March 27, 2011

My Prayer

I first learned of this poem/prayer in the 8th grade when it was on the bulletin board for our reflection and memorization (Catholic school memories...). It speaks truth of a heart ready to be humbled and used for God's service in any season or situation.  I love the way God created our minds that He can bring back to our remembrance anything from our experience and once again make it a part of our consciousness.  In the past twenty years, as my daily walk has been to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12), the poetic verses from St. Francis of Assisi have surfaced and become my prayer in many situations, encouraging me to look to the heart of the situation and respond in a manner pleasing to my Lord.  May His Kingdom come, may His Will be done in me, on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy; 
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek 
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

March 15, 2011

Hearers and Doers of the Word


"...Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear...and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls... be doers of the word, and not hearers only...he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does(James 1:19-24 NKJV excerpts)


"Increase our faith, Lord...help me in my unbelief."  When this is our cry, and it often is, we need to HEAR the Word of God.  

For decades, research has confirmed what God told us in His Word:
  • we forget 90-95% of what we only hear in 72 hours
  • we forget 70% of what we only read in 72 hours
  • we forget 50% of what we both hear and read in 72 hours
  • we forget 10 % of what we hear, read and do in 72 hours 
It is awesome to see God's truth played out in our lives! He tells us to hear; He tells us to do.  Are we?  Even in the Christian realm where we are encouraged to read the Word daily, not much emphasis is placed on the hearingWhy not read aloud? Then you both read and hear, even if it's just to yourself! Read aloud to each other, recite to one another - what a blessing to hear someone speak out a verse that has brought life and light to them!

Paul encouraged believers to "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,  submitting to one another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:18-21 NKJV).  This includes psalms and spiritual songs, giving thanks (aloud) - shouldn't we be thanking, praising, singing, reciting, reading aloud to ourselves, to others- as God directed?  What a difference this could make in our lives, even if we only did this alone! 

Increase our faith, Lord...help us in our unbelief...stir us up to love and good works to be doers and hearers of Your Word.


"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. "(Ps. 19:14 NKJV)

Thy Word by Amy Grant (click link to hear song)

Sail on...

"The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121: 5-8)
 
Sailing...I personally know very little about it, and yet it continues to rise in my thoughts. Consider...putting down the oars, relinquishing the "doing.  With only a sail on my boat, God's power, not mine, will stir and move forward, by wind and waves.  Learning to wait...patience growing; waiting for the wind, the breeze, resting in the calm, steering during the movement, paying close attention, listening and observing, reading the signs of the water and skies around me.  Stay in the boat, prepared for the elements, set the sails, hold the tiller straight or move it with purpose.

"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." (Luke 8:25)  

Let my life be piloted by You alone, Lord. I am yielded to your direction and trust Your hand in all things.


Lay Your Burden Down by Chuck Girard (click to hear song)

March 8, 2011

Lean on Me

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1)

Well, I have been so aware of the extreme VALUE of my friends and sisters/brother in the Lord.  We, too, are the cloud of witnesses surrounding one another: those who go before us are examples and lead the way, those on our sides support and encourage, those behind us can easily see our progress and give shouts of victory!  Hallelujah!

It is continually amazing at the timeliness & riches of God's Word! Just note other words of encouragement from  Hebrews 12: 2-15; He is faithful to show us the way as He warns us of danger & the enemy's tools:

  • look unto Jesus
  • whom the Lord loves He chastens
  • afterward it (chastening) yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it
  • strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (beautiful picture of encouraging the down-trodden)
  • pursue peace with all people, and holiness...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble.
We need to lean on one another when we are weary, discouraged, beaten down.What a blessing for us to live in unity together "as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:12-17).


You are special - uniquely designed for your part in His plan! I need you desperately in my life...and you need me! Young and old, rich and poor, we can be different as night and day, yet we enrich each other's lives when we live out what God has given us as His people.

Lean on Me by Al Green (click to hear song)