Jeremiah 17:7-8

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

Dear Jesus, help me to be so firmly planted in you, and drawing my nourishment from you, and so trusting in you...... that I may not only make it through the difficult circumstances, but that I may even bear fruit for others during them.

thanks (update)

So, a few days after posting the words to Gratitude, here I was, at 1:00 this morning, scrambling around outside in the cold and dark, scrounging up the things I needed to get a portable heater going in our house, as our furnace had decided to blow only ccccccold air. And the words of the song came back to me...

Wrap us up
And warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to you
With gratitude....

And I'm wondering, is God testing me on this? That these are not just words that sound good...... but they are something that I actually live out in my daily life....... broken furnaces and all?

thanks

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:16-18

Lord, again you know how far I am from doing this. How, too often, I allow circumstances to steal my joy; and I only give thanks in circumstances in which I am comfortable. Please forgive me. Help me to see past the temporary frustrations of these refining times, to your eternal purposes. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18) Thank you for what you are doing in my life. Even though it is painful, I trust in You, and in your purposes. Thankyou for walking alongside, for your Word as the solid thing to hold on to, and for listening to my jumbled prayers as we go through this - together. Thanks for family and friends and church family to care for me, encourage me, and carry me in prayer as well. I know I am truly blessed. Thankyou Jesus, amen

A song which has been a good reminder of this as well, is Gratitude, by Nichole Nordeman...

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up
And warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starrry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if you never grant us peace

But Jesus, would you please...


(from her CD titled woven & spun 2002 Sparrow Records)

1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

What an incredible thing. At least forgiveness we can somewhat understand, and occasionally we even see it modeled. The problem with the forgiveness that we see is that, even though the offense may have been forgiven, it is still there - a big ugly blot. God goes beyond that and purifies us from all unrighteousness. Purified......... no lingering ugly sin stains or odors. That is truly amazing. Thank you Jesus!

1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Father, help me to humble myself under your hand. You know I get impatient and start to complain and squirm. Your timing is perfect, and your purposes are always good. Help me to trust you, and then to rest in that trust.

Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.

You know how hard this is for me. I give my anxieties to you, but then, rather than leaving them there, I take them back up on myself again. You are so much bigger and stronger than I - help me to leave them with you where they belong. Thank you for caring for me.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,

Help me to be alert to the schemes of satan, and recognizing them, give me the self-control to resist them. Too often instead, I flirt around the edges of them. Help me to find repulsive, the things which you find repulsive.

because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Help me not to get so caught up in my SELF. Instead, help me to learn how to share the burdens of others, whether through prayer, or however else I am able.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,

Help me to remember that, as Paul said, these problems are light and momentary in comparison to the eternal glory we have been promised through the grace of Christ Jesus.

will HIMSELF restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

You know my tendency is to try to fix things myself, often resulting in making an even bigger muddle of things. Please restore me, in your time, making me strong, firm, and steadfast.

To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen

Amen

WORDprints

WORDprints..... places where God's Word has touched my life and left it's impression.

These two verses are my prayer as I start this.

May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O Lord,

my Rock

and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Sanctify them (me) by your Truth;

your Word is Truth.

John 17:17