"O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have redeemed my life."  (Lamentations 3:58)

Last night was a blessed night of study, worship, confession of sin, and prayer with the people of God at Cane Run Baptist Church in Lexington, KY.  I thank God so much for this little fellowship of people who love Him from the heart and love one another in His name.  I thank God for the visitors with which He blessed us and for the beauty of the way He weaves lives together for His glory and for the edification of His church.  Each time a radiant redeemed soul joins our fellowship,  the portion of the Bride gathered here becomes more beautiful.  How glorious it will be in heaven one day to behold the spotless Bride in her entirity, every member present and bowed low before the blazing glory of the risen Christ, singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty"!  Hallelujah!  I thank God for the humility with which each person confessed the sin in his/her heart and for the way the Holy Spirit convicted me of my own vile sin upon hearing their confessions.  The depth of my sin is great, but the mercy and grace of my Redeemer is greater!

The preacher said something that really cut me to the marrow.  He talked about how often we pray for the Lord to do something "for us" and we get caught up in the "gifts" and the "things He does for us" rather than in God, His glory, and what He's already done for us in Christ.  God will do exactly what is good for me and exactly what is good for directing the maximum amount of glory to Himself.  I can trust that.  Do I?  Does the way I pray reflect that kind of faith?  Sometimes it does, other times not.  I should be more focused on praising Him for all the amazing miracles He works in my life on a daily basis, none of which I deserve.  I should have eyes to see more of His glory in the small things, which aren't really small at all.  I think I've alluded to this in a previous blog...but the theme arises again. 

If I ponder for 2 seconds my autonomic nervous system, I'm baffled at the power of God's hand in my body!  His right hand upholds me!  I'm breathing, my heart is beating, my eyelids are blinking, my hands are typing by muscle memory without searching for letters, I'm using words to communicate thoughts that the Lord is impressing upon my heart through His Word,  I'm shaking my right leg, biting my lower lip, listening to the crunching sound of my son eating his shredded wheat, seeing everything in front of and around me without moving my head,  and my brain doesn't hurt, ache, or throb from all that work!  Shouldn't I feel confused or overwhelmed to be doing all those things at once?  No!  He's holding it all together, friend!  That's no small thing!   

"He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."  (Colossians 1:17)

I should spend more time thanking Him for the fact that He's saved me, which will never cease to amaze!  I should trust Christ who is at the right hand of the Father interceding on my behalf, a member of His bride.  I don't know what I need (though my prayers prove I think I do, at times)---but Jesus certainly does!  Brothers and Sisters, I don't need to figure it out---He already has it in His hand, on His heart, and He's pleading my cause to His Father! I should be on my face knowing such a thing!  My nose should never leave the floor!  Dare I stand upright in the presence of God?

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning;  great is Your faithfulness.  'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.'"(Lamentations 3:22-24)

"...If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?...Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." (Romans 8:31b-34)

"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ...for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father."  (Ephesians 2:13 & 18)

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  (Colossians 1:13-14)

May the Lord humble my heart as I come to Him in prayer.  My my prayer reflect my complete trust in Him to give me what I need.  Praise His name that He doesn't give me what I want.  God doesn't need my help or my advice on how to run my life or how to gift His children. 

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?"  (Romans 11:33-34)