Anonymous Confederate Prayer

This prayer was found on the body of an unknown Confederate soldier on a battlefield in 1863.  A soldier 'known only to God...."


     I asked for strength that I might achieve;
     I was made weak that I  might learn humbly to obey.

     I asked for health that I might do greater things;
     I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

     I asked for riches that I might be happy;
     I was given poverty that I might become wise.

     I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
     I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

     I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
     I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

     I got nothing that I had asked for;
     but everything I had hoped for.

     Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were          
        answered.

     I am, among all men, most richly blessed

The Purpose-Driven Porpoise

From Psalm 104 - A Hymn of Creation:

How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.   Psalm 104:24-26


The leviathan - giant sea creatures, like whales and dolphins and porpoises - which He formed to frolic there!

Frolic - to make merry - to have fun - to be playful!

That's the job -- the purpose -- of the sea creatures -- to play and frolic in the oceans!

The psalmist pictures the great sea creatures as large and sportive animals whose very existence glorifies and delights the Creator!

They gladden the heart of God.


May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works...
Psalm 104:31


And then we look at the closing verses of the Psalm:


I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  Psalm 104:33

That's our job -- to proclaim His praise!

The sea creatures exist to frolic and bring joy to God.
That's their response to His goodness!

We exist to praise and glorify Him.

That's our proper response!

What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.....says the Westminster Catechism.

I want to do as good a job at achieving God's purpose for me as the sea creatures do at theirs!

I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live....

and that's forever!



And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems....and God saw that it was good.
                           -- Genesis 1:20-21 - The 5th day.....

I am a Christian - What does it mean?

When I say "I am a Christian," I am not shouting that
I live a godly life.

I'm whispering "I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say "I am a Christian," I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong.

I am professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success.

I am admitting that I have failed and need God to daily clean my messes.

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect.

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches.

So I call upon His Name to comfort me and walk the journey with me.

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not being 'holier than thou.'

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace and am eternally filled with gratitude and praise.

Quoteworthy - Miracles - Albert Einstein

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein


I was weeding. One sturdy little seedling, perhaps 6 inches tall, stood erect as a telephone pole, daring me to pull it up. I tugged and yanked. Out it came - with a pecan at its root! Left alone, that little soldier, in a few years, would have become a great pecan tree, sheltering birds and insects and providing food for squirrels.  A miracle in the making - just needing a few years to present itself as a for-real, authentic, bona-fide miracle!


Does a "miracle in the making"  still qualify as a miracle?  If a giant tree had grown up overnight, we would have taken pictures, called journalists - announcing the amazing news that a great pecan tree had sprouted and reached mature growth  in just a few hours! It would be like seeing a time-released photo show on the Nature channel. Growing and leafing out and producing pecans before our very eyes.


It would be a miracle!


Does that mean the only difference between miracles and just "normal" nature is time? Is that the only way to distinguish? Just time elapsing?


I don't know about you, but I think it is all a miracle! Everything around us,
every moment of our day......just one miracle after another.....

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands,

And the great world around me;

And with tomorrow begins another,

Why am I allowed two?

   - G. K. Chesterton

Because He Loves us!

 

                                           Because We Love Him!

Psalm 91:14-15 -- "Because he loves Me, says the LORD, I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name; he will call on Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

So many practical promises here: He will rescue us; protect us; allow us to pray to Him and promises to answer; He will be with us in trouble...and He will deliver us...and He will honor us -- both now and forever!

All these gifts! (Remember Forrest Gump?  'Life is like a box of chocolates'? Well that's like these verses! So open the box and start indulging yourself today!)