tysthatbind

" For thou art my lamp, O   Lord : and the   Lord   will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the  Lord  is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." - II Samuel 22:29-31 Dear Friends, The twenty-second chapter of II Samuel is a psalm of David.  Psalms 18 is very similar.  In Samuel David is rendering his song, his psalm unto God. In Psalms 18, David is rendering a praise to the Lord His Strength.  David has had experience with enemies.  These experiences includes outright attacks, being blindsided and encountering traps that were laid for him.  Yet, in all of this David learned where his help was coming from. The Bible teaches us not to be weary in well doing.  We are taught that trouble, weeping lasts for "a night" but joy follows.  In the darkest of night the Lord is near.  Looking back over nights that have given way to daybreak, can

" Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;   Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" - Ephesians 3:19-20 Dear Friends, Sometimes you have to talk to yourself.  The enemy will attack when you least expect.  These attacks can happen anywhere.  You can be in the kitchen, at the mall, asleep, typing a blog.  In case you're wondering... I remember a song asked these words "how I keep going, how I stay strong?" Well, sometimes, I repeat, you have to talk to yourself.  And you don't talk about any old thing.  Speak to yourself in Psalms: "Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name."  Speak to yourself in   hymns : "I love the Lord, He heard my cry and pitied every groan, long as I live while trouble rise I'll hasten to His throne.  Speak to yourself in spiritual son

" Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the  Lord 's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the  Lord , make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the  Lord  shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the  Lord  hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the  Lord  bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

" And thou shalt  remember  all the way which the  Lord  thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." - Deuteronomy 8:2 Dear Friends, When I reflect on my own life, I often feel that I, like Moses, wandered for  many years in the wilderness.  It is possible to be saved, to be delivered and choose to wander in the wilderness.  This wandering can take many forms.  In my own life I spent a lot of time trying to work things out, looking back and wishing that... "woulda, coulda, shoulda." I allowed myself to get distracted.  I wandered in the wilderness because I did not really understand God's grace.  It was the grace of God that led the children of Israel out of Egypt and the same grace is still leading us today.  It was the grace of God that parted the Red Sea. Grace. It was grace that fed them with manna from on high.  There wa

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?   She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee." - St. John 11:26-28 Dear Friends, "Stephanie do you see the stairs?" My sister asked. 'No, who's on the stairs?' I responded.  She shook her head,"I don't know." I then said, Gretchen it's probably the angels ascending and descending.  And, one thing I know for sure, when you get ready to go up the stairs Jesus will be waiting at the top!"  My sister smiled.  This exchange took place while my sister was in hospice care.  I was able to say to her that Jesus would be waiting because without a doubt He has assured us:  "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

"   Master, which is the great commandment in the law?   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.   This is the first and great commandment."      - St. Matthew 22:36-38 Dear Friends, A lawyer is posing the question to Jesus in the scripture text, tempting Him. Jesus, the Living Word issued a response. We are commanded to love the Lord with all of our being, encompassing our heart , our mind and our very soul .  When I think of the Lord and meditate on His goodness my mind is enabled to manifest love for the One who gave me life and sustains my life.  As I reflect with sincere introspection on the myriad of ways in which the Lord has blessed and continues to bless me, my heart is filled with reverence and love for the Lord who gave His life that I might have everlasting life.  When my   heart and mind are synchronized something spectacular happens. There is an "overflow"

" Therefore thou shalt love the   Lord   thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. 2  And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the  Lord  your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, 3  And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;"       - Deuteronomy 11:1-3 Dear Friends, In the verses indicated today, Moses is speaking to the elders in Israel, those who had witnessed mighty acts of God.  They had experienced the deliverance of God through the parting of the Red Sea.  He had delivered them from Egypt.  They knew first hand The Mighty God. Last night the popular Christian song "How Great Is Our God" (Chris Tomlin)was played over and over in my heart and mind as a dream by the Holy Spirit.  The refrain "sing it

" But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hat

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:1-6 Dear Friends, In Jesus Christ we enjoy a new beginning each day.  In spite of our shortcomings, in spite of our past we are free to live and to serve in the newness of life because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.  Since we are free, no longer co

"   The   Lord   is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The   Lord   is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them." Psalms 145:17-19 Dear Friends, Yesterday my heart was heavy and I was trying to push through to pray.  God placed a couple of Christian friends on my heart. I called and was able to reach one friend and asked her "would you pray for me I am having a hard time" my voice broke in tears before I could hang up.  I wasn't able to reach my other friend.  However, she later called and said she saw she had a missed call from me.  I told her "Oh I was having a rough time and wanted to ask you to pray."  She responded by starting to pray right then.  I hung up when she finished and started crying  so thankful for both of my Christian sisters who encouraged my soul through prayer. Today, tonigh

"Bless the  Lord , O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the  Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The  Lord  executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel The  Lord  is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." - Psalms 103:1-8 Dear Friends, Bless the Lord! Oh My Soul: and all that is within ME, bless HIS HOLY NAME. Bless the Lord, O MY SOUL, and forget not ALL HIS BENEFITS: He forgive all our iniquities He heals all our diseases He redeems our life from destruction He crowns us with love and kindness Don't forget His tender mercies He sati