Paula Wiseman

Faith and life meet in a story

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More Love to Thee

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More love to Thee, O Christ,
More love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make
On bended knee.
This is my earnest plea:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved,
Sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek,
Give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath
Whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise.
This still its prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

Elizabeth Prentiss, 1858
Read 1 John 5:1-5

This hymn expresses the writer’s deep desire to love Christ even more deeply and intensely. How do we accomplish that? Love grows in a relationship that we cultivate, that we put effort into. Love grows through experience when we see God’s promises are dependable, that His word can be trusted. Love grows when we pray for God to deepen it. Let’s make that our prayer this week.

I’m Too …

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The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. Jeremiah 1:7 (NLT)

Don’t say, “I’m too young,” or “I’m too old.”

Don’t say, “I’m too inexperienced, or too unskilled.”

Don’t say, “I’m too busy, or too tired.”

Don’t say, “I’m too afraid, or too intimidated.”

Don’t say, “I’m too unsure, or too uncertain.”

Don’t say, “I’m too comfortable, or too safe.”

Don’t say, “I’m too unprepared, or too indecisive.”

Because God says, “For I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:8

Dirty Dishes

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We do this thing at my house, maybe you do it at yours too. We don’t always eat at the dining room table. Sometimes I eat at my desk. The kids often eat lunch in front of the television. My husband eats breakfast in the living room while he watches the news. Because of this, occasionally we end up with dirty dishes all over the house.

The only way we can solve this problem and get the dishes cleaned is when someone takes the dishes and puts them in the dishwasher. (I know what you’re thinking – don’t eat all over the house. But even if we eat in the dining room, at some point the dishes have to go into the dishwasher. Stay with me.)

Talking about how many dirty dishes there are doesn’t help.
Being sorry for the mess doesn’t help.
Apologizing for forgetting doesn’t help.
Admitting to laziness doesn’t help.
Even identifying which dishes are mine doesn’t help.

The only thing that will solve the problem is action– physically picking up the dishes and carrying them to the dishwasher, putting them inside, and running them through a cleaning cycle.

Now you see where I’m going with this. The only thing that will solve the issues in my life is not talking about them. It’s not being sorry for them. Or even admitting how I made them worse.

The only thing that works is when I bring my issues — my sins, my aggravations, my worries, whatever — to Jesus Christ and let Him do His transforming work. And that’s extremely important. Often we tell Jesus all about our stuff but we don’t ever surrender it. That’s like setting the dishes on top of the dishwasher. Or maybe even putting them inside without running the cycle. When that happens, all that’s really changed is geography.

Jesus changes things. He is more than able to take care of all the junk I bring Him. I just have to let Him have it.

Now, I think I have some dirty dishes to deal with.

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5

O! For a Closer Walk with God

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O for a closer walk with God,
a calm and heav’nly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the blessedness I knew
when first I sought the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
of Jesus and His Word?

What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!
How sweet their mem’ry still!
But they have left an aching void
the world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove, return,
sweet messenger of rest;
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
and drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
whate’er that idol be,
help me to tear it from Thy throne
and worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
calm and serene my frame;
so purer light shall mark the road
that leads me to the Lamb.

William Cowper, 1772
Read Joshua 24:21-24

We’ve been there, haven’t we? We’ve all experienced that feeling that our relationship with God is not what it once was. The hymn writer longs to return to that joy and fervor he experienced when he first met Jesus. Do you recall that feeling? The hymn writer prays for the Holy Spirit’s action, specifically to tear down the idols of the heart that have gotten in the way of his relationship with God. May we be willing and courageous enough to pray that same prayer.

Real Greatness

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Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.

1 Chronicles 29:11

 
As another week begins, it is easy to get consumed by the details of our schedules.
It is easy to become disheartened by events on a world scale and on a personal scale.
It is easy to feel small and ineffectual.

But there is real greatness.
There is real power and glory and majesty.
There is an exalted King who rules over all.
A sovereign Lord and Master.

This King knows my name and your name.
And He invites us to call Him Father.

About That Roaring Lion

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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Lions are stealth hunters.

Lions like to creep up on their prey. Their tawny color camouflages them, and they are often able to inch closer than ten yards before making their move. They are careful to stay downwind so that nothing alerts the intended victim to their presence. Then at the optimal moment, they spring out from their concealment and bring down the prey, usually with one great bite.

Unless the lion happens to be old, or he has lost a little zip in his stride. Or maybe he has lost some teeth so that first bite isn’t going to be a killer bite. When that happens, the lion changes his strategy. Instead of using stealth, the lion roars. He depends on the fear his roar instills to paralyze his prey and give him the opportunity to make the kill.

No longer able to hunt by speed or strength or stealth, the roaring lion depends on fear and intimidation.

The Apostle Peter in his letter to believers scattered by persecution says your adversary the devil is a roaring lion. Not the stealthy kind, the roaring kind. Definitely dangerous, but he relies on fear and intimidation and an inability to act for his success. The Message translates this verse as “Keep a cool head.” Other translations pick up different nuances, like “be self-controlled” and “keep your mind clear.”

In other words, don’t be controlled by your emotions, especially your fear, but cling to the truth about your adversary. He is a roaring lion. Yes, he’s dangerous, and yes, he will take any opportunity he can to destroy you … but he is also defeated.

And he is no match for the Lion of Judah.

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