Delight For My Soul!

If GOD hadn't been there for me,
I never would have made it.
The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"
Your love, GOD, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
You calmed me down and cheered me up.
Psalm 94:17-19 The Message

When times of chaos and contradiction take control, the Christian has resources that non-believers do not. In fact, the believer finds the greatest solace in the goodness of God. Despite the fickle offerings of the world ~ hopelessness, doubt, bitterness, defeat, those who claim Christ as Lord can always know the everlasting gifts of peace and comfort. In His arms, in His Grace, we find a goodness in this Holy Love that exceeds the difficult, that soothes the ache, that calms the anxious thought. This is The Source that will always delight my soul. ~dho

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. Psalm 94:19 NASB

Stay the Course

To cling always to God
and to the things of God ~
this must be our major effort,
this must be the road that the heart follows unswervingly.
~ John Cassian ~

Stand Firm!

. . . stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

Sometimes we choose to be silent, to let circumstance rest in between concern and apathy, between grief and fear. Other times, we find value in giving voice to our thoughts and opinions. It is true that ~ sometimes ~ it's better to say nothing. However, when we are called to take a stand for God's Truth, and we simply look the other way, the prince of darkness counts it victory. Stand Firm! Put on the "full armor of Christ" (Ephesians 6:10-18), seek God's strength in the Word and pray for courage and endurance for the task. ~dho

Holy Words

I put the Scriptures above all the sayings of the fathers, angels, men and devils. Here I take my stand. ~ Martin Luther

Real Rest

"True silence is the rest of the mind;
it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body,
nourishment and refreshment."
William Penn

The world is full of noise and busyness, all competing at the same time for the same mind! In the world there is little silence; there is not much true rest for the mind.

Jesus tells us, "Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover you life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace ..." (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)

Jesus lived the example of spending time in prayer ~ away from the crowds ~ alone with the Father. This is how He demonstrated real rest ~ rest for the mind, the body and the spirit ~ rest in the middle of chaos ~ rest in the presence of God ~ rest in the silence. Listen to the words of Jesus; seek Him in the silence ~ learn [His] unforced rhytms of grace. ~dho

God Loves Me!

The LORD says: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God . . . Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you . . . I am with you. Isaiah 43:1-5 ESV

The words to the song, Dependence, by Jamie Slocum speaks directly to our hearts wherever life takes us - despite any circumstances. Knowing - truly knowing - God's faithful, unconditional, limitless love for us, brings undefinable, miraculous, grace-filled HOPE. Slocum sings:

Just to know, just to know that You love. . . Just to know that You're with me on all these roads I traveled on . . . I confess my dependence on You.

It is only in our dependence on God that we can have this assurance and hope! This dependence on God gives me hope to carry on. I encourage you to click on the link to this song and contemplate the message of hope! ~dho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vdLi8h-xdI&feature=player_embedded