From the place of HIS habitation HE looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth...

" Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." Psalm 119:73

Sometimes I forget how much the Lord God loves me... and how beloved I am to Him.

Do you ever think that you are not that important? Do you ever find yourself dwelling on the fact that you are "forgotten"... and are "alone"? Do you ever doubt the Father's love for you?

I think most of us have moments where we feel discouraged... sometimes the trials of the day overwhelms us so much, that we think nothing, or very little of our importance in the eyes of our heavenly Father. That He cares and watches over us... 

But think about it. The Lord God created us... He made us and fashioned us. 

He knows our hearts. 

He knows our cares. 

He knows our thoughts. 

He knows all things that concern us.

Our heavenly Father made us for a reason... for Himself! 

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, 

O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, 

Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, 

I have called thee by thy name; 

thou art mine." 

Isaiah 43:1

We are His... the God of heaven and earth! Doesn't that just give you so much hope and joy? 

Oh, what honor to be His... and knowing that He cares and loves us with a love that never fails! 

" I am my BELOVED'S, and HIS desire is toward me." 

Song of Solomon 7:10

I couldn't but think upon a well known hymn that brings so much reason for us to sing today...

Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; 

Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; 

I know that the light of His presence, With me doth continually dwell.

Yes, we have importance in His eyes.... so much so, that God gave His Son to die for us... and redeemed us to Himself!

Oh, wonderful, heavenly Father, we realize our failings and admit our lack of faith in times of testings. Thank you for your precious Word, that reminds us of your unfailing love towards us. We thank you for your presence in our life and redeeming us unto thyself.  Thank you for knowing what we need, be it trials or afflictions. Strengthen our faith and give us understanding that we may learn to do that which pleases you.

May you be encouraged today, knowing that the Lord God watches, and cares for His own.

~Ellie

"Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty."

 "And the Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

Sometimes I find myself so unworthy of God's love towards me... and wonder " how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean ". And yet I marvel at God's perfect redemption, that He would send His only begotten Son to pay the price required to make me clean, justified and forgiven of all debt.

So  this morning, my thoughts were on the death and suffering of the Lord Jesus... and His redemptive work on my behalf.

Isaiah 53:4,5,6

"Surely HE hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem HIM stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 But HE was wounded for our transgressions, HE was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon HIM; and with HIS stripes we are healed.

 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all."

How thankful I am for the beauty of the Lord Jesus, seen in the eyes of the Father... for He alone was worthy to become the propitiation of our sins. And in His beauty, love was demonstrated ... in all obedience to the Father, in granting us pardon, and in making intersession for us transgressors. 

What blessed hope and reason to rejoice! The Lord's suffering was not in vain... for eternal life was granted towards us sinners.

One day, our eyes too, shall behold the King in all His splendor and beauty. 

"... for thou wast slain, 

and hast redeemed us to God 

by thy blood 

out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."

 Revelation 5:9

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 

to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, 

and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." 

Revelation 5:12

Father, how can we thank you for the  pardon offered through the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect lamb without spot or blemish? Teach us to put away all pride and no longer live for ourselves. May the death of the Lord Jesus Christ be manifested in our lives today. Help us to magnify the ONE who is worthy of all honor and praise.

" Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, 

that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." 

2 Corinthians 4:10

May you be reminded today of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection, bringing us eternal salvation.

~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

Lead Me to the ROCK that is Higher than I...

" From the end  of the earth will I cry  unto THEE, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2

I am so thankful to have such a loving heavenly Father that cares for me today... and each and every day! Have you ever felt your heart overwhelmed? Do you have a safe haven where you can turn to?

Oh, what a joy to have a permanent unchanging shelter... a shelter you can run to from the overwhelming pressures of today. My heart was filled with joy as I read this psalm... Psalm 61. A psalm where each Christian finds rest for their weary soul.  Trusting in the shelter of the Almighty.

God alone is the strong tower, the ROCK in whom we trust.  What peace we have when we trust in our Heavenly Father. Trusting that HE will make us rich in mercy and truth...

We can be confident, as His children,  that we are most rich... rich in HIS unbounded love for us. And what a delight to be given the inheritance of salvation. "  The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." Psalm 16:6

Let us be confident and wait on the LORD ... for from HIM cometh our salvation! So let us  sing praises unto HIS name for ever and ever.

When my heart is totally overwhelmed,

Lord, pick me up and help me stand.

Give me strength and take me by your hand,

Heal my heart  you alone can mend.

~

Help me to know by your mercy I stand,

Every moment every hour you show your power.

You are the fortress, the shield, my strong tower,

The horn of my salvation, held only by your hand.

~

I sing my praise to you, 

My rock and my deliverer.

You are the strong tower,

My hope is in you .

~

I can trust in your mighty wings,

To shelter me from the storm.

For when  the waves begin to form,

My heart  finds peace under your Almighty wings.

~Ellie~ 2/25/14

May you cry out to God . When your heart is overwhelmed, trust in HIM.

~Ellie