Tag: scripture

Wedding Feast

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Good morning friends! A cold morning dawns here again and again I am most certainly not complaining. This December has been delightfully and most properly cold and my only regret is that I haven’t had more time to walk here and there and everywhere to enjoy it. Alas. Work is busy as always and it pains me that I also haven’t had more time for writing. Hopefully soon? Next week I have time off and so I do have hopes that there will be time for writing! And reading of course, always.

Speaking of reading, been enjoying a few minutes reading in my latest book – “The Everlasting Righteousness” by Horatius Bonar. Always love a good book by an old Scotsman. And this book is certainly a splendid one, encouraging and full of rich truths and oh so good for my soul. The chapter I read aided my reflections on the death of Christ and His work on the cross and the many staggering glories that are revealed therein. We do not consider enough the majestic beauty of the work of Christ! I wish I meditated more on such and hence it’s helpful for me to read books like this that draw my gaze upwards. Yes, it’s good to read books that are silly and fun and creative from time to time (trust me, I read plenty!), but do I also consistently and deeply drink from books that contain and proclaim the truth about God in all his manifold glory and beauty? I strive to. And so today as I must soon dash off to work and all its assorted stresses, I pause a moment and think on Christ. I consider Jesus and sigh in awe that he lived and died for me. I meditate on the fact that this same Jesus rose again in power and glory testifying to the finished work and the efficacy of such and the fact that the salvation I have is perfect and the inheritance I have will never tarnish nor fade and is kept in heaven for me forever and that one day I shall gaze upon this same Jesus with my own eyes and rejoice with thousands more as we sing glory glory glory to the Lamb!

Sidewalk Dreams

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For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened,
because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed,
so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God,
who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing
that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord
-for we walk by faith, not by sight –
we are of good courage, I say,
and prefer rather to be absent from the body
and to be at home with the Lord.
Therefore we also have as our ambition,
whether at home or absent,
to be pleasing to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ,
so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
-2 Corinthians 5:4-10

Love Unyielding

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A glorious morning is mine. It is but a simple Sunday morning, but already I feel the grace of the Lord this day as I have enjoyed so many fine little pleasures. Woke up at a nice and leisurely hour (comparatively to my normal) and as the sun was already peeking over the horizon, decided to get out of bed and enjoy a long pre-church time of rest and meditation. Well, I say that – but I also decided that a little errand run was important. Dashed off to bakery and got a fresh loaf of sourdough for the week and then went to grocery store for a few little items for macaroni salad contribution for tomorrow’s Monday Night dinner. Back home again, and back to reading and meditating.

How sweet have been these past few minutes. A good cup of strong black coffee. Listening to the ever lovely Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Reading in the Word – words of lamentation and of hope as I continue reading through Lamentations and relish the joy-streaked melancholy of Chapter 3 – surely one of the most beautiful chapters of Scripture there is. And then in Luke – onwards we march as we witness the continuing ministry of Jesus as he calls all to repentance. And then what an overwhelming story of love and compassion as he teaches in the synagogue and then notices a woman afflicted with a grievous ailment. She doesn’t say a word, she doesn’t cry out to him, she doesn’t put herself forward. Jesus looks, Jesus notices, Jesus calls to her to come. She comes to him and what does he do? Jesus places his hands on her and pronounces her free from her pain and suffering, free from the chains with which she was bound by Satan. Glory glory – hallelujah and all praise to Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords who is our Sovereign who also has the hands that heals. It is almost too much to consider this Jesus who looks to us and sees us suffering and calls us to him that we might know his healing hands. See those hands marked by the scars of mercy? Look upon Jesus, the one who calls to us to come to him and be forever free from our chains. I love to ponder and meditate on such. Balm for my soul this Sunday to consider the Jesus who has saved me from all my sins and called me into communion with God.

Ruhamah

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Just finished the book of Hosea at church tonight. Can’t express in words how lovely that book is and how it has blessed my soul…just read the below verses and linger in the gorgeous music of the heavens…

Then I saw a new heaven and a
new earth; for the first heaven
and the first earth passed away, and
there is no longer any sea. And I saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, made
ready as a bride adorned for her
husband. And I heard a loud voice from
the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle
of God is among men, and He
will dwell among them, and they shall
be His people, and
God Himself
will be among them,
and He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes;
and there will no longer be any death;
there will no longer be any mourning,
or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed away.”

And He who sits on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
And He said, “Write, for these words
are faithful and true.”
Then He said to me, “It is done. I am
the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
I will give to the one who thirsts
from the spring of the water of life
without cost.
He who overcomes will inherit these things,
and I will be his God
and He will be My son.”
-Revelation 21:1-7

Coffee Time

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And my heart is full this evening as I sip my coffee and slowly prepare for another week to begin. Soon, soon – I must go off to bed and drift away on a tide of dreams so I am not too weary at work tomorrow, but for now…I just sit on my bed and ponder what blessings are mine…in abundance. And my heart longs to exult in words and song and sweet poetry what joy is mine, but alas, I’m not sure if my head is up to the task. Shall I write? Or shall I just rest this night, rejoicing in the purest wonder of knowing my Lord Jesus Christ?

At least, before I go…

For I am convinced that
neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God,
which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.

Spoonful of sweetest coffee,
a pillow laced full of dreams,
liquid eyes gaze heavenward,
and song of love spirals up.

No more writing this night. Just thinking and praying. Peace, y’all.

Music of the Heart

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Just a few words…oh so beautiful!

When my heart was embittered
and I was pierced within,
then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

Nevertheless I am continually with You.
You have taken hold of my right hand.
With Your counsel You will guide me,
and afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart
and my portion
forever.

And now as my heart is full and my tongue has no more words…I will return to my delicately crafted spinach salad and rejoice this night. Farewell, y’all!

Love and peace.

Life Eternal

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And I am oh so weary this Tuesday evening. But…I need not be downcast. Truly – “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” True that!! A thousand times yes. And thus I sit back in my chair and relax in the peace that comes with knowing my God. My God.

And now, about time for my meatloaf and potato dinner. Another blessing that we don’t often consider enough – that we have such delicious and plentiful food. Truly, let us be thankful!

Farewell, my friends. Grace and peace.

Haste the Day

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How blessed is the man
who has made the Lord his trust,
and has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders
which You have done,
and Your thoughts
toward us;
there is none to compare
with You.
If I would declare
and speak of them,
they would be too numerous to count.
-Psalm 40:4-5

Bliss. (Also, all of Psalm 40…love it so)

Grace Eternal

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We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and the love which you have for all the saints;
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,
of which you previously heard in the word of truth,
the gospel which has come to you,
just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing,
even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it
and understood
the grace of God
in truth.

This Mountain

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Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him
shall never thirst;
but the water that I give him will become in him
a well of water springing up to eternal life.
-Jesus Christ

John 4 is one of my favorite passages ever…just saying. You all should read it now – may it enliven your soul as much as it has done mine this morn.