My portion

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.                                 Psalm 73.26

Through occasional aches and pains I am reminded of my mortal vulnerability. I am getting older and, perhaps, more prone to failure of flesh and heart. But this is not peculiar to me. Every living soul on this earth is aging by the minute, even new born babes. Besides, age is not the singular cause of health problems. The flesh and the heart may experience failure at any age. Consequently, the message I take here for myself can be shared with everyone, for all qualify to receive it.

God is all I need. He is my strength and my shield. My heart is His, He will strengthen it, and me, for as long as He needs to. God is my portion, not just for this moment or day, but for all time. I rejoice, gladly and wildly, that I am in Him. He, truly, will provide all I need and He will guide me, for as long as I will allow Him, in the paths He has chosen for me.

I am not fearful of dying. I know not when it will come. When it does I shall be saddened to leave loved ones behind, but I will rejoice to be received, in fullness into my portion – forever.

Lord God,

I rejoice in You. I open myself fully to Your strengthening and Your provisions for me. I surrender to You my flesh and my heart. I pray that I might diligently steward them under Your guidance.

You are all I need. I cry out to You in praise and thanksgiving. You are my shield and strength. My cover is in You. My being comes from You. Lead me on, Lord. Let us continue this journey of life together. I thank You for choosing me. I yield completely to You.

Hallelujah! I praise Your Name.                                                                                 Amen.

The Peace of God

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                         Phil. 4.7

The peace of God is the most amazing and wonderful gift. I feel it right now. It saddens me to think that I don’t always feel it. I certainly would like to. Perhaps it is something that needs to be practiced.

Later in this same letter, Paul tells how he has learned to be content in all circumstances. I think this might be a key to living in the fullness of God’s peace.

I am learning this contentment, and I’m finding that it gets easier with practice. And, it seems, the peace follows.

This is more of resting in God and living in Him. It’s allowing Him to take full control. How easy this is to say but how difficult to do. Yet the age-old saying is “Practice makes perfect”.

So, let’s practice!

Father God,

I thank You for Your peace. I feel it surround me now and I receive it in the fullest measure possible.

I thank You also that You are leading me to be content in whatever circumstance or situation I might find myself. I realise I have some way to go in both practicing contentment and also in living in the fullness of Your peace. Yet, in both, I surrender to You as fully as I am able. I look forward to more contentment and peace. And I believe that, in this state, I will be used by You to reach out to others.

I face the day ahead with You. I rejoice in Your companionship in my journey through this day. May we draw closer as we face the wonders of the day together.

I love You. May we enjoy each other’s company today, in Jesus’ Name I pray.              Amen.

Thirst assuaged

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?                Psalm 42.2

The psalmist sounds desperate in his cry to meet with the living God. Apparently something is afflicting him which is preventing him from attending the temple, where he might meet with his God.

How blessed I am that I do not need to attend any specific place to meet with God. I know He is with me right now, here on my sunny verandah, even as the power tools drone on the neighbour’s renovations site. God is here. I am with Him. My thirst is being assuaged. I am at peace.

I no longer need a temple, or a priest, to assure me of God’s presence, to affirm that my prayers are heard. My Lord Jesus had made it possible, for all time, for me to enter into communion and intimacy with my Lord and my God in the case of every environment and every situation. I do not take this lightly. I respect and appreciate my Lord’s sacrifice. I receive and enjoy the privilege. I thank my God for His wonderful grace.

Lord God,

I thank You for the amazing privilege of being Your child. Right now I feel Your presence. I sense an overwhelming move of peace and power. The workmen’s tools are silent, the breeze is gentle and the birds chirp in the background. You are here.

In this mildest of autumn weather, the sun is still bright in the sky. The evidence of Your presence is all around me. But, right now, the strongest evidence is within me. I “feel” You’re here. I sense Your security covering me. I am truly “at home” for I am where I belong – resting in You.

I seek to abide in You at all times. I ask You to lead me through this day. Have Your way in what I do, who I meet, where I go.

I love You, Lord. Receive my love, receive me, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                           Amen.

Thank offerings

He who sacrifices thank offerings honours me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.                         Psalm 50.23

There is so much to thank God for, yet there are times when I might be so pre-occupied with a presenting problem that I cannot clearly see the things I could be thankful for. Indeed, there are times when my immediate concerns so overwhelm me that I cannot bring myself to be thankful for anything.

This is perhaps where the sacrifice comes in. I am well aware of the exhortation to praise God at all times and in all circumstances, but I am also too painfully aware of how difficult this sometimes is. Then I need to bring forth the sacrifices, declaring the righteousness, the goodness and the love of God in the midst of any negative focus I might have.

Lord God,

I understand that to praise and thank You is a choice. Right now, it is not a difficult choice for me to make.

I rejoice in You. I thank You for a new day and a new start for life in me today. I sing Your praises. You are wonderful. I feel Your presence with me and I rejoice.

But there are times when I find it difficult to make the choice to thank and honour You. At these times I need help. Your Word assures me that You are always with me and so I ask You to help me at these times. May Your Holy Spirit lead me into that place where I might rest in You – and be thankful.

No problem I can ever face is too big for You. Hallelujah! You are my Lord and my God. You will lead me through. I will fear nothing as I face it with You.

Holy One, I thank You. I honour You with my prayer and praise. Receive these, and me, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                                                                                                           Amen.

Rest found

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.                                         Psalm 62.1,2

These are some of my favourite verses in the entire Bible. They bring reassurance and strength. They are saturated with the grace of God. He is my rest and salvation. He is my rock and my fortress. In him I am safe. In him I am secure. In him I can relax, rest and be refreshed and renewed.

And all this is His doing. My part is simply to receive. As I give myself to him, He releases His strength and comfort, and I move into the fulfilment of who I am in His full and perfect will.

I embrace this. I take firm hold of it and know that I will never be shaken.

  

Lord God,

I come to You in full surrender. I will find the rest that I need in You and I thank You for this. Your rest will sustain, refresh and strengthen me. This is where I would abide. Whether I am active or restive, I desire Your rest to enfold me. Thank You, Lord.

My salvation is in Your hands. I offer myself freely to any purpose you may have for me to fulfil. Take me and have Your way.

I pray for the adventure before us today. I don’t know where You might take me. It may not be far physically, yet the spiritual journey, I know, will be an exciting one. Lead me, Lord, I’m here to travel with You. May we enjoy each other’s company as the day unfolds.

Receive me, and my love, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                                                         Amen.