Confession:
I place my trust for my heart, mind and soul in God alone, for humans, myself included, disappoint me. I like to have a plan of action for every situation. Human plans cannot be trusted. Since Randy went into the hospital, I have had to wait andtrust caregivers to give us a plan of action. The “plan” keeps adjusting to his present situation.
I have had to let go, trust and turn Randy over to them to help him get back to where he was before the strokes. This is very hard for me. I spent an enormous amount of time through the night asking God to help me (and Randy) with this “trust issue”. I woke this morning with this passage on my mind. So I cling to Proverbs 3 today as a reminder:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5
Then it goes on to say…
“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.” v.7
More encouragement…
“Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding.”
v. 13
I must trust God to use Randy’s caregivers to bring him back to health and vitality. I know Randy better than his caregivers, but they know what he needs right now better than I do. So I’m letting go, trusting God, to do through them what needs to be done.
However, I will probably tell them how much they are being prayed for as they work with my precious, best friend. (Those who know me are probably giggling or at least smiling.)
“My child, don’t lose sight of good planning and insight. Hang on to them, for they fill you with life and bring you honor and respect. They keep you safe on your way and keep your feet from stumbling. You can lie down without fear and enjoy pleasant dreams.” v.21-24
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that this will encourage someone else as You have encouraged me. We praise You for the wisdom, insight and understanding you give us as a gift in any situation or circumstance. We are grateful for the peace and calm you give as a wonderful present in the eye of the storm. Thank you for allowing us to let go, prying our fingers from our present reality so that you may continue to work your miracles within us and around us. Thank you for your love, understanding and forgiveness.
In Jesus Name, Amen
When you are in a hospital situation, wearing only “the gown” that exposes just about everything so they can “get at you” quickly and easily, you realize you are at the mercy of your caregiver. You can fight it, but that does not help you. Or you can relax and let it happen. You are exposed and there’s not much you can do about it. This exposure is what it takes to be examined, prodded, poked with the effort to make you better and to make you well. There is nothing to hide. Randy has been going through this for quite a few days now.
I am a bit amused by this as I read where God, our Caregiver, seems to be guiding me this morning in His Word for encouragement.
“For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.” Hebrews 4:12-13, NLT
THE HOPE AND HEALING WE CLING TO…
“That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. SO let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we ne
ed it.” Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT
Dear Heavenly Father, In our weakness, we are exposed. We repent and ask, in the Name of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, to forgive us. Thank you for your Word that exposes us then help us to be healed by your mercy and grace. Thank you for salvation, provision and protection as you guide us to better health for the journey. In Jesus, Name, Amen
Be encouraged by the following passage from Psalm 138 today. As I wait for Randy’s recovery in a hospital room again today and then go to work at my job for awhile this morning, I am reminded that our God knows what we are going through. Psalm 139 tells us that about our Creator, but Psalm 138 is a wonderful precursor to that knowledge and I take delight in it for “this day” that the Lord has made. Maybe, it will help you, too. There are many on our prayer list that have struggles today.
“I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.”
“When I pray, you answer me: you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.”
Every king in all the earth will give you thanks, O LORD, for all of them will hear your words. Yes, they will sing about the LORD’s ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great.”
“Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.”
“Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me.”
“The LORD will work out his plans for my life–for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”
Psalm 138, NLT
In Jesus Name, Amen 
And thank you, Lord.
I am interested in sincere prayer, pure and simple. So I went back to Matthew’s account of Jesus, speaking on prayer and fasting:
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?”
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”
“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. LIke this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best–as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.’
“In prayer there is a connection between what god does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.”
–Jesus, simply Jesus.
Matthew 6:5-18 (The Message)
In Jesus Name, and by His Power, may we be transformed by His Word and Holy Spirit living in us.
Years ago, I was moved by the passion of Anne Graham Lotz as she read her description of her Savior, “Just Give Me Jesus”. This poem was written Anne; daughter of Billy Graham,over 13 years ago. We are blessed to read it again…
He is enduringly strong
He is entirely sincere
He is eternally steadfast
He is immortally gracious
He is imperially powerful
He is impartially merciful
He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe
He is Gods son
He is the sinners savior
He is the captives ransom
He is the breadth of life
He is the centerpiece of civilization
He stands in the solitude of Himself
He is august and He is unique
He is unparalleled and unprecedented
He is undisputed and undefined
He is unsurpassed and unshakable
He is the lofty idea in philosophy
He is the highest personality in psychology
He is the supreme subject in literature
He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism
He is the fundamental doctrine of theology
He is the cornerstone, the capstone and the stumbling stone of all religion
He is the miracle of the ages
Just give me Jesus
No means of measure can define His limitless love
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore-less supply
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings
He forgives and He forgets
He creates and He cleanses
He restores and He rebuilds
He heals and He helps
He reconciles and He redeems
He comforts and He carries
He lives and He loves
He is the God of the second chance, the fat chance, the slim chance, the no chance
Just give me Jesus
He discharges debtors
He delivers the captives
He defends the feeble
He blesses the young
He serves the unfortunate
He regards the aged
He rewards the diligent
He beautifies the meek
He is the key to knowledge
He is the fountain of life
He is the wellspring of joy
He is the storehouse of wisdom
He is the foundation of faith
He is the doorway of deliverance
He is the pathway to peace
He is the roadway of righteousness
He is the gateway to glory
He is the highway to happiness
Just give me Jesus
He supplies strength to the weary
He increases power to the faint
He offers escape to the tempted
He sympathizes with the hurting
He saves the hopeless
He shields the helpless
He sustains the homeless
He gives purpose to the aimless
He gives reason to our meaninglessness
He gives fulfillment to our emptiness
He gives light in the darkness, comfort in the loneliness, fruit in the barrenness, future to the hopeless, life to the lifeless
Just give me Jesus
He guards the young
He seeks the stray
He finds the lost
He guides the faithful
He rights the wronged
He ad-verges the abused
He defends the weak
He comforts the oppressed
He welcomes the prodigal
He heals the sick
He cleanses the dirty
He beautifies the meek
He restores the failure
He mends the broken
He blesses the poor
He fills the empty
He clothes the naked
He satisfies the hungry
He elevates the humble
He forgives the sinner and He raises the dead
Just give me Jesus
His office is manifold and His promise is assured
His life is matchless and goodness is limitless
His mercy is enough and grace is sufficient
His reign is righteous
His yoke is easy and His burden is light
He is indestructible
He is indescribable
He is incomprehensible
He is inescapable
He is invisible
He is irresistible
He is irrefutable
I can’t get Him out of my mind and I can’t get Him out of my heart.
I can’t outlive Him and I can’t live without Him.
The pharisees couldn’t stand Him.
The family couldn’t stop Him
Satan tried to tempt Him but found he couldn’t trip Him
Pilate examined Him on trial but found no fault in Him
The Romans crucified Him but couldn’t take His life
Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him
Just give me Jesus
He had no predecessor and would have no successor
He is the lion and the lamb
He is God and He is man
He is the seven way king:
He is the King of the Jews; that is a racial king
He is the King of Israel; that is a national king
He is the King of Righteousness; that is a moral king
He is the King of the Ages; that is an eternal king
He is the King of Heaven; that is a universal king
He is the King of Glory; that is a celestial king
He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Please just give me Jesus
As I read over yesterday’s passage in Genesis 18. where God reminds Abraham and Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” I stop to consider the assignment that God has recently given Anne for this year, right now, from July 1-7, to call His people in our nation to prayer.
I have joined her in prayer for:
–God the Father to restrain, protect, and deliver His people from the evil that has come into our world.
–God the Son to be exalted, magnified, and glorified in His Church, in our nation, and in our lives.
–God the Holy Spirit to fall on us in a fresh way, compelling the Church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, resulting in a great national spiritual awakening.
“Then on the 7th day, July 7, we are to pray and fast for 7 hours.” asks Anne.
Just give me Jesus…I pray.
“This is all about calling God’s people to pray before it’s too late and judgment falls on our nation,” concluded Lotz.
And I say…”Is there anything too hard for the LORD?”
Dear Heavenly Father, We agree with Anne in prayer for our nation, Your church and ourselves. We pray with repentant, sincere hearts. We have felt the adversary rise up the minute we began to pray…so there must be something to this…You. So, we continue to pray with all our heart, focused on You. We declare, like never before…There is NOTHING TOO HARD for YOU! In Jesus Name, Amen
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Who are we while we wait? What we do tells us and others who we are. How are you at standing in line for…anything? How many of us tap our fingers, shift from side to side and heave a big … Continue reading
