Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
"Three Gifts 'Quiet'"
I am trying to get back in the groove of writing about my daily "gifts" or "blessings". I kind of got side-tracked for a few days with a lot of activity and then just being too tired to participate, but I never stopped "giving thanks" for the daily blessings. Just couldn't put it into words. Sometimes we need to take a break and sit back in "quietness" and take stock of our blessings. That's what I did today. Here are my three gifts of "quietness" I discovered:
1.
"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
'In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.'"
Isaiah 30:15
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2.
"The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17
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3.
"Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever."
Psalm 131
I just realized that each of these discoveries are actually concerning the country of Israel. Taken in their true biblical context, they do not have any particular message for me personally. Even though I am claiming them as messages to my heart...I find it interesting that God has directed my attention to these messages for Israel in light of the current events taking place in that part of the world even tonight as I write. There is great concern for their future and the impact any possible action on their part against other nations could have on our world and on our country in particular. Perhaps calming and quietness is something we all need during these days of turbulence.
"O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever."
O America, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forever.
O Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.
O _________ (insert your name),
Hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.
O Pam,
Hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.
AMEN.
(See www.AnnVoskamp.com for more information on "Counting 1000 Gifts in 2012")
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I do so agree with you Pan, the verses are talking to Israel but we can apply these verses to our own lives. I too need to learn to be quiet and still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him. Trust in God's timing.It's always right. Psalm 37:7 is a verse I keep at my desk.
ReplyDeleteAmen! I agree with you. I really didn't take this message where I wanted to last night. Weird things were happening with my computer, and I got frustrated. But the message of being still and quiet before the Lord is still coming through...in waves here and there. I need to spend MORE time in quietness, listening to God's voice...and not running to and fro so much. Thank you for reminding me again this morning.
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