The Truth

 ♪The Truth is

I am my Father’s child

I make Him proud

And I make Him smile♪

Thursday, May 8, 2025 (5:31 a.m.)

(6:10 a.m.)

One search led straight to another.

At first I was looking for the lyrics. Then directions. Estimated drive times.

(6:32 a.m.)

Various news topics. Random thoughts. Slight interests. 

Let me come back to looking to You. Your Truth. Who I am in You.

Father God, I am comforted by being reminded that ♪I was made in the image of the perfect King… By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough I don’t belong to the lies I belong to You♪

Yes! Father, I AM Yours! Your child. I like the idea of making You smile. Of having a Father be proud of me.

I just read one person’s caution of this being a biblically inaccurate statement. Now I’m questioning everything.

Rather than tangle myself up into a myriad of unanswerable questions, I’m coming back to asking (Matthew 7:7) You to lead and guide me into Your Truth. Jesus. The Truth made flesh.

It never fails Dearest God. The more I read, the less I understand. Teach me more about Your mercy and Your love.

I truly want to ‘remain faithful to Your teachings’ (John 8:31). That I will genuinely ‘know Your Truth and be set free’ (v. 32).

I love, need, trust and want You. Do all You must that I represent You well. As Your child. One who would make You proud. If that is indeed possible.

Teach me Lord. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(270 words ~7:11 a.m.)

♪I Believe♪

 ♪I Believe♪

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 (3:43 a.m.)

Thank You Father,

I like waking up singing Your Truth.

♪I believe in the crucifixion…

… resurrection

…the hope of heaven

In Jesus mighty name

I believe♪

This is big stuff Lord. Big. Huge!

Hope of heaven. Tell me more please.

You provided me six hours of intensely meditative yard work yesterday. All these years I've been keenly aware of how closely I relate to You while seemingly mindlessly pulling one weed after another.

There’s a lot of thought (and physical labor!) that goes in to what comes about next. Thank You that I so often sense Your presence right there with me.

Being able to read about “the hope of heaven” I am again reminded of how truly blessed we are. Blessed by believing Your Truth.

Blessed with faith. Hope. Joy. Peace (Romans 5:1-3). Blessed with problems and trials. Endurance. Strength of character. The Holy Spirit (vs. 4-5). Yes! Blessed.

Father God, how I love reading Your Word. Filled with Your Truth. And Your promises. Thank You for giving us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:57).

I’m asking (Matthew 7:7a) You to use me as You know is best. Attributing every bit of joy and peace I have to You, the true source of all hope (Romans 15:13).

Father, thank You for waking me with a song that causes me to further explore what it is that I truly believe.

♪All praise to God the Father

All praise to Christ the Son

All praise to the Holy Spirit

 Our God has overcome

The King who was and is and evermore will be

In Jesus mighty name, I believe♪

Yes! It’s in Jesus’ mighty name I believe.

Do all You must that I will freely share this belief with others. Readily. Accurately. Lovingly. With all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30-31). As the disciples were taught.

Thank You for the hope You provide us. The faith we have in You. And especially Your love. “… the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Use me Father. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(360 words ~ 4:58 a.m.)

age-old

 Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (5:26 a.m.)

Blessed, Loving, Awesome Father God,

I’m confessing to having been here an hour already. Wanting to get my head straight before dumping a bunch of negativity all over the place.

Father, thank You that I don’t have to get myself “right” before coming to You. Thank You that I am not only allowed, but encouraged to bring ALL my stuff to You.

Thank You for reminding me of the age-old hymn that says much the same.

♪What A Friend We Have In Jesus 

All our sins and grief to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer♪

Jesus, thank You for being my Friend (John 15:14-15). Thank You that I can come before You. Feeling unsettled. Insecure. Even irritated. And I am still welcomed. Thank You.

♪Who Am I, that the Lord of all the earth

Would care to know my name?

Would care to feel my hurt?

Who am I, that the bright and morning star

Would choose to light the way

For my ever wandering heart?♪

Holy Spirit, I like the ways You take all that I plan to say about feeling sensitive and easily affected by the words, moods and decisions of other people and filter it through Jesus’ love and Truth.

♪The Truth is I am my Father’s child

I make Him proud and I make Him smile

I was made in the image of a perfect King

He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing

The truth is I am truly loved

By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough

I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You

And that’s the truth♪

Thank You Holy Three-in-One for singing Your Truth to me. In age-old and brand new ways. I DON’T belong to the lies! Thank You for reminding me. Every single time I start falling back into the same old traps satan has set for me all these years.

(6:41 a.m.)

Thank You for changing my focus this morning. From what satan would point out to me as my own lacking in so many areas to the TRUTH! Your Truth. All I am in You!

Thank You for replacing his lies with Your Truth. Yes! According to the apostle Paul, we are to “run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

He continued, “Again I say, don’t get involved with foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people” (23-24).

Impossible on my own! Thank You that “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

I relate to these verses in so many ways. Thank You for reminding me again that ♪My Life [strength, hope] Is In You, Lord In You, it’s in You♪ Thank You for repeatedly singing Your Truth to me.

Empower and enable me in using it as You know is best. I love, need, trust and want You. Do all You must that I serve You well. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(591 words ~ 7:13 a.m.)

The Whole Armor of God

 Monday, May 5, 2025 (6:37 a.m.)

Just when I thought I was done here, Your Word calls me right back in. To Your Truth. Your power. The hope we have in You.

The Message. Ephesians 6:13-18. “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”

Dearest Father God, how long has it been that I have remembered to put on every piece of Your armor?

The belt of Truth

Breastplate of righteousness

Feet fitted with the gospel of peace

Shield of faith

Helmet of salvation

The Spirit’s sword

Turning to Ben Campbell Johnson’s paraphrase of The Christian’s “full dress” I am reminded in verse 12, “Our real struggle is not with other persons, but with invisible forces which shape life on earth.”

Reading further, “Because these forces have entrenched themselves in you as well as in others, you will need all the strength you can get to overthrow them” (13). Yes Blessed Father. The strength that comes only from Your mighty power (10).

Do all You must Dearest Lord that I dress appropriately to do battle this day [that You have made (Psalm 118:24a)]. Rejoicing and being glad (24b). Giving thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I love, need, trust and want You Dearest Father. Use me as You know is best. Dressed appropriately in Your armor. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(326 words ~ 7:07 a.m.)

place in this world

 Monday, May 5, 2025 (4:55 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. More singing. Much laughter.

♪The wind is moving

But I am standing still

A life of pages

Waiting to be filled

A heart that’s hopeful

A head that’s full of dreams

But this becoming

Is harder than it seems

Feels like I’m 

Looking for a reason 

Roaming through the night to find 

My place in this world♪

Lord, I love when You sing me awake. Especially with songs that cause me to ponder Your Truth.

♪I need Your light to help me find

My place in this world♪

And right here comes a thought from the other day. One about being in this world, not of it.

Lord God, how I ask (Matthew 7:7a) You to lead and guide me into Your Word.

(5:38 a.m.)

There is an eager excitement [agog-ness] going on within me. To such the degree that I don’t have words. Just seemingly random, muddled thoughts.

Reading in the early to mid-teens (chapters 13-17) in the book of John I want to shout out for all to hear. “Yes! This!! Let’s learn to love as Jesus commanded” (John 13:34-35).

I truly believe this [loving as the Bible teaches] to be my place in this world. Here I confess to not doing it well at all. I have so many doubts. Contradictions. Emotional overloads.

Thank You that Your Word doesn’t change.

♪Your love never fails, never gives ip

It never runs out on me…

And on and on and on and on it goes

It overwhelms and satisfies my soul

And I’ll never, ever have to be afraid

Cause this One Thing Remains

(Your love never fails)…♪

I confess to You Dear Lord. I don’t know how to use well this wonderful, powerful love You have so perfectly provided. My heart is filled to overflowing with desire to “get it right.”

Do all You must that I be attentive and aware of the strength I have in Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). I want to not be troubled or afraid (John14:27c). Filled with Your overflowing joy (15:11).

I receive tastes and glimpses of it every day. Use me as You know is best in sharing it as You so skillfully and wondrously designed. Yes. Please. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(392 words ~6:14 a.m.)