Just one...

It's so special the way the Lord listens to our small prayers, He hears every one. And He answers, when He is supposed to answer.

"Just one, Lord..." it was asked, and just about a half an hour later, it was answered, beautifully. It was a cry said out loud, but even deeper in the spirit, it was sent so tenderly to God. 

Proverbs 3

New International Version (NIV)

Proverbs 3

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

 ¹ My son, do not forget my teaching,
   but keep my commands in your heart,
² for they will prolong your life many years
   and bring you peace and prosperity.
 ³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
   bind them around your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name
   in the sight of God and man.
  
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.
  
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the LORD and shun evil.
⁸ This will bring health to your body
   and nourishment to your bones.
  
⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth,
   with the firstfruits of all your crops;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
   and your vats will brim over with new wine.

 ¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline,
   and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
   as a father the son he delights in.

 ¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
   those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
   and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
   nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
   in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
   and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
   those who hold her fast will be blessed.

 ¹⁹ By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,
   by understanding he set the heavens in place;
²⁰ by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
   and the clouds let drop the dew.

 ²¹ My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
   preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,
   an ornament to grace your neck.
²³ Then you will go on your way in safety,
   and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
   when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵ Have no fear of sudden disaster
   or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶ for the LORD will be at your side
   and will keep your foot from being snared.

 ²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
   when it is in your power to act.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor,
   “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
   when you already have it with you.
²⁹ Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
   who lives trustfully near you.
³⁰ Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
   when they have done you no harm.

 ³¹ Do not envy the violent
   or choose any of their ways.

 ³² For the LORD detests the perverse
   but takes the upright into his confidence.
³³ The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
   but he blesses the home of the righteous.
³⁴ He mocks proud mockers
   but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
³⁵ The wise inherit honor,
   but fools get only shame. 

Alyssa

Thoughts of heart

"From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Tonight I was having this very honest talk with The Lord. To be honest, I was feeling... Well I didn't exactly know... I had so many things swirling around in my head. Things I couldn't make out. And I really had, well I suppose you could say a heavy heart. 

Well during our talk, The Lord had me realize what the feeling was. Very early in our talk, in fact.

I've read a few things today, and heard a few things today, and they were convicting. 

So what was the "feeling" you ask? It was disgust, to be quite honest. I was disgusted when looking at a few of my actions. 

Apologize - Weight Lifted - And a humbling and confirming reading...

Ephesians 4:1-6

New International Version (NIV)

Ephesians 4

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

 ¹ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

The Beauty of conviction.

Alyssa

With empty hands I'll come. Answer me, Lord.

Wisdom. 

I have only the wisdom the Lord has given me. So then, can there be wisdom without the Lord? 

No, there can be no true wisdom, only empty hands.

Tonight I came with empty hands, asking the Lord to amaze me. You see, I needed understanding. 

And here was His answer;

Proverbs 2

New International Version (NIV)

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

 ¹ My son, if you accept my words
   and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
   and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
   and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
   he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
   and protects the way of his faithful ones.   
⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
   and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
   and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
   and understanding will guard you.

 ¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
   from men whose words are perverse,
¹³ who have left the straight paths
   to walk in dark ways,
¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong
   and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵ whose paths are crooked
   and who are devious in their ways.

 ¹⁶ Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
   from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth
   and ignored the covenant she made before God.
¹⁸ Surely her house leads down to death
   and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
¹⁹ None who go to her return
   or attain the paths of life.

 ²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
   and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹ For the upright will live in the land,
   and the blameless will remain in it;
²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
   and the unfaithful will be torn from it. 

Majesty, you've answered.

Alyssa

You Decide.

We are faced with many decisions in our lives.

But there is ultimately one decision we have to make, with two choices; Wickedness or Righteousness?

Which will you choose?

Ultimately this decision comes down to; Heaven or Hell?

It's time. You decide.

Isaiah 48:12-22

New International Version (NIV)

Israel Freed

 ¹² “Listen to me, Jacob,
   Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
   I am the first and I am the last.
¹³ My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,
   and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
   they all stand up together.
 ¹⁴ “Come together, all of you, and listen:
   Which of the idols has foretold these things?
The LORD’s chosen ally
   will carry out his purpose against Babylon;
   his arm will be against the Babylonians.
¹⁵ I, even I, have spoken;
   yes, I have called him.
I will bring him,
   and he will succeed in his mission.

 ¹⁶ “Come near me and listen to this:

 “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;
   at the time it happens, I am there.”

   And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me,
   endowed with his Spirit.

 ¹⁷ This is what the LORD says—
   your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
   who teaches you what is best for you,
   who directs you in the way you should go.
¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands,
   your peace would have been like a river,
   your well-being like the waves of the sea.
¹⁹ Your descendants would have been like the sand,
   your children like its numberless grains;
their name would never be blotted out
   nor destroyed from before me.”

 ²⁰ Leave Babylon,
   flee from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy
   and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;
   say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.”
²¹ They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
   he made water flow for them from the rock;
he split the rock
   and water gushed out.

 ²² “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

God WANTS YOU! Oh' how He wants you!

Alyssa

My grace is sufficient for thee...

Love. A love so deep, it envelopes your soul. 

No words are needed, in fact there are no words. 

How could someone explain the feeling of this deep love, correctly? 

I think the only time we can describe the true love we have for someone, is when our hearts are being truly broken.

Hosea 11:1-12

New International Version (NIV)

Hosea 11

God’s Love for Israel

 ¹ “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
   and out of Egypt I called my son.
² But the more they were called,
   the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
   and they burned incense to images.
³ It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
   taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
   it was I who healed them.
⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness,
   with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
   a little child to the cheek,
   and I bent down to feed them.   
⁵ “Will they not return to Egypt
   and will not Assyria rule over them
   because they refuse to repent?
⁶ A sword will flash in their cities;
   it will devour their false prophets
   and put an end to their plans.
⁷ My people are determined to turn from me.
   Even though they call me God Most High,
   I will by no means exalt them.

⁸ “How can I give you up, Ephraim?
   How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
   How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
   all my compassion is aroused.
⁹ I will not carry out my fierce anger,
   nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man—
   the Holy One among you.
   I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰ They will follow the LORD;
   he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
   his children will come trembling from the west.
¹¹ They will come from Egypt,
   trembling like sparrows,
   from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,”
   declares the LORD.

Israel’s Sin

 ¹² Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
   Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
   even against the faithful Holy One.

 So many times I have broken my Father's heart, yet He still loves me.


Alyssa

He turned to me

After I read the chapter the Lord took me to, I had a thought. 

What if the Lord turned to me?

When I thought that, I had a shiver go up my spine. Not for fear, but for feeling truly awe-struck. 

To have the Lord turn to me. . . His eyes meeting mine. . . Wow. That just leaves me without words. What am I, to have the Lord of all, looking, at me. 

The other thought to this, is the fact that He does. When I come in prayer to Him, He's looking right, at me.

Psalm 40

Psalm 40

    For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.

 ⁴ Blessed is the one
   who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.
⁵ Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.
  
⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
   but my ears you have opened—
   burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
   it is written about me in the scroll.
⁸ I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.”

 ⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips, LORD,
   as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly.

 ¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
   may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, LORD;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

 ¹⁴ May all who want to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

 ¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
   may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   you are my God, do not delay.

To have you turn to me O God, I am truly blessed.

Alyssa

Innocence of heart

I will never be able to say that I am completely innocent in my heart. I'm human, and have sinned. But I can still try my best to make the thoughts of my heart innocent. 

I was given that reminder tonight, through my conversation with The Lord, and the reading He took me to.

I came with a feeling of, I suppose, slight anger and jealousy. Then I read. And my heart was put at peace, and contentment. 

How I love how my Daddy has something so beautiful to share with me when my heart hurts.

Job 4-5

New International Version (NIV)

Job 4

Eliphaz

 ¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

 ² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?

   But who can keep from speaking?

³ Think how you have instructed many,

   how you have strengthened feeble hands.

⁴ Your words have supported those who stumbled;

   you have strengthened faltering knees.

⁵ But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;

   it strikes you, and you are dismayed.

⁶ Should not your piety be your confidence

   and your blameless ways your hope?

 ⁷ “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?

   Where were the upright ever destroyed?

⁸ As I have observed, those who plow evil

   and those who sow trouble reap it.

⁹ At the breath of God they perish;

   at the blast of his anger they are no more.

¹⁰ The lions may roar and growl,

   yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.

¹¹ The lion perishes for lack of prey,

   and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

 ¹² “A word was secretly brought to me,

   my ears caught a whisper of it.

¹³ Amid disquieting dreams in the night,

   when deep sleep falls on people,

¹⁴ fear and trembling seized me

   and made all my bones shake.

¹⁵ A spirit glided past my face,

   and the hair on my body stood on end.

¹⁶ It stopped,

   but I could not tell what it was.

A form stood before my eyes,

   and I heard a hushed voice:

¹⁷ ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?

   Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸ If God places no trust in his servants,

   if he charges his angels with error,

¹⁹ how much more those who live in houses of clay,

   whose foundations are in the dust,

   who are crushed more readily than a moth!

²⁰ Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;

   unnoticed, they perish forever.

²¹ Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,

   so that they die without wisdom?’

Job 5

 ¹ “Call if you will, but who will answer you?

   To which of the holy ones will you turn?

² Resentment kills a fool,

   and envy slays the simple.

³ I myself have seen a fool taking root,

   but suddenly his house was cursed.

⁴ His children are far from safety,

   crushed in court without a defender.

⁵ The hungry consume his harvest,

   taking it even from among thorns,

   and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

⁶ For hardship does not spring from the soil,

   nor does trouble sprout from the ground.   

⁷ Yet man is born to trouble

   as surely as sparks fly upward.

 ⁸ “But if I were you, I would appeal to God;

   I would lay my cause before him.

⁹ He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,

   miracles that cannot be counted.

¹⁰ He provides rain for the earth;

   he sends water on the countryside.

¹¹ The lowly he sets on high,

   and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

¹² He thwarts the plans of the crafty,

   so that their hands achieve no success.

¹³ He catches the wise in their craftiness,

   and the schemes of the wily are swept away.

¹⁴ Darkness comes upon them in the daytime;

   at noon they grope as in the night.

¹⁵ He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth;

   he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.

¹⁶ So the poor have hope,

   and injustice shuts its mouth.

 ¹⁷ “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;

   so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

¹⁸ For he wounds, but he also binds up;

   he injures, but his hands also heal.

¹⁹ From six calamities he will rescue you;

   in seven no harm will touch you.

²⁰ In famine he will deliver you from death,

   and in battle from the stroke of the sword.

²¹ You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,

   and need not fear when destruction comes.

²² You will laugh at destruction and famine,

   and need not fear the wild animals.

²³ For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,

   and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

²⁴ You will know that your tent is secure;

   you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.

²⁵ You will know that your children will be many,

   and your descendants like the grass of the earth.

²⁶ You will come to the grave in full vigor,

   like sheaves gathered in season.

²⁷ “We have examined this, and it is true.

   So hear it and apply it to yourself.”

 How wonderful it is, to hear Your voice, O' Lord.

Alyssa

Someone to lean on. . .

Tonight I needed someone to lean on. Someone to wrap me in their strong arms. I needed something deep. I needed love, a love that's only found one place. In prayer, pouring myself out totally, with my Father. 

I needed my Father to tell me He loved me, that He would wrap his strong arms around me without letting go. 

I came to my Father who knows me so much more than I know myself, my Father who knew exactly what I was feeling, even when I didn't quite know myself.

I went to my Father to say "I don't know!" but He said "I do!" 

Psalm 111

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 111

Psalm 111

 ¹ Praise the LORD.    I will extol the LORD with all my heart
   in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
 ² Great are the works of the LORD;
   they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
   and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
   the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
⁵ He provides food for those who fear him;
   he remembers his covenant forever.

 ⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,
   giving them the lands of other nations.
⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just;
   all his precepts are trustworthy.
⁸ They are established for ever and ever,
   enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹ He provided redemption for his people;
   he ordained his covenant forever—
   holy and awesome is his name.

 ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
   all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
   To him belongs eternal praise. 

To Him belongs eternal praise!

Alyssa

Clay in His hands

"Like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand Israel." 

Jeremiah 18

New International Version (NIV)

 Jeremiah 18

At the Potter’s House

 ¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

 ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me. ⁶ He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. ⁷ If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, ⁸ and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. ⁹ And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

 ¹¹ “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ ¹² But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

 ¹³ Therefore this is what the LORD says:

 “Inquire among the nations:
   Who has ever heard anything like this?
A most horrible thing has been done
   by Virgin Israel.
¹⁴ Does the snow of Lebanon
   ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
   ever stop flowing?
¹⁵ Yet my people have forgotten me;
   they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways,
   in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in byways,
   on roads not built up.
¹⁶ Their land will be an object of horror
   and of lasting scorn;
all who pass by will be appalled
   and will shake their heads.
¹⁷ Like a wind from the east,
   I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face
   in the day of their disaster.”

 ¹⁸ They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”

 ¹⁹ Listen to me, LORD;
   hear what my accusers are saying!
²⁰ Should good be repaid with evil?
   Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
   and spoke in their behalf
   to turn your wrath away from them.
²¹ So give their children over to famine;
   hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
   let their men be put to death,
   their young men slain by the sword in battle.
²² Let a cry be heard from their houses
   when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
   and have hidden snares for my feet.
²³ But you, LORD, know
   all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
   or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
   deal with them in the time of your anger. 

Alyssa

It is good.

How wavering I can be at times in my faithfulness, faithfulness to The Lord, commitments, friends, everything. 

As a human, my word, doesn't mean much. That's sad to say, but it's oftentimes true. So painfully true. 

So then; what, or rather, who is faithful? Truly, totally, unwaveringly, faithful? The only answer to this question, is The One and Only. The Lord. 

Again I am struck by the things The Lord leads me to. How fitting they always are. How amazingly He reveals Himself to me, each time I enter into fellowship with Him.

Lamentations 3:1-33

New International Version (NIV)

Lamentations 3

 ¹ I am the man who has seen affliction
   by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
² He has driven me away and made me walk
   in darkness rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me
   again and again, all day long.
 ⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
   and has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
   with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ He has made me dwell in darkness
   like those long dead.
 ⁷ He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
   he has weighed me down with chains.
⁸ Even when I call out or cry for help,
   he shuts out my prayer.
⁹ He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
   he has made my paths crooked.
 ¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
   like a lion in hiding,
¹¹ he dragged me from the path and mangled me
   and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow
   and made me the target for his arrows.
 ¹³ He pierced my heart
   with arrows from his quiver.
¹⁴ I became the laughingstock of all my people;
   they mock me in song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitter herbs
   and given me gall to drink.
 ¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with gravel;
   he has trampled me in the dust.
¹⁷ I have been deprived of peace;
   I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone
   and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”
 ¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
   the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
   and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
   and therefore I have hope:
 ²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”
 ²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
   to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
   while he is young.
 ²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
   for the LORD has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust—
   there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
   and let him be filled with disgrace.
 ³¹ For no one is cast off
   by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
   so great is his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
   or grief to anyone. 

So great is His unfailing love.

Alyssa

Stepping out.

Stepping out of the "flow" of life can be a difficult, painful and just uncomfortable thing to do. But sometimes The Lord calls us to do those uncomfortable things. 

Even in those uncomfortable times though, The Lord has a blessing.

Daniel 2:17-30

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁷ Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ¹⁸ He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven ²⁰ and said:
   “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
   wisdom and power are his.
²¹ He changes times and seasons;
   he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
   and knowledge to the discerning.
²² He reveals deep and hidden things;
   he knows what lies in darkness,
   and light dwells with him.
²³ I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
   You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
   you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel Interprets the Dream

 ²⁴ Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”  ²⁵ Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”
 ²⁶ The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
 ²⁷ Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, ²⁸ but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:
 ²⁹ “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. ³⁰ As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

 The Lord, is speaking.

Alyssa

All of this. . .

All these things that are being done in my life, heart and spirit. It's been pretty amazing, Lord. So amazing. 

I wouldn't change these things You are doing. Maybe I could say "I don't want to be going through these things!" But Lord, I never shall. I have only been amazed over-and-over again! 

I would never want to try and write my own life-story, it would be nothing. Absolutely, nothing. 

I would've crumbled long ago, but Lord, I have such a strong Father to turn to. Whom leaves me in awe, day-and-again, in total awe.

And here my Father speaks to me;

Isaiah 26

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 26

A Song of Praise

 ¹ In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:    We have a strong city;
   God makes salvation
   its walls and ramparts.
² Open the gates
   that the righteous nation may enter,
   the nation that keeps faith.
³ You will keep in perfect peace
   those whose minds are steadfast,
   because they trust in you.
⁴ Trust in the LORD forever,
   for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
⁵ He humbles those who dwell on high,
   he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground
   and casts it down to the dust.
⁶ Feet trample it down—
   the feet of the oppressed,
   the footsteps of the poor.
 ⁷ The path of the righteous is level;
   you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.
⁸ Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
   we wait for you;
your name and renown
   are the desire of our hearts.
⁹ My soul yearns for you in the night;
   in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
   the people of the world learn righteousness.
¹⁰ But when grace is shown to the wicked,
   they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
   and do not regard the majesty of the LORD.
¹¹ LORD, your hand is lifted high,
   but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
   let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.
 ¹² LORD, you establish peace for us;
   all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
¹³ LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
   but your name alone do we honor.
¹⁴ They are now dead, they live no more;
   their spirits do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;
   you wiped out all memory of them.
¹⁵ You have enlarged the nation, LORD;
   you have enlarged the nation.
You have gained glory for yourself;
   you have extended all the borders of the land.
 ¹⁶ LORD, they came to you in their distress;
   when you disciplined them,
   they could barely whisper a prayer.
¹⁷ As a pregnant woman about to give birth
   writhes and cries out in her pain,
   so were we in your presence, LORD.
¹⁸ We were with child, we writhed in labor,
   but we gave birth to wind.
We have not brought salvation to the earth,
   and the people of the world have not come to life.
 ¹⁹ But your dead will live, LORD;
   their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust
   wake up and shout for joy—
your dew is like the dew of the morning;
   the earth will give birth to her dead.
 ²⁰ Go, my people, enter your rooms
   and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
   until his wrath has passed by.
²¹ See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling
   to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;
   the earth will conceal its slain no longer. 

Awe. I am left in total awe.

Alyssa

Meet me...

I've had this ache in my soul. From what, I do know. I've had this yearning, this feeling that engulfs my heart. A feeling so unexplainable, yet so simple. 

Lord, I'm so desperate. So desperately seeking You, your touch, your beautiful voice. Praying that I shall never lose it. That I shall always want you, that I shall always need you. 

I ache for how much I want you. For how much I want to know and feel you. Lord, my whole being aches to hug you. To touch you. To be with you, in your strong arms. To be in that one place where I shall never, ever want anything else....But You. 

As these tears roll down my face, you whisper "Soon my child."

And so Lord, speak.

Habakkuk 3

New International Version (NIV)

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk’s Prayer

 ¹ A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.  ² LORD, I have heard of your fame;
   I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
   in our time make them known;
   in wrath remember mercy.
 ³ God came from Teman,
   the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
   and his praise filled the earth.
⁴ His splendor was like the sunrise;
   rays flashed from his hand,
   where his power was hidden.
⁵ Plague went before him;
   pestilence followed his steps.
⁶ He stood, and shook the earth;
   he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
   and the age-old hills collapsed—
   but he marches on forever.
⁷ I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
   the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
 ⁸ Were you angry with the rivers, LORD?
   Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
   when you rode your horses
   and your chariots to victory?
⁹ You uncovered your bow,
   you called for many arrows.
You split the earth with rivers;
 ¹⁰ the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
   the deep roared
   and lifted its waves on high.
 ¹¹ Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
   at the glint of your flying arrows,
   at the lightning of your flashing spear.
¹² In wrath you strode through the earth
   and in anger you threshed the nations.
¹³ You came out to deliver your people,
   to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
   you stripped him from head to foot.
¹⁴ With his own spear you pierced his head
   when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
   the wretched who were in hiding.
¹⁵ You trampled the sea with your horses,
   churning the great waters.
 ¹⁶ I heard and my heart pounded,
   my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
   and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
   to come on the nation invading us.
¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.
 ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
   he enables me to tread on the heights. 

Praise your beautiful name, Lord.

Alyssa

Does it really matter?

Does it really matter where I go to church?

I believe it does. God has a specific place He wants me, and that includes where I go to church.

Should I be speaking to people about the idols they have in their lives?

Yes. God has commanded us only to worship HIM. 

Why is this so important? Well, here's what I have been led to this evening;

Deuteronomy 12

English Standard Version (ESV)

Deuteronomy 12

The LORD’s Chosen Place of Worship

 ¹ "These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. ² You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. ³You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. ⁴ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. ⁵But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, ⁶and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. ⁷And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

God actually tells us to "destroy" idols. That's more than just talking about it, isn't it? God doesn't want a, "I'll shove that idol in the closet over there." He wants us to RID OURSELVES OF IT. 

Is that hard? Yes. It's painful getting rid of things we've become attached to. But God wants all or nothing. He won't take only part of you. He wants ALL of you! 

Secondly, we are to seek the LORD for His direction of where He wants us.

Seeking and dwelling in the Lord is truly amazing!

"...and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you."

Dwell in the Lord, seek where HE wants you, do as HE commands, and God will do amazing things.

Alyssa

I'm afraid Lord, but You reign.

Afraid. 

Afraid of how much I shall be stretched? Maybe. 

Afraid of the changes that will happen? Maybe.

Sadly I usually come back to being afraid of "something." Why? I do not always remind myself quickly enough that "God's got me." 

Maybe it's fear of someone rejecting what I so desperately want to share...

But God is reminding me, I should only worry about what He, thinks.

Isaiah 51:1-16

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 51

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

 ¹ “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
   and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
   and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
² look to Abraham, your father,
   and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
   and I blessed him and made him many.
³ The LORD will surely comfort Zion
   and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
   her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
   thanksgiving and the sound of singing.  ⁴ “Listen to me, my people;
   hear me, my nation:
Instruction will go out from me;
   my justice will become a light to the nations.
⁵ My righteousness draws near speedily,
   my salvation is on the way,
   and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
   and wait in hope for my arm.
⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
   look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
   the earth will wear out like a garment
   and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
   my righteousness will never fail.
 ⁷ “Hear me, you who know what is right,
   you people who have taken my instruction to heart:
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
   or be terrified by their insults.
⁸ For the moth will eat them up like a garment;
   the worm will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,
   my salvation through all generations.”
 ⁹ Awake, awake, arm of the LORD,
   clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
   as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
   who pierced that monster through?
¹⁰ Was it not you who dried up the sea,
   the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea
   so that the redeemed might cross over?
¹¹ Those the LORD has rescued will return.
   They will enter Zion with singing;
   everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
   and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
 ¹² “I, even I, am he who comforts you.
   Who are you that you fear mere mortals,
   human beings who are but grass,
¹³ that you forget the LORD your Maker,
   who stretches out the heavens
   and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
   because of the wrath of the oppressor,
   who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
 ¹⁴ The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;
they will not die in their dungeon,
   nor will they lack bread.
¹⁵ For I am the LORD your God,
   who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
   the LORD Almighty is his name.
¹⁶ I have put my words in your mouth
   and covered you with the shadow of my hand—
I who set the heavens in place,
   who laid the foundations of the earth,
   and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

Lord, forgive me.

Alyssa

Loving God, With all I've got.

Human strength. God's Strength. Who's is stronger?

Being brought once again to the realization of how finite I am is humbling. The realization, that I needed a realization once again, is also humbling.

Unfortunately as a human, I will always need to be reminded with realizations. I will strive to remember, but will fail again-and-again.

It is amazing, to realize how much grace and patience I am given on a daily basis. It is also sad, to realize how much is truly needed.

All I have, is honestly nothing compared to what God has. It never will compare. The only thing I can hope to do, is do as He has me do.

Jeremiah 1:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

The Call of Jeremiah

 ⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying,  ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   before you were born I set you apart;
   I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
 ⁶ “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
 ⁷ But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 

Even though I am this finite human, Lord you knew who I was before I was formed, Lord you chose me.

And again I say I am humbled.

Ezekiel 3:10

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁰ And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.

I will listen carefully Lord, my heart is yours. 

Alyssa

"Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes, The day that True Love died..."

Tonight God wants you to be reminded of the love He gave for you. 

John 19:17-30

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

 ¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
  
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
 ²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

 ²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
   This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
   “They divided my clothes among them
   and cast lots for my garment.”
   So this is what the soldiers did.

 ²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

 ²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

----

And after I've read that, I am led to this;

Ephesians 3:14-21

New International Version (NIV)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

 ¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
 

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

So rejoice in all the amazing love that He has given! And rejoice, that HE and ONLY HE can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!

Amen.

Alyssa

Search your hearts and be silent.

"How long will it take us to realize that we've been set apart?"

Usually it will take us far too long. 

"How long will it take us to realize God is screaming at us to listen?" 

Usually it will take us far too long. 

"How long will it take us to realize we chase after things that will not fulfill us?" 

Usually it will take us far too long.

Unfortunately we as broken humans, don't realize things very quickly. Thank God, we have Him.

God has led me to something that amazed me tonight, and is what I am told to share.

Psalm 4

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

 ¹ Answer me when I call to you,
   my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
   have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

 ² How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
   How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
³ Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
   the LORD hears when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent.
⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
   and trust in the LORD.
  
⁶ Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
   Let the light of your face shine on us.
⁷ Fill my heart with joy
   when their grain and new wine abound.
 ⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
   for you alone, LORD,
   make me dwell in safety. 

How long will we turn God's glory to shame? How long will we seek after false gods? 

Verse 4 was so amazing to me;

⁴ Tremble and do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent. 

In one of my earlier posts I had said that my Dad has told me, at night, if you are laying there awake, pray and listen to God. He has you awake for a reason.

How awe-some it is to read that in my Heavenly Father's Word!

God, do not let us seek after things other than you. Hold us close, and let us keep close to you. Let our one true love be you! 

Praise God.

Alyssa

"I have now come to give you insight and understanding."

Why is it so easy for us to do wrong (sin), yet so hard for us admit we have done wrong? Why is it so easy for us to admit our wrongdoing when we can clearly see the punishment? Are we that foolish? Sadly the answer to that, a lot of times, is yes. We are so taken over by sin and shallow in our human nature, that we simply don't get it. 

And oh' how we should yearn for the day that we do get it! Lord, how we should yearn for the day that we are not so shallow in human understanding, but get it, You, in even a small way!

But, Lord, I do not want to be satisfied with only a small part of you! I want you to fill me to the brim! I want to overflow with you through me! I want to feel your aweful presence so much more! I do not simply want to "be satisfied." Lord, I pray you do not let me grow stagnant in you.

Here is what the Lord led me to tonight;

Daniel 9:1-23

New International Version (NIV)

Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer

 ¹ In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. ³ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.  ⁴ I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
   “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
 ⁷ “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. ⁸ We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
   “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. ¹² You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. ¹⁴ The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
 ¹⁵ “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
 ¹⁷ “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

The Seventy “Sevens”

 ²⁰ While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill— ²¹ while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. ²³ As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision. 

I want you to catch verses 20-23 --- God sent Gabriel, to give "insight and understanding." --- How thankful we should be that The Lord cares to give us insight and understanding!

And also verse 18 --- ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

We are not righteous, but it's because of God's great mercy that we come before Him.

And now the last thing I would like to leave with you;

Proverbs 14:34

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,
   but sin condemns any people. 

Sin condemns, Righteousness exalts. 

Lord I pray that we would "get it" and "understand" before it's to late.

Have a conversation with God. Ask Him HIS plans for you.

Alyssa