Month: April 2017

I Forget

| Karen

The pastor preaches from the Word

My heart finds joy instead of sorrow

I fervently take notes, and then

Forget them come tomorrow

 

I pray and ask God, please do this!

I need this, Lord, today!

When He answers, do I thank Him?

No, I forgot I ever prayed

 

Each day I start with time in His Word

God speaks with words so clear

He tells me what I need to do

To obey Him and draw near

 

But the Word only lasts an hour or two

‘Til the busy day crowds it out

What did God say last week to me?

I’ve quite forgotten what it was about

 

The pastor, he said “pick a word,

Your theme or goal this year”

Words were chosen – words like “joy”

“Hope,” “Love,” and “Persevere-“

 

My word is “write” – and so I have

15 minutes to start each (week)day

What do I write? A blog, a note

An email to one for whom I pray

 

I re-write the highlights of each sermon’s notes

The Bible studies from Sunday and Wednesday

I write down the things God says through His Word

In my time with Him each day

 

I write down some things I am asking God for

A reminder of my many requests

But I never could guess that the best part of this-

I am forgetting MUCH less

 

I highlight the things God has said I still need to do

Or the key points from each lesson I heard

And each day or two, I look back

To remember what God said from His Word

 

Today for example, off to a rough start

But God said: He has REAL LOVE for me (1 John 3:16)

And I happened to glance back, to a month ago’s notes

To be amazed by answered prayers- three!

 

I had forgotten I’d prayed them,

Yet God answered still

What a boost to my spirit!

What a joy! What a thrill!

 

My God remembers –

He’s not forgetful like me

Lord, help me to continue

To remember all You’ve done for me

 

“…I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Isaiah 49:15-16

For Many to be Counted Righteous…

| Karen

I love Isaiah 53, especially during Passion Week.  We know the following verses well – “He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins….  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word…. Unjustly condemned… He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal…. “ (Portions of Isaiah 53:4-9)

But this morning a different verse jumped out at me – “…my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.”  Isaiah 53:11

For many to be counted righteous.

I think that’s what so many people long for.  They try to stretch the rules, make their own rules, say no rules are needed – no boundaries, no morals, no absolute truth.  Yet deep inside, they know – we all know – that there IS a right and wrong, and that somehow we have ended up on the “wrong” side.  We know we are not righteous.  We know there is a God, and that our good deeds are not enough to make up for our bad ones.

“For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.  Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.” Romans 10:3

What is righteous?  Free of guilt or sin.

But how, when we know we are guilty?  “…for he will bear all their sins.” (Isaiah 53:11b)  “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21) “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”  Romans 10:4

Counted righteous… washed clean, no longer stained by sin and guilt.  Righteous in God’s eyes.  Because Jesus, who is the only truly righteous one (never sinned), took our sin… my sin… and gave me His righteousness.

I am counted righteous… not because of anything I have done, but because I believe the truth about Jesus in the verses above.

Does God count you as righteous?  He wants to… He made the way, He completed the work, but He won’t force you to accept His gift of righteousness – you must believe the truth about Jesus.  Ask Him for forgiveness, and He will count you as righteous – washed clean.  Then live your life in obedience to Him.

Don’t reject Him any longer, when He is offering you the very thing your heart longs for.  To be counted righteous.

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled…

| Karen

Ever have a time that God causes the same Bible verse to suddenly be everywhere you look? A few weeks ago, this happened with John 14:1 – Jesus said,

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.”

After the fifth time this verse came up in different Bible studies (I was even shocked to realize it’s on my living room wall- I put it up a year ago but then kind of took it for granted)… I did what most people probably do in a season that’s not particularly troubling when they hear this verse over and over- 

I was troubled. 

Why was God showing me this verse? What catastrophe awaited me around the corner? 

God calmed me down, and I started saying this verse from memory several times per day. 

At one time, God used the verse to encourage a friend whose daughter was in a very troubling situation. So I thought, ok, maybe THAT’s the reason…

But then troubling news came, in the form of a health concern of someone very dear to me. 

We feared the worst… and I almost forgot my verse. God gently spoke it to my heart again…

“Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in Me.”

This helped through the waiting… and then the news proved to not be the worst case scenario, for which I’m grateful. But my grief-stage denial changed to anger that my loved one even has to go through this.

So I did what I usually do when totally stressed and overwhelmed… I journaled. And I walked (and yes, it was cold and raining). 

On my walk, God spoke again through His Scripture. 

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:34‬ ‭

So instead of looking at the next 2 months on my calendar and feeling overwhelmed with both general and unknown things that will come up, God reminded me that today’s troubles are enough for today… no need to worry about tomorrow’s unknown troubles. 

Since two thirds of the day was already over, I really couldn’t think of any known troubles expected for the remainder of the day except one minor issue. So I asked God to help me with that issue, and to help me not let my heart be troubled further about things today or beyond today. 

And He is answering. He is giving me peace. It’s still a process, but I’m thankful. 

As I walked, I saw a small bird, and remembered how if God cares for the smallest sparrow, He cares so much more for my loved one, for me, for my needs… 

As I walked, I saw a dogwood tree in bloom and remembered the lengths Jesus went through to provide inner peace for me and my family through relationship with Him both now and in heaven one day. 

As I walked, I remembered my study on Psalm 23, how I can be content that Jesus is a Good Shepherd who cares for me, even in hard times that I can be content with Him as my Master. 

Pray for me and my family through this time. Pray that we will not let our hearts be troubled, that there will be complete healing, peace, and that we will rest in God’s love and care for us.