remember

Saturday, September 11, 2010 (7:17 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

It’s that date we will always remember. I’ve already seen a photo of what took place in New York nine years ago. Thank You that whatever it was that I had planned to say to You this morning completely lost it’s precedence. There are far too many things, of much greater importance to remember.

Lord, it would be much too easy to focus on the disaster of it all. The sadness. The loss. I choose instead to remember Your faithfulness. I remember being filled with hope as our nation’s leaders stood together – political lines blurred for that brief moment – on the steps of the Capitol building singing out to You!

♫God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her Through the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.♫

Blessed Lord how I thank You for turning my heart and attention to First Thessalonians this morning. I started again on the same page that was marked from another time with You. This morning with 3:6, “And now Timothy has just returned and brings the welcome news that your faith and love are as strong as ever and that you remember our visit with joy and want to see us just as much as we want to see you.”

Because of this glad news, Paul was buoyed through his own tough times. Throughout this letter, he reminds his readers that You, Dear God, are our one true source of hope. Thank You Lord for helping us to remember that as well.

My heart just started humming and it took a while for me to find the words with which to accurately sing ♫My life is in You, Lord, My strength is in You, Lord My hope is in You, Lord In You, It’s in You… I will praise You with all of my life I will praise You with all of my strength With all of my life, with all of my strength All of my hope is in You In You, it’s in You…♫ Blessed Lord, please help the people of this nation remember that all our hope is in YOU!

Turning to the explanation of Paul’s letter I read that his purpose in writing it was “To commend the believers in Thessalonica for their trust in God, to encourage them to continue trusting Him, and to reassure them that Christ would return.” In this particular book’s introduction it says, “Many people who had worshiped idols turned their lives over to God, and for this Paul commended them. The believers in Thessalonica had gone from a life of dependency upon material things and empty ritual to a life of serving the living and true God.”

It is in reading Your Word this morning Lord that I again profoundly remember Your faithfulness, Your love for Your people. Let us remember these things today Lord. Not just the horror and devastation, but the cross of steel beams that was found standing in the wreckage.

Let us become a people who TRULY puts our lives, our strength and our hope deeply and securely in You! Thank You most blessed Lord. I love You. Amen.

(548 words ~ 8:42 a.m.)