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God is answering prayer for Matthew. I just talked to his grandmother, Beverly, by phone. Delaina, Matthew’s mother and Beverly’s daughter, slept better last night than the night before so she is doing better. The pediatrician told Delaina this mnrning that Matthew’s heart is sounding more normal. Del, Beverly’s husband and Delaina’s father, will take Marc, Delaina’s husband and Mathhew’s father, Delaina, and Matthew to Medical City in Dallas from Sulphur Springs to see a pediatric cardiologist about 2:00 P.M. today. We are praying for their safe journey, an accurate diagnosis of Matthew’s heart murmur, and God’s comfort and courage for all.

I was reminded how much God cares for us when Beverly was expressed her concern for Matthew, Delaina, and Marc. Our loving heavenly Father put that natural motherly love in women because He loves us even more! He uses our mothers and wives to give us much of the tender, loving, and emotional care which we need. (It is amazing, though, that God chose to express the love relationship between Christ and Christians as the love between a husband and wife, according to the apostle Paul. Paul wrote that we as husbands should be the ultimate and extreme example of love in loving our wives, even as Christ loves us and gave His life for us.)

I told Beverly about our long-time Pastor Charles Diffee. After he had heart by-pass surgery about 20 years ago he reported, as in Psalm 57:7, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed…” David, the psalmist, continued to say, “I will sing and give praise.” (KJV). Beverly said that as her heart is steadfast and fixed on Christ she is comforted and encouraged.

David wrote again, in Psalm 108:1, “O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” (KJV). An unidentified psalmist wrote in Psalm 112: 6-7 concerning the righteous man–“6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” (KJV). I have learned that when God says something once it is important. When God says something twice it is very important. When God says something three times, I can “take it to the bank.” “There is no god like our God” whom we can always trust for the best in our lives. Hallelujah.

Father, we pray and trust you that not only Matthew’s heart murmur will be fixed, but all the rest of us will fix our eyes and our hearts steadfastly on you, our God who heals us, and trust in you to do your will to your glory. “I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” Amen.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)

Tonight this verse is encouraging. We just received the news that our niece’s three-day old son, Matthew, has a heart murmur. He is to be seen by a pediatric cardiologist at 2:00 P.M. tomorrow. His family is to take him. It is not planned that he is not going by ambulance. Therefore, his life must not be in great jeopardy, as he is entrusted to the care of his parents instead of trained medical personnel.

Please open your mouth wide with prayer so God’s Holy Spirit can fill it with the petitions needed in Matthew’s life and/or the answers to those petitions. As Christians we can figuratively look at Egypt as being any burden, enslavement, sin, or even slight care.

God did not withhold his own son from us. Therefore, we can believe he will freely give us all things, according to Romans 8:31-32. All of Romans 8 is encouraging to us as believers in Jesus Christ. Even the sufferings of this present time are nothing when compared to the glory which will be revealed in us, according to verse 18.

Father, thank you for your wonderful gift of Matthew to my niece, her husband, and the whole world. Thank you for what You will do in his life, as You work this problem of the heart murmur for good in his life. Thank you for the wonderful gift of our Savior, in whose name we ask that your will be done in Matthew’s life and that he be healed completely. Amen.

This morning I was reading two of my favorite verses in Proverbs 16:

3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord works out everything for his own ends– even the wicked for a day of disaster.” (NIV)

I believe another version states verse 3 as: “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

This evening our pastor, Roger Raymer, told of a quote he had read today, “We are always asking God to change our circumstances, but God wants to use our circumstances to change us.”

That sounds like Romans 8:28 stated in a way that one could apply it to daily living. ” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

I was reading Isaiah 46 this evening. God is so uniquely awesome, great, and all knowing that we will never understand Him completely, but we can trust Him completely. Look at these selections:

18″…I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

21 “Declare what is to be, present it– let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.

23 “…Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. 24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.”

Today and this evening I was wondering and discussing with God some of the last week’s events in my life. I do not need to worry or fret. I only need to trust Him moment by moment to carry out His plan in my life in the power of His Holy Spirit living in me, controlling and empowering my life.

This weekend I will try to recount some of the answers to prayer which we have seen. “Our God is an awesome God!” There is power in His name, the name above all names. Wonderful! Wonderful is the grace of Jesus! Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen. Amen.

First, I want anyone to know that I do not know a lot about Isaiah, except that Jesus began his first written synagogue teaching with a reading from Isaiah and that it is filled with prophecy of Israel and of Christ. The passage is included in chapters 40-43. Read them completely and thoughtfully for great blessing and encouragement as you see the prophecies of Israel and of Christ.

Today, I believe I failed my Savior and several good friends at work by setting a poor example. I cannot share the details at this point and perhaps never can, but I was encouraged by reading Isaiah again this evening, as I remembered what I had read this morning. The portion quoted below is especially good–but do not neglect to read the whole book, even if you only read chapters 40-43, as soon as possible.

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed– I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. 13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:20-13, NIV)

(Incidentally, Crosswalk has many Bible study helps. I cut and paste the scriptures from their web site at http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible. Many translation versions and study helps are available on their site.)

As you read the following, ask God what He wants you to learn and to do. I was much encouraged this morning, and even more so this evening, as I reread this passage. I’ll not take time to comment tonight, but I will try to tell you later how God is working in the my life and in the lives of my family members. He has already won the victories for eternity. “Our God is an awesome God!” “He alone is worthy of our praise.” Hallelujah! Praise our mighty King and wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Praise our Lord in and through the Holy Spirit in all that you do. –Amen

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:16-20)

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah 2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah 5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. 6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. 7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:1-7)

1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2 As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. 3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds– his name is the Lord– and rejoice before him. 5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:1-6)

New International Version

Years ago, I read a supposed comment by a tradesman, “Yesterday I could not spell ‘electricain.’ Today I are one.” Yesterday I did not know how to update a blog. (I initially started a blog to answer a question posted by a friend about how one might spend some time (spare time or otherwise) and/or whether or not to devote some of his family’s resources to that activity.) Today, I am learning to be a blogger. My son was right in his surprise at my starting a blog. It surprised me, too.

My purpose for this blog is to record some of my thoughts in my own passage through this life. I do not have all the answers, but I am learning more to trust the One who does. This blog is being written as a personal journal. It is being shared to hopefully be an encouragement to others in their passage through this life. One of the most important ways in which I am encouraged is by reading and thinking about what I read in an ancient book, the all-time best seller, the most controversial and challenging book in the world, the Bible. I will endeavor to share things that encourage me, especially when I am discouraged. I want others to experience at least some, if not more, of what helps me in my own life.

Please realize that I am far from being good, never mind perfect, and never will reach those goals in this life. Follow me only as I follow Jesus Christ. If I am not following Jesus, then do not follow me. Perhaps my thoughts and experience will shed some light on your passage, but remember that Jesus is the light of this world, not me. As the chorus to an old hymn says, “Look and live..Look to Jesus Christ and live.”

Yesterday I read a passage which had words that have been set to a short melody. That melody with the words went through my mind all day. I wanted to at least enter the verses on this blog, but I did not know how to even open up the blog or to update that which I had started the
night before. I credit my “computer-savvy” son, Jonathan, with the clue as to how to do it. It was an answer to my prayers. Perhaps some will learn to pray more effectively, too, even as I am learning to do so.

That passage which especially encouraged me yesterday was even more encouraging today when I substituted my name for Jacob and for Israel in the first ten words. A portion of what I read yesterday follows:

Why do you say, O Jacob (Fred), and complain, O Israel (Fred), “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:27-31, NIV)

The part of that passage which I learned with the melody is worded a little differently, as I remember it: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will mount up on wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not be faint.” (verse 31,) followed by the plea of the musician/arranger/author, “Teach me, Lord. Teach me, Lord, to wait.”

I was thinking of that melody and the words this morning and was encouraged by a sermon from First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, on radio station KCBI. Part of the sermon text was from Joshua 1:1-9. The part that especially encourages me today is verses 8 and 9. The text follows:

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them–to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates–all the Hittite country–to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:1-9, NIV)

Therefore, I pray,

Father, you created all that is in the world and me, too. Nothing takes you by surprise. You know everything about me. You know that you created me and own me and all that is mine because you bought me with the sacrifice by Jesus Christ, your only born Son. I acknowledge your ownership. Teach me to give everything that I have to you, my rightful owner.

As my wife and I face the greatest challenges in our avocational careers, cleanse me from my selfishness that I can live for You first, my wife second, and then my family–leaving my career to fourth place in my life. Teach me to trust You, not things or people. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, teach me to read, learn, and meditate on your Word and talk to you about it, that I may love, know, and serve You better to Your credit and glory, not mine.

–in the name and character of Jesus Christ, Amen.

“Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3