Assurance of God's Protecton

My prayer theme on Thursdays: Warfare and Protection.

There is most definitely a spiritual battle for our souls in the world right now--actually always has been, and we just don't learn the strategies necessary to survive the war, let alone the signs that the enemy is at hand!

Psalm 91 offers us assurance of God's protection. We must do our part, though, to stay ever vigilant and clothe ourselves for the battle in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:12-14).

Jesus is the reason for the season. Not seeing too much evidence of that when I turn on the television. Okay. Off the soap box.

My prayer today is that you remember the truly important things and people in your life. Offer them the gift of your time, your encouragement, your love this year for Christmas.

It's cold and rainy outside my front door, but under His wings I will find refuge.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

The More, The More, and More and More

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:1-4 , 10-12 RSV).



One of the many "careers" I've had included working as the Lead Teacher for a class of three-year-olds at a daycare center. I absolutely and completely adore children. I have been told I have a gift for working with even the most "problem" children. Perhaps the "gift" is simply a manifestation of my deep, sincere love for them and my recognition of their full potential!

God has that type of love for us as well! We can rejoice because we are His beloved. God has a similar vision of us: He knows our potential, already planned our future, lets us have our little fits and bouts of independence and defiance and then welcomes us back into His loving arms.



Or as one of the children (or I!) would often say, “OK, I need a hug now.” One the little girls in the class often threw open her arms, looked up at me and said, “I love you the more, the more, the more and more.” Wow! Just imagine! God loves us even more than that!


We say, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” God replies, “I love you the more, the more, the more and more.” We beg God, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” God’s response is, “I love you the more, the more, the more and more.”



We continue, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” God, in his mercy and infinite patience repeats, “I love you the more, the more, the more and more.” Get it? Try reading the verses of this passage one by one, inserting, “I love you the more, the more, the more and more” after each one. What were you getting ready to say about a bad day you might be having?

My prayer today is that no matter what you’ve done or haven’t done; no matter how much success you celebrated or the miserable failures you have experienced; no matter what, no matter what, you’ll remember God loves you the more, the more, the more and more. And that He waits for you with loving arms open wide.



Blessings on your journey,
Mary

He Will Command His Angels Concerning You

As I sat at the stop light this morning I noticed how hard the wind was blowing, pushing in the new weather front whose arrival was impending, according to the morning weather report.

Rain was threatened this morning but had subsided by the time I left for work. The sky was gray, gray, gray. The clouds, however, were blowing past me in the sky and about 10 in a row, whiter and denser than the pale background of the sky appeared as a band of angels, moving in unison across the sky at a steady, but measured clip.

Psalm 91 has been on my mind throughout the weekend and I couldn't help but think that is exactly where God wanted me to be spending my time in His Word. He had, after all, arranged the angels/clouds perfectly to affirm me at just that moment!

"If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:9-12 NIV).

He indeed guards our ways!

Blessings on your journey,
Mary