O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free.
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His Glory and Grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion -
For more than conquerors we are!
Refrain
His Word shall not fail you - He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
He Never Sleeps
Giraffes have the shortest sleep cycle of any mammal. They sleep only between 10 minutes and 2 hours in a 24-hour period and average just 1.9 hours of sleep per day. Seemingly always awake, the giraffe has nothing much in common with most humans in that regard. If we had so little sleep, it would probably mean we had some form of insomnia. But for giraffes, it’s not a sleep disorder that keeps them awake. It’s just the way God has made them.
If you think 1.9 hours a day is not much sleep, consider this fact about the Creator of our tall animal friends: Our heavenly Father never sleeps.
Describing God’s continual concern for us, the psalmist declares, “He who keeps you will not slumber” (Ps. 121:3). In the context of this psalm, the writer makes it clear that God’s sleepless vigilance is for our good. Verse 5 says, “The Lord is your keeper.” God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us—with no need for refreshing. Our Protector is constantly seeking our good. As one song puts it: “He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He watches me both night and day.”
Are you facing difficulties? Turn to the One who never sleeps. Each second of each day, let Him “preserve your going out and your coming in” (v.8). — Bill Crowder
The Rock of Ages stands secure,
He always will be there;
He watches over all His own
To calm their anxious care. —Keith
The One who upholds the universe will never let you down.
April 13, 2010
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2010/04/13/devotion.aspx
Friday, April 2, 2010
Rejected
'Jesus asked, 'Are you also going to leave?'' John 6:67 NLT
Have you ever been dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend? Rejected by your mates? Abandoned by your parents? If yes to any of these, you wouldn't be human if you didn't feel hurt. Sometimes the pain and sadness lasts for years. What's weird is that even if nothing like this has ever happened to us, we could still worry about it: fearful that one day someone will dump us, reject us or abandon us. No-one wants to be left alone. At some point we all experience the heartbreak of losing someone we love, or being disappointed in people. It's why God tells us over and over, 'Fear not for I am with you.' (Isaiah 43:5 NKJ) Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected by friends, and not just once! A whole bunch of his friends told Him to get lost. 'At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him.' (John 6:66 NLT) So how did He cope? He didn't deny his emotions. He said: 'Are you also going to leave?' (John 6:67 NLT) It's all there: the pain of loss, wondering what's going to happen next. Remember the pain you feel is ok. Those who say, 'You shouldn't feel this way,' are well-meaning but wrong. Acknowledging pain initiates the feeling-dealing-healing process. You can't heal what you won't feel or deal with. So, embrace your feelings, draw on God's grace, and move through the healing process.
Q: When negative experiences happen, what's your greatest enemy? A: Your own head! We worry and let our thoughts dictate the pace. Jesus was about to face His greatest trial, so He went out into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 'Not My will,' He said to His Father (and ours), 'but yours!' We need to let God in on our thoughts, let God control our thinking. If we don't, our thoughts run riot in our heads making us fearful, depressed, alone. Romans 12:2 NKJ says, '�be transformed by the renewing of your minds.' Get God stuff in your head: When you say, 'I can't solve this!' God tells you, 'I will direct your path.' (Proverbs 3:6) When you say, 'It's impossible!', God tells you, 'Everything is possible.' (Luke 18:27) When you say, 'I feel all alone!', God tells you, 'Never will I leave you.' (Hebrews 13:5) When you say, 'I can't do it!', God tells you, 'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.' (Philippians 4:13) When you say, 'I don't deserve forgiveness!', God tells you, 'I have forgiven you.' (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1) When you say, 'I'm afraid!', God tells you, 'Do not fear for I am with you, I will strengthen you and help you.' (Isaiah 41:10) When you say, 'No-one really loves me!', God tells you 'I love you.' (John 3:16) When you say, 'I don't know how to go on!', God tells you 'I will show you.' (Psalm 32:8)
Being abandoned, ditched, dropped, jilted, neglected, rejected can mess with our heads so much. When stuff like this happens, we tend to handle it by turning into one of three characters: The Boxer: We mouth off big time! Never throwing the towel in, we fight to the finish! The Actor: We pretend it doesn't matter, act like it makes no difference to us: 'I'm perfectly fine, thank you!' The Assassin: We plot revenge; 'I don't get mad, I get even!' Mouthing off, pretending we're fine, or plotting revenge will only leave us getting more hurt and probably hurt others in the process. So what should we do? Have you heard of the game Truth or Dare? You choose between Truth and Dare. Pick truth and you have to answer in total honesty any question that your friends ask you. Choose dare and you have to participate in a challenge set to you by your friends. But have you ever played Truth AND Dare? It's not so much a game but a way of life that God wants us to live; especially when we are feeling rejected. Jesus knows how that feels: He went to the Cross not only rejected by His friends but knowing that God Himself would turn away as He took on the sin of the world. TRUTH: Know God's truth about you. Jesus died for you. God says: '�you are precious to me. You are honoured, and I love you.' (Isaiah 43:4 NLT) DARE: to act on God's truth and not on your feelings! Live, knowing you're precious!
Have you ever been dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend? Rejected by your mates? Abandoned by your parents? If yes to any of these, you wouldn't be human if you didn't feel hurt. Sometimes the pain and sadness lasts for years. What's weird is that even if nothing like this has ever happened to us, we could still worry about it: fearful that one day someone will dump us, reject us or abandon us. No-one wants to be left alone. At some point we all experience the heartbreak of losing someone we love, or being disappointed in people. It's why God tells us over and over, 'Fear not for I am with you.' (Isaiah 43:5 NKJ) Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected by friends, and not just once! A whole bunch of his friends told Him to get lost. 'At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him.' (John 6:66 NLT) So how did He cope? He didn't deny his emotions. He said: 'Are you also going to leave?' (John 6:67 NLT) It's all there: the pain of loss, wondering what's going to happen next. Remember the pain you feel is ok. Those who say, 'You shouldn't feel this way,' are well-meaning but wrong. Acknowledging pain initiates the feeling-dealing-healing process. You can't heal what you won't feel or deal with. So, embrace your feelings, draw on God's grace, and move through the healing process.
Q: When negative experiences happen, what's your greatest enemy? A: Your own head! We worry and let our thoughts dictate the pace. Jesus was about to face His greatest trial, so He went out into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 'Not My will,' He said to His Father (and ours), 'but yours!' We need to let God in on our thoughts, let God control our thinking. If we don't, our thoughts run riot in our heads making us fearful, depressed, alone. Romans 12:2 NKJ says, '�be transformed by the renewing of your minds.' Get God stuff in your head: When you say, 'I can't solve this!' God tells you, 'I will direct your path.' (Proverbs 3:6) When you say, 'It's impossible!', God tells you, 'Everything is possible.' (Luke 18:27) When you say, 'I feel all alone!', God tells you, 'Never will I leave you.' (Hebrews 13:5) When you say, 'I can't do it!', God tells you, 'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.' (Philippians 4:13) When you say, 'I don't deserve forgiveness!', God tells you, 'I have forgiven you.' (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1) When you say, 'I'm afraid!', God tells you, 'Do not fear for I am with you, I will strengthen you and help you.' (Isaiah 41:10) When you say, 'No-one really loves me!', God tells you 'I love you.' (John 3:16) When you say, 'I don't know how to go on!', God tells you 'I will show you.' (Psalm 32:8)
Being abandoned, ditched, dropped, jilted, neglected, rejected can mess with our heads so much. When stuff like this happens, we tend to handle it by turning into one of three characters: The Boxer: We mouth off big time! Never throwing the towel in, we fight to the finish! The Actor: We pretend it doesn't matter, act like it makes no difference to us: 'I'm perfectly fine, thank you!' The Assassin: We plot revenge; 'I don't get mad, I get even!' Mouthing off, pretending we're fine, or plotting revenge will only leave us getting more hurt and probably hurt others in the process. So what should we do? Have you heard of the game Truth or Dare? You choose between Truth and Dare. Pick truth and you have to answer in total honesty any question that your friends ask you. Choose dare and you have to participate in a challenge set to you by your friends. But have you ever played Truth AND Dare? It's not so much a game but a way of life that God wants us to live; especially when we are feeling rejected. Jesus knows how that feels: He went to the Cross not only rejected by His friends but knowing that God Himself would turn away as He took on the sin of the world. TRUTH: Know God's truth about you. Jesus died for you. God says: '�you are precious to me. You are honoured, and I love you.' (Isaiah 43:4 NLT) DARE: to act on God's truth and not on your feelings! Live, knowing you're precious!
www.word4U2day.com.au
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