Does Your Blessing Hose Have a Kink?

    I was feeling very Monday-ish this morning as I fought with a horribly kinked up garden hose. It seemed like no matter what I did, I could hear, and feel the water running inside, but not a drop would come through the hose! There I was, feeling less than joyful, rebuking the rebellious hose in the name of Jesus, when God spoke to my heart ....

" You are like this garden hose, " He said
" The blessings are all around you, just as sure as there is water flowing beneath that kinked up hose, but your poor attitude and less than grateful heart keeps you from seeing and receiving them. If you will open your spiritual eyes and see me, you will see all the love and blessings that I have lavishly poured out in your life. "

And then, I looked at my garden, and saw little plants coming up from the gound, fruit trees in bloom, grapes on the vines and all this in my garden that hadn't been watered by my hand in a week! ..... All around me is God's goodness!

....... Thank You God for patiently taking time, with Your master hands to work out the kinks in my heart! Help me to have an attitude of gratefulness and eyes to see the showers of blessings in my life! ♥

" You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
 Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor. "

- Psalm 68:9-10

“He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams ;
 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on mankind. "

- Job 36:27-28

" The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God. "

- Isaiah 35:1-2

Lord, May We Always Run to You

 

 

    Dear Lord, tonight I will hug my children a little tighter and be a little more thankful. Tonight I will be praying a little harder and a little more somberly. As I pause before You and struggle to wrap my mind and heart around what happened in Boston yesterday, I know the world is pausing with me ......

     And I wonder if we, as the human race, have yet come to the place where we can acknowledge and understand how very fleeting life is, and how very much we need you! In a world that works so very hard to push you away, evil will inevitably be present, and there will be no shortage of people willing to use that evil to destroy what You have created!

   Yet, how faithfully You love us Father! Your heart cries out for us to come to You, and when we are hurting, You hurt with us! The desire of Your heart is to be our God, our strong tower! You long to hide us beneath Your wings, and be our provider! Your Word tells us time and time again how much You love us

  " The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness " - Jeremiah 31:3

" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. " - John 3:16-17

    It seems that so many times lately, I look at the broken and hurting world all around me and think:  

        " Come quickly Jesus! "

       Then You speak to my heart with the  gentlest of whispers Father, reminding why You are  waiting ......

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" The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
- 2 Peter 3:9

    And then,  with sweet understanding, and a deeply grateful heart, it seems I can't help loving You even more! This, unfortunatly leads my heart to another, much more convicting thought, the thought that I have not loved as You love Father. Your heart is that all should come to repentance and I wonder, is this my heart?! When I look at a lost world, do I love as You love? ....

    Father, please forgive me for the countless times I have been selfish with my salvation! Help me to love this perishing world enough to share this hope I have within me! ( a hope that was freely given to me at the foot of the cross! ) When I take the time to let You lead my eyes and heart, I see a world that is desperate for hope and meaningThey are looking for something to believe in!
  
   Lord, I pray that You would use my life in some way to lead them to the only true and lasting hope in this broken and dying world. Jesus is the most beautiful, precious gift I have ever received! He is the reason I live an abudant life, free of all the chains that once weighed me down! ( and this amazing gift was only given to me by Your grace! ) How can I possibly look at broken, dying people and not share Your sweet Son, my wonderful Saviour?

          God, I am Yours no matter what ( for all time! ) Teach me to trust You and share Your love with those around me while I wait patiently for Your return! ♥