SEEING GOD IN EVERYTHING

Blessed are the pure in heart:  for they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8

Years ago in a special college chapel service my husband presented a beautiful monologue entitled, "Can Any Man See God?",  The story of the monologue was of a young boy who was fishing with his grandfather and as they sat on the bank with their poles in the water he asks this question, "Grandfather, can any man see God?".   After a long silence the grandfather replies to the boy, "Son, it is getting where I can't see anything but God.".  That is where I want to be.  I want to be able to see God in everything.  It is easy to see Him in the beautiful sunset, or the smile of a baby, or in the victories and triumphs when everything is going well.  It is easy to sing 'How great Thou art' in those times.  But do we see God when the clouds gather, our health fails or we face financial difficulties?  He is still there!  I recently experienced some clouds of heartache and uncertainty.  My heart was, and is, breaking for a loved one who has strayed.  I faced some health issues that were concerning.  Satan tried so hard to try to keep me focused on the clouds.  It is difficult to see God when you are focused on the clouds,isn't it?   As I began to thank and praise God for the situations that I did not understand and as I sang Him my song of thankfulness,  then the clouds dispersed and I could see His hand more clearly- - even through the clouds.

God wants to hear you sing when the waves are crashing round you,

When the fiery darts surround you, when despair is all you see.

God wants to hear your voice when the wisest man has spoken and says

your circumstance is as hopeless as can be.

That's when God wants to hear you sing.

Dear Father,  please help me to see you in everything - - the good,  the bad. the happy, the sad. You have told me that it all works together for my good.  Help me to be able to sing you my song of thankfulness ...even in the night.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

PLEASANT WORDS FOR THE SOUL:

"Humility is perfect quietness of heart, It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble."

- Andrew Murray

MEAN WHAT YOU SAY

"As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."  I Samuel 12:23a

Has God ever convicted you, as He has me, of saying to someone, "I'll be praying for you," and then not following through with your promise?   We often use this phrase in the same way we would say, "See you later,"  How serious  is it to God that we follow through with our promise to pray for someone?  In I Samuel 12:23 the Bible says that we sin against the Lord when we fail to pray for each other.  Prayer was instilled in the prophet Samuel at a very early age.  His mother, Hannah,  was unable to conceive a child.  She cried out to God and made this vow to Him:

"O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life,..." I Samuel 1:11.

God heard her cry and answered her prayer.  She then carried through with her promise to God.  Through out the scriptures we find examples of Samuel praying for others.  I love in I Samuel 7:5  when Samuel said he would pray for the children of Israel he did so immediately.   Many times I have seen someone come up to my husband in a service, or some other place, and ask him to pray for a particular person or situation and he would stop right then and pray for them.   May the Lord help us to follow through when we make a promise to pray for someone.  And better still,  when we tell someone that we will pray for them to stop and pray right then...in the grocery store, on the phone, at work, in church.

"Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed (my emphasis).  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5:16.

Dear Lord,  please help me to not be careless in promising to pray for someone and not following through.  Help me to see how serious this is to God.  In Jesus name.  Amen

PLEASANT WORDS FOR THE SOUL:  "If the praise of man elates me and his blame depresses me; If I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself if I love to be loved more than love...then I know nothing of Calvary's love."   ~ Amy Carmichael

THE LAW OF KINDNESS

Proverbs 31:26b - ....in her tongue is the law of kindness.

A law is something that governs or controls our actions.  If we are driving in a fifty miles per hour speed zone we are expected to obey that speed limit.  It is the law.  It doesn't matter if we are late for an appointment or if the traffic is slow and driving a little faster would not endanger anyone, we are expected to drive fifty miles an hour.   It is the law!  It would be a chaotic and dangerous world if we had no laws.  The Proverbs 31 woman had a law that governed her tongue and it was the law of kindness.  What a difference it would make if each of us would let the law of kindness govern our words.  No matter what the circumstances,  we speak words of kindness,  It is the law!   No matter what our mood is,  our words are words of grace.  It is the law!  No matter what time of the month it is,  the law of kindness governs our tongues.  Does that verse convict you like it does me?   May we let our tongues be subject to the law of kindness.

Dear Lord,  Help me today to let my tongue be under your control and subject to the law of kindness in all circumstances.  In Jesus name.   Amen

PLEASANT WORDS FOR THE SOUL:
If you look at the world, you will be distressed.  If you look inside, you will be depressed.  If you look at God, you will be at rest.  Corrie Ten Boom

THE POWER OF WORDS

Death and life are in the power of the tongue  Proverbs 18:21

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  Ephesians 4:29

The tongue is powerful!  Isn't that the truth?  James 3:10 tells us that blessings and cursings can come out of the same mouth.  How true that is.  I want to be a blessing with my words, but sometimes the most hateful things can come from my mouth and I realize once again how powerful and untamed my tongue is.  Our words can indeed be a blessing or a curse.  They can hurt or heal.  They can encourage of discourage.  They can lift up or tear down.  They can build or destroy.  As Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue.  Words can be the death of a friendship.  Misunderstandings can escalate into unkind, hurtful, hot words and soon a friendship is dead.  Words can be the death of a marriage.  Many marriages are dying a slow death because tongues are  not guarded and one day words are said that cannot be taken back and a marriage is dead.  Words can be the death of a reputation.  Many people's reputations have been hurt or destroyed by mean words, critical words, slanderous words and sometimes lying words.   Like feathers to the wind words cannot be taken back.  But our words can also bring healing and life.  Have you ever been discouraged, at the end of your rope and ready to give up?  And then someone spoke words of life to you, healing words, encouraging words anid those words gave you new energy, a new attitude and a new determination.  I can remember so many times when I was discouraged and a note would come with healing words, or a telephone call would come with encouraging words.  Our words are very powerful.  How can we use our words to minister grace to the hearer as Ephesians 4:29 says?  Here are some things I've asked God to help me with:  1.  To remember that God will hold me accountable for every word I speak.  Matthew 12:33-37.  2.  To make a commitment that I will try to use only kind and gracious words that will build up and encourage.  3.  To focus on the positive and not the negative.  4.  To not waste time talking about things that can't be changed, or things that I am not a part of the solution.  5.  To ask questions.  To try and find out more about the other person and their feelings.  6.  To remember that sometimes the most gracious thing to say is nothing.  7.  To constantly check my heart because my words reflect my attitude and motivation.

Dear Father,  please help me to yield my tongue to You.  Help every word that proceeds out of my mouth to minister grace and encouragement to the hearer.  In Jesus name.  Amen