The Bay of Martyrs, Peterborough, Australia

This is definitely a very difficult subject.  Christians are becoming martyrs for Christ by ever increasing numbers each day.  We hear so little about this here in America.  There are big box churches where people go to get the happy life, pray for things, find the key to prosperity and want no more than that.  But being Christian was never said to be easy.  Christians are suffering around the world for their faith by the tens of thousands.  This information is suppressed.  Here are just a few resources on the subject.  Prayers are needed. 

"The Voice of the Martyrs invites you to request a complimentary copy of Richard Wurmbrand's international bestseller, Tortured for Christ ... you will [also] receive a complimentary subscription to The Voice of the Martyrs award-winning monthly newsletter. This timely newsletter will keep you informed on Christian persecution worldwide while sharing practical opportunities to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith."

Here is a link to a video called, "In the Steps of Martyrs," eye opening and inspiring, I invite you to watch this Memorial Day.

Here is a link to news of worldwide persecution.

We were created with big wants, big needs, big appetites.  Disappointment is usually the consequence here.  It is a difficult journey to gain the understanding that the aim of our desire should be Him and Him alone.  This is what He wants for us.  Until we gain this understanding, we set ourselves up for heartbreak, heartache, disappointment, dissatisfaction, frustration, and unsatisfied desire.  What follows all of these states is discomfort, disease, acting out, and foot stomping.  We are petulant children in His eyes. 

As I age, one thing is becoming very clear:  In Him, all of our needs are met.  Each and Every One.  Age has become a sweet blessing, for the voracious appetite has lessoned considerably, and my thirst is now easily quenched, peacefully and happily by a steady stream of His Word.

I love the Lord and I love His creation.  I have had to work at times to give credit where credit is due.  I remind myself often that this amazing place has been created by His hand, by His physical law.  The Lord blessed Joseph and his land, and I can imagine the tear at the corner of his eye, shed for the beauty of it, the glory in it, and the gratitude for such an expression of love.

13 Of Joseph he said,
“ Blessed of the Lord be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep lying beneath,
14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
And with the choice produce of the months.
15 “And with the best things of the ancient mountains,
And with the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

Deuteronomy 33:13-16

Psalm 33

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From  His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

Life Is Full.  Life Is Rich.  But sometimes we are beset by events that are difficult.  We know it is time to pray.  I worry some, am I praying in the right way?  Will this prayer help another?  Is there weight behind my action?  There is no need to worry; however, for Apostle Paul makes it very clear in Romans 8:26-27 that when we pray the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.  The act of prayer, though we are mere children, holds great promise.  One should never be concerned about the power of it.  It is utterly amazing, a miracle, that as children of God, the Holy Spirit gives us such power and strength and blessing in our prayer.

...the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests hearts.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.
Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.
Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a prince.
A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
He who conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.
A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
He who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
When he has no sense?
A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
He who loves transgression loves strife;
He who raises his door seeks destruction.
He who has a crooked mind finds no good,
And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.
He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom
To pervert the ways of justice.
Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
A foolish son is a grief to his father
And bitterness to her who bore him.
It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
He who restrains his words has knowledge,
And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

This Proverb so nicely matches David's study on "The Tongue."  It is the best of all possible meditations for me today.  Perhaps if I post it here it will help you, too!

We humans rush around, hurry and scurry, and get our shoulders stuck in our ears when things don't go according to our plans.  At least I do!  Well, today, since it is turning out to be one of those days, I am going to go back to the beginning.  Time to get my ducks in a row...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

Since He is Creator, I think it is safe to say that His Plan is sound.  I will pray to be a part of it each and every day.  "Timing is everything," and His is PERFECT!

Click here to view Emma and her two young hummingbirds.  My they grow fast!  This nest is no bigger than my hand.  Does Emma worry?  If I were in her feathers, I'm sure I would find so much to worry about:  the wind, the weather, the predators, and goodness, those chicks are about to fall out of that nest.  Still, she worries not.  She just lives her life to the best of her instinct and ability.

For this reason I say to you,  do not be  worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the  air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being  worried can  add a single hour to his  life?
Matthew 6:25-34

I have heard other children preach and pray, and I have read the reviews.  Some are a bit strange; some would say there are demons at work.  Isaiah is a different matter, in my view.  Why do I say this?  Because he channels all of the applause and admiration that is directed at him right back to the Lord.  Astounding!  He knows exactly who and what the enemy is, at this very young age.  His concern is for children everywhere, and all of us who are grown as well, for are we not children in the eyes of God?

And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
Luke 18:15-17