The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me

My prayer song "The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me" was inspired by Psalm 34:7
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them."

According to the Strong's Bible Concordance, the "angel of the Lord" often referred to the "theophanic angel" ~ a divine visitation of God appearing in the form of an angel.


Many bible scholars believe that the theophanic angel was the pre-incarnate Christ. 
 The word means, "messenger of God, an angel, prophet, priest, or teacher."

  The words "encamp about" mean to "dwell in, or all around as in a circuit, on every side."
 The words in the definition convey the idea that the angel  (the messenger from God who is a teacher, priest, and prophet) is building a strong fortress all around the person he is guarding. 
 
If a person fears the Lord, (by fear, the Psalmist means, honors, is morally reverent, and afraid to dishonor or offend the Lord), and if they abide in God’s strong fortress with the angel, and if that Angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, then something truly wonderful is going to happen.

That Angel is going to deliver them.

According to the Strong’s Bible Concordance, the word deliver means: "to remove, to draw out, equip for war, rescue, be armed, to make strong, to brace, to be saved."
 
What are we going to be delivered from?

• Jesus is going to deliver us from whatever overwhelms, overcomes, or oppresses us.

• Jesus is going to remove whatever hinders us from advancing toward fulfilling His purpose in our life.

• First, Jesus saves our souls and forgives all our sins, washing them away as far as the east is from the west when we invite him into our heart to be our Lord and Savior.

“Therefore Jesus is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25

• Jesus is going to heal us from whatever soul sickness that blinds us and keeps us from knowing and growing in Him.

“He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” Psalm 107:20

• Jesus is committed to equipping us for spiritual battle; God is on our side~ He wants us to succeed:

“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.” Psalm 18:32-34

•  Jesus make us strong through helping us to read and understand His word, and giving us the grace and power to obey it:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ~Philippians 2:13

• Jesus delivers us so that we can overcome temptation.

“And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

• Jesus is going to give us victory over what had formerly overcome us:

"For this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4

• Finally, Jesus delivers us from our enemies when we put our trust in Him. He is committed to making us strong and whole.

"To them that have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Thy Son Jesus Christ to by my Protector and Guardian, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, who ever guards me night and day through His Holy Spirit who lives inside my heart. May You help me to truly understand all of the wonderful things my Lord Jesus does for all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord, in Jesus holy name, amen. 

“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” is a comforting, inspirational 2 minute 45 second Video Produced, Directed & Narrated by SD Harden with additional videography by MC Harden © 2018 All Rights Reserved.
The Prayer Poem and Illustration are from "Paths of Love Illustrated Prayer Song Book: Prayer Songs Celebrating God's Love" ©  2015 All Rights Reserved.
The original piano solo,“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” used in the video is on the album “Paths of Love: Songs for Worship and Meditation” © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.
Unto The Least of These © 2018 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Jesus Bears Your Burdens

JESUS BEARS YOUR BURDENS © 2016 SD Harden All Rights Reserved.

Jesus bears your burdens

Though you see Him not,

He bears you up within His grace

In the arms of God.

In the arms of God

He bears you up with grace,

Restores you with His love 

Though you can't see His face.

Jesus bears your burdens

Just as He bore your sin

When you cast them at His feet

And trust your heart to Him.

Jesus knows your need

For your soul He cares;

And burdens far too hard for you

He's strong enough to bear.

Come boldly to His Altar

And lay your burdens there,

Jesus trades them for His peace

That casts away your cares.

Give the Lord your burdens, 

Do not be afraid,

He's the everlasting God,

You'll not be put to shame.

Jesus bears your burdens,

His word is ever true,

His everlasting arms are there

Forever holding you.

Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. 

He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Prayer

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your only Son Jesus Christ died on the cross to bear our sins for us. 

Thank You that He also is our Heavenly High Priest who prays for us at Thy right hand without ceasing. 

Thy word says that we can come boldly to Thy throne of grace to find grace and mercy in our time of need. 

At Thy Altar we will receive all the grace and mercy we need for our Lord Jesus will be there ready to take on our burdens and cares and give us the peace that passes all understanding to replace our worries. 

I pray You will give peace and hope to all who are praying this prayer with me, that each soul will lay their burden at Jesus feet and be given Thy wonderful grace to replace it and a deep assurance in their heart that all will be well for You are in control and are working all things together for good to those who trust in You and love You. 

In Jesus name we pray. Thank You Lord, amen. 

"Jesus Bears Your Burden" © 2016 SD Harden All Rights Reserved. Unto The Least of These © 2016 SD Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Pictures SD Harden Creations/ Scripture Quotations King James Version Bible/ New International Version Bible

God's Word Is Eternal

"Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies."

 ~ Psalm 36:5 

Lord, Thy Word is eternal

Thy love mounts to the skies

Even when the clouds obscure 

Thy face from me sometimes.

Lord, Thy mercy reaches

To the depths of Sheol

To shelter me in suffering, 

You heal my broken soul.

Lord, You hear my every cry

And though I see no form

You've promised You will answer me

For You are in control.

Lord, Thy word is eternal,

Thy promises are true,

You promise that You'll meet my needs

And what You say, You'll do.

Lord, Thy mercy reaches 

To the skies above

You're weaving out of all my paths

A temple of Thy love.

"Lord, Thy Word is Eternal" © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden (Prayer Poem)

All Rights Reserved.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Thy merciful love toward each of us that 

reaches to the heavens; a love so great that, to the Psalmist, it was an incalculable span. 

Thy word proclaims that Thy love and mercy toward us are immeasurable, that You hear our every cry, that no matter how wretched the turmoil our world may be in, You are in control and that you are weaving all the paths of those who love You to come out right in the end. 

We give You thanks for Thy measureless mercy and love that will never reject nor forsake the soul who seeks You. We love You, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen.

"God's Word is Eternal" (Prayer Poem) © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Unto The Least of These © 2016 SD Harden All Rights Reserved.

In The Shadow Of The Most High

In The Shadow of The Most High

Those who dwell with God

In the shadow of His hand

Must leave their worries all behind

Their fears, and all their cares.

For in God's shadow shelter

Only peace abides

And those who come to Him must walk

By faith within His light.

Those who dwell in the secret place

Of the Most High God

Must trust in Him with all their heart

Although they see Him not.

The Lord must be their Refuge

From the winds that roar,

From the surging, mounting waves 

From every howling storm.

Their eyes must be upon their Lord,

Their shelter from the wind,

They must believe and trust they're safe

As long as they're in Him.

No matter what their eyes tell them,

Nor ears say to their heart,

They must trust that in God's Hand 

They're safe from troubles dark.

They must trust God's in control

And all will soon be well,

The storms will cease and there'll be peace

For Jesus keeps their soul. 

© 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please hide me in the shadow shelter of Thy heart; deliver me from every storm of fear, doubt, and anxiety that comes to rip away my peace and joy. 

Thank You for the precious assurances in Thy word You have given that promise, "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace the one who keeps his mind on You..." (Isaiah 26:3) and "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39) 

Thank You for Thy faithfulness and Thy love that will not ever fail us no matter what crisis we are facing; for You are with us in every battle, You hold us through every storm, thank You Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.

"In The Shadow Of The Most High" © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden (Prayer Poem) Unto The Least of These © 2016 All Rights Reserved. /Suzanne's Scripture Pics/ King James Version Bible

Christ Holds Everything Together By His Word

"The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word." ~ Hebrews 1:3 (NCV)


Jesus Christ rules the universe the Bible says and holds it together by His powerful word.
In fact, the bible says that by His word He created the whole world! 

 Psalm 33:8-9 says "He spoke and it was done...He commanded and it stood fast."

Our lives are so uncertain. We've just experienced a massive winter storm where I live that produced record amounts of snow and single digit temperatures. 
With the snow and ice come power outages and frozen pipes. When there are no shelters from the cold and wind, where do the poor homeless go?
When the storms of life come, things we normally take for granted can be temporarily ~or even sometimes permanently ~lost.

Somewhere someone is struggling with chronic pain, another is dealing with cancer, a single mom just found out her job was terminated and she has no prospects for how she’s going to support her young family. A husband was told his wife no longer loves him. A couple just learned that their teenage child committed suicide. Missionaries serving the Lord in countries hostile to Christianity live in fear that they could be martyred any day for their faith. 

 That is just a fraction of the myriad sorrows that happen to countless people in our world every day. The Lord looks down from heaven and He sees it all. He sees every broken heart and the bible asserts that He has a special bottle where He stores every person's tears. 

"You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle." ~ Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

 Yet none of us can bear a pain or any sorrow that Jesus has not first borne upon His cross where He carried in His body all the sins and sorrows of our race. 

 He knows and feels all of our pain. And because He has felt it, He understands. 
He cherishes each one of us as if we were the only one He had to care for. He stands at His Father's right Hand and He prays for our every need. 

Whatever has fallen apart or is threatening to fall apart in my world today, I can come to Jesus and ask Him to hold it together, or to hold me together by His grace through whatever crisis I must face. 

 As the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the Father's right hand in Heaven praying night and day for us all, He hears every prayer that comes before His altar. (Romans 8:34)

No one is insignificant to Him who gave His life on the cross to redeem our souls from the curse of sin and to give us eternal life.

Concerning prayer, Jesus told His disciples,  "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened."

Trust God. No matter how chaotic the world may appear at times, He is still on His throne. One of God's names is Adonai. According to the Easton's Bible Dictionary this name means one who possesses "absolute control."  

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

His Word promises “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ~Romans 8:28 (NLT)

In good times or bad, remember always, that God’s word promises:  “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

  PRAYER

Lord Jesus, may You hear and answer the prayers of every person who needs You to hold something together in their life today. Please fill each heart with rivers of peace and hope, and faith. Lord, I ask You to hold families together, marriages together, people's health together, their minds together, whatever is threatening to fall apart in their personal worlds today, may You by Your almighty power hold it together by Thy holy word as we trust and put our faith in You; thank You, Lord, we love You, in Jesus' mighty name, amen.

*Please take a moment to view my new music video, "God Is In Control." May the Instrumental Prayersong & Lyrics comfort and encourage your hearts. ~
Love & Blessings, Suzanne 

"Christ Holds All Things Together By His Word" ~ © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Music Video: "God Is In Control" © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Art/Photo Credits: Scripture Pic via You Version Bible App, All other Scripture Pics via Pinterest, Scripture References New Living Translation © 2013 Tyndale House All Rights Reserved. New Century Version © 2005 Thomas Nelson All Rights Reserved.

You Are God's Masterpiece

You are God's Masterpiece,

Cherished, beloved,

By our God who dwells

In Heaven above;

Upon His heart

You're forever engraved,

He died on the cross

Your soul to save.

All of our sins

He died to forgive;

He rejects no one

Who comes to Him.

He loves each soul

No matter their sins

No past, no shame

Repulses Him.

His love like a river

Flows evermore

And carries us home

To eternity's shores.


"You Are God's Masterpiece"

© 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved

Artist: Bougereau ~Madonna with Christ Child

 Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son Jesus Christ to earth to be born as a helpless baby, to grow up as a man, to suffer and die a cruel death on a Roman cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have eternal life with You.  

If we ever doubt Your love for us may we see our Lord suffering and dying for our sins on the cross. For this is a picture of the depth of Thy love for each one of us. Help us this Christmas season to understand the reason our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth; to meditate on Thy great immeasurable love for us, and may we love and worship You with our whole heart and soul and mind in return for all You have done for us, in Jesus mighty name. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

 

 Danish Artist: Carl Bloch~ Crucifixion of Christ

Unto The Least Of These "You Are God's Masterpiece" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. /Scripture Picture via Pinterest; Art photos, via Google

The Heavenly Servant

"Christ Washing Peter's Feet" by Ford Maddox Brown (19th C British Pre-Raphaelite Artist)

The Heavenly Servant

John 13:1, 3-10 (ERV)

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival.

Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. 

Jesus had always loved the people in the world who were his. 

Now was the time he showed them his love the most...

The Father had given Jesus power over everything. 
Jesus knew this. 

He also knew that he had come from God. 
And he knew that he was going back to God. 
So while they were eating, Jesus stood up and took off his robe. He got a towel and wrapped it around his waist. 
Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers’ feet. 

He dried their feet with the towel that was wrapped around his waist. 

He came to Simon Peter. 

But Peter said to him, “Lord, you should not wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “You don’t know what I am doing now. 
But later you will understand.” 

Peter said, “No! You will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you are not one of my people.” 

Simon Peter said, “Lord, after you wash my feet, wash my hands and my head too!” 

Jesus said, “After a person has a bath, his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you are clean...” 

In this Scripture passage, Jesus is giving His disciples a powerful visual metaphor of His mission on earth, who He is and why He has come.

The Apostles will not understand the full scope of His mission until after His death on the cross and resurrection though.

"So while they were eating, Jesus stood up and took off his robe." 

Here Jesus is showing that He laid aside His Heavenly Throne temporarily and in the words of St. Paul,  "although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:6-7 NASB)

"(Jesus) got a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers’ feet. He dried their feet with the towel that was wrapped around his waist."

Jesus, their Master and Lord, performed this humble task of washing His disciples feet, a menial chore that normally a slave or common household laborer would have done, in order to graphically demonstrate His mission from the Father. 

He also wants to remind them that He is their example in all things. Whatever He does, they must likewise do. 
Be humble. Love one another. Serve one another. 
Why? Because He is their Lord and has asked them to, just as He is now on His earthly mission because His Father has asked Him to do it. 

You can never have love without obedience in true worship.

Why does Jesus need to clean the disciple's feet? 
Because they are stained with sin. 

Jesus is showing them that His mission is to cleanse people of their sins. 
What would have been the filthiest part of the body in a time when most people walked everywhere over rugged roads and basically wore sandals? 

Jesus came to cleanse the filthiest part of each of us---our hearts. 

Matthew 15:19-20 (NASB) "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man...” 

Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB) “The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? 

Jesus came to cleanse away the stain of sin that each of us are born with and to  make us whole, to redeem us from the curse of death and hell and to give us His own righteousness which we could not ever earn by being good enough on our own. 
Only Jesus Christ can wash our sins away.

Detail: Ford Maddox Brown Artist 19th C British

Peter said, “No! You will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you are not one of my people.”

Jesus Christ told Peter that if He did not wash him, he could not be one of His people. 

Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can wash away the stain of our sins. 

Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God sent to bear our sins on the cross as a blood sacrifice. He died in our place so that our sins could be forgiven. 

In Christ's demonstration to His disciples He had wrapped the towel of a slave around Himself and washed their feet as a slave would have. 
We are all slaves of sin apart from salvation in Christ.
Sinless Jesus took off His beautiful Heavenly spotless sinless robe and put on our robes stained with the slavery of sin and bore them on the cross.

"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." ~2 Corinthians 5:21

Hebrews 9:22 "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

On the third day God raised Christ from the dead. All who receive Jesus into their hearts as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead and given eternal life with Christ in Paradise.

John 11:25-26 (NASB) "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” 

By washing their feet, Jesus wanted to leave His disciples with a powerful visual reminder of what His earthly mission was all about.

His humble, selfless act still speaks to us today about our need for His cleansing from our sins.

It tells us to follow His example of obedience and love to His Father and to serve one another humbly out of our love, obedience and worship to Him.

John 3:16-17 (NASB) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Thy only Son to cleanse us from our sins. 

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for laying aside Your Heavenly Throne for a season so that You could suffer & bear our sins on the cross & die in our place; 

Thank You Holy Spirit for making Thy truth known to our hearts,

We love You, Lord,  in Jesus' name, amen. 

"The Heavenly Servant" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. //Bible Illustration by Ford Maddox Brown, 19th century British Pr-Raphaelite Painter, //Photo of Jesus holding Lamb via Pinterest//Scripture Quotations (NASB) New American Standard Bible, © 1995 The Lockman Foundation All Rights Reserved.// (ERV) © 2006 World Bible Translation Center All Rights Reserved. /"Nothing But The Blood" Music Video & Vocals © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden

Jesus The Light Of Life

Jesus The Light Of Life

The Bible opens with this beautiful account of the creation:

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." ~ (Genesis 1:1-3)

The soul apart from Christ is very much like that place at the dawn of creation when the "earth was without form and void and darkness hovered over the face of the deep."  

For without Christ "the light of the world" we walk in darkness. The bible says that Jesus was  "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9)

The Gospel of John opens much like the book of Genesis:

John 1:1,3-5

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in *darkness; and the darkness *comprehended it not.

Jesus Christ is not only our Creator, He is the Light that moves upon our spirit that brings the Eternal Day into our hearts when we receive Him as our Savior.

When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, His light shines into the formless darkness of our souls, and His grace turns our chaos into order, our confusion into peace.

When Jesus comes into our hearts, His light not only illuminates our darkness but His word promises that all the forces of darkness shall not be able to overcome His light within us as we abide in Him.

Scripture says that the darkness cannot comprehend Christ's light.

The word comprehend as defined by the Strong's Bible Dictionary can be interpreted in several ways:

The darkness does not eagerly receive Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot possess Christ or those who have His light abiding in their hearts.

The darkness cannot perceive, comprehend, or understand Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot ever overcome Christ, His Church, and all those who are abiding in Christ's light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, bring the light of Christ to all who are in darkness today. If any are experiencing confusion, fill them with Thy peace for Thy word says that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Thy word promises that "...the Lord blesses His people with peace." ~ (Psalm 29:11)

Lord, thank You for Being our Light, our Salvation, and our Peace, in Jesus' name, amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV) 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

_________________________________________________________________

DEFINITIONS

*comprehended  (Strong's Bible Dictionary )

καταλαμβάνω kat-al-am-ban'-o

Definition: to take eagerly, i.e. seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively)

Usage: :--apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

*Darkness: (Thayer Bible Dictionary)

skotia (transliteration)

Definition: Metaphorically used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.

Unto The Least of These "Jesus Light of Life" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotations King James Version Bible, New International Version Bible, New American Standard Version Bible: Definitions: Strong's Bible Dictionary, Thayer Bible Dictionary: Scripture Pictures Created via You Version Bible App

Wait On The Lord

My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him." ~Psalm 62:5 

The Strong's Bible Dictionary defines the word that the Psalmist uses for "wait" in this passage as "to be dumb, to be astonished, to stop, to hold your peace, keep silent, be still, tarry, be cut off..."

Such a definition carries several implications. 

Meditate for a moment on what it means to "be dumb..mute, silent & hold your peace before the Lord. 

Have we ever just worshiped the Lord in silent prayer; cut ourselves off from every distraction so that we can completely focus on listening to the Holy Spirit? 

This is what the Psalmist is saying. 

"For my expectation is from God..."

The word expectation means "hope, outcome, the thing that I long for."

We will not find our hope in our work, mobile devices, on the Internet, social media, or any of a number of other things that distract our hearts away from God. 

We must go into our prayer closet and get alone with Jesus Christ and worship. 

In that quiet place our Lord will whisper His truth to our hearts.  Our love and knowledge of Him will grow as we practice waiting on Him in the silence of the holy place of our hearts. 

For He is our heart's truest desire and we will find all of our deepest longings fulfilled in Him.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, draw us closer to Your holy heart and help us learn to be still before You in prayer as we worship You; to wait on You, to listen for Thy still, small voice. We love You, in Jesus' name, amen.

Unto The Least of These "Wait On The Lord" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Bible Verse King James Version

Prayer For Wisdom

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

~Proverbs 9:10 

PRAYER

Dear Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, please help us to develop a solid trust in You and make us intelligent and discerning in knowing You personally, our eyes focused and clear, so that we can know and understand your will for us and how You want us to accomplish it. Give us courage and faithful perseverance to follow through on all that You ask us to do for You. May You fill our hearts with more love for You each day and draw us ever closer to Your holy heart, in Jesus' mighty name we ask, amen.


Unto The Least Of These: Prayer For Wisdom © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Verse King James Bible

Our Brief Sojourn

Recently, a friend told me the sad news that she'd had a death in her family. Yesterday my son called to ask for prayer and told me that his precious wife, our daughter-in-law, had been hit head on by another vehicle as she was pulling out of their garage on her way to work. 

Miraculously, she sustained only minor injuries, but her car was totaled and she could have been killed.

I praise our merciful God for sparing her life!

Our sojourn on this earth is so brief. Moses wrote in Psalm 90:10, 12: 

"Our days may come to seventy years,or eighty, if our strength endures;

Lord, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Life is also so random. Anything can happen at any time any day. But when you know and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ you have full assurance of your eternal dwelling place. You know that His word promises He will never forsake those who have put their hope in Him. All those who have committed their lives to Christ are sealed with the living Spirit of Christ. They are eternally inseperable.

Copyrighted//Source: Pinterest

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of my favorite Bible teachers. A reformed Baptist preacher, he lived and preached in England during the 19th century. He wrote many sermons, devotionals and inspirational books. 

The following excerpt is from his devotional "Morning and Evening." May it bless and comfort you as much as it did me.

Morning, June 29

"Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

1 Thessalonians 4:14

Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. 

"Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," is the whisper of Christ to every dying

saint. 

They "sleep in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, 

praising him day and night in his temple, singing hallelujahs to him

who washed them from their sins in his blood.

The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. 

But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is "rest,"

and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to us. 

Sleep makes each night a Sabbath for the day. 

Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and bids all intruders tarry for a while, 

that the life within may enter its summer garden of ease. 

The toil-worn believer quietly sleeps, as does the weary child 

when it slumbers on its mother's breast. 

Oh! happy they who die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, 

and their works do follow them. Their quiet repose shall never be broken…”

__________________________________________________________________________________

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, please bless and encourage all those who have suffered the loss of loved ones or friends this week, or who will soon face such grief. Thy word says You are close to the brokenhearted and that You bind up their wounds. Fill their souls with rivers of Thy love, grace, peace and hope; give them faith to know that their loved ones are safe with You. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. 

Excerpt From: Charles H. Spurgeon. “Morning and Evening: Daily Bible Readings for Every Day of the Year.”

Unto The Least Of These © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.