Just a Daisy in the Meadow

“By the Word of the Lord

Were the heavens made.

Their starry host

by

the

breath

of

His

mouth.”

- Psalm 33:6

Yeah, I know I’m talking about the heavens and the stars . . . but I just don’t have any pictures that can do it justice (well I can’t do the flowers justice either, but . . .)

I’ve been inspired with these verses after seeing Louie Giglio’s “How Great Is Our God”.  And his one on hope . . .   I can’t remember all the details about the planets,our solar system, all the millions of galaxies, and the greatness and the magnificence of the stars . . . He compares the earth as a golf ball and one of the stars as the Golden Gate Bridge twice (the distance), and then us on that golf ball . . . Imagine . . . And a even bigger star as Mt. Everest and down on the bottom the golf ball and then find yourself on that tiny golf ball . . . and that is just not even a drop in the bucket!  How great IS our GOD?!?!?!?!?!??!

“For He spoke and it came to be

He commanded and it stood firm . . .

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees . . .

But the eyes of the Lord are on those

who fear Him

on whose HOPE

is

in

His

unfailing

Word . . .

to deliver them

from death

and keep them

alive

in famine . . .”

God can keep our foot from slipping . . . God can move mountains in our lives . . . God can renew our strength . . . God can make us soar on eagles wings . . . God can give us hope for the future . . . . God can _____________  When you look at His splendor in the heavens, it just makes praise well up in your heart and burst through your lips!

. . . These flowers – they just look like regular stems of grass,  that blooms!

In heaven – the streets mind you are made of gold.

Boy, I can’t wait to stroll all over Heaven’s meadows and God’s Flower Park (or God’s Arboretum).  The Bible says He’s up there preparing mansions . . . I’m sure He’s working on the landscaping too!!! (That’s what I’m interested in. )

But no, the best part of all is the Everlasting God who does not grow tired or weary . . . Who loves me and cares about my life and daily and even every moment happenings and spiritual growth or my  stagnant complacent heart chosing once again to take the wrong path.  The best is . . . He helps me and lifts me up! . . .  He gives me strength to go on . . . He gives me power to say no to the devil, power to make those “small” daily choices of following God’s way . . . The best is – I can hear His still small voice in my heart . . . The best is – He’s with me each step of the way, enabling me to make the stones, stepping stones and not stumbling blocks.  The best is – He increases my poor, weak efforts . . . He increases my strength.  The best is HE and I can connect and be one in body, soul and spirit( in a earthly way).  . .

And yet the best is . . . the BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Do you not know? . . .

Have you not heard? . . .

The Lord is the Everlasting God

The Creator of the ends of the earth

He will not grow tired or weary

And His understanding NO ONE CAN FATHOM!

HE gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak . . .” – Isaiah 40

I am a firm believer in the verse Romans 8:28 . . . I know I haven’t faced many hardships at all to speak of, but I have lived long enough to be rooted in Him and trust that the Almighty, All-knowing God has everything in control.  Yes, He gives us choices, and mankind  has made a mess of their lives to their devestation . . .  But I believe God has the whole picture . . . and I only a tiny, minuscule part.  I believe that all  things DO work together FOR GOOD to THEM THAT LOVE GOD and to them who are called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. Woe be it to those who aren’t on God’s side.

So what does all this pertain to in my life today?  This morning I was reading in Exodus 17  where the Israelites are going to battle against the Amalekites, and Moses says to Joshua, “Tomorrow, I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” And so it happens that when Moses held up his hand, Israel  prevailed,  and when he let it down their enemies prevailed.

In my life at the dawn of each  new day I purpose to stand at the top of the hill with he rod of God in my hand . . . and as long as I do, victory is attainable . . . but my hands, like Moses, become heavy . . . And yes, there is support.  There is a stone to sit on and helpers are holding up my arms . . .

. . . But sometimes I just get weary of all that it takes to keep going.  Why did God allow it to be this way? . . . Why can’t I have enough strength to stand and to keep my own arms up?  No one else could do Moses’ job.  No one else can really fill my roll as wife and mother to my husband and little Staufferites . . .

” . . . and his hands were steady till the going down of the sun.”  Moses held on and fought even though he was tired to the bone.  Till the day was done and the battle won, he keep “fighting” . . .

Eph.6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalites, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand i the evil day and having done all to stand . . .

Ep. 6:16  says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith . . .

There’s too much at stake here . . . souls making choices that will affect their eternal destiny . . . I can not, I will not give in to weariness in the battle. . . I will not be lulled to sleep when there is a battle being fought and God is depending on my to do my part that no one else can do.

He’s given me little ones not to just fill my life with the happiness that children bring but to train for war against the evil one, to share with them Life Divine and the ways Satan tries to lull us to sleep or kill us, disquiet our peace, and make us anxious and fretful, make us a stumbling block to others or lax and undisciplined in things that matter most like keeping God number one and seeking His wisdom in EVERY thing, following His path straight and narrow path when it’s hard and rough . . . believing that God does see the Big Picture and trusting Him when I can’t make sense of my little, itsy, bitsy piece of it . . .

Genesis 15:1  “Do not be afraid, Abram Aimee, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” When I was engaged I couldn’t wait to live life with my Fiance(Husband) that’s almost all I thought about.  God says that He is our exceedingly great reward . . . To spend the rest of our lives with Jesus . . . Yes, that will be the greatest reward I could ever want.  Exceedingly great!!!

How can I NOT hold on till the day is done and the battle’s won? . . . Hold on!

Was inspired today by this Daily Devotional. Just found this Proverbs 31 place and am blessed!!!

“When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.” Ezekiel 46:9 (NIV)

We are to go out and come back a DIFFERENT mom . . .   Love it!

Just needing to hear this myself, when I look at my house these days . .  

Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way.

Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day.

Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high.

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”

Faith answers, “I.”

“Do not cry to Me in the hour of crisiis and distress as though I would extentd some miracle in answer to prayer.  Of course, I do answer prayer and I can perform miracles and bring deliverance, but if I do this, I have only rescued one of my own out of trouble while you yourself have won no victory at all. . . . I want you to experience Jericho’s not Ai’s . . . Ye are not qualified to be used for My purposes as long as you are being harassed by the enemy and I keep needing to rescue you from a constant parade of distressing predicaments . . . ” -  Frances J. Roberts

. . . Run with the passion of Elijah

Elijah – a Rabbi -  (people in Jesus time confused him with the Messiah!) Whom do ye say that I am?  Some say Elijah, some say . . .

Elijah had a passion,a intense commitment at all costs . . .

Remember Mt. Carmel?

Elijah climbe up Mt. Carmel and had a contest with a pagan cult

He climbed back down and forsaw their punishment, climbed back up and prayed passionatly, climbed back down and ran 20 miles ahead of Ahab’s chariot . . . He gave everything he had!

Paul says in IICorinthians 12:15 ” And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls . . .”

In the New Testament time they used sports to declare their gods.  Athletes ran to declare “He is god!”  Paul says our Christian “walk” or our run says to the world the “He ALONE IS KING!”  Our walk with Jesus is an olympic event.   The way we try to be like Jesus becomes a flat-out, all-out run . . .

We’re to give it all we got.  At judgement the question might arise, “Whatcha got left?  Ya know you’ve just finished running with allyour worth here in this life and your panting because of the exturtion . . . We want to be able to say  . . . I!  . .  .have!  . . . nothing!  . . . left!

Hebrews 12:1″ . . . Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us,and let us RUN with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us,looking unto Jesus . . .”

The heroes of faith – picture your self running in a huge area, as in New Testament times with the “bleachers’ full of these people . . .

- Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samual and the prophets .  . . all these having obtained a good testimony through FAITH . . .

Hudson Taylor, Amy Charmichael, Willam Tyndale, David Livingstone, George Mueller, John Wesley, Gladyas Alward, Nate Saint . . . .

And then those heroes who’ve you’ve known who have gone on before, LeRoy, Krystal . . . Your own grandparents, or family or  dear friend . . .

These witnesses  are your fans  . . . and they are saying . . . “IT’S ! WORTH ! EVERY! EFFORT! YOU!  MAKE!  Run!  Don’t quit!

The biggest barrier, to be genuinely like Jesus, in our world today is that it takes this kind of fight!

Habakkuk 3:2 ” A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, ‘Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord, Renew them in our day, and in our time make them known . . .”

Isaiah 40:29-31 ” Do you not know, Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary, and increases  the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength!

They will soar on wings like eagles!

THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY!

They will walk and not faint!”

It’s only by the power of God that we can run and not be weary!  Where are you getting your strength from . . .

Ok, that’s my “sermon” for the day . . . No, actually it’s just what I am sharing with the sewing circle ladies . . . my turn for devotions . . .

This has been a tough week for me . . . weary and exhausted, trying to keep things under control (house work and children ) and just needing lots of rest and quiet . . .

And of course this had to be an extremely busy week for my husband ( he’s on the quilt show committee this year).  Somehow when we’re both bus and tired at the same time it is tougher . . .

But God has poured out his tender loving care on me this week also . . . Three mornings in a row I’ve had a few hours to myself, of quiet reflection  and rest.  And yesterday I actually slept a bit in the mid-morning and also a bit in the afternoon . . . now this is miracle stuff for me because I usually can’t sleep during the day no matter how exhausted I am . . . Anyway, I just want to praise His name and say that He cares . . . He really does . . . He came to me “in person” these last few days and ministered to my needs . . .

No, God doesn’t always answer my prayers this way . . .  but He’s the Lily in my Valley anyway . . . no matter what . . .

“I found a Lily in my valley – in my valley,

I found strength when I was worn- Oh, so worn

I found a place to leave my burden,

I found a refuge from the storm.

A place to trade my dark skies,

For beaming rays of sunshine – God’s sunshine

I found a Lily in my valley

And He blooms all the time . . .”

Problems/perplexities Ever Around Christ Enough

“I will refresh the weary

and satisfy the faint.” – Jeremiah 31:25

God is faithful . . . he has and is . . .

This song keeps running through my head . . . 

“Moment by moment I’m kept by His love,

Moment my moment, I’ve life from above . . . “

Ever read the Book “Evidence Not Seen”  by Darlene Diebler Rose?  Here’s a quote from it . . . Don’t you love it?

“Underneath us, O how easy!
We have not to mount on high,
But to sink into his fullness,
And in trustful weakness lie;
And we find our humbling failures
save us from the strength that harms;
We may fail, but underneath us
Are the everlasting arms.”

Ah . . . God’s promises are“exceeding great and precious promises” (II Peter 1:4) . . . “His divine power HAS given us everything we need for life and godliness . . .  “I Peter 1:3 . . .and he is boundless

As I’ve struggled today to “strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees” and make “level paths” for my feet . . . I run to Him . . .(Ya know maybe He was talking to us hormonal ladies when he said make level paths . . .)

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?

Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

They are higher than the heavens -

What can you do?

They are deeper than the depths of the grave-

What can you know?

Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea . . .”   – Job 11:7-9

God is boundless . . .