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You are My Strength, My Hope, My Everything

God is my everything! He helps, He assures, He keeps, He makes, He stirs, He quiets, He lifts, and much, much more. When I’m down, He lifts me up. He brings graciousness those times when I am sad. He keeps me whole when I am falling apart. He really is my everything.

Have you read the book by Josh McDowell, More than a Carpenter? It is a small book but a rich book. It tells the true story of Jesus. It makes one think. Sean McDowell, his son, talked about it recently on YouTube. He said that it still speaks. And yes, it speaks loudly, logically, quickly, and reverently. That’s true. I’ve had the book for years and I read it every once in awhile.

I don’t need to prove anything. God proves everything. He is able, capable, willing, above reproach, today, tomorrow, and every day. He keeps the world humming. Nothing surprises Him. We can depend on Him. He never heads in a new direction. He keeps His word. He keeps the world spinning, the stars in the sky, the rainfall for our rivers, lakes, and streams…so that we can use it, drink it, and recreate in it. It amazes me.

God made the world for us. It meets our needs. We are very blessed indeed. If we didn’t have water, we couldn’t live. People have droughts at times, but God has promised He will never leave us, never fail us, and never abandon us. That is such a blessing and help to us. “Thank you, Father.” He is always with us. He cares for us…always. He loves us…always. He helps us…always. We are gently, and reverently, ministered to every single day.

I’m not going to be around always but God has promised that He is willing, able, and always cares for His people. He has given the sun to the just and unjust. He makes the crops grow for everyone. He helps us grow, mature, and change, little by little, day by day, year by year, until our time is up. We are living now. I’m thankful for today. I will be thankful to tomorrow and each day that God gives me to live. Let’s be glad together. God is a faithful friend to us.

I challenge you. Get down on your knees outside and study the ground. A low profile will help you see the minutia that crawls on the earth. Go in your backyard. Pull up a fistful of grass. Discover the makeup of the earth. Feel it. Smell it. Look at it. That’s a great experience. Thank God for the cool, sweet grass; the lovely, pretty flowers; the gorgeous, small and great trees; the stones and walkways around the land. God has made the ‘everythings’ we enjoy so much. Give thanks.

“Father God, I thank you for giving me and others life. We can smell the earth and eat what it produces. The earth around us is beautiful, utterly whimsical, and the sky with its clouds and rainfall make the days different and meaningful. And the night sky, the stars shine so brightly high in the heavens, and the moon lets its presence be know. I see the snow capped mountains, and they speak to me in reverent tones, that they are majestic like the God Who made them. Father, I am thankful, so very thankful.“

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I Got Some Help!

I’m back!!! My son is here and he helped me get back on my site. Whew! I’m so glad. I was kind of stuck. Aren’t kids nice to us? I am thankful to be able to write again.

I’ve been wanting to write about prayer. Prayer is so important to our walk with God. The amazing thing is how much good we can do through our prayer times. You see, we get to know God while we pray to Him. He is so encouraging. He is waiting for us. He helps us above and beyond what we expect.

My prayers have changed over the years. My mother was the one who taught me how to pray. When I was little we knelt by the couch to pray after our evening devotions. Each of us kids prayed, then mother closed the session with her prayer. It was what we did together. I was quite young. When I was seven, and my brother Paul was six, we both accepted Christ as our Savior. That was a special evening.

My prayers grew in depth and length as I grew older. In college my prayers took another turn. I was pretty hurt after a boyfriend ended our relationship. I prayed and prayed. I drew upon God’s wisdom. I leaned into Him for strength and courage. I knew God was with me. I sensed His presence. I felt His help. I knew His grace. I truly needed His guidance.

Through the years, some sixty plus years, I have relied on God’s consistent, loving and encouraging answers to my prayers. Sometimes I wait awhile for the answer, yet it always comes. Often the answers are quite different than expected, but they come. Every so often I don’t realize the answer until I know it’s answer years later. God knows. Some of my prayers were not the best, I know that now. God is wise. He makes our prayers wise.

Prayer is a gift from God. We get to know Him as we seek Him. If you listen, really listen, sometimes He is whispering an answer to the prayer we are praying. In time we know that if we listen for His voice when we are praying we become cognizant of His speaking to us. He cares. He helps. He loves. He acts in accordance with His ways. Listen for Him. He will speak to you.

Praying is one of the ways we become aware of the closeness of our relationship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are with us every day. We are fortunate to be His children. God wants to talk with us. The tricky thing is to listen, and listen carefully, completely and actively. Some people have heard Him speak; I have not. But I know. I hear Him speak in an inaudible voice. Sometimes I feel His warmth draw me close. That is precious beyond words.

Thank you, dear heavenly Father.