surely / Shirley

Saturday, April 27, 2013 (7:53 a.m.)

Father,

I'm sitting and waiting, on You. Psalm 23

Saturday, June 29, 2013 (6:24 a.m.)

I don't think my smile could possibly be any bigger. I came to talk with You about the word 'surely'. This previously dated document was on the desktop so I thought I'd use it as a master. I didn't know I'd finally finish it up.

Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Surely. Certainly. I am sure. Only. Doubtless. Yes. I know. For sure. All these ways of saying the same thing. Thank You Father.

There are even more in the thesaurus: Without question. Definitely. Without fail. Indubitably. Unquestionably. Firmly. Steadily. With assurance. Confidently. There are so many more descriptive words. Thank You for showing me. Thank You that this is truly a word I want to embrace and use well.

Father, I'm asking You to provide the opportunity to truly bring it more readily into my vocabulary. It's an adverb “used to emphasize the speaker's firm belief that what they are saying is true and often their surprise that there is any doubt of this”.

When the spelling is changed and it is used as a woman's name, the spiritual connotation is listed in The Name Book as Happiness of Heart. The Scripture verse is 1 John 4:12. “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.” To this I wholeheartedly agree. Surely! Make it so.

Father, thank You for loving us with a love so pure and good. Enable me to use it readily and often. I do love You Father. Amen.

(298 words ~ 7:47 a.m.)

embrace wisdom

Friday, June 28, 2013 (6:36 a.m.)

Awesome God,

What can we do with the word embrace? Choose wisely! There are so very many verses containing this word. Proverbs 3:18 says, “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” Guide and direct my understanding here this morning.

The Illustrated Bible Handbook describes wisdom in Old Testament times as “neither knowledge nor skill, but holiness”. A person making morally correct choices was one considered to be wise. Blessed Father as I seek to embrace wisdom, I ask You to teach me how.

You have been working diligently in us around here. Changing our attitudes and dispositions. As much as I thank You for all You have done so far, still I ask You to continue Your renewing of us. Only You can clothe us with the new nature of which Ephesians 4:23-24 speaks, with attitudes and thoughts constantly changing for the better. It is only in You that we can be new and different, holy and good.

Yes Dearest Father keep calling us to embrace wisdom. Your wisdom. Truth. Love. Forgiveness. Hmm, yes. Embrace wisdom. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(201 words ~ 8:30 a.m.)

this morning

Thursday, June 27, 2013 (6:16 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

This morning I am here asking You to guide and direct me. It's scheduled to be a very busy day. And I'm the one who did the scheduling! The weather forecast is that of great heat and our big umbrella isn't working properly. “Wah, wah, wah”. I don't want to face this day and all its prospects with the negativity I am currently encountering.

Let me shift the focus over to You and the love You have for each of us. Far too often I give in to thinking on the gloomier things. Thank You for reminding me to think instead on the things that are lovely and good (Philippians 4:8). Thank You that I get to turn to Your Word and again be reminded of Your great love for Your people.

This morning I am looking to You. Thinking on You and the potential for greatness You provide. It's not greatness I am seeking, but You. And look, here I find the verse I was thinking about the other day. The one about having a tiny mustard seed of faith (Luke 17:6).

Dearest Father, how I thank You for changing my focus. Thank You for reminding me that it only takes a little bit of faith for great things to happen. And with that said, I find that I am asking You for great things to happen this morning Dearest God.

Great things like having the fruit of Your Spirit present here in this over scheduled, very busy, hot day. With my tiny mustard seed of faith I am asking You to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a).

And with that, I am also asking for the blessing of Psalm 104:34. "I hope my thoughts will please You, because You are the One who makes me glad."

Thank You for loving us, Father. Guide us. Direct us. Bless us and keep us I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(304 words ~ 7:37 a.m.)

ways -> waywardness

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 (6:25 a.m.)

Gloriously Good God and Father,

Good morning. In thinking of coming here late last evening after returning home from a lovely day spent miles away, all I could think to say was, “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” Seems appropriate to start that way now.

You bless us Father. In big ways, little ones, and many of which we remain unaware. Thank You for loving us at all times. I began searching the word 'ways' which led to 'waywardness' and then to the book of Hosea.

At this very moment (reading chapter 14, verse 4 in various translations) my emotions catch in my throat. Father, Your love for Your wayward people amazes me. Unparalleled kindness. Mercy. Grace. Forgiveness. You offer us unending love and restoration. We far too often offer You apathy, willful disobedience and all out unfaithfulness. Thank You for loving us far more than our behaviors and choices warrant.

The Message begins, “I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.” King James says, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him.”

There are so many different ways to say the same thing. Unfaithfulness. Apostasy. Wander away. Disloyalty. Rejected. Yet all I can think to say to You for Your faithful, unending love is “Thank You.” Thank You for 'making whole our sorrows' (Wycliffe Bible). Thank You for healing us and turning Your anger away from us for no other reason than Your decision to love us without limit.

You are the Perfect Example of what a Loving Parent is. How I ask that You will continue Your work in each and every one of us, bringing us more and more into Your likeness. Thank You for loving us. Healing us. Working in and through each of us. Make us whole Dearest Father.

It is in Your blessed goodness and grace I pray, asking to love and revere You as I ought. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(340 words ~ 7:49 a.m.)

little bit

Monday, June 24, 2013 (6:54 a.m.)

Most Amazing Father God,

Straight off I'm asking You to take me in Your Word where You would have me be. I've already searched this word and that lyric and I don't have any sense of direction.

I'll start once again by thanking You. Thank You for a delightful evening with my husband. A time to laugh and hum and enjoy. Thank You for the tiniest “little bit” of cuteness we saw in the form of a very young girl.

And here I find myself reading in 1 Kings. Thank You Father. There are reminders of the importance of obeying You and the consequences of disobeying You. This particular book is filled with examples of both those who trusted You and those who insisted on doing things their own way. Father, how I ask You to continue Your work in turning my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) to that of loving and following You.

Elijah was one to follow Your leading. Because he believed You, he went out and camped beside a brook from which he drank and ate the bread and meat the ravens brought him each morning and evening (1King 7:5-6).

When that brook dried up (v.7), he then went into a village to a widow You had given Your instructions to (vs. 8-9). Father, this is the kind of faith and obedience I only wish I had. Elijah not only believed You, he actually followed through with what You told him to do.

Then there was the faithfulness of the widow. When Elijah arrived and asked her for a cup of water (10) he followed that by requesting a bite of bread (11). Here's a woman with next to nothing “...but a handful of flour in a jar and a little bit of olive oil in a jug” (12). Yet she obeyed!

The Life Recovery Bible comment says, “The widow of Zarephath demonstrated the delivering power of faith. She and her son faced starvation, but still she shared her last food with Elijah. She believed that God would come through, so she gave up her last resource for survival. The result was her deliverance.” YOU provided for her need! She trusted You and You took care of her.

That's the type of faith, hope and love (1Corinthians 13:13) I am asking You for Dearest Father. The kind that when all common sense points in one direction I would choose to offer up what little bit of security I had left to be used for Your good and Your glory.

I confess, I am not yet there. I continue holding on to that which I think I might need someday. Keep working in me Father. Free me from all that is not Your very best for me. Little bit by little bit move me closer to following You as You wish.

I love You so and long to serve You well. Empower me to do exactly that. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(504 words ~ 7:57 a.m.)

The Faithful Remnant

Sunday, June 23, 2013 (6:19 a.m.)

Most Dear and Blessed Father God,

I love You. I spent time with family yesterday. We looked at pictures over fifty years old. We laughed. There were some tears. And not one mention of You being our God and Father. I just noticed that. In all the remembrances, the 'we were so poor' stories, none of them were prefaced nor backed with glory given to You.

I apologize. How did that happen? I'm reading in Your Word right now and I'm wondering how the minutes of that meeting will be forever remembered by You. I pray it will be with the underlying love that ensconced itself in the company and memory of the cousins who were present. Thank You Father for the aunt who cares enough to work at bringing us together on a yearly basis.

Now back to Your Word... I searched 'remembrance' and found The Faithful Remnant prefacing Malachi 3:16. Father, we truly are the remnant [small remaining quantity of something] of this particular branch of family. How I ask You to work in each of us, bringing us together as YOUR family of Believers.

In the Illustrated Bible Handbook, I read “He (Malachi) ministers to a people who have lost their sense of excitement and lost touch with God.” As I read more of the Background, Structure and Value of this book, again I ask You Dearest Father, continue Your work in each of us.

The Life Recovery Bible says the purpose of this book is “to confront the people about getting back on track after they relapsed into old patterns of sin.” It lists the Recovery Themes as: “God Always Loves Us”, “Forgiveness Is Foundational for Recovery”, “God Is Always with Us”.

Father, as much fun as it is to get together, reminisce and even learn some family history we had previously no knowledge of, how much better would our time be spent acknowledging Your work in our lives. Again, I say to You, forgive me Father I didn't notice Your absence in our gathering. What a truly ghastly realization!

As we gear up for our time together next year, how I ask that when all is said and done we will so much more closely resemble Malachi 3:16. “Then those who feared and loved the Lord spoke often of Him to each other. And He had a Book of Remembrance drawn up in which He recorded the names of those who feared and loved to think about Him.” THAT's the book I want to be remembered in!

Work in each of us this day, this coming year, reminding us always of Your love, provision, forgiveness and presence. I love You Father. Make me a much better communicator and representative of Your goodness and grace. Thank You not only for the work You have done in us, but also that which You will be doing. Embolden me to share You much more readily with others. Even, or is that especially, with those with whom I am related.

I love You Father. Thank You. Amen.

(510 words ~ 7:34 a.m.)

focus

Friday, June 21, 2013 (7:28 a.m.)

Blessed Father,

Thank You! I don't feel good. But You are here and I get to be here with You and THAT's where I want to put my focus. Thank You Father. Thank You for taking me outside of myself.

There are so very many things for which to be grateful. Just moments ago there were sounds of birds outside, now it's practically silent.

Saturday, June 22, 2013 (6:49 a.m.)

Picking up where I left off. I feel better. Not yet best, but way better. Thank You for that. Thank You for the sounds of birds. Thank You for several chances to watch the moon throughout the night and early morning sky.

There are so very many things for which to give You thanks. Once we begin they just seem to flow.

Father, yesterday I had opportunity to ponder Matthew 6:6. The Message uses these words to express what Jesus told His followers about praying, “'Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace.”

I LOVE when that happens! It's not a given. There's not a set formula. Jesus continued saying, “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what You want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply (vs. 7-8). Like this:...” Here He goes on giving the example of “The Lord's Prayer”.

Father God, how truly grateful I am to be allowed, able, encouraged to take the focus off myself and put it on You. Thank You for sending Jesus to teach and to show what loving You is really about. Empower me to use that love well this day. I am absolutely in awe of the way You work. I want my decisions, being, thoughts and actions (Mark 12:30) to glorify and represent You favorably.

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for changing me. Use me to Your good and to Your glory. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(403 words ~ 7:29 a.m.)