Love Through Me, Love of God

Love through me, Love of God, 

There is no love in me;

O Fire of love, light Thou the love

That burns perpetually. 

Flow through me, Peace of God,

Calm river flow until

No wind can blow, no current stir

A ripple ouf self-will.

Shine through me, Joy of God, 

Make me like Thy clear air

That Thou dost pour Thy colors through,

As though it were not them.

O blessed Love of God,

That all may taste and see, 

How good Thou art, once more I pray

Love through me, even me. 

Think through me, thoughts of God,

My Father, quiet me,

Till in Thy holy presence, hushed, 

I think Thy thoughts with Thee. 

Think through me, Thoughts of God, 

That always, everywhere, 

The stream that through my being flows

May homeward pass in prayer. 

Think through me, thoughts of God,

And let my own thoughts be

Lost like the sand-pools on the shore

Of the eternal sea.

By:  Amy Carmichael

Sung to the tune of "Breathe on me, Breath of God"

Originally, I'd copied out only two verses below, but tonight I found this longer version, though a little different, both are worth rereading amd repeating...

Love through me, Love of God; 

Make me like thy clear air

Through which, unhindered, colors pass

As though it were not there. 

Powers of the love of God,

Depths of the heart Divine, 

O love that faileth not, break forth,

And flood this world of Thine. 

Author: Amy Carmichael

Much more preparation is necessary for our part in this weekend's wedding festivities.  I have long thought and imagined this event, but...

ideas and plans have changed...

In the end, I trust the LORD will bless our deepeat desire for MS and C to be wed with the knowledge of our love and prayers for God's blessing on their marriage and home.  They have surely been surrounded by many who have supported them through prayer, encouragement, and material/financial favor.  They have received soo many beautiful gifts. 

Ohh LORD, how I pray each and every expression of love will be a sweet reminder of Your love for them. 

I also came across this poem by Amy Carmichael put to music.

This is a beautiful arrangement, so I am including the link here...

https://www.lorenz.com/choral/church/choral/church-choral/love-through-me

Think through me, thoughts of God

My Father, quiet me,

Till in Thy holy presence, hushed,

I think Thy thoughts with Thee. 

Photo:  While in McRae, GA for the wedding, we leased The Parker House Inn for our lodging. Bonnie Green was very gracious and generous in allowing us to use her house for both our lodging and Rehearsal Dinner on Friday evening. 

It is a beautifully furnished home and it accommodated us very well from Thursday through Sunday.  

Quieted

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, 

the world and those who dwell therein, 

for He has founded it upon the seas, 

and established it upon the rivers. 

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? 

And who shall stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false, 

and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the Lord

 and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Such is the generation of those who seek Him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.Selah

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates! 

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,

He is the King of glory! Selah

I need so much help and encouragement these days with looking to and gazing long on The King of Glory. 

It is soo terribly easy for my focus to be diverted away, skewed by the weight of change; I fear loss, the unknown. 

Soo much competes and distracts my heart from where my deepest desires are met and needs sustained.  

Daily, my prayer has become, "Ohh LORD, this is about YOU, not them, not us!!

Ohh, LORD, may it be according to Your will, Your plan, that we may be conformed accordingly, for...

Your glory!! 

 

"In my attempts to promote the comfort of my family, 

the quiet of my spirit has been disturbed.  

Some of this is doubtless owing to my weakness; 

but, with every temptation, there is a way of escape; 

there is never any need to sin.  

Another thing I have suffered loss from- 

entering into the business of the day without seeking to have my spirit quieted and directed.  

So many things press upon me, 

this is sometimes neglected; 

shame to me that it should be so. 

This is of great importance, to watch carefully-

now I am so weak-

not to over fatigue myself, 

because then I cannot contribute to the pleasure of others; 

and a placid face and a gentle tone will make my family more happy than anything else I can do for them.  

Our own will gets sadly into the performance of our duties sometimes.  

Elizabeth T. King

Soli Deo gloria

7 Then Jerubbaal (that is Gideon), and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 

3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 

5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 

6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 

7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 

8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Don't miss the ❤️ of God in this...

God's choosing some and not others is not about man's ability, 

but about God's glory, 

..."it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, and not look to men what they do."

Matthew Henry, expounds...

God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed. Activity and prudence go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings. When the Lord sees that men would overlook him, and through unbelief, would shrink from perilous services, or that through pride they would vaunt themselves against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by other instruments. Pretences will be found by many, for deserting the cause and escaping the cross. But though a religious society may thus be made fewer in numbers, yet it will gain as to purity, and may expect an increased blessing from the Lord. God chooses to employ such as are not only well affected, but zealously affected in a good thing. They grudged not at the liberty of the others who were dismissed. In doing the duties required by God, we must not regard the forwardness or backwardness of others, nor what they do, but what God looks for at our hands. He is a rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts or blessings, or in liberty; so that we may say, it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, and not look to men what they do.

...

While looking at pictures off and on the last few weeks, I didn't remember Matt lapping like a dog in this picture, only that Dad used this stream at the bottom of Linville Gorge to tell the story of God instructing Gideon to distinguish 300 men from the thousands who'd answer his call.  

Thousands were willing to go, but God chose only a few to accomplish His will, ...

"...so that we may say, 

it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, 

and not look to men what they do."

Your Holy Abode

❤️

Except Thou build it Father, 

the house is built in vain, 

except Thou, Savior, bless it, 

the joy will turn to pain;

but nought can break the union

of hearts in Thee made one;

and love Thy Spirit hallows

is endless love begun. 

Words: John Ellerton, 1876

You have lead in Your steadfast love the people whom You have redeemed; 

You have guided them by Your strength to Your holy abode. 

You will bring them in and plant them on Your own mountain, 

the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your abode,

the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

The LORD will reign forever and ever.

Exodus 15:13, 17

❤️

Keep Your Heart

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character. 

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. 

Author unknown

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 

Proverbs 4:23

As One Man

Judges 6

vs 36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 

37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 

38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 

40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Proverbs 16:1-

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD."

God wanted to prove Himself to Gideon, so He used significant requests to show Gideon how faithful He is. 

Remember earlier, 

16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 

17 And [Gideon] said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 

18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And [the angel of the LORD] said, “I will stay till you return.”

While Gideon and his men intended to fight the Midianites, God wanted Gideon to know He would be with him while he did so. 

I'm not sure what every significance the dew had... but Matthew Henry comments that Gideon desired "the dew of Divine grace" be given particularly to him, and also that God would be as the dew to Israel, and so it was as all the the ground was wet!! 

Matthew Henry explains the dew of heavenly blessings, once confined to Israel, has now been given to all the inhabitants of the earth! 

"Yet still the means of grace are in different measures, according to the purposes of God. In the same congregation, one man's soul is like Gideon's moistened fleece, another like the dry ground."

I pray you will seek to know the God of refreshing, miraculous, heavenly dew upon your life, given in perfect measure to you for what He's called YOU to. 

I pray none of us will confuse God's purpose and blessings to others for what He desires to give us!! 

God's purposes for us can only be satisfied by Him in the measure He gives when He desires... that's what makes the miracle of His timely gift of Himself through grace soo  awesome!!  

I pray each of us will seek to know and trust Him to equip us for the fight of life like Gideon did...

“But I will be with you, and you shall strike the [enemy] as one man.”

❤️

The LORD is with You, O [Mighty Matt] of Valor!!

"The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor!!"
I wonder if Gideon understood in his own strength he was simply a "thresher in a winepress (of all places)?
I wonder if he believed what he would become with the presence and power of God... ?

"Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?"
"...I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midians as one man."

"Peace be to you. Do not fear. You shall not die."
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, 'The LORD Is Peace.'
To this day it still stands...".

That night the LORD told Gideon what to do... pull/cut down and build up...

Gideon gathered ten friends and together they pulled down the altar of Baal...and cut down the Asherah that was beside it during the night.
In the morning, the men of the town found the destruction and learned Gideon was responsible.
They confronted Joash and told him Gideon should die for his actions, but Joash asked, "Will you contend for Baal?  Will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself."
That day, Gideon became known as Jerubbaal, which means, "Let Baal contend against him" because he'd torn down his altar.
Soo, without much for an explanation, men began to accumulate in the Valley of Jezreel...to avenge Baal because his altar had been desecrated?
🤷🏼♀️
"But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet...," and people were called out to follow him.

Has God called you to something?
Then know He will clothe you with His Spirit, and equip you with His peace to accomplish His work!! 
The call, the mission, and the Spirit is His, not yours!
❤️

More Glorious than God?

"When we believe that we ought to be satisfied, 

rather than God glorified, 

we set God below ourselves, 

imagine that He should submit His own honor to our advantage; 

we make ourselves more glorious than God, 

as though we were not made for Him, 

but He made for us; 

this is to have a very low esteem of the majesty of God." 

-Stephen Charnock

Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say,

    “Where is their God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens;

    he does all that he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold,

    the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths, but do not speak;

    eyes, but do not see.

6 They have ears, but do not hear;

    noses, but do not smell.

7 They have hands, but do not feel;

    feet, but do not walk;

    and they do not make a sound in their throat.

8 Those who make them become like them;

    so do all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!

    He is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!

    He is their help and their shield.

11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!

    He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;

    he will bless the house of Israel;

    he will bless the house of Aaron;

13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,

    both the small and the great.

14 May the Lord give you increase,

    you and your children!

15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth!

16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens,

    but the earth he has given to the children of man.

17 The dead do not praise the Lord,

    nor do any who go down into silence.

18 But we will bless the Lord

    from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Always Possible... Gratitude!

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than resentful over what is withheld.  

One attitude or the other becomes a way of life." 

Elisabeth Elliot

My dear Aunt Wanda lost her 94 year old mother this morning.  My heart has been tender for her today, because honestly, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter how old your Momma is, you're never ready to lose her!  

In spite of the grief that so many in Brantley County are feeling today, I have read so many sweet notes and comments about the impact of joy Mrs. Lottie Grace Turner left with family and friends.  They will miss her, no doubt, but people will remember her best for her jovial, loving, and serving spirit because that is what her life was marked by! 

Ohh, LORD, how I pray my life will be marked by joy and gratitude, not woe and sorrow!

How many days come and go without consideration or thought of each one being a gift from You? 

Man's nature or bend is to grumble and complain, to be critical and unthankful!! 

How grievous this must be to You, LORD, who soo freely and generously gives to us Your love which is better than life!!! 

Thank you, LORD, for a dear soul as Mrs. Lottie who has left a community to remember her love for You, and the way of gratitude and joy she chose to live!! 

Because You give and take away, I pray many will bless your name! 

Lottie Grace Roberson Turner,94, of Nahunta, passed away early Sunday morning, (July 2, 2017) at Bayview Nursing Home after an extended illness. She was born in Hortense, GA. To the late John H. and Janie Johns Roberson. Mrs. Lottie is also preceded in death by her husband of 69 yrs., Ward Turner, a son, Larry Turner, a daughter, Hilda Groover and several siblings; Brothers, Frank, Hilton, Eugene, Carroll, Tab, Olan, and Jesse Roberson. Sisters, Verdie Jernigan, Isabelle Smith, Estelle Chaney, and Mary Davis.

 Lottie was a 1941 graduate of Nahunta High School and was on the basketball team. She and Mr. Ward were married on November 14, 1941 and lived and raised their family in Brantley County. She was a waitress for 50 years, serving at the Biscayne Restaurant in Nahunta, Western Sizzlin in Waycross and the Gold House Restaurant in Nahunta. After retiring from waitressing, she went to work at Ivey’s Laundry for 16 years, finally retiring in October 2016 at age 93. Mrs. Lottie was a volunteer at Bayview Nursing Home in Nahunta, when her husband Ward was a resident there. After retiring she made her home at Bayview. She was such a people person and made friends wherever she went. She loved visiting with everyone and liked nothing better than a good joke. She was a member of Southside Baptist Church, but she enjoyed services at Bayview and always encouraged residents to join her. Some of her hobbies were crossword puzzles, sewing, reading, and most of all spoiling her grand babies.

She is survived by a daughter, Wanda Cleland and a daughter-in-law, Lou Turner, 7 grandchildren, Paula Ham (Ronald), Tina Thomas (Kirk), Robert Cleland (Missy), Steve Lee (Michelle), Stacey Lee, Wayne Harrell (Donna) and Mike Harrell (Jenny), 11 great grandchildren and 2 special great-great grandchildren Meia and Tryston Lyons all of Nahunta, Georgia. Also, several nieces, nephews and other relatives and a great host of friends.

Visitation will be held Tuesday evening (July 4, 2017) starting at 4:00 PM at Frye Funeral Home, Nahunta.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday evening (July 5, 2017) 2:00 PM at Southside Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Johns officiating. Burial will follow in Twin Rivers Church Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be, Steve Lee, Stacey Lee, Michael Harrell, Wayne Harrell, Sam Chaney and Joseph Ham. Pallbearers are asked to meet at the church Wednesday by 1:30 PM.

Family will be receiving friends at her daughter’s residence, Wanda Cleland, 729 Buffalo Creek Dr. Nahunta, GA  31553

Arrangements are with Frye Funeral Home, Nahunta Ga.