The Morning Watch

Summer days… “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23) Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust, My loving God, in thee; Unwavering faith that never doubts Thou choosest best for me! Best, though my plans be all upset; Best, though the way be rough; Best, though my earthly store be scant; In Thee I have enough. Best, though my health and strength be gone, Though weary days be mine, Shut out from much that others have; Not my will, Lord, but Thine! And even though disappointments come, They, too, are best for me, To wean me from this changing world, And lead me nearer Thee. Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust That looks away from all; That sees thy hand in everything, In great events or small. That hears Thy voice - A Father's voice -Directing for the best. Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust, A heart with Thee at rest. Author unknown

Speak, Lord, in the stillness While I wait on Thee; Hushed my heart to listen, In expectancy. Speak, O blessèd Master, In this quiet hour, Let me see Thy face, Lord, Feel Thy touch of power. For the words Thou speakest, “They are life” indeed; Living Bread from heaven, Now my spirit feed! All to Thee is yielded, I am not my own; Blissful, glad surrender, I am Thine alone. Fill me with the knowledge Of Thy glorious will; All Thine own good pleasure In my life fulfill. Like “a watered garden” Full of fragrance rare Ling’ring in Thy presence Let my life appear. -E. May Grimes (1864-1927)

Her vision is dim now, her tremors and body pain make it difficult for her to sit and enjoy her Bible like she use to, but as I was assisting her with personal care, I heard her start quoting the following scripture,  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matthew 6:33) I asked her what it was that made her quote that scripture verse in particular. She then told me about her poor eye sight and the other health issues that hindered her from reading the Bible like she once did, “But,” she replied, “Matthew 6:33 is posted in big letters on a wall hanging by my bed, and I can always look up to see it. It’s our wedding verse,” she said with a smile. “There’s a picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd beside it as well,” she told me. 

“Sin will cost you more than you ever intended to pay, sin will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay.” “This book (the bible) will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.” “Little leaks great ships are sinking, little leaks may swamp the whole, ‘tis the little leaks that often make the shipwreck of the soul.”  “May the mind of Christ, my Savior, Live in me from day to day, By His love and pow’r controlling All I do and say. May the Word of God dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour, So that all may see I triumph Only through His pow’r.” -Kate B. Wilkinson “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” -Psalm 119:11

I tried to capture the moon early this morning. That light shining into the darkness. I’m just imagining the brightness of that day when Jesus comes. Ever think about that? I was a lot today, as she was crying. I was at the news of yet another natural disaster. I was as the world continues on in its madness to try and control what is not there’s to control. I was at the news of another unexpected death. I’m so thankful there is coming a day when pain, and sickness, and death will be done away with forever!  Revelation 21:4, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” There is coming a day, When no heart aches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eye, All is peace forever more, On that happy golden shore, What a day, glorious day that will be.   What a day that will be, When my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The...

Proverbs 27:1, Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. James 4:13-15, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” Job 12:9-10, Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand…” John 10:27-29, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”  Are you His s...

Today was one of those days that went from bad to worse. From disappointing news, to getting stuck on the ice, from wiping out on the ice after stepping out of the vehicle, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) “More than conquerors!” I mean, it could’ve been so much worse, so choosing to count my blessings instead! There’s always something to be thankful for! It’s a wonderful thing to remember that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, no...