SURRENDER YOUR RIGHTS TO GOD

I read this in Choosing Gratitude - a Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  It is written by Russell Kelfer.  Thought is was worth sharing.

Having been born into the Kingdom of God I do hereby acknowledge that God's purchase of my life included all the rights and control of that life for all eternity.

I do further acknowledge that He has not guaranteed me to be free from pain or to have success or prosperity.  He has not guaranteed me perfect health. He has not guaranteed me perfect parents.  He has not guaranteed me perfect children.  He has not guaranteed the absence of pressures, trials, misunderstanding or persecution. 

What He has promised me is eternal life. What He has promised me is abundant life. What He has promised me is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness and self control.  He has given me all of Himself in exchange for the rights to my life.

Therefore, I acknowledge this day the relinquishment of all my rights and expectations and humbly ask Him by His grace to replace these with a grateful spirit for whatever in His wisdom He deems to allow for my life.

Signed you.

Signed me.

PSALM 46

God is our refuge and strength, 

  a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

  though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

  though the mountains tremble at its swelling, Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

  the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

  God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

  He utters His voice, the earth melts.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

  the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

  "Be still, and know that I am God.

  I will be exalted among the nations,

  I will be exalted in the earth!"

The LORD of hosts is with us:

  the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Nancy Leigh DeMoss says " No matter what upheaval may be taking place in your life or in our world our God is a refuge and help to those who place their trust in Him."

Trust Him today, tomorrow and always!

FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

This is an excerpt from my Grandmothers Bible written by Fern Nichols

"It was an intense, desperate prayer meeting as we grandmas cried out to the Lord in response to a friend's prayer request. Her pregnant daughter was carrying a son who had a fatal defect and would not live to full term. "O LORD," we prayed "please grant Your peace to this precious couple, peace that passes all understanding. Help them to trust You.  Let them know that You have a plan and that everything You do is to bring You glory"

Week after week we prayed. Later we received a letter the couple wrote to family and friends:

At the time we found out, the pain was insurmountable. Although we knew we would get through it, we did not know how.  What we did know was that God had control of this little life.

God delivered Dominic on February 5th, two months shy of his due date.  The moment he was born, the nurse gave him to me right away.  I was overcome with intense sorrow.  Then something unexplainable happened.  After a couple of minutes of weeping, I opened my eyes and saw how wonderful this child was. I saw his beautiful hands, his blue eyes and his little tongue.  I had never seen anything so precious in all my life.

We do not think of our experience as the result of our fallen world, a mistake or even a regret.  When we saw how much Dominic looked like his earthly father, we were reminded of how we are made in the image of our heavenly Father. Nothing God creates is bad or a mistake. Our son was and is perfect, and God's plan for his life was fulfilled.

God answered the prayers of a praying group of grandmothers - exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what we could have ever imagined!"   Fern Nichols

Let us never underestimate the power of prayer.  God doesn't always answer the way we would like or in a way we understand, but He always answers in the way that is best and fulfills His glorious plan.  Praise Him in all circumstances, at all times, for all things!

THE RIBBON AT THE END OF THE DAY

I love it when God speaks His Word throughout the day and then at the end ties it up in a beautiful ribbon!

I listen to Dr. David Jeremiah each morning. This morning he was speaking on the sanctity of marriage. He had statistics on the failures of marriage in and out of the church.  He talked about how common and acceptable it is for couples to live together outside of marriage and even the Church seems to accept this arrangement.  This is against God's Word and should not be acceptable in Christian communities.

In my car I'm listening to an audio book Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  What I heard today was the importance of showing gratitude to others.  Not only thanking them for things they say and do, but for what they mean to me in my life.  Praising others for who they are in Christ and the example they set. Also, being grateful for what I have and not wanting more. 

This evening I read a chapter from Trusting God by Jerry Bridges and underlined this "I am where I am today, not because I have always made wise decisions or correctly discovered the will of God as particular points along the way, but because God has faithfully led me and guided me along the path of His will for me".

Now this all seemed to be separate information not particularly woven together until I read Hebrews 13:1-6 out of the Message.   

"Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed.  Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you. Honor marriage and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote,

        "God is there, ready to help;

        I'm fearless no matter what.

        Who or what can get to me?"

Thank you God for speaking so boldly through all types of media, but mostly through your Word!

HEALTHY READING

My devotional today was from one of my favorite preachers, Dr. David Jeremiah.  It brought tears of shame to my eyes. 

Here's an excerpt.

"recently comedian Jay Leno asked his television audience to name one of the Ten Commandments. One person ventured: "God helps those who help themselves." Leno asked if anyone could name the four Gospels. No one could; but responding to another question, almost everyone in the audience could name the four Beatles." 

If that wasn't enough Dr. Jeremiah goes on to say that "only 16 percent of Christians say they read the Bible daily."   

Are you part of that 16 percent?  I hope so!  But if you're not, you can help to increase that percentage today. Begin tomorrow, read your Bible every day. You don't have to read chapter upon chapter.  Read a few verses in the Psalms, or begin reading the book of Matthew or John. You can read the whole book of Jude in a short 5 minutes! 

We take vitamins and exercise to stay physically healthy, we eat three meals a day and snacks in between to keep up our strength, we read magazines and newspapers to keep informed. What are we doing for our spiritual health?  God speaks to us through His Word.  

How often do we say we want to "hear" from God, yet we don't open His Word and listen to what He has to say.  It's there in the Holy Scriptures, answers to all of our questions, but we have to open and read.  Do we begin to make a wonderful dessert without opening the cookbook? Open His book, read His words of instruction, encouragement, guidance and love.  The words are beautiful and you will fall in love with the Author. 

"Listen , Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  Repeat them to your children.  Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Just Call Out My Name

When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.

Carole King had it right, she just didn't realize she could be singing about the LORD.  

Remember the chorus?

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend

Do you know God's "cell phone number"? Try Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know".  

I am a friend of God, I call on Him and He is there, not just winter, spring, summer or fall, but every minute of every hour of every day!  

Lamentations 3:56 says "You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!" 

 What a comfort to know that God is our 24 hour alert system.  He hangs like a pendant around our neck, He rests in our heart, ready to respond to the mere mention of His name. 

Don't put God on hold this week.  Call on Him every day.  Seek Him with all your heart, mind and soul and you will find great peace, love and joy.

HIS NAME IS POWER

"The LORD is slow to anger and great in power....In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.  He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Mountains quake because of Him and the hills dissolve....the LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who take refuge in Him." 

Nahum 1:3-5, 7

"It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me" Jeremiah 27:5

God's power is greater than any circumstance we face in our lives.  God is all powerful and mighty in strength. He is our rock, He is our salvation, He is our strength, He is our joy! When everything seems to be crashing in around you, look up!  He's there with an outstretched hand that is glorious in power. 

As I lay my head down, close my eyes and wait for sleep to come, I can rest in the knowledge that God is in control, orchestrating every minute of my existence all for His glory and with abundant love for me.  

Sweet dreams, my friends.