Beginning...

New neurologist... tests to be run... see the neurologist in ten days... a true diagnosis?... the next step to take.  That’s where I am in the process of God revealing His gift to me.  A beginning... it feels wonderful to be at the beginning instead of still waiting for the beginning to begin.  Yes, I know that sounds strange, but there is great relief in knowing that the Lord is working to reveal the Truth about my headaches.  He is so faithful and I am confident that He will show us what is going on inside my brain.  He will “declare what it is” and “present it” just as He has told me that He will do in His Word.  He is so good to me and I am so grateful.  All praise, honor and glory unto You, Mighty God!!!  

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

As I Wait

“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.  (Psalm 33:20)

I am amazed at all the Lord has done and shown me while I wait to find out what His gift to me is.  Despite the pain I have discovered once again that with the Lord the impossible is possible.  I have done so many things (including waiting on Him to disclose the gift He has for me) that I never dreamed I could do at this time.  Surely He has been glorified in it all... just as I want Him to be.  Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect provision in all things, especially at this time in my life.  You are so good to me!

My desire to know what His gift is continues to grow.  Right now I have no idea what it is.  Part of me is eager to know and the other part of me is frightened to know.  I have asked for His grace to receive this gift.  He will provide all that I need whenever I need it.  He is faithful.  

So, for now, I continue to wait.... all by His amazing grace.

“Be still, and know that I am God...”  (Psalm 46:10a)

God's Preparation

Lately the Lord has been preparing me for a gift He has for me.  Even though I don’t know exactly what the gift will be, I do know it will involve my health.  I have surrendered to His will in this and am so grateful for His loving care for me.  By His grace I will follow wherever He leads me.  

In His great mercy He has given me comfort in His Word to stand on.  That in itself is a precious gift to me.  He is so good and loving toward me, His child.  “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)  

These are His loving Words to me in preparation to receive His gift. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, not the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.   If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the Lord, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. ‘Because he loves Me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name.  He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.”  (Psalm 91:1-16)

Comforting Words from my loving, merciful and compassionate Lord.  May I keep my eyes fixed on Him always. Together we will walk side by side holding hands as my eyes are on Him as we travel through this earthly life. What more could I ask for?

I Don't Understand

“However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’”  1 Corinthians 2:9

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”  John 14:2-3

OK, call me dense or whatever you want... I keep hearing the phrase “it beats the alternative” when talking about enduring physical sufferings here on Earth and I don’t understand.  I can understand it when non-Christians say it because their time on Earth is as good as it will ever get for them, but not so for Christians.  Those who have put their faith in God through Jesus Christ have an indescribable life ahead of them AFTER they die here on Earth.  The Bible is VERY clear about this.  When I read Revelation 4 & 5 I am awed and amazed at what Heaven will be like.  I am overwhelmed with the power of God and His sovereign reign over all things.  I am like Isaiah when he saw the Lord seated on His throne, high and exalted.  All he could say was “Woe to me!... I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5)  And when I read Revelation 21 & 22 I can’t even speak!  The perfection of Heaven and the New Jerusalem with God is more than I can comprehend.  It upsets me so much when the children of God through Jesus Christ don’t understand how precious they are to the Father and that He has unfathomable things planned for them even after their earthly death.  All I know to do is to pray that the scales on their eyes will fall away and that they will know deep in their hearts that God loves them and has an incomprehensible future with Him forever.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus...

Conflicted

“say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.’”  Isaiah 35:4

“It is Mine to avenge; I will repay...”  Deuteronomy 32:35

I just heard the news that Osama bin Laden is dead.  While I am very thankful that he is no longer able to lead others into terrorist’s plots, I am conflicted.  The Lord’s justice has been meted out and I’m thankful for His deliverance from this man of evil.  However, there is the other side of the story that bothers me.  Unless this man Osama bin Laden cried out to the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ at some point in his life, he now resides in Hell, eternally separated from the One Who loved Him so much that He died for him.  That breaks my heart.  Bin Laden thought he was going to the Islamic version of Heaven, now only to find that he must stand face-to-face with the One True God.  Apart from salvation through Jesus Christ no one can do that and remain in His holy Presence.  For Osama bin Laden and all who reject Christ as their personal Savior, there is only eternal separation from the God Who created them and loves them forever and unconditionally.  They face an eternity of the darkest darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth.  I cannot desire that for anyone, not even Osama bin Laden and his cohorts.  I just cannot.  My heart longs for all to come to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is the Father’s desire and it is mine.