Thoughts of Grace

Good Morning

“He makes me lay down in green pastures,
he leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2

It’s kind of nice at first,
especially if your life has been a whirlwind of activity;
running to and fro,
closing deals and climbing the never ending ladder;
burning the candle at both ends;
living on the edge;
coming apart at the seams.
A getaway to a nice balmy meadow,
next to a gentle babbling brook
is just what the doctor ordered;
all we need now is Bambi and Thumper
and the picture is complete.
Like I said, it’s kind of nice — at first.
But as the days turn to weeks,
and then draw into months…
and then years —
green and wet can get a little old.
But the Lord is not fooling around here.
He’s after something far more valuable
than you being a success,
as this world defines it.
He is after you being the man or woman
He created you to be.
And to this end He will make you lay down —
even if you don’t want to.
He will lead you by still waters,
even though you scramble to go somewhere else.
And why is He doing this?
So that your trust will be in Him —
and not in your own fleshly striving.
If you can somehow get up and walk away,
then the Lord is not your Shepherd.
And you will never know
the indescribable payoff that awaits
all those with green jeans and soggy bottoms.

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yes, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil — for He is with me. His rod and staff comfort me. He prepares a banquet table for me in the presence of my enemies, and anoints my head with oil. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life — and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

But you go ahead and walk away;
I’m sure you’ll find the finer fashions
of this world more suitable to your blank eyes, and hollow chest.
And, no doubt,
the whirlwind will sweep you up in such a buzz
that you’ll not visit these parts again.

Until you are made to lay down in gray linen on a cold stone.

Accept God’s leading. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Guarding the yarn remnants.

Good Morning

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:26

How do you measure you value?
Dollars in the bank?
Cars in the driveway?
Letters after your name?
During the Depression,
you were something special
if you had a little meat on your bones.
That meant you were prosperous,
that nobody at your house was starving.
People could see you were well cared for,
and for that matter,
cared about.

Well, suppose we. . .look at the birds of the air.
Have you ever seen a skinny bird?
Maybe if it were sickly and couldn’t fly off to find food,
but the ones in the air are plump and healthy and flying high.
Even though they have no food stored up for tomorrow,
they seem to be doing fine today on the food
that their heavenly Father has provided…
And Jesus said we are of more value to God
than those happily fed birds,
meaning he will look out for all our needs,
not just physical, but spiritual needs, too.
Liz Curtis Higgs ~~ Reflecting His Image

Watching the birds of the air. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Good Morning

“We’re doing our best setting things right.”
2 Corinthians 6:7, The Message

In 1907 Grant C. Tullar wrote,

“Hear ye the Master’s call, ‘Give Me thy best!’
For, be it great or small, that is His test.
Do then the best you can, not for reward,
not for the praise of man — but for the Lord.
Every work for Jesus will be blessed;
but He asks from everyone his best.
Our talents may be few, these may be small —
but unto Him is due our best, our all.”

Are you giving your best?
Or, like so many others,
do you just cruise along merely doing only what is acceptable.

Paul the Apostle said,

“Whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him”
(2 Corinthians 5:9 CEV).

Indeed, we are called to do our best
at setting things right in a world gone wrong.
Nothing more could be asked,
and nothing less would be acceptable.

The story is told of how the great Leonardo Da Vinci
had started work on a large canvas in his studio.
A few of his students watched as he worked at it —
choosing the subject,
planning the perspective,
sketching the outline,
and applying the colors;
all with his own inimitable genius.
Then he unexpectedly paused,
the painting still unfinished,
and, summoning one of his students,
invited him to step up and complete the work.
The student protested that he was unworthy
and unable to complete the great painting
which his master had begun.
But Da Vinci answered,
“Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?”

Do you think that Jesus might be saying a similar thing to you?
Your life can honor God greatly,
and benefit some many others in positive and lasting ways.
Everything you need
for this has already been provided by Jesus.
Believe it,
take hold of it,
press on with it,
and give it your best shot.
Surely you can do no less,
seeing how much He has done already.

Finish the painting, my friend —
for Jesus believes in you.  Rylie

Great or Small. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

the Farmer has dug up all the grass at Cozy Acres,
defined two flower areas with river rock borders,
planted flowers I brought home from Grandma Crain’s
and hopes to sow grass seed this week.

Good Morning

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  James 4:8

Perhaps nothing diverts us from focused living
more than our concept of success.
Published studies inform us
of what conveys power in body language,
business lunches, and the cars we strive.
We ‘dress for success.’
Society is not only preoccupied with the image of success,
but for the most part is dependent on
someone else to define success. . . .
Was Jesus successful?
He had no home of his own.
The successful people of His day viewed Him skeptically,
if not with hostility.
His followers were a ragtag bunch
without social or political influence.
And even this motley crew fell away
as He approached the Cross.
None of His disciples
accompanied Him in His darkest hour.
He had neither wealth, political power,
or unusual physical beauty. . .
Jesus measured His own success by one criterion:
“I came. . .not to my will
but to do the will of him who sent me” John 6:38.
“I finished the work.”
Jean Fleming Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World

Seeking to follow God . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Advice from Taco Bell

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Psalm 119:24

How do you feel when you find
that wad of cash you hid
in your sock drawer for safekeeping
and forgot about?
Or when you find the diamond
that dropped out of your engagement ring?
Or when you find the child
who got away from you
in the shopping mall and wandered out of your sight.

You rejoice.

For each is a rich treasure,
and finding it brings joy.
But God’s Word offers so much more.
Unlike any other treasure
it offers peace of mind
to those who love and pursue it.
Unlike any valuable,
the Word of God gives strength, vigor,
and energy to live
without stumbling in weariness or fear.
Open your spiritual treasure chest today
and dig deep.

Peter Wallace, What the Psalmist is Saying to You Today

Digging . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

the Farmer’s chickens are busy.

Good Morning

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith means
putting our full confidence in the things we hope for,
it means being certain of things we cannot see.

Romans 8:24-25
We were saved by this hope,
but in our moments of impatience
let us remember
that hope always means waiting
for something that we haven’t yet got.
But if we hope for something we cannot see,
then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Hoping . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Good Morning,

Daniel 6:16,19-22
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel,
and cast him into the den of lions.
Now the king spake and said unto Daniel,
Thy God whom thou servest continually,
he will deliver thee.
. . . Then the king arose very early in the morning,
and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den,
he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel:
and the king spake and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God,
whom thou servest continually,
able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths,
that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me;
and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Look at Jonah in the fish belly–
surrounded by gastric juices and sucked in seaweed. . .
He prays. . .
Before he can say amen,
the belly convulses,
the fish belches,
and Jonah lands face first on the beach.

Look at Daniel in the lions’ den;
his prospects aren’t much better than Jonah’s.
Jonah had been swallowed,
and Daniel is about to be . . .

Or look at Joseph in the pit,
a chalky hole in a hot desert.
The lid had been pulled over the top
and the wool had been pulled over his eyes. . .
Like Jonah and Daniel,
Joseph is trapped.
He is out of options.
There is no exit.
There is no hope. . .
Though the road to the palace
takes a detour through a prison,
it eventually ends up at the throne. . .

Such are the stories in the Bible.
One near death experience after another.
Just when the neck is on the chopping block,
just when the noose is around he neck.
Calvary comes.
Max Lucado He Still Moves Stones

HE is just the same . . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie