Come to the Water...

Psalm 1:1-3 (New International Version)

Psalm 1

BOOK I : Psalms 1-41

 ¹ Blessed is the man
       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
       or stand in the way of sinners
       or sit in the seat of mockers.  ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
       and on his law he meditates day and night.
 ³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
       which yields its fruit in season
       and whose leaf does not wither.
       Whatever he does prospers.




In the past few weeks, I have been looking daily for rain.  Our lawn and flowers seem to be locked out of growth and many trees and flowers loom close to barrenness. The farmers await on corn growth. Much of the crops for which we enjoy scrumptious meals on are slowly losing the battle to a hot and sweltering sun with the need of rain.



In that same light, I look to my walk each day.  More and more, with age, I come to know so dearly that our creditability, our integrity, are on the line daily.  Walking in wise counsel is a near as the Scriptures and as far away as continuous procrastination.  I've heard many times a saying to "bloom where you are planted...".  There is much in our lives that we had or have little control, but we can delight in our time with God and meditate.
So many define meditation in many different ways.  To me it is a turning over in my mind of the parables, promises and prayers offered that I may prosper in God's Will that His son may be glorified.  I can almost feel that running small river splashing it's clean cool water on me as I reflect upon past days and look to tomorrow with hope that my path must remain with the nourishing water as my contemplation on Words of long ago
fixate to guide me along.

A Canopy of Blessing

Passage Psalm 96:12:
   ¹²Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. KJV  
When you take time to enjoy the beauty so close around, you'll see the canopy of blessing covering you when you've blown it: the health that He's preserved or restored, the ill advised decisions that He's rescued you from, the simple work that He's doing right now to show you His love, and the good things you wanted that He has provided. When we put Jesus first:  He reigns down on our needs and our "wants" change from self to selfless. 


picture by Johnathan Eshleman

Looking up from God's ground..

extended to all around

There is a glorious cover of green

and brown

A covering if you will

with just enough opening to 

tease the onlooker with blue skies

and the floating feeling therein.

Looking up from God's Ground..

The sounds

of summer encompass our senses

and replenishes

our spiritual awareness

with a stable convergence 

of wind blown clouds

to a seemingly unending Blue.

Lord...

Thank you for reminding me of the words of Paul the Apostle.

We have no excuse

You have revealed Yourself both in Creation and Conscious.

Help us to make a conscious effort

to appreciate your Creation

and the renewal

that comes with a short time in Your Graces.

 

"Beach Sunset..."

The sun sets on low tide

and the sea crabs run for open water.

The glare from the gentle caps

wraps

up a shore which speaks volumes.

It beats hard no more...

but holds memories from so many.

Finding time

to walk the last traces

of the salty brine...

may lead to reward on the open beach.

But even if there is no find...

we reach

our inner self...

our soul is bared to a rising or setting sun.

There are no failing moments on the sand...

no victories to be won.

There are only moments of retrospect..

where we detect

our hopes and dreams

and as silent as they may seem

in our mind.

We find

the sea......to be

a perfect match.

Sitting in the quiet...

alone and driving away the
sounds and thoughts that would
disrupt such a special time...

I find a warmth and safeness in
such moments as these.

The rain has produced green and tall bushes
and made way for full trees, clean pavement
and a number of worm gathering robins.

For me it's another of God's gift to man...
Time...
Though not unlimited and certainly open for the taking...
and spent forth in our making
of memories and even exposing
years of silent dreams.

Seems
each day I am reminded  of the few...
Those who
have made way inside my world...
closed so many times..
to rekindle a faint flame
of purpose that remains.

Grasping at each fleeting moment...
touched by bird's chatter and a sun's bright ray.
I gather up each precious morn
even when tired and forlorn...
to find what may be new perspectives...
on old dreams.

Seems
each day I am reminded of the many...
Those who surround my small world
christened regularly by an early morning dew.

All that I am
All that I do...
with the gift of another day.

There is a  calm

About early morning...

It just brings comfort.

In quiet

he heart can review

and the spirit can renew.

One readies for another day

with gleaning from the past..

witnessing the glory of creation

and being reminded of God's promise

to be with us...even until the end of the age.

Amen

 http://www.you tube.com/watch?v=qdThqTY8YBg&feature=fvw


 C. H. Spurgeon
Excerpt from A Sermon(No. 991)
Delivered on Thursday Evening, April 27th, 1871, by
C. H. SPURGEON,

"I wish it were possible for me to rise to the height of my text, but my wings flag; I cannot ascend as the eagle, and face the full blaze of the sun; I can but mount a little as the lark, and sing my song, and then return to my nest. God grant you to know the Lord Jesus in his fullness in your personal experience."

"All, then, that you can possibly want, O Christian, is in Christ. You cannot conceive a need which Jesus does not supply. "Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption," you have all in him. Some gather a flower here; some gather another there; some will go farther, and pluck another there; and some will go yet beyond to grasp a fourth; but when we win Christ we have a posey; we have all sweet flowers in one.




"All human beauties, all divine,
In my Beloved meet and shine
Thou brightest, sweetest, fairest one,
That eyes have seen or angels known." 


COMMENTARY:
 The Apostle Paul, in dealing with the church at Corinth, spoke initially of their very spiritual existence.  Who better to speak of such things than Paul, the founder of the church at Corinth.  He spoke of their acceptance of the Gospel message only to "blend" in with their environment and expose their weakness of will.    When speaking of the gifts of God, their spiritual wealth, and a foursome of declarations regarding Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption.  Proverbs summed up wisdom  with the following offering "The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom... (Pvbs. 1:1)  We are made right before God by His atonement on the Cross.  That process, "justification" is why we can answer positively God's Question;  "Why should I let you into my Heaven".  Our hope rest in His righteousness and none of our own.   On accepting Jesus we are" set apart for service", sanctified.  It is that setting apart which leads us to do good works, not for salvation, but because we love
the God who gave His Son.  Finally, God put forth from the beginning, a plan to reconcile man unto Himself.  That plan required the submitting His only begotten son to bear the sins of the world in unfathomable physical pain
and a heart broken from the rejection of those for who He died.

Spurgeon ended his sermon with the heart found words of a master
set to surmise and with his own booming voice and piercing eyes;  Those 
that seep so very deep into our mix of mystery and majesty...

"Jesus, lover of my soul

Let me to thy bosom fly

While the nearer waters roll

While the tempest is still high.

Hide me o my Savior hide...

Till the span of life is past.

Safe into thy haven guide

O receive my soul...at last."

  

"Not just a scar...But a place where there's been a healing..."

Psalm 109:22 (New International Version) ²² For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is wounded within me.

A good number of years ago, 1996 I think, I attended a Youth Retreat at Camp Caswell on Oak Island, NC.  The leader of the music time was a young man, Carl Cartee.  It was my first experience with Christian Music sung with more of a folk rock delivery and Carl reminded me a lot of Michael McDonald of the then, Doobie Brothers.  Well, Carl's writing was very impressive and he won me over with his singing.  By the time we left, old Dad was buying the CD and passing on to the kids. To this day, I continue to listen to his CD "Be Quiet and Paint".  One particular portion of Carl's "Not Just a Scar but a Place where there was a healing..."Someday we will see

This  battle pain

was a temporary feeling

it's been a struggle some

God's purpose is revealing.

You'll be a better man

When you see where this was leading...

No it's not just a scar

It's a place 

where there has been a healing

the battles of this life...

For the glory of Christ..."

The battles we face in this life so many times are not understood until God reveals
in His purpose in answer to our prayers.  Such is the learning experience of the believer.
Faith must sustain us and we must believe in the promises of God. Even more so, is the
joy of those mountain top experiences when all is in harmony and we are surrendered
for God to truly ACT in our lives.

Another conference was "The Maximum Man" in Greensboro, NC.  I forget the year but it's been more years than I care to remember.The guest soloist was Luke Garrett, a man of small statute, but a mighty tenor voice.  He sang a song "Jesus...Friend of the Wounded Heart".  It was an attention getter, even as the rest of the album.  My Pastor at the time was Steve Hardy at Holly Hill Baptist Church in Burlington, NC.   He gave me the CD and  I have listened to it many, many times.  Garrett sang...

"...Whisper the words of a prayer

And you'll find Him there

Arms open wide

Love in His eyes.

Jesus he meets you where you are

He heals your secret scars.

All the love you're longing for is...Jesus.

The friend of the wounded heart..."

We are never out of God's circle of life.  He is there to meet us
where we are and healing our secret scars.  He knows our silent dreams
and our hopes for each and everyday.  Revelation 3:20 says it best that God is ready to come in a fellowship with us if only we open the door.  His arms are truly open wide
and He remains our Peace in the time of trouble and hope through adversity.


I have used both Carl and Luke's music as a kind of testimony more times than I can count.  This day, I am reviewing in my heart, not only the special times associated with these songs, but the scriptural intensity with which they present our Jesus as Savior, friend, and substitute for the sins of believer.  Would that I could add them to this offering, but copyright precludes that sharing.

Lord,

thank you for friends

you send my way.

that goes beyond my merit…

so much more than I deserve.

Thank you for a thoughtful moment…

even in my spiritual lapses…

even when I have sinned so dreadfully.

Lord,

Thank you for being my Savior…

my friend.

Forgive me my many transgressions

and alas!…

lead me to the path of the straight and narrow.

even with a limp!