Even when you’ve read a scripture a hundred times God still has something new to share. When I read that first verse of Psalm 23 and looked up the Hebrew I was overwhelmed and brought to tears. The word for Shepherd in the Hebrew is “ra’ah” and besides meaning what we think it does, someone who takes care of the sheep, it also means ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
The LORD is my friend, my constant companion, I shall not want. What a concept! Truly it is something I almost cannot grasp, the LORD is my friend – just as he was a friend to Moses. In fact, Exodus 33:11 tells us that “๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ .”
The same root word is used. Just as the LORD was a friend to Moses, so is Yahweh, our Savior, a friend to you! Your constant companion!
It’s all very well to accept that invitation to the table but what happens after Jesus draws back your seat and tenderly places a napkin in your lap? Are you a little like me with thoughts that spin in your head at an alarming rate, distractions that seem like a thousand ping-pong balls dropped from the ceiling?
As I sat with the LORD trying to still my mind I heard him say the word “๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ค – ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ค. ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ค๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ช ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ค๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ช, ‘Be still and know that I Am God.” (Ps 46:10)
Hebrews 3:1 says this – “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” That ‘heavenly calling’ in the Greek indicates an invitation to a feast. The table He has prepared for you! ‘*Fix your thoughts on Jesus!’ *Focus on the Saviour! Don’t let your eye be distracted by the battle going on before you, no matter the intensity or ferocity, the enemy is just trying to divert your attention.
Focus on His Words, His smile, His love, kindness, and faithfulness. Stay present in the moment. Allow Holy Spirit to wash over you and settle your mind. Be still. Consider Jesus.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป – our beautiful Savior will restore your soul! He will rebuild you and return you to that place where peace reigned. Not only will He restore you but He will then lead you in paths of righteousness.
He will take you by the hand and lead you along your life’s pathway, a righteous path. Our LORD doesn’t just put you on the road and say ‘off you go’ to do it by yourself, He leads you. It is yet another reminder that He is our constant companion, our friend.
Peace. We all long for it and yet at times it seems that as soon as we have it, it slips away once more.
Godโs Word tells us that we can indeed have the peace that we fervently desire. โ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ; ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐.โ (Phil 4:6-7)
We all know this scripture, in fact, Amazon released data stating this is the most highlighted passage of scripture in the Kindle Bible!
I donโt need to point out the obvious, that we need to pray about everything, raising our voices in thanksgiving to the God of the Universe, to the One who deserves all our thanks, I know you know that. But there is something in this scripture that speaks loudly to me. โ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐.โ As we pray and seek the LORD with thanksgiving, wฬฒeฬฒ ฬฒmฬฒuฬฒsฬฒtฬฒ ฬฒrฬฒeฬฒlฬฒiฬฒnฬฒqฬฒuฬฒiฬฒsฬฒhฬฒ ฬฒoฬฒuฬฒrฬฒ ฬฒrฬฒiฬฒgฬฒhฬฒtฬฒ ฬฒtฬฒoฬฒ ฬฒuฬฒnฬฒdฬฒeฬฒrฬฒsฬฒtฬฒaฬฒnฬฒdฬฒ, release our questions to Him and give up our need to understand it all, acknowledging that we donโt need to understand, just trust.
Then peace will rise above and surpass our need to understand and guard our hearts and minds! Herein lies the secret to peace, praying, seeking God, thanksgiving, and giving up the right to understand.
My prayer for you today is that you would be able to trust and find Godโs peace, and with that peace would come joy, overwhelming thanksgiving, that you would indeed be like the trees of the field clapping their hand in praise to our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ! ๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐น ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ถ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐. The God who sees us in every moment, whose eye is always upon us, watching over us. The God who sees us when tears slip down our cheeks, when the weight of the world threatens to crush us. The God who sees us when we sit alone, when anxiety overwhelms, and we canโt seem to cast off those fearful thoughts. The God who sees us in the good and the bad. ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐๐น ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ถ.
The story of Hagar is a beautiful one, the only time our Father is referred to as El Roi. Itโs a story of redemption and hope. In Genesis 16:13 Hagar says this to the LORD; โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐,โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐.โ You saw me. The Creator, the Holy One, the Great I Am saw me and didnโt ignore me! But even more than this, Hagar says, โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐.โ Hagar saw God! In that desolate place, crushed, and expecting to die, Hagar saw God.
In moments of great anguish, God not only sees us, but He also reveals himself to us. Do you remember Elijah? After being chased by Jezebel he fell into a great depression and cried out to God saying, โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ณ๐๐๐ ,โ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ . โ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.โ (1 Kings 19:4b). Strengthened supernaturally by the LORD he traveled for 40 days to a cave at Mount Horeb where God revealed Himself to Elijah in a whisper. A voice of intimacy, one where you have to lean in and come close to hear the words.
Hagar wouldnโt have seen God if it wasnโt for her brokenness and trials. When all seems lost, remember God sees You! Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, to comfort and encourage. Your loving Father sees you in all your wonderful potential. Washed clean and beautiful by the blood of Jesus. He sees you in your good moments and in your bad. You are never invisible or too small and insignificant โ the ever-watchful eyes of your Savior are upon you! ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐.
One evening, very recently, while sitting chatting to my children, there was a sound. Or perhaps it wasnโt a sound but a sudden sound of nothing. And then the lights went out! There we were, sitting on the couch, plunged into sudden darkness! We waited a while but nothing happened and so I turned on the flashlight on my phone. How thankful I was in that moment for the incredible mind that put a flashlight on a phone โ whoโd have thought! Certainly not me. My little flashlight didnโt light up the whole house, but it was enough for me to search for candles and other sources of light, to which I discovered I was miserably prepared!
My mind went to the scripture, โ๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.โย Psalm 119:150.ย There were no lights on cell phones back in Israel 2,000 years ago.ย If you were taking a journey at night, you carried a small lamp with a flax wick and a little olive oil and that was enough light to reveal one step at a time.ย Enough to keep you from stumbling or tripping over a rock.ย Not enough to reveal the destination or even the end of the road. ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ.
When you find yourself in need of direction, the Word of God will guide you. When you feel as though you are plunged into darkness, Godโs Word will illuminate you. In a world that is dark, with little direction, it is Godโs Word, the Word of Truth that will show you the path you should take.
Elizabeth Elliot, a missionary, and author whose husband was martyred in Ecuador, would always quote a line from an old poem; โ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด.โ It helped her through her grief and was advice she often gave to others helping them through anxiety, depression, and loss. โ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด.โ It was a phrase that helped me when I was overwhelmed. It suddenly simplified my life, and I could go to the LORD and ask, โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ตโ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ตโ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐โ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ฐ?โ And step by step, with Godโs Word of Truth and prayer, I could do the next thing and the next.
Today if you are feeling overwhelmed, worried, depressed, or anxious, feel as though your life is flipped upside down and you are in darkness, or even if you need wisdom when facing a tricky situation. ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ, ๐ฟ๐๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ. The Bible will bring light to your situation, showing you what to do, God will encourage you and Holy Spirit will guide you every step of the way. ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.
(By the way, that power cut we had, was caused by a snake getting into a transformer and caused 11,000 people to lose power! How crazy is that!!)
๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆโ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ (even though itโs about me too!).
Did you know that there is a whisper going on in heaven, a rustling among the angels? The word is out on the golden streets and rumours are being circulated from angel to angel. There is a definite buzz in the heavens today and the news is spreading like wildfire! Where did the word begin I wonder? Who is it that all the angels are whispering about??
Oh my! Theyโre talking about me. They say the King of kings told them, Jesus. They say they saw Him rejoicing, He was dancing with joy, He couldnโt stop talking about ME!!
“Jesus said that you are beautiful, totally perfect for Him, you are lovely. Oh, and He said that when you sing to Him, His heart starts to beat faster with an overwhelming love for you. He told us that He cannot stop thinking about you, day and night, night and day YOU are on His mind!โ
I couldnโt believe it, Jesus said thatโฆโฆ about me?! Are you sure it was me that He was talking about? After all, this is Jesus weโre talking about. The Beautiful Saviour, the Glorious Lord.
โThatโs not all He said,โ the angels whispered, โListen to this! Jesus told us that you are the one He wants to be with forever, you are His bride and He is your bridegroom. He says He has so much He wants to tell you, things He has never told anyone else, deep secrets, the secrets of His heart and He wonโt tell anyone else, only you because He loves you! He told us that He has so much for you, so much for you to do together, places to go to, exciting plans. He told us that He has blessings for you, gifts. Surprises around every corner! Flowers, sunny days, rainbows, colours, perfume, everything He can think of just to enchant you. He tells us He loves it when you laugh and clap your hands with delight when He blesses you. Then He told us that He simply loves to watch you, He is enthralled by you, He said you have the most beautiful smile, contagious laugh, you are just lovely. Itโs funny,โ the angels said, โ๐๐ฒ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐โฆโฆ ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ!โ ๐๐ฆ
The detail that the LORD put into His Word is astounding. The way we are loved by our God is so overwhelming. Letโs take a look at Godโs glorious promise to us in the Jewish wedding ceremony.
The groom would go with his father to the bridegroomโs family, a contract would be drawn up and the father would give his son a glass of wine, he would drink and then pass the cup to the one he had chosen, with the words, โthis cup I offer to you.โ The essence of what he was saying was, โIโm offering you my life, will you marry me!โ If she accepted his offer, she would take the cup and drink, offering her love and life in return.
The groom would then leave to prepare a place for his beloved bride, often taking a year or more to do this. The groom would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the day of their glorious reunion, a great wedding feast, and much rejoicing.
Now letโs look at Passover, the LORDโs supper. During Passover, 4 cups of wine are offered. Jesus offered the 3rd cup, The Cup of Redemption or the Cup of Salvation. As He offered the cup to His disciples He said, “๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.”
โI am giving you my life, will you take it, will you marry me?โ
The promise that He has gone to prepare a place for us, the promise that He will return for us bringing us to that final banquet, that wedding feast in His Fatherโs kingdom! Every time we take communion, we drink of that cup, it is the one offered by Jesus, our bridegroom. Each time we drink we are saying Yes! Yes, LORD, I will marry you, I will wait for you, I give you my life in return!
I cannot imagine being swallowed by a great big fish! The smell alone must have been ghastly ๐คข. The very worst of places. Alone and in a dark place with no hope of escape, I’m pretty sure that I would have had an epic meltdown! Perhaps Jonah did too. But after 3 days and nights, ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐! Astonishing. As Jonah began to shout out his thanksgiving, God spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
What was Jonah saying as he shouted those grateful praises?๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐บ, ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น. He was convinced that Almighty God would save him and rescue him from this horrible situation. And so he began to shout, he began to praise God and give Him thanks!
No matter how dark or hopeless your situation may be, God is still worthy of shouts of grateful praise! I encourage you, wherever you are and whatever you are going through to summon up those shouts, those praises, that thanksgiving. Perhaps take a moment to jump up and down and declare His goodness over your situation, knowing that your God will move. ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ! ๐๐๐ณ
Nehemiah. One of the real โgreatsโ in the Old Testament. So often pointed to as a great leader who did incredible things in the face of incredible opposition, but Nehemiah was also a man who prayed. Nehemiah was a man who relied on the strength of God and was humble enough to realise he could not do this alone. He was a man who continually acknowledged the Great and Mighty God and had a relationship with God based on prayer.
Nehemiah 2:4 says, โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, โ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?โ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ Nehemiah had just spent 4 months in prayer over the wretched state of Jerusalem and its people. He had beseeched the LORD, he had fasted and even begged the LORD to remember His promise to His chosen ones.
Now, here Nehemiah was, in front of the King, prepared by his 4 months in prayer before the LORD, when the God of Heaven moved on his behalf and opened a door of opportunity. โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต๐ฅ๐ฐ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต?โ At that moment, Nehemiah knew that he needed his Fatherโs help, so he shot out a quick and silent prayer. He knew that his prayer would reach the attentive ear of the Lord in the same second he breathed it.
Psalm 66:9 says this, โ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ; ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ God listens attentively when we pray, but not only that, he attends to our prayers. I love what the dictionary says about โ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆโ; all ears, enrapt, hanging on every word, heedful, interested, watchful. God is interested in what you have to say to Him, even enrapt. The thought that our Great and Mighty God might hang on to every word I say is a knowledge too wonderful for words. The LORD God of Heaven attentively listens to what you say, even to what you silently speak in your mind.
Nehemiah knew that God was listening at all times, never slumbering or sleeping, he knew He would not let his foot slip, that the God of Heaven was watching over him, ready to help him at this pivotal time of need. We donโt know exactly what Nehemiah prayed at this moment, just that he did. Perhaps it was simply, โ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ, ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฆ!โ After all, he had but a second to pray. But from this brief entry, we can see the heart of Nehemiah, we can see his humility โ โ๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ, ๐๐๐๐.โ We can see his faith โ โ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ.โ We can see that Nehemiah was a man who put prayer first.
Nehemiah knew God would listen attentively to his prayer and act on his behalf. And He did!
Claire's Prayer 