A Prayer for the Week, to Prepare

Friends, it is almost November!  That means this is coming up:

Woo-hoo!

I have been working my way through verses that have refuge in them and I am so excited to share observations with you and themes that have emerged.  God's Word is living and active; I am eager to see where He takes each of us personally as we look into His Word over the month of November, specifically focusing on Running to the Refuge.  I am praying for you!

My friend asked for homework to go along with the month's study.  Here's something for you to do this week in preparation.  Meditate on and pay these words from Psalm 16:1,

Keep me safe, O God,

for in You I take refuge.

Write it out on an index card and stick it on your bathroom mirror or dashboard, make it your screen saver or phone display, or find some other way you can remind yourself to meditate and pray over these words.

Ask yourself and the Lord:

• What does it mean for me to ask the Lord to keep me safe?  From what?  Unto what?
• Am I taking refuge in the Lord?  What does that mean?  How can I be more in the habit of doing so?

Can't wait to get started on Saturday!  Yet I'm not ready, so it's a good thing I have till Saturday.

Lots of love, dear readers.

Walk in His way!

Heather

The Deliverer's Deliverance

As a writer, I love words.  When a word I have not heard much lately pops up more than one time over a short period, particularly in the few hours we gather with our people at Graystone Presbyterian Church on a Sunday morning, I sit at attention.  That occurred this morning.

The 'word of the day' from my time at church this morning is deliverance.

First, it was mentioned during Sunday school in a talk about the sacraments.  Passover's New Testament equivalent is communion.  The pastor talked about how Israel was waiting for deliverance at the Passover, by the blood of the lambs.  We are delivered from our sin by the blood of The Lamb.  Communion is a time we remember, reflect on, and celebrate that deliverance.

Oh, the desperation of Israel to be delivered from slavery in Egypt.

Oh, our desperation to be delivered from slavery to sin.

Oh, the power of the Deliverer who comes to our rescue!

Sweet deliverance.  Thank you, Lord!

Following Sunday school, we headed up to the worship service and in the middle of one of the songs this bridge pops up on the screen:

Healer, Healer; I'm restored by a healer,

Provider, Provider; I am filled by a provider.

Deliverer, Deliverer; I'm set free by a deliverer.

Savior, You're my Savior, I'm redeemed by a Savior.

Did that say Deliverer?

Yep!  There it was again.  Our Deliverer has set us free, we were reminded.  Israel was set free from her earthly captor by Almighty God, foreshadowing the coming Messiah who would deliver all His people from their sin.

Have you considered your Deliverer today?  Have you rejoiced in Your deliverance on this Lord's Day?  Do you know the deliverance that comes from knowing Jesus as your own Deliverer?  If you are searching for freedom, look no further than Christ.

Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

November 2014 Series: a Sneak Peek

Hi all and welcome new readers!

Sorry it has been so quiet around here since the end of the last series.  I really would love to be one of those amazing disciplined ladies who have mastered home, family, homeschooling, and writing and (appear to) keep up with it well.  But I am not one of those ladies; I am me!  Nevertheless, I feel like a part of me is dead when I am not regularly writing.  So have no fear - I  know you were losing sleep over my absence around here - I am in the process of cooking up the annual November daily series.  I was working on it this morning.  See?!

Until today I didn't know that this amazing concordance, that Christine gave me years ago - thanks, Christine! - had both a Hebrew and Greek dictionary in it.  So this morning I was able to look up different words that in my New International Version are translated refuge, which will be next month's theme.

Here's a snazzy thingy I made on PicMonkey to go with it!

There was a period this past summer when I kept coming across the word refuge: in personal study, sermons, songs, etc.  My heart took great comfort and courage from the word each time.  Of course the courage and comfort came from knowing that God is that refuge, the only place I can run for sure safety, protection, security, love, forgiveness, and peace.

Soooooo, THAT is where we are going to go on this blog throughout November.  I want to take a deeper look at verses that mention refuge.  I also want discuss how we can take refuge in God in many different life situations.  I cannot wait to see what we can learn by LOOKING at God's Word, by LISTENING to what He has to say, and by LEARNING to Run to the Refuge over next month.

I hope you'll join me.  Bring along a friend!

Walk in His way,
Heather