What a day that will Be!

This past Sunday we sang this song during
our Praise and Worship time –

“What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
When I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be!”

How that song transported me back in time!

I was saved in a little country church 20 years ago...

Approximately 26 years ago I moved “way out” in the country –
Or so my friends thought!
It took me about 25-30 minutes to drive to work daily.
When I moved there I was not living for the Lord even though I had been “brought up” in the church.
About ¼ mile down the road was a small country church that had only been used for funerals for a few years.
As I would walk past the church I was reminded of God
and the teachings I had as a child.
Eventually, I went inside –

(yes! It was unlocked! Imagine that!)

I remember sitting there one day and praying...
for the first time in a long time!
I would do this frequently as time went on.

Time passed and one day a friend from “up the road” –
who had just been saved –
visited me and said she was interested in getting a local Pastor to come and open the church once or twice a month.
Her passion for God, for the lost, and her excitement in her new salvation – were contagious – I wanted what she had!!!!

There was an older lady (Marjorie) who lived a little farther “up the road” who was excited to have the church reopened
as well!

Eventually a congregation from about 10 miles inland came to our little community and ministered to us on a weekly
or bi-weekly basis.
God’s people were obedient to His call on their lives!
I am eternally grateful for their obedience –
if they had not .....???

“US” consisted of about 15 – 20 people –
our services were amazing!
I must tell you though, that it took another 2 years for God to really get a hold of me!
NO! Let me rephrase that.
God had a hold of me – it took me 2 years to
let Him have me!!!!!I fought with Him many times before I finallyadmitted I was nothing without Him!
And accepted His free gift of salvation and eternal life
with HIM!

Marjorie became a very dear friend –
She loved music and years before had played the piano -
she now began to play the keyboard at our services!

[Can you see where I’m going with this?
I’ve been long-winded today haven’t I?]

Her favourite chorus was “What A Day That Will Be”!
She loved the LORD with all her heart –
She would stand at her backdoor, facing the eastern sky –
looking for a sign of His return!

As it happened, she became ill and eventually was taken to the hospital for the final time!
I – and others who loved her dearly – had the privilege of being with her as she met with Jesus –
as He took her by the hand and led her home!

We stood around her bed and sang this chorus – and even though she was not conscious at the time – I have no doubt that her spirit knew we were there, singing her into heaven!

Can you imagine it?
Meeting Jesus face-to-face?
Having Him take you by the hand and leading you into Heaven?
YES! What a glorious day that will be!

Dear Friend,
Today I pray that you have that expectation of
seeing Him one day!
If you don’t know Him yet, I am asking God to stir your spirit,
to open your heart to the longings that I know are there!
Only God can fill those longings and I pray
you will open yourself to Him,
accept His free gift of salvation which comes
only thru His Grace! thru faith!
Not by anything you might do!
I pray that ‘Christ may dwell in your heart through faith’ (Eph.3:17)
If you do know Him but haven’t felt His presence lately –
KNOW that His Word is the truth and He’s there
even if you don’t feel it!
If you feel lost or stagnant KNOW that He wants to,
and can, and will, change you if you are willing!

Praying Blessings on you today!
I am Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

FORGIVING OURSELVES

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12

A year or so ago someone asked me how one forgives themselves.
They said they knew that God had forgiven them but they couldn’t forgive themselves.
They had been in a cycle of sin, had broken the cycle, God had forgiven them,
but they were holding onto guilt.

They could not disconnect from the behaviour emotionally or mentally,
and the guilt and self-condemnation were robbing them of their joy and contentment.

I asked them if they thought they were better than God and they were shocked –
“Why, what do you mean?”
My answer was, “Well, if God has forgiven you because of the blood of Christ,
what will it take for you to forgive yourself?
Is His blood not sufficient for you?
Is your standard for yourself higher than God’s?”

God does not keep a record of our sins as we’ve already read in Psalm 103.

Jeremiah 31:34 states “For I will forgive their wickedness and
will remember their sins no more.”

If He doesn’t keep a record when He forgives – why should we?
The only thing that has to be done is to receive His forgiveness and mercy,
and choose to believe that He paid it all.

We can more easily forgive others than we can ourselves.
Not forgiving oneself is a form of pride –
It is setting a higher standard for ourselves than for others.

Uhmmm - Had you thought of that before?

Forgiving oneself is not about forgetting –
it is about letting go of what you’re holding against yourself
so you can move on with God.

Don’t wait any longer – throw down the guilt and the pride and forgive yourself.
IT IS A CHOICE!
not a feeling –
the guilt, the condemnation, and the pride are tools of Satan to keep you stuck!
Life is full of choices – every choice we make will either take us in a
positive, life-changing direction
OR
it will rob us of all of that.

It takes courage and strength to forgive – others and ourselves –
We need to call on Him for that courage and strength – and He will provide.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

Change your thinking from condemnation and guilt to
those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable,
excellent, and praiseworthy
Philippians 4:8

And remember – There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Believe this today!

May you “Live freely in Him today”!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

The Faith Of A Child

“Let the little children come to me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive
the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it.”
Mark 10:14-15

Have you ever listened to a little child talk
about their faith in God?
The simplicity of their trust?
Knowing that God loves them and
wants the best for them?

One night recently, as I put my grand-daughter to bed, I asked her what she wanted to pray for.
She listed off a couple things and then said,
“God can do that you know, Grammie.”

Such simple trust in Him!

Jesus words in the Gospel of Mark tell us that we must receive the kingdom of God like a little child
or we won’t enter in.

What does that mean?
It means that we don’t have to have all the answers.
We don’t have to understand all the mysteries.

It should be enough to know that God loves us,
forgives us, equips us; that He can be trusted;
that His Word is the Truth!

Reflect for a moment –
Children exhibit such trusting, sincere, eagerness –
as well as dependence on their parents.
Should that not be how we are with God –
Our Heavenly Parent?
I don’t think for one moment this means we should be immature or childish –
He wants us to grow up in our faith!

It just means that we should trust God
with a child’s simplicity!

Paul wrote these words:
Ephesians 3:20 –
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think...

Do you believe this? Do you accept that He is able?

I pray right now that your faith has the
simplicity of a child –
that you KNOW that He is able -
Able to do more than you could ever ask or imagine!
May this be your God!

Praise His Holy Name!

Blessings to you today!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

Praising Our Lord From A to Z

One day, recently, I felt led to praise God by
going thru the alphabet!
I think what led me to that was having our grand-daughter around quite a lot these past few weeks.
She learned Scripture this past year at school
by going thru the alphabet ...

Here are the first 3 she learned:

A- All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God. Romans 3:23

B- Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved –
you and your household. Acts 16:31

C – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this
is right. Ephesians 6:1

And so on!!!!!
It’s so incredible to hear her recite these Scriptures!
It’s amazing to me how much she has remembered.
I know that God will not let His word return void –
I KNOW His Word has been planted in her little heart
and He will grow it and use it in her life!

Thank You, Jesus!

So – here is my list!
Why don’t you come up with your own list!
What a great way to get in the Word!

Also – I’m speaking for myself now –
but maybe a way for me (us)to memorize Scripture would be
as the 5 year olds did this year in school!
Imagine!
how simple would that be for us –
no more excuses!

I’ve taken a different slant on it by looking at His attributes and finding Scripture that tells me of these!

May God fill you up with His presence as you contemplate
Who He is and What He is to you!

A – Awesomeness – Deuteronomy 7:21

B – Blessings – Ephesians 1:3

C – Chastening – Hebrews 12:11

D – Delight – Psalm 18:19

E – El Shaddai – Genesis 17:1 (Almighty,
All Sufficient One)
F – Favor – Psalm 30:5

G – Gentleness – Matthew 11:29

H – Holy – 1 Peter 1:16

I – I AM – Exodus 3:14

J – Jealous – 2 Corinthians 11:2

K – King – Psalm 10:16

L – Love – John 3:16 ; Galatians 2:20

M – Merciful – Nehemiah 9:19

N – Nearness – Psalm 145:19

O – Omnipotent – Luke 1: 35;
Omniscient – 1 Corinthians 2: 10-11;
Omnipresent – Psalm 139:7-13

P – Peace – John 14:27

Q – Quiets us – Zephaniah 3:17

R – Redemption – Ephesians 1:7

S – Sovereign LORD – (Adonai) – Genesis 15:2

T – True – John 17:3

U – Upright – Psalm 25:8

V – Victory – 1 Corinthians 15:57

W – Word – John 1:1, 14

X – Xcellent – Job 37:23

Y – Yoke – Matthew 11:29-30

Z - Zeal – Zechariah 8:2 (God’s passion for
His people)


Have a wonderful, God-filled day!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

How Great Is Our God!

I had some quiet time today –
at times I will turn my iPod on and listen to
Praise and Worship music
during my quiet time!

I know!

You’re probably saying,
“How can it be “quiet time” if you have music playing?”

I find that music that praises our Father leads me to
reflect on Him and who He is –
this helps me to move into a Praise and Prayer time with Him!

One of my most favourite Praise and Worship tunes is
a song by Chris Tomlin called “How Great Is Our God”...
I won’t repeat all the words here –
but if you don’t know this song I encourage you to
search it out and reflect on the words!
If you do know it – sing it to your Father!

This song tells us that “He is worthy of all praise”;
that “darkness trembles at His voice”;
“age to age He stands and time is in His hands”;
“He is the Godhead – three in one;
Father, Spirit, Son”
He is the “Lion and the Lamb” -

He is Great!
Hallelujah!

Reflect on His greatness:

1 Chronicles 15:25 – For the LORD is great and
greatly to be praised;

Job 5:8-9 – “But as for me, I would seek God, and to God
I would commit my cause – who does great things, and unsearchable, marvellous things without number.”

Psalm 92:5 – O LORD, how great are Your works!

Isaiah 12:6b – For great is the Holy One of Israel
in your midst!

1 John 3:19-20 – and by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
For if our heart condemns us,
God is greater than our heart,
and knows all things.

I just recently read Psalm 104 - again –
and I was overwhelmed by the Praise in it.

The NKJV Nelson Study Bible that I use states this –

“The structure of this poem is:

1) Praise for God’s great creation (vv.1,2)

2) The creation of the heavens(vv.3,4)

3) The creation of the earth (vv.5-9)

4) The waters of blessing (vv.10-13)

5) The fullness of the earth (vv.14-18)

6) The patterns of life (vv.19-23)

7) Praise for God’s great creation (vv.24-26)

8) An acknowledgment that all life is dependent upon the Lord (vv.27-30)

9) A prayer for God’s glory (vv. 31,32)

10) A personal response to God (vv. 33-35)

Dear Readers,
Please take some time today to reflect on God’s greatness;
May your meditations be pleasing to Him;
May you KNOW that all the marvels of the world around us are the handiwork of our magnificent Creator!
May you KNOW that everything exists because of Him and that it all is a gift from Him to us!
And also,
may you KNOW that YOU are a magnificent creation of HIS!
That YOU are the apple of HIS eye!

I too, with the Psalmist, will “sing to the LORD as long as I live;
Will sing praise to my God while I have my being;”
I pray my meditations will be pleasing to Him;
and I will be glad in the Lord

Blessings to you as you rest in His greatness!
Ruthie

How Great Is Our God!

I had some quiet time today –
at times I will turn my iPod on and listen to
Praise and Worship music
during my quiet time!

I know!

You’re probably saying,
“How can it be “quiet time” if you have music playing?”

I find that music that praises our Father leads me to
reflect on Him and who He is –
this helps me to move into a Praise and Prayer time with Him!

One of my most favourite Praise and Worship tunes is
a song by Chris Tomlin called “How Great Is Our God”...
I won’t repeat all the words here –
but if you don’t know this song I encourage you to
search it out and reflect on the words!
If you do know it – sing it to your Father!

This song tells us that “He is worthy of all praise”;
that “darkness trembles at His voice”;
“age to age He stands and time is in His hands”;
“He is the Godhead – three in one;
Father, Spirit, Son”
He is the “Lion and the Lamb” -

He is Great!
Hallelujah!

Reflect on His greatness:

1 Chronicles 15:25 – For the LORD is great and
greatly to be praised;

Job 5:8-9 – “But as for me, I would seek God, and to God
I would commit my cause – who does great things, and unsearchable, marvellous things without number.”

Psalm 92:5 – O LORD, how great are Your works!

Isaiah 12:6b – For great is the Holy One of Israel
in your midst!

1 John 3:19-20 – and by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
For if our heart condemns us,
God is greater than our heart,
and knows all things.

I just recently read Psalm 104 - again –
and I was overwhelmed by the Praise in it.

The NKJV Nelson Study Bible that I use states this –

“The structure of this poem is:

1) Praise for God’s great creation (vv.1,2)

2) The creation of the heavens(vv.3,4)

3) The creation of the earth (vv.5-9)

4) The waters of blessing (vv.10-13)

5) The fullness of the earth (vv.14-18)

6) The patterns of life (vv.19-23)

7) Praise for God’s great creation (vv.24-26)

8) An acknowledgment that all life is dependent upon the Lord (vv.27-30)

9) A prayer for God’s glory (vv. 31,32)

10) A personal response to God (vv. 33-35)

Dear Readers,
Please take some time today to reflect on God’s greatness;
May your meditations be pleasing to Him;
May you KNOW that all the marvels of the world around us are the handiwork of our magnificent Creator!
May you KNOW that everything exists because of Him and that it all is a gift from Him to us!
And also,
may you KNOW that YOU are a magnificent creation of HIS!
That YOU are the apple of HIS eye!

I too, with the Psalmist, will “sing to the LORD as long as I live;
Will sing praise to my God while I have my being;”
I pray my meditations will be pleasing to Him;
and I will be glad in the Lord

Blessings to you as you rest in His greatness!
Ruthie

REST

- Peace of mind or spirit; to take relief;
- freedom from activity or labor
This is what the LORD says
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is,
and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

I went to the New Living Translation and it says...
“Stop Right Where You Are!”

WELL!
That sounds like a command to me!
To stop, look, and listen.
We teach our children to do these 3 things when
they cross the road –
But do we teach them to use these same tools when they’re
making decisions in their life?
Do WE use these tools when we’re making decisions in our lives?

Do we seek God’s pathway – which is the good way?
Do we seek it and then decide we don’t want to walk in it or that it’s too hard so we go another way?

He tells us to:
STOP!
LOOK!
ASK!
WALK!
REST!

Seems easy enough to me! But I know I don’t always do it!
Sometimes I’m too busy to STOP;
Sometimes I’m too busy to LOOK;
(or these are my ‘excuses’)

Sometimes I don’t ASK because I really don’t want an answer because I’m depending on myself instead of God;

Sometimes I don’t want an answer because I don’t want to hear what He has to say!

Consequently, in those times, I have no REST!

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus extends an invitation to us to come to Him;
to make a choice and leave “whatever” behind –
Submit to Him –
And He says He will give us rest
AND we will find it!

Sounds like a promise to me...

If I do my part rest will be mine!
Thank You, Jesus that I can find rest for my soul in You!


Dear LORD,
I pray for my sisters and brothers in Christ – and myself;
To heed Your Word; To be obedient; To Ask for instruction;
To follow You directions; To settle into You and submit to You so that we may have the REST that only You can give!
Thank You, Lord, for never leaving us alone!
In The Priceless Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Go and find rest for your soul today!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

Worry

In my reading the other day I came across this definition
of worry –

“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts
running around a center of fear.”

Think about that!
When you worry are your thoughts organized, efficient,
and productive?

Or are they going in ten different directions,
non-productive, filled with “what ifs”?

The “what ifs” are fear based –
regarding something that happened in the past
and how someone else perceived that,
or what might happen in the future that could/would
bring trials and troubles upon us...

This is what Corrie Ten Boom says about worry –

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.
It empties today of its strength.”

Some people will label themselves as a “worrier” as if that is just the way they are and it can’t be changed.

But we can change that!
Praise God – He wants our worries ...give them to Him!

Are you a “worrier”?
What do you worry about?

Is it something that occurred in the past that you
can’t go back and change?
Is it something in the future that you have no control over?

I would guess that whatever it is, it is NOT about
this moment in time!

Why do we do that?
Spend precious moments on the past or the future –
both of which are totally out of our control?
Why can’t we / don’t we live in the moment?
Letting God have complete control over our time
(all 168 hours per week),
and our lives?

Spending today worrying about tomorrow or the past wastes today!

Jesus is speaking in Matthew 6:25-34 about worrying –

Verses 33–34:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow
will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

The New Living Translation says it this way...

Verses 33-34
“and he will give you all you need from day to day if you
live for him and make the kingdom of God
your primary concern.
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring
its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

I love Psalm 37 –
I call it my “Do Not Fret” Psalm ...
one of my Study Bibles explains it this way –
“Its simple message is to maintain patience in the midst of troubles. God’s people can have such patience because
they know that their eternal reward will
abundantly surpass any temporal troubles.”

Friends – Do Not Fret!
He will handle whatever is in your path!

Father God,
We come to You now giving this day over to You.
We believe that You know all about our pasts and our futures
and that our “what if-ing” results only
in distress for us!
Nothing else!
It does nothing to change the course of our life.
And it certainly takes our minds off of You, Your grace,
Your providence, Your magnificence.
Father, Give us the clarity of mind to rest in You,
to give our concerns over to You
and leave them with You;
Teach us Lord not to ‘fret’.
Fill us, Lord, with Your Holy Spirit;
Enable us to live each day resting in Your arms.
Thank You, Lord for blessing us as You do.
Keep our minds filled with Your goodness.
We love You Lord!
In Jesus Name, Amen!

May you have
a fret-free day in HIM!

Ruthie

VICTORY

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.
Who is he who overcomes the world,
but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:4-5

The definition of victory is to defeat an enemy or opponent;
success in a struggle against a difficulty; the state of having triumphed!

WOW!
Does that not thrill your heart?
Does that not give you a sense of exhilaration and freedom?
Oh, how I pray it does!

As believers in Christ:
· We know we have an eternal home - Heaven! He has gone to prepare a place for us there! Praise God!

John 14:2-3 – In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so
I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also
may be where I am.

· We can have peace in the midst of difficult circumstances!

John 16:33 – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world

· We can defeat our enemy as we stand firm in Christ!

James 4:7-8 – Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.

My favourite hymn of all time is “Victory In Jesus”.
The words of this hymn tell me that Jesus came to earth from Glory –
gave His life for me –
He saved me and forgave me!
He came and healed my broken spirit and gave me Victory in Him!

As the chorus says –
“O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever.
He sought me, and He bought me, with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.”

I say, “THANK YOU, JESUS!”

Dear Father,
I pray for everyone reading this today –
for them to know they have victory in Christ
because of what He did for us on the cross.
I pray Lord that they will grasp how awesome is the love You have for us;
that they will want to be an overcomer
and accept Christ this moment if they haven’t already done so!

Thank you, Lord for Your grace and mercy to a wretch such as me!
I Praise You God!

I can only imagine what Heaven will be like!
Thank You for the Christian sisters and brothers You have given to me on earth!
Thank you, Jesus!
Amen.


May you have an abundant, victorious day!
Resting in Him,
Ruthie

THE RAINBOW

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I have made
between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you,
for perpetual generations:
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be the sign of the covenant
between Me and the earth
Genesis 9:12-13

God made a covenant with Noah and all the living things on the earth
that there would never be a flood on earth such as the
one described in Chapters 6-8 of Genesis.
I encourage you to read this account for yourselves!

I get excited when I see a rainbow – such a beautiful creation –
I’m always reminded of my Heavenly Father and His promises to me!

I see it as a symbol of His love for the world;
to this world that rejects Him and denies Him!

It reminds me of His grace and His love for me;
Reminds me of the sacrifice Christ made for me – for us all –
on the Cross of Calvary!
And my heart overflows with thanksgiving for His Salvation!

The other evening – right after supper –
the rain began – and it came down with great force!
Just pelting straight down, pounding on our deck!
The sun was still shining in the west and I could see blue sky -
Silly me!
I ran around the house looking out all the windows,
looking for a rainbow ... but I couldn’t find one!

I love to hear the rain come down and this evening was no exception.
And, of course, my mind reflected on another memory –
A Precious Memory –
of God’s hand in my life.

This one I’d like to share with you....

In 1994 my younger brother (Reigh) was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer.
We had always been quite close and at this time he was living in Halifax.
He was not given a very long time to live (a couple months) –
and was told to get his affairs in order.
He came home to talk to me because he had decided not to undergo treatment.
He opted to try some natural remedies.
Of course, being a nurse, I came from the “medical model”
and wanted him to try every treatment available!

Long story short – he took sick leave from his job;
began seeing a naturopathic doctor and using natural remedies -
and lived a quality life for the next 18 months.
The medical community was amazed!

In the spring of 1996 it was found that the cancer had metastasized to his lungs
and there was nothing to be done for him then.
He opted to stay at home and receive palliative care there –
He did not want to be in hospital.
My biggest concern was for his soul!
We went to church as children, our parents were saved, and we went to
Youth group and all the activities available in those days for kids –
but he wasn’t saved.
Daily, I prayed for God to send a nurse into his home who was a Christian
and who would lead him to the Lord.

I visited with Reigh as often as I could.
A very dear friend accompanied me on one trip I took to Halifax.
I spent the day with him and in the early evening we returned home
via the Valley – Highway 101.
As we were driving along the stretch between Coldbrook and Bridgetown –
the sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue with some fluffy white clouds,
and there ahead of us in the sky was the most magnificent rainbow!

Instantaneously I heard a voice in my mind and in my heart saying,
“Don’t worry about him, I will look after him for you.”
I KNEW God had spoken to me and sent His rainbow as a promise to me
that He would look after my little brother!

Almost at the same time as this occurred my friend exclaimed,
“Do you see that? There’s a rainbow in the sky!”
We cried and we laughed, and I KNEW God right there with me!
We were both totally amazed and still to this day if we are traveling together
along that stretch of road we comment on it!

And this is how God looked after him for me!
He answered my prayers!
Hallelujah!

A Christian nurse was assigned to look after him - I had the pleasure of
meeting her and talking with her a number of times!
She called me one day to tell me that Reigh had accepted the Lord
and was ready to” go home”!
Praise God!
I will see him again in that heavenly city!
How surprised - and happy - my mother must have been
to see him arrive there the day he left this earth –
She prayed faithfully for all her children but didn’t see her prayers for him
answered before she went to be with the Lord!

Dear Friends,
I pray that you know that God hears your prayers for your loved ones;
that He does not want anyone to perish;
that He desires for you to call on Him with all your requests,
no matter how little they may seem to you, nor how big!
I pray that you BELIEVE His Word – and all the promises He has for you.
Trust Him today!
Look for the rainbows in your life!
And KNOW you are precious to Him!

Have a wonderful day!
Look around – see His hand in your life!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

“When Are You Coming?”

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on
what day your Lord will come.
So you must be ready, because the Son of man will come
at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 24:36,42,44

Our 5½ year old granddaughter visited with us a few weekends ago. She loves to help Grampie on the farm so when it came time to head for the Farmer’s Market early Saturday morning she was up and ready to go with him. I was to come along a little later, bearing coffee and hot chocolate!
About 1½ hours later the phone rang and this little voice said,

“Hi Grammie.
When are you coming?
We’ve been waiting and waiting.”

I told her I was on my way out the door –
that I’d be there soon!

Immediately I felt a stirring in my soul and
I thought to myself:
What if we called to Jesus and said,
“Jesus, when are you coming? We’ve been waiting and waiting.”

We’re told in His Word that we will not know the day or
the hour of His return ...
but we do have the assurance that He is coming back!
Hallelujah!

Sometimes life gets very hard ... we know that it will,
for we’re also told that we will have trials
but that He has overcome!

So we know that if we keep hanging on to Him we will get thru the trials that come our way!

It’s been said that when you’re at the end of your rope you should tie a knot and hang on...
Someone told me one time to “hang on to the hem of His garment”... He will carry us through!
That’s what I do ... I keep clinging to the hem of His garment.

Have you ever felt like you wish He’d return really soon?
As our granddaughter said, “we’ve been waiting and waiting”...

Do you feel like that at times?
Like you’ve been waiting and waiting?


I know I have – for various reasons...
but He always reminds me that there is still
a lot of work to be done.
Most importantly, there are people –
my loved ones - and others-
who don’t know Him yet ...
and I want them to spend eternity in heaven.

As does He.

Revelation 22:17 –
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

So, I must be patient.
I must trust His Word; I must have a burden for the lost;
I must win souls to Christ;
I must be ready for His return.

In Revelation 22:12 Jesus testifies:
“Yes, I am coming soon.”

Dear Father,
I pray today for those who don’t have a relationship with you.
I ask you to intervene in their lives,
to bring them to a place where they recognize their need
of a Savior, and they ask You to take over their life.
Place people in their lives who can share the good news
of Jesus with them – with love and care and concern!
Bring those of us who do believe in You and believe You
to a place of urgency regarding reaching the lost!
Give us an burning desire to see people come to know You!
Fill us with Your Spirit and move us in Your Name!

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word.
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.



May your day be filled with expectancy and urgency!
Resting in Him,
Ruthie

The Song of the Brook

Have you had the privilege of sitting by a brook and hearing the sweet song it sends forth as the water runs over the rocks and moves towards the mouth of the brook?

I used to live on a property that had a brook on it that
ran from a distant lake to a large local river –
I would love to spend time by the brook and let its song
sooth my soul.

When we had a dry spell the song of the brook diminished
to a trickle –
When we had lots of rain or melted snow the song changed
to a faster - sometimes ferocious - melody.
When the amount of water was “just right” the song
was restful and peaceful.

Reflect on your song – your life –
What happens to your song when you have a “dry spell”?
When the storm hits with lots of “wind and
rain and melted snow”?
What about when all is “just right”?

One day I tried to change the course of the brook by
rearranging the rocks in its path.
I hadn’t done too much digging and rearranging
when I realized that I was tampering with God’s creation –

What was I thinking?
Who was I to think that I could “improve” on God’s creation?

Talk about a “light bulb moment”!

I put the rocks back where they had been and
gave the brook back to nature – back to God –
I sat back and thanked my God for showing me His truth
before I had destroyed the “song”.

How often do we try to “rearrange” things in our life?

Do we get in the way of God and try to “fix” His creation –
(me – us)
thinking we can do a better job at it than He has done so far?
I don’t know about you, but, at times I’m guilty of this.


How like our song – our life - is the song of the brook...
· One day gentle, peaceful, joyful
· The next day painful, tumultuous, angry.



Praise God –
He has given us a sweet song to sing –

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.

Dear Father God,
May my heart – and my mouth –
be filled with praise to You –
even in the middle of a storm;
May I always realize that I am nothing without You;
May I know that every blessing I have comes from You;
No matter what life brings to me today
may my song be one of praise and thanksgiving,
to You, My Heavenly Father;
My Savior; My Rock; My Strength; My Redeemer.
Thank You for Your faithfulness, your promises, Your love.
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.


Dear Precious Reader –
I pray this for you as well – no matter what life brings
your way may your song be filled with sweetness;
with praise to God for His love for you.
Blessings to you this day!

Remember-

This is the day the LORD has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

It’s 3 a.m. Lord!

It’s that early hour once again
And I awaken with a start.
Who is it this time, Lord,
That You will place upon my heart?

You know me so well, Lord
You know how I need my sleep;
I’m depending on You now Lord,
To give me rest in the morning
and my soul to keep.

Who shall it be, Father?
My Secret Sister,
The one newly saved,
or the lonely one I just met?
My dearest friend,
The grieving widow,
Or the one who doesn’t even know You yet?

I lift them all to You, Lord –
Knowing that You hear my pleas.
Hear it from my pillow, Lord.
Or - do You want me on my knees?

“Whatever way, Child, I hear your heartfelt cries;
Thank you for being obedient,
even in the middle of the night.”

Then my eyes slowly close as I feel Him let me go...
To that place of rest that only He can give –
And I know He will sustain me in the morning light!

The Lord placed this poem on my heart one night a few years ago ....
I awoke at 3 a.m. – and could not go back to sleep.
I remembered someone saying that when you wake up at night don’t count sheep –
talk to the shepherd!
That made a lot of sense to me ... it amazes me now, that when I am awakened in the middle of the night, He always places someone on my heart to pray for!
What a blessing it is to be an intercessor in the middle of the night
AND feel totally rested in the morning...
Because I have His Rest!

I’m sharing this with you today because I had a sleepless time
during the night last night.
When that happens to me He brings this poem to mind first;
and then He begins to bring people to my mind to lift to Him.
I may not know their specific needs but He does ...
and that’s all that’s necessary.

Before I was even aware, I had drifted off and awoke this morning with the sense
that He had been at work all night while I rested!
How awesome is that?

(I do know I was awake almost an hour because I looked at the clock at one point
and it was 4:22)

I know there are times when I awaken and my mind is filled with “stuff” –
things I have to do tomorrow;
a STAMPIN’ UP! event I have to prepare for;
a visit from family that’s happening soon;
a new Bible Study that’s starting soon;

– and if I allow these things to fill my mind, the night becomes a restless one for me –
and the ole devil would love nothing more than for me to lose precious sleep,
because then, in the morning,
I would be more susceptible to his tactics to bring me down to his level!

It’s happened –
The last time it did I told him to take a hike – he wasn’t having me –
During the night or during the day!

Dear precious reader, I pray that you will be ever aware of God`s hand in your life
and that you will seize every opportunity to communicate with Him.
I`ll leave you with this Scripture –

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God`s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Have a wonderful day!
And remember –
If your nights are sleepless – don`t let Satan steal your rest –
become an intercessor and rest in the arms of God!

Resting in Him,
Ruthie

“DE-CLUTTER”

To de-clutter something means to get rid of the JUNK;
the stuff that’s piled up in the corners;
things that are taking up useful space.

Well, I have a couple places in my house that need some serious de-cluttering done to them...
but this weather lately has been too hot and humid for me
to even think about working at it...
I keep putting it off ‘til “Fall” when it will be cooler!
Or that’s what I tell myself –

Ummmm? Wonder what my excuse will be then?

How about you? Do you have one (or more) junk drawers
that need to be cleaned out?
A closet? A room?

As I started thinking about this the thought came to my mind -
“What about your heart?”
Is there “junk” in my (your) heart that needs to be cleaned out?

Ouch!!!
Did that hurt?

I must tell you, at first, it hurt me! It pinched and stung!

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

God isn’t looking at the house we live in – although I firmly believe He desires for us to keep that in order too –
But He is looking at our heart!

Almost daily I pray for the Lord to search my heart and see if there is any offensive way in me and to lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

The key word there is – ALMOST

On those days that I don’t petition Him to search me and change me, things begin to seep in and eventually pile up.

Things such as old grudges, anger, complaining,
selfishness, condemnation, frustration, impatience,...

WOW!

These things sure don’t come from God, do they?
The devil begins to play with my mind and my heart –
he is such a sneaky creature!
He slips in there most times before I’m even aware he’s around.

What are some things that creep in upon you as you go about your day? You need to be aware of what they are so you can stand up against them.

As soon as I become aware of my thinking and what I’m feeling,
I do as 2 Corinthians 10:5b tells us –
take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The Greek word for captive means to conquer with a sword....
Ephesians 6:17 tells us that
the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

I begin to pray - I claim His promises - I rebuke the devil –
I ask God to search my heart - to clean it out –
I quote Scripture out loud -
and my heart becomes de-cluttered once again!

DID YOU CATCH THAT?
ONCE Again...

Once Again because I am a work in progress as is each one of us!
Praise God! He’s not finished with me yet....
Neither is the devil – so we have to be “on guard” so we can fight the battle every time one comes along.
Praise God!
We don’t have to do it alone!

He will never leave me nor forsake me!
(Hebrews 13:5)

Hallelujah!

Dear Father, I pray for each one reading this today that they will ask You to search their hearts and will
follow Your leading!
May we be obedient to Your Word
and know that You are with us all the way!
Thank You, Jesus
Amen.

Have a blessed, God-filled day!

Resting in Him,
Ruthie

HIS SIGNATURE

Genesis chapter 1 tells us of God creating the earth and the heavens and all therein!
Verse 25 states that God saw that it was good.

I stand in amazement at the wonders of His creation –
Sunsets;
Sunrises (I personally don’t see many of these!);
Rainbows; Blue skies and Fluffy clouds;
The awesome little birds that visit my feeders many times a day;
Rain pelting down and Thunder roaring in the distance;
The changing seasons;
Watching Spring time turn into Summer;
The first red leaf of Fall; the first snowflake of Winter;
The pattern of colors as each flower and tree blooms at just the right time;
A star-filled sky;
The deer that come out to feed at dusk;
The ocean as it flows in to shore and out again;
Wonders of medicine; a new born baby;
Our amazing physical body – the workings within!

What can you add to this list?

All these things awaken in me an awareness of how magnificent
our Heavenly Father is – how powerful He is.
His signature is everywhere!
Just like the artist signs his works of art –
so has God left His signature on this earth!

I wonder how some people don’t see / can’t see
that all that surrounds us had to come from
a Mighty Creator ... not a big bang somewhere!

I had the privilege of spending a few hours the other day
with 4 wonderful women of God!
The setting was at an ocean-front home; with magnificent gardens
which she calls her “divine design” –
She asked God to participate in the creation of them from the
very beginning and they truly are divine!

His SIGNATURE was everywhere!
The tide went out and then began to return before we left;
the fog rolled in and out a couple times;
the sun broke thru with all its beauty and warmth in between the fogginess;
a red-winged blackbird flew over a couple times, making his presence known
by his sharp call as he flew past –
I had not seen one of these for a long time so that was a delight for me!
BUT –
The most delightful thing of all was to be able to witness God’s signature
on the lives of these women!
To see Him living in them, and thru them!

Genesis 1: 26 says that God decided to make man in His own image;
male and female He created them....
And in verse 31 – He saw everything that He had made,
and indeed it was VERY good. (Upper case & italics mine)

God offers us the opportunity to become a NEW CREATION in Him!
WOW!
To give our lives to Him and accept Him as our Savior!
And He provided a way for this to happen –
thru the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and us asking Him to be Lord of our lives!

How grateful I am that He has such an interest in me (all of us) that he doesn’t
want anyone to perish but to have eternal life with Him.
2 Peter 3:9

2 Corinthians 5:17 –
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone , the new has come!

He places His signature on our lives even before we are born ... we are told in Scripture that He knows us in the womb ...
that we are fearfully and wonderfully made ...
So we come into the world already “signed” by Him ...
But He desires for us to KNOW Him – to LOVE Him – to ACCEPT Him –
to SURRENDER to Him –
And then we are a new creation in HIM!
How amazing is that?

Dear friends – I pray today that you realize deep in your heart
how amazing you are – but more than that how amazing He is!
He is waiting to “sign your life” in a way you never dreamt possible!
I can attest to that!
Will you let Him do that today?
I pray you will!

Blessings on yah!
Resting in HIM,
Ruthie