Stay Thirsty My Friends

On our recent visit to Missouri, my Sister-In-Love, took my camera and snapped some beautiful pictures of her neighbor's little fawn. There are some scriptures that mention the deer.

Psalm 42: 1-2 says, " As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?"

Hunger and thirst is something that is hard to ignore. God placed these cravings within us so that we would seek food, or drink and get what our bodies need to survive. I believe that He also placed a similar craving within us for Him. We will not be satisfied, truly with anything else.

The picture here in this passage is of a deer that has been chased up into the hills and is so thirsty. This is a thirst and craving similar to an alcoholic craving alcohol. They just have to have it or else! The deer is so thirsty that he not only bends his head down to drink, he dives his whole body right into the river. He just wants to soak it right into his pores!

Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount that if we are that thirsty for Him and His righteousness, we are blessed, the word happy could be inserted here.

"Blessed (happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (filled). Matthew 5:6 I would submit to you that you don't want to be righteous apart from knowing God. We need to want to know God with that much desire. Like a deer that is on the brink of thirsting to death if he doesn't get water!

Am I that thirsty for God?

In asking myself that question, I thought of that clever commercial of "The Most Interesting Man in the World". You know the one I"m talking about? At the end of the commercial, he says, "Stay Thirsty My friends"... this is a clever way for the advertiser to sell his product. It is not however something that we are interested in being physically. Who in their right minds would ever want to "stay thirsty"? However, this is a good way to think spiritually. We need to stay thirsty for God and His Word and His righteousness.

Are we thirsty for God?

Stay thirsty my friends...

A Psalm While Packing Books By: Joseph Bayly

So many hurting people... I have friends who are without jobs, in bankruptcy, and even the loss of a baby. There are many Scriptures that help us during this time, but I also like to hear from people who have walked down this same path. Through Randy Alcorn's devotional "90 Days of God's Goodness", he had a poem written by Joseph Bayly. Before I share this poem, I just wanted to tell you a little bit about Joseph Bayly. Joseph and his wife Mary Lou, lost three children. One was a baby, 18 days old, after surgery. Another at five years with leukemia, and the third was 18 years old, after a sledding accident due to complications from hemophilia.

I am interested in hearing from anyone who has gone through this much suffering. Who has worked through things, and yes even wrestled with the Lord and is still in ministry helping people.

I purchased two of Joseph Bayly's books, and the poem I am going to share with you is written by him, from the book "Psalms of My Life"

A Psalm While Packing Books

This cardboard box

Lord

see it says

Bursting limit

200 lbs. per square inch.

The box maker knew

how much strain

the box would take

what weight

would crush it.

You are wiser than the box maker

Maker of my spirit

my mind

my body.

Does the box know

when pressure increases close to

the limit?

No

it knows nothing.

But I know

when my breaking point

is near.

And so I pray

Maker of my soul

Determiner of the pressure

within

upon me

Stop it

lest I be broken

or else

change the pressure rating

of this fragile container

of Your grace

so that I may bear more.

Things Change...Through the Years

Things change... Through the years

The dress label number has increased...

But you don't seem to notice...

Your acceptance of me never ceased.

My face is betraying me when I catch my own reflection...

But from you I receive no rejection.

My hair is fading in it's color...

You don't see that it's duller...

The gleam in your eye makes my hair shine...

To you it's divine.

We don't feel the need to talk and talk...

With you beside me I will joyfully walk...

You're holding my hand...

As we travel down this road...

We share each others load

The empty nest...

Discovering each other...

We are so blest...

As we turn down the road that will bend...

My forever friend...

Left up to me it will never end...

You calm my fears...

Even sometimes there may be tears...

When others have jeers...

I'll always be here...

That will never change... Through the years.

Written to my dear husband Steve Roy by your wife JoAnne

On the occasion of our 31st Anniversary... With all my love.

All that glitters is not gold

Steve and I were recently in New Orleans for the SBC. After the convention was over, we set out to explore the city. We went to Bourbon Street. The sights and sounds and smells were overwhelming to the senses. Not just a bombardment of my senses, but of my soul. As we were walking down the sidewalk, my attention was drawn to a place on the sidewalk . The owner of the shop had sprinkled some beautiful, gold glitter on it. The glitter laden sidewalk was right in front of a place that said, "Angel readings". As I stopped to look at this, I realized that it was a place where you could go and get a "fortune telling" done. This grieved my spirit. We are told in Leviticus 19:31 "Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God." I wonder how many people went in there because of the beautiful glitter on the sidewalk, or the attractiveness of the place. My heart was so sad for this woman. So I stopped there and prayed for the woman who would be doing these readings. I prayed that she would come to know Jesus as her Saviour. The God we serve knows our future. He holds our future in His hands. I don't know about you, but I don't want to know my future! God created us so that we would not know the future for a reason. It would keep us in a turmoil and scared all the time to know the bad things that may lie ahead for us.

We should not be surprised by this. This is Satan's mode of operation. II Corinthians 11:14 reminds us that ..." Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." This is what he is so good at! Making sin look attractive and beautiful!

Next time you are tempted by something that looks so enticing remember that's how Satan works. He disguises the sin into a thing of beauty. That's how the serpent got Eve! The unfortunate thing is you don't see where it leads. Oh, there is a definite trail, but to where?

It may lead to your destruction.

James 1: 15 says," Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings for death."

Thomas Gray in 1742, in an "Ode on A Distant Prospect of Eton College" wrote these wise words, "Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes And heedless hearts, is lawful prize; Nor all that glitters gold."

If you can't remember the Scriptures, the next time you see something that is shiny, that glittering thing of beauty that would be oh so tempting, just remember this little phrase...

"All that glitters is not gold."

Sing a Song in the Night

Last night I was staying in a hotel room and a bird sang late into the night keeping me awake. At 4:30 in the night, the bird started singing again and woke me. This time God spoke to my heart. He said to my spirit, " You need to be like this bird, and sing songs to me in the night. Sing songs to me when you are at your lowest, not just in the good times."

Job. 35:10 says,"But no one says, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night."

This inspired me to write a poem, such as it is.

Sing a Song in the Night

There's a nightingale singing in the night

God speaks to my soul...be like this bird.

Sing a song to me in the night.

When the night is long, all is not calm... all is not bright.

You can't see me in the dark,

Reach out to me.

It takes faith...

Faith sings when times are stark.

Sing when your soul is bare.

I inhabit praise.

You will find me there.

I have led you to this dark place so you will find me.

Find me sweeter... Find me dearer...

To find your voice is stronger.

Let it soar to the heights!

You could sing before, though weakly.

The night brought out your richer tones,

More melodic and bright.

Sing a song for mercy.

Mercy that brings you through the valley

Where I am walking with you.

At times I even carry you.

Sing a song of deliverance.

Until you see the dawn break through.

Just know that I am leading you.

Whatever I may bring you to.

Until that welcomed time where the dawn is born.

Keep singing to me that song.

That song that I gave you.

That sweet song in the night.

"Nevertheless"

This past Sunday we were so privileged to hear Mark Sweeting speak to us at Hocutt. Mark and Sharon are Missionaries. I will not say where, but as I was thinking about all that they have sacrificed to go, I came across this verse, "And Simon answering said unto him, Teacher, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net." (Luke5:5 KJV)

Simon, James and John had been toiling and fishing all night without catching any fish. Fishing like they did 2000 years ago would be tiring. They would throw the nets out over and over again, and pull them back in. I imagine they were tired. Human reason and physical exhaustion would make them want to stop. But Jesus told them to try it one more time. Simon said one word that caught my attention, "nevertheless". In other words, even though I'm tired from fishing all night, nevertheless, I will obey you.

William Chalmer Burns was a missionary to China in 1847. After seven years he wrote, "I do not know of a single soul brought to Christ through me." Nevertheless, he persevered.

The country that Mark and Sharon have gone to is very dangerous. We hear about it on the news, car bombings and other things that would make anyone apprehensive about going...nevertheless, they went.

Mark and Sharon has children and grandchildren that they dearly love and miss... nevertheless, they went.

What is your "nevertheless"?

God may ask you to sacrifice your time, talent, treasure, family, home, comfort. He may ask you to toil in your menial, everyday tasks and live in obscurity. No one may ever know the things you do for the Lord, and for His kingdom. Whatever the situation, are you willing to say, "Nevertheless Lord, I will obey you"?

Let us live, and obey in the magnificent word...Nevertheless.

Walk Through

Sunday evening I stood by the bedside of a friend... a 47 year old man who had struggled and fought with his body betraying him. I listened to Kez his wife tell about how he had also struggled with the Lord. What made this a bitter sweet time is that Kevin, in struggling with the Lord, I believe from what Kez told me, received answers from the Lord... and so, there was a resolve... a release that took place in Kevin's heart and soul.

The next day I pondered many things. One being a portion of the 23rd Psalm. " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I fear no evil, for You are with me."

Some phrases in this that played over in my mind were... "walk through". For the Christian, death is not a wall, but a doorway. We proceed through this doorway with Him. We may be weary, even injured, but we arrive at our destination. How? Because the Lord Jesus is with us with every step we take.When we "walk through"the valley, He is right there with us.

The second phrase is, " shadow of death". I was thinking about shadows. You could be walking down a trail in the woods and come across the shadow of a bear. The shadow itself cannot hurt you. It is just a play of the light reflecting a certain way that makes the shadow. A shadow can only be seen when the sun is shining! This is not a cloudy, gloomy day for the Christian. So when we are walkingwith the Lord, we need not fear the "shadow" of death, for it's just a shadow. When you are a child and you first discover a shadow, you may be afraid until your Mom or Dad that is with you explains it. They may say, "Oh honey, there's no need to be afraid, it's only a shadow and shadows can't hurt you." I believe this is what it's like for the Christian when they face death. We don't need to fear death because when Christ is walking with us, it's only a shadow.

In Randy Alcorn's book,"If God is Good" he says, " Although death is the last enemy, the ghastly result of the Fall and the Curse, Christ made death a passageway into the loving presence of God, "Sothat by His death He might destroy him who holds the powers of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2: 14-15) Christ has liberated us from the need to fear death." Why? Because He conquered death!

So for the Christian, when we come to the end of our journey here in this life, we can continue to "walk through". We can walk through the valley of the "shadow of death", where God will comfort and calm fears, where our cups can overflow, and this is a place where we can rejoice and look forward to an eternity of being with our good and loving God.

So, walk through Kevin, and walk on with your Lord, dear Brother. It was just a shadow, and the Son is shining bright on the other side!