Sacred Sweet: A Song that Reminds Me God is Always in Control

Sacred Sweet: The Bible - God's Written Word

God's Word is one sacred sweet He has given, not just to me  but to the entire world. Through its pages God tells us information about Himself we could not otherwise know.  While His creation shows all His brilliant intelligence,  creative prowess, and magnificent might,  His written Word tells us of His awesome holiness, beauteous redemption, and His dealings with us as individuals.

Through His written  Word God  answers the questions asked by most everyone:  Who am I?  A being created in the image of God. (Gen 1:26-27) Why am I here? To bring pleasure and honor to God.( Rev 4:11) What's wrong with the world? We are all sinners who are separated from God (Gen 3, Rom 1:18-ff; Rom 3:10-11) Is this any hope?  Yes, the good news of Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) For more on the Good News click on  Sweetest and Most Sacred .

Every day I have the privilege of a special meeting with God as I open my Bible and listen to what He has to say to me.   I don't audibly hear Him say "Sheila, this verse is for you."  To my mind, I do hear Him say "Study this book like you're mining for treasure, You'll be amazed at what you'll discover of Me, of yourself, and of the world in which you live."(Ps 119:18, 2Tim 3:16-17).   I hear Him say, "This is bread - nutrition -  your soul desperately needs.  You can't thrive without it."(Mt 4:4)  "You won't have reason for shame or regret if you follow My way." (Ps 119:6)


 For the last couple of weeks I have had the privilege of mining the Old Testament book of Jonah along with four other godly women.  In the upcoming weeks I will use this space  to share a few of the gems we've unearthed from this short but complex story that highlights God's righteousness and love, and humankind's tremendous need of both.

The main objective of the study is to practice interacting with the Scriptures daily in order to grasp the main facts and teachings of God's Word concerning Him, us, and the world around us.

Sacred Sweet: Lettie Burd Cowman

I never cease to be amazed at how the Lord encourages me by using people whom I have met only through their written words.  What a powerful medium  written words provide for sharing with one another.  One writer that makes indelible impressions on my soul every time I read one of her devotionals is Lettie Burd Cowman .  She wrote a devotional book called Streams in the Desert, during the trying time she cared for her husband Charles, as he battled a long  fatal illness. Through daily entries, she shared with the reader what she learned about the character and purposes of God as He uses suffering to communicate with us.  (Suffering, another powerful communications medium.)  Along with scripture, she would often add an anecdotal story, and thoughts and poems from other sources that encouraged her.

This is what I read today:

(Speaking about Moses)And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness…an angel of the Lord...saying....now come, I will send thee into Egypt" (Acts 7:30-34).

Often the Lord calls us aside from our work for a season, and bids us be still and learn ere we go forth again to minister. There is no time lost in such waiting hours.

Fleeing from his enemies, the ancient knight found that his horse needed to be re-shod. Prudence seemed to urge him on without delay, but higher wisdom taught him to halt a few minutes at the blacksmith's forge by the way, to have the shoe replaced; and although he heard the feet of his pursuers galloping hard behind, yet he waited those minutes until his charger was refitted for his flight. And then, leaping into his saddle just as they appeared a hundred yards away, he dashed away from them with the fleetness of the wind, and knew that his halting had hastened his escape.

 

She ends her devotional with words from another writer who is dead, yet speaks  preacher/teacher A. B. Simpson - "So often God bids us tarry ere we go, and fully recover ourselves for the next stage of the journey and work.  Lord teach me to be still and to know that thou art God and all this day to walk with God." --Days of Heaven upon Earth

Presently, I am waiting.  But no longer simply sitting, marking time.  Praying expectantly,  that God will renew my soul for what awaits around the next bend.

God of All Comfort

 

Sometimes trusting is like hang gliding.

Taking off and surrendering oneself to the wind.

Thank God the winds obey the voice of Jesus!

Matthew 8:24-27

             

Another Year! Astonishing Grace! Almighty Hands!

Thoughts at the start of a new year.  (Forgive me if you find my thoughts to be disjointed.  My heart is overflowing with joy!)

God keeps  the sacred sweets abounding to me!  I've certainly done nothing to deserve them, He is infinitely gracious and merciful!

His astonishing grace  takes my breath away when I spend more than a few moments contemplating it. I get overwhelmed when I think God loved me Sheila, enough to send His Son – Jesus, to die for my sins, to rise again and to make me His child. (btw - God did this not just for me, but for anyone who will trust in Jesus! even you!)  Such knowledge is far too wonderful for me!   By myself I am a small frightened self-centered soul stuck inside a wimpy sack of flesh and bones, morally weak and infinitely scatterbrained.  Emotionally on edge, full of great intentions but never quite putting feet to my great “resolves”.    But God in His infinite love  choose me that I should be to the praise of His glory, that I should be displayed as one of His masterpieces. (Eph 1:12, 2:10)   

What a thought!  

     What a privilege!  

          What a responsibility!

               What a challenge God has taken on for another year. 

 I am grateful His hands are mighty and He has placed me in them.

.   

Prayer for 2012- 

 Joshua 4:24 (I took liberty to paraphrase)

 O God, 

That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that we might fear the LORD our God for ever. 

Sweetest and Most Sacred

In my previous post, when I shared my list of sacred sweets, I did not mention the sweetest and most sacred of them all -   the good Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the Lion and Lamb, the Son of God and very God,  the Beginning and the End,  the Friend of Sinners and their Terrible Judge,  Creator, Sustainer, Savior,  King and so much more.  Is there any wonder why He is number One?

I have always known there is a God.  As a teenager I began to sense I was very far from Him.  I often felt empty, lonely, purposeless, and inadequate. I knew if I could just have God in my life, I could be OK.  Outwardly I was a good girl, going to church – even in the middle of the week,  but I knew deep within I was not right with God.   However, God was working through my frustration and to get me to Himself.

 I knew the Bible was the Word of God so I thought I could reach out to God by reading it.  My brother, who had become a Christian in college, lent me one of his Bible study books when I told him I wanted to study the Bible.  The book was Unger’s Bible Handbook[1].

I started in the book of Romans (a deacon had said Romans explained the gospel - God’s good news to man).    I read chapter one.  The only thing I understood is that God loves us , but  also He is full of wrath  for the unrighteous.  I certainly knew I was a sinner, and I had suspected for some time that He was not totally pleased with me, but I did not think He was angry with me.  Vs 18[2] told me He was.    Chapter three bluntly stated “There is none righteous, no, not one … there is none that does good, no, not one.”[3]    I thought, I’m not the only person going to hell.    No one has the righteousness of life God requires, no one is good enough.   As I read further in chapter three I found words that gave me hope.  Vs 21[4]  told me the righteousness God requires has been made available to man.  Vs 22-24[5] said the righteousness comes to a person who believes in Jesus. God in his grace and mercy made righteousness available to all through His Son, the God-man Jesus Christ.  He lived a perfect righteous life and then took on the sins of the world when He died on the cross.  He suffered the wrath of His Father that everyone on earth deserved for their unrighteousness.  He died.  The proof that his death was satisfactory for the payment for sin is that He came back to life again.  The Easter story.   What Jesus did was enough.  I learned all that I needed to do was believe Jesus, trust what He did and I would receive the righteousness which would make me acceptable to God.  When I understood that message, it was as if God was speaking to me audibly saying  “Now is the time to decide Sheila. Believe me. Come.”

Since I trusted Christ, my big questions have been answered.   Who am I?  One for whom Christ died, a child of God  (1Cor 3:23, John 1:14)[6].  Why am I here?  For the pleasure of God, to honor Him with my life (Rev 4:11, Phil 2:13)[7].  Where am I going?  I’m on my way heaven, eventually but right now I’m on an adventurous, frenzied, hilarious, arduous – but never dull – journey called life on earth.  Over the mountains, through the valleys,   and in the course of the daily-ness of the journey, He has given me much joy.  My journey has been sprinkled with all those sacred sweets!  His presence being the sweetest of all!

[1] Unger’s Bible Handbook [1st ed.] by Merrill F. Unger. Chicago: Moody Press, 1966.

[2] Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

[3] Rom 3:10, 12

[4] Rom 3:21  But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested,

[5] Rom 3:22-23  even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction;   for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;  being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

[6] 1Corinthians 3:23  and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's., John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:

[7] Revelation 4:11  Worthy art thou, O Lord, … for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created. Philippians 2:13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

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From Whence Came the Name

 You may be wondering: where did the name of this blog come from?  It is a line from a beautiful old hymn that speaks of the Christian life as a journey.  The journey’s destination is Zion – heaven.  If you grew up in a traditional black Baptist church like me,  perhaps you know the song – Marching to Zion.   The song takes for granted that all Christians understand the journey is never made alone, but in unison with other Christians (Christ followers).



Zion is depicted as a beautiful city filled with heavenly fields and golden streets.  Along the way to that marvelous place, God graciously allows us to encounter places/situations where we find sacred sweets.  I believe the sacred sweets are little-bitty scrumptious bits of heaven right here on earth. The song promises “a thousand sacred sweets”. 

 In the midst of a world that is very far removed from heaven,  God gives me glimpses of pure delight, hilarious joy, soothing peace,  intoxicating passion,  realized hope, fulfilled purpose, contentment and much more through the sacred sweets He allows me to find.  I have been blessed to have tasted thousands.  Through this blog  I hope to share some of them with you.



This is Peanut!



A few of the scrumptious bits of heaven I enjoy right here:  My darling husband who loves me sacrificially, unconditionally, and kindly;  my three never-cease-to-amaze-me children; my Sunshine-the-clown sister and my sailor sister who are two of my best-est friends; my three brothers who treat me like a grown up; my mother-in-law who always tells it like it is; my dog Peanut;  friends;  a voice with which to make a joyful noise;  snow days;  prayer;  herb tea;  spring flowers;  old time radio;  lessons learned  ….  I could go on and on, but I’d like to hear about some of yours. Please share what tasty bits of heaven you've found  in a comment to this post.  Maybe we could make a list that would exceed a thousand if we kept it going.

Marching to Zion        Text: Isaac Watts

 

Come, we that love the Lord,

and let our joys be known;

join in a song with sweet accord,

join in a song with sweet accord

and thus surround the throne,

and thus surround the throne.

         Refrain:

         We're marching to Zion,

         beautiful, beautiful Zion;

         we're marching upward to Zion,

         the beautiful city of God.

The hill of Zion yields

a thousand sacred sweets

before we reach the heavenly fields,

before we reach the heavenly fields,

or walk the golden streets,

or walk the golden streets.

         (Refrain)

(If you need a refresher on what the tune sounds like, visit http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh733.sht )

First Entry

Welcome to all who have stumbled upon this page.  My prayer is that you will be benefitted from what I post.  I believe life is like a vapor - delicate, fleeting, all too soon gone.  I would like you to be blessed, edified, encouraged and challenged as you spend your precious few minutes reading my posts. 

My expertise is homemaking.  I have been a stay-at-home wife and mom for the past twenty-five years.  Prior to that I was the director of a shelter for homeless women.  Prior to that I traveled the world for four years with the USArmy.  Prior to that I was a student for three years at a Bible College.  Prior to that I spent four years in an all-girls high school.  I've had a wide variety of life experiences that give me a platform to say something - hopefully, something meaningful.

The most significant experience in my life has been knowing God and coming to love Him.  Prior to knowing Him, my life was uncertain, chaotic, and hopeless.  Since coming to know Him, life is still oftentimes uncertain and chaotic, but never hopeless. I realize He is in control of everything, He is good and He can be trusted to work everything out to honor Himself and to help all those who trust Him.

I hope to use this blog to encourage you to trust Jesus Christ.  If you already trust Jesus then I would like to encourage you  to keep loving Him and enjoying Him.  I plan to use this blog as a soapbox, journal, newsletter, and sounding board.  Like most moms, I always feel as though I have great advice to give.