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

Let your LIGHT so shine before men...

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us..." Psalm 90:17

The other day I was visiting my good friend, who happens to be in her late 80's. We love to get together once a week to catch up on "things".  We set a whole afternoon aside... for building and encouraging one another. And what may be a few hours in actual time, we feel like it's really just minutes... there's so much to share.

During our visits, we often read scripture together and share memory verses.... sometimes, we may even sing a song or two. But we always share what's on our hearts...

On my last visit, I happened to share with her my desire to be a light in the world... to be a light to those around  me.

Immediately after I said, " I want the beauty of the Lord to be seen in me...", she  began singing the first stanza of an unfamiliar hymn.

One that I had never heard before...

LET THE BEAUTY OF JESUS BE SEEN IN ME

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,

All His wonderful passion and purity.

May His Spirit divine all my being refine

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

When your burden is heavy and hard to bear

When your neighbors refuse all your load to share

When you're feeling so blue, don't know just what to do,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

When somebody has been so unkind to you,

Some word spoken that pierces you through and through.

Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you

From the dawn of the morning till close of day,

In example in deeds and in all you say,

Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

Written by Albert Orsborn

I don't know about you, but I love old hymns. Old hymns are such a treasure... they are often filled with such good and godly encouragement....  written and lived out by people who gave glory to God... in joys or in sorrows.

The hymn my friend shared brought encouragement to me... because it reminded me to take my eyes from self. 

It is indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ, who I need to look upon... who shines in all beauty and glory.

What a wonderful reminder that...

...when we are beguiled,
...when we are persecuted,
...when we feel our burdens are too hard to bear,

--- The Lord Jesus understands.

He loved us enough to take our shame upon Himself... He who was without sin ... was made sin for us.

That in the end,

... we might be able to show His beauty in our lives.

That our lives might be transformed...

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 

Matthew 5:16

I hope you will be encouraged through the hymn as well... and allow the beauty of the Lord to be seen in you today.
~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

You are the GOD of heaven, not?

" Praise the LORD; for HIS mercy endureth forever."  2 CHRONICLES 20:21

While  meditating on the 20th chapter of second Chronicles, I was deeply touched at God's provision for His people. Even when the people were in the midst of fear from their enemies, God was merciful. At first glance, victory over the enemy was quite impossible... the numbers were against them. How often I find myself in the same situation... fearful in the hand of the enemy. But God reminds us to be still. He will fight for us... and win the battle!

In my thankfulness to God, I decided to jot down a poem of sorts. He is the God of heaven, is He not? He can do ALL things!

YOU ARE THE GOD OF HEAVEN, NOT?

*

When everything around us seems to sway

And fears arise within our hearts.

We see our strength can sometimes falter,

From many swift and flying darts.

*

And thus we find ourselves no longer strong

With things that come and cloud our way.

Amidst it all we lift our eyes on thee O Lord,

And bow accepting what ever may.

*

You are the God of heaven, not?

And in Thine hand is there not might?

We cry to Thee and Thou wilt hear

For we by faith shall live, and not by sight.

*

In our affliction Thou art always near,

You ask  of us to  just be still.

In truth , salvation comes from Thee,

And so we kneel and  bow before Thy  will.

*

You have  a plan to rescue us

Thy Word is true, we can be strong.

"The battle is not yours, but mine."

O Lord forgive, for we've been wrong!

*

We praise your name, O Lord

Our way's  established from all ill

To Thee be glory, praise and honor 

As we abide before Thee still.

*

In Thee is victory indeed,

Our battle has been won.

We put our trust and hope in Thee

To find all  fear is slowly gone. 

~Ellie 5/6/2014

May you know the God of heaven and rejoice that we have victory  through Him.

~Ellie