Under Her Wings

In a Snowstorm Without a Jacket?

2012-02-08T04:02:00.000-08:00

But you, you are to be feared!

Who can stand before you

when once your anger is roused?

From the heavens you uttered judgment;

the earth feared and was still,

when God arose to establish judgment,

to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

Psalm 76:7-9

What a blessing it is to be able to memorize and meditate on comforting verses like Lamentations 3:22-23: "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Doesn't that make you feel good? Kind of like warm fuzzy slippers on a cold day, or your favorite pooch cuddled up beside you, with a roaring fire in the fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa in your hands.

But to think of God's wrath is like being out in a snowstorm without a down jacket and hat and gloves, or a little more like being in the Sahara without food, water, or shelter. Not so comfortable. Why would anyone want to meditate on that?

For a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can know without compunction that God's wrath has passed over us and that we may claim His great mercy in our lives to the point of knowing that we have eternal life. We have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), at the cost of the Son of God Himself, who gave His life for ours.

On the other hand, Romans 1:18 tells us that, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." The truth is available through the Bible, God's Word. There are many passages of Scripture that speak of the wrath of God against those who refuse to believe Him. And with that wrath comes eternal suffering, a stark contrast to the last part of our passage for the day, when He arises to establish judgment and to save all the humble of the earth.

There is hope for all who are presently under His wrath! "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name," John 1:12

Great is His faithfulness!

Gloria

A Horn of Plenty

2012-02-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

The cornucopia, also known as the Horn of Plenty, is a symbol
of prosperity and affluence and dates back to the 5th century BC.

   We give thanks to you, O God;
        we give thanks, for your name is near.
    We recount your wondrous deeds.
    Psalm 75:1

One of the elders at our church always begins his prayer by saying, "Thank you, Lord, for another day of life." What a wonderful way to begin a time of communion with the Lord! A time of thanksgiving. And why are we able to thank Him? Because His name, His power and glory, is near. The only reason we have anything at all is because of Him and His mercy, which is rained on both the just and the unjust. "For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45b

Today I want to recount to you only a few of the wondrous deeds He has done for me. Time and space would not allow me to name them all. I thank Him:

For giving me life
For allowing me to born in a nation that allows me to worship freely
For giving me the family whom He allowed me to be born into
For teaching me about Himself through family and teachers who were committed to rightly dividing His word of truth
For allowing me to grow up in a poor family so that I didn't see the need for excess luxury
For giving me a godly mate
For loaning me 3 wonderful children
For using those children to humble me!
For 13 grandchildren, the joy of old age
For the privilege of knowing Him for most of my lifetime
For the blessings of friends who sharpen me as iron sharpens iron

Oh, I could go on all day! But I don't want to bore anyone with all that God has done for me; I want you to sit down and consider what wondrous deeds He has done for you. Let's make this a day of thanksgiving. Our cornucopia is filled to overflowing!

Recounting His wondrous deeds,

Gloria

How Long?

2012-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

The temperature at my niece's house in Siberia. No heat wave there!

How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?

Is the enemy to revile your name forever?

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?

Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!

Yet God my King is from of old,

working salvation in the midst of the earth....

Yours is the day, yours also the night;

you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.

You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;

you have made summer and winter.

Psalm 74:10-12,16-17

Sometimes I tend to get discouraged when I see the state of our world. Even Christendom, which is essentially the standard for righteousness (or at least, was) would rather stay at home and watch a football game and gorge itself with unhealthy snacks than to go to church and hear the Word of God taught and to fellowship with the saints (No, not the New Orleans Saints--they weren't even in the Superbowl!)

I pretty much understand where the psalmist was coming from. Let's see if we can answer his question, "Why do you hold back your hand?" The apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 3:15: "Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him." Until the last of those who have been chosen for salvation comes to Christ, He will hold back His hand. He is "working salvation in the midst of the earth." What a gracious and merciful God!

And we can be assured that He has everything under control. "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17) God's Word remains constant throughout, not wavering in Truth. The psalmist understood this, even in his questioning.

We can be assured through God's Word that He has everything under control. We may not like what is happening, but we can know that He has not forgotten us.

I anyone happens to read this who does not know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, I encourage you to consider His call to you. Read the book of John and the book of Romans. I am praying for you today that God will speak to your heart and that you will receive His great salvation.

Hanging on to the One who holds it all together,

Gloria

Envious?

2012-02-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end...
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:2-3,25-26

I am ashamed to say that I have had these same thoughts. Why in the world do God's people suffer so, worldwide, and the wicked either proper or many times carry out the persecution of those who believe? Why do they have the privilege of conning others and living on their greed? Why can they take advantage of others and prosper from it? It's difficult sometimes to remember that their high living is only temporary.

Where can we go when we begin to have these thoughts, that the wicked are better off than we? To God's Word, of course! It behooves us to consider:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.1 Peter 4:1-9

We have HIM! What more can we need?

Praying for grace to understand this without complaint,

Gloria

For All Those in Authority

2012-02-02T04:44:00.000-08:00

Give the king your justice, O God,
        and your righteousness to the royal son!
    May he judge your people with righteousness,
        and your poor with justice!
    Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
        and the hills, in righteousness!
    May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
        give deliverance to the children of the needy,
        and crush the oppressor!
    May they fear you while the sun endures,
        and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
    May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
        like showers that water the earth!
    In his days may the righteous flourish,
        and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
        May prayer be made for him continually,
        and blessings invoked for him all the day!
Psalm 72:1-7,15b

Oh, that we would pray this prayer for those who reside over our nation's people! Can you only imagine what God might have done over the past years if all of Christendom had banded together and prayed instead of criticized or been lethargic? What might have been gained?

Each Sunday I am reminded during our prayer time before Sunday School to pray for the salvation of our President and those in authority. I am so thankful for this reminder. Whether or not I agree with the stand our governing body takes is not the issue; I still have the privilege and responsibility to pray for them.

We have an election coming up. Whether we feel that the options are slim pickins' or the bet ever, we are yet responsible: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Praying for our leaders and future leaders,

Gloria

A Good Reminder of Who Is in Control

2012-02-01T03:35:00.000-08:00

    O God, be not far from me;
        O my God, make haste to help me!...
       But I will hope continually
        and will praise you yet more and more.
    My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
        of your deeds of salvation all the day,
        for their number is past my knowledge.
    With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;
        I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

Psalm 71:12,14-16

A sweet friend sent me this, and it was such a good picture of the "righteous acts" that our Father does for us every day, that I thought that perhaps you would enjoy reading it, as well.

Me: God, can I ask you something?

GOD: Sure.
Me: Promise you won't get mad?
GOD: I promise.
Me: Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
GOD: What do you mean?
Me: Well I woke up late,
GOD: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
GOD: Okay....
Me: At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
GOD: Hmmmm..
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
GOD: All right
Me: And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?GOD: Well let me see..... the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): Oh...
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road
Me (ashamed): ............
GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work
Me (embarrassed): Oh.....
GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry God.
GOD: Just learn to trust me, child.........in all things, the good and the bad
Me: I WILL trust you God
GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children.

As we "hope continually and praise Him more and more!"

Gloria

Wealthy, or Poor and Needy?

2012-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

    May all who seek you
        rejoice and be glad in you!
    May those who love your salvation
        say evermore, “God is great!”
    But I am poor and needy;
        hasten to me, O God!
    You are my help and my deliverer;
        O LORD, do not delay!
Psalm 70:4-5

In the comic above, Scrooge McDuck has realized that he is only the 2nd richest duck in the world. Look at that face! What benefit is it to be the 2nd richest duck?!?

David would become a very wealthy man; in fact, he may have already been. But at this point in his life, his wealth was of little value since he was running from his enemies and hiding out in caves. He recognized that he was poor and helpless without his Help and Defender to come quickly to his aid. His response was in stark contrast to the man in Luke 12 whom Jesus describes to the listeners:

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:17-20)

Our challenge today, in whatever we have, is to recognize our helplessness without our Help and Defender, and to be rich instead toward God.

Poor and needy without Him,

Gloria

Help! I'm Drowning!

2012-01-30T05:07:00.000-08:00

Save me, O God!
        For the waters have come up to my neck.
    I sink in deep mire,
        where there is no foothold;
    I have come into deep waters,
        and the flood sweeps over me.
(Psalm 69:1-2 ESV)

I'm stretching this a bit; David was once again drowning in the throes of the enemy and feeling very vulnerable. Last night was a night when I felt like the waters of sleeplessness were about to drown me. When that happens it is usually because something is hard on my mind, something that I am deeply concerned about. And usually my children or grandchildren are the subject of my concern. Last night was no different. I left church with a heavy heart for some loved ones. When that happens I don't sleep. I lie in bed and pray, toss and turn for awhile, and then get up and lie on the sofa, where I toss and turn and pray some more.

Fist of all, I am thankful for those times. I believe that God graciously makes me sleepless so that I have nothing better to do than pray. Secondly, I believe that the person or persons for whom I am praying may be in a situation at the time in which they are in dire need of prayer. It is not necessary for me to know what is going on or why the prayer is needed, but if God keeps me awake with a heavy heart, then I am remiss not to pray.

"But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

At an acceptable time, O God,

in the abundance of your steadfast love

answer me in your saving faithfulness."

Psalm 69:13

Oh, thank you, Father for those wonderful words of comfort! I will not drown in my concerns. In His time He will answer!

I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30

Though I didn't think to do so last night, this morning I thank God for His answers, and I praise Him for His unsurpassing ability to answer. Praise God!

Ever have a sleepless night? Use it well; pray!

Yawning,

Gloria

I Don't See Clearly Now, But I Will!

2012-01-27T04:19:00.000-08:00

O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;

sing praises to the Lord,

    to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
        behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
    Ascribe power to God,
        whose majesty is over Israel,
        and whose power is in the skies.
    Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
        the God of Israel—he is the one
who gives power and strength to his people.
    Blessed be God!
Psalm 68:32-35

What magnificent power and might this psalm exemplifies concerning our Lord! I dare say that when we who know and love Him enter our eternal home, we will be most ashamed of our very limited understanding of our glorious God and Savior, of our shortsightedness while we have lived on this earth, even though we have had His own Word in our hands. Though we are told, in our finiteness we do not perceive with clear vision. Surely, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror...(1 Corinthians 13:12aNLT). Our praise is so limited, so shallow, so seldom lifted up. Yet there will come a time when "we will see everything with perfect clarity." (1 Corinthians 13:12b) And when we do, His praise will continually be on our mouths, our knowledge of Him will be complete, and we will UNDERSTAND.

In the meantime, I want my life and my heart to praise Him in its limited ability and restricted cognizance of Who He is. I fail miserably, not only in my understanding, but in my carry-through of what I do understand. Nonetheless, I say PRAISE THE LORD and HALLELUJAH!!! The One who rides the heavens, who sits enthroned, whose power is in the skies, is deserving of my feeble efforts to acknowledge Him.

Straining to see clearly,

Gloria

Let All the People Praise Him

2012-01-26T04:28:00.000-08:00

    May God be gracious to us and bless us
        and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
    that your way may be known on earth,
        your saving power among all nations.
    Let the peoples praise you, O God;
        let all the peoples praise you!
Psalm 67:1-3 ESV

Interesting concept here, isn't it? The psalmist is asking God to shine on His people. For what reason? "That your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all the nations." God's grace and blessing has an ultimate motive--that He will be known and recognized in the earth. How does that come about? The next verse says, "Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!"

I can only believe that God's glory is revealed to the nations, to the unbelieving people, as we praise Him for who He is and what He has done through the Lord Jesus Christ--out loud, where we are heard and seen. Our praises personally to God are vastly important. And yet so are our praises about Him.

Let's all find at least one person today to whom we may sing (or speak!) the praises of our glorious God.

Praising Him,

Gloria

Listening and Steadfast

2012-01-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!

God had taken the people through great trial, according to Psalm 66. But the majority of the Psalm is beautiful words of praise to God their Deliverer. The psalmist was quick to tell what God had done for them. He knew that God had listened.

How can we know that God listens to us? We do not cherish iniquity in our hearts. Noah Webster defines cherish as: "To treat with tenderness and affection; to give warmth, ease or comfort to." Are there certain sins in our lives which we treat with such tenderness and affection, that are so comfortable to us, that we refuse to let go of them?

What a comforting thought to recognize that our God has not removed His steadfast love from us! When Jesus cried, "It is finished!" on the cross of Calvary (John 19:30) , what was necessary for the salvation of mankind was complete. His death, the blood that He shed for us, was the final sacrifice for sin. And since we are all sinners--all of us--we need the atoning sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ made through His death, burial and resurrection. Through Him we may have life and be assured that God's love is steadfast and everlasting.

What an exciting and encouraging Psalm! He listens to the prayers of His saints, and His love is sure. I need that!

Rejoicing in His love for me,

Gloria

Morning and Evening Shout for Joy--So Should We!

2012-01-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed...

    By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
        O God of our salvation,
    the hope of all the ends of the earth
        and of the farthest seas;...

so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth

are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning

and the evening to shout for joy.
Psalm 65:1,5,8

Finally! David is rejoicing in God's blessings and in His provisions. I can all too quickly feel David's distress over the trials that life has to offer. I don't have any trouble crying out to God in times of despair. Being at the bottom has a way of drawing us close to God, doesn't it? Somehow our prayers come to life when things are tough; our hearts begin to cry out in earnestness to the Father of Helps. We are not reticent during those times to go to Him quickly and fervently. Beggars know how to beg!

But what about when the righteous God of our salvation, the Hope of all the ends of the earth, answers us with awesome deeds? What do we do then? Is it as easy for you to go along your merry way as it is for me? Is there a tendency to wait until the next major hurdle in life before we diligently seek Him? Is our praise less often uttered than our plea?

The morning shouts for joy. And what does the evening do? It shouts for joy! Let us give Jehovah Jireh, our provider, the same time and place in our lives both in times of need and times of abundance. Let's shout for joy!

Shouting (silently. Everyone else is asleep!)

Gloria

I Never Thought I'd See the Day!

2012-01-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

    They hold fast to their evil purpose;
        they talk of laying snares secretly,
    thinking, “Who can see them?”
        They search out injustice,
    saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
        For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
Psalm 64:5-6

First of all, DO NOT "donate now" to my blog. You won't receive a free copy! That just came with the picture of the book. And I am not endorsing the book since I have not yet read it, so don't buy it on my recommendation.

After the South Carolina primaries, I was cognizant once again of one very important fact: no man is able to change the state of this nation on his own. And what's more, the moral compass of our once great and God-fearing nation has moved to such a degree that immorality has become the new morality. Dr. Jeremiah says that we are experiencing the signs of a culture at the crossroads. Here is what he says:

The moral foundations of our world have shifted. We see the signs:

Marriage becoming obsolete
The Bible being marginalized
Spiritual warfare intensifying
An ancient nation intimidating the modern world
America turning its back on Israel
Atheists virulently attacking religion

The enemies of the cross are "accomplishing a diligent search," for "the inward heart and mind of a man are deep." (verse 6)

Who is going to use his heart and mind with more diligence--the enemies of the cross or we who claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ? If we look at our nation today and the battle that is raging, it would appear that we are losing the battle. Perhaps, in order to shock us into the real world, Dr. Jeremiah's book would be worth reading. He goes on to say:

"Can this downward spiral be reversed? Yes, but only if we all, one person at a time, return to God with our heart, our manner of life, our dedication to genuine worship, in serving others, in our giving, and in prayer."

Are we "one person at a time?"

I pray so,

Gloria

Are You Feeling Parched?

2012-01-20T04:57:00.000-08:00

Lesley Wolfe


Lesley with Glaro children in Ivory Coast

     O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you;
   my flesh faints for you,
       as in a dry and weary land where there is no water...
       My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
       and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
   when I remember you upon my bed,
       and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
   for you have been my help,
       and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
   My soul clings to you;
       your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:1,5-8

As I read these verses this morning I was immediately reminded of my dear friend Lesley Wolfe. Lesley is a missionary with New Tribes Mission. She is in the jungles of Ivory Coast, translating the Bible into the Glaro language. If ever anyone was in a dry and thirsty land where no water is (spiritually speaking), Lesley is there--alone in this village as likely the only Christian at this time. And yet this wonderful woman of faith takes the time to pray for me and mine! As she remembers the Lord on her bed in the watches of the night, she remembers me to Him. When she was unable to stay in Boeue a couple of years ago because of the violence in Liberia, she had one thought in mind--to go back and finish translating God's Word to the people. Her mind is set on the things of God.

In the shadow of His wings she sings for joy, because she is hiding there, and there she is singing. I know that Lesley has been bathing in the Psalms for some time now, and I feel assured that God is upholding her with His righteous right hand as her soul clings to Him.

As you read this post today, please pray for Lesley. Pray for her protection from the elements, from the enemy of the faith, from the wars and rumors of wars surrounding her. Pray for her helper as he aids her in translation, that the truth of the gospel will enlighten his heart. Pray for her health and her spiritual welfare. Pray that she will not be lonely as she does the work she has been called to. Pray that God will give her great joy in all things.

I could go on, but I want you to read this, so I will stop for now!

Praying for you, Lesley,

With love,

Gloria

This Is the Day

2012-01-19T04:26:00.000-08:00

Last night's sunset from our window

Trust in him at all times, O people;
        pour out your heart before him;
        God is a refuge for us. Selah
    Those of low estate are but a breath;
        those of high estate are a delusion;
    in the balances they go up;
        they are together lighter than a breath.
    Put no trust in extortion;
        set no vain hopes on robbery;
        if riches increase, set not your heart on them...

power belongs to the Lord.
Psalm 62:8-10,11b

As I looked at the beautiful sunset last evening I thought of Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." The beauty of the Lord in nature is always a reminder of the significance and the power of an Almighty God. It is impossible to think ourselves more than mortal man when we see the God of all power glorified in what He has created. We are but a breath, and if we think we are something grand, the truth is, it is all a delusion. It is senseless to kill ourselves trying to extort what we do not have or to be something that we are not. More stuff, more money, more position does not bring contentment or power.

Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in this day, wherever we are in life. We are empowered by His power to live life to the fullest in whatever state He allows us to be. Rejoice! Be glad!

Rejoicing,

Gloria

My Daddy Hears My Cry

2012-01-18T04:36:00.000-08:00

    Hear my cry, O God,
        listen to my prayer;
    from the end of the earth I call to you
        when my heart is faint.
    Lead me to the rock
        that is higher than I,
    for you have been my refuge,
        a strong tower against the enemy.
    Let me dwell in your tent forever!
        Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
Psalm 61:1-4

The grandchildren at our house were given a trampoline for Christmas (a smaller version), and last night the younger ones were out in the garage playing on it. Suddenly the 2 year old started crying loudly--is there any other way to cry?--and her dad went running. He picked her up in his very strong arms and brought her inside, and that little girl felt secure almost immediately.

Oh, what a blessing to know that I have a "Daddy" who hears my cry when I am hurt, when my heart is faint. Don't you love the beautiful picture that is presented in this psalm? Our Heavenly Father is the Rock that is so much higher than we or anyone or anything. In His strong grasp we are unreachable. He is our Refuge, our Strong Tower from the enemies of life. He is our Tent, our protection from the winds and storms that assail us. And what better place to take refuge than under the shelter of His wings? Just as little Maggie felt secure and protected in the arms of her Father, our Heavenly Father gives us the privilege of coming to Him in the hour of need, whatever that need may be.

Resting gratefully in the shelter of His wings,

Gloria

Old Shoes

2012-01-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

May we never become just a cast-off shoe!

Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
        Ephraim is my helmet;
        Judah is my scepter.
    Moab is my washbasin;
        upon Edom I cast my shoe;
        over Philistia I shout in triumph...”
    Oh, grant us help against the foe,
        for vain is the salvation of man!
    With God we shall do valiantly;
        it is he who will tread down our foes.
Psalm 60:7-8,11-12

I really wish David was in the praise psalms already! I am tired of his lamenting, and yet I am compelled to write about it in a personal way. I keep thinking about our American motto, "One Nation Under God." Are we? I think that we can all agree that we are so far from being the nation that our founding fathers designed and desired that we fail to live up to that motto in a miserable way. We are under God, alright! Perhaps under God's wrath. Can we truly say, as He did about Gilead and Manasseh, that we are His as a nation? Are we His helmet, like Ephraim, or His scepter, like Judah? Or does He cast His old worn out shoes over us?

We are so determined that the right President, the right Congress, the right Justices, will make the difference for our nation. Not so. The psalmist said that vain is the salvation of man. One man cannot do it. Our armies and all of our defenses cannot save us. In Psalm 33:17 we read: "The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue." Our only hope is in the great mercy of God.

Enough said. "With God we shall do valiantly." One by one, let us hold the banner high. Let us be the ones who put our trust in the God of all grace. Let us be the light that shines on a hill, illuminating for a dark world the glory of the Lord.

His,

Gloria

Sing Aloud--Most of the Time!

2012-01-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

shhh...baby's sleeping!

   But I will sing of your strength;
        I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
    For you have been to me a fortress
        and a refuge in the day of my distress.
    O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
        for you, O God, are my fortress,
        the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 59:16-17

Even as he was asking God for vengeance on his enemies, David was not failing to give praise and glory to the Lord. He recognized well that the only secure hiding place that he had was in the arms of God his fortress.

My favorite part of the psalm is, "I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning." Three things hit me about those words.

1. David was singing in the midst of great trial. It reminds me of Paul and Silas in the prison, singing at the top of their lungs while they were in chains. In chains! "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them," (Acts 16:25). What am I to learn from this? There is never a time when singing praise to God is not in order. Sing!

2. He was singing of God's steadfast love. Steadfast love? Where? David was hiding out from his enemies in caves, fearing at all times for his life. Lesson? God is always actively here, whether we realize it or not. How often do we forget His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us? (Matthew 28:20)

3. He was singing in the morning. Oh, how I love the mornings. I try to be pretty quiet around here, because there are 8 other people sleeping in the house, but what a glorious time the mornings are! I know, you think I've lost my mind. I can say that the mornings are my most precious times with the Lord for the very reason that everyone else is asleep, snug in their beds. The Lord and I have the house all to ourselves. I encourage you to find a time each day when you may have solitary time with the Lord. There is nothing sweeter.

Enjoy your weekend. Go to church and fellowship with the saints. Sing aloud to the Lord about His steadfast love. Sing!

Trying to be a little quiet,

Gloria

Don't Mess with God!

2012-01-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
        like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
    so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
        or of the cunning enchanter.

Psalm 58:4-5

I must say that I have a difficult time relating sometimes to David's railings against his enemies and his pleas to God to destroy them. Of course, I'm not in David's situation, either, hiding in caves and constantly fleeing for my own life.

I did become interested in the deaf adder, though, and began to look up some information on it. First of all, aren't all snakes deaf? This passage implies that some snakes can hear. And as is always true in the Bible, sooner or later God, who made the creatures to begin with, is found to be right. Does that come as a surprise? It is often argued that snakes do not eat dust, or dirt, but there is evidence that in actuality, dirt does play an important role:

Genesis 3:14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

"While it's true that they don't eat dirt in order to gain nourishment, they do take dirt into their mouths as a necessary part of survival. Inside the roof of their mouths are two cavities known as Jacobson's organ. As they crawl, they take in dirt with their tongue and put it in this cavity in order to smell their surroundings.

It also should be noted that 'eating dirt' is used elsewhere in the Bible to represent humiliation such as in Psalms 72:9." (http://www.kingdavid8.com/FAQs/SnakesEatDirt.html)

Now, back to the deaf adder. It appears that although they do not have an external ear, they can hear certain sounds.

"Cartoonists often show a monstrous reptile weaving to and fro in front of a snake charmer who is fingering a musical instrument. Zoologists have scoffed. Snakes do not have a highly developed sense of hearing, some said. Others have maintained that snakes are stone deaf. How could serpents be "charmed" by music, they ask. Support for the effectiveness of snake charming, and the auditory acuteness of serpents in general, appeared last week, in, of all places, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. David I. Macht, research pharmacologist of the Mount Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, is one of the world's leading authorities on cobra snake venom. (Cobra venom is an accepted medication, in blood disorders for instance.)

Dr. Macht reported that in working with cobras and cobra venom he became acquainted with a number of Hindu physicians, well educated, and from different parts of India. All agreed that cobras respond to some musical tones,from musical pipes or fifes. Some forms of music excite the animals more than other forms, the physicians reported. Indian children, playing in the dark in the countryside, are even warned not to sing lest their sounds attract cobras, he said.

Contrary to the claims of some naturalists, Dr. Macht said, snakes are "Charmed" by sounds, not by movements of the charmer. http://ed5015.tripod.com/BCobra94.htm

All that to say, don't mess with God!

In awe of Him,

Gloria

In the Midst of Lions

2012-01-11T04:05:00.000-08:00

    My soul is in the midst of lions;
        I lie down amid fiery beasts—
    the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
        whose tongues are sharp swords.
    Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
        Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 57:4-5

David has fled from Saul and is hiding in a cave when he writes this "miktam" (whatever that is!) Can you imagine the fear and trepidation that assails him as he hides and waits for the next catastrophic event? I'm sure that the possibility of meeting a ferocious beast face to face exists, but he merely uses it as an illustrative description of what he is experiencing with humanity. The king of Israel, whose reign is in jeopardy, is after him with his army of men commanded to destroy him. Forget the lions--the spears and arrows are flying!

I think that for the most part, unless we have been in the military or police force, we don't see bullets flying around our heads. Oh, but the sharp arrows of the tongue! How they can fly around us! I'm sure that most of us have been in at least one situation where our reputations were at stake as someone (or someones) used that vicious weapon of the tongue to try to destroy us.

David gives us a perfect example in these verses of the proper reaction to the abuse of others. His was not an, "I'm gonna get you back!" attitude, but one of recognition of the One who is able to retaliate sin-free. "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth!"

As we experience the lions of life, those who want to belittle or discredit us in one fashion or another, let's take care to give it to the Lord, to exalt Him and to recognize that the God of glory is the One who protects and defends His own. Of course David didn't lie down and allow Saul's army to rush into the cave and annihilate him; he used the resources that he had to defend himself, but ultimately he gave God the glory and the credit for everything.

Still learning,

Gloria

Tears in a Bottle

2012-01-10T03:48:00.000-08:00

You have kept count of my tossings;
        put my tears in your bottle.
        Are they not in your book?...
            This I know, that God is for me.
    In God, whose word I praise,
        in the LORD, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
        What can man do to me?

Psalm 56:8,10-11

What a divine blessing! God knows every tear we shed. He knows every time we toss and turn on our beds, and believe me, He has a job just counting the times I do that. (I wonder if He has angels recording them?) He has a book with my name written in it, and my life is recorded there. Wow, how humbling to think that our Omniscient God is watching and weighing all of my words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes. That, by the way, is a great definition of the fear of the Lord. While we are to have a great fear of the Lord, at the same time, because we know that God is carefully and intimately watching over us, we need have no fear of man.

God is for me. Now if that doesn't give a jump-start of joy to your day, I don't know what will. I encourage you, if you read this blog and can't shout "hallelujah" with me, by all means, please go to my home page and watch the video embedded so poorly there. Life is too short and eternity too long not to know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is for you.

Overwhelmed with thankfulness,

Gloria

Choose How to Fight Your Battles

2012-01-09T03:54:00.000-08:00

   For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
        then I could bear it;
    it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
        then I could hide from him.
    But it is you, a man, my equal,
        my companion, my familiar friend.

Psalm 55:12-13

It seems that all too often our greatest battles come from interaction with those closest to us--mates, or sons or daughters, parents, bosses, co-workers, long-time friends, or someone we have helped. (Did I leave out the one that you have battled with? Go ahead; insert it here .............!)

David had the advantage of asking God to eliminate those who turned on him, in very descriptive terms, I might add. I don't see New Covenant Christians as having that privilege. Matthew 5:44 tells us. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ..."

If you ever feel rejected, like Snoopy in the cartoon, or used, or cursed, or persecuted by others, especially those with whom you are in close relationship--just remember that our Lord Jesus willingly gave up His life for those wretched people--and you, too, for that matter. In fact, His response to His enemies even on the cross was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."(Luke 23:34)

If His Holy Spirit dwells in you, then you can forgive. You can go the extra mile and try to work things through. You can pursue the loved one, the cheating boss, the unfaithful friend. Or you can just love from a distance if he or she does not respond to you, and you can pray. Thank God for prayer!

Have a joy-filled week,

Gloria

Freewill

2012-01-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;

I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.

For He has delivered me from every trouble,

and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

Psalm 54:6-7

Although the words "free will" are only used in Scripture to denote a type of offering, or sacrifice to God, it is still very significant. The psalmist recognized WHO delivered him from the enemies who desired to destroy his life and the trouble that assailed him on seemingly every side. He knew that it was God and God alone who is capable of saving him.

How often we try to solve our own problems! How many times we use God as our last resort! Even in the lesser things of life, it is good to include the Divine Help. The other day I lost my car keys--my only remote entry and the only key that didn't have a broken top. I looked every logical and many illogical places, everywhere that I thought they might possibly be. Finally I resorted to ordering a key and remote online (too cheap to buy from dealer, although it would have cost about the same in the long run.) When I received them in the mail and realized how much it would end up costing me, I did what every weak, incapable person would do. I sat down and prayed about those keys, asked my granddaughters who were present to pray with me, and began another search. Guess what! Within 10 minutes my granddaughter yelled out, "I found them!"

That is such a small and insignificant thing, and yet my God loves for me to come to Him. For this I give thanks, and as I give my offering at church this morning, it will be a freewill offering, giving to Him with a heart of thanksgiving. thankful that He delivers me from trouble--big troubles and small troubles. What a mighty God we serve!

Don't try to do it on your own. Let Him help.

Offering a freewill offering of thanksgiving to my God,

Gloria

The fool

2012-01-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

    The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
        They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
        there is none who does good.
Psalm 53:1

This is a rather long post for a Saturday, but if anyone wants to review what God says about the fool, it's a good study, although the verses are in the King James Version. This was taken from http://www.bible-topics.com.

All men are, without the knowledge of God.
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Deny God.
Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
Blaspheme God.
Psalms 74:18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
Reproach God.
Psalms 74:22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Make a mock at sin.
Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
Despise instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Hate knowledge.
Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Delight not in understanding.
Proverbs 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
Sport themselves in mischief.
Proverbs 10:23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
Walk in darkness.
Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
Hate to depart from evil.
Proverbs 13:19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.
Worship of, hateful to God.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
ARE

Corrupt and abominable.
Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Self-sufficient.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Self-confident.
Proverbs 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
Self-deceivers.
Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
Mere professors of religion.
Matthew 25:2-12 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ...
Full of words.
Ecclesiastes 10:14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Given to meddling.
Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Slanderers.
Proverbs 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Liars.
Proverbs 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Slothful.
Ecclesiastes 4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Angry.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Contentious.
Proverbs 18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
A grief to parents.
Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Come to shame.
Proverbs 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Destroy themselves by their speech.
Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
Proverbs 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
The company of, ruinous.
Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Lips of, a snare to the soul.
Proverbs 18:7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Cling to their folly.
Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
Worship idols.
Jeremiah 10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Romans 1:22-23 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Trust to their own hearts.
Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Depend upon their wealth.
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Hear the gospel and obey it not.
Matthew 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
The mouth of, pours out folly.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Honor is unbecoming for.
Proverbs 26:1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
Proverbs 26:8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
God has no pleasure in.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Shall not stand in the presence of God.
Psalms 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Avoid them.
Proverbs 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Proverbs 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
Exhorted to seek wisdom.
Proverbs 8:5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Punishment of.
Psalms 107:17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Proverbs 19:29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
Proverbs 26:10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

A Green Olive Tree

2012-01-06T04:33:00.000-08:00

     But I am like a green olive tree
       in the house of God.
   I trust in the steadfast love of God
       forever and ever.
   I will thank you forever,
       because you have done it.
   I will wait for your name, for it is good,
       in the presence of the godly.

Psalm 52:8-9

How in the world was David like a green olive tree? I had to go to Wikipedia to find out a few things about the olive tree before I could even begin to understand this one. But interestingly enough, it gave me some insight. I can't say that this was what David intended by his statement, but it gives me food for thought for myself personally.

It is short and squat, and rarely exceeds 26-49 feet in height. There is no intrinsic beauty in the olive tree. In the same way, what beauty I might have had outwardly fades daily; the fruit that I bear must be the result of something more than outward show.

The trunk is typically gnarled and twisted. I am reminded that my life cannot be anything of significance without the gnarling and twisting of trials, heartbreak, persecution--weathering the storms of life that God allows in order to make us into a "tree" worthy of bearing much fruit.

The small white, feathery flowers are borne generally on the last year's wood. Our best in life is usually borne on the experiences of the past, of "last year" if you will. We "blossom" in the present according to what we have learned from yesterday.

The leafy branches of the olive tree were used to crown the victors of friendly games and bloody wars. As emblems of benediction and purification, they were also ritually offered to deities and powerful figures. David claimed himself a victor, even in the midst of a great trial, knowing that God was His defense. Our victory is in our Savior. Someday we too will wear a crown, the crown of life. (I wonder if it will be made of olive leaves??)

Olive oil was used not only for food and for cooking, but also for lighting, sacrificial offerings, ointment, and anointment for priestly or royal office. David recognized his anointing and his royal crown, knowing that God would faithfully keep His promise to him. We have the privilege of calling ourselves "royalty" if we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I am a child of the King!

The olive tree and olives are mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, in both the New and Old Testaments. It is one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible, and one of the most significant. For example, it was an olive leaf that a dove brought back to Noah to demonstrate that the flood was over. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray before His crucifixion. Interesting, isn't it, that the olive tree and its fruit are so significant in the Bible, representing peace, war-time victory, royalty, sacrifice, sustenance, and even a place for prayer.

My prayer is that as we travel the road of life that God has chosen for us, may we be like a green olive tree. Even as we grow old and gnarled, I pray that we will still bear fruit worthy of the Master Gardener.

Getting a little more twisted year by year,

Gloria

Broken and Contrite

2012-01-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

The oldest and youngest sinners in our home--one saved by grace and one daily prayed for!

    For I know my transgressions,
        and my sin is ever before me.
    Against you, you only, have I sinned
        and done what is evil in your sight,
    so that you may be justified in your words
        and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:3-4,5

I have had a heavy heart for some time for a loved one who has strayed from the Truth. Today as I read Psalm 51, God seemed to remind me of our sinful nature, our tendency to roam. I was also reminded that our sin is committed against none other than the One who allowed me to be born in the first place. And His discipline is right and good. This is not a God who looks down on fallen humanity and says, "Gotcha!" Rather He is a just and blameless God. We are to blame, not God.

But I am also reminded that there is hope for this straying loved one. No one should know that better than King David. He wrote this psalm after Nathan had approached him about his sin with Bathsheba. He had sunk to the lowest of lows, a miserable sinner. Yet he was able to say,

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
        and renew a right spirit within me...
        O Lord, open my lips,
        and my mouth will declare your praise.
    For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
        you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
    The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
        a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:10,15-17

This psalm has given me renewed hope for my loved one--for all of those whom I know and love who have strayed from the Truth or do not know my Savior. My prayer for them is this, "Lord, may they recognize that it is against you and you only that they have sinned, and may they come to you with a broken and contrite heart, which you have promised that you will not despise."

In the name of our Lord who forgives,

Amen

Spoken To

2012-01-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

The Mighty One, God the LORD,
        SPEAKS and SUMMONS the earth
        from the rising of the sun to its setting...
    Our God comes; HE DOES NOT KEEP SILENCE;
        before Him is a devouring fire,
        around Him a mighty tempest...
    Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
        and perform your vows to the Most High,
    and call upon me in the day of trouble;
        I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me...”
        The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
        to one who orders his way rightly
        I will show the salvation of God!”

Psalm 50:1,3,14-15,23

This morning as I was still lying in bed, I said, "Lord, I wish that you would speak to me in a different way other than just your Word. I'd like something really concrete." (paraphrased. I can't remember my exact words.) Anyway, instant conviction came over me, because I realize that God's Word is concrete--the most concrete thing in our lives. It never changes and will never cease to be. A favorite pastor in my life once said that "the Bible is Jesus Christ in written form."

Then I got out of bed, made my tea and began to read the Psalm for today. More conviction! How in the world could I even think such a thought? God has spoken in so many ways! Many days when I look out my upstairs window I see the most beautiful sunsets. God speaks in the morning and summons the earth with a beautiful sunrise. And He continues to do it throughout the day, the sunset being another reminder of His presence.

Nature itself--the drought and the rain and the storms and the calm--all of creation are the voice of the Lord. We cannot help but see through our inability to control what He controls, that He is God.

And who can deliver us in the day of trouble besides Almighty God? We are helpless creatures, and failing to call upon the Lord brings us to a point of recognition that we cannot in and of ourselves do anything to save ourselves. He speaks by delivering us in the day of trouble.

The last verse in this Psalm gives us one of the most beautiful ways in which God speaks to us. He shows us His salvation as we order our way rightly, as we give ourselves to Him.

Thank you, Lord, for rebuking me through your Word. Thank you for speaking to me in your many and various ways. Thank you!

Offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

Gloria

Bought and Secure

2012-01-03T04:25:00.000-08:00

Every afraid to put your hands or feet down for fear of the Monster?

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
        when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
    those who trust in their wealth
        and boast of the abundance of their riches?
    Truly no man can ransom another,
        or give to God the price of his life,
    for the ransom of their life is costly
        and can never suffice,
    that he should live on forever
        and never see the pit.
(Psalm 49:5-9)

These verses give my fear-prone soul great comfort. And two phrases shouted to me when I read them. Verse 9 begins with, "Why should I fear in times of trouble"...Well, during those time of trouble my fleshly self wants to cry out, "Why not fear? Things are tough and getting tougher!" Although there are many times when I place myself in the throes of trouble, there are many others in which I am catapulted into it by the unkindness or wrongdoing of others on my behalf. Either way, I must not fear. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. Thank you, Lord!

The next phrase that I pondered is found in verse 7, "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice..." There is only One who can ransom a man's life, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 20:28) Yes, the ransom of my life was costly, and only through Him could it suffice. Because of Him I will never see the pit. Because of Him I can be secure and unafraid of what lies ahead. Hallelujah!

As you begin 2012, I urge you to be assured that your life has been ransomed by the Only One who can ransom a soul. Read the book of Luke. Consider the cost of trying to ransom your own soul.

Bought and secure,
Gloria

Beginnings

2012-01-02T04:15:00.000-08:00

View of the Mount of Olives from Mt. Zion

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,

in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

It is beautiful in its loftiness,

the joy of the whole earth...

For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide even to the end.

Psalm 48:1,2,14

Happy New Year to all! As we partook of the Lord's Supper yesterday, our pastor spoke about new beginnings. What an appropriate day to begin 2012 by remembering the death of our Lord, the blood that was shed for the remission of our sins, and the body that was broken for us. Beginnings...

My new year has begun interestingly. My blood pressure has risen to new heights. I've never had high blood pressure in my life, and all of a sudden it is HIGH! As soon as the doctor decides to go back to work, I must go in to see him. That's not the way I wanted it to start, but God's plans are not always mine. So how do I greet this new phenomenon in my life? To be honest, I want to worry a bit. I don't want to have a heart attack or a stroke. But then I am reminded, as with today's passage, that my God is great, He is beautiful, He is mine forever and ever, and He is with me always. Wow! What more can I ask?

( I will ask for your prayers!)

I will definitely eat healthier, exercise more, and seek to honor Him more in my body, which is His. I have been reminded that a new beginning is in order. I am also going to read through the Bible this year. I was going to do it by myself if I didn't get any takers, but one of the ladies who reads my blog has committed to doing it, also. It isn't too late to make that "beginning." I have never failed to be blessed as I have done this. What a glorious way to see and know the beauty of our Lord.

As we start anew,

Gloria

Go Ahead! Clap and Sing!

2011-12-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!...

Sing praises to our God. Sing praises!

Sing praises to our King. Sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing praises with a psalm!

Psalm 47:1,2,6,7

Our small country style church in the woods has many things that draw us to it--pastors who work full time jobs and minister without pay and teach the Bible, a congregation that loves and fellowships with one another, a strong work ethic that teaches the children hard work and hard play, an evangelistic spirit, missionary zeal, and generous pocketbooks. Another thing that I love about our church is the way we sing. I have never heard a congregation with fewer than 150 people sing with the joy and gusto that we do. I pray that it hits the ears of heaven as it does the surrounding countryside!

What better way to end the year and begin 2012 than to sing praises to our God and King? If you are not attending church this evening with fellow believers, I encourage you to take the time to clap your hands, sing praises to your King with loud shouts of joy. Sing praises! (I know, everyone will think you've lost your mind. What better way to be thought insane than to be insane for Jesus?) Come on. You can do it!

I pray that God will reveal Himself to each of us in a new and glorious way as we bury ourselves in His Word in 2012. Ever read the Bible in a year? I strongly encourage you to do so. If you commit to it, I'll do it with you and we can be accountable to one another. Here's a website that will guide you through 2012: http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/oneyearweekly.php?version=51&startmmdd=0101

Happy New Year, one and all!

Gloria

Be Still and Know

2011-12-30T03:40:00.000-08:00

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling...

Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 46:1-3, 10

The Lord has given me a great challenge for most of my life, as I have said before; and that challenge is how to deal with my fearfulness. Interestingly, after I wrote a week or so ago about fear, our pastor spoke on it last Sunday. His prayer both for himself and for his congregation is that we will serve HIM fearlessly in 2012. I happen to know that our pastor prays specifically for each of his members; therefore, I am confident that I have someone praying for me concerning my fear. How thankful I am!

But more importantly, I have the God of heaven as my refuge, the One under whose wings I may hide during times of trouble. I have His strength to carry me through when I think I may no longer stand firm, when the earth seems to be moving under my feet and the roar of the adversary in my mind sounds like mountains crashing into the sea.

A key to remembering that God is God and no one or nothing is able to penetrate our Refuge is to BE STILL. Oh, how difficult that is! My body wants to act, and my mind wants to race. I want to do something, to go somewhere, to work this problem out. No, I must be still. God is the One who gives strength and who shelters us in the midst of the storms of life.

I think I have published this on my blog before, but this is a poem that has meant much to me personally during the storms of life.

The Storm

It was calm as I overlooked the waters of the bay,

A day not unlike many that I had seen before.

And with my back to the scurrying crowd behind me,

I could imagine blissful stillness, nothing more.

The cry of the gulls was sweet to my ears,

A familiar sound that I often fondly heard.

In their shrill cry I almost sensed a warning,

But to maintain my reverie, I dismissed it as absurd.

As I gazed into the distance, I spied a small cloud.

A subtle wind began to rise.

Something within me nagged me to observe it,

But instead I turned my head and closed my eyes.

Life here is so easy, so carefree, I mused.

This island is blessed with pure serenity.

No storm has overtaken it in all these years;

To even contemplate it seems vile obscenity.

As I stood upon the rocks I so often carelessly climbed

I noticed a wave slap hard at the breaker.

The salt spray that hit me should have alarmed me;

I decided to think on it later.

But before my heart would dare conceive it,

The storm had unleashed all its grave fury.

I was guilty of ignoring the telltale signs.

The biting wind was my judge, the raucous thunder my jury.

It slapped at my face and tore at my clothes.

And promised to blind me with fear.

Though the torrents fell round me and the darkness screamed evil,

My heart sensed a Presence was near.

As I fell to my knees, pelted by the winds and rain.

It seemed that the blackness would enfold me.

I cried out to the Creator of nature’s wrath

And begged Him in mercy to hold me.

For hours the fair island that had been my secure shelter

Was battered and beaten and torn.

I made my way to the top and clung firmly to the Rock

And waited out the cold, blinding storm.

The storm did subside, but others followed.

Alas, my fair island was not immune.

But in the midst of the chaos I learned a wise lesson.

My insensitive heart was fine-tuned.

For the One who causes the gales to blow

And the fierce rains to pellet the earth

Is the same Lord who calms the raging seas

And restores the land with new birth.

So amidst the harsh storms of life I have found

That He allows them as part of His plan.

But the Rock that I cling to is eternally secure,

Held firm by His strong loving hand.

I don’t look for the storms, but as I cling to the top

Of the Rock, I think I may see

A glimpse of eternity and how very much sweeter

That haven called heaven will be.

Gloria Godbee

New Year’s day, 2001

Clinging to the Rock,

Gloria

The King and His Bride

2011-12-29T03:07:00.000-08:00

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Psalm 45:6,7a

Psalm 45 is one of the most beautifully poetic psalms in the Scriptures. It is replete with wonderful descriptive phrases about, I believe, our Lord and His bride, the church. It speaks of His beauty, His strength, His power, His majesty, His reign, and the eternality of His reign.

And then it speaks of His bride. That's me! What does He say about me? I am beautiful, and I am glorious. In my robes of interwoven gold (robes of righteousness?) I am allowed to go with joy and gladness to my King.

Oh, how unworthy I feel. I don't feel beautiful; I eat too much and need to lose a few pounds. I'm getting gray and wrinkled, and my back aches and my bones hurt. I don't always season my words with grace. I neglect things that I need to do--things that are important. I don't have the standing with others that I once did. They see me now as older and not so much needed as counsel or support. Why would the King want me?

He wants me because He doesn't see me as I see myself or as others do. He sees me clothed in the royal robes of His righteousness. He sees me as one for whom He gave His life's blood. He nailed all of my ugliness to His cross and made me forever young.

Oh, how that causes me to want to serve my King as His royal bride! Don't think I am being too bold in saying that He has written about me in His Book. If you are His, you are also His bride; you may claim the same royal privilege. I am overwhelmed with wonder that "in joy and gladness I may enter the palace of my King." (see verses 13-15)

Join me, will you?

Gloria

Passing the Baton

2011-12-28T04:37:00.000-08:00

We have heard with our ears, O God;

our fathers have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

Psalm 44:1

I love to watch the Olympic relay runners. One runs for awhile and then passes the baton (stick) to the next runner. The key is to smoothly pass the stick, still running at full speed, and to see the next runner grab the stick at full speed without dropping it. And so on until the race is finished!

Life for a Christian should be a spiritual relay race. One of my favorite passages is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

I have a son and 2 daughters. My prayer is that they will pass the baton to their children, and that their children will pass it to my great grandchildren, who will pass it to theirs. If the baton is dropped, the next generation may be lost. The race is not won until we have the prize in our grasp. We must run--and run--and run--and continue to pass the baton smoothly to the next generation. I must admit that one of my great fears it that the stick will be dropped. (You learn too much about me as I write these posts!)

The baton is in our hands. We cannot pass it on if our first leg of the race in incomplete. Our first responsibility is to love God ourselves with the fervor it takes to run the race. Then and only then may we pass the baton to the next runner.

Please pray for me that I will continue to run and with me that the next generation will recognize the importance of running the race and passing the baton.

Weak-kneed but running,
Gloria

Joy and Delight

2011-12-26T04:43:00.000-08:00

Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

Then will I go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

David, in his assaults by his enemies, always cried out to God, even when he felt deserted and alone. It appears at this point that the psalmist, likely David, was cut off from the tabernacle of God and His altar. His plea to God was that He would enlighten him with the truth and allow him to go to the altar where God dwelt.

What a privilege we who are believers today have! We cannot be cut off from the tabernacle of God because we are His dwelling place. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" (1 Corinthians 6:19) Because His Spirit resides in us, we have the privilege of having connectedness with our Savior at all times. "You were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19.)

Is God your joy and your delight? Do you spend time each day, wherever you are or in whatever situation you find yourself, in fellowship with the One who indwells you, who has given you the privilege of being a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and a house for His Spirit?

As we end 2011 and begin 2012, let's all make a commitment to make Him our joy and our delight and to be guided by His light and His truth.

Joyfully,

Gloria

A Charlie Brown Christmas (The Meaning of Christmas)

2011-12-25T05:06:00.000-08:00

My soul, wait you only upon God;

for my expectation is from him.

Psalm 62:5

I wasn't planning to write a post today since it is Christmas morning, but I read my dear friend Angie's post, and it reminded me of a very important and life-changing Christmas long ago in my life. I would like to share it with you in hopes that it will give you the same joy for Christmas as it gives to me in remembrance. I shared it with my granddaughter who "spent the night" with us last night. (Her family lives downstairs!)

My expectations for the "Christmas" as we know it in the good ole USA died when I was a young girl and I dropped and broke a gift my aunt had given to my grandmother. My grandmother became so angry with me that it ruined my "Christmas," and each year at Christmas there was a sadness until I realized that Christmas is about CHRIST, not us.

No expectations, not disappointment! Now I can rejoice in the fact that my Jesus is the real reason for my celebration of Christmas. Oh, I still buy gifts and love to give them, but I am not expectting any great feeling of joy over the giving or receiving of gifts. You know, kids can be ungrateful (just as adults can), or things can be dropped and broken. They likely will be at some time or other before the Christmas holidays are over. But the great fact that our Lord Jesus came in the flesh, lived a perfect life, and died a cruel death--all for me and other sinners like me--can never be taken away. My Christmas will last all year long--every year and through eternity.

Celebrating CHRISTmas all year long,

Gloria

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.

Psalm 42:1

Merry Christmas, everyone.

My grandchildren often ask me what I want for Christmas. I can say with great longing that my Christmas wish list includes first and foremost that God will grant salvation to all of those for whom I pray so diligently; and that I will see the souls of each member of my family panting for God as the deer pants for the water streams, and an example to the world of the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And I desire to see each of you who read this blog, blessed beyond measure through the salvation and joy that is in our Lord. May your New Year 2012 be filled with love, joy and peace that comes only through HIM.

In His great love and joy,

Gloria

Only Because of HIm

2011-12-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 41:13

In this psalm David is crying out for God to be gracious to him. His enemies, as usual, are all about--waiting for his demise. What a life to lead! Do you ever feel that the "enemies" in your life are overwhelming, and that without God's grace you will be overcome? Well, you are right!

But our focus today is on the last verse in the psalm, verse 13. As we draw nearer to Christmas day, the day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, it will behoove us to remember that only because of HIM may we cry out for God's grace, and only because of HIM may we know life to the fullest. Only because of HIM, the ONE who emptied HIMSELF of all heavenly glory, took the form of a servant in the likeness of man, the ONE who delivered HIMSELF over to the death of the cross and became sin so that we might be freed from sin. Only because of HIM! Philippians 2:5-11, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

My prayer is that you will have a Christ-filled Christmas, as well as every other day of the year.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

In His grace and mercy,

Gloria