I haven't written in a while due to a busy schedule but I would just like to say God is SO GOOD!!!
Sitting in Anatomy and Physiology the other day and I was left yet again in awe of this great creation. My professor was explaining how a muscle contracts...actually she was getting there. She was talking about how a muscle fiber receives the signal to contract from a neuron originating in the spinal column and how it transfers through the entire cell by way of T-tubules and so an and so forth. Despite the fact the it was tortuously long and slightly boring in parts I was left in awe of our great Creator. The types of signals sent and the mechanisms that shut down or open the routes or transport might just seem to any other student like information they need to know for the next test but it left me wondering how on earth anyone could believe that we could have just happened by chance.
The amount of complications that occur when one of these mechanisms is disturbed are deadly and yet there are those who believe that all of creation is just one big accident. That we came to be by chance. How little a difference there would have to be, in something as understandable and seemingly simple as a muscle contracting, for human life to cease. HOW? That is my question how could you not see that this was created and did not happen by mere chance?
Don't get me wrong, I know the answer. Eyes blinded by sin. But it just seems so imposable that it could be missed. I guess it can only leave me in awe and in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
I thank you, so much, for You gifts of grace and mercy. For the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. I am left in amazement as I learn more of You through my classes. I thank You that You are working in me through them and that You have open my eyes to see Your Truth. There are so many Lord that cannot see it. It is my prayer that You would not allow me to get so wrapped up in classes that I forget that the entire reason for my education is to seek after You. To seek to know more of You and Your character. To seek after the places in which You show Yourself in creation. I thank You and praise You, Father, for the opportunity to seek You through my education, even in a secular college. Try as they may there is no disguising You, no portraying You as something other than what You are, especially to one of Your children. I thank You for the friends and family that You have surrounded me with. They are always an encouragement and I only hope that You would lead me to be as much of an encouragement to them. My words are not near strong enough to convey my praise, thanks, and adoration. Left in amazement says nothing close to how I am left by Your works. I thank You for all that You provide, that seen, and especially that I cannot see or begin to know about.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Thoughts of a 19 Year Old
In flipping through old notes on my facebook I found a few poems I wrote a while back. I honestly don't really remember writing them :) hope you enjoy
Just A Thought of Life
(may 19, 2010)
I don't' know how it happens, It's something I can't explain.
The way He floods my heart with peace, and silences my pain.
My prayers never go unanswered, the Father works His will.
I can't see the whole picture yet, but I feel Him working still.
He gives me what I need, and so I need not fear.
No matter how alone i feel, I know that He is near.
Our love for Him will keep us close, today and for always.
For where He is there's continuous love, the love in which my heart stays.
Untitled
(November 23, 2010)
********************************************************************************
I'm glad I have a record of these. It's one of those things that makes me excited. It's like watching my life unfold, to see what I was thinking about at a particular time in my life. Like a parent looking on at a child's life, it makes me proud. Except it is my own life and I get to see how I grew in that period of time and how I've grown since. Praise the Lord for His guiding hand! Also for the fact that I have a record of my appreciation for it at work in my life at age 19. God is SO good!!
Just A Thought of Life
(may 19, 2010)
I don't' know how it happens, It's something I can't explain.
The way He floods my heart with peace, and silences my pain.
My prayers never go unanswered, the Father works His will.
I can't see the whole picture yet, but I feel Him working still.
He gives me what I need, and so I need not fear.
No matter how alone i feel, I know that He is near.
Our love for Him will keep us close, today and for always.
For where He is there's continuous love, the love in which my heart stays.
Untitled
(November 23, 2010)
I sit here by the stream
I've gotten lost in a day dream
Of things gone by and things to come
Of where I'm going and where I'm from
Of a past that's made me who I am
Of a future brighter than I could ever plan
With worries of unknowns I try not to bother
Because all things great and small rest in the Father
For He leads my path and is transforming me
Into the woman He knew I'd one day be.
I've gotten lost in a day dream
Of things gone by and things to come
Of where I'm going and where I'm from
Of a past that's made me who I am
Of a future brighter than I could ever plan
With worries of unknowns I try not to bother
Because all things great and small rest in the Father
For He leads my path and is transforming me
Into the woman He knew I'd one day be.
********************************************************************************
I'm glad I have a record of these. It's one of those things that makes me excited. It's like watching my life unfold, to see what I was thinking about at a particular time in my life. Like a parent looking on at a child's life, it makes me proud. Except it is my own life and I get to see how I grew in that period of time and how I've grown since. Praise the Lord for His guiding hand! Also for the fact that I have a record of my appreciation for it at work in my life at age 19. God is SO good!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Storm
On my way home last night during the little thunder storm we had I started thinking. When I start thinking I start writing. And this is what came of my thinking. Enjoy!
The Storm
Your great might and power both seen here on display
In the roaring of the wind and the driving of the rain.
In the beauty of the lightning and the rolling of the thunder
I am often left to sit here and wonder.
Why does the Creator with strength and power so great,
Care about we humans, by no standard righteous or ornate?
As the lightning flashes, a tingle in my heart
We are His children, made in His image from the start!
In the garden, we with Adam did fall
But God sent His only Son to pay the price for all
All who do believe in Him alone as Lord and Savior
Their hearts then are changed and it shows in their behavior.
So the storm has got me thinking about the changing of my soul
from a broken, wounded spirit to a body now made whole.
Such power and majesty combine for all to see
What other Being could create a change so great in me.
I am like the world in a storm washed clean
Though the process in fear is often seen.
When the storm of life has finally passed
I'll be home with my Father, I'll be home at last!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
The Storm
Your great might and power both seen here on display
In the roaring of the wind and the driving of the rain.
In the beauty of the lightning and the rolling of the thunder
I am often left to sit here and wonder.
Why does the Creator with strength and power so great,
Care about we humans, by no standard righteous or ornate?
As the lightning flashes, a tingle in my heart
We are His children, made in His image from the start!
In the garden, we with Adam did fall
But God sent His only Son to pay the price for all
All who do believe in Him alone as Lord and Savior
Their hearts then are changed and it shows in their behavior.
So the storm has got me thinking about the changing of my soul
from a broken, wounded spirit to a body now made whole.
Such power and majesty combine for all to see
What other Being could create a change so great in me.
I am like the world in a storm washed clean
Though the process in fear is often seen.
When the storm of life has finally passed
I'll be home with my Father, I'll be home at last!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Psalm 5:11
' but let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.' Psalm 5:11
Are you joyful in God?
Even as a Christian it is easy to get distracted with the things of this word. Where do you find your joy? Is it in that new car or house? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? Your job, money, family, or social status? If it is, its time to rethink and fix priorities.
Your joy should be in the Lord! If it's not, what happens to your joy when you car gets totalled, or your house burns down? Where does it go when your boyfriend or girlfriend leaves you, you lose your job, a family member dies or you gain some weight and lose that social status you once held? I'm not saying that will happen to everyone, but everyone faces hardships. What happens then?
If your joy is in the Lord you lean on Him. It doesn't make it all "feel" better right away. There are hard times and things which will make you 'unhappy'. But since when does 'unhappy' in life equal not having joy in God? It is in Him that we are saved and that's more than enough reason to be joyful!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Ingenious Engineering: Creator Generated
An assignment for my cell biology class brought me to the PBS website where I read the following.
"As viewed
from a human perspective, nature has done some ingenious engineering to
overcome some of the obstacles it has faced. Take the evolution of sex,
for instance. To make the move from asexual to sexual reproduction,
nature took a system by which parent cells reproduced simply by dividing
(asexual reproduction) and altered it to allow two parent cells to
combine to create offspring (sexual reproduction). It met this challenge
by devising (again, speaking from a human perspective) a system by
which parent cells incorporate genetic information from both of its
parents but contain half the amount of DNA. With only half the DNA, when
the parent cell combines with another parent cell, the proper amount of
DNA is maintained. This solution is called meiosis." ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/divide.html )
"Nature has done some ingenious engineering"? Why is it that when the world is faced with a concept they cannot explain it turns into nature's "ingenious engineering"?
"...nature took a system by which parent cells reproduced simply by dividing
(asexual reproduction) and altered it to allow two parent cells to
combine to create offspring (sexual reproduction)."
Why? Why, would it do such a thing? I mean, life is going just fine for those asexual reproducing systems, why change? It's not like it wasn't working any more. There are still plenty of living things that reproduce asexually.
I bet it was the cell's brain that one day said, "Hmm, let's try something different. I bet sex would be nice." No! doesn't happen. So why would we try to attribute this "ingenious engineering" to "nature"? A thing which has no thoughts, ideas, or problem solving skills.
Meiosis is not a nature created solution to an obstacle. Meiosis is Creator generated (ingenious engineering) that was created for the purpose of sexual reproduction.
The word ingenious it's self tells us of a greater power. The first entry in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for ingenious reads "showing or calling for intelligence, aptitude, or discernment." None of which nature has or can do. This definition however is preceded by the term obsolete. It's not surprising to see that a word, which so clearly points to a Creator, would be termed obsolete. Especially when it is a word used in a writing such as that which is cited above.
In a world where we will not have God, what else is to be expected?
You know being in a secular college, where one thing is taught as truth and all other options are taken off the table, is sometimes tough. And it creates a greater understanding of the world and it's depravity. However, it does lend itself to a greater understanding of God as The Creator. Things others learn and try to find an explanation for, or say, "Wow, How does that happen?" I learn and say, "Wow! How great is our God!"
JMarie
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I Can't Keep From Singing!
I am not the first to see that life is not always a bed of roses.
And I've been around enough to feel the kind of pain that it imposes.
But when I think about all the times God has proven true I find there's nothing else for me to do
I can't keep from singing, dancing, gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
there's a passion burning deep inside like I have never known. Sometimes it feels just like a fire that is shut up in my bones. I can't contain this kind of feeling and I know there is no doubt there's nothing left to do but let it out!
I can't keep from singing, dancing, gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing. I can't keep from dancing. Gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, I can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing.
Does the Love of the Lord, His faithfulness, and the passion He ignited inside you make you feel this way? I feel like it should. :) He has given us the gift of LIFE! In today's world it's easy to keep quiet. There are people who don't want to hear the good news and they let you know it. But don't let that stop you! In some countries it's illegal to share your Christian faith. We are heading in that direction but it is no so in this country yet. So get out there and let His praise and your thankfulness out for all to hear. We were placed on this earth to glorify God. What better way to do that than let His praises ring!? When you talk about what the Lord has done for you people take notice.
And I've been around enough to feel the kind of pain that it imposes.
But when I think about all the times God has proven true I find there's nothing else for me to do
I can't keep from singing, dancing, gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
there's a passion burning deep inside like I have never known. Sometimes it feels just like a fire that is shut up in my bones. I can't contain this kind of feeling and I know there is no doubt there's nothing left to do but let it out!
I can't keep from singing, dancing, gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing. I can't keep from dancing. Gotta tell the world about the freedom that I found. Makes me wanna shout it, I can't stop talking bout it. Ever since the day He gave my life some meaning, I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing.
I can't keep from singing.
Does the Love of the Lord, His faithfulness, and the passion He ignited inside you make you feel this way? I feel like it should. :) He has given us the gift of LIFE! In today's world it's easy to keep quiet. There are people who don't want to hear the good news and they let you know it. But don't let that stop you! In some countries it's illegal to share your Christian faith. We are heading in that direction but it is no so in this country yet. So get out there and let His praise and your thankfulness out for all to hear. We were placed on this earth to glorify God. What better way to do that than let His praises ring!? When you talk about what the Lord has done for you people take notice.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
My Bucket List
My bucket list:
1. Impact the world for the sake of Christ's Kingdom.
That is all :)
You know people write bucket lists or make huge plans and then feel let down when things don't work out the way they want. I'm just as guilty of that as anyone. But it's time to make a stand. To take captive the desires of your heart that are focused anywhere but on the Lord. For what are those things but sins which cloud your vision and judgment.
If I never sky dive or bungie jump. If I never travel the world or climb the tallest mountain. If I never do any of the things the "average person" might place on a bucket list, but I make an impact on peoples lives that is for The Kingdom, I've fulfilled my bucket list.
We were placed on this earth to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. What better way to glorify Him than to allow Him to work in another person's life through you?!? And what better way to enjoy him than seeing His handy work with your own eyes.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you to take a look at your lives. I don't just mean a glance, a quick once over and done. No, I mean a good hard look. A look that needs to be taken often. Are you living for His Kingdom or your own? Are you honoring Him, glorifying Him and enjoying Him in all you do? If not, He's waiting. Waiting for you to run to Him with a humble heart and say, " Lord, I messed up. Please forgive me and help me to do Your will. Lord, take my life, every aspect, and show me how to live for You." If we ask for forgiveness, He says He will grant it! What a wonderful God! Stay strong in the fight my friends, get lost in prayer and His word, and never let the devil make you feel like you're alone in any circumstance. Even if you think no one on earth could possibly be going through what you are, Christ knows, and He is ALWAYS there. God is so good, all the time!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Only for Your glory!
Holy Spirit fill me, live in me. Let me know, without a doubt, You rest in me. May my life be an offering to You. May my soul cry aloud for You. May I never wander away from You. For it is You, Lord, who make me who I am. It is You, who saved me from myself. It is You, the Great I Am! Help me to live for You and You alone. Help me to be wise with what You have given me. Help them to see more of You and less of me. I sing praise to the only One whom praise is due. I raise my voice and call out His name to give Him all the glory. I will sing until the whole world knows Your name! To Your glory alone, JMarie
Friday, February 17, 2012
Prayer!
We get so caught up in me, me, me, that we miss out on what He is showing us. Maybe you're struggling with school or a job or parents or friends. Maybe you're content with what you have. Maybe, just maybe, you're in search of something more. I'd like to ask you a question. Where are you looking? I can tell you right now that if you are looking any where but up to the heavens you're not looking in the right place. Maybe you can't see what He is doing with those hard times right now but I guarantee He has a plan. I'm so sure because He lays it all out in scripture.
" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
You see we let our selfishness, our wants and our so called needs, get in the way. If we prayed a humble prayer of "Lord, let your will be done." We would see such a change in thinking and in what we see. It is my prayer that you would pray that prayer and see the difference.
Heavenly Father, I humbly approach Your throne with Jesus Christ as my intercessor. Lord I know I sin against you with every part of my being and I am truly and shamefully sorry. Father You know the deepest parts of my heart and I pray that You would search me, call out those things which I have done. Lord I pray that You would be gracious and merciful and forgive my sins. I thank You Lord that You are a forgiving God. An all powerful, loving, holy, all knowing, almighty, victorious, saving, and just God. These things and so much more. You show us Your character though every created thing around us and for that I am thankful. For my family and friends that You placed into my life, each at just the right time. I pray Father that they would continue to be strong relationships and that You would continue to be the center of them. I thank You for giving me what I need to get through each day. I thank You for forgiving my sins and I ask that You would help me to forgive those who sin against me in the same manner. Father, I pray that You would deliver me from the hands of the evil one and that You would put a cover of protection over not only myself but all those, Lord, who are out there serving You. For we know Father that as we draw nearer to You satin tries to draw nearer to us and drag us away. Lord I pray that above all Your will be done! In Your holy name we pray, Amen.
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Hold Me
THIS SONG WILL GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD!!!
I love this song!! This girl has a really nice voice! The song is really up beat and talks of how the Lord holds us in His arms and never lets go. How He takes everyday and makes it special. How we should be lost in Him. There is so much to know of our Father's character so we should never stop looking!!! Check it out and let me know what you think.
I love this song!! This girl has a really nice voice! The song is really up beat and talks of how the Lord holds us in His arms and never lets go. How He takes everyday and makes it special. How we should be lost in Him. There is so much to know of our Father's character so we should never stop looking!!! Check it out and let me know what you think.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Hidden Lesson
I've had a lot of people asking me lately how classes were going for me so far. I'd answer with the usually, "They're going alright." and it would be true. I do like my classes and they are all going well. However today in my cell bio class the Lord really opened my eyes. All through out my education I have been on a quest for knowledge so I can better understand creation and in turn the Creator. Biology class today left me in awe.
We were learning about proteins today in class and talking about how shape determines function, each specific shape performs a specific function. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. When they are placed together in a specific order the protein takes a shape and is ready to perform it's specified job. The professor then explained that to change even one of those amino acids would change the entire protein.
ONE out of what can be hundreds of amino acids, is all it takes to change that protein from having one function to another. What a show of His great handy work! To know that something so small and seemingly insignificant can have such a huge impact. Not only does this scream creation but it is true for so many other places in our lives. The little things you do in life that seem to have no value at the time, can you imagine what He is going to use them for!?! I mean if one little amino acid can change an entire protein, imagine what He can use your words and actions for!
Another thing this leads me to think of is the negative consequences of our actions. If something so small can be used for so much good what can stop a little thing from being so detrimental? Romans 13:14 tells us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Which something totally different than Romans 14:13 which is what I was trying for :p But that's a good one too, perhaps a topic for the next post :)
So Romans 14:13 reads, " Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way." We are supposed to be lifting our brothers and sisters up not bringing them down! If we aren't careful of our actions we could end up helping satin out and he really doesn't need any help.
Another thing we talked about in class today was what Sickle Cell Anemia was and what it did. Now while it is a negative because it changes the shape of the red blood cell, which causes some problems for the cells in the body. It is also a positive in that the altered shape is not able to be attacked by malaria. It is most common in those who are from or are descendants of those from equatorial areas. When malaria out breaks occur those with Sickle Cell live through them and the sickle cell is then passed down from one generation to the next, creating peoples who are immune from malaria. It is amazing to see how the Lord crafts those things to work in such ways for the people of those areas. I don't see how anyone could look at that and say it all happened by chance.
It's funny how the Lord can turn a simple cell bio lecture into a life lesson! I bet the professor didn't know that she was lecturing on the magnificence of God!
Lord, Help us to find You in our classes! Let us not be blind to that what which You are showing to us.
<3 JMarie
We were learning about proteins today in class and talking about how shape determines function, each specific shape performs a specific function. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. When they are placed together in a specific order the protein takes a shape and is ready to perform it's specified job. The professor then explained that to change even one of those amino acids would change the entire protein.
ONE out of what can be hundreds of amino acids, is all it takes to change that protein from having one function to another. What a show of His great handy work! To know that something so small and seemingly insignificant can have such a huge impact. Not only does this scream creation but it is true for so many other places in our lives. The little things you do in life that seem to have no value at the time, can you imagine what He is going to use them for!?! I mean if one little amino acid can change an entire protein, imagine what He can use your words and actions for!
Another thing this leads me to think of is the negative consequences of our actions. If something so small can be used for so much good what can stop a little thing from being so detrimental? Romans 13:14 tells us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Which something totally different than Romans 14:13 which is what I was trying for :p But that's a good one too, perhaps a topic for the next post :)
So Romans 14:13 reads, " Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way." We are supposed to be lifting our brothers and sisters up not bringing them down! If we aren't careful of our actions we could end up helping satin out and he really doesn't need any help.
Another thing we talked about in class today was what Sickle Cell Anemia was and what it did. Now while it is a negative because it changes the shape of the red blood cell, which causes some problems for the cells in the body. It is also a positive in that the altered shape is not able to be attacked by malaria. It is most common in those who are from or are descendants of those from equatorial areas. When malaria out breaks occur those with Sickle Cell live through them and the sickle cell is then passed down from one generation to the next, creating peoples who are immune from malaria. It is amazing to see how the Lord crafts those things to work in such ways for the people of those areas. I don't see how anyone could look at that and say it all happened by chance.
It's funny how the Lord can turn a simple cell bio lecture into a life lesson! I bet the professor didn't know that she was lecturing on the magnificence of God!
Lord, Help us to find You in our classes! Let us not be blind to that what which You are showing to us.
<3 JMarie
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Come Thou Fount
Have you ever been captivated by a lyric? Has the Lord ever used a song or a hymn to catch you and make you think? I've had a hymn stuck in my head for the last week or so and I can't seem to shake it. It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong it's just always there. If you're familiar with the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" you might understand why.
The first verse reads.
The first verse calls us to praise. To sing the graces and mercy's of our "fount" if you will, the Giver of all blessing. It reminds us that all things come from our Lord and that all the wondrous things He has done for us are worthy of the loudest praises we can sing. It talks of wanting to sing His praises as the angles above. It also remind us and calls us to be fixed upon the "mount of thy redeeming love". Think about it, why would you want to push this song from your mind?
The second verse...
Here the hymnist talks of raising his song to the Lord. Of wanting to be home safely by His side. It tells us that only by the Lord's help is that possible. "Here I raise mine Ebenezer", tells of raising our 'Stone of Hope'. (1 Sam. 7:12) It goes on to tell the story of how even while we were still in sin He sought us and interposed His blood that we might live forever with Him. (Romans 5: 6-11) What a wonderful reminder!
The last verse is the one so often stuck in my head. I believe this is the one most often stuck there because it speaks right to us in our everyday lives. Not that the other verse do not but, because it's not often that we are called out in song. Take a look at the last verse...
"oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be." Do you feel this way? you should. I know I do! Look at what I was and where I could have been, no was, headed. All you need to do is look at the world around you. Those that do not know the Lord are lost. So lost in fact that they don't even know they are lost. I think that feeling of debt, is what drives us to worship. It makes us fall on our face and thank the Lord with all we have, for all we have.
"Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee." Do you know what a fetter is? Tell you the truth I didn't know...so I looked it up. A fetter, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a chain or shackle for the feet. So, he is asking that God's goodness would be that chain that ties our wandering hearts to Him.
"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;" Do you wander? My heart does, it's my human nature and the temptations all around me. Much as I try, its a losing fight with out the help of the Lord. My prayer is that the Lord would use His goodness as a fetter to keep me close to His side.
"here's my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." The second half to the prayer. Lord take my heart and prepare it for Your kingdom above.
My prayer is that you would get this song stuck in your heads, or at least that the message it is sending is stuck there. We are prone to wander and we know it. The only thing we can do is pray that the Lord would keep us close by His goodness and seal our hearts; that we might not destroy them with earthly things.
Heavenly Father I come to you tonight as I write this entry. I pray Lord that all those who read it would be touched by this message. Take our hearts Lord for we know not what to do with them. You, the maker and perfecter, are the only one who knows. Thank You Father for your love so great that You would send Your Son to die a horrible death on a cross for our sins. We praise your name, and are fixed upon it Lord, let us not stray from You. Make Your goodness that fetter, preventing us from wandering away. Tune our hearts, Father, to daily sing Your praise, for You are the only one worthy of it. We thank You and praise You for all that You have done and continue to do in our lives. To the glory of your name alone, Amen.
~JMarie
The first verse reads.
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.
The first verse calls us to praise. To sing the graces and mercy's of our "fount" if you will, the Giver of all blessing. It reminds us that all things come from our Lord and that all the wondrous things He has done for us are worthy of the loudest praises we can sing. It talks of wanting to sing His praises as the angles above. It also remind us and calls us to be fixed upon the "mount of thy redeeming love". Think about it, why would you want to push this song from your mind?
The second verse...
Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Here the hymnist talks of raising his song to the Lord. Of wanting to be home safely by His side. It tells us that only by the Lord's help is that possible. "Here I raise mine Ebenezer", tells of raising our 'Stone of Hope'. (1 Sam. 7:12) It goes on to tell the story of how even while we were still in sin He sought us and interposed His blood that we might live forever with Him. (Romans 5: 6-11) What a wonderful reminder!
The last verse is the one so often stuck in my head. I believe this is the one most often stuck there because it speaks right to us in our everyday lives. Not that the other verse do not but, because it's not often that we are called out in song. Take a look at the last verse...
O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
"oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be." Do you feel this way? you should. I know I do! Look at what I was and where I could have been, no was, headed. All you need to do is look at the world around you. Those that do not know the Lord are lost. So lost in fact that they don't even know they are lost. I think that feeling of debt, is what drives us to worship. It makes us fall on our face and thank the Lord with all we have, for all we have.
"Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee." Do you know what a fetter is? Tell you the truth I didn't know...so I looked it up. A fetter, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a chain or shackle for the feet. So, he is asking that God's goodness would be that chain that ties our wandering hearts to Him.
"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;" Do you wander? My heart does, it's my human nature and the temptations all around me. Much as I try, its a losing fight with out the help of the Lord. My prayer is that the Lord would use His goodness as a fetter to keep me close to His side.
"here's my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." The second half to the prayer. Lord take my heart and prepare it for Your kingdom above.
My prayer is that you would get this song stuck in your heads, or at least that the message it is sending is stuck there. We are prone to wander and we know it. The only thing we can do is pray that the Lord would keep us close by His goodness and seal our hearts; that we might not destroy them with earthly things.
Heavenly Father I come to you tonight as I write this entry. I pray Lord that all those who read it would be touched by this message. Take our hearts Lord for we know not what to do with them. You, the maker and perfecter, are the only one who knows. Thank You Father for your love so great that You would send Your Son to die a horrible death on a cross for our sins. We praise your name, and are fixed upon it Lord, let us not stray from You. Make Your goodness that fetter, preventing us from wandering away. Tune our hearts, Father, to daily sing Your praise, for You are the only one worthy of it. We thank You and praise You for all that You have done and continue to do in our lives. To the glory of your name alone, Amen.
~JMarie
Thursday, January 26, 2012
I came across a few verses this morning in my reading and felt compelled to share my thoughts on those verses with you. The first verse I want to make mention of is Isaiah 64:6. Now if you don't know the verse by the reference I'm sure once you start to read, the rest of the verse will find its way to your brain. Isaiah 64:6 reads,
This is a common verse when we refer to the fact that our salvation is no doing of our own and that what we do here on earth is nothing in comparison with what the Lord has done. We usually only get the first part of the verse however. "But we are an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..." and we stop there. But look with me at the last part of this verse...
Yes, we literally fade as the leaf as our bodies age and we pass away: were it not for salvation our souls would be carried away by our sin and taken far from the Lord. But look also at the everyday application. Aside from the grace and mercy of our Lord, aside from Him sending His only Son to die a horrible death on the cross of Calvary, we are but filthy rags. AND we all stumble, we all fade in our rigor of the study of the Word, we make mistakes and each and every one of our sins (iniquities) causes our now frail, weak and faded spirits to be carried farther from our Lord and Savior and farther from the Truth.
The other verse often quoted is Isaiah 64:8. Again if you are not familiar with the reference the verse reads,
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
We usually get this full verse when we reference it. All the parts are there and we understand what it's telling us. That we are clay, meant to be shaped and molded into a glorious thing. That our Lord is the potter. He will be doing the shaping and molding, the breaking down to build back up into something more glorious. That we are all a unique work or creation of God our Father.
The part we don't hear or reference very often is that little verse in between these two. Did you notice that these two often quoted verses are in the same book? How about the same chapter? Did you notice that they are only separated in that chapter by a single verse? So, what does that mysterious missing verse say?
Isaiah 64:7 reads
This missing verse talks about how no one, not a single one of us, calls out His name in our sin. We don't get ourselves in a fit trying to reach Him. It is explained that this happens because He hides His face from us when we are consumed by our sin. And rightly so, for the face of the Lord is not that of sin but of righteousness. However, now that we are living in the new testament and the Savior has come, we have hope in His face and He does not leave our side.
If we put these verses in order, the story would tell us...
All that we do, no matter the effort we exert, falls short of the glory of God.
(But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;)
Our stumbling, mistakes and the fading of our rigorous study of His Word cause our sins to carry us from our Lord.
(We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.)
In that sin that has carried us away, we, of our own power, do not cry out to you, or strive to return to you.
(And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities)
BUT, we know that we are clay, being molded and shaped by our Maker, the Potter. We are a unique creation of the Lord and He takes care of His sheep.
(But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.)
And that my friends, is the gospel story. While we were sinners, separated from our Creator by our sin, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for all of our sins. So that, by believing in the glorious thing He has done and counting Jesus Christ alone as our Savior, we can have eternal life with our Creator and Sustainor in heaven, when we pass from this earth. (Ephesians 2:1-9) (John 3:16-17) Glory be to His name on high!!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
"But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses
are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities,
like the wind, Have taken us away."(NKJV)
This is a common verse when we refer to the fact that our salvation is no doing of our own and that what we do here on earth is nothing in comparison with what the Lord has done. We usually only get the first part of the verse however. "But we are an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags..." and we stop there. But look with me at the last part of this verse...
We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Yes, we literally fade as the leaf as our bodies age and we pass away: were it not for salvation our souls would be carried away by our sin and taken far from the Lord. But look also at the everyday application. Aside from the grace and mercy of our Lord, aside from Him sending His only Son to die a horrible death on the cross of Calvary, we are but filthy rags. AND we all stumble, we all fade in our rigor of the study of the Word, we make mistakes and each and every one of our sins (iniquities) causes our now frail, weak and faded spirits to be carried farther from our Lord and Savior and farther from the Truth.
The other verse often quoted is Isaiah 64:8. Again if you are not familiar with the reference the verse reads,
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
We usually get this full verse when we reference it. All the parts are there and we understand what it's telling us. That we are clay, meant to be shaped and molded into a glorious thing. That our Lord is the potter. He will be doing the shaping and molding, the breaking down to build back up into something more glorious. That we are all a unique work or creation of God our Father.
The part we don't hear or reference very often is that little verse in between these two. Did you notice that these two often quoted verses are in the same book? How about the same chapter? Did you notice that they are only separated in that chapter by a single verse? So, what does that mysterious missing verse say?
Isaiah 64:7 reads
And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to
take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have
consumed us because of our iniquities.
This missing verse talks about how no one, not a single one of us, calls out His name in our sin. We don't get ourselves in a fit trying to reach Him. It is explained that this happens because He hides His face from us when we are consumed by our sin. And rightly so, for the face of the Lord is not that of sin but of righteousness. However, now that we are living in the new testament and the Savior has come, we have hope in His face and He does not leave our side.
If we put these verses in order, the story would tell us...
All that we do, no matter the effort we exert, falls short of the glory of God.
(But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;)
Our stumbling, mistakes and the fading of our rigorous study of His Word cause our sins to carry us from our Lord.
(We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.)
In that sin that has carried us away, we, of our own power, do not cry out to you, or strive to return to you.
(And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities)
BUT, we know that we are clay, being molded and shaped by our Maker, the Potter. We are a unique creation of the Lord and He takes care of His sheep.
(But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.)
And that my friends, is the gospel story. While we were sinners, separated from our Creator by our sin, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for all of our sins. So that, by believing in the glorious thing He has done and counting Jesus Christ alone as our Savior, we can have eternal life with our Creator and Sustainor in heaven, when we pass from this earth. (Ephesians 2:1-9) (John 3:16-17) Glory be to His name on high!!
To His Glory Alone,
JMarie
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Jesus I am Resting
I wanted to share with you a song that has been a hug blessing to me lately.
What wonderful words to remember daily. He calls us to gaze upon what He is, who He is, and what it is He holds for us. It is our job to rest in His greatness, love, beauty, power, and majesty. Imagine for a minute taking the time to just rest in the joy of what He is. Can you picture just resting there? How much we could learn and how little we would care about the things that are troubling us. Next time you're overwhelmed by school, work, friends or even family, just take a minute to rest in His great glory. It is a transforming power! The joy of what He is, is a gift, a command, and a promise.
What wonderful words to remember daily. He calls us to gaze upon what He is, who He is, and what it is He holds for us. It is our job to rest in His greatness, love, beauty, power, and majesty. Imagine for a minute taking the time to just rest in the joy of what He is. Can you picture just resting there? How much we could learn and how little we would care about the things that are troubling us. Next time you're overwhelmed by school, work, friends or even family, just take a minute to rest in His great glory. It is a transforming power! The joy of what He is, is a gift, a command, and a promise.
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