Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and
cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for
what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
The first thing I want you to do is pray.
Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Well it was “Back to Bowersville” yesterday. For
those who are not caught up on your OFH’s, my pop has been a little puny of
late. The good news is they are starting
to “figure out” what is ailing him.
Continue to pray for him as he heads out to the doctor again as I am
penning this.
But because of his recent incapacitation, I have
been heading up to lead some “good old fashioned” worship with the dear folks
at this little country church.
And while we don’t crack the hymnal, they sure do
love them.
Case in point yesterday when we sang BLESSED ASSURANCE together.
Blessed Assurance’s lyrics were written in 1873
by blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby to music written by Phoebe Knapp.
The story goes that Crosby was visiting her friend
Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The
organ was incomplete, so Mrs. Knapp, using the piano, played a new melody she
had just composed. When Knapp asked Crosby, "What
do you think the tune says?", Crosby replied, "Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine."
And that turned to this…
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
As I prepared to lead the song, I was drawn to
share this passage from 1 John 4:13 (TPT) he has given
us his Spirit within us so that we can have the assurance that he lives in us and that we live in him.
And because of that, we are HEIRS, we are BOUGHT,
we have endless HOPE, we are BLESSED, and we are filled with GOODNESS and LOVE.
WOW!
The point today is this, if you are a little rickety
in your faith of late, feeling unsure, be reminded of these remarkable lyrics penned
by a blind author.
Jesus IS YOURS!
You have been granted BLESSED ASSURANCE of that!
and…Even if father and
mother abandon, the Lord will hold you close.
Psalm 27:10 (NLT)
HAVE A BLESSED DAY!
Love all of you
OPPORTUNITIES
for HOPE
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