"People say that the heavens are closed and God no longer answers prayers. We are here to unequivocally tell you that the heavens are not closed, prayers are answered and children come home," said Brennan's mother, Jody Hawkins. (Mother of 11yo boy recovered in Utah wilderness.)
Just was really touched by this quote. What an example of God's love and grace. He doesn't always answer prayers in the way we want, but He ALWAYS gives us the strength and grace to get through even the worst pain, suffering and loss.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
A Setback
Please pray for my sister-at-heart, Michele, who has struggled with a neurological disorder which has been extremely difficult to diagnose. She'd been doing much better in recent weeks, but in the past day or so has started having the symptoms again. I think it must be pretty devastating to believe your healed of an illness (or it least close to it) than have it recur.
Pray that she might have a sense of the Lord's nearness and His deep and intense, personal love for her. Pray, too, for the family, since it will be difficult for them, as well. They've been discouraged with this illness for a few months now and I know they must feel so lost and alone right now. May they have a deeper, fuller sense of their Heavenly Father's love and know He desires to bless them despite this hardship. Pray they have the strength to continue in their walk, and that God grant's them the grace they need to overcome. I love you guys very much, Steve & Michele!
(Click on this entry's title to see more on Steve's website)
Pray that she might have a sense of the Lord's nearness and His deep and intense, personal love for her. Pray, too, for the family, since it will be difficult for them, as well. They've been discouraged with this illness for a few months now and I know they must feel so lost and alone right now. May they have a deeper, fuller sense of their Heavenly Father's love and know He desires to bless them despite this hardship. Pray they have the strength to continue in their walk, and that God grant's them the grace they need to overcome. I love you guys very much, Steve & Michele!
(Click on this entry's title to see more on Steve's website)
God's timing vs. Coincidence
I've been impressed today by the Spirit's work in bringing a passage of scripture to my mind today. This morning I received a lovely note from a virtual stranger who had commented on photos that were posted on another URL-->http://www.flickr.com/photos/48889100198@N01/). This person, by way of encouraging me, made a reference to Elijah and his battle with fear in the wilderness, when he felt completely alone.
I was touched by his words, but was even more impressed when I began reading a word by a brother in the Lord, the late Norman Meek, who gave an address while at a Bible Conference in my hometown in 1981. I picked up the book which contained the address out of idle curiosity but felt a real sense of the Spirit working when I began reading and found it was about Elijah and his struggle with fear in the wilderness. Mr. Meek points out this fear occurs almost immediately after Elijah had seen, in faith, a manifestation of God coming in, in the way of blessings raining down from heaven. He says, “Elijah’s had been a remarkable stand, a fearless stand. God had blessed it. And now, Elijah detects a sound of an abundance of rain, that is, a ministry of blessing. We always need, dear brethren, to look for that.” “Raising the Level and Other Ministry-N.T.M” Pg. 313 Published by G. J. Richards.
He also speaks, in the same address, of how Elijah passed his mantle to Elisha, than continues his walk without turning back, still feeling alone and despondent. Mr. Meek wonders whether Elijah would have heard the sound of running feet as Elisha came to him and what his feelings would have been; the joy in his heart as he wonders whether Elisha will take up the mantle given to him, through Elijah, by God. He ends the address with the following, in reference to the older generation of believers, “Have they cause for any comfort? Is there cause for any joy? Well, dear brethren, I think there may be the sound of the abundance of rain, the latter rain that will fill up the crop, so that when the Lord comes there will be something that will just answer to His heart. And then may there also be in our localities, perhaps not running too fast yet, the sound of these running feet in young brothers and sisters, for the Lord’s names’ sake.” Pg. 319 December 25, 1981
Finally, when I was looking for another passage tonight, while writing another entry, I opened my Bible to the following verses in James 5:end of v. 16-18, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore fruit.”
Some might call these three incidences coincidence, but all I can say is, "Wow!" How can I not be impressed with this evidence of God’s love as He trys to bring me into deeper relationship with Himself? I feel humbled and a little shaky, with an intense longing to know exactly what it is He would have me learn from these words. Pray for me in this, please. May you, too, have a sense of the Lord’s blessing in them!
I was touched by his words, but was even more impressed when I began reading a word by a brother in the Lord, the late Norman Meek, who gave an address while at a Bible Conference in my hometown in 1981. I picked up the book which contained the address out of idle curiosity but felt a real sense of the Spirit working when I began reading and found it was about Elijah and his struggle with fear in the wilderness. Mr. Meek points out this fear occurs almost immediately after Elijah had seen, in faith, a manifestation of God coming in, in the way of blessings raining down from heaven. He says, “Elijah’s had been a remarkable stand, a fearless stand. God had blessed it. And now, Elijah detects a sound of an abundance of rain, that is, a ministry of blessing. We always need, dear brethren, to look for that.” “Raising the Level and Other Ministry-N.T.M” Pg. 313 Published by G. J. Richards.
He also speaks, in the same address, of how Elijah passed his mantle to Elisha, than continues his walk without turning back, still feeling alone and despondent. Mr. Meek wonders whether Elijah would have heard the sound of running feet as Elisha came to him and what his feelings would have been; the joy in his heart as he wonders whether Elisha will take up the mantle given to him, through Elijah, by God. He ends the address with the following, in reference to the older generation of believers, “Have they cause for any comfort? Is there cause for any joy? Well, dear brethren, I think there may be the sound of the abundance of rain, the latter rain that will fill up the crop, so that when the Lord comes there will be something that will just answer to His heart. And then may there also be in our localities, perhaps not running too fast yet, the sound of these running feet in young brothers and sisters, for the Lord’s names’ sake.” Pg. 319 December 25, 1981
Finally, when I was looking for another passage tonight, while writing another entry, I opened my Bible to the following verses in James 5:end of v. 16-18, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore fruit.”
Some might call these three incidences coincidence, but all I can say is, "Wow!" How can I not be impressed with this evidence of God’s love as He trys to bring me into deeper relationship with Himself? I feel humbled and a little shaky, with an intense longing to know exactly what it is He would have me learn from these words. Pray for me in this, please. May you, too, have a sense of the Lord’s blessing in them!
Oswald Chambers quote
I was really moved when reading the monthly "Voice of the Martyrs" magazine (http://www.persecution.com/) this past week. There was a quote from Oswald Chambers in it which made me really think. It was, "God does not give us an overcoming life--He gives us life as we overcome."
I've never been a big fan of Mr. Chambers writing (to my shame, as I can see now). I felt, in the past when attempting to read his work, he was too rigid, legal and somewhat cold in his perceptions of Christ (speaking more about righteousness than of His love and grace). Clearly I've done him a disservice and will pursue reading his work.
I was touched by this quote because it spoke to my heart in my current situation in life. I'm so apt to pray for guidance, wisdom and 'a spirit of overcoming' without wanting to do the work needed to "keep on, keepin' on" as a friend of mine says. The part I tend to overlook is my need to keep my eyes Christ-ward and do the best I can to walk "worthily of the calling by which I've been called", as it says in scripture. When I focus only on my life and the worries that are so apt to surround it, than I become overwhelmed and cannot overcome. Yet, if by His grace, I am able to keep walking "in the light, as He is in the light", no matter what darkness may surround me, when I look up, my sight is filled with the beauty of His holiness and I no longer see darkness, just light. There is a clarity about this; lovely in it’s simplicity.
One might argue, "But if you're looking upward and into the Light all of the time, you must stumble because you cannot see your feet!" Yet there is a scripture from Jude's letter that is an excellent reply and has been a comfort to me for many years. The verse is a loving benediction which says, "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" Jude 1:24,25
This passage has given me hope and encouragement during the darkest times of my life. Only by walking in His light and knowing the peace of His infinite love and mercy towards us, can we walk in the Way that leads to life, through overcoming. So we all can be overcomers. What joy!
I've never been a big fan of Mr. Chambers writing (to my shame, as I can see now). I felt, in the past when attempting to read his work, he was too rigid, legal and somewhat cold in his perceptions of Christ (speaking more about righteousness than of His love and grace). Clearly I've done him a disservice and will pursue reading his work.
I was touched by this quote because it spoke to my heart in my current situation in life. I'm so apt to pray for guidance, wisdom and 'a spirit of overcoming' without wanting to do the work needed to "keep on, keepin' on" as a friend of mine says. The part I tend to overlook is my need to keep my eyes Christ-ward and do the best I can to walk "worthily of the calling by which I've been called", as it says in scripture. When I focus only on my life and the worries that are so apt to surround it, than I become overwhelmed and cannot overcome. Yet, if by His grace, I am able to keep walking "in the light, as He is in the light", no matter what darkness may surround me, when I look up, my sight is filled with the beauty of His holiness and I no longer see darkness, just light. There is a clarity about this; lovely in it’s simplicity.
One might argue, "But if you're looking upward and into the Light all of the time, you must stumble because you cannot see your feet!" Yet there is a scripture from Jude's letter that is an excellent reply and has been a comfort to me for many years. The verse is a loving benediction which says, "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" Jude 1:24,25
This passage has given me hope and encouragement during the darkest times of my life. Only by walking in His light and knowing the peace of His infinite love and mercy towards us, can we walk in the Way that leads to life, through overcoming. So we all can be overcomers. What joy!
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