the power in which we live

2 Corinthians 13:4 Although He (Jesus) died on the cross in weakness, He now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in Him & have God's power.


Of all the things I read this morning, this was the one that stuck out as what I'm supposed to share.

I don't know who it's for.

It's just a reminder that we live in the same power that Jesus Christ lives in.

Hard for me to wrap my brain around that this morning.

For whoever you are - that's something you need to remember & rely on too today.

weakness & power

2 Corinthians 12:9 Each time God said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses,
   so that the power of Christ can work through me.

10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses,
   and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.


For when I am weak, then I am strong.



Why?

Because when we admit our weakness & give up, let go, surrender (or however you wanna term it), God is able to freely express His power in us & through us.

perils

2 Corinthians 11
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked.

Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.

I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.

I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.

I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
  
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

  30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.


How many of us would still be Christ followers if just ONE of these things happened to us?

We are such prissy christians...

hod on to it

Psalm 130
5 I am counting on the LORD;
  yes, I am counting on him.
  I have put my hope in his word.
6 I long for the Lord
  more than sentries long for the dawn,
  yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

At the beginning of 2010, God gave me 5 scripture passages to hold on to through this transition from Macon to Blairsville & for this time here in Blairsville since we've moved.

I literally would have lost my mind (even more than usual ;-) if I hadn't had those passages to hold on to.

PLEASE start to read the Bible EVERY day (if you don't already)! I would be SO lost without it. God speaks to me when I read His book. Duh! I can't live without it!


Now, I will give ya this as a warning - God will mess with you if you read it every day.

And He'll mess with you in the areas you LEAST want Him to touch.


Just sayin'...


2 Corinthians 9:8 God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need & plenty to share with others.

That's for me today... & for someone else.

The most important word in that verse is "need"

for someone out there

Sorry I didn't post a blog yesterday. We made a quick trip to Macon Thursday night, coming back Monday morning. I didn't have Internet @ the house down there.

I read this yesterday morning & thought it was for someone, so I'm sending it out to whomever it's for, besides me.

Psalm 128
1 How joyful are those who fear the LORD—
  all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
  How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
  flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
  as they sit around your table.
4 That is the LORD's blessing
  for those who fear him.

5 May the LORD continually bless you from Zion.
  May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.
  May Israel have peace!

unless useless

Psalm 127
1 Unless the LORD builds a house,
  the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
  guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
  from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
  for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3 Children are a gift from the LORD;
  they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
  are like arrows in a warrior's hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
  He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Here I Am - downhere

Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes in comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am


Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces,
I can't put this together but You can

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am


Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

identity

Elizabeth Gilbert, in her book, "Eat, Pray, Love" she writes about the Augusteum, the ruins in Rome of the tomb of Caesar Augustus, ruins that seemingly have withstood much in the time it's been around...

"The Augusteum warns me not to get attached to any obsolete ideas about who I am, what I represent, whom I belong to, or what function I may once have intended to serve.

"Yesterday I might have been a glorious monument to somebody, true enough - but tomorrow I could be a fireworks depository.

"Even in the Eternal City (Rome), says the silent Augusteum, one must always be prepared for riotous & endless waves of transformation."


This speak to anyone besides me?

to see a pic of it, google Augusteum, Rome

planting

Psalm 126
1 When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
  it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
  and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
  "What amazing things the LORD has done for them.
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us!
  What joy!

4 Restore our fortunes, LORD,
  as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
  will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
  but they sing as they return with the harvest.

...

Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion;
  they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
  so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
  for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
4 O LORD, do good to those who are good,
  whose hearts are in tune with you.

nub

2 Corinthians 3:5b Our only power & success come from God.

I feel like God is pruning me back to a nub (again), a mere stump level with the ground.

I don't know why.

Many of you will rush to tell me that I should be glad for this because He only prunes us back so we can bear abundant fruit. (see John 15)


yeah...

Anyone who embraces that thought with any kind of excitement had never had it happen to them.

What do I mean by "pruning back"?

Well, slowly but surely, He pares back my life until my only focus is Him.

Not fun.

Yes, I remember what He brought about in my life the last time He did this.

Yes, it result in some pretty heady halcyon days.

Have you ever been pruned?

It's like having your arms & legs cut off with a plastic picnic knife, without anesthesia.

Don't know what's ahead.

(Like when have I?)

Remind me of this "poor me" blog when I'm in the next post pruning season.

figuring

Proverbs 3:5
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,
   everywhere you go;

He's the One Who will keep you on track.


"don't try to figure out everything on your own."

anybody like that besides me?

sometimes, God just wants me to obey.

sometimes I don't need to know the why.

sometimes if I know the deal, I'd run away, or mess it up, try to be or do it quicker, or make it happen like I think it's supposed to happen.

sometimes I just need to follow.

sometimes I need to be a whole lot more like what my son, Kevin, says about his son, Trey...
   "when Trey is with me, he's lookin' at me. he's not lookin' where we're goin', how long it's gonna take to get there, or what wer're gonna do when we get there. He's just with me - that's all he cares about."


yeah...

relying

2 Corinthians 1:9 ...we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. 10 And He did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident He will continue to deliver us.


9 1/2 months...

that's how long Lynn & I have been in Blairsville

we get to live in a beautiful place, no matter what season

no jobs

very little social contact

isolated

under attack from the devil in so many creative ways

no ministry happening

going from a life that was running @ 100 mph to a life at a standstill

as my sister, sheila, says, we are hedged in



so, where are we at this point?

we wait

(waiting isn't something I do well - yes, it's my last name)

"we have learned not to rely on ourselves"

we've given up trying to figure out what we're supposed to be & do - we waiting for further instructions

I guess we're in a state of reluctant surrender

iow, we do what is needed to be done, what is at hand

that's usually mowing, weed eating, grocery shopping, talking to the people in the RV park, talking to the guy who


if we're supposed to be about something for Him up here, well, He'll have to let us know what it is & when to be or do it

until then, we wait

what other choice do we have?

doesn't mean it's easy

or frustrating

OR BORING!!!

or bewildering


so, we wait



you wanna help us?

don't try to fix us

don't quote scripture to us

don't ask us if we've done this, or thought of it this way, or whatever other glib thing I know I've been guilty of saying to people in similar situations



just pray for us

pray we endure

there's too many people watching us

the stakes are too high


we're not "bulwarks of faith"

we're just two people trying to be & do what He wants us to be & do in some weird & scary circumstances

help

Psalm 121
1 I look up to the mountains—
  does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
  who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
  the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
  never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The LORD himself watches over you!
  The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
  nor the moon at night.

7 The LORD keeps you from all harm
  and watches over your life.
8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
  both now and forever.

watch these 2 vids...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtZX7a44fMI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y284YvkYrZo&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=AVGxdCwVVULXfF2bDEx_FTM4_DQzBnOhwC

what's more important

1 Samuel 15:22 What is more pleasing to the LORD:
  your burnt offerings and sacrifices
  or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
  and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
  and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.


Well, chew on that one for a while...

waiting

Psalm 119:83 I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted by waiting.
   But I cling to Your principles & obey them.

vs 147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
   I cry out for help & put my hope in your words.


I'm in a funny place in my life.

(I heard what you just thought! ;-)

An awful lot of my friends from high school & college, & life, are either retired, retiring, or fixin' to retire.

Their lives seems so well ordered, sequential, & set.

And I'm sitting in N GA for the past 9+ months, waiting for God to open up the doors to whatever He has in mind for us in our "next".

The thought of retiring makes me laugh - not gonna happen anytime soon.

My life has moved into mowing the lawn (an acre & a half!), weed eating, doing things that are at hand, talking to the folks at the RV park across the road, and waiting.

I don't do waiting well.

I know, I know - and it's my last name!


Here's what dictionary.com says about waiting - now there's a lot to read - be patient...


WAIT
1. to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till,  or until ): to wait for the bus to arrive.
2. (of things) to be available or in readiness: A letter is waiting for you.
3. to remain neglected for a time: a matter that can wait.
4. to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed: We waited a week and then bought the house. Your vacation will have to wait until next month.
5. to look forward to eagerly: I'm just waiting for the day somebody knocks him down.
6. to continue as one is in expectation of; await: to wait one's turn at a telephone booth.
7. to postpone or delay in expectation: Don't wait supper for me.
8. Archaic . (of things) to be in readiness for; be reserved for; await: Glory waits thee.
9. Archaic . to attend upon or escort, especially as a sign of respect.
10. an act or instance of waiting or awaiting; delay; halt: a wait at the border.
11. a period or interval of waiting: There will be a long wait between trains.
12.Theater - a. the time between two acts, scenes, or the like.
   b. stage wait.
13.British - a. waits, (formerly) a band of musicians employed by a city or town to play music in parades, for official functions, etc.
   b. a street musician, especially a singer.
   c. one of a band of carolers.
   d. a piece sung by carolers, especially a Christmas carol.
14. Obsolete . a watchman.
15. wait on,
   a. to perform the duties of an attendant or servant for.
   b. to supply the wants of a person, as serving a meal or serving a customer in a store.
   c. to call upon or visit (a person, especially a superior): to wait on Her Majesty at the palace.
   d. Falconry . (of a hawk) to soar over ground until prey appears.
   e. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. to wait for (a person); await.
   f. Also, wait upon. to await (an event).
16. wait up,
   a. to postpone going to bed to await someone's arrival.
   b. Informal . to halt and wait for another to join one, as in running or walking: Wait up, I can't walk so fast.

Synonyms
1.  await, linger, abide, delay, tarry; 
   imply pausing to linger and thereby putting off further activity until later;
   usually implies staying for a limited time and for a definite purpose, that is, for something expected: to wait for a train.
   Tarry  is a somewhat archaic word for wait,  but it suggests lingering, perhaps aimlessly delaying, or pausing (briefly) in a journey: to tarry on the way home; to tarry overnight at an inn.


These all made me laugh. It's where I am right now.

I don't like waiting.

But ever time I've had to wait, the thing(s) I've waited for have been for better than I could have ever imagined.


Someone remind me of that, will ya?

...daily?

loving

A few years ago, I told a friend that ministry is about 1 thing & 1 thing only - relationships...

And that everything else was just window dressing.


The long I live, the more I realize that ALL of life is about relationships...

and everything else is just window dressing.


1 Corinthians 13
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others,
      I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others,
      I would be nothing.

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others,
      I would have gained nothing.

  4 Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
  5 or rude.

It does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable,
   and it keeps no record of being wronged.

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

7 Love never gives up,
   never loses faith,
      is always hopeful,
         and endures through every circumstance.

  8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

  11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

  13 Three things will last forever

         faith,

            hope,

               and love...

...and the greatest of these is love.


If we don't allow God to love people through us, & seek to be in relationship with them, all of our life is just window dressing.

read it all

Don't know who this is for, but someone needs to know that you are a BIG part of a BIG plan our Abba Father has for us.

1 Corinthians 12
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don't want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

  4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

  7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice*; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,* while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.



12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,* some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

  14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

  18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

  22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

  27 All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

  29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

trust

Psalm 118
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
  than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
  than to trust in princes.


How many of us trust people more than we trust God?

How many of us trust someone, or something, more than we trust God?

How often do we need to be let down by others before we really buy into the reality that in the end the only one we can trust to always understand & come through is God?

temptations

1 Corinthians 10:13 
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.

And God is faithful.

He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.

When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.



Think about that for a minute...


Now think about some of the sins we committed recently...


We could have not done them - according to this verse...


"But my __________ (fill in the blank) was SO strong!"


"...not more than we can stand"


"...show us a way out..."


"...so we can endure."


we ain't got a leg to stand on.


Think about it today - I know I am & will.

He listens

Don't know who this is for this morning, besides me...

Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD because He hears my voice
  and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because He bends down to listen,
  I will pray as long as I have breath!

remembered

Psalm 115
11 All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
   He is your helper; He is your shield.
12 The Lord remembers us,
   & He will surely bless us.


Here's what my Life Application Bible says about these verses...


"'The Lord remembers us,' says the psalmist. What a fantastic truth!

"There are many times when we feel isolated, alone, & abandoned, even by God.

"In reality He sees, understands, & thinks about us.

When depressed by problems or struggling with self-worth, be encouraged that God keeps you in His thoughts. If He thinks about you, surely His help is near."


Have the writers of my Life Application Bible been reading in my journal?!

place & doing

These are some verses that stood out for me this morning. I'm still processing how they pertain to me. But I get the strong feeling these are for somebody else, too. In the sections below, the words in italics are the verses, the words in quotation marks are things the authors of my Life Application Bible wrote to go along with the verses.



1 Corinthians 7:17 You must accept whatever situation the Lord has put you in & continue on as you were when God first called you.

"Apparently the Corinthians were ready to make wholesale changes w/o thinking through the ramifications. Paul was writing that people should be Christians where they are.
"You can do God's work & demonstrate your faith anywhere. If you became a Christian after marriage, & your spouse is not a believer, remember you don't have to be married to a Christian to live for Christ. Don't assume that you are in the wrong place or stuck with the wrong person. You may be just where God wants you."



vs 20 You should continue as you were when God called you.

"We may become so concerned about what we could be doing for God somewhere else that we miss great opportunities where we are.
"Paul says that when you become a Christian, you should continue on with the work you previously been doing - provided it isn't immoral or unethical.
"Every job can become Christian work when you realize it can be an opportunity  to honor, serve, & speak out for Christ. Because God has placed you where you are, take advantage of every opportunity to serve Him there."



vs 30 Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God's work.

"Paul urges believers not to regard marriage, home, or financial security as the ultimate goals in life. As much as possible, we should live unhindered by the cares of this world, not getting involved in burdensome mortgages, budgets, investments, or debts that might keep us from doing God's work."

go figure

Proverbs 3:5
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   He's the one who will keep you on track.

Anybody spend a lot of time trying to figure things out besides me?

I wonder what our lives would be like if we just let God reveal Himself & His plans in His timely manner, rather than always second guessing what's going on?


My son, Kevin, said something a few months back that still sticks w/ me. Here's what Kevin said...

"I was looking at the pics of my son, Trey, on my FB account. (dan note: Trey is a preschooler.) In every pic, he's looking at me. He's not looking where we're going - he doesn't even care where we're going. He knows he has ahold of my hand & we're together.

"I wanna be that way with God again. I used to be that way when I first started my relationship with Him. I wanna be that way again."


Yeah, pretty powerful, huh?

think about it...

fearless?

Psalm 112
4a When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in.
 

5a All goes well for those who are generous...


6 Such people will not be overcome by evil circumstances.
  Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
7 They do not fear bad news;
  they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.
8 They are confident and fearless
  and can face their foes triumphantly.

Here's what my Life Application Bible says about this section...

"We all want to live without fear; our heroes are fearless people who take on all dangers & overcome them.

"The psalmist teaches us the fear of God can lead to a fearless life. To fear God means to respect & revere Him as the almighty Lord.

"When we trust God completely to take care of us, we wil find that our other fears - even death itself - will subside."

I needed to hear that today. I don't feel like I've been living very fearlessly the last few months. I've come to the point where I don't really know what to be & do nor what's ahead. I just wait to be shown whatever it is I'm supposed to be shown as I keep on.

power

1 Corinthians 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power.

The question is, do we live by God's power, or do we depend on our own & hope He blesses it.

I live on my own power a lot.

I've been put in a place where I've had to depend on His alone.

Old habits die hard.

encouragement?

I wrote some of my feelings in my journal at the beginning of today's entry. Let's just say they expressed some discouragement, & leave it at that. ;-)

One of the smartest things I've ever done, January 2003, was to start reading the Bible every morning. The dumbest thing I've ever done was to wait until January, 2003.

I read sequentially - iow, like now I'm reading in 1 Samuel, Psalms (always Psalms - me & Billy Graham!), & 1 Corinthians. I read a chapter a day in each, one after the other.

You can call it coincidence, happenstance, or just dumb luck, but so many times in these past 8.5 years, what I need to hear from God comes off the page.

After writing what I did before I read, here's what came up off the page in my Bible reading today...

Psalm 108
2 The Lord will extend your powerful dominion from Jerusalem...

3d ...your vigor will be renewed each day like the morning dew.

5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.

yeah.....

ya know, sometimes what I read in the mornings is the only thing that gives me courage to face the day or holds me together during it.

1 step at a time

Isaiah 41:9b For I have chosen you

     and will not throw you away.


10 Don't be afraid,

              for I am with you.


Do not be dismayed,

              for I am your God.


I will strengthen you.


            I will help you.


                     I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

promises?

Psalm 108:13 With God's help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.

I Corinthians 1:9 God will surely do this for you, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

significance

Ruth 4
13 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!"

  16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 17 The neighbor women said, "Now at last Naomi has a son again!" And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.

  18 This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron.
19 Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
21 Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
22 Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.

Here's what my Life Application Bible says at the end of Ruth...

"To some, the book of Ruth may be just a nice story about a girl who was fortunate. But in reality, the events recorded in Ruth were part of God's preparations for the births of David & of Jesus, the promised Messiah.

"Just as Ruth was unaware of this larger purpose in her life, we will not know the full purpose & importance of our lives until we are able to lok back from the perspective of eternity. We must make our choices with God's eternal values in mind. Taking moral shortcuts & living for short-range pleasures are not a good way to move ahead.

"Because of Ruth's faithful obedience, her life & legacy were significant even though she couldn't see all the results. Live in the faithfulness of God, knowing that the significance of your life will extend beyond your lifetime. The rewards will outweigh any sacrifice you may have made."