HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE

 

I was travelling along a country lane this week and I found myself following a truck with the sign ‘Highway Maintenance’. There were two, tall, traffic signal lamps being carried as cargo, facing towards me; they were standing tall and it felt as if they were staring right at me!
Obviously, these traffic lights weren’t connected to a source, so they weren’t flashing green, red or amber. They were just blank; staring at me, with a blank expression.
Now, you and I know, these traffic signal lamps are inanimate. But, as I looked at them, I felt as if they were trying to tell me something!! No, I’m not losing my mind, but I knew there was an illustration here; I knew I was about to learn something; to receive a revelation somehow.

As I pondered on this, I realised, that when the traffic signals were connected to an electric source, they were always switched on. They never took a break. They would constantly be transmitting a light colour, whether it was RED, for STOP; GREEN, for GO, or AMBER, for GET READY.

But when they aren’t connected to a source, they are absolutely no use whatsoever!

It made me think about myself………about my walk with the Lord. It made me think about all the ‘Highway Maintenance’ I require on a regular basis!

When I’m connected to THE Source, God my Father, He always ensures my path. He is with me when I am making decisions about whether or not I should STOP or when to GET READY and, He is always, always the One right behind me, when I know I’m in a season of GO!
But there can be times in all of our lives, when we come to a standstill; possibly not knowing what to make of current situations or circumstances. We wonder ‘Do I GO with this idea?’ ‘Shall I STOP, take a break, wait for direction?’ and one of the most exciting periods, which I regularly find myself in lately, is knowing when the season is one of ‘GET READY’. Yes, I love knowing I have to GET READY! A season of preparation, prayer, anticipation and expectancy! To me, GETTING READY is as appealing and stimulating as GO!!

Considering all of this, I revert back to the two, tall, traffic signal lights and realise that we too, can find ourselves feeling blank, when we aren’t connected to OUR Source, God the Father!
This is where I want to encourage you. Despite seasons in our lives, where we really don’t feel connected to our Source, our Light-Giver, our Creator, He will always carry us. He will always ‘maintain’ us on our journey through this earthly lifetime. He will ALWAYS pick you up and prepare you for the next chapter on your own personal HIGHWAY. You may not always feel connected to the Source and this can be a wilderness experience, but even when you feel your lights can never flash again, that is the time that God wants to spend, pouring into and, onto you, His precious healing balm.

After your time of being ‘cargo’ for a while, you WILL return to STOP, GET READY and GO!!!!!

“Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you” Proverbs 4:25

Bride & Groom

**Note from Ellie**

Let me introduce my very precious Sister in Christ (and one of my closest friends!) Debbie McNeill. I recently asked if she would be my ‘Guest Blogger’ and she more than obliged with this beautiful and thought-provoking piece of written work. I’m honoured to share that Debbie is also one of the Co-Founders of Kingdom Women of Powership, a powerful new ministry, completely and amazingly God-ordained, and Debbie,along with myself and another incredible lady, is excited at the altogether mind-blowing events that God is bringing about in our lives! But why are we surprised when we are asked to do amazing things in His Name, if that’s what we have been asking Him to do all along?! Debbie is the author of a soon to be published memoir, ‘In Search of my Father’. I have had the privilege of editing this incredible book and cannot wait to see the response when it is published! It really will touch your soul and I know many, many people will identify with areas of Debbie’s journey.

So……..Read on and ENJOY!

PART ONE
When I saw my husband for the first time, I have to admit there was no instant attraction for me. He was a new colleague and we got on well. As we worked, we would have discussions about our personal lives; me revealing more, as I began to know and trust him. I knew he was smitten by me; it was an instant attraction for him I could tell.
When he asked me out for a drink I said “No” at first. I had been through some rough times relationship wise and I was not ready to be joined as a couple again to anyone. I had scars all over my broken heart and I needed time to heal.
He didn’t push me and gradually I began to enjoy his company and allowed myself to go for that drink. Our relationship became friendlier and I began to invest some of my personal time in his company. Sometimes I would become fearful of “getting too involved” and I would pull back and stop seeing him. He was very gentle, he never pushed himself he just backed off. I knew in my heart that he was there for me and I had a deep sense he wasn’t going to leave me.
When I was ready I would contact him and he would come back into my life again. This ‘dance’ took two years. A wonderful vicar friend affirmed him, declaring,
“Faint heart never won fair lady”
Sure enough, his heart was strong and he pursued me and wooed me with his love.
On the day I decided to marry him, I loved him. Now nearly ten years later I LOVE HIM!!! Our love for one another has matured and deepened. Each time I say “I really love you”, and he me, it is even deeper and there seems to be no measure of depth as this love deepens. So much so that we are now enmeshed in each other. We are as one, almost. We call on each other as the other is about to call, our time together is precious, we love spending that time together. We know what each is thinking and speak things out as we are thinking them. There is a synergy between us and together we are so powerful in many ways.

PART TWO

When I saw my husband for the first time, I have to admit there was no instant attraction for me. He was a new colleague and we got on well. As we worked, we would have discussions about our personal lives; me revealing more, as I began to know and trust him. I knew he was smitten by me; it was an instant attraction for him, I could tell.
When he asked me out for a drink I said “No” at first. I had been through some rough times relationship wise and I was not ready to be joined as a couple again to anyone. I had scars all over my broken heart and I needed time to heal.
He didn’t push me and gradually I began to enjoy his company and allowed myself to go for that drink. Our relationship became friendlier and I began to invest some of my personal time in his company. Sometimes I would become fearful of “getting too involved” and I would pull back and stop seeing him. He was very gentle; he never pushed himself, he just backed off. I knew in my heart that he was there for me and I had a deep sense he wasn’t going to leave me.
When I was ready I would contact him and he would come back into my life again. This ‘dance’ took two years. A wonderful vicar friend affirmed him declaring,
“Faint heart never won fair lady”
Sure enough his heart was strong and he pursued me and wooed me with his love.
On the day I decided to marry him, I loved him. Now nearly ten years later I LOVE HIM!!! Our love for one another has matured and deepened. Each time I say “I really love you”, and he me, it is even deeper and there seems to be no measure of depth as this love deepens. So much so that we are now enmeshed in each other. We are as one, almost. We call on each other as the other is about to call, our time together is precious, we love spending that time together. We know what each is thinking and speak things out as we are thinking them. There is a synergy between us and together we are so powerful in many ways.

Part one – my Lord Jesus Christ. Part two – my earthly husband.

Revelation 19:7
‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready’

Excuse Me! But can YOU let go of MY past please?!

Within the last few months, I have met a fellow Christian who despite my God given joy, eagerness, and willingness to serve, has seemed intent on belittling my every move. But more than that, has constantly wanted to remind me of what I endured in my past life; I guess who I was, previous to my knowing the Lord. It’s as if the last 15 years haven’t happened. BUT THEY HAVE!

I have prayed love and blessings upon this person but most of all I’ve asked God, “Can you help this person let go of MY past!”

I’m so aware of the phrase ‘It’s the devil who wants to remind us of our past’ and yet it does seem as though the enemy is on a mission to make me as miserable as possible so that ultimately I’ll feel defeated. Not happening!! The joy of the Lord IS MY STRENGTH!

But the exciting thing…………and on the flip side of this situation……is this………GOD has a plan!

I believe this is a time for me to exude complete humility, not just in obedience to Gods Word, but also because when we give every last bit of a situation to Him, when we lean utterly upon Him, and don’t seek to fight in our human defensive way, God DOES work on our behalf. He WILL fight the battle for us.

He WILL use ‘relationships’ to help us grow in the fruit of the Spirit and after speaking with friends and reading recent emails sent to our prayer team, I am convinced that in this period of time, many in the Body of Christ are experiencing what I call ‘sandpaper moments’.

Look at it this way! Imagine an old disused chest of drawers, with handles missing and the paint all splitting, just sitting in a corner of a dusty, dark attic. (Actually, I CAN picture this as I love to reignite fresh, new life into old furniture!)

This unloved, unwanted piece of furniture is such a fabulous illustration of us! Yes, us! We can feel MISused, ABused, DISused, bits of our soul missing, heart splitting…………BUT GOD! He turns up in our lives, gives us a good sandpapering, smoothing off all our rough bits, fills our broken areas with His love, makes us feel like new! And bingo! It’s all easy from then on 😀

Erm…..hmmmmm……..oops, I may have misled you a little there……not exactly ‘easy’ from then on……

You see, because God wants you to be the BEST you and, because He has already seen your future and all He wants to prepare you for……

He WILL allow these testing times in our lives

He WILL allow ‘sandpaper moments’

He WILL allow the odd person to remind you of your past!

My only advice to you AND to myself is this………Let them know that you no longer live in your past so neither do they need to. It’s not theirs, it’s yours. And then, show them how to live in the PRESENT! How? By living every day walking IN LOVE, for them, for everyone on your path. It’s God commandment, to LOVE! Then watch God ‘smooth’ away all the rough edges.

Then none of us will need to say “Excuse me! But can YOU let go of MY past?!”

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland” Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

Love Ellie

(If you DO still want a peek of my past, then go to Amazon and buy my book Broken to Blooming. You’ll see why I love to live in this God given and blessed present life!)

Thursday – 29/10/15

encourage, comfort, edify

The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. Hell’s ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit.

A hostile world! I call to GOD, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!

…he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning… GOD stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to GOD ’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back…

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Making new friends!

Meet my new friend, Patience…..
I’ve known of Patience for years but I never really got to know her. To be honest she can come across as a bit of a loner…..someone standing on the sidelines…..almost waiting for others to beckon her into their lives; their relationships……..but never forcing herself upon anyone……
She holds herself together with a certain poise and calmness and I used to imagine that if she were embraced as a significant presence in one’s life, her subtle serenity could easily be absorbed…….if only any of us would give her that time…….
So I did…….
It was quite accidental too! It wasn’t that I felt I particularly needed Patience in my life……..as at the time, I was in a daily place of utter peace……recovering from spine surgery and writing another book; so I was home most days and my routine was, for the first time in many years, extremely relaxed…….a time and place of rest…….in Him……  and a spiritual place of sweet acceptance of what had been…….and what may be next……knowing God had me and mine in the palm of His mighty hand!
But it was as I was writing and praying that God spoke to me…….and it was a morning of HUGE revelation! I love when God speaks……and you aren’t expecting it! There I was…..praying……AND NOT EXPECTING IT!! WHAT? Who am I kidding?! God always speaks……but that morning was so…….well, startling!! Because it was so obvious and I’m almost embarrassed by the fact that I had even questioned, albeit completely unawares, the beautiful sound of the subtlest and purest of revelations…….
“Ellie……….anything I give to My children is good…..nothing is ever bad……it can’t be…..because I AM all good…..The FRUIT of my Spirit is ALL GOOD………There isn’t ANY bad fruit………so ALL the fruits of My Spirit are good for you……And Ellie……I want you to get to know Patience…….because she is ALL GOOD…….and she is your friend…….Patience is your friend…….write about Patience……because I want ALL my children to really know her”
Now I didn’t mention this earlier, but that precise morning I had decided to make a cup of tea and go back to bed to read and pray………so after this revelation…….I had to jump up and down on my bed!! But bear in mind I’m still having to be very careful I don’t do anything to pressurise my spine and also…….my bed is under a slanted roof and skylight! It was DIFFICULT! But I needed to rejoice! AND GUESS WHAT?? I DID!!!!
It’s not just the revelation……..it’s the privilege of hearing from God……He LOVES to converse with us…….Praise His Mighty Name!
God only blesses us with good fruit………lets make sure WE don’t allow it to go bad…..
I want my fruit to ripen…..I want God to look at me and see MY fruit, plump, juicy and prime! I often get so engrossed in something in my Bible, that I want to eat it! I know, I know…….but I do! I could eat the words! And now, I want to eat ALL of that GOOD fruit that the Lord has given me……..
I will clasp the hand of my new friend, Patience. I will envelop her in love and talk to her; we’ll pray together; analyse together ( she may be able to change this need I have to analyse everything 🙂 )……
And if anybody ever articulates distaste whan I say to them ‘Pray for Patience’ I’ll invite them to get to know her…….
Because she is one GOOD friend……and I cherish our friendship!
Love Ellie 🙂
http://www.elliepalmacass.com

HOW FRUITY ARE YOU?!

I’m writing a new book at the moment. A 40 day devotional. It’s called ‘Feeling Fruity’.

I’m ALWAYS feeling fruity…….because I’m ALWAYS aiming to amplify each of the following Holy Spirit fruits……..”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23)

So….the LOVE thing? It’s a walk around the block for me 🙂  I can love, love, love! I can love you even when I don’t particularly like you! I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, my heart is one big squishy mass of LOVE!

JOY? I feel it bubbling up…..pretty much all the time……It’s mainly because I find joy in the simplest of things…..and it’s also because over the years as a Christian I have, like Paul, learned that joy is to be activated in ourselves, whatever the circumstances!

FORBEARANCE? Uh-oh………here we go! AKA as ENDURANCE, PATIENCE, RESTRAINT, TOLERANCE………At this detail, I’d like to move on quickly…….but I’d be losing self-control! Let me be clear on this 🙂  Jesus has shown a MAGNITUDE of FORBEARANCE when it’s come to me! I am thankful beyond worship for the opportunities God has given me to learn about this particular, and very important, fruit! The lessons can be tough…..but the outcome is to be rejoiced over! How will we ever grow and become more Christ-like if we don’t go through the trials which make us better people……not just for ourselves, but for others to see. It’s only through situations and circumstances that affect us that we will ever learn about these fruits…….God knows what plans He has for you and these plans aren’t all about you! They’re all about Him and His glory! God wants others to see you stay the course so that they believe they can stay the course too! God didn’t choose any of us so that He could throw us to one side after we receive salvation…….No, there’s a huge plan……there’s LOTS to do……there’s a Kingdom to unite, a Kingdom to protect, a Kingdom to fight for!  YOU are like gold to God…..YOU are the apple of His eye! He has a plan to make you into the BEST you that YOU could possibly be!!  So…….pray for His strength and guidance and enjoy this fruit…..I promise you…..it can happen……be faithful…….If it couldn’t happen, our Mighty God wouldn’t have ‘spoken’ it to be!

KINDNESS……What do you see as kindness? I always feel that wherever kindness is, God is. I can almost see Him smiling as He moves amongst the kindness people show each other. I remember a car sticker I used to see that said ‘Commit Random Acts of Kindness’ and I got excited because I love to do that. An unexpected kindness shown to someone can make a huge difference to their day and I do believe that if we pray, God will also lead us to give a blessing of kindness to a person who is longing in their heart to receive one.

I absolutely love Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! I’ve always loved Stevie Nicks (hence my beautiful daughter is called Rhiannon after a song written by her 🙂 ) and it was through Stevie Nicks partnering on some stuff with Tom Petty that I discovered him and first heard the song ‘Free Fallin’. I might just have to play it now! The first verse is “She’s a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too; She’s a good girl, crazy ’bout Elvis, loves horses and her boyfriend too”. So…….this girl ‘loves’ and it seems that is what classes her as a GOOD girl! But is GOODNESS…….easy? Well, goodness is the opposite of ‘badness’, the opposite of ‘evil’ and I would always consider myself as a ‘good girl’! I feel that GOODNESS, in God’s eyes is also a willingness to do the right thing, not necessarily in a worldly way, but in the Biblical sense. We have choices to make…..…..to do good or to do bad.

And whether we have to keep working on our characters……becoming more GENTLE, more FAITHFUL and yes (!) aspiring to have more SELF-CONTROL, we have to realise that every good gift that comes from God is for our pleasure, our abundance, our prosperity and advancement.

We surely cannot handle the GIFTS that come from God until we learn how to access and achieve every fruit from the Holy Spirit! But if you have an eagerness and hunger to live a life full of Holy Spirit fruit……well……you too are FEELING FRUITY!!!!

I want to pray for you right now as you’re reading this…………:-)

I pray that as you join your life to Christ’s, that you perceive His abundant love for you, that you learn to experience His love more and more, and that as you emulate the love of Christ, you are ‘seen’ by all that need to SEE His love and salvation. In Jesus’ precious Name!

Love Ellie

http://www.elliepalmacass.com

I SMILE!

“If you’re feeling down…….let me pray for you……I’ll be a rainbow in this storm

If you’re in a dark place…….let me pray for you…….I’ll be an evening beam that smiles those clouds away

If you’re sad today and dreading tomorrow……let me pray for you……and hopefully tint tomorrow with prophetic prayer”

“I LIKE SMILING!”

That was my response to somebody the other day, who said ‘Ellie, how come you’re always smiling?’

I should share further…….

The fact is I cannot help smiling! 🙂

I smile when I wake up……..because I WOKE UP! Praise God!

I smile when I taste my first cup of coffee…..Mmmm….. ( I’ll be fully awake any minute now 😉 )

I smile when my daughter gets up happily in the morning, without me having to become a Military Monster!!

I smile because I have a blessed life! Why shouldn’t I smile…..a lot! I forgive, I love, I pray I care, I do……..I SMILE 🙂

I can hear you now as you read this……’nobody can be that happy all the time’

But……..Who says?? And let me tell you…….If you’d been where I’ve been, you’d smile a lot too! Luke 7:47 ‘I tell you, her sins–and they are many–have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love’ (NLT)

At any rate, it isn’t necessarily about happiness. It isn’t about your mood or circumstance. Nope! It’s about THAT moment…..and whether or not you choose to be optimistic or pessimistic…….

I cannot help but naturally smile when I meet up with people, when I’m interacting with strangers, when I’m at traffic lights, with shopkeepers, wherever I am…….and this is the craziest……I smile when I answer the phone!

But my favourite time to smile is when I’m praying…..I’m communicating with my Father in heaven…..I just drink in all His love……and smile 🙂

There have been times in my life when smiling would seem impossible. But you know, even in the worse times of my life I would unintentionally invite favour into my life, because of my smile…… I was called ‘Smiler’ for years! ( You can read more about this in my book ‘Broken to Blooming’ available on Amazon, Lulu.com, Ingram, Barnes & Noble. Treat yourself! 🙂 )

Smiling can introduce a connection, an opening…….it’s a way of reaching people; a way of displaying you care too! A couple of years ago I was ministering about the love of Jesus to some destitute children in the gypsy villages of Transylvania, Romania. Some of the children depicted feelings of unworthiness and wouldn’t join in with others. They didn’t wear appropriate clothing for the freezing temperatures, or even footwear due to the poverty their families endured. It was heart-breaking and all I wanted to do was love them, involve them and hug them. I gave the children the biggest, warmest smile I could…..and they came to me. They accepted the love I was offering…..they responded to my smile. We couldn’t speak each other’s language….but that didn’t matter, did it? Because a smile is universal!

You can smile in any language! Every person in the world understands a smile!

Do you know!? If you’re feeling miserable, overwhelmed or downright heartbroken….I can guarantee if you look in a mirror and just smile, you will instantly alter your brain physically! Yes, you can trick yourself into feeling brighter by influencing your brain activity with a grin! And that affects your health and well-being…….your heart rate is now feeling chilled…….and your blood pressure reduces! (And let’s face it……if you’re smiling at yourself in the bathroom mirror, trying to improve your mood, you HAVE to laugh, never mind smile ;-D)

And, don’t you just love being around people who make YOU smile? It can be tough spending time with someone who seems intent on being as miserable as possible, or who seems to look on life as ‘a glass half empty’. We’re all made perfectly imperfectly and I’m thankful that God gave each of us such diverse personalities……but I love that God gave ME the personality to generate a smile, in others and myself!

Additionally, what blows my mind is that our Father in Heaven, our amazing God, smiles upon us! He looks at you and me……and He smiles! Doesn’t THAT make you want to beam from ear to ear?! 😀

Psalm 4:6 (NLT) “Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, LORD.

Hey, I like smiling so much that the sequel to ‘Broken to Blooming’ is called ‘I Smile’ and is being written at this very time! 😀

Lord Byron wrote ‘Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray’

If I can be anything to you in this blog today, I hope it’s the above…….

“If you’re feeling down…….let me pray for you……I’ll be a rainbow in this storm

If you’re in a dark place…….let me pray for you…….I’ll be an evening beam that smiles those clouds away

If you’re sad today and dreading tomorrow……let me pray for you……and hopefully tint tomorrow with prophetic prayer”

Leave your prayer request on http://www.elliepalmacass.com

LET’S PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE!

GET ‘BACK-UP’

At the very beginning, of the very beginning, of this year, I shared with many, a distinct Word I had received……..”GET BACK UP!”

At the time of praying, I’d heard those 3 words so clearly and presumed the Lord wanted me to stand, to rise, to not let the episode I had just spent in the hospital, hold me down or keep me down; for me to not lie down, or give in to the horrific spinal and nerve pain I was enduring. (Subsequently, that first time in the hospital, due to excruciating pain in my back and legs, would be the beginning of many hospital stays over the next few months).

So I did! I did GET BACK UP! Well, I certainly tried………….

But eventually, and after a 5th episode in hospital, which concluded in a major emergency surgery on my spine, and a theatre visit of 8 hours…….eventually……..I heard my Father in Heaven whisper “GET BACK UP” a second time……I heard it so very, very clearly, so very, very gently, and on this occasion……CORRECTLY!

“GET BACK UP” was a Word for me……to prepare! At the birth of this year….. when all was new…… the Lord Himself knew…….just what would be unfolding for me…….and He was going to use the coming period of physical pain as a time of growth for me; a time where I could rid myself of more pride. You see, unless I allow it, and its very rare and there are only a very few……I struggle to ‘let people in’. I seldom ask people for help………and I have almost always, when faced with dark or troubling times, trudged through, pretty much on my own.

But the Lord knew just what was coming; that I would be immobile, depressed, scared, and clinging on to any strip of hope by a thin, worn and tattered thread. He knew that I would not understand what was happening, would definitely struggle to tolerate my inability to feel so ‘stuck’, and that even for a few days, which felt like an eternity…….I couldn’t even see a light at the end of the tunnel…..not even a flicker…..and that was unnerving to say the least.

God knew that a spiritual battle was about to commence, not only for my physical health but for my mind also; a serious spine operation was about to take place, where I would have to ‘learn’ to walk again, where I would for a time, lose my dignity as well as my optimism; where I would actually ‘lose myself’ (!) And the Lord wanted me to prepare……to come through victoriously…..to GROW in Him, in strength, in belief, in love! Another step towards maturity in Him!

“GET ‘BACK-UP’!”

“GET THE TROOPS! ALLOW YOUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO HELP YOU, TO LOVE YOU! YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE THAT RUNNING THE RACE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A LONELY PLACE!”

When I re-read the blog I wrote in January, ‘Now, where did I put those hiking boots?’, about Mount Growth, I can clearly see the prophesying over my own life! I’m not ashamed to say the last few months have been really, really tough, not just for me but for my daughter also. However, it’s through the dedicated prayers of many and the love shown towards us in ways I cannot count, that I have learned the most positive way through any episode of physical and/or mental trauma is by walking it……..(even if with a Zimmer frame and back brace!!)…………step by step WITH others!

WITH……..your BACK UP! 🙂

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matt 18:20

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” 1 Thess 5:11

If you need prayer for anything, please let me and my prayer team be there for you! Go to http://www.elliepalmacass.com and leave your request. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

GOD Hears

Broken Pieces

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear unto me.” Psalm 77:1 (KJV)

Another of the Psalms of Asaph.  Of this verse Spurgeon from The Treasury of David has written,

“I cried unto God with my voice.” This Psalm has much sadness in it, but we may be sure it will end well, for it begins with prayer, and prayer never has an ill issue. Asaph did not run to man but to the Lord, and to him he went, not with studied, stately, stilted words, but with a cry, the natural, unaffected, unfeigned expression of pain. He used his voice also, for though vocal utterance is not necessary to the life of prayer, it often seems forced upon us by the energy of our desires. Sometimes the soul feels compelled to use the voice, for thus it finds a freer…

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One Shade of Red

The Domain for Truth

Sister and brother, if the pain of genuine love is any color, let me just say it is not 50 Shades of Grey but it’s one shade of red, not from sinning in bed but instead His blood He shed to save us from sin and the power of death.  Therefore don’t be mislead, put your flesh to death, don’t let the World rob you by identity theft, count your sins as dead, and not have your lust be fed by meditating on that one shade of red, His arm stretched and the bloody crown on His Head.

Note: JD Bloom’s One Shade of White was the original inspiration for me to write the above.

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