Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi – written in 2015

A light house does not blow fog horns but it only shines.  

When I read the above I thought of our walk as Christians.  Does our life reflect the light  of Jesus.  St Mark 4:21: and he said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?  A candle beams its flickering light so we may find our way in the dark as does the Lighthouse.  As Christians we should let our light shine & walk in the light of Christ.  We need not blow fog horns but just shine & let the Holy Spirit beam through us.  Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord……i grew up in a very legalistic religion & if we did have a little light, it was totally blown out with dos & don’ts & lots of fear. 1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God….10: herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us & sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4 is filled with scriptures of love.  The pendulum swings both ways but should be in balance.  I guess my desire is not to be a fog horn but a flickering light for our Lord.

after years of silence, i started painting again. Following is first after the this period which was a long time……coppi

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever. . . .(Psalm 73:25–26)

Enough said…………………..

Is 54:10. The mountains may depart & the hills may be removed, but the Covenant of my love shall not depart from thee.

Mt 24:25. Heaven & earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Definition of Covenant: an agreement made between God & His people.  A contract, promise, & bond.

“The Bible is the Word of God & it is powerful & life changing.  The promises of God start with 2 Tim 3:16 when God tells us that all scriptures in the Bible are inspired by God. With this promise of God in hand we can then be assured that what we learn in the Bible comes from Him.”

In the little country church I grew up in, we would sing the ole’ gospel hymns;  one being “Standing on the Promises, I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God”. Yes, I would sing but at that time in my life they were just words.  It wasn’t until later in life, I really understood that God through song was telling me to trust & to stand firmly on His promises in the Bible.   Do I trust & believe all the time – “nope”, I waver, doubt & wonder, but thank God, He is steadfast, unchanging, & mighty powerful & what He says is “Yes & Amen”.  

Are you standing on the Promises of God today? Is God your all in all?

Leave the planning and leadership up to him, and simply follow him to green pastures and still waters every day. Seek relationship with him and allow daily, consistent encounters with him to mold and fashion you into a greater reflection of your Good Shepherd. May you find peace, joy, and patience by living in the present today.  (Greg Denison First 15, September 10, 2017

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  (Ps 23)

When I was reading the first three verses of Psalm 23, three words stood out to me.  Want, leadeth, and restoreth.  I remember years ago, a young man I met related to me that Ps 23 saved him from committing suicide.  I asked “how is that?” His reply was –  “I was going through a divorce and I had two young girls and my wife was giving me problems on visitations rights.  I became very depressed and decided to take my life.  I picked up the Bible to Psalm 23 and the word ‘want’ stood out in neon lights.  It seemed to say to me I will not want in seeing my little girls.  I did not take my life and I see my girls whenever I want.”  ‘Leadeth’ –  if I let my Shepherd lead and direct my life, I find myself to be more at peace.  It took a lot of mistakes and wrong choices to come to that decision.  I now try and go to him before I make a decision.  When I don’t I regret it.  ‘Restoreth’ – as they say in Alcohol Anonymous “I have come to believe there is a power greater than myself that can restore my soul”.  I know for a fact that I cannot restore my soul it has to come from my Shepherd, but I first must come to him with what I need changed in my soul. He will if I am willing.  Three words – want, leadeth, and restoreth are very powerful but if the Shepherd is in control,  I will lie down in green pastures and he will lead me by the still waters.  And, that to me can be summed up in the word ‘

When death is near, when life is unfair, and our hearts break within us, God is not any less on the throne. Where darkness consumes, where it serves to discourage, where it threatens hope and life, the promises of God and the certainty of light will not be mastered. For in Christ is life and that life is the light of humankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.  (Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.)

“He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

John 1:2-5 NLT

I looked up the definition of darkness and found synonyms of darkness – they are as follows:

“The forces of darkness”

synonyms:’

evil, wickedness, sin, iniquity, immorality; devilry, the Devil, 

dark, blackness, gloom, dimness, murkiness, shadow.

I now understand fully why I do not like darkness because just reading the synonyms of the word gives me the ‘shakes’.  I enjoy lights on in my home, I enjoy the bright sunshine, and I enjoy everything that brings light into my soul such as encouraging words, laughter, hugs, love, a smile are only a few.  When I read the Bible and a word or passage lights up brightly, I hold it closely to my being and thank Jesus for this light.  And, I love the passage in John 1:5 – “The light shines in darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it”. 

Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s because so many in our culture feel so unloved. Mother Teresa noted that “the most terrible poverty is loneliness” and called this malady “the greatest disease in the West today.”

“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!”

Psalms 84:3 NLT

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.”

Psalms 84:5-6 NLT

King David was always seeking a place of rest because he was always fleeing from Saul who wanted to kill him.  Saul’s jealousy of David was a destructive source in his life.  Jealousy can be like a cancer in your body and it was so with Saul.  However, David found his joy and strength in the Lord.  He knew that the only place of safety from the goings on with Saul and in the battles of that day was to stay in the protective arms of God.  I like what he said in Psalms 84:5-6 “When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a pace of refreshing springs”.  Have you ever had a time of weeping?  I certainly have and the only peace I had was at the altar of my Lord – praying.  Ps 30:5 – Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning; a place of refreshing springs.  

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”

Invisible.  Moses kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.  I like to see ‘skin’.  But is that faith.  Heb 11:1 – “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”  (Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬).  I can only speak for myself, but it would be hard for me to think I could manage my life without God.  One of my deepest prayers is “may I never forget what you have done for me”.  Even in my darkest moments, I put my faith in this unseen God.  When I moved to Florida from Texas, I often used the analogy of God sending Abraham to a land he did not know.  I knew no one in Tampa, Florida, but my husband.  It was the beginning of a new life for me – I believed and trusted the invisible God to show & direct me in this unknown territory.  Yes, bad things happened, but like Moses I kept my eyes on the one that is invisible – the God I trusted and believed in since I was a very young child.  He was there – unseen and invisible but

“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!”

Psalms 84:3 NLT

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.”

Psalms 84:5-6 NLT

King David was always seeking a place of rest because he was always fleeing from Saul who wanted to kill him.  Saul’s jealousy of David was a destructive source in his life.  Jealousy can be like a cancer in your body and it was so with Saul.  However, David found his joy and strength in the Lord.  He knew that the only place of safety from the goings on with Saul and in the battles of that day was to stay in the protective arms of God.  I like what he said in Psalms 84:5-6 “When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a pace of refreshing springs”.  Have you ever had a time of weeping?  I certainly have and the only peace I had was at the altar of my Lord – praying.  Ps 30:5 – Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning; a place of refreshing springs.