Archive for the ‘Praise’ Category
Melting Expenses
I serve an amazing God! He is sovereign over all, fully of mercy, grace, and justice. He is one who acts providentially. He provides all things often times above what we can ask or imagine. This past week during our daily devotion time we have been going over question number eleven of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and studying through the book of Esther.
Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise,and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.
Westminster Confession – Chapter 5: Of Providence by Westminster Assembly
I. God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
God has shown himself once again to be abundant in his graciousness and providence in our lives.
In two days this past week there have been expenses adding up to thousands of dollars that have just melted away. Some may chalk it up to coincidence or good luck and timing but I know what an amazing God I serve. I see his handiwork in how he orchestrates my life and am awed. To God be the glory! All the while we are studying about his great providence, he provides us with tangible examples in our daily lives.
Let me share with you how God provided for us this past week.
- My older children were going to be attending an event which they told us would be at a cost of $60. This fee was waived!
- My older girls just joined a figure skating performance competition class. One daughter received a discount I did not expect and another was able to take her class for free due to the fact that she teaches there. Another $60 waived.
- My hubby’s pay raise was more than anticipated by an amount of $85.
- My son, who has had a problem tooth for almost nine years, was in need of a root canal. We have been putting it off because we just could not afford it. We do have insurance but they did not have a preferred provider who works with our insurance that they would refer us to and with the dental costs being higher here in Alaska our portion was a very large amount. My husband decided to take him in to the military clinic just to see if his case would be deemed an “emergency” case and could be treated there. This was just a quick look over kind of appointment on a walk in basis that he was hoping to be able to get him in to be seen. When he arrived they said they had an appointment that had been canceled and would look him over. They went ahead and did the root canal then and there. He has an appointment next week for the crown. A total cost to us of $0! This saved us close to $2000!
The Lord knows our earthly needs. He knows our desires. He providentially provides both when in his plan! His plan for us is best. The creator of our life knows what is truly needed and even provides that which is not needed but desired. Praise be to God!
More importantly than our earthly needs and desires, He knows our eternal needs! He provides that for his children! Praise be to God! In fact, that is his priority. I am thankful that even when I miss seeing his hand at work, when it seems that earthly needs are not met, that I can trust in the fact that he has a plan and is working it out. I can trust that he has eternal benefit at mind first and foremost. He causes me to be amazed all the more and I pray that his glory is seen when at work in my life!
Christian Love, Valley of Vision
O lover of the loveless,
It is thy will that I should love thee with heart, soul, mind, strength, and my neighbour as myself.
But I am not sufficient for these things.
There is by nature no pure love in my soul;
Every effection in me is turned from thee;
I am bound, as a slave to lust, I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art, until thou dost set me free.
By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee, for I believe thou art my God in Jesus, and that through him I am redeemed, and my sins are forgiven.
With this freedom I would always obey thee, but I cannot walk in liberty, any more than I could first attain it, of myself.
May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee and thy ways.
Thou art the end of all means, for if they lead not to thee, I go away empty.
Order all my ways by thy holy Word and make thy commandments the joy of my heart, that by them I may have happy converse with thee.
May I grow in thy love and manifest it to mankind.
Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus; give me his benevolent temper, his beneficent actions, that I may shine before men to thy glory.
The more thou doest in love in me and by me, humble me the more; keep me meek, lowly, and always ready to give the honour.
FROM: Christian Love, Valley of Vision
Give Thanks
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Israel his servant,sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham,his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob, as an everlasting covenant to Israel, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your portion for an inheritance.”
When you were few in number, and of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them;he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.
Ascribe to the Lord, O clans of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Say also:
“Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!”
Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Should We Really Call It a ‘Quiet’ Time?
In the verbal actions of the psalms—rejoicing, asking for help, and expressing thanks (see 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)—we talk to someone else, in this case, God himself. It’s fair to say that having a “quiet time” is a misnomer. We should more properly have a “noisy time”! By talking out loud you live the reality that you are talking with another person, not simply talking to yourself inside your own head. Of course “silent prayers” are not wrong—1 Samuel 1:13, Nehemiah 2:4, and, likely, Genesis 24:45—but they are the exception.
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God wants to catch your ear in order to awaken your voice. When you have your ‘quiet’ time, or as you walk outdoors, or during your commute, may the decibel level rise to joyful noise and cries of need—and may God listen to the sound of your voice!
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via Should We Really Call It a ‘Quiet’ Time? | CCEF.
Let me know your thoughts on the article after you have read it. Please head back here and share your insight.
My Best Friend
My best friend is having a birthday! Isn’t he a handsome guy? He is the best guy you could EVER meet. There are so many adjectives that I could use to describe him but let me just say…… He is a godly man, my best friend, and I am so glad that I married him!!!!! Happy Birthday my love!!
