Your Glory

Your glory fills the temple, O God. Your glory is in all of creation! The tallest and most majestic tree and the newest seedling breaking forth from the earth show Your glory. The grandest field of flowers and the great expanse of the desert floor show Your glory. The sound of the angelic choir and the sigh of a newborn baby show Your glory! The floating ballet of a butterfly and the harsh stampede of an elephant herd show Your glory! For it is all around me, in all I see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. It is in my heart and the thoughts most dear to me. It is in my breath, and my will, my soul, and my existence.

Your love for me is so unheard of, so immeasurable that I can’t put words to it. It’s part of Your glory, just like the morning sunrise and evening sunset put the sky on fire with brilliant colors.

Let my life glorify You, O God, in all that I think, say, and do.

Your glory shown on Your friend Moses’ face. It must have glowed like a beacon in the night, causing the children of Israel to fear you. Show me Your glory. Open that door that can’t seal Your beauty because it is so great it spills out from the very pores of the wood.

Let me live to glorify You, O God! Let all that I do and all that I am bring You joy.

The Israelites were allowed to see Your glory as You went before them in a cloud. They heard Your voice, as did John the Baptist and all those who were around the Jordan when Jesus was baptized. Oh, to see what they saw! To have been able touch His arm, to see His eyes sparkle and hear His laugh!

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day (Ps 71:8). You give glory to Your children. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Ps 84:11).

I want to have a renewed heart, I want to be transformed so that I consciously put You first in all I think, say, and do. I want to change my life so I may give You the glory. Help me to know You better.

O how I love You. My heart swells with the joy of knowing I am Yours! It leaps in my chest knowing You are near. Consume me with Your love and make the desires of your heart mine as well. Give me the words to share. Remove the doubt and anxiety of my thoughts for writing. Let me be Your hand in what I write. Let Your voice be heard through me, and allow my own words, born of a heart that seeks Your face, bring new life to others. Let our words be a beautiful symphony to the ears of the lost.

Work through me again, O God, and let me bask in Your love and grace. Let all men know that I am Yours. I love You!

Your Servant,

Deirdre

I Look to the Mountains (10 months later)

Dear Reader, 

About six weeks ago I posted what I had written ten months previously about the turn our country was taking. I had expected to write again within a few days. I apologize for keeping you waiting. Please forgive me. More has happened in the past ten months to destroy the United States and its reputation throughout the world than at any other time in our history.  As he sat in the Oval Office signing Executive Order after Executive Order, arrogantly destroying everything we had accomplished in the previous four years to make this country great once again, he smiled. And why? Because Donald Trump had done all those things that made people start to feel good about their lives again. The left hates President Trump with a passion, even now, ten months into Joe Biden's administration. He or Speaker Pelosi or most on the left (RINOs included) cannot talk about anything without invoking Donald Trump into it. 

I admit I was very surprised at the election results. How could this happen? Why would this happen? Because as I mentioned in my last post, the devil comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. The first thing Mr. Biden did was to fire 40,000+ men and women working on the pipeline. Just like that! And one thing after another got signed, destroying our country more with each stroke of the pen. 

As was happening to many of us I got very caught up in what was going on. I was constantly reading the news and hearing of the outrageous policies that were taking effect. I believed that the great land of liberty was being destroyed from within, more and more each day that passed. Darkness was filling the land, and evil seemed to be laughing in the face of the saints. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months of never ending disappointments, I could feel my hope waning. I became so consumed with how our country was no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave. Politics and those in authority took advantage of every opportunity to repress us and condemn us, and the future was going to be even worse. What is evil is called good, and what is good is called evil. Everything is blamed on covid, a weapon from hell itself to conquer those who God loves.

My heart was broken, my soul was battered, and I felt so helpless, as many of you did. I understand it's not just here, but all around the world. Over the months the landscape became as twilight, still light, but mostly dark, a time that makes it difficult to see clearly the details of what is in front of us. And there is a lot in front of us.

I came to realize that my life was miserable because of the lies and destruction that was bearing down on us all every single day. I realized that I had replaced what used to consume me, my love for Jesus, with worldly worries. So many times Jesus told us to fear not, that He would never leave nor forsake us. I had forgotten what it felt like to sit at His feet and drink from His cup. Lately I asked for mercy to hold me together and it did. I asked for grace to rain upon me, and it does. I saw where going off the path had led me, into a place of death and horror, a place with no hope. That, dear Reader, is not a place we as born again Believers should ever be. I had begged God to come and get me, and He reminded me that He was already here, had never left. It was I who turned and walked away. Not deliberately, but with each complaint that came from my mouth, with each terrible thought that ran through my mind, I journeyed farther and father away from my safe place and my Savior.

I truly believe that a Great Awakening has in many ways already begun.  The lies are being exposed, and the truth is that the United States of America is a great country, a place where people want to come, because it holds for them a promise of something good. This is not a racist country, we welcome all who want to come and live according to our laws. My own grandparents crossed the great Atlantic from Austria and Ireland for a new life here. They became citizens and learned the language and contributed to their communities by working hard. 

Millenia ago God chose Israel as His own. They didn't ask, He chose. But on 29 April 1607, Robert Hunt, a minister who sailed to the shores of Virginia from England with 104 other men, led them up a windswept dune at a place they named Cape Henry, in honor of the king's elder son. There they planted a seven-foot, rough-hewn oak cross, which they had brought with them from England. At that spot, Hunt prophetically declared, "From these very shores, the Gospel shall go forth to not only this New World, but the entire world.*" So Robert Hunt and the men who arrived with him, dedicated this land to God. In other words, we chose Him. It is my belief that God very much honors this. Because of this, the devil wants nothing more than to totally destroy this country; and he knows his time is getting short. 

Reader, you and I were born for such a time as this. Why? Why are we here now? Why not 100 years ago or in 100 years to come? Because God has a purpose for this land we love, and He has decided that it is you and I who will fulfill His desire. What is it that He wants us to do? What is the greatest commandment? "Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you." (Matthew 22:37 Passion Translation). But He didn't stop there; verses 38-39 in the NKJV tell us, "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Remember we "don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12. 

I am running back to the arms of my Savior. I have been trapped in this dirty world for too long. I strayed. I lost my way. But as I run up that dusty road, there is a light, a light so bright it almost blinds me. It is the glory of God that has been in front of me all the time just waiting for my return. Yes, Lord, open my eyes that I may see! The twilight hour for me has passed. It is the dawn of a new era, where we don't walk alone, but are surrounded by heavenly angels and Jesus Himself is our guide. So try to not let the news overwhelm you. God has given us the authority over the hosts of hell. The battle is ours, but the victory is His! These times too shall pass. Have a grateful heart because we are being tested. We won't fail because we don't fight alone. And love your neighbor, help them find the light too. In these times we need to be with others. We need to help where we can, and pray always.

Remember the story of when Jesus fell asleep in the boat and a storm came out of nowhere? Here these veteran seamen were terrified (as we can get, I did) about what would happen to them in the midst of the biggest storm of their life. They trembled, they must have worried about their future, and the only thing they could think of doing, was to wake Jesus up and cry out in anguish that they were going to die. And remember what He did? He stood up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." Rebuke this storm that may be consuming you. You have the authority to do that! And decree, "Peace, be still!" Let your faith and your trust in God rule your life. He is the one who created us, and He is the one who holds our lives in His hand. Worship Him, come back to Him if you have been away. These things that have us angry, confused, disappointed, and afraid will surely pass away. We will, if we open our heart and our eyes, see Him working through all this. The devil doesn't stand a chance. He is the eternal loser (I read that in Tim Sheets' book, Angel Armies on Assignment.) I love the name, don't you? 

We are here to witness God's glory in the land of the living with our own eyes. Who says we are not a chosen generation? God bless you my brothers and sisters. We'll be fine. How can we fail? We have the King of kings on our side!

* from The Light and the Glory 1492-1793, by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, 1977, 2009

"I Look to the Mountains"

Dear Reader, I wrote the following last 14 December 2020 but didn't post it. I will follow up in the next few days with my thoughts from now, 10 months later.

"Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1

Dear Reader, 

My heart is filled with joy and anticipation! So much so, I could burst if it weren't all safely contained in this body. What a wonderful time to be alive! What amazing things will I see or hear today?

You may be sitting in your easy chair or at your desk, or somewhere else wondering what's so good about today? If you live in Central Texas like me you may be chilly and looking up at the dreary, cloudy sky feeling as forlorn as the woodsy animals must who are also cold, and gathering what food they can for their winter meals. 

What in the world is so good about today? There is an evil in the world that has taken over the airwaves and it seems all that is seen or heard is that covid won't go away for a long, long, time. People are getting sick, and some are dying. Businesses all around the world have closed, churches on all four corners of the earth are not fellowshipping because our governments are telling us we will be fined if we dare to try to feed our families, with grain or with Spirit. Here in the States our First Amendment rights have been taken away. We are not allowed to share our thoughts, and our freedom of speech, because tech giants are shutting the cyberspace down if we are not in agreement with them. Our freedom of religion has been taken away because 'experts' think that gathering together to worship our God will cause a super-spreader event. Of course, these 'experts' and government officials are surely not people who know or care to know the God of the universe. They just want control. If you'd like to steal, kill, or destroy (gee, isn't that exactly what the Bible says the devil comes for?) that's okay. Hundreds can gather to beat up old people or people whose apparel may not be to your liking. They can, and are encouraged by those in government office to do so. "Resist" they shout, inciting riots. I am amazed at the disrespect to the office of the President of the United States. Other elected officials forget that there is decorum and it is an honor to serve the country, its people, and the Constitution. Many of them have forgotten that we are not a socialist or communist nation. We founded this country on godly values. We are different from every other country because we kept God in our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our Declaration of Independence.

Then of course there is an election going on here in the United States. It's quite the spectacle, really. The media has declared the winner! The media! Not the states, but the media! This is all just too much to take for so many people here in the States. I know that there are similar problems all around the world. And yet, with all this, my heart is filled with joy and great anticipation. Why? Let me tell you.

So many people have fallen for the blatant lies and deception that fill our eyes and ears all day long. So many are putting all their faith in the Supreme Court, who seems to let them down with every decision they make about the election. Many see the end of the greatest nation on earth if the Democrats are declared the winner. Suicides and depression are prevalent all around the world.

But even with all this, there is something very important to remember. We generally see with our worldly eyes. We see the pain, the sorrow, the anger, and the hatred. We have bills to pay but no income to do that. Our children aren't allowed in schools in many places. We hear the shouts and disgusting comments being made by the media and elected officials. We easily fall into the trap of feeling helpless, and even worse, hopeless. But we must remember, even though sometimes we may feel that even God has given up on the USA because our sins are so great, He would never give up on us. He has promised to never leave nor forsake us. In our greatest times of trouble, what does He do? He saves if we call Him. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus as he was miraculously walking on the water, he saw the world, the waves, the impossibility of what he was doing. He saw through world-filled eyes, not Spirit-filled eyes. He lost sight of his Savior for even just a moment, and began the descent back into the dark waters of the earth. But he had the wherewithal to cry out, "Save me!" and a holy hand reached down and grabbed his and pulled him back up onto the surface of the sea. I'm sure Jesus put His arm around Peter and comforted him as they continued to walk on the water. 

This is exactly where so many of us, all around the world are. We have been traumatized by the constant bad news that is spewed at us all day long. We hear it at home, in the store waiting on line. It's everywhere. All bad and getting worse. My friends, just turn it off. The enemy always uses a megaphone, and our Savior speaks softly. President Trump or Joe Biden can't save this country from itself. The Supreme Court can't make it all better. We have forgotten that the Almighty is the one who raises kings and brings them down, not our votes. We have forgotten that Jesus carries the government on His shoulders, we don't. We are asked, "What can man do to me?" I guess quite a bit, but only Jesus can give us eternal life. Which will it be, go along with the mainstream even if it is against everything you believe in, or turn your eyes to the only One who can make it right?

I believe it is time to start looking with spiritual eyes and listen with spiritual ears. You won't want to miss what our Lord is saying in these times!

Psalm 20 (TPT)

 A Song of Trust

(For the end times, by King David)

“In your day of danger may the Lord answer and deliver you.

May the name of the God of Jacob set you safely on high!

May supernatural help be sent from his sanctuary.

May he support you from Zion’s fortress!

May he remember every gift you have given him

and celebrate every sacrifice of love you have shown him.

Pause in his presence

 

“May God give you every desire of your heart
and carry out your every plan as you go to battle.
When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy.
Flags will fly when victory is yours!
Yes, God will answer your prayers and we will praise him!

 
“I know God gives me all that I ask for and brings victory
to his anointed king.
My deliverance cry will be heard in his holy heaven.
By his mighty hand miracles will manifest through his saving strength.
Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom,
but my miracle deliverance can never be won by men.
 

 “Our boast is in the Lord our God,
who makes us strong and gives us victory!
Our enemies will not prevail; they will only collapse
and perish in defeat while we will rise up, full of courage.
Give victory to our king, O God!
The day we call on you, give us your answer!”
 

Dear Reader, like King David, we must keep in mind that our victory is in the Lord. He is fighting for us. When it all seems lost, remember, for those that have asked Jesus to be the Lord of their life, and recognize His death for us and His resurrection, there is beauty to even the worst ending. We will join Him in heaven and spend eternity with Him. But even while we are here on earth, we can feel Him, we can talk to Him, and we can cry to Him. When it all seems futile and lost, instead of giving in to the depression or anger, lift your eyes to heaven. Do you know that the Creator of everything in the universe is watching over you with so much love in His heart we can't even comprehend a speck of it? Yes, He really is! And He doesn't just sit on a really big throne throwing lightning bolts around; oh no, He is walking with you. He goes into battle with you. He will never, ever, not be there for you. There will be times when you may feel that way, believe me, I know, but just because it feels that way doesn't make it true. 

It's very easy right now to be afraid of our future when all around us we are losing our freedom and constitutional rights. But the evil that exists in high places will be brought down, and the righteous shall rise! There is much to look forward to, so keep your eyes open and see what God does. He is exposing the vile lies every day and calling out the wicked. He will not leave nor forsake His children. He is bringing the truth out, and the enemy (Satan) doesn't like it one bit. 

When it feels you just can't take it anymore, start praising God! Sing! Find a Christian song and sing along with it. When you are praising God you can't think about anything else. You actually forget yourself, which a moment ago was the most important thing. When we praise and worship our God, we humble ourselves and keep ourselves submissive to Him. That's where the beauty is. That's where the healing is. That's where hope has been hiding. Come back to Jesus, accept that He is in charge of it all, and His outcome is much different than what the wicked ones are trying to make happen. 

Tell Him thank You and that you love Him. It will make you feel better and it will make Him happy too. He loves to hear from us. 
 

Psalm 12 (TPT)

 Song For The New Day

"Help, Lord! Save us! For godly ones are swiftly disappearing.

Where are the dependable, principled ones?

They're a vanishing breed!

Everyone lies, everyone flatters, and everyone deceives.

Nothing but empty talk, smooth talk, and double-talk.

Where are the truthful?

"I know the Lord will not deal gently with people like that!

You will destroy every proud liar who says, "We lie all we want.

Our words are our weapons, and we won't be held accountable.

Who can stop us?"

May the Lord cut off their twisted tongues and seal their lying lips.

May they all be silenced--those who boast and brag with their 

high-minded talk doing whatever they want.

"But the Lord says, "Now I will arise! 

I will defend the poor, those who were plundered, oppressed, 

and the needy who groan for help.

I will arise to rescue and protect them!"

"For every word God speaks is sure and every promise pure.

His truth is tested, found to be flawless, and ever faithful.

It's as pure as silver refined seven times in a crucible of clay.

Lord, you will keep us forever safe, out of the reach of the wicked.

Even though they strut and prowl, tolerating and celebrating

what is worthless and vile, you will still lift up those who are yours!"

Dear Reader, in times such as these here in the United States, we must be steadfast and sure in our knowledge of God's love. The wicked will not win, Jesus already has. Let not your heart be troubled, keep it fixed on Jesus, for the peace you need is found in Him. Don't camp in the news of the world, the wicked are sure that their rules will prevail, but they forget Who can change any outcome in the blink of an eye. The wicked will soon be gone, and there will be freedom and joy throughout this great land. Keep praying, keep hoping, and keep believing! 

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NKJV)