This is my favourite scripture of all time!  Just the thought of the Father rejoicing over me is so amazing. I know that the Father loves me, that He cares about my well-being and forgives me again and again and again (actually AND AGAIN!), but the thought that He rejoices over me with gladness!  What really puts the icing on the cupcake is the meaning of the word rejoice!  I looked in my dictionary and rejoice is "to be glad or to take delight".  The Father takes delight in me! But... in Hebrew the word for rejoice is guwl - "to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion)"!  This is no small emotion, no quiet delight or gentle feeling but a dancing, spinning, rejoicing, delighting, laughing, singing delight!!!  Absolute delight!!!  That's how much He loves me - with an ALL consuming love!  Singing a never ending song of rejoicing over my life!  Wow, I have to say that it surprises me that He would love me that much.  Does it surprise you that He loves you that much?  Because He does!

(I had to mention that this is one of Hannah's photographs taken this summer of a Pride of India tree (or Crepe Myrtle) and was just so beautiful that I had to use it for this scripture!)

Gentleness

Gentleness is something I have been working on for the last 6 months, in fact gentleness is really not one of my more dominant characteristics!  I have been told I am a little like "a bull in a china shop", that "I go where angels fear to tread" and let's not even mention the word "stubborn"!  Even though my middle name is Ann which means grace, I still lack grace, mercy and gentleness.

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit - one of the ones towards the end that we easily forget!  Love, joy, peace, those ones roll off my tongue very quickly but gentleness....... self-control......  I tend to forget those ones!  Gentleness is something that comes from abiding in Christ, letting the Holy Spirit have control.  It is something that only the Holy Spirit can produce - for that I am so thankful, for if I tried to attain it by my own efforts my sarcasm and irritation would rise to the surface.  My desire for my own way would always win!!!

Phil 4:5 says "Let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near."  I have always wanted to be classified as a 'strong, independent woman' and in many ways I am.  I never considered the fact that a strong woman can also be gentle.  She can choose to deal with her family, her friends, people that she encounters, gently - simply because she can!  Not letting anger, harsh words and discontent rise up but having control over her emotions as THAT is what makes her strong!  It's so easy to lash out, pout, tell that person off - after all "they deserve it....."   Self-control - that requires strength.  Gentleness - that requires strength.  I found it so interesting to consider all those gentle, loving women in my life and realised that they are the strong ones!

IT IS FINISHED!!!

Yesterday was Palm Sunday – a day when prophecies were fulfilled, a day of triumph and rejoicing as Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon a donkey, just as was spoken about hundreds of years before in Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Incredible that such a verse could be written about Jesus – “He is just and having salvation!”  So many prophecies were fulfilled at this time of year but often I forget just how amazing it all is!

This week I learned something that I found so remarkable and I wanted to share it with you.  Hundreds of years ago, right back in the time of the Exodus the Jewish people were instructed to make sacrifices twice every day for the atonement of their sins.  God was very detailed about how the sacrifice was to be done; it was to be two male lambs without blemish and had to be done at a specific appointed time!  (Numbers 28:1-8)  For 1400 years the tradition of killing a lamb twice a day continued, a lamb was chosen and led out at dawn.  At the 3^rd hour that lamb was sacrificed.  At the 6^th hour a second male lamb, spotless and without blemish was chosen and led out to the altar where it was given a drink from a golden cup and tied to the altar!  At the 9^th hour that second lamb was sacrificed and the priest raised his shofar and blew it to signal to the people that there has been atonement for their sins. 

Now picture this – Good Friday.  Early in the morning.  In fact it was at dawn when the first lamb was being chosen by the priest, at this very same time Jesus is standing before the Sanhedrin who condemned him to die.  At the third hour they nailed my Saviour’s hands and feet to a cross and crucified him; the high priest killed the first sacrificial lamb at the third hour.  At the sixth hour darkness covered the land and the priest chose the 2^nd male lamb, without spot and blemish to be sacrificed for the people’s atonement. 

But get this, this is extraordinary.  “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”” Mark 15:34. “And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last” Mark 15:37.  At precisely the 9^th hour the priest slaughtered the atonement lamb for the forgiveness of sins and raised his shofar to notify the people that they are forgiven.  At that very moment my Saviour, my Redeemer, the precious Lamb of God cried out “It is finished” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30.   IT IS FINISHED!!!  As the priest raised his shofar to tell the people they were forgiven the veil of the temple was torn in two!  IT IS FINISHED!!!  No more did we have to make the daily sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, Jesus paid it all!

Do you think all these times are purely coincidence?  I think not!  It was all part of God’s perfectly orchestrated plan, planned for you from the beginning of time.  A plan to bring you back to Him, back to His heart and Jesus was the one who paid it all!

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  John 1:29

Seeking His Face.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8

At first glance I wondered to myself “how does someone guide you with their eye?”. Wouldn’t you have to be looking at that person to see which way the eye was indicating? So often when I think of the Lord guiding me I think of Him taking me by the hand and leading me down the pathway that I should walk in, the Lord in front and me behind – and He does do that! But think of this:

There is a huge, lavish banquet being held by the most important man in the land – the King! Every dignitary and significant person in the country is at the table. And you, why you are His Majesty’s right hand man! You stand to attention off to the side and intently watch your King’s every move. At a point during the evening He raises His head and looks in your direction and immediately you know that it’s time to bring in the entertainment! You were guided by the King’s eye!

There are times I can look deep into my husband’s eyes and I know just what he is thinking. There is that profound connection that has developed over the years where we know each other so well and not only can we finish each other’s sentences but we can communicate without words. I think that’s what the Lord desires for us, that we draw so close to Him, that we seek such intimacy with Him that we see our reflection in His eyes. That we get to know Him so well that no words are needed, we will know what He is thinking and with just a slight movement we will be instructed to go to the left or to the right.

Vs 9 goes on to say “Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near you”. Our Father wants you to draw close to Him so that you can understand what He is saying to you, so that you can see what He is looking at, you can see by looking into His eyes what your next step should be. He doesn’t want to have to put a bit and bridle into your mouth and drag you towards Him like a slave, in fact He won’t. “Draw near to me and I will draw near to you”! Tuck yourself in so close that you can see your reflection in His eyes.

The bible tells us that we are the ‘apple of His eye’; did you ever wonder what that means? I have. Well the Hebrew is “iyshown ayin” which literally translated means ‘little man of the eye’. It is the reflection of yourself that you see in someone’s eye when you are really close. The Father is watching you so closely and so intently that you are the apple of His eye!!! If you gaze into His eyes you will realize that all He sees is you!

If there are mountains in your life, huge obstacles in your way, gaze deeply into His eyes and you will see how small they really are and how much bigger you are. As you become aware of Him you will see how aware He is of you, how much He loves you, how He wants to teach you and guide you and show you wondrous things! There will be no need for words, commands, loud shouts or audible voices; you will know what He is saying and what you should do next by looking deeply into your Father’s eyes.

Feb 7, 2012

The Lord is my Helper

God is not bound by your feelings but is bound by His Word! He will always stay true to His Promises, He is bound by them! Hebrews 13:6 says “We can be sure when we say “I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper”. What an amazing scripture, something we can be totally sure of. Helper in the Greek is boethos : boe which means a cry for help and theo meaning to run. One who comes running when we cry for help. This little word describes our God as poised and ready to rush to our relief when we cry out for His help!!!! I love that!!! That’s our Lord, our Savoir. Waiting for our cry so that He can rush over and be our help! A very present help in trouble! How often do we not cry out to God and just try to ‘make it’ on our own. I know that I can sit and worry and fret – making the problem bigger and bigger in my mind until I have this monster of my imagination! Instead – I should cry out to the Loving Father who waits for my cry so that He can rush to my side… My help, my strength, my salvation!

Recently I was listening to a speaker who used the scripture we are all so familiar with “faith comes from hearing the Word of God” but fear comes from hearing those worries, those anxious thoughts, those lies, playing over and over in your head! Instead of letting the enemy mess with your mind we can boldly and loudly say “I will not be afraid because the Lord is my helper” and let that confidence well up in our spirits. Know with assurance that He will be right there, helping you, beside you, and you have no need to be afraid!

Psalm 46

Africa Smiled

I had to post this poem which I saw on a friends facebook. So beautiful and so true.

Africa smiled a little when you left. “We know you,” Africa said, “We have seen and watched you, We can learn to live without you, But we know we needn’t yet.” And Africa smiled a little when you left. “You cannot leave Africa,” Africa said. ... ... ... ... “It is always with you,there inside your head. Our rivers run in currents,in the swirl of your thumbprints; Our drumbeats, counting out your pulse, Our coastline, The silhouette of your soul.” So Africa smiled a little when you left. “We are in you,” Africa said. “You have not left us, yet.”

by Bridget Dore