The Lively Blog of Thoughts

Psalm 25:1-11 NIV
[1] In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. [2] I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. [3] No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. [4] Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. [5] Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. [6] Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. [7] Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. [8] Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. [9] He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. [10] All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. [11] For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

https://tecartabible.com/#Share-volume=32;reference=Psalm%2025:1-11

Start all prayers in thanking God for everything in whom we serve and that we are here because of Him.

Count your blessings and thank God

Throw yourself at Jesus feet, in personal devotion, be vulnerable enough, give everything in serving others, thanking God in his service.

Turn your life over to Jesus by throwing yourself at his feet.

With all the things going on in my life, worries about my family, unknown things occurring and that will happen, causes me great stress.

God, I need your help. Please bless my family in ways that are needed right now. Not that my will is satisfied, but your will be done.

Our Lord and Savior came to this Earth and called for “all to follow Him” and become like “the Father.” He taught love, sharing, caring, and togetherness. We, by being part of our earthly family, understand what loving those that help us, care for us, allow us to care for them, and just caring for our loved ones is all about. One of those “caring things” is we want all of our family to have eternal live. Peter, in Acts, taught those that were part of the following or “the Way,” that a change in lifestyle was necessary and that forgiveness was necessary. In Acts 2:38-39, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

I wanted to revisit yesterday’s post on the power of the ocean tide and currents. See the picture below from one day to the next. This amazing change in weather from one day to the next of the calm seas to raging winds and storms is a reflection of how our lives can change so quickly. The storms and our weather are very much like the storms of our lives. We have to be grounded in our faith to ride these storms out to see the other side.

Sometimes the storms in our lives appear without a blaring horn. Jesus was in the boat with his disciples sleeping when without any type of warning, a storm came and the the waves swept over the their boat.

The disciples were used to storms on the Sea of Galilee and the water would generate significant waves. However, this storm must have been a particularly serious one because the disciples woke up Jesus and said, ‘We’re going to drown!’

In these times, with the storms, it is natural to panic. Sometimes it appears that Jesus is ‘sleeping.’ He does not appear to be doing anything about our problems. Thankfully, we can all cry out, as they did, ‘Lord, save us!’

Don’t be afraid to call upon our Lord.

The ocean tide comes in with avengance with sweeping currents that can bring with it anything that gets in its way. As the water evades the sandy sea shore and brings the smell of the salty water, it reminds me of the great power of the oceans and the magnitude of God’s creation and just the significant amount of water that God placed on this planet. Why so much water?. Why salty?. Why the tides and how the weather patterns can create such force with all of this water?. I guess we can ask these questions when we get to heaven.

The other end of the spectrum is that the seas can be so calm and peaceful at times that makes me wonder how can such rough seas become so calm so quickly?

This makes me wonder about how we, as God’s children, can be so calm, seemed to be walking in faith with God, and things seem to be at peace. Then, so suddenly, how the turbulence of life’s storms evade our lives like the ocean tide making its way to the shore with the power of the water riding the waves on the ocean top.

How does this happen?. What occurred along the way?. Did we lose our direction?. Did we not see it coming?

This thought reminds me of one of my favorite psalms. Psalm 42:1-11, [1] As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. [2] My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? [3] My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” [4] These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. [5] Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. [6] My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. [7] Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. [8] By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. [9] I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” [10] My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” [11] Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

We have to have the faith that even through times of turbulence, we can have peace through God with our Hope in our God.

Oh Lord, help me day by day as I go from place to place and as I meet people at work or in other places, sprinkle your salt upon them in ways that they will see you, oh God, the way, the truth, and the life.

Help me to live my life in such a way that people will ask questions and people know that there’s something different about my life then someone that does not know you or know of your son Jesus. Help me to pray day by day that I will be conscious of what I say and what I do and how I act that others may see your son threw me in some small way scattering salt to and fro.

Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

[13] “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. [14] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Guide, guard and direct me oh Lord. Good, I need your wisdom of my every being, my every decision, my every thought. I hunger for your help in my daily life and decision making. I want your wisdom in how I live my life and how I interact with everybody I come in contact with. Help me with how I try to give guidance or just thoughts to my children. Good, in this world today, they need your guidance. Please hemp then in their worries, their jobs, their marriages, and in every decision they make. Help me to inject help when and where I should. Tell me what and how, please ohLord.

God,

Thank you for putting me in a Family that taught me about you and Jesus in your spirit. Thank you for giving me life through your son and giving me your spirit to do well in me. Please God, allow your spirit to guide me, protect me, and show me in a more clear way your will for me for today and tomorrow.

Thank you for Jesus.

Bring Christ Your Broken Life

Bring Christ your broken life,

So marred by sin.

He will create anew,

Make whole again.

Your empty wasted years

He will restore,

And your iniquities,

Remember no more

Bring Him your every care

if great or small

whatever troubles you

oh, bring it all

Bring him the haunting fears

the nameless dread

thy heart he will relieve

and lift up thy head

Bring HIm your weariness

receive his rest

Weep out your blinding tears

upon his breast

His love is wonderful

his power is great

and none that trust in him shall be desolate

Blest Saviour of us all

almighty friend!

His presence shall be ours

unto the end

without him life would be

how dark how drear

but with him morning breaks

and Heaven is near!

-T.O. Chisolm (1866-1960) lyrics; L. O. Sanderson music

L.O. Sanderson said of this song,

” I had written the music but could not by myself come up with acceptable lyrics. I sent the music to T.O. Chisholm and asked him to see what he thought most appropriate for words. This poem was the result. This has become a much-used song, an exhortation and an appeal to one and all as to the faithful Savior who can handle any situation.