Monday, February 18, 2013

My Devotional Thoughts - Lent 2013 - Day 6

Woke up with “Song of Hope” by Robbie Seay Band on the turntable of my mind.

My Guideposts devotional pointed me to Psalm 145:13-15.  I read the whole of Psalm 145 (NLT 1996).

Blogged these in http://whateveryjointsupplies.blogspot.com/.  Thought of song “You Are I AM” by MercyMe.

The My Utmost for His Highest devotional (www.utmost.org) speaks to me today about my failures the past few days, and my determination today to at least get this one thing (blogging first) right:

Rise, let us be going —Matthew 26:46

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.
 
Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

When I read the part that said, “we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them”, I thought of Psalm 145:14 (NLT1996):


14 The LORD helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.

And my God Calling devotional (www.twolisteners.org) was entitled, “Let Me Do It.”  Surely the LORD has done marvelous things for me in His kindness, as He works in me to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:3).


They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

 

Hallelujah!  Sing!  The LORD has helped me and lifted me up!  Praise be to God for His wonderful mercy towards me!

Psalm 107:8 (NKJV)

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

 

Thank You so much, Lord God, for Your mercy, Your compassion, Your patience, Your wisdom, Your grace, Your faithfulness, Your provision, Your kindness, Your goodness, Your tenderness, Your help – for the magnitude of Your unfailing love! My heart is filled with gratitude and praise … “Thank You, Lord , Thank You, Lord , Thank You, Lord , I just want to thank You LORD.”

… and my journey with Him continues …

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