serve Him without fear, 

in holiness and righteousness 

before Him, 

all the days of our life."

 Luke 1:75

• I am to do service AS TO THE LORD, and not to men...

"...doing service, as to the Lord, 

and not to men." 

Ephesians 6:7

Blessed today with a few verses that encouraged me to bring glory unto the Lord and see His beauty in my life.

 “Honor and majesty are before Him; 

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary,” 

“Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! ”

Psalm 96:6, 9

 “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; 

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Psalm 29:2

 “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, 

and establish the work of our hands for us; 

Yes, establish the work of our hands.” 

Psalm 90:17

I often have to remember that my life here is not to serve man, nor myself... but rather to serve the Lord... all the days of my life.

May you be encouraged to see God's beauty and holiness in your life today...
~Ellie

Their heart is divided...

" For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." 

Hosea 6:6

Several years ago, I took an online class on the book of Hosea. It was a wonderful class that brought about an understanding of God's redeeming love to a people that have gone awhoring after other gods. It showed me how God loves us...  inspite of our iniquites... and that His love stands firm to the end.

And while the book of Hosea was a blessing to me back when I took the class, I found that God's word never grows old... and I was recently blessed by it once again during my daily reading.

So while reading through Hosea, I noticed the importance of God's desire for us...  How He longs for us to return to Him in faithfulness... and to remember the great things He has done for us.

• He desires that we be faithful to Him.... 

" For Israel slideth back  as a backsliding heifer... " Hosea 4:16

"And  my people are bent to backsliding from me." Hosea 11:7

• He desires that we grow in the knowledge of who He is...

                          " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... Hosea 4:6

                          " I have written to him the great things of my law, 

                           but they were counted as a strange thing." Hosea 8:1

                      "For I desired... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. " Hosea 6:6

• He desires that our hearts be fully devoted to Him... 

" They set their heart on iniquity... "  Hosea 4:8

" Their heart is divided..." Hosea 10:2

"Israel has cast off that which is good..." Hosea 8:3

• He desires that we have mercy...

" For I desired mercy and not sacrifice..." Hosea 6:6

• He desires that we sow in righteousness and reap in mercy... Hosea 10:12

" For  they have sown the wind, 
and 
they shall reap the whirlwind..." 
Hosea 8:7

• He desires that we forget not who our Maker is... 

" For Israel hath forgotten his Maker... Hosea 8:14

• He desires that we return to Him...

 " Therefore turn thou to thy God: 

keep mercy and judgement 
and wait on thy God continually." Hosea 12:6

As a result, when we acknowledge who God is, when we acknowledge our offences and seek His face, He promises...

--That He will not execute the fierceness of His anger. (Hosea 11:9)
--In Him the fatherless shall find mercy. (Hosea 14:3)
--He will heal our backsliding. (Hosea 14:4)
--He will love us freely...  (Hosea 14:4)

And He will be our dew, making us to grow, helping us to cast our roots, making our branches to spread, making us beautiful, and even making us to smell good.

" I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. " 

Hosea 14:5,6

I was simply amazed with the wealth of knowledge  and application we can draw from the Word... even from such a small book as Hosea.

It is enough to know that God's love... saves, forgives and restores.

"...   and it shall come to pass, 
that in the place where it was said unto them, 
Ye are not my people, 
there it shall be said unto them, 
Ye are the sons of the living God." 

Hosea 1:10

What a merciful God! We are children of the MOST HIGH.

May you know the power of God's love in your life today... and praise Him for His redeeming love.

~Ellie

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me...

" The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: 

a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." 

Psalm 51:17

These past couple of weeks I have been memorizing Psalm 51... a psalm where repentance of sins are brought before a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God.

Do you ever think yourself vile? Do you ever think that you are a sinner?  

I know sometimes we don't want to think we are evil... or wicked... or vile. We like to think that we are alright. We are not bad people. 

But lately I've been dwelling much upon Psalm 51... in relation to the rest of my daily reading in the old testament.... Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. If you've ever read through the prophetic books, you'll quickly realize and come away with the knowledge that we are a wicked and vile people...

... and that God is HOLY. 

Psalm 51 states it clearly...

  " behold I was shapen in iniquity...and in sin did my mother conceive me." (verse 5).

God's people... be it Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel... all came before a Holy God in humbleness.... seeking God's mercy. 

And we are to do the same...

Isaiah states: " The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." (2:11)

Jeremiah states: " Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches." (9:23)

Ezekiel states: " That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of His covenant it might stand." (17:14)

Daniel states: " Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten(humble) thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." (10:12)

O, that our Holy God would have mercy upon us! For His Holy name's sake.

How of utmost importance... to strip away our pride... for we are to come in the presence of our God seeking His mercy. We deserve nothing. 

And so I sat down to put my thoughts in a poem... acknowledging my sinfulness and the need for God's mercy. 

How grateful I am that God does indeed show His mercy...  to those of a broken and a contrite heart.

" from the multide of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions."

 Ps 51:1

The Lord God, 

...so tender

...so loving.

Create In Us A Clean Heart

O Lord, forgive us our iniquities,

Have mercy and purge us from within.

Cast us not away from Thy presence,

Against Thee, Thee only, have we sinned.

We have done wickedly and sinned in Thy sight

Thou alone art righteous and just in Thy ways.

We have rebelled, we have not hearkened,

O God, in mercy teach us to number our days.

According to the multitude of Thy tender mercies,

Help us Thy will and truth to understand.

Make us to apply wisdom unto our hearts,

That in Thy presence clean may we stand.

For Thy name's sake, have mercy on us,

And sprinkle clean waters upon us today.

Cause us to hear and walk in Thy statutes,

Thy HOLY name sanctified in us alway.

Have pity for Thy Holy name's sake,

And create in us a clean heart.

Renew and restore a right spirit,

That praise from our lips shall ne'er depart.

Glory and honor be unto Thee, O God,

For Thou delivereth, and Thou rescueth.

Thou art the living God, steadfast forever.

Great is Thy power that continually worketh!

Ellie 2/18/2015

May God's forgiveness bring restoration to you today...

~Ellie

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

" ... 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