he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Memory of the Month: Psalm 33:4
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
Today's reading: HAGGAI 1-2 REVELATION 17
Here We Go
"When are they leaving?", I asked my mother a couple of days after Christmas. In those days, when the aggravating cousins came with their parents from west Texas, they would stay for a week and 'get into everything'.
A few years back, I watched my son drive away to go back to the oil field and wished he could stay for a week. It was a good visit but it was so short.
L.M., a friend, texted me one morning and I got his permission to use part of his text:
"...when the crowd thinned yesterday- lots of kids and grandkids, then it slowly got quieter, and quieter.....then it was only the sound of the tv and occasional lite conversations discussing the day and the accomplishments. But it is the way it is supposed to be, I guess. And there's more journey before us....it's just the road is shorter than yesterday.....and the vehicle has less fuel.
Love you brother,
Merry Christmas
All of us have 'blue' times.
Jesus had 'blue' times. He cried at the death of a friend. He would go off by himself to pray-the Bible says He often went to 'lonely'(desolate) places to pray.
I have to remind myself of why Jesus went off by Himself. No matter how many good friends you have-no matter how how good a listener your spouse is- you may have the best counselor on earth(all these are a blessing)-but-nobody knows you like God does and we need to meet Him alone and spill it all on Him and then sit there and listen and let Him minister to us.
The road is shorter than it was yesterday. I don't have the energy I once had. I am the one who is changing-God does not change. And I have to remember that Jesus got blue and how He dealt with it. He faced the loneliness-He faced the loneliness in His Father's presence and was never alone.
1 Peter 5:6-7 New International Version
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Look up-are you under God's hand or have you walked out from under it and gone off on your own?
This is the most lonely existence known to man. I do it all the time-nothing makes this right but we all do it-then, we must run back to Him where we should be.
Here we go-back to it-back under God's hand-let's go-all of us-he restores our souls and gives us times of refreshing...(Psalm 23; Acts 3:19)
Don't let 'it' get you blue or down; let God lift you up so you can bring Him good pleasure.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Forgive me my bad focus and train my eyes for You and staying under your hand.
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