"The Secret"

This is a little poem that I have heard many old-time Christians quote.  It is a great poem and it's always been a blessing.

“The Secret”

I met God in the morning

            When the day was at its best,

And His presence came like sunrise,

            Like a glory in by breast.

All day long the presence lingered,

            All day long He stayed with me,

And we sailed in perfect calmness

            O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,

            Other ships were sore distressed,

But the winds that seemed to drive them

            Brought to us a peace and rest!

Then I thought of other mornings,

            With a keen remorse of mind,

When I too had loosed the moorings

            With the Presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,

            Learned from many a troubled way;

You must seek Him in the morning

            If you want Him through the day.

                                                                        Ralph S. Cushman

"Delight"

Psalm 40:8 - I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psalm 1:2 -  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psalm 119:16 - I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Romans 7:22 - For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Definition
"Delight"

n. 1. Great pleasure; joy. 2. Something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment. v. de·light·ed, de·light·ing, de·lights v.intr. 1. To take great pleasure or joy: delights in taking long walks. 2. To give great pleasure or joy: an old movie that still delights. What delights you? 1. flower deliveries? 2. pedicures and manicures? 3. favorite chocolates? 4. an afternoon of shopping followed by dinner out and more shopping? 5. a Christmas light display? 6. going to the symphony? 7. finding that the house has been cleaned and dinner cooked when you arrive home from work? These are some things that might "tickle" you and make your adrenaline rush in "joy and great pleasure".  I wonder if we get the same rush or enthusiastic excitement from knowing God and His word.  Sometimes we read the Bible, go to church, but we don't delight.  We don't get tickled and enjoy our time with the Lord.  Devotion time does not have to be all "fire, guilt, punishment, and brimstone".  Spending time with God, to me, seems to help put my world into perspective and I leave His presence like a child who knows her Father has everything under control.   Delighting in the Lord comes with time.  Just like delighting in your bath time comes with maturity, or delighting in finishing a book comes with learning.  It's no longer, "Mom, I did that yesterday, do I have to do it again today?"  We learn what's good for us, what makes us happy, and we learn the whats, whys, whens, and hows, by following the Lord.  Delight in following and learning instead of running ahead unawares and suffering the consequences! Have you ever received a desire of your heart?  Something you never believed you would receive?  Something you never spoke to a soul about?  Only God knew the desire and only He could fulfill the desire?  I'm old enough now that I can look back and see how God gave me desires because I delighted in Him and His word. He saw the little yearning or wish in my heart that became a desire, and He gave them to me. I remember going out to lunch with my daughters on a weekday afternoon several years ago.  There were many young mothers with their babies out to lunch that day, too.  Right after we ordered our lunch I noticed a beautiful baby girl.  She was old enough to sit up in a high chair.  She had a head full of golden hair and bright blue eyes.  Her mother had dressed her all in yellow with a huge yellow bow on her head.  She took my breath away.  I know I have beautiful daughters, but no blondes.  The oldest, Jessica, has dark hair and dark eyes.  The middle, Victoria, has golden brown hair and brown eyes.  The youngest, Alyssa, has dark hair and hazel green eyes.  I have dark hair and eyes.  My daughters husbands have dark hair and eyes.   After I looked at that baby girl, I remember thinking, "Lord, that sure is a beautiful baby.  I would love to have a baby like that in the family, but I know it can never happen!"  I sort of laughed to myself.  I believe I pointed the baby out to my girls and they agreed that she was beautiful.   Can I show you how the Lord gave me a desire of my heart?  He didn't have to give me this desire, but He did, because He can do this!  This is my first granddaughter, Kate.  She is a beautiful blonde hair, bright blue-eyed little girl.  (and she's wearing yellow)

"A Daily Vacation for the Soul"

Psalm 37

¹      Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

²      For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

³      Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

⁴      Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

⁵      Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

⁶      And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

⁷      Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

⁸      Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in anywise to do evil.

Do you ever feel like getting in the car and just driving until you can drive no more?  Dream of vacation on a secluded beach or an Alaskan cruise?  I believe we've all thought of some type of get-away.  Some people I know just count down their days to their next vacation.  What about the other fifty weeks?

In reality, we cannot live just to get away.  "Life is just so daily", as I've seen on a cartoon.  On days where your calendar is packed with appointments, meetings, and errands, you feel like you really need a vacation.  I felt that way the other morning (should I get out of bed or not?)  and then I read this particular passage.  It was just as if my counselor, Jesus, was giving me some personal instructions for my day. 

1. Fret not - "Don't worry!" this can cause wrinkles!

2. Envy not - "She got...I didn't..." - this can be a root of hatred, bitterness, etc. (Also can cause wrinkles!)

3. Trust and do good - this is a faith exercise and physical application of right - "do good" and you'll feel better about your day

4. Delight in the Lord - doing this will cause a smile and pleasant countenance, good for the spirit and also an anti-depressant

5. Commit thy way - This results in single-mindedness and  steadfastness in the faith

6. Rest and wait - If your soul and mind are at rest you can endure.  Your body needs appropriate rest, too.  Waiting might be the hardest thing to do, but find a productive activity to do while you wait for an answer from the Lord.  Never roll over and "play dead".

7. Cease from anger and forsake wrath - Ok, no more road rage!  I'm talking about myself.  There are no benefits from yelling, screaming, anger, sharp words, etc. Maybe you feel "better" afterwards but that is only because of the adrenaline rush.  I'm speaking from experience.  I can be so nice to strangers and lose my temper so quickly with my loved ones.  Hopefully, they'll say that I have improved over the years.  I hope so.  Sometimes our low tolerance for others can be a physical problem, we may need some vitamins, minerals, or just some quiet time alone with the Lord.  Check out all possibilities.  It's not worth losing your testimony for the Lord because of a short fuse.  I don't believe Jesus was a door slammer.

Try having a "daily vacation" for your soul.  Pour a cup of coffee, shut the door, snuggle in your favorite chair, and talk to the Lord.

"Hones-tea"

1 Timothy 2

¹I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; ²For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. ³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; ⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

Today's Tea-votion word is "hones-tea."  Honesty can be painful.  Honestly can make us look at the "cracks" in our lives and try to ignore them.  We can try to avoid the truth, like stepping on the scales after the holidays, but if we want improvement in our world we have to eventually face the facts and be honest about what needs work and attention.
My sister and I like to talk about what the Lord has done in our lives, whenever we get a chance to talk.  After Christmas last year she recommended a powerful little book to me and I promised to read it.  I went directly to Amazon.com and ordered a used copy for a dollar.  It is worth a million in the Christian life.  The book is called The Hour That Changes the World, by Dick Eastman, 1978, Baker Books.  The scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible and the book is based on scriptural principles.  The author gives personal illustrations and very practical helps for Christians.  

After reading the book I had to honestly evaluate my prayer life.  Did I want to pray? Yes!  Did I try to pray every day? Yes!  Did I have a powerful and effective prayer life? uh...I don't know, well, I did have some answers to prayer, but not on a regular basis. Did I focus on specific areas of prayer, or just confession and petition? What?  I definitely needed each page of that book. So I dissected it, outlined it, made a journal of the entries, and started applying one step at a time.  "Amazing" is all I can say.

Being honest with myself about my sickly prayer life was the first step in spiritual growth in that area.  This is true in every spiritual and earthly arena.  You cannot be saved unless you are honest about your need for a Saviour.  When entering into God's presence in prayer you must be honest about your faults, confessing sin to God, so that the barriers are removed and prayers can be answered.

For many years I applied honesty to my words alone.  If someone asked if they looked good in a certain outfit, I tried not to lie, even if the outfit wasn't the best on them.  I gained a reputation for being honest when asked a question.  That is elementary.  It takes a lot more maturity and growth to be honest with ourselves on every level.  You can say a lot of true statements, that does not make you a good Christian, a kind person, or a thoughtful friend.  Honesty is the best policy, but it must be wrapped in kindness and love.

Honesty in our testimony in this world is also need.  We can pray all we want to for the evangelization of the world, but until our actions match who we are in the inside, we are not being honest, and we will not be effective witnesses for Christ.  

Shakespeare wrote, "To thine own self be true".  If you are a Christian, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, be true to yourself in word, deed, and life goals and values - that we "may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty."