His Great Mercy And Love

Ephesians 2:1-10 KJV; He has shown us His great mercy and love in Christ Jesus.

Lift Us Up

 

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." 

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

On some days life can be pretty rough. Troubles and obstacles can bring us down. On those days we pray that the Lord will lift us up and lead us through the tough times.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Help our feet to walk in your high places. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Hinds' Feet; High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights." 

(Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." 

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. It is the story of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd who takes them through many dangers to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet. It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God.

This is a familiar story to many of us as even daily we journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers we encounter as we journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine.

God's Peace - Pr. J NIV)

Jesus Is Among The Living

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away..”  (John 20:15 KJV)

We spend a lot of time looking for something; looking for more; looking for something different to satisfy our desires. 

What or whom are you looking for? The ultimate is already here for you. He is there with you, right now. Can you not see him? If not; then, maybe, it's really not Jesus that you are looking for. Maybe it's someone or something else that you think might satisfy you. Maybe you're looking in all the wrong places. Maybe, you're looking and living among the dead when you ought to looking in places where there is life. Jesus is life. He is "the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)

The women did not find what they were looking for in the tomb. The tomb is empty. Jesus is not among the dead. He is among the living. If you're looking goodness; if you're looking for peace; then look for Jesus and look no further than around you. Jesus is Risen! He lives with you. He lives all around you. He is with you now and will be with you always.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Sees

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Sam 16:7 KJV)

Saul's time as king was coming to an end. It was time to anoint the next king of Israel so the Lord sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons. But, who would it be? The first son to come before Samuel was Eliab. He thought he looked like he'd make a fine king. But, the Lord said that it didn't matter what he looked like. What matters is what is in his heart. Humankind might judge by what we sees; but, the Lord knows who we really are because he knows whats in our hearts.

Seven of Jesse's paraded in front of Samuel. But, the Lord said that it was none of these. How could that be? The Lord had said the next king was to be one of Jesse's sons. So, Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Yes, there was one more. David, the youngest, was out in the fields tending the sheep.

It was the youngest one, taking care of his father's business, his father's sheep who was to be anointed as the next king of Israel.

Too often we judge others by their appearance or their present place in society. Too often we place those who have found high status in the world above those who have not. But, it is not so with God. Over and over again, we see in scripture, that God has chosen the lowly, the youngest, those who have the least standing in the world.

Jesus reminds us: 

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Matt 20:16)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Secret Places

Secret Hiding Place

Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. (Jer 23:24 NIV)

When my granddaughters were very young, the three of us had a secret place near Gay, MI on the shore of Lake Superior. It was inside an abandoned concrete building that had fallen down. We called it our secret place; but, it really wasn't a secret place at all. It was out in the open for anyone who passed by to see. It was secret only in that not a lot of people ever passed by. But, my granddaughters were convinced that no one else knew where our hide-out was and they were happy with that.

We can pretend that where we are and what to do is unknown to others. Usually, there will be at least a few people who will stumble on our secrets. But, always God knows the deepest secrets of our hearts. We cannot hide anything from Him. He knows exactly where we are and what we are doing every second of every day because He is with us. He fills the heaven and the earth. He is everywhere. He fills all in all.

You cannot run from God. You cannot hide. He is with you and He is for you. May this knowledge be a delight and not a burden to you so that you might live a life glorifying Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Hinds' Feet

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." (Hab 3:19 KJV)

I remember a book I read years ago. "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard, gets its' name from Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV). The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

I can't remember too many of the details of the book, as it has been quite a few years since I read it. But, I can look around me daily and watch (and even join) others as they journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; I, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patient as I ought) for the LORD to deliver His people, who I also love, from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

God's Peace - Pr. J

High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights."

(Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

This is a familiar story to many of us as, daily, we journey through many difficult times with anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Troubled Hearts

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3 NRSV

Sometimes not allowing your heart to be troubled is a whole lot easier said than done. I spend a whole lot of time in prayer so that I can be reassured by God's presence that He is actually with me and with those whom I love. I spend a lot of time in the word so that I might be reassured of God's promise of eternal reconciliation with the One who loves me and the whole world enough to die for us.

As I consider what most troubles my heart, I find that it is concern for those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. My heart is most often troubled with concern for those who do not follow in "The Way." My concern is that their hearts will be indefinitely troubled. My concern is that they might never know Jesus and I know that there can be no healing for their broken hearts except in Jesus the Christ.

I can do nothing except to pray and continue to encourage, with the word, those who do not follow Jesus to turn around and follow him.

Our hearts may be troubled for others. It is perfectly right that we should have hope that our loved ones would come to know Jesus. Yet, even while we are concerned for others we can know peace in the promise that Jesus has prepared a place in his Father's house for us; for all who believe. We can be confident that he will take us safely home.

God's Peace - Pr. J

High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." (Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

This is a familiar story to many of us as even daily we journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

 

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine. 

God's Peace - Pr. J