Friday, January 2, 2009, 4:39 p.m. – This song is playing on the CD player:
Were It Not for Grace / Larnelle Harris
Time measured out my days
Life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God
But knew I’d never be so strong
I looked hard at this world
To learn how heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began
Where human effort is all in vain
Were it not for grace
I can tell you where I’d be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go
The battles I would face
Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace
So here is all my praise
Expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place
And ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full
Just how much His would cost
He still went the final mile between me and heaven
So I would not be lost
I’ve been worshipping the Lord most of the day in listening to and singing songs of praise and worship to God, in prayer, in listening to that still small voice, and in taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. I know I woke from a couple of dreams this morning and one of them has reentered my mind. Lord, if you would be pleased to have me remember it, I pray you will do so. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. This song is now playing:
Cast Your Every Care / Roger Cabe / Arr. Don Marsh
We grow up in such a world of confusion
Trying hard to find those things we know will last.
Then we discover in this life there’s such delusion,
For the love of gold and power can’t bring us happiness;
And the search for earthly treasures will lead to emptiness.
All the things we need in this life
Can be discovered at the feet of Christ;
For we are but a breath that fades away.
The Lord will give you strength to carry through
If prayer becomes the first thing that you do.
So cast your ev’ry care on Him today.
Cast your ev’ry care on Him today.
Consider birds and flow’rs in the meadow;
They don’t worry ‘bout the future or the past.
Yet the Father clothes all nature with such splendor;
And He says we’re more important than the tings that will not last.
And He longs to meet our yearnings if we take the time to ask.
Fear not! The Lord is with you.
Fear not! He’s always near.
Fear not! The Lord will guide you.
Do not fear for God is here. God is here.
I had several cares going through my head today and I did give them back to the Lord in prayer. This is the passage of scripture I read today:
Hebrews 13:1-21: Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"
7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In Summary: The Lord spoke to my heart about ministering his love to people:
Update: I shared this with my husband and we began praying concerning to whom the Lord would have us to minister his love first, i.e. where to begin. I prayed:
“Lord, lead Rick and I to where you want us to minister, whether it be to the homeless, the prisoners, those with financial needs, etc. Show us where we can show the love of Jesus Christ in person with people. Show us the needs, Lord, that are out there that you would have us meet. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!”
The very next day, I received an e-mail from one of my cousins in Ohio. (We live in S. Carolina.) She said that her mom (my aunt) had died. So, Rick and I prayed concerning whether or not we should go to Ohio for the funeral. As we were praying, the Lord spoke to both of us simultaneously through the words of this song:
My Trust / A. B. Simpson
Let me be faithful to my trust,
Telling the world the story;
Press on my heart the woe;
Put in my feet the go;
Let me be faithful to my trust
And use me for Thy glory.
So, we immediately obeyed. We packed up our suitcases and the following day we headed for Ohio, yet the Lord had much more in mind for us other than just the funeral of my aunt (more to come on that subject later).
We are back home now after a week in Ohio, and again I am praying for the Lord to show me what is next – where he would have my feet to go next; what woe he would press on my heart; and how he would choose to use me for His glory.
Were It Not for Grace / Larnelle Harris
Time measured out my days
Life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God
But knew I’d never be so strong
I looked hard at this world
To learn how heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began
Where human effort is all in vain
Were it not for grace
I can tell you where I’d be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go
The battles I would face
Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace
So here is all my praise
Expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place
And ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full
Just how much His would cost
He still went the final mile between me and heaven
So I would not be lost
I’ve been worshipping the Lord most of the day in listening to and singing songs of praise and worship to God, in prayer, in listening to that still small voice, and in taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. I know I woke from a couple of dreams this morning and one of them has reentered my mind. Lord, if you would be pleased to have me remember it, I pray you will do so. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. This song is now playing:
Cast Your Every Care / Roger Cabe / Arr. Don Marsh
We grow up in such a world of confusion
Trying hard to find those things we know will last.
Then we discover in this life there’s such delusion,
For the love of gold and power can’t bring us happiness;
And the search for earthly treasures will lead to emptiness.
All the things we need in this life
Can be discovered at the feet of Christ;
For we are but a breath that fades away.
The Lord will give you strength to carry through
If prayer becomes the first thing that you do.
So cast your ev’ry care on Him today.
Cast your ev’ry care on Him today.
Consider birds and flow’rs in the meadow;
They don’t worry ‘bout the future or the past.
Yet the Father clothes all nature with such splendor;
And He says we’re more important than the tings that will not last.
And He longs to meet our yearnings if we take the time to ask.
Fear not! The Lord is with you.
Fear not! He’s always near.
Fear not! The Lord will guide you.
Do not fear for God is here. God is here.
I had several cares going through my head today and I did give them back to the Lord in prayer. This is the passage of scripture I read today:
Hebrews 13:1-21: Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"
7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In Summary: The Lord spoke to my heart about ministering his love to people:
- Do not forget to entertain strangers
- Remember those in prison, with empathy
- Remember those who are being mistreated, with empathy
- Do not fear man or what he can do to you
- Trust in the Lord to be your helper
- Continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise
- Do not forget to do good and to share with others
- God will equip you with everything good for doing his will
- He will work in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ
Update: I shared this with my husband and we began praying concerning to whom the Lord would have us to minister his love first, i.e. where to begin. I prayed:
“Lord, lead Rick and I to where you want us to minister, whether it be to the homeless, the prisoners, those with financial needs, etc. Show us where we can show the love of Jesus Christ in person with people. Show us the needs, Lord, that are out there that you would have us meet. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!”
The very next day, I received an e-mail from one of my cousins in Ohio. (We live in S. Carolina.) She said that her mom (my aunt) had died. So, Rick and I prayed concerning whether or not we should go to Ohio for the funeral. As we were praying, the Lord spoke to both of us simultaneously through the words of this song:
My Trust / A. B. Simpson
Let me be faithful to my trust,
Telling the world the story;
Press on my heart the woe;
Put in my feet the go;
Let me be faithful to my trust
And use me for Thy glory.
So, we immediately obeyed. We packed up our suitcases and the following day we headed for Ohio, yet the Lord had much more in mind for us other than just the funeral of my aunt (more to come on that subject later).
We are back home now after a week in Ohio, and again I am praying for the Lord to show me what is next – where he would have my feet to go next; what woe he would press on my heart; and how he would choose to use me for His glory.
