“The Lord thy God Cares For It.”


The land whither ye go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys
and drinketh water of the rain of heaven;
a land which the Lord thy God careth
for: the eyes of the Lord are always upon it
from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.
Deuteronomy 11:11-12

Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown.
There lies before us the new year (new season)
and we are going forth to possess it.
Who can tell what we shall find?
What new experiences,
what changes shall come,
what new needs shall arise?
But here is the cheering,
comforting,
gladdening message from our Heavenly Father,
The Lord thy God careth for it.”
“His eyes are upon it away to the ending of the year.””

(more…)

Published in: on March 23, 2020 at 6:00 am  Comments (1)  
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The Lord IS My Strength

The First Sunflower of this Season.

Psalm 68.28
Thy God hath commanded thy strength:
strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character
which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision.
We are “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
And the strength is continuous;
reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.

“As thy days, so shall thy strength be”—
strength of will,
strength of affection,
strength of judgment,
trength of ideals and achievement.

“The Lord is my strength” to go on.
He gives us power to tread the dead level,
to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning,
to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise,
and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.

“The Lord is my strength” to go up.
He is to me the power
by which I can climb the Hill Difficulty and not be afraid.

“The Lord is my strength” to go down.
It is when we leave the bracing heights,
where the wind and the sun have been about us,
and when we begin to come down the hill
into closer and more sultry spheres,
that the heart is apt to grow faint.
I heard a man say the other day
concerning his growing physical frailty,
“It is the coming down that tires me!”

“The Lord is my strength” to sit still.
And how difficult is the attainment!
Do we not often say to one another,
in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet,
“If only I could do something!”

When the child is ill,
and the mother stands by in comparative impotence,
how severe is the test! But to do nothing,
just to sit still and wait,
requires tremendous strength.
from The Silver Lining

“The Lord is my strength!”
“Our sufficiency is of God”
2 Corinthians 3:5.

Published in: on July 7, 2018 at 5:29 pm  Comments (1)  
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His Grace is Great Enough

But he said to me,
“My grace is enough for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may reside in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day’s work.
I felt very wearied, and sore depressed,
when swiftly, and suddenly as a lightning flash,
that text came to me,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
I reached home and looked it up in the original,
and at last it came to me in this way,
“MY grace is sufficient for thee”;
and I said, “I should think it is, Lord,”
and burst out laughing.
I never fully understood what
the holy laughter of Abraham was until then.
It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.
It was as though some little fish,
being very thirsty,
was troubled about drinking the river dry,
and Father Thames said,
“Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.”
Or, it seemed after the seven years of plenty,
a mouse feared it might die of famine;
and Joseph might say,
“Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.”
Again, I imagined a man away up yonder,
in a lofty mountain, saying to himself,
“I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year,
I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere,”
but the earth might say,
“Breathe away, O man, and fill the lungs ever,
my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.”
Oh, brethren, be great believers!
Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven,
but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls.
–C. H. Spurgeon

His grace is great enough to meet the great things
The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
The sudden storm beyond our life’s control.

His grace is great enough to meet the small things
The little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
The insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy.
–Annie Johnson Flint

from Streams in the Desert,
complied by Mrs, C. E. Cowman

Enjoy your grace . . .Today

Published in: on February 27, 2018 at 12:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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The Savior and Three Prayers

There is a beautiful story told of how one Christian dreamed that she saw three others in prayers. As they knelt the Master drew near to them.

As He approached the first of the three, He bent over her in tenderness and grace wiith a smile full of radiant love and spoke to her in accents of purest, sweetest music.

1-woman_praying

Leaving her, He came to the next but only placed His hand upon her bowed head, and gave her one look of loving approval.

6pray

The third woman He passed almost abruptly without stopping for a work or glance.

3-woman-praying-at-church1

The woman in her dream said to herself, “How greatly He must love the first one, to the second He gave His approval, but none of the special demonstrations of love He gace the first; and the third must have grieved Him deeply, for He gave her no word at all and not even a pssing look.

I wonder what she had done, and why He made so much difference between them?” And she tried to account for the action of her Lord.

He Himself stood by her and said: “O woman! how wrongly hast thou interpreted Me. The first kneeling woman needs all the weight of My tenderness and care to keep her feet in My narrow way. She needs My love, thought and help every moment of the day .Without it she would fail and fall. the second has stronger faith and deeper love, and I can trust her to trust Me however things may go and whatever people may do.

“The third whom I seemed not to notice, and even to neglect, has faith and love of the finest quality, and her I am training by quick drastic processes for the highest and holiest service. She knows Me so intinately, and trusts Me so utterly, that she is independent of words or looks or any outward intimation of My approval. She is not dismayed nor discouraged by any circumstance through which I arrange that she shall pass; she trusts Me when sense and reason and every finer instinct of the natural heart would rebel,–because she knows that I am working in her for eternity and that what I do, though she knows not the explanation now, she shall understand hereafter.

“I am silent in My love because I love beyond the power of words to express, or of human hearts to understand and also for your sakes that you may learn to love and trust Me in Spirit-taught, spontaneous response to my My love, without the spur of anything ourward to call it forth.”
Streams in the Desert
Pittsburg Bible Institute Publications

I love this story.

I first thought the third woman’s experience
was place when reached never changed.
I do want that strong faith and love for my Savior.
I also know I am human, with emotions and feelings.

Some days, I have run through a troop
Some days, I have leaped over a wall
Some days, I have fallen flat on my face.

Every day, I need much help to walk this way.
Every day, I need help on every leaning side
Every day, I need God’s anchor and strong chain to hold me fast.

Always I know His Presence is near.
Always I know His Grace is sufficient.
Always I know His Hand is holding mine.
Always I know His Word is tried and sure.

Psalms 18:28-35
For thou wilt light my candle:
the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop;
and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect:
the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
For who is God save the LORD?
or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength,
and maketh my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet,
and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war,
so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:
and thy right hand hath holden me up,
and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Published in: on January 13, 2017 at 5:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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“I will never let go your hand!”

hand

Psalm 9:9-10
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

The Father cares when He sees His children
in the teeth of a blinding storm,
but He knows that faith grows in the tempest.
He will hold our hands bidding us not to try
to see the next step we are to take.
He knows the paths of a hundred million stars,
know the way through the whirlwind and the storm,
and has promised, “I will never let go your hand!”

There is unquestionably a grave danger
of many becoming spiritually paralyzed by depression.
The forces of darkness are so imminent,
the magnitude of the crisis is so great
that many are tempted to cry out with the disciples,
“Lord, carest thou not that we perish”
Yet He who may appear to be “asleep upon a pillow”
is riding upon the storm in all His divine majesty.
The great need is for more faith in the omnipotent God.
from Streams in the Desert, Mrs. Charles Cowman

How many times in the midst of trouble
big, overwhelming, very real trouble
or small, piddly things
that have been exaggerated in our minds;
have we thought as the disciples,
“Lord, carest thou not that we perish”

We must not cast away our confidence in our God.
God is not as one of us.
God is not limited by human undertanding.
God is not bound by time.
moses
Moses,

even after seeing the burning bush
even after seeing deliverance from Eygpt
even after seeing the cloud by day and pillar of fire  by night,
even after seeing water fresh come from a rock,

Moses still questioned God.

And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Exodus 33:12 (italics are mine)

God, is his great love and pity for the man
He created and called to lead His people,
reassured Moses with these words:

And he said, My presence shall go with thee,
and I will give thee rest. Exodus 33:14

God also assures us today.
Lean hard on these promises in Isaiah.
Don’t depend on our own understanding

sheep

In all their affliction he was afflicted, ( I love that thought)
and the angel of his presence saved them:
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:9

God, in His compassion, feels our afflictions,
and as a father who pities his children.
God cares.

And even to your old age I am he;
and even to hoar hairs will I carry you:
I have made, and I will bear;
even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4

Troubles
Big or Little,
Yes, they will come.
It’s called life.
Our comfort –
We are not alone.

Published in: on January 7, 2017 at 9:43 am  Leave a Comment  
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Sing to Him!

unnamed

 

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, sing to it! (Num 21:17)

This was a strange song and a strange well. They had been traveling over the desert’s barren sands, no water was in sight and they were famishing with thirst. Then God spake to Moses and said:

“Gather the people together, and I will give them water,” and this is how it came.

They gathered in circles on the sands. They took their staves and dug deep down into the burning earth and as they dug, they sang,

“Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it,” and lo, there came a gurgling sound, a rush of water and a flowing stream which filled the well and ran along the ground.

When they dug this well in the desert, they touched the stream that was running beneath, and reached the flowing tides that had long been out of sight.

How beautiful the picture given, telling us of the river of blessing that flows all through our lives, and we have only to reach by faith and praise to find our wants supplied in the most barren desert.

How did they reach the waters of this well? It was by praise. They sang upon the sand their song of faith, while with their staff of promise they dug the well.

Our praise will still open fountains in the desert, when murmuring will only bring us judgment, and even prayer may fail to reach the fountains of blessing.

There is nothing that pleases the Lord so much as praise. There is no test of faith so true as the grace of thanksgiving. Are you praising God enough? Are you thanking Him for your actual blessings that are more than can be numbered, and are you daring to praise Him even for those trials which are but blessings in disguise? Have you learned to praise Him in advance for the things that have not yet come?
—Selected
Published in: on May 28, 2016 at 10:47 am  Leave a Comment  
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Today’s thought – My Prayer

Feb 24 catch up 048The garden plot is resting,
waiting for the Farmer to bring plants and seed.

Good Morning

1 Kings 12:22
But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.

“return every man to his house;”
no fighting
no hardness
no danger
return to your homes
return to your rest

“for this thing is from me”
God says,
“I have a plan
I have a reason
This is for your good.”

from streams in the Desert
by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
February 1

My child, I have a message for you today;
let me whisper it in your ear,
that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise,
and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread.
It is short, only five words,
but let them sink into your inmost soul;
and use them as a pillow to rest your weary head.
“This thing is from me.”

Have you ever thought of it,
that all that concerns you concerns Me too? . . .

This day I place in your hands this pot of holy oil.
Make use of it freely, My child.
Let every circumstance that arises,
every word that pains you,
every interruption that would make you impatient,
and every revelation of your weakness
be anointed with it.
The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things.
–Laura A. Barter Snow

Dear Lord,
Please, anoint my day . . .
according to your will. Thank you. Amen

With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on March 10, 2015 at 4:34 am  Leave a Comment  
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Today’s thought – Go Forward

June 4 018I think grapes vines are beautiful in every season.

Good Morning

Matthew 14:14-32
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Peter had a little faith in the midst o his doubts, says Bunyan; and so with crying coming he was brought to Christ.

but here you see that sight was a hindrance; the waves were none of his business when once he had set out;
all Peter had any concern with, was the pathway of light that come gleaming across the darkness from where Christ stood. If it was tenfold Egypt beyond that, Peter had no call to look and see.

When the Lord shall call to you over the waters, “Come,” step gladly forth. Look not for a moment away from Him.

Not by measuring the waves can you prevail; not by gauging the wind will you grow strong; to scan the danger may be to fall before it; to pause at the difficulties, is to have them break above your head. Lift up your eyes unto the hills, and go forward–there is not other way. selected

Lift up your eyes . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on June 23, 2014 at 4:21 am  Leave a Comment  

One Thousand Gifts — February Joy Dare part 3

One Thousand Gifts in 2012

February Joy Dare–capturing these gifts and joining Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

“Joy is always a function of gratitude — and gratitude is always a function of perspective. If we are going to change our lives, what we’re going to have to change is the way we see.”

February 21  —   3 gifts white

White violets arriving every spring,
White clouds turning pink after the rain,

Clean white sheets of paper waiting to receive

February 22  — 3 gifts that changed today

Solid veggies that change into juice,
Water that changed into hot coffee from Bro Bob via the Farmer,
A cool morning changed into a warm afternoon then back cool in the evening

February 23 —  a gift of tin, a gift of  glass, a gift of  wood

My tuna from a tin can,
Many glass windows so I don’t have to live in a cave,
Wood doors for privacy

February 24 —  3 gifts before 11am
A hug from the Farmer,

Devotions with my Father,
Smiles from the littlies

February 25  — a gift nearly worn out, a gift new, a gift made do

Worn out – my favorite jean skirt
New – every day is a new gift
Made do  –  a sea crate instead of a garage

February 26 –3 gifts seen as reflections

Watching a little girl make faces art herself in a mirror,
The love seen in the faces of a senior couple as they smile at a secret thought,
The distorted view of my kitchen in the crome sides of the coffee pot

February 27 — 3 ugly-beautiful gifts (see beauty in ugly)   My brain just couldn’t put this one together, I see a kind of beauty in everything.

February 28 — 3 gifts from the past that help you trust the future
The book “Streams in the Desert’ a devotional given to me June, 1983  by my sister in law  –  each day seems to fit my need.
The Bible I bought for myself, December, 1975, reading it every day

The vows I exchanged on June 16, 1967 “until death do us part” are constant in an ever-changing world.

February 29  — a gift dull, a gift shimmering, a gift cleaned

Dull – The rusty antic iron tractor from my father

Glimmering – Light shining on my knitting needle collection

Cleaned – Fresh washed sheets dried in the sun and wind

Gifts 269-294

Published in: on March 5, 2012 at 11:23 am  Leave a Comment  

Just a Little Oil, Please

Yes this is the presser foot that is attached to my Singer Featherweight sewing machine. You wouldn’t think that an item that small would be the object of frustration, well, it was. Ideally, you press on that shiny bar and the machine starts sewing. Not this one, it stalled, it caught, it hesitated, it started and then wouldn’t stop.  I could tell what was suppose to happen; on the bottom side there are little slots that the little prongs are to slide through to allow contact with something inside to make the machine sew. The little prongs were not sliding, but catching, or not going through at all. After three sessions trying to sew and becoming more frustrated (mechanical I am not)


I thought of asking Elmer to look at the presser foot, I was in the middle of a project with a nearing deadline. I hesitated because sometimes the cure is long and drawn out as only a perfectionist can make it, but the sewing was not going well at all  I took the foot to the workshop sea crate and showed Elmer the problem, saying he had about an half hour to fix it. I left, I heard a little grinding then silence. In about 10 minutes I had the foot back, “ I oiled it. I don’t think there is any extra oil to get on the floor.”

I finished making the meatloaf, put it in the oven and went back to my project.  That little foot stopped it grumbling and grouching, stopped its complaining and trying to rush ahead with out any direction. Just a little oil from one who knew what things  need to make them work smoothly.

I finished my project, I thanked my husband. I began to think sometimes I’m like that little presser foot without the blessing of the oil of the Spirit on my attitude. One my favorites from  “Streams in the Desert” February 1 devotion states:

“My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild wit glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head,

This thing is from ME.

This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child. Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see ME in all things.   Laura A Barter Snow”(1st and last paragraphs)

I know that every time I get out that little black sewing machine and put its presser foot on the floor two things will happen: one, I’ll again be thankful Elmer oiled the presser foot and  two, I’ll check, am I oiled with that holy oil of God’s strength and grace?

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2Corinthians  12:9

Published in: on March 3, 2011 at 7:17 pm  Comments (1)