... ye are not your own. For you are bought with a price....

"Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him" Deuteronomy 13:4.

This morning as I was walking,  I happened to hear a song... a song I 'd never heard before. The song brought to remembrance a verse that I don't often dwell on... as I ought. 

Oh, that I would be reminded of it every day! 

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, 

which ye have of God, 

and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, 

and in your spirit, which are God's." 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

How often I go through the day... forgetting that a price was paid for my redemption. A price no one could pay that could satisfy our Father in heaven. Only ONE could pay that price ... the Lord Jesus Christ. Blood had to be shed SO that I could partake of the divine nature and be called a child of God. 

And not just a child of God... but an HEIR of God... JOINT HEIR with Jesus Christ. (Romans 8).

That I would walk after the Lord, my GOD...

That I would fear Him...

That I would keep His commandments...

That I would obey His voice...

That I should serve Him....

... and cleave unto Him.

O, Lord help me to live my life... led by your Holy Spirit... and remind me that I am not my own. That you have paid a most precious price... 

... giving me all that I have and am!

May praise be continually on my lips...

Lord, I must be yours alone.

Teach me I am not my own.

Crush and mold this heart of stone.

In your image make it.

Willful, stubborn, Lord, it's true-

I do what I want to do.

Let me learn to follow you.

Take my will and break it

From my self I would be free.

Take all my identity,

Fill with your humility.

Seize my pride and shake it.

When a helpless wreck I am,

Take me and rebuild the sham

To be like the Living Lamb,

My life, on Him I stake it.

Written by: Abigail Miller

May you be led by the Spirit as you seek to honor Him in your life today.
~Ellie

The effectual FERVENT prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man availeth much....

" Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." 

Ephesians 6:18

Sometimes the power of prayer has to be seen in our own lives before we can truly embrace it as a means to intercede for others.  

Have you ever cried unto the LORD... and been heard? Have you ever experienced someone else's prayer being answered on your behalf? 

Prayer. What a powerful tool. A privilege. A means to glorify the Father through the Son:

"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." 

John 14 :13 

This past week I was again reminded of God's mercy in answering our prayers. A mother's prayer on behalf of someone who was sick. How in a matter of hours God graciously answered and healed.... My mother's faith in her heavenly Father was unwavering. It was fervent.

The effectual fervent prayer brought about a miracle... seen before my very eyes. My loved one healed... when all else looked dim.

I praised God for His love that brought me to realize how important it is to persevere with supplication for all saints. 

We have a MIGHTY God who desires that we glorify HIM... not ourselves. No pride, no glory for our works.... but all praise be unto HIS name. 

 How much the Lord desires that we go before Him ... with a HUMBLE and a CONTRITE heart. 

We need to lay aside all pride. ALL.

For as long as we come before God with pride, we won't have our prayers answered. Did you know that? 

" ... HE respecteth NOT ANY that are wise of heart." 

Job 37:24 

If the LORD JESUS became of no reputation, shouldn't we?

Lord, help me to put aside all manner of pride and evil from my life... that the FATHER may be glorified.

" Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocricies, and envies, and all evil speakings." 

1 Peter 2:1

May you persevere in prayer on behalf of the saints... and glorify the Father through faith in the Son.        

~Ellie

The voice of my BELOVED!, behold HE cometh...

" I sat down under HIS shadow with great delight, and HIS fruit was sweet to my taste." Song of Solomon 2:3

This past week my husband and I were talking about various passages in the Bible and at one point in our conversation we ended up talking about Zacchaeus. 

I thought about Zacchaeus and of his desire to know more about the man Lord Jesus. To refresh my memory I went to the passage in Luke 19 and reread the account. And what a blessing it was...

Zacchaeus. Chief among the publicans. Rich.

And yet he desired to know who Jesus was. But because of the press, and because of his small stature, he wasn't able to see Jesus. Yet, he didn't give up. 

He ran.. and climbed a sycomore tree.... for he knew the Lord was to pass  that way.

As I was reading the passage, I stopped to think about Zacchaeus and how much he desired to see Jesus. He went out of his way to make time to see the LORD. And he ran to climb the tree, making sure he could get a good view of Jesus.... and not miss His coming. I am sure Zacchaeus was a busy man, being chief of publicans. But he cared not what others thought of him. Seeing the Lord Jesus was more important to him.... even above his riches.

And then I thought of my own life. How do I seek the LORD? Do I run to know more of Him... through His word, through fellowship with Him in prayer? Do I place the things of the world second... and make my time with the LORD a delight... tasting the sweet fruit of HIS word?

My thoughts then stopped a bit as I read further through the passage. Oh, the LORD's beautiful calling to Zacchaeus, 

" Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." 

Luke 19:5

I thought of the Lord's calling to HIS own... how He calls us too. His desire is to dwell with us, that we might taste the sweet fellowship of His presence in our house.

Zacchaeus' response was so beautiful to see. His obedience to the calling of the LORD: 

He made haste. He came down. He received Him joyfully. His earthly riches were transformed... in knowing the riches of the LORD'S saving grace. 

Oh, what a precious example... that we should hear the BELOVED's voice calling... and heed His beckoning. 

Lord, help me to seek you above all else....to hear your voice. Let nothing hinder your coming in my house. 

" For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

Luke 19:10 

May you know the sweet fellowship of the LORD in your own house.

 ~Ellie