Learnig to Rely on You

Lord, it was interesting reading in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest yesterday about visions from You being worked out in our lives. Lord, that is something I have been trusting You with for quite a few years now. Sometimes it's so hard to tell when I'm allowing You to work in my life to form me into what's needed to live out that vision and when I've grabbed the control to decide for myself what's needed. But, then I feel such relief when finally I let go the self imposed extras.


Lord, I love You.



A return to the early morning walks with You have been such a relief. The studious endeavours of translating a verse from Greek and Hebrew each morning have been bumped from my life for a more simplified time with You each day. Always Lord, I get drawn back to simply being myself and spending time in Your word. There's always much to think about and it's good to have time to think.











Thank You for the freedom to simply be the person You created me to be wherever You put me. There's much coming soon (with the Bible study & the cafe) that I don't really know details about and yet I trust that You have prepared me and the others involved to follow You obediently. We will learn much as we walk with You moment by moment.


As Jesus and His discipes were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-41 NIV)


Lord, there is much to do ahead, but won't be able to do any of it if I haven't had enough time with You.

Compassionate Loyalty

Compassionate loyalty: Lord, it's interesting looking at that as I look at the book of Ruth for the seniors' meeting this week. In Hebrew the word is hesed, while in English it's hard to find the best translation to cover all the layers of meaning. It means love and kindness. But, it also means faithfulness and loyalty. My favourite definition is still compassionate loyalty.



Ruth and Boaz both illustrate hesed in quiet ways through their ongoing actions of love. And You also show a deep unfailing love to Israel as a whole and Ruth, Naomi and Boaz in particular. This story is a simple love story packed full of examples of how people are to treat each other and You. Thank You for including it in Your word.



It also shows the trials that King David's godly heritage was hammered out through, a heritage that was strong enough to pass down through a number of generations and so produce a man after Your own heart.










Lord, may time spent with You translate into a life (and many generations of lives) lived for You in a way that expresses Your unfailing love for all people.

Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jessi, the father of David. (Ruth 4:16-17 NIV)

Relying on You

Lord, it is getting closer to the beginning of things and while the pressure is mounting, so is the encouragement to keep following You with an attitude that You will do something mighty if we will simply watch and praise You.



Yesterday as I prepared the bulletin for church the date for the first home Bible study was set: Sunday, July 20th in the evening. It has been interesting coming to the realization that I will not simpy follow some other person's outline for this study--but, will follow the leading of You. Last term at school I found that the best approach for my classes. One of the professors tended to give assignment information in ways that seemed designed to mislead--and it was amazing how relying on Your leading led me through the mazes to a truth I could land on with confidence.




That seems the best approach again. The title for the study is "Knowing God," therefore it seems only appropriate that You guide my way through this time in Your word.

Lord, I'm trusting that even when I can't see the path, You will guide me in Your way.

Prayer & Your Word

Yesterday Anne was talking about 2 Chronicles 20--the passage where the people of Israel praised You for a battle won that they didn't fight. While they did the praising, You did the fighting by getting the different armies to fight with each other until there weren't any survivors. That is such an amazing passage in Scripture. It shows in a wonderful way the absolute strength of prayer & praise--a strength we will need.




Then as I was praying I remembered something else concerning the weap0ns we have for protecting the building of Your church. Your word is also there to help us through the difficulties and so I ask Lord, that You teach us how to use Your word with Your love and Your authority. (It is so important that all we do be done with Your love.)



A new commandment I give you: That you love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will see that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35 NIV)










I am Yours and as such I am to be doing whatever You have given me to do. As I do that, may You be glorified always.

Made to Worship

When we embrace surrender to God we will see whom we are meant to be!

Strengthen My Hands

As the wall progressed the campaign against them increased. Lord, as Nehemiah and the people of Judah built the wall around Jerusalem, their enemies multiplied the directions that their campaigns of discouragement came from. Finally, Nehemiah had to pray again.


"Now strengthen my hands." (Nehemiah 6:9c)


Lord, please strengthen my hands. I don't know what is ahead and I don't understand some of what is happening. Lord, I trust You to guide us through the maze that seems to be burying me deep in its centre.

Lord, the many different pieces come together to form one entity. I trust that You have all of that under Your control.

Be Still

Am I simply tired Lord? Right now it feels like this blog is just the same thing over and over again with very little variety or relief.


We enjoyed time with family and friends the last few days and last night we watched fireworks until quite late. Perhaps I'm only tired.


Lord, what do You want me to be doing today? I'm tempted to sit and stare at the walls as long as possible, but that doesn't really seem appropriate.


Thank You that You will guide me today--even through my lack of energy.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

Protection Through Prayer

From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the othr half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. (Nehemiah 4:16a NIV)



Nehemiah and the men of Judah faced the battle to complete their work by including spears and other military equipment with their other work tools. That is not an option open to us even though we too will face discouragements as we work. Lord, people of prayer are what we will need as we approach the next step in the ministry of Your church here.

Lord, in many ways we're as fragile as the flowers cultivated in a beautiful garden. We lack the hardiness of the wild flowers, so Lord we need You to be with us protecting us and guiding us each moment of each day. Lord, Your Spirit is saying that the time is soon. May we see You glorified.

God Remembers the Details

Thank You for the truth that You are with me forever and that I am with You forever. Lord, as life wears me down I need to be reminded of that. We've had a fun time on our vacation, and yet the total break from a regular routine is also tiring and when I'm tired I need to be reminded You truly are with me forever.

In chapter three of Nehemiah I see a large group who workied together to rebuild the walls. Lord, I am sometimes so amazed by what is in Your word and this is one of those moments. Every group that helped rebuild the wall is identified in some way. The entire chapter describes all the groups that did the work and it tells what work each group did. The work on the wall could so easily have been handled with a single sentence--but instead each group and their accoomplishment is listed individually.

Life is about You and glorifying You and yet You still remember those who work with You in Your endeavours. And so we can know that everyone worked together to rebuild the wall of Your city in Judah.

Lord, I'm not looking to build a wall--at least not a physical wall. But, I do desire to see Your church built up to Your glory.

This Sunday I'll be doing the Bible story about Isaiah--"Here am I. Send me." Well, Lord, You have sent me to this part of Your world--now I need to simply walk in obedience with whatever You intend. May You be glorified.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8 NIV)

Nehemiah Prayed

Then I prayed to God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:4b-5 NIV)

He prayed to You first before answering the king. So now I ask: what is Your will here? Nehemiah wanted to see the rebuilding done in Jerusalem to draw people back to a knowledge of You and a renewed worship of You. Today there is no need to focus on any one building. But, today there are so many people who do not know You.

Lord, may we see You glorified through many people coming to know You, love You and believe in You.

Your word teaches that You will be the one to build Jerusalem anew this time--when You build the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem will also be a part of everything. So now our focus is not on the place of worship so much as the worhipippers. Lord, so many people don't know You. May many people here and around the world come to believe in You soon.