Monday, May 9, 2011

"With"

"Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9, HCSB).


Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me (Psalm 23:4, ESV).



"Fear not, for I am with you;
   be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, ESV).



"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you" (Isaiah 43:2).


"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel"(which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:23, ESV).


"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you foreverHe is the Spirit  of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you" (words of Christ, John 14:15-17, HCSB).


"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (words of Christ, Matthew 28:20, ESV).



Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:
    Look! God's dwelling is with men,
    and He will live with them.
    They will be His people,
    and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
    He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
    Death will exist no longer;
    grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,
    because the previous things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4, HCSB).

Thanks be to God
~that God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--is with us!! No matter the circumstances, no matter how alone or lonely we might feel, the child of God is never alone, abandoned, or unloved.
~that His promises are sure
~for mothers and opportunities to honor them
~for a lovely Mother's Day tea/luncheon planned and implemented by my artsy sister
~for May beginning with sweatshirts and hoodies (a rarity in our part of Texas)
~Ebony snuggling with me until we both warmed up
~2.35" of sorely needed rain
~for 4 male and 3 female finches at the feeder this week
~Stanford (Cardinal) and Luigi (white-winged dove) posing for a photo shoot

~for new, supportive living room seating from kind husband
~the first two days at home without lower back pain (from the old sofa) since mid-January
~for all the tears, fears, needs, and difficulties that keep me depending on the Lord and discontent with earthly things
~Ebony making me laugh with his "case of the Mondays"
Yes, Ebony is in there!
~new things blooming and growing in the garden

~privilege and opportunity to vote (early) in local elections
~opportunity to practice humility by not defending myself against criticism
(gratitude list #196-211)

6 comments:

  1. "for all the tears, fears, needs, and difficulties that keep me depending on the Lord and discontent with earthly things"

    Amen! Me, too!!! :)

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  2. @AnneNice to know I'm not alone. May God grant us both rest in His sufficiency today.

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  3. Thank you for these gentle reminders! Blessings!

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  4. with, with, with. . . such a comforting focus.
    Jealous it's cooler in your neck of the woods than mine. Doesn't make sense. Plus, it seems you get more a variety of birds to boot. Hmm. Of course, maybe I'm missing them. . . the same way I missed the WITH in those scriptures. Happy for supportive furniture for you!! Blessings.

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  5. @Amy It's a comforting reminder for me, too.

    The cool temps are long gone, so no need to be jealous. The highs have passed 90F the last 3 or more days, and today is predicted to be close to that, too.

    I didn't know what birds we had until A. set up a feeder close to the patio door.

    Blessings to you as well, friend.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.