Have you ever thought about the sheer fact that we are fearfully made, and so delicate yet so able to make it through life? If we are struck down by illness or injury, hardship or pain, we usually recover. If not in this world, surely in the next. Just HOLD ON.
Well we do live well enough to sometimes forget that we live by the Grace of God. We know those who don’t know the Lord, but He surrounds them too. We recognize the Goodness of God. We feel the Grip and Push of His ability in us. We should tell of the Glory of Him through His Victories. I doubt that I praise enough, but every step I take is His Victory lap of Him grabbing me into the “Saved” category. Every praise I give is of His Spirit pouring through me. And trust me, we should praise ALL DAY for Him. He’s got us. Oh Lord, how can we beg enough for You to open the eyes of the hearts for all in this world? Save Lord my unsaved friends and even foes…
I love this song: Surrounded (Fight my Battles) – “It may look Like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by YOU.”
The singer mentions scripture by Isaiah, pretelling the coming of Jesus, old testament gems that we must realize speak of Jesus to “bestow on them [us] a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
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Last weekend, how I loved girl scout camping and using my blessings of skills and time and patience (and a Subaru full of good reusable junk before recycling it). In some states I could have made a mini-fortune in returning bottles for redemption. REDEMPTION, AH! God has stamped us like bottles for redemption! How much return on His investment does He get? How much use does He get out of us and our praise before He recycles us back to dust. I hope we all recognize His Reward, and make best us of our praise until His Return.
I loved especially when being at camp that I felt the peace of God, I felt Him telling me in my heart and head: ‘This IS where you are supposed to be, right now.‘… and WOW, seeing the faces of the girls wanting to soak up the info, or noticing them learning by playing with the projects. One girl so sweetly holding the mighty oak seeds sprouting… Trust me that I’ve never seen oak acorns sprouting like I do here at camp… it’s the sand, rain, sun, surely… it’s the right atmosphere for sure… They get to sprout, but just need a new place to flourish and grow. Us too. If we sprout, flourish, grow, we MUST praise God for His Righteousness righting us upright. We must recreate His atmosphere for growth too. We got nothing but we Got God, actually He’s got us. “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor…
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… For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
This righteousness in us that springs up and restores us is Jesus, is what was foretold, is what He is: a Savior.
We are walking in His Glory and should remember we are made for a time like this… no hardship will withstand His Joy… no death will withstand His Life… no one can sprout us plant us grow us love us like the Lord. We are redeemed and returnable.
Our lives are but a mist, a vapor, and yet it’s God who gains us into His Powerful Steam. . . Let’s keep chugging along…
Let’s realize God’s sovereignty and save. Let’s stop self-pity and start realizing our blessings. Let’s fulfill a recognition of scripture and salvation by praising God. If others see us as blessed, we should rejoice and praise too… We can’t take this for granted because how else will others know faith moves mountains. We should be a billboard of praise, a Bible people read by just seeing our smile or our walk. Any boast should be a boast in the Lord. Praise God and return the joy of REDEMPTION He has given you. Return His investment by first using yourself for His purpose.
“All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Let us see that in us too!
Amen
(and Lord, let my praise help others feel Your raise.)
(Maybe these acorns, pictured, will be food for the forest creatures since there are so many. Maybe not every seed is for a tree, but seeds still nourish. Seeds are for nourishment AND sprouting… plant some of faith today… Double Amen)
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Psalm 49 NIV
Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike: My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers SURROUND me – those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
NO ONE can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – so that they should live on forever and not see decay.
For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live they count themselves blessed – and people praise you when you prosper – they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.
People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.
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Isaiah 61
New International Version
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
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They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Debbie Upper 