my hope and stay ~ 3/26/15

Thursday, March 26, 2015 (6:45 a.m.)

Ruby Princess - Balcony

Cabo San Lucas, MX

Awesome God,

Thank You for loving me. I behave badly. Stubbornly. Sulkily and sullenly. Yet I get to confess childlike hurt feelings and You still love me.

Things didn't go my way. I withdrew. Instead of embracing the evening with joy and laughter, I attempted civility and good manners. Blessed God, thank You for requiring so much more from us than civility and good manners!

Thank You that You do not disappoint. You make promises You keep. You do not deny us as Yours. We fail You. Repeatedly. And still we get to stand on Christ, our Solid Rock.

Thank You that while relaying my feelings to You just now ♫nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness♫ sprang to mind. Thank You for the resources to track it down to being ♫The Solid Rock♫.

Beginning with ♫My hope is built on nothing less...♫ and each of the four verses ending ♫On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: All other ground is sinking sand.♫

How appropriate the nautical theme of this hymn. Thank You for words that conjure up thoughts of the sea. Sand. High and stormy gales. Anchor. Flood. With Jesus my hope through it all. ♫When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.♫

What a promise! Jesus, how I thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your example as the epitome of forgiveness. Peter denied You three times (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-18, 25-27) even after promising his willingness to die for You (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-33; John 13:37-38). And still You forgave (John 21:15-17) him!

Jesus, thank You for a tiny taste of having been denied three times last night. Just a teeny, tiny taste. Thank You that Your spirit of forgiveness is SO much greater than mine has ever yet to be. Keep working in me I pray.

We are currently off balance. Out of step. Struggling to catch the beat of Your rhythm for us. How I ask to be made aware of Your perfect provision this day. Don't let me carelessly and stubbornly ignore Your many blessings.

I love You Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Work all the harder at making me all You want me to be. Loving. Kind. Forgiving. Thank You for being “my hope and stay”. I love You. Amen.

(408 words ~ 8:09 a.m.)