The Last Days!

“One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple.” Psalm 27:4 ESV 

Church at Kylemore Abby, Ireland

Just before Jesus ascends to heaven, He instructs the disciples to tell the story of Good News to all people. His final words of encouragement: And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. In the New Testament, the last days refers to the time between Christ’s return to heaven after the resurrection and His second return to earth. The last days are now! The promise remains true; Jehovah Shammah, the LORD is there, dwells with us. God’s presence with His people is certain.

Scripture tells us that in the last days the name of Jesus is mocked and questioned. Arrogance attempts to diminish the power of God, to discredit His role in creation, and to dismiss His promise of judgment. People choose other gods to worship. With humility, His faithful followers must earnestly continue to be about the work God calls us to do. 

LORD, Creator and Promise Keeper, Your grace falls gently in the middle of these harsh last days. Forgive those who deny You and give them a reason to hope. I long to dwell in Your Presence all the days of my life. Here I see the beauty of Extravagant Love and know the unexplainable joy of Living Hope. As I eagerly anticipate what You will do next, help me tell Your story of Grace! Count me alive in Christ. Moment by moment, Jehovah Shammah, You are here! - dho

* previously posted on this Blog as part of the Jeremiah series, 2021/DonnaOswalt

Come and Worship!

Silence is praise to You, [Jerusalem-dwelling] God,
And also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all...
How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
to dwell in Your [holy of holies].
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation,
Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer,
Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser,
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash...
Dawn and dusk take turns calling, "Come and worship."
Psalm 65:1, 4-8 (NASB, The Message)

PRAYER

Earth-Tamer,
You have created infinite opportunity for my soul to praise Your holiness and majesty. You teach me perspective and humility with the greatness of simplicity.
Ocean-Pourer,
You renew my life with steams of righteousness, always leading to rivers of goodness, and oceans of more. You teach me the Source of power.
Mountain-Maker,
You let me stand in high places, knowing blessings beyond need. You teach me the wonder of holiness and glory.
Hill-Dresser,
You decorate the landscape with beauty that escapes description. You teach me the joy of details.
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash,
You tame the turmoil inside my soul with ease. You teach me the peace of grace.
I, too, come and worship at dawn and dusk and moments in between. For such Perfect Love brings me to my knees where I offer wordless soul-songs of praise to You. Amen.

~ dho

God’s Word Prevails

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

Pocket Bible given to military during WW2 

Christians believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, the living Word of God. We also believe, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” In his book Whisper, Mark Batterson says the first language of God is Scripture. He reminds us the Bible is “composed by more than forty writers over fifteen centuries in three languages on three continents.” These myriad of authors are “farmers and fishermen and kings” and “poets and prophets, and prisoners of war.”

The prophet Jeremiah writes, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O LORD, God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16 ESV) Batterson talks about consuming and savoring and digesting the Word of God. “The Bible comes alive only when we actively obey it.” Obedience becomes our living out the Scriptures. This is spiritual transformation.

When I read the ancient words composed centuries ago, they still touch my soul, enrich my living, convict my spirit, encourage my journey. The Holy Bible is composed of words inspired by God; this Living Word reveals God to us. These sacred promises of God belong to each believer. Even though God is greater than any questions or doubts we can have, we will never be great enough to understand all of God’s answers. Through His Word, God whispers to our hungry, weary souls and our eager, longing hearts. God whispers joy and love as He celebrates with us. God whispers eternal Hope to all who listen. 

Consider this!

The Bible, holy and sacred, prevails over hundreds and hundreds of years, through all kinds of skepticism and doubt and persecution. Does this truth give you hope? - dho

Keeper of the Lions

Daniel 6:16 . . . The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" King Darius cast Daniel into the lion's den, knowing that Daniel's only hope was with the God whom you serve. Even a doubting, egotistical king was overcome with remorse when his decree revealed Daniel still chose God and must be punished for breaking the rules. There is a lesson in Daniel choosing God, taking a risk; there is a lesson, too, in the king getting a second chance when choosing God.

The story is familiar. Daniel had been found kneeling in prayer, thanking and praising his God. The conspirators found him praying, asking God for help. They went to the king reminding him of his royal decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god except the king for thirty days. The punishment was to be thrown into the loins' den. The king had found favor with Daniel and was greatly distressed to learn that he was who they were reporting. At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix . . . He worked at it the whole day long. But the conspirators were back, "Remember . . .the king's decree!" The king . . . ordered Daniel thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this. In the waiting, the king could not eat, could not sleep.

Daniel was protected and the king rejoiced. Verse 23 says Daniel was saved because He had trusted his God. Daniel had remained faithful. Continuing on with verses 25-27 King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color and creed on earth:
Peace to you! Abundant peace!
I decree that Daniel's God shall be worshiped and feared in all parts of my kingdom.
He is the living God, world without end.
His kingdom never falls.
His rule continues eternally.
He is a savior and rescuer.
He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth.
He saved Daniel from the power of the lions. ~ from Daniel 6 The Message

There is comfort in knowing that the God we worship and love and praise, reaches down in difficult times and rescues us from those who desire us to fail. He uses our Christian witness - our confessions of mistakes, our commitment of faith, and our choices not to compromise to influence others. I know that conspirators manipulate truth and that evil seeks destruction. But even better - I know God - a living God, who never falls, a Savior who rescues, who performs astonishing miracles. God saves us from the lions! And in our worst moments, when we let ourselves get in the way - He reveals Himself to us through others, provides us with a chance for forgiveness and redemption. What a Mighty God!

Keeper of the lions! Mighty God -
I come to You on my knees with a contrite heart. How is it that You choose to love me so much? How is it that You rescue me even when I allow evil to permeate my heart? How is it that you give me second chances when I fall? I know it is easy to blame the conspirators and fear the lions. It is harder to see the manipulation and harder to trust the lions' den. Make me like Daniel, willing to risk all that I have for You. Rescue me when I fall victim to evil. Save me from the lions! And when I am more like Darius, swayed by my own pursuits, let me see You in another's actions, hear You in another's words. Let me feel Your presence in my unsettled heart. My deepest hope rests in a Mighty God who loves me. I trust in a Living God that rescues my heart from the deeds of evil, that saves me from the lions. Praise prayers call to You from the deepest places within my soul - Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Holy Spirit, come and dwell in me. Be my Abundant Peace. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Son of the Everlasting Father, Maker of heaven and earth. Amen. ~dho

My Portion

O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6 NKJV

Wild horse; Corolla (Outer banks), NC

Time after time, God has provided, and I know He continues to be with me. I don't have to look very far to know how richly blessed my life has been. Would I have chosen less tears or easier circumstances? Certainly my human heart wishes for simple and good, idealistic and benign paths, but a spiritual journey is challenging. The human mind questions God's answers and proposes its own arguments. We are so finite that His mystery escapes us, sometimes bewilders us.

In between the "what if's" and inside the "why not's", His Grace flows so abundantly that I find my soul secure and in pleasant places - one with the Father. So, I will eagerly wait for His plan to be revealed, Word by Word, prayer by prayer, moment by moment, opportunity by opportunity, person by person, possibility by possibility.

Father, my heart gives You the Glory for my good deeds. My offerings are simple compared to Yours - a prayer, a Scripture, a hope, a gesture - just tokens of kindness and love. You touch my soul with words written centuries ago. Oh, Lord, Your Grace pours over me like a gentle rain, refreshing and renewing. In the stillness of this moment, I accept the portion and cup You have assigned me. In my obedience, use me to reach beyond, around, and through circumstances to be a witness to Your Grace. Amen. -dho

A New Season

The peace of God is perfection of energy; it is a healthy vigor of the soul. Oswald Chambers

Fall is here! Summer's memories, along with its sand and shells, trails and travels, laughter and living, are tucked into bags and drawers and photos. School is back in session, and a change is in the air; summer rests as leaves change, daylight shortens, and Autumn's plans begin to fill the calendar. Relaxed schedules have merged into routines. As a new season begins, the heart hopes that God's peace will be more than enough and desires God's love to become its deepest joy. Our prayers search for words to refresh the soul with a new beginning.

While energy is the capacity to do work, potential energy is energy that exists in a body as a result of its position or condition. Wisdom and grace fall gently from God reminding us of His generous provisions. His power and love exceed our capacity to understand. Letting God be the source of our energy is the only way we can truly prepare our hearts to know His peace and our hands to serve others. But how do we position ourselves to receive such awesome energy?

I will build an altar of the broken fragments of my heart, and will bow my spirit within me. My broken spirit - that is Thy sacrifice; let it be acceptable upon Thine altar. I will proclaim aloud Thy praise, I will declare all Thy wonders. Hymn of Unity, 12th Century

As I search for words to refresh my soul for this new season, I search His Word for the potential energy necessary to move my heart into position to do His work. These words from Psalm 51:12 The Message  become my prayer: Put fresh wind in my sails! Will you ask Him too? ~dho