Making a Beginning

This morning I was thinking once again of how great God’s grace is and how wonderfully reassuring it is to know that I have God’s firm foundation to lean on. I never have to worry or be anxious because God is already there and already has a plan for me. But this always isn't the case. Because of my sinful nature I need to remind myself at times of this truth.

“Before a man begins building he must make sure of the foundation. Jesus made this simple enough to understand in his story of the two men who built houses, one on rock, one on sand. We all know what happened in the storm.. The stability of one house is the picture of the man who hears the Word of God and does it.” –Elizabeth Elliot-

The hymn below has reminded me once again who my firm foundation is to be….

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus' Name

When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

For me, the road may have varying degree of difficulty. But the pioneer has traveled it before me. There will be no ravines he cannot cross. He knows the way; he has been over every foot of it, This God is our God, He will be our guide.


Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 139:23-24-“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there may be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

The Lord's Prayer Part 3

I decided it would take a little too long to get through the entire “Lord’s prayer” that Elizabeth Elliot has summed up so greatly in doing it step by step every day, sooo… here is the rest of it broken down.

Hallowed Be Thy Name:
"God longs for his children to be actively involved with him through prayer. Because he loves us, he gives us a part to play in hallowing his name here on earth."

Thy Kingdom Come:
"As you lay your individual prayers before God, you do so recognizing that the answer has to fit the coming of the kingdom and the holiness of his name."

Thy Will Be Done on Earth As It Is in Heaven:
"Jesus teaches us to pray for the coming of the kingdom in the only way the kingdom can possibly come: through the doing of the Father’s will. As we learn to live more intimately with him, it will become our sole object in life. In every act that accords with his will, we are also hallowing his name."

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread:
"The humble business of ordinary food necessities reminds us of our utter dependence on God. To him nothing is trivial or important, nothing small or great, for he is all and fills all in all."

Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass against Us:
"God must often delay the answer to our prayers for special guidance because we have already chosen a path of disobedience. When this happens, we must repent, which means to turn around. Go back to the point of departure. Then pray to be shown the path of God’s will."

Lead Us Not into Temptation but Deliver Us from Evil:
"Temptation is not in itself a sin. Satan uses it to cause us to sin. God’s purpose in allowing it is to test our faith, and his Word even tell us to welcome it (James 1:2-3)"

Who Art in Heaven

Psalm 139:13-16-“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully make. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. You eyes saw my unformed substance; in you book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were not of them.”

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.

“The Father to whom we come is in heaven. We are on earth, where there are so many divergent pathways, such potential for choosing the wrong one. The mystery of prayer brings the finite into contact with the infinite, the temporal with the eternal, the seen with the unseen. This is a great comfort when we are asking to be shown what to do, for while we look at our own small world and the particular perplexity that brings us to the Father’s knee, our minds fogged with doubts, anxieties, and frightening pictures of what the future may hold, he can see the end form the beginning. He is like the captain on the bridge who can see what the man in the engine room cannot. The far horizons, the positions of the stars, the direction of the wind are all known to the one who is in charge. Our heavenly Father knows every inch of our earthly journeys, sees it whole, has been over the course himself, and say to us, ‘fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)’”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 115:3-“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

The Lord’s Prayer

I’ve been reading a book titled, “God’s Guidance” by Elisabeth Elliot and she has broken down the Lord’s Prayer into deep depth and detail. I thought that a thoughtful consideration of the words in this prayer would be helpful to some.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.

“Our Father”

“When we address God we address the Creator of the Universe, the Ancient of days, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty God. The thought of him should inspire awe and reverence. But he is also the Everlasting Father. Jesus taught his desciples to call him our Father. If we trust the Son who died for us and come to the Father aware of our need of his grace, we may take our position before him as a child, not knowing what is best for us but come asking to be shown what to do. It is merely a request, not a demand, and can be granted of refused. Surely any father would look tenderly on a child’s desire to be shown what to do. He will show him.

Our Father God is love, essential love, and therefore cannot possibly desire for his child anything but what is best.

He is all-wise and therefore knows just what that best is.
He is all-powerful and therefore can give what he wants to give.
His timing, his way of showing, and the things shown may not be at all according to the child’s expectations. But never mind. The Father will give all the help his child needs, he will take him by the hand and the child will learn.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 73:25-26-" Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The Battle for Control

So here I am at the beginning of another year and I’m asking the question, “so God what do you have for me next?” I’ve found myself fighting in the war of the battle for control. I’ve been trying too hard to control my own life instead of surrendering it to God. God in His great mercy has once again convicted me of my sin and has showed me where my thoughts should be. I should be remembering that everything in my future God, in His great sovereignty has already planned for me.

“O God whose will conquers all, There in no comfort in anything apart from enjoying thee and being engaged in thy service; thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me thou makest them, and no more. I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects, and if thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair I would choose to refer all to thee, for thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss, as I am in danger of doing. I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there…. I can of myself do nothing to glorify thy blessed name, but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee.” –Valley of Vission-

“Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will.” –Oswald Chambers-

Take all I am, Lord, and all that I cling to
You are my Savior I owe everything to
Take all the treasures that lie in my storehouse
They cannot follow when I enter Your house

Take all my cravings for vain recognition
Fleshly indulgence and worldly ambition
I want so much Lord to make You the focus
To serve You in secret and never be noticed

Take all my hunger for all that’s forbidden
Every desire and sin I keep hidden
Search me and know me I want to bring to You
A life that is holy and sanctified through You


Father as I sit before your feet I am convicted and thankful for the grace and mercy you have one again bestowed upon me . May I be someone that surrenders my entire life to you and be one that says “not my will but thine be done.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 17:5-" My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped."

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