Monday, January 12, 2009 – The Lord began our time with this song:
Fill My Cup, Lord / Richard Blanchard
Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy;
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".
There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
So, my brother, if the things this world gave you
Leave hungers that won't pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you,
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray:
Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more--
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
We are back home from our week long visit in Akron, Ohio. We arrived home Sunday evening, January 11th. We battled headaches and stomach aches on the way home on our 500 mile trip back to S. Carolina, but we made it home safely and sound.
My husband said the CD player was hurting his head, so I turned it off. We talked for a little while, but it got too quiet and I was beginning to fall asleep. Then, Satan began attacking me with fears, doubts and other negative thoughts. So, I got out my hymnal and I looked up hymns on the subject of Christian Conflict and Warfare, such as Jesus Giveth Us the Victory, Who Is on the Lord’s Side?, Yield Not to Temptation, Onward Christian Soldiers, Cross of Christ Lead Onward, Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus, Faith of Our Fathers, and Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
We sang for the next hour, stopped for lunch, and then sang another two and a half hours, expanding this list of hymns to include many, many others in the hymn book. It was very encouraging and uplifting, it helped keep our minds off of our pain and on to the Lord, it helped us with our spiritual battles, it was a good time of praise and worship and thanksgiving to the Lord, and it helped pass the time quickly.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read I Peter 2:4-25:
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submission to Rulers and Masters
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Right after I recorded vv 9-10, the Lord put this hymn in my mind:
Himself / A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, not it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted, now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.
Once ‘twas painful trying, not ‘tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, now the uttermost!
Once was ceaseless holding, now He holds me fast;
Once ‘twas constant drifting, now my anchor’s cast.
Once ‘twas busy planning, now ‘tis trustful prayer;
Once ‘twas anxious caring, now He has the care;
Once ‘twas what I wanted, now what Jesus says;
Once ‘twas constant asking, now ‘tis ceaseless praise.
Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, now He uses me;
Once the power I wanted, now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, now for Him alone.
Once I hoped in Jesus, now I know He’s mine;
Once my lamps were dying, now they brightly shine;
Once for death I waited, now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored safe within the veil.
All in all forever, Jesus will I sing;
Everything in Jesus, and Jesus everything.
In Summary: So many people are seeking satisfaction in things of the world that only offer temporary fulfillment, at best. Jesus is saying to us to draw from his well that never shall run dry. He is calling on each and every one of us to kneel before him and to humbly pray to him for salvation, for forgiveness, for restoration, for revival, for healing, and/or for wholeness of body, mind and soul.
Jesus is our precious cornerstone. He has called his church as a chosen people belonging to God that we may declare his praises because he called us out of darkness and into his wonderful light and he showed us his mercy. This is our testimony; this is our hope and this is the hope of the world and the hope we must share with the world that Jesus can deliver them, too.
Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” We were like sheep going astray and so many are still going astray and God is calling us/them to return to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, Jesus Christ the righteous One.
The Lord wants us to seek him more than the blessing. He wants us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. He wants to be our All in All. He wants to be in first place in our lives. He wants us to know the fullness of Christ in our lives in all his goodness, his mercy, his grace, his compassion, his love, his healing, his tenderness, his guidance, his direction, his covering of protection, etc. Yet, instead of seeking first those things, he wants us to seek him and his righteousness first and all those things will be added unto us.