Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2024

How To Replenish Love's Delight...



“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord”
 (Romans 12:11).

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart,
 for God has already approved what you do.

Above, a few verses from a few Daily Bread devotionals I missed on the weekend
because we were away for a bit!

Great verses to contemplate as we begin a new week!


May your week be as sweet as a Krispy Kreme donut!
(One of our stops)



It's easy to be filled with delight while savoring donuts,
but life/love isn't always as soft and sweet as a fresh donut, is it?!
If it was we would become fat and foolish,
sluggish and selfish!

James 1:2-4 BSB
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, 
when you encounter trials of many kinds, 
3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
 4Allow perseverance to finish its work, 
so that you may be mature and complete, 
not lacking anything.

To overcome despair
Is to replenish love's delight
Through faithful, thankful prayer

Is to fix our eyes
On He whose hope elates
Whose grace made possible the prize
That faith anticipates 

Is to count our joys
Rather than our woes
Is to seize what each morn deploys
And dusk draws to a close

Is to choose what is right
And forgive fellowman
And in each flight from morn to night
To do the best we can

Because God gave His best
Because He loves us so
To dwell on this renews the zest/quest
No care can overthrow

Because when we believe
We walk by faith, not sight
And as we trust we will receive
Love's replenished delight

Janet Martin

Jer.17:7
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
 whose confidence is in him.

Psalm 40:4
Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, 
who has not turned to the proud, 
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.



Monday, January 1, 2024

Like a Constant Gift

Last night it began to snow!
It felt like a gift from God, as if He was saying,
'See? I am covering the dirty, old year with
a fresh, new unsoiled slate!



Heb.13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Happy 2024!

As the old year ends and the new begins 
may our sole/soul resolve be 
a more complete surrender to 
God's full authority

Sometimes we are guilty of wanting God's way, our way. 
We want Him to yield to our will, not we to His!




The past is irreversible, its seasons set in stone
The future is invincible when faced through Christ alone
The present, like a constant gift of opportunity
Furnishes where all life is lived; in Now’s benignity

Anxiety for what might be is certain to destroy
Faith’s confident humility that leads to peace and joy
What has been none can modify, but what is and will be
Is like a constant gift, thereby/whereby God proves His fealty

Goodness and mercy’s rich supply sustains surrendered hearts
No greater gain can satisfy than that which grace imparts
Thus, as God lays the old to rest, as New is ushered in
Once more hope hoists its humble quest to give/live our best for Him

Sometimes the state our Saviour saved us from, slips our minds
How arrogant, we then become, when mortal motive blinds
Us to the Light that spans the rift and keeps faith undeterred
Each promise like a constant gift to all who trust His word

© Janet Martin

Malachi 4:2
But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;







Monday, October 9, 2023

With Groans too Deep For Words

Luke 21:28
Now when these things begin to happen, 
look up and lift up your heads,
 because your redemption draws near.”

We weep and pray for you, 
(With groans too deep for words)
dear, suffering fellow-believers
in Israel, as well as those in many others countries in 
Africa, Europe, and Asia😥💔🙏

And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, 
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: 
for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: 
he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; 
when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, 
yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, 
but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, 
when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left...





The whole earth groans with pain as we wait eagerly
For Thy return and none knows when Redemption’s Day will be
Thy hope has set us free from bondage of decay
The power of the enemy cannot Thy will dismay
Thou, Beginning and End, Thou, The First and the Last
Thou, Heavenly Father and Friend, will hold Thy people fast

Thou, Salvation and Light, quells lurking dreads and fears
In Thee we put our trust; Thy might breaks bows and shatters spears
Greater art Thou in us than evil’s hate unfurled
Futile is the ruckus, of he whose kingdom is this world
This world is not the home of those who trust in Thee
Though waters roar and foam and mountains fall into the sea,

…though kingdoms crumble, oh, and nations rage and moan
You bid us to be still and know that You are God alone
Ancient Fortress and Stay, faithful Ancient of Days
In Thee we put our trust for aye; exalting Thee with praise
Come all, and trust in He Whose Coming We Revere
Stand up and lift your heads and see redemption drawing near

© Janet Martin

Rom.8:18-27

I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
  19The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God.
  20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, 
but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
  21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay 
and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together
 in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
  23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, 
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
  24For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. 
Who hopes for what he can already see? 
25But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 
For we do not know how we ought to pray, 
but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
  27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, 
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.


Psalm 46
God Is Our Refuge and Strength

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.a A song.

1God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
3though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah

4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
7The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8Come, see the works of the LORD,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shieldsb in the fire.
10“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
11The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Not Here or There or That or This






Sometimes I spend a lot of misdirected
though well-intended energy on trying to
find God's purpose for me
when, as today's devotion reminded me,
all He wants is my surrendered willingness.



This was such a comfort to me as I try to decide 
whether to get back into childcare again or not!
I am having such a hard time trying to figure out what is best...
but whether I do or do not, has nothing to do with his purpose for me,
  if the object of my devotion each day is Him!
If my attitude is 
'Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
 be it unto me according to thy word'
Luke 1:38
(Is that verse not a challenge easier said/read than done?!!)

 Not the choice but the motive behind the choice
 reveals the voice I am listening to!
A sobering scale on which to weigh/pray each decision and desire,
because financial security and creature comforts
 are not God's purpose, 
(though, oh, how human nature wishes it would be!!)
but rather treasure of eternal value...unglamorous in the gaining!

John 3:17
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but to save the world through Him.

John 6:28-29
Then they inquired, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"
Jesus replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent."

2 Pet.3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
 Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
 but everyone to come to repentance.

***

Not whether we go here or there or work at this or that
The purpose of God’s call will follow where we hang our hat
His focus not the title of the duty or the task
But of a heart surrendered to whatever He will ask

Not in lofty ambition or pursuit of noble quest
But in humble contrition to obey without protest
The medium of labor but the scaffolding whereby
The love for God and neighbor stirs/spurs the tenure of reply

The purpose of God is not there or here or that or this
His purpose always begins where the mark is hard to miss
Right here and now, with you and me, however vague or dim
His purpose is fulfilled as we relinquish all for Him

© Janet Martin

The Rich Young Man- Matt.19:16-28

16Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired,
 “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
17“Why do you ask Me about what is good?”e Jesus replied.
 “There is only One who is good. 
If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man asked.
Jesus answered, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, 
do not steal, do not bear false witness, 
19honor your father and mother, 
and love your neighbor as yourself.’f
20“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. 
Then come, follow Me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, 
because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you,
it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
  24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
 than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, 
“Who then can be saved?”
26Jesus looked at them and said, 
“With man this is impossible, 
but with God all things are possible.”
27“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. 
What then will there be for us?”
28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things,
g when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, 
you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones,
 judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 
29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife
h or children or fields for the sake of My name 
will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
  30But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.




Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Joy-Health (Or, The More We Trust...)



Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

Prov.3:5-8





The joy that trusting God imparts
Is health to our bones and hearts
Love beckons faith to taste and see
The grace that sets our spirits free
To soar beyond the dread and fear
Of doom and gloom’s leaden veneer
To green pastures and waters still
To rest in the peace of God’s will
Rather than wrestling futilely 
And fretting about what might be

Oh God, instill in me/us anew
The sweet, sweet peace of trusting You
Shield us from trying to be wise
In the logic of our own eyes  
Then, underestimate Your Hand
Because we cannot understand 
But with rev'rent humility
Help us to place our trust in Thee
So through the power of Your word
Our faith and hope are undeterred

...as You satisfy bones and hearts
With health, that trusting You imparts
Nothing can sever us from You
Your love upon which faith depends
As joy unspeakable applauds
You, God above all other gods
Who, though we have not seen You yet
The more we trust, the less we fret 

© Janet Martin

I was going to pick a few favorite verses
 from a precious Psalm,  Psalm 37
but every single verse is a stunner!!
This Psalm brims with hopeful truths I need to reread often 
because I am forgetful! (then prone to become fretful)

1. Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.[b]

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.

29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.

31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;

33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Hope in the Lord and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future[e] for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.


Saturday, May 20, 2023

If I Should Turn From Thee

1 Tim.4:1 NLT
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly
 that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith;
 they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said,
“This is a [a]hard saying; who can understand it?”...

...From that time many of His disciples went [d]back
 and walked with Him no more. 
67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, 
“Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him,
 “Lord, to whom shall we go?
 You have the words of eternal life.
 69 Also we have come to believe and know 
that You are the [e]Christ, the Son of the living God.”

How often it hurts pastors, teachers and parents
as wise and true counsel is ignored, scorned 
and heedlessly turned away from!
How much more, our Heavenly Father!!
May we echo the words of Peter if we are tempted
to put our trust in what we see rather than what/Who we know!
 “Lord, to whom shall we go?





To Whom Lord, shall I go
If I should turn from Thee
Whose spirit and life can bestow
The truth that sets me free

Whose blood but Thine atones
From age to age to age
Whose ear but Thine attends the groans
That wrack this mortal cage

In who else can I trust
Without fear or dismay
Whose Word transcends time’s dust-to-dust
And cheers me day by day

Whose purpose will prevail
To crush the enemy
Whose love and justice will not fail
Throughout eternity

Whose law is love but Thine
Who whispers peace to me
Who else laid down his life for mine
With such humility

What can this world afford
But pleasures vain and fleet
What compares to Thy joy, my Lord
Abiding and complete

Then, should I turn from Thee
Lord, where else can I find
A sweeter, surer sympathy
Compassionate and kind

…to heal my broken heart
Whose assurance can ward
Defense against deception’s dart
Without Thy armour, Lord

Who can quench Want’s wild thirst
Or offer Living Bread
Who can save us from this world, cursed
With ignorance and dread

If I should turn from Thee
What can I hope to find
To satisfy the longing plea
Of heart and soul and mind

If I should turn from Thee
Lord, to whom shall I go
To entrust all eternity
Pray, I may never know

© Janet Martin






Wednesday, May 17, 2023

No Matter What Today Will Bring

 

This poem 'pressed' to the forefront this morning instead
of the pursuit of another.
My prayer is that it will cheer and bless,
and help us as we keep our eyes fixed on a prize
that ought to challenge our motives daily!

No one knows what today will bring
but we do know on Whom we can cast all care
And ask Him to be our strength as we cheer each other on...

1 Pet.5:6-7
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
 that He may exalt you in due time,
 7casting all your care upon Him, 
for He cares for you.


I had fully intended to incorporate these quirky quackers
into today's poem...
I am helping a friend with some gardening this week
and their ducks are an endless source of amusement and delight!
May we all find opportunity to be amazed and awed by
the beauty, diversity and wonders of God's creation!
May we be His hands and feet and pray that 
He helps us hunger and thirst for righteousness
so we may be filled 
And protected from a futile 'chasing of the wind'...


How great our God and King
How wonderful indeed
No matter what today will bring
He will supply our need

Oh, may we not forget
No circumstance can sway
The love and grace that paid the debt
Mortal could never pay

The hope of humankind
Is anchored in the Word
Of He who does not change His mind
His purpose undeterred

He keeps His promises
How wonderful to know
His justice, truth and righteousness
No one can overthrow

Then shout for joy, and sing
God, trustworthy and true
No matter what today will bring
Will care for me and you

© Janet Martin



Thursday, May 4, 2023

Tangible Reminders (of Who God Is)

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:19

Sometimes when we pass through seasons of (prayer)-discouragement,
God convicts and comforts us 
with tangible reminders of who He is; 
Faithful 
As surely as nature displays his faithfulness
in every season,
so too is His perfect timing in our lives!

These two poems by Edgar A. Guest remind us to take a breath
...and Behold!




The birthplace of today runs rife
(In spite of weight of care)
With much to make this little life
A lovely thing to bear

Beauty’s showcase is marvelous
Winter-spring-summer-fall
Makes it impossible to miss
The One who wills it all

The budded branch bursts into song
The tresses of its hymn
A shelter for the feathered throng
The nests in lofty limb

A masterpiece of petals spills
From frilly lily-loom
River-ribbons wind between hills
At night star-gardens bloom

…and as the afternoon unwinds
To twilight’s vestibules
The Artist of dusk’s murals finds
Constant originals

Beneath a canopy of sky
Oft aweing mortal gaze
We go; God sees the low and high
Of every trail we blaze

…and beckons us to trust the love
That moves His mighty Hand
In ways that grants grand glimpses of
Who none can understand

© Janet Martin


…and as the afternoon unwinds
To twilight’s vestibules
The Artist of dusk’s murals finds
Constant originals...


The budded branch bursts into song...


The tresses of its hymn
A shelter for the feathered throng
The nests in lofty limb...


1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 
that if we ask anything according to his will, 
he hears us.





Thursday, April 20, 2023

There Is a Hand...


Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 Savior, Lead Me Lest I Stray

 

There is a Hand to which faith clings with confidence secure
A hand that fits us with armor that fits us for the fight
And helps us in thick of opposition to endure
As we trust His command and make His love our chief delight
As we rely on He who tries and tests our hearts and minds
To see if there be any wicked way that persists still
To mar His perfect peace because of pride that blindly binds
Us to the pattern of this world rather than to His will

There is a Hand that draws us to the comfort of His Word
He leads in paths of righteousness through valleys of despair
And fills us with fresh wonder for His mercies, undeterred
To we, often forgetful of His faithful, loving care
He guides and keeps, while calling sheep still wandering and lost
His arms always wide open to welcome prodigals back
To kiss His hands, scarred with reminders of redemption’s cost
Hands still outstretched to all who still reject love without lack

© Janet Martin

Psalm 34:8-14
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.





 

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Of Best Laid Plan


One thing we learn over and over is
no matter how important planning is,
and no matter how meticulously each detail is addressed,
or each prospect visualized,
plans, at best, are extremely volatile!
The 'best laid plan' therefore, with humble 'Thy will be done'
should always be entrusted to the Higher Hand
who orchestrates Purpose far beyond the frames we peer through
to hopes and dreams not accomplished yet!

With all the unexpected snow days this winter it seems like possibly
 I am being conditioned for the childcare break coming up.
...or, at least that is the plan😅🙏

Sometimes it feels like life is simply a constant sequence
 of changed plans/ misplaced puzzle pieces!

I'm trying to decide if today is the day 
I commit to starting a puzzle and if so, which one?!




Plans are like phantom pieces to a puzzle thought perceives
Of panoramic vistas wafting on volatile breeze
Where soon, even a child begins to learn the simple fact
How plans at best, are pictures that we cannot keep intact

No matter how meticulously we try to arrange
The pieces to fit perfectly; still, often plans will change
Teaching us to be patient as we reconcile the art
Of relinquishing pictures that change-of-plans pulls apart

How often heart shaped tatters scatter where no one can see
Save we who bear the brunt of Planning’s altered scenery
How often, as we grapple with the pictures we release
We are reminded of the Hand beneath each puzzle piece

© Janet Martin

James 4:13-15
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Friday, January 27, 2023

Learning to Cherish



Do you also tend to feel a sense of frustration/astonishment 
as you read in Exodus, how God freed the children of Israel from
their bondage and oppression in Egypt in ways that they beheld His mighty power,
Then how, though they had a visual reminder of His presence 
in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, (Ex.13:21)


How, though God parted the Red Sea so they passed through on dry ground, 
before the waters swallowed up the Egyptian army pursuing them.
and yet, how quickly their praise turned to murmuring
 when they were hungry and thirsty,
when present unpleasantness drew their attention and worship
 from He who had proven faithful over and over...
Oh!!! suddenly this sounds very familiar! 
forgive me, Lord!!

Moses' reprimand to the children of Israel is the same for you and me...
Because if we believe we too have been freed 
from bondage and oppression in the wilderness of Sin!


(I jotted half of this poem yesterday from a totally different train of thought
before finishing it this morning after today's scripture reading from Exodus!)

We take it as it comes; Blossoms and butterflies
Wishes that don’t come true and some that do to our surprise
We cannot seize what was or leap beyond today
So, we cherish what is because there is no other way

We take it as it is; of new not yet turned old
Of old that once was younger and of gray that once was gold
We cannot stay the hands that mark the march of time
So, we cherish duty’s demands and beauty’s season-chime

We take it as it goes; the high road and the low
Where only God, who grants it knows what life waits to bestow
To teach us how to trust and love Him all our days
To cherish His goodness to us and live a life of praise

To He who does not faint or weary of our cry
May we withhold thankless complaint and vanity of 'why' 
But cherish that which flows from Mercy's patient nod/rod
What comes, what is, what goes unfurls the soul's return to God


© Janet Martin

...in the morning we shall see the glory of the Lord!
Ex.16:7

Isa. 40:28
Have you not known? 
Have you not heard?
 The everlasting God, the LORD, 
The Creator of the ends of the earth, 
Neither faints nor is weary. 
His understanding is unsearchable.




Thursday, January 26, 2023

It's Not Easy But It Is Possible


This winter I have committed to sorting through
a lot of long-neglected corners and drawers filled with paraphernalia and plunder
of collections no longer relevant to the season I am in...Older mother!
And while mothering is by no means over, preschool and school children mothering is!
Leaving a lot of hard decisions to be made like
how many old art projects, canvases, folders, sketch-books, keepsakes do I keep?!!


My oldest daughter is at the other end of the spectrum, at the beginning of this journey
 and sometimes the only way I know how to advise her on
how to navigate a situation is because 
though the circumstances may differ the solution is the same for her season as mine;
 Ask God for wisdom then trust Him to provide!
Often wisdom comes through what feels like failure first.
But the important thing is that we don't give up!!
 Keep trying/praying! 



It’s not easy, learning how to fully lean on God to guide
How to trust Him without fretting about if/what He will provide
It’s not easy learning how to yield and say ‘Thy will, not mine’
And to rest in Him untroubled by His unrevealed design
It’s not easy, learning how to sacrifice each selfish choice
Taking God’s Word at His promises without doubt’s vexing voice
It’s not easy to be holy; we need God’s word in our hearts
To undo sin’s dark dominion and to thwart the tempter’s darts
It’s not easy to be faithful if we look ahead too far
But God makes it possible if we trust Him
Right
Where
We
Are

It's not easy, the relying on strength we do not possess 
But as long as we keep trying God unveils His promises 

© Janet Martin

Prov.3:3-8, 33-35

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4And so find favor and [a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [b]direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8It will be health to your [c]flesh,
And strength[d] to your bones....

...The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
34Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.