O Lord,
Thou hast
in love to my soul
delivered it
from the pit
of
corruption:
Thou hast
cast
all my sins
behind Thy back
Isaiah 38:17 (NIV)
Month: October 2009
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The Lord is my portion..
I found this writing by Winslow on a sweet little site called, Grace Gems! The newest study for my “God Notebook” is “God is our Portion”.
I’m finding several examples for the word ‘portion’ in the scriptures. One is the portion assigned a person. It may be an inheritance or our lot in life. A second example of ‘portion’ points to GOD being our portion. Both situations refer to an allotment of sorts. Something assigned. A particular, specific amount in which we are to be satisfied.
Today I was thinking
about how I oftentimes do not like the ‘portion’ that God has assigned.
Oh, of course, I would never say those words exactly.. but I say it in
other ways by complaining about my circumstances or by being anxious
instead of trusting and resting in His Sovereign Wisdom.God has assigned me my
portion today and whatever He has assigned He WILL provide the needed
grace to live it out for His glory! Psalms 16:5Do I live as if I believe that? Not always!
All, all is ours!
(Winslow,
“Daily Need Divinely Supplied” 1870)“The Lord is my portion, says my soul;
therefore I will hope in Him.” Lament. 3:24It is our great privilege, beloved, that we live in a
‘portionless’ world. When God parceled out the land
of Canaan among the tribes of Israel, He made an
exception in the tribe of Levi, to whom He said,
“You shall have no inheritance in the land, neither
shall you have any part among them;” assigning as
His reason, “I am your share and your inheritance.”The gospel teaching of this is obvious and significant.
As the Lord’s true priesthood, this world is not our
portion, nor earth our rest. It may have required
some painful discipline, and no small measure of faith,
on the part of the devout Levite, as he gazed upon the
fertile meadows, the watered plains, and the vine clad
hills of the Promised Land, before he was made willing
to relinquish it all for Him who is invisible.It needs no little teaching and discipline
of our God, and no little faith on our part,
before we are led to give up . . .
the world,
the creature,
self,
and all,
for Christ; satisfied to have the Lord alone as
our Portion, and heaven only as our inheritance.“The Lord is my portion, says my soul.” His love
to us was so great, that when He could give no
greater proof of that love, He gave HIMSELF!
Nothing more could have expressed the yearnings
of His heart, nothing less could have satisfied the
desires of ours.And oh, what a Portion is God!
All that He is, and all that He has is ours . . .
every attribute of His being is over us,
every perfection of His nature encircles us,
every pulse of His heart beats for us,
every glance of His eye smiles upon us.We dwell in God, and God dwells in us.
It is not the world which is our portion, but
HE who made, upholds and governs the world.It is not the creature who is our portion, but
the Lord of angels and the Creator of men.Infinite portion!
Illimitable power!
Immeasurable grace!
Boundless love!
All satisfying good!
All, all is ours!And what a Portion, O my soul, is Christ . . .
a divine Christ,
a redeeming Christ,
a full Christ,
a sympathizing Christ,
an ever present Christ,
an ever precious Christ,
an ever loving Christ!“Lord, I bless You for the discipline that brought
me to realize what a divine, all satisfying Portion
I have in Yourself. You took from me an earthly
portion, only to enrich me with a Heavenly one.
You removed from me the human prop upon which
I too fondly and idolatrously leaned, that I might
learn what Christ was, as my soul’s all sufficient,
all satisfying, and everlasting Portion. I can now
admire the wisdom, and adore the love, that blasted
my gourds and emptied me from vessel to vessel;
that, rising superior to the broken staff, the drooping
flower, and the failing spring of creature good, I
might claim my portion as a true spiritual Levite
in Yourself alone.” -
Where to find strength..
I was given an idea by my friend, Givengrace, to start a notebook on ‘God’. What could be better?! I started with collecting scriptures on God being our STRENGTH. YummO! I wanted to share the scriptures I found with you because it blessed me SO much! This has helped me find a new focus for my time spent with the Lord in the mornings. I’m making a “God Notebook” where I can easily retrieve my notes on God when I want to be refreshed. I can’t wait to get started on the next one.
My husband and I are going to God for our strength more and more as our bodies and mind age. We are reminding ourselves that our strength does come from the Lord and He assigns it as He wills.
Enjoy!
*~*
“GOD” is my strength
- the joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh 8:10
- The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
- You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. Ex 15:13
- God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 2 Samuel 22:33
- You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. Sam 22:40
- And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 1 Sam. 30:6
- I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. Psalms 18:1
- The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalms 18:2
- It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. Ps 18.32
- Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14
- But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Psalms 22:19
- The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
- The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalms 28:7
- The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Psalms 28:8
- The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalms 29:11
- Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Psalms 31:4
- But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. Psalms 37:39
- For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Psalms 42:2
- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1
- O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. Psalms 59:9-10
- In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Psalms 62:7
- The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. (Psa. 68:35).
- My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Psalms 73:26
- Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Psalms 81:1
- The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. Psalms 118:14
- O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. Psalms 140:7
- Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalms 144:1
- Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2
- He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isa 40:29-31
- And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. Isaiah 49:5
- O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction.. Jeremiah 16:19
- They will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god (Hab. 1:11).
- The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Habakkuk 3:19
- Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Eph 6:10-11
-Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land.. Deut. 11:8
- In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Isa 30:15
- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Php 4.13
- The Lord gives strength to those who turn the battle at the gate. Is 28.6
- A wise man is strong. Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength. God gives abundant wisdom to me without finding fault. Pr 24.5
- The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Habakkuk 3:19
- He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isa 40:29-31
- Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. For he will be like a bush in the desert…but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness.…Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit” Jer. 17:5-8
- ….and as your days, so shall your strength be. Duet 33:25
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Living in America and avoiding pain…
Paul states in Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed unto His death.”
“Here in the sub-Sahara, it seemed that the weaker people were, the harder they had to lean on God – the harder they leaned on him, the greater their joy. It was so different in America, I thought. In the West, we think God exists to make our lives happy, more meaningful and trouble-free. Suffering is a hateful word, and we do anything to eradicate it, medicate it, circumvent it, or divorce it, building hospitals and institutions to alleviate suffering. But in Ghana, people seemed more ready to come to God in empty-handed spiritual poverty, taking from his hand whatever he might offer.” Joni Eareckson Tada in the God I Love.
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But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency
of the power
may be of God,
and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:7
Clay Pots by Elisabeth Elliot The jungle indians of Ecuador make clay pots of very simple design with no ornamentation or glaze. They challenged me to try shaping them as they did, rolling “snakes” of wet clay and then coiling them round and round until they had a perfectly smooth and balanced vessel. It looked rather easy, but I found that it was a highly developed skill, and my attempts to imitate it were laughable. Mine was not a master hand.
The next step was to build a very hot fire of thorns and brushwood and bake the pot. It was then ready for use, to carry water from the river or to cook in. Nobody thought much about the pot itself once it was made. What mattered was what was in it.
We are, Paul said, clay pots. The Potter has formed us, shaped us into a useful vessel, put us through the fire of testing that we might be fit to hold what He gives us. We are useful and fit–but we are still clay pots–it’s what’s inside that matters. It is a priceless treasure (2 Cor 4:7 NEB).
I can think of no clearer analogy of our place in God’s service and a no more accurate picture of the relative merits of who we are and what we have to offer. We shall always be just pots, quite cheap on the market, but what we carry for others is priceless.
Love, Paul said in another passage, does not “cherish inflated ideas of its own importance” (l Cor 13:4 JBP).
Georgene’s two-cents worth: It’s hard to be prideful when you consider your nothing but a cracked pot!
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Thankful God does not grade on a curve…
“Growing in the gospel means seeing more of God’s holiness and more of my sin. And because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, we need not fear seeing God as he really is or admitting how broken we really are. Our hope is not in our own goodness, nor in the vain expectation that God will compromise his standards and ‘grade on a curve.’ Rather, we rest in Jesus as our perfect Redeemer — the One who is ‘our righteousness, holiness and redemption’ (1 Cor. 1:30).”The Gospel-Centered Life by Bob Thune and Will Walker
”Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards;
not many were influential;
not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things
— and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who has become for us wisdom from God —
that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written:
“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Cor 1:26-31 (NIV)
I found the above quote on First Importance.
