Abide In Me ~

Hello friends!

In the early part of the spring my husband and I

took some time to really clean out the dead branches 

of the pussy willows and a few pine trees in our beautiful creek

nestled right next to our home.

This was a task that I had been wanting to accomplish for years,

but if you do not attend to it early in the spring before the run off
then the creek begins to rush with the high waters and you just as well wait another year.

Once the run off begins it becomes difficult in trying to clean out the branches.

Our spring was long, cold and snowy making the task even more dreadful,

but the results that we have seen throughout the summer have been worth it all.

I have been studying the book of John in my morning time with the Lord,

and when I came to chapter 15:1-11 where it speaks of

Jesus as the True Vine, I couldn't help but think of the many

branches that we purged from the creek and hauled away

leaving room for new growth and the bearing of more fruit to take place,

the fruit being fresh new fuzzy pussy willows.
While working away on those cold, wet snowy days
my mind was busy thinking of the pruning process
 that sometimes takes place in the believers life. 
The Heavenly Father is never nearer to us than when He is pruning us.
 Sometimes He cuts away the dead wood that might cause trouble; 
but often He cuts off the living tissue that may be robbing us of spiritual vigor.
Some of the branches we had to cut off were living
and it hurt me to think that we were taking what was good;
but I was reminded that pruning does not simply mean
spiritual surgery that removes what is bad.
It can also mean cutting away the good and the better 
so that we might enjoy the best.
Yes, pruning hurts, but it also helps. We may not enjoy it, but we need it.

During the life of Jesus on earth, the word He used when speaking

of the relations of the disciples to Himself was; "Follow Me."

When about to leave for heaven, He gave them a new word, 

in which their more intimate and spiritual union with Himself

in glory should be expressed. 

That chosen word was: "Abide in Me."

~ Andrew Murray ~ 

~

It needs time to grow into Jesus the Vine; do not expect

to abide in Him unless you will give Him that time...

Come, my brethren, and let us day by day set ourselves

at His feet, and meditate on this word of His, with an 

eye fixed on Him alone. 

Let us set ourselves in quiet trust

before Him, waiting to hear His holy voice~the still

small voice that is mightier than the storm that rends the

rocks~breathing its quickening spirit within us, as He

speaks: "Abide in Me."

~ Andrew Murray ~

I appreciated the words of Andrew Murray;
"Come, my brethren, and let us day by day set ourselves
at His feet, and meditate on this word of His, with an 
eye fixed on Him alone."
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed."
(John 8:31)
This verse refers to the state of continuing to live
by the Word of God. 
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself
also to walk, even as he walked."
(1 John2:6)
We are to be imitators of Christ, walking in the Light. 
Jesus wants His followers to abide in Him,
to dwell, to remain, to stay and to be obedient. 
"Abiding, (or remaining) in Christ" indicates
an intimate spiritual relationship with Christ on the part of the believer.
So day by day we need to set ourselves at the feet of Jesus,
read His Word, and wait in quiet trust
before Him in order to be made more and more like Him.
~

True believers obey the Lord's command ~ 
Jesus set the model by His perfect obedience to the Father,
which we are to use as the pattern for our obedience to Him.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;

even as I have kept my Father's commandments, 

and abide in His love." 

(John 15:10) 
~

True believers submit to His Word ~

"He that hath my commandments , and keepeth them,

he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall

be loved of my Father, and I will love him,

and will manifest myself to him." 

(John 14:21)
~

Because of the believers commitment to God's Word, 

they are devoted to His will, thus their prayers are fruitful,

which puts God's glory on display as He hears and answers.

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."

(John 14:13-14)
~
Believers who are obedient to the Father's commandments
will experience joy, just as Jesus maintained that His obedience
to the Father was the basis of His joy.
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
(John15:11)
 ~
There is only one relationship that matters, and that is
your relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord.
Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs,
and God will fulfill His purpose through your life.
~ Oswald Chambers ~
How very true this is!

~

Precious Heavenly Father,
we know that as the knot of the branch abides in the vine,
and the sap of the vine abides in the branch,
there is a constant communication between them.
Draw us ever so close to Thy precious side,
as we faithfully abide in Thee.
Amen.

Be Fruitful!
~ Debbie ~

A Lamp Unto My Feet ~

"O Lord You have searched me, and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are
acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my
tongue, but, behold, O Lord, You know it all together." (Psalm 139:1-4) 
These words have brought comfort to me over the past few weeks.
I love that the Lord knows all about me, even my sitting down and rising up.
I have missed visiting with you but needed the time away from
the computer as my Vestibular/Labyrinthitis decided to flare up.
My therapist has been having me do some exercises that really set it off 
and it seems as though I have been doing more sitting down
 or lying down rather than rising up. Ha!
Our Lord is good and gracious, with a compassionate heart during our times of need
and I praise His Holy Name for His unfailing love and concern.
This inner ear/balance disorder keeps me ever so close to my Savior's side
and therefore, my heart rejoices with thanksgiving 
for His ways are perfect and marvelous.

Nearly a month ago my husband and I enjoyed special time 
with each of our grandsons who belong to our oldest daughter.
Each one of them wanted to earn some extra money while with Gamma and Pa,
so we found ways in helping them to in-large their bank accounts.
One of the boys helped me organize and clean the shed and there

I came across these lamps that hung out on the back deck of my parents home.

When dad and mom had their estate sale I purchased the lamps hoping to find a special place 

for them in our own home, but had forgotten them.

 When I came across them I was reminded of the Scripture verse

that speaks about the Word being a lamp unto our feet,
a verse I have tucked away in my heart for years
claiming the promises as I walk daily with my Lord.

~*~

 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) 

~*~

"Light" God's Word provides illumination for us to walk with out stumbling.

Webster Dictionary says for the word stumble ~ "to blunder morally."

The word blunder put a curiosity in my thoughts and I just had to look it up. 

"A gross error or mistake resulting from stupidity, ignorance, confusion, or carelessness."  
Yikes! Those are pretty strong words.

God's Word is a lamp and a light, it shows us what is amiss, and will be dangerous;

it directs us in our way.

 It is a lamp which we may set up by us, and take into our hands in order to give us direction.

"For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light;

and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:23)

 The commandment...the teaching...discipline.

All of these identify the Word of God, which provides

the wisdom which leads to an abundant and eternal life.

The commandment is a lamp that is kept burning

with the oil of the Spirit.

God's goodness and grace through His lamp and light
will beautifully guide our feet and our path
keeping us from error.

"The entrance of Your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130)

The use of God's Word was intended to give light, that is, to give understanding. 

As we journey through this land, a world that can seem dark at times,

the Spirit of God enlightens our understanding giving us light to direct our path way.

From the "entrance" of God's Word we are given light.

The very first verse of the Bible gives us discoveries of the origin of the universe,

and without the light the world would be in utter darkness.

Once the Word of God enters into us, and has a place in us, 

it enlightens us; we then begin to see when we begin to study the word of God. 
God commands us to study His word ~
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workmen
that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth." (2Timothy 2:15)
God's Word is trustworthy, completely true and without error. 

~*~

"Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold,

yes, than fine gold." (Psalm 119:127)

We must love ALL of God's commandments and esteem them to be right and just.

They are all that they should be, and no fault can be found with them;

and we must love them because they bear God's image

and are the revelations of His will.

Oh that we would love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength
making the Word a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path
 so as to not stumble carelessly through this journey He has set before us.

Dear friends, we have all that we need in the Scriptures
and God's Word is greater than all the fine gold this world has to offer.
May it become the center of our lives!

Precious Heavenly Father,

we are without excuse as we walk this path You have laid before us,
for we have Your Word, the Bible, to in struck and guide us.

Illuminate our way with Your Word as we faithfully

look to You in directing our lives. 

Amen. 

Be Joyous!

~ Debbie ~

 

~ Cheerfulness is Healthy

Hello dear friends!
The past couple of weeks my husband and I have had
 the joy and the privilege of keeping our oldest daughters
three boys and enjoying them one-on-one!
They are certainly growing up and showing forth
their own individual character traits and qualities.
While busy with my boys I left the computer to itself
and have not been around to visit your loveliness.
I look forward to catching up with you soon.

~~~***~~~

This past week, my dear Uncle Spike (dads brother),
was called home to glory.
Uncle Spike held a very special place in my life;
for it was he who took the time to tell me about my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Uncle Spike was concerned for the salvation of my soul
and through his love and concern I put my faith and trust in Christ 33 years ago. 
Uncle Spike loved the Lord and was not ashamed of the Gospel;
his desire was to share Christ with those whom God brought into his life.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also the Greek."
(Romans 1:16)
During the last days of Uncle Spikes life
he was on hospice; yet, he still had that joy and laughter
in his heart with a smile that warmed your soul.
His hope was in Christ, and it was evident in his life
as he passed from this life into glory. 
 ~~~***~~~
In the early years of my life, after placing my faith in Christ,
I would call on Uncle Spike with numerous questions
while spending time reading the Scriptures.
My heart longed to have a deeper intimacy with Christ
through the study of His word.
Oh there was so much that I wanted to know,
 learn and understand but it wasn't coming fast enough.
I can still remember my Uncle laughing on the other end of the phone
during those phone calls. He knew that every believer 
hungered for the Truth after salvation took place
and that's what I was doing.
He encouraged me to use Bible dictionaries, concordances
and other Bible references to study 
and dig deeper into the Word of God.
Uncle Spike made an impact on my Spiritual walk with the Lord
through his instruction, encouragement and inspiration. 
I will for-ever be grateful for his love towards me.
Many times when I write a post, I will share with you
things I find through dictionaries and other study helps;
I guess I'm passing along to you some of that inspiration that was passed on to me.

 ~~~***~~~

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine;
but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
(Proverbs 17:22)
~*~
"A sound heart is the life of the flesh." (Proverbs 14:30b)
The English Standard Version uses the word "Tranquil heart"
 Tranquil in the dictionary is ~
Free from agitation, serene, free from disturbance or turmoil, quiet, steady, stable.
"Flesh"  a healthy mind filled with wisdom
is associated with a healthy body.

A cheerful heart causes good health.
"It will be health to your flesh,
and strength to your bones." (Proverbs 3:8)
The inner parts, the renewal of the marrow is strength to the bones.
"His breasts are full of milk,
and his bones are moistened with marrow." (Job 21:24)
God promises well-being for those who live
wisely according to His will.
 But sorrows of the mind can contribute
to the sickness of the body.
A broken spirit, sunk by the burden of afflictions
can dry up the bones, eating away at the marrow.
~*~
I found myself thinking of how
 David forfeited such physical well-being before he confessed
that he had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah.
David knew that his sin was against God foremost.
"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned
and done this evil in thy site." (Psalm 51:4a) 
~ You may want to read about Davids repentive heart in your own time ~
(Psalm 32:3-4 & Psalm 51) 
~*~
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;
but a wounded spirit who can bear." (Proverbs 18:14)
A mans spirits sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear.
Having a "crushed spirit" causes one to loose hope.
Therefore, we should strive to have the right attitude (a merry heart)
in all manner of life.
We all have people in our lives who struggle with sickness and weakness; yet,
 do you find that many times when you pay them a visit
 they are the ones who cheer you?
"Cheer" in the dictionary ~ is the State of mind or heart: spirit,
( be of good cheer) Rejoice, (likely to dispel gloom or worry)
 State of mind or heart ~ I like that.
Right heart attitudes ~
will put a smile on our face ~ hope in our hearts ~ praise on our lips ~
 and beautifies us with the joy of the Lord.
When we have the right heart attitude through focusing on Christ
and the promises found in His Word,
those attributes are sure to flow from our own hearts onto others
bringing encouragement to those
who may be experiencing a broken or crushed spirit.
When we allow the Spirit of God to flow through our own hearts,
God is the One who receives all the honor and glory
and lives are touched in ways we may never know this side of Eternity.
The beauty of the Lord will fall on those with a crushed spirit,
as we allow ourselves to be used by the hand of God.
To God be the glory!

"The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart:
but a good report maketh the bones fat". (Proverbs 15:30)
A "good report" or good news ~
offers sound truth and wisdom
that stirs the heart by relieving anxiety 
and producing a cheerful face. 
 It is Christ and our relationship with Him  that causes us to have
that state of mind and cheerful heart in all our afflictions. 
A merry heart, high spirits and lightheartedness
brings us joy no matter what we may be facing
and should cause us to spread that joy with a cheerful heart onto others.

The Lord is for the body, and provides for it not only meat, but medicine.
God wants us to have a merry heart that rejoices in Him.
When we look to and lean on Jesus and the promises found in His Word,
He will be faithful in providing for our every need
 through His Spirit, and by His grace.
But sorrows of the mind can contribute
to the sickness of the body.
A broken spirit, sunk by the burden of afflictions
can dry up the bones, eating away at the marrow.
These verses are telling us that there is a basic relationship 
between our mental attitude and our physical well-being.
What we allow into our hearts
has a direct bearing on our physical health.

~~~***~~~

Precious Lord Jesus,
cause us to keep our minds set upon You and Your Word,
so as to live our days with a merry heart
rejoicing in You and Your promises.
May we have hearts filled with joy
and praise on our lips
for Your glory.
Amen.


Be Gracious!
~ Debbie ~