Saturday, March 28, 2009

Wait on the Lord

Lady of Light

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find it difficult to wait for things. It isn't near as bad as when I was a small child, but there are still times when I want to take matters into my own hands instead of waiting on the Lord. I then pray for patience.

In Psalm 27:14, David writes, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

Being of good courage means praying and waiting - it doesn't always mean just "jumping in there". There is courage and there is GOOD courage. When we wait on the Lord and have GOOD courage, he strengthens our heart.

We can be thankful for this promise. We all need to be strengthened of heart.
If you listen to the news, you are bombarded with tragedies every minute. When you read the newspaper, you see some good news, but, once again, there are enough troubling things going on to encourage anyone to pray and wait on the Lord.

As you go through your day, I pray you will experience patience and the peace of God so that you may wait on Him and be blessed.

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Friday, March 27, 2009

Do Everything with Dilligence

Lady of Light

As I listened to Dr. Charles Stanley on Sunday, he told us his mother always said "Do the best you can." He said, "Look your best, try your best, do your best." This is a good motto. It made me think of the word diligent. I decided to look it up in the dictionary and it is a good thing I did because I thought it meant with persistence or perseverance. Actually, it is "to do with painstaking effort and care." Sometimes I have a tendency to rush through things and to do everything with painstaking effort and care is something which I know I need to improve on.

In Proverbs 4:23, it tells us:

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

I now take this to mean, with effort and care keep your heart. This involves confessing our sins and allowing the Lord to cleanse our hearts as He promises in 1 John 1:9, "if we confess our sins, He is just and faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Praying with our hearts, praising with are hearts and asking God to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus as the scripture promises are all part of this too, I believe.

In Proverbs 13:4, it states:

"The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."

I take this as a warning to use diligence.

In Proverbs 22:29, it speaks of the rewards of diligence:

"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men."

As you go through your day, increase your awareness of putting special effort and care in all you do and I know you will be blessed. This is my plan for today.

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Names Are Important

Lady of Light

In the newspaper I read of a 75 year old woman with Alzheimer's Disease who spent many years in a state hospital because they didn't know her name and so she wasn't eligible for Medicaid so that she could go to a nursing home. Years ago, she had been found wandering around a shopping mall and didn't know her name so she was taken to the hospital. Somehow, she now has an identity and can go to a nursing home. This story has a happy ending but it does raise the question as to whether or not the state should make exceptions in cases like this.

In the bible, Mary was told by God that her child's name would be Jesus. John the Baptist's parents were told that he would be named John. Apparently, God thinks names are important because he instructed these parents what to name their children.

Your name is a precious gift - thank God for it - this poor lady had to live for years without a name and suffer the consequences.

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hear the Cry of the Poor

Lady of Light

So often as we go through our day, we tend to "filter out" things around us. I was walking down the street the other day, mentally engrossed in the contents of a meeting I had just attended, and a small voice interrupted me, "Can you spare some change?" I looked up and there was this older lady standing in a doorway. I dug in my wallet and pulled out a dollar for her. She smiled and thanked me. I was rushing to catch a bus so I did not get into a conversation with her. But I heard "the cry of the poor." Scripture speaks of God hearing the poor in Ps. 69:33

"The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. For the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners."

I believe that this means not only the people who are poor in money or material goods, but those who are needy emotionally and spiritually as well.

Take time to listen to the needs of the poor and to respond in prayer and action and surely the Lord will bless you for it.

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Pray for the Unseen

Lady of Light

So often we have a tendency to pay attention to that which we see. We focus on people in our inner circle such as family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances that we encounter in our travels. This is a good thing, but if we follow the example of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:1-5 we will see that he had a great deal of care and concern for those who have never seen him.
In our personal journey, my husband and I are ever greatful for the prayer teams of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Joel Osteen Ministries who have received our prayer requests and committed to pray for our concerns. Prayer is powerful and the more people who are petitioning God for you and praying for you, the more divine power that is released in your life and in your circumstances.
Take a look at what the Apostle Paul writes in Colossians:

"For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the myster of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguild you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ."
Colossians 2:3-5
Paul had a great desire for the spiritual welfare of others to see them "knitt together in love" and to know the truth and not to be led astray by enticement of words.

As you pray, think of those who have never seen you, who need prayers for comfort and guidance.

Pray for some new people or ministries today!

God bless you and have a great day!

Lady of Light