"Thus saith the Lord to His people: Shall I create, and shall I not have it in My power to distort? Is it not written that the potter breaketh one vessel that He may shape a new one? Shall I not do likewise? Yea, I shall bring My Will to pass, and man shall know that his will is as a broken straw when pitted against the Almighty.
But My people shall know the protection of their God. Because their heart is stayed upon Jehovah, therefore shall I keep them in My pavilion and shelter them until the calamity be overpassed.
If I removed thee from the scene, ye would have no testimony of My miraculous delivering power. Stay beneath My Wings, and I shall make thee as a tower of strength to which the fearful may run and find safety."
"When though passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when though walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be harmed; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. "
Isaiah 43:2
As I began my dialogue with God, I asked if the Hymn would play. Wouldn't you know? "Under His Wings" the hymn played on BBNRadio.org as I hurried to work.
Under His Wings
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Refrain
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till lifefs trials are ofer;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, Ifm safe evermore.
Refrain
Words: William O. Cushing, 1896.
Music: Ira D. Sankey
My heart is heavy as I hear the tweets from DownUnder. 'Queensland's floods, Victoria's floods, Christchurch earthquake, Japan's earthquake and tsunami with pending nuclear catastrophe just in the matter of three months of 2011. Is the world coming to the end?' Then there is such unrest in the Middle East that set my teeth on edge. Within the church I am hearing the last days are near. It is an unspoken 'Heaven in '11?'
Are you ready? What will it take to convince you that you need Jesus? Is there a lost soul you want to see in Heaven? Is there a dream you want answered yes before He calls you home? Are lost and overwhelmed by everything around you? Have you lost everything? How long are you going to hold on this world with a death grip? How much discontent and turmoil can you take?
Oh, how this world makes you crave and crave without filling. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy our hunger. Come. Ask Him to be your Savior and let Him cover you under His Wing.
"When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah."
Psalms 75:3
Postscript:
Friday night when I could sit in front of the news and use google earth to pinpoint where our Japanese missionary family were located, I was horrified to see that they lived in Sendai right where the epicenter of this quake happened. This was a big jolt of geography! I am happy to report that the family are ok. That is all I know. My prayer is for thus family to be a light and strength to those around them. I am also praying for the parents of a blogger I know who are missionaries in Japan as well...
Hi ~ Just wanted to encourage you and say keep on keeping on, keeper. Your timely thoughts are an inspiration. Your love for the Lord and time spent with Him are evident! For the past 4 weeks, I have been taking an elderly friend to a Sunday evening service within her retirement community. Last night we sang "Under His Wings". Although I am substantially younger than everyone there, I fit right in with all the singing and worship. These older saints are such a blessing! They radiate with the Love of the Lord, especially when they sing! My friend is in her mid 80's, and has been a close friend of the family for over 50 years. She is overjoyed when I bring her. She is feeble, and uses a walker and is unable to attend services unless she has a ride. I love it though. I LOVE hymns too! I don't know if you got the chance to read a post I made under your 2010 faves, or not. I too go frequently to Frances' books. Such timely Words from the Lord!I appreciate your honesty, and your love for the Lord. His eyes are on you and He is smiling because of your faithfulness. I pray your day is blessed and you feel a burst of joy in the Lord! That's all! :) Bill S.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill, for your encouragement. I did see your post. I've been lagging even if my thoughts have been taking off. Sorry about that. I have been meaning to comment.
ReplyDeleteit is 'sweeter as the days go by' as I walk with Jesus. With a certain loss that happened the more I fill in the empty place with my Heavenly Father, the more I sing the old hymns, the more I find His Word so peaceful and instructive. Thank you for noticing His Light ...