The Morning Watch

I read these words this morning from 1 kings 15:14, “Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.”  “Oh Lord, May I prove faithful too, and learn to daily walk with you!” 🙏🏻 “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, here’s my heart ♥️, oh take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above!” 🎵 

I used to sing this song nearly every Sunday growing up. Jesus is coming to receive from the world “His own.” Have you accepted His invitation to belong to Him forever? Redeemed, not with silver and gold (corruptible things) but with His own precious blood, shed for you!? (1 Peter 1:18)  Friends, our hope is not in this world. Not in our government. Not in man, but in the living Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6)  It may be at morn, when the day is awaking, When sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking, that Jesus will come in the fullness of glory to receive from the world “His own.”  H.L. Turner

I love Solomon‘s prayer of dedication after the temple of the Lord was built. Here is part of his dedication prayer. May it be the cry of our hearts in the times in which we live!  “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, when they pray toward this place and confess your name, and turn from their sin because you afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, that you may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance. When there is… Pestilence… When their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to eve...

As I meditated on the word this morning, the above two words jumped out at me. Clinging and cleaving. Are there things in my life that I am clinging and cleaving to besides the Lord? Desires that consume me? Idols that draw me away from Him and time in His presence? The story of Ruth, and her commitment to her mother in law came to mind. Ruth and Orpah were sisters from Moab whose husbands had died. Naomi’s husband had died as well. Moab was known for its idolatry. When Ruth saw the vanity of the gods of Moab, she resolved with a firm commitment to follow and worship the one true God, the maker of Heaven and Earth. See her words below in the following scripture passage.  Naomi said, “Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also tonight, and should also bear sons; Would ...