I search for you Lord
In the deserts
On the pinnacles of the mountains
Within the depths of the valleys
I thirst for you Lord
My soul longs for Your presence
My ear waits on Your word
My heart weeps for Yours
I hunger for You Lord
My heart trembles in need ofYou
Touch me Lord
Make me whole
Monday, May 22, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
Living a Perfect Life
Went to Bible Study tonight. I was really touched by a particular word that really penetrated my heart and mind. Our teacher spoke about living and walking different in the eyes of the world: our unsaved family, friends, co-workers etc. He emphasized that we can live perfect lives as Christ came and showed us in His walk on earth. What I realized as I listened to this word was that I had begun to use my humanity as a crutch to explain my falling short of God’s glory. I was wallowing in my frailty when I should be exulting in the victory I have over sin and death through Christ Jesus
Not that I had found myself in the throes of iniquity mind you but somehow in the back of my mind I expect to fail and so when I do I am like ‘Well I expected this, I’m only human.’ The mindset I should have is that “The battle is not mine but the Lord’s and His grace is more than sufficient to keep me.”
Not that I don’t expect to ever fall again but the difference is that my mind is predisposed to victory and not failure and in so doing I am not enabling my own self-destructive behaviour. (I hope I’m making some sense here :D.)
Not that I had found myself in the throes of iniquity mind you but somehow in the back of my mind I expect to fail and so when I do I am like ‘Well I expected this, I’m only human.’ The mindset I should have is that “The battle is not mine but the Lord’s and His grace is more than sufficient to keep me.”
Not that I don’t expect to ever fall again but the difference is that my mind is predisposed to victory and not failure and in so doing I am not enabling my own self-destructive behaviour. (I hope I’m making some sense here :D.)
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Every thing to God in prayer
My heart rejoiced in this song today. Truly it set me free without my realising it. There were some people close to me whom I felt had wronged me. People I’d considered friends who would not utter an unkind word against me. I was wrong. Human nature being what it is and these individuals being the unsaved people they are, I tried to understand it but I just couldn’t let it go. Mind you, I said I had forgiven them but in my heart I really hadn’t and it showed every time they even came close to me. I’d feel that coldness settling in and speak only when necessary or when spoken to and even then very briefly.
Unforgiveness was depressing my days and I was not even aware of it. So in my self imposed exile today I began to sing this song, I can’t say why: it was not playing on the radio and I hadn’t even heard it at the funeral yesterday but there it was in my spirit. I sang the words over and over, letting them soothe my soul and nourish my spirit. No truer friend can we have than Jesus. Instead of causing us pains He carries them for us.
That’s how I felt today. Free. And I think I smiled my first genuine smile for 2006 when I realised that once again God has done it for me. He touched when and where I needed it most. He took away the hurt so that there’s only love, His love that they need to see and I need to show.
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Every thing to God in prayer
My heart rejoiced in this song today. Truly it set me free without my realising it. There were some people close to me whom I felt had wronged me. People I’d considered friends who would not utter an unkind word against me. I was wrong. Human nature being what it is and these individuals being the unsaved people they are, I tried to understand it but I just couldn’t let it go. Mind you, I said I had forgiven them but in my heart I really hadn’t and it showed every time they even came close to me. I’d feel that coldness settling in and speak only when necessary or when spoken to and even then very briefly.
Unforgiveness was depressing my days and I was not even aware of it. So in my self imposed exile today I began to sing this song, I can’t say why: it was not playing on the radio and I hadn’t even heard it at the funeral yesterday but there it was in my spirit. I sang the words over and over, letting them soothe my soul and nourish my spirit. No truer friend can we have than Jesus. Instead of causing us pains He carries them for us.
That’s how I felt today. Free. And I think I smiled my first genuine smile for 2006 when I realised that once again God has done it for me. He touched when and where I needed it most. He took away the hurt so that there’s only love, His love that they need to see and I need to show.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
I press toward the mark
Phil 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(KJV)
The hardest thing for me to do is to forgive myself. I find it so much easier to forgive others, keeping in mind my own imperfections and God’s forgiveness of them. But forgiving my own folly seems so much more difficult. So it’s a new year and I’m going to follow my own advice and take it one day at a time. No looking back and self castigations about past failures but I’m going to move forward. God has great things in store for me. I just need to let Him have His way, have patience and His will be done.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(KJV)
The hardest thing for me to do is to forgive myself. I find it so much easier to forgive others, keeping in mind my own imperfections and God’s forgiveness of them. But forgiving my own folly seems so much more difficult. So it’s a new year and I’m going to follow my own advice and take it one day at a time. No looking back and self castigations about past failures but I’m going to move forward. God has great things in store for me. I just need to let Him have His way, have patience and His will be done.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Come ... let us reason together
Isa 1:18
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(KJV)
This scripture has reverberated in my brain all of today. No surprise since it is the final day of the year and all that I’ve done wrong is ever before me. A new year, a fresh start is what I’m thinking but ‘old things must pass away’. The last month or so of this year was not the best for me. I messed up and found myself in a sort of limbo, knowing that God could make things right for me but unable to take that step in His direction. Guilt and shame held me motionless. Not that I ignored Him but the ‘elephant in the room’ so to speak went unaddressed. Till now.
These words echo in my soul urging me closer to the throne, loosing my tongue to speak of things previously unexpressed, filling my heart with hope for redemption, for change.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(KJV)
This scripture has reverberated in my brain all of today. No surprise since it is the final day of the year and all that I’ve done wrong is ever before me. A new year, a fresh start is what I’m thinking but ‘old things must pass away’. The last month or so of this year was not the best for me. I messed up and found myself in a sort of limbo, knowing that God could make things right for me but unable to take that step in His direction. Guilt and shame held me motionless. Not that I ignored Him but the ‘elephant in the room’ so to speak went unaddressed. Till now.
These words echo in my soul urging me closer to the throne, loosing my tongue to speak of things previously unexpressed, filling my heart with hope for redemption, for change.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Whither Shall I Go?
Ps 139:7-187 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
(KJV)
This portion of scripture has always been of great comfort to me especially when I think that He’s so far away from me (or am I too far away from Him?). There are times though, when I wish it weren’t so true like when I’m messing up and doing stuff I shouldn’t. Conveniently I wish He weren’t around then to witness my shame. But He is. Even then. It makes me appreciate His forgiveness even more and understand that He truly loves me. I used to think that if people really got to know me maybe they won’t like me or think I’m such a nice person. So it was hard to be myself, warts and all. But in Christ I’ve found acceptance. He loves me in spite of me. I don’t take this as a license to do as I please but when I do fall I'm doubly disappointed. I wish I could go back in time and make the right choices. I know He's there, but it would be easier to go to Him then.
I feel Him so near now and I know it's because I've opened my heart to receive His forgiveness. His blood has washed away the past. There's today and maybe tomorrow. What I do with them, is up to me but no matter what I do, He'll still be there.
Thank you, Jesus.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The Words of My Mouth
The title scripture of this blog, Psalm 19:14 is one of the verses of scripture I try to live each day by. It’s right up there with “in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path” and “ whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are good … if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I recognize that the battlefield really is in the mind and believe that with the right mind I can live right.
“the words of my mouth”
The Bible says that the words we speak should minister grace to the hearers.
“the meditation of my heart”
the Bible also says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It’s easy to harbour resentment and unforgiveness. It’s even easier to get caught up in “the things of this world”. So guarding our hearts is important so that what comes out of us will glorify God. Then our fruit which is our ultimate testimony will be good fruit.
“the words of my mouth”
The Bible says that the words we speak should minister grace to the hearers.
“the meditation of my heart”
the Bible also says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It’s easy to harbour resentment and unforgiveness. It’s even easier to get caught up in “the things of this world”. So guarding our hearts is important so that what comes out of us will glorify God. Then our fruit which is our ultimate testimony will be good fruit.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Two Wolves
Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. The other is Good.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
I love this story. To me it types the natural man and the spiritual man that are always at war within us. As the old Cherokee said, it is the one that we feed that will win. This is one reason that I try to keep reading and meditating on the Word of God. It keeps me grounded in the Word and better able to be strong in the ways of the Lord.
The purpose of this blog is to share my daily meditations as I read the word of God. I hope to encourage myself, and God-willing, others, as I partake of the sweetness of His Word.
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