Grafted in and Grateful

Keep me in “the here and now”
Keep my focus stayed on You
Guide my steps and guard my tongue
Take over my mind…renew

The constant replay
Of yesterday’s passed
Ever envisioning
What the future may hold

Keep me in “the here and now”
I submit to the Potter’s mold

To the pressure needed
To bend or break
Old habits,
Old patterns of thought

Keep me steadfast in Your Word
To learn all that The Teacher taught

Keep me grounded
Anchored to
The foot
Of The Old Rugged Cross

Grant me the peace
That passes understanding
The realization of what
Your bloodshed bought

No more restless nights
Where sleep won’t come
Because of nagging thoughts
I can’t shut down

Close my eyes Lord
Give me rest
Loose my mind
Unwound

The tangled ropes of knotted thoughts
Satan uses to try to take away my crown

Of righteousness
Through Your name’s sake
No longer lost
In You…I’ve found

That living in “the here and now”
Protects me on the battleground

They say somebody died for me
How can I ever repay
The debt paid for me that dark day
When somebody died for me

Taking on all of my faults
My sin nailed
His body to that cross
Oh Yes, He died for me!

It was as if I had hammered in
Every nail
That pierced his skin
He bled and died for me!

I know now there is no greater love
Than when The Father
Sent His Son
To give up His life for me!

The father could not stand the thought
Of my separation
So He bought
This ransomed life I lead!

Lord help me to live life everyday
Remind me
Your scars paid my way
To walk in the Light with Thee

My mind cannot comprehend
But my heart says
You would do it all again
Just to live…to die for me!

The Lord Jesus
Paid the price tis true
But it was not just for me
He lived…TO DIE FOR YOU!

Why does God allow problems
To the just, the right, the good?
Why does God allow problems
When all believers know He could

Take away the hurt,
The pain
Deliver sunshine
Instead of rain

Yet days still
Seem dark and dreary
Leaving hearts and minds
To grow more weary

In the struggle
The constant fight
To live our days
Doing what’s right

And yes we all fall short
We always will
But our sins were forgiven
On that Hill

Far Away

Where
An Old Rugged Cross stood
Where
He suffered the pain
As only a Redeemer would

To grant us access to The Father
To Everything
Through our Savior, Redeemer,
Our Master…The King!

So we must remember
When we are down on our knees
That problems
Bring greater opportunities

Problems prove a life
Lived with integrity
Promoting our own
Spiritual maturity

Problems produce
A sense of dependency
On The Lord God, Our Savior and King
Who is preparing hearts, for His ministry

To all who will listen
And call on The Names
Of Jesus, The Christ
Who took the world’s shame

Deep, deep, down
Into Satan’s pit
Burying it there
In the deep, dark abyss

Never again to raise
It’s loathsome Head
For it is the only thing
Lying in the grave…dead.

For Jesus Christ
Now holds the keys
Reigning over death
He claims our victory

For our problems are but
A momentary suffering
Deliverance comes by Trusting
And living for The King!

How do you cleanse the filthy rags of life when your world is out of control?
Pray the Holy Spirit covers the body, will, and mind of your earthly soul

For the Holy Spirit is of God but the soul is of flesh and bone
Conform your spirit to the word of God
To transform the fruits of your soul

From seeds scorched and burned,
Planted on a rock
To the bounty when cultivated
With everything the seedling needs
Every desire anticipated

By the Sewer the Gardener
The Caretaker of the sparrow
His word divides of soul and spirit
And of the joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12)

Therefore come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy is freely given there
Wisdom and discernment will spring forth with knowledge and understanding to spare

For when we ask our heavenly father to meet us in our need
He responds with more than we could think or ask
The answer to our prayers He’s already perceived

And as we respond rightly to each toil and task, His response may be “no” or “take it slow”
Maturity comes when refined by the fire
His reproof allows reflection and growth
His blood is the only purifier

Today’s post lists my findings from a personal study and review of Proverbs Chapter 2.

The Moral Benefits of Wisdom

* Understanding that the fear of The Lord is reverence and awe
* Finding the knowledge of God
* Wisdom comes from the Lord
* Knowledge and understanding come from the Lord
* Those who walk uprightly will obtain victory
* The Lord shields those whose walk is blameless
* The Lord guards and protects His faithful followers
* You will understand what is right and just and fair
* You will find every good path
* Following the Lord’s commands allows wisdom and knowledge to enter your heart and soul
* You will learn discretion and it will protect you
* Understanding will guard you
* Wisdom will save you from wicked men and from speaking perverse words
* Wisdom will also save you from the seductive temptations of adultery
* You will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the path of those who are righteous in Christ Jesus
* The upright and blameless will inherit the earth

Today’s post was inspired by the reading of God’s Word from the book of Proverbs 1:1-33.

Why have we not responded to the Lords rebuke
Not given heed to his outstretched hand?
Why have we ignored His sound advice
Nor taken heed to His every command?

How long simple ones will we love simple ways
Wandering aimlessly throughout all of our days

For if we had right responses
To the Lord’s reprimands
He would send living waters
To heal our parched dry lands

Yet since we would not accept His advice
And we spurned His rebuke
We will eat all of our days
Of our own rotten fruit

But If we listen to the Lord
If we heed His requests
We will live at safety and at ease
Without fear and be blessed

So we pray for right responses
To every toil, task and test
Embracing the wisdom of King Solomon
As we strive to give You our best

Today’s post was inspired by the reading of God’s Word from the book of Psalms Chapter 32.

Instruct me and teach me the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me, help me to know

I should pray to You, while You may still be found
Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not surround

Those who put their trust in You, for You are our hiding place
Protecting us from trouble, You surround us with Mercy and Grace

You will cover us, shield us, provide shelter from the storm
You will fight our battles for us, through the power of Your Sword

So we rejoice in You, Lord, and we are glad and sing too
For we are upright in heart, we are the righteousness of You

Heavenly Father, Savior, O great and mighty King
Redeemer of the world, Creator and ruler of all things

We bow down before You, and humbly lower our heads
We are the righteousness of You, for which You died for and bled

Taking our place for the sins of mankind
Because You love us too much to leave your righteousness behind

Yes we rejoice in You, Lord, and we are glad and sing too
For we are upright in heart, we are the righteousness of You

Longing for a spiritual awakening
Listening for the voice of God
A still, silence surrounds me
As I contemplate the places where my feet have trod

How did I get to this particular space and time?
The choices I made…were they all on my own?
Yes, but He has steered this vessel with tender mercy and grace
Pointing me always in the direction of home

For my heart is tied to The Father
My soul anchored to the words that He said
Though I didn’t touch the nail-scarred holes in His hands
I believe every single word that I’ve read

From His Holy Book…

The disciples’ account
Of the life that He lived here on earth
I believe Jesus is the Son of God
I believe in the virgin birth

A story so simple, yet amazingly profound
Our God sent us a blue-print in His Son
With answers to questions, when we seek His face
The Narrow Gate points solely to The One

Who laid down His life for the sins of the world
Raising it up again in three days
Providing a bridge to close the gap from man to God
His blood atonement for all sin deserves great praise!

I pray His love becomes the impulse of my life
Let me be the “poiema” of God
Studying, contemplating, reading His word
Let my feet walk only where His have trod

For I am God’s masterpiece, I am His poem
His amazing, majestic work of art
I am beautiful, I am valuable, a one-of-a-kind expression
Of the inner being of The Creator’s Heart

Rambling thoughts clamour for my attention. How do I keep my thoughts focused solely on You? I long for, I crave, divine intervention to block the negative thoughts, keeping me from Your truth.

Help me Lord, to be still. Control my thoughts. For Your redemptive blood spilled at Calvary has bought my ability to withstand to overcome the onslaught, of the fiery darts from the evil one and his minions at all cost.

For I believe in You and every word written in red. I believe You are The Son of God, I believe what I’ve read in the Bible, Your Holy word is not in past tense. No, it is alive and living, offering sound judgement, even unlearned instinctive good sense…when we feed on Your precepts, Your sovereign and holy commands. Trusting only in Your armor to shield and withstand the dark clouds of adversity intertwined in every life’s path. In looking only to You we find Devine intervention as last!

Release your troubled situations to God
Allow Him to take you
Where He wants you to go

Maybe your situation has not worked itself out
Because your prayers are too small
To make it so

Remember, God’s ways are not our ways
His thoughts – infinitely higher
Than our thoughts

Turn your eyes toward Jesus
For it was You
His bloodshed bought

By His stripes, we are healed
For our sin debt
The price was paid

By our Lord and Savior, King Jesus
Our salvation the reason
He allowed Himself to be slain

Nailed to a tree
His blood-stained body – flesh gaping open, bones exposed
His face marred beyond recognition

For the sins of the world He atoned

Disposed of – Casted them out
Every vile, disgusting thing we’ve said and done
He threw them down deep into the abyss

So that we can stand firm
Knowing we are His
And that He cares for us – each and every one

Our troubled situations are His concern
But if you don’t take them before Him
You can’t expect to grow and learn

What He would say to your troubles
What He would tell you to do
If you don’t call on His name – He can’t help see you through

This troubled time, this valley below
The emotional onslaught of stress
No you are not alone, no one walks this earth

Without having their faith put to the test

So call on His name, tell Him your cares
Go to Church
Worship with others just like you

Step out in faith
Pray bigger prayers
Then wait to see what The Lord would have you do