The Morning Watch

Sitting here on my deck, watching a storm roll in across the prairie skies!! It’s beautiful. Oh wait, it’s a storm, but it’s beautiful. Just like the storms of life. The ones that press us in to knowing the heart of God better. The ones that drive us into His Word of truth, and into prayer. The storms that remind us, God is still good and God is still love. The ones that teach us to say with Job, “Though He slay me, YET will I TRUST HIM!!” (Job 13:15) The storms that teach us to say with Habakkuk, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls--YET I will REJOICE in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (3:17, 18) “Even so Father, for so it seemed GOOD in Your sight!” (Matthew 11:26)

The eyes of the LORD [are] on the righteous, (those made right by faith in Jesus) And His ears [are open] to their cry.                 *I am so thankful that I pray to a God who hears! Not a god of wood and stone, but the God who spoke this world into existence!  The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. *What is your burden today? The Lord hears!  The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. *A broken heart. A crushed spirit. Are you hurting? The Lord is near!  Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. *There is One who can and will deliver you!! Whatever your need, I know He has the answer! Let us trust in the Lord with all our hearts! 🙏🏻 -Psalm 34:15, 17, 18, 19

Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, I pray for many that are contemplating suicide. I pray that the light of your Spirit would pierce the darkness of their heart and mind. I pray that those who are strong will comfort those who are weak. I pray that we would not become self-absorbed in this time of self isolation, and self protection, but more than ever before we would become others focused. “Others Lord, yes others! Let this my motto be, help me to live for others that I might live like Thee!” I pray that each of us would find someone to reach out to. I thank you Lord that you reached out to us! I thank you for leaving the comfort and protection and beauty of Heaven, to enter this sin cursed earth. You came to redeem it. You laid your life down to save us. Help us to lay down our lives to save others! Show us how in the best way possible. Help us not to love our lives but to lose our lives for the good of others! In Jesus precious name, amen! 

I was sitting beside her on the deck. She was feeling anxious over many things. Age, and the troubles of this life had become too much for her to bear. “Hold my hand for just a second please,” she asked.  Have you been there friend? That feeling of being alone?  Jesus was too. “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32) I started to think of the compassionate heart of God, and His words to us in  Isaiah 41:10,13- “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Dear friend, let us lift our heart a...

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. *Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! what a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in Him. Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my victory wins. Jesus! what a help in sorrow! While the billows over me roll, Even when my heart is breaking, He, my comfort, helps my soul. Jesus! what a guide and keeper! While the tempest still is high, Storms about me, night overtakes me, He, my pilot, hears my cry. Jesus! I do now receive Him, [or Jesus! I do now adore Him] More than all in Him I find. He hath granted me forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine. J. Wilbur Chapman

He, Jesus, went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say,  “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more,  “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still * (I love that!!) and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him,  “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling YOU.”  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him,  “What do you want Me to do for YOU?”  The blind man said to Him,  “Rabboni, (Lord) that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him,  “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”  *And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 10:46-52) What do YOU want/need Jesus to do for you today? He’s just a cry away...

Planting season is upon us. Upon seeing this beautiful plant, I couldn’t help but think of the following passage from John 12:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (Only this is an apple tree! 😃) I will forever be grateful to the One who laid down his life for me, in death, so I could have everlasting life!!  #ThankYouLordJesusforsavingmysoul!!♥️🙏🏻