Tag Archives: Heavenly host

The Windows Of Heaven

Sun Rays Through The Clouds

Everything belongs to Him.

It is all His. Every bit of every thing that ever was, is, or will be.

God of the universe is also, God of the every day.

He called all of creation into being, with the sound of His voice.

He knows all the stars in the heavens, can easily count the grains of sand on the beaches of the world, sees the sparrow when it falls….

and He sees and knows each of us.

He knows my needs—

Personally. Intimately. Completely.

What He gives…

I realize, I am only borrowing for awhile.

God doesn’t owe me. He is not indebted to me. He is not required to stay in my good graces.

And yet, He gives freely to me.

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

   “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  Matthew 7: 7-11 NIV

All that He gives, is out of His love, mercy, and grace.

Sometimes the gifts are glorious and abundant. Other times the gifts are small and scarce.

Sometimes I realize the gifts for what they are, and sometimes I don’t.

Sometimes the gift doesn’t feel like a gift. It might feel like a hurt, or a loss.

But He knows. He knows me. He knows the gift.

He knows how it will all work together, until my mind and my heart can see the gift for what it truly is.

Each of His gifts, no matter how big or how small, is a blessing to me, the receiver.

Don’t believe it? Don’t think He will come through for you?

God does not make a habit of telling any of  us to test Him. (After all, who are we to test the motives or actions of the Almighty?)

But this time He did….He said, “TEST ME”.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi 3:10 NASB

God is not a smooth operator. He is not a player or a slick salesman. He does not cheat, lie, or mislead. He cannot. It is not His nature.

You can believe that if He says something…He means it.

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Thankful, this Monday, for…

* being able to trust

* my good eye sight

* hands that help and hold

* love that endures

* a heart that overflows

* the gift of realizing that it is all God’s

* storing up treasures where neither moth nor rust can destroy

* relationships

* learning…always learning

* good books

* thought provoking statements

* warm jacket

* miracles that occur in the mess

* songs that must be sung

* letters penned from long ago

* the ability to create word pictures

* living in His grace, and knowing it

* growing

* being able to look back and smile

* being able to look forward and smile

* being safe

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Facing The Fear

Storm Clouds June 17th - 1

The day starts as any other.

The routine is comfortable.

I know what to expect.

Knowing what to expect…that is important to me.

I cannot control everything. I try. I fail.

And it scares me.

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I stood in the living room, vacuuming the carpet….back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

My husband was dying. He wasn’t going to live to be an old man.

My son’s father would not be there to see him grow up.

My soul gripped tight. Knuckles white with the fear of it.

Control slipped through my fingers like water through a sieve.

I was exhausted.

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I hung up the phone after hearing the words….

“Your father is dead.”

The details didn’t matter.

My heart was heavy.

As much as I wanted control, it wasn’t mine to have.

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Fear and Faith.

I am not too proud to admit that I struggle. Even still…

I long for security and control. Sometimes I try and grip it too tightly…until it hurts.

Even though I continue on with my life, there is that dark thought that tries to live within me.

The question, “What if?” What if something happens to my now husband?  What if something happens to my children? What if my family members are hurt?

Living in that question… always brings fear.

When the dark fear of  loss wells up in me, when I’m unable to voice what sometimes grips my heart…

I am reminded of the One, the only one, who can calm my soul, and bind the fear when it threatens to overwhelm.

Faith takes the place of fear.

Faith in Him who casts out all fear.

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For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7  NIV

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145: 18-19)

These words are a balm to a tired spirit. He gives rest to me…

and His grip on me is far stronger than any fear I might have.

Thank you, Jesus.

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