My number is 20,268.
My Momma’s number is 33,215.
My Poppa’s number is 29,565.
My brother Adolf’s number is 12,045.

There is a difference between my number and those of my family members. There is no possibility of adding even one more digit to their numbers. How many more digits, if any, will be added to my number is only known by God.

Psalm 90:10,12
The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Today I am 55 years old and have lived 20,268 days. If I live to 70, that will add another 5,475 plus or minus days. Wow! It was very eye opening to “number” my days! How have I spent those days? Well, it is sad to say that the majority of those days were not lived for God’s glory. I did not know Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life until 1998. So prior to that time I was totally living for me. The Lord tells us in this Psalm to “number our days aright.” What does this really mean?

Each day we open our eyes and take a breath it is a gift from God. It is a day not promised but given to us to glorify Him, to live for Him, to make the day count for Him, to grow in the likeness of Him, to grow in wisdom and knowledge of Him. Yes, it should be all about Him.

Not all our days will be filled with good times, with prosperous times, with good health but we can still make each day a day to glorify God in whatever is going on in our lives. The truth be known, for very few of us have the good times out weighed the bad times. Our days on earth are short, our days are numbered, why waste them frivolously? There will come a day when my number will be complete and added to those in my family whose number on earth has ended. Have I numbered my day aright today? Have I glorified God? Have I made the day about me or about Him? If I ask myself these questions everyday, and live each day as if it were the last day, I believe I would live the day for the glory of God.

Psalm 90:14-17
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.

What’s your number?

MaryAnn

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 46:10
10(U) “Be still, and know that I am God.
(V) I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of 3 grandsons. She serves at America’s Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

…man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7b

If the Lord came today, and decided to visit one of the rooms in your life, what would He find? What have your hands touched? Where have your feet walked? What did you mouth taste? What did you ponder in your mind? Where is your heart today? What would He find in all of these areas?

Do you remember that tract where it talks about if the Lord were to come to your house? It goes on to say that if He were to come to your home today what would He find? Would you need to dust off your Bible? Would you have to close a door? Would you have to change the TV or music station?

I don’t like when company comes and I do not have a clean house. My human side feels like I am not a good housekeeper and I wonder what they will think of me. How often am I concerned about the condition of my life and the rooms in it?

When friends do drop in, I tell them that my house might not be clean but the coffee pot is always on and I always have time to spend with them. We should consider the same with the Lord. If He decided to drop in today to visit…..you might have dusty feet, a cluttered mind, and your hands might be full of things, but your heart can be open to Him and willing to spend time with Him. He can clean up what needs to be cleaned better then you ever could. We need to make sure our heart is in the right place first (James 5:8).

In the book of Philippians we read that we are to think on things such as truth, things that are noble, things that are right and pure and lovely. Is this where our heart is today?

There are days when my heart is filled with joy, other days sadness, and other days I hate to admit it but a critical spirit or judgment against another believer. Let’s fess up together. We all have these days. Why do we? I think it goes back to James 5:8, where it tells us to establish our hearts. It goes back to putting Jesus first, others second and ourselves last.

When we leave the Lord out of our hearts and lives for any length of time, we find our lives are in disarray, messy and unclean. Our thoughts are not clear, our focus is gone, our joy is depleted, and what is pure, true, noble and right (Philippians 4:8), is not what we are thinking about.

Just as if our home is messy for company and a good cleaning needs to be done, so must our hearts be cleaned before the Lord. He already knows what is in your heart, but it is our job to confess it to Him and allow Him to clean it up.

Do you have a dirty room in your life today? How is your heart established? Can any visitor come and visit with you today and find joy, pure thoughts, noble and right things in it?

Lynn A Wilson

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 46:8,
8(Q) Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9(R) He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he(S) breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
(T) he burns the chariots with fire.

Are you growing weary of our journey? Tired of trying to keep up with your reading and memorizing? Don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9, And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.)

The enemy would love it if you gave up now. Let him not have victory in this area of your life. Press on; the treasure will be so very worth it.

This week our focus passage is Psalm 46:8-11:

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Commentary:
“This psalm is a hymn celebrating Zion as the special city, to which God has pledged himself and through which he will bless the world….God’s goal for his choosing of Zion is that out of it the word might go forth to the peoples of the whole world, bringing them all to live in godly peace with one another.” [ESV Study Bible, study notes, pg. 994)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Ponder This:
This portion of God’s Word blesses my socks off!! What immediately came to mind was the devastation (a true use and application of the word) in Haiti. I’ve watched a lot of news in the past few weeks and in the midst of such colossal tragedy (apocalyptic, I heard one man say!) the media has captured the praise of God’s people!!

I am moved to tears when I hear the reports. Night after night in spite of the fact that the earth has given way and mountains have moved, some of the people of Haiti know the refuge and strength of a Holy God who shall not be moved!! They know the God of Jacob who is their fortress!!

Apply this truth to your thinking today:
“God is your refuge and strength!! If you sincerely and honest believe that then live like it’s the truth and defy your flesh the luxury of a bitter, complaining and critical spirit! Fall on your face and praise God from whom all your blessings flow!

If you can think of nothing to praise Him for then, dear one, ask God to refresh your memory and help you up and out of that pit you are in.

Let Him be your all in all and remember the river of Life which flows from Calvary’s mountain.

Stephanie

Conflict.

We’ve all been there. A disagreement, a disappointment, a desire unmet, a judgment, a criticism.

Depending on the severity of the argument, there may come a point, a crisis point, a split second in which we are tempted to let loose, let them “have it,” to say all that we have been holding back, or to allow ourselves to yell, holler, scream, in other words to give full vent to our rage.

At that moment, we choose to allow our flesh to rule; and once we’ve done that our inclination will be to give similar permission to ourselves in future situations until it becomes more the norm for us rather than the exception.

We choose, in that moment, the fruits of the flesh rather than the fruits of the Spirit ~ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

Proverbs has a great deal to say about venting:
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverb 17:14, 27 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out….Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Proverbs 18:2, 6 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion…A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.
Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Proverbs 20:3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

When that moment of crisis comes, it is only a split second of decision. You may not feel that you can choose self-control, but you can choose Christ-control by the power of the One who lives within you; He will exercise His Spirit in your heart and life.

Remember, every time, every moment by the power of the Holy Spirit, we choose.

Diane

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 46:6 & 7
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Have you ever had a season of time that your thoughts just swirl in your brain and you feel out of control? That is just how I have been feeling, restless and weary. Instead of keeping my thought life before God, I have been allowing my thoughts to run down rabbit trails, which have been keeping me from concentrating on things I needed to be concentrating on. My question is, “Lord, how do I bring my thoughts captive?”

Just this week God showed me much more of the meaning of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. God brought to mind 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. I was doing just the opposite of this verse, no wonder my thought life was not where it should be.

This verse actually deals with repentance, because what we “think” comes out of our mouth. The Bible says that what we think in our heart, so are we. Proverbs 23:7. Yikes, that hurts, but true.

God want us to have the mind of Christ in our lives. He desires that we know His thoughts that come from the Word of God. We are to take every thought captive.

Our weapon is the Word of God, and prayer is where we use it. But we also use it in speaking out the truth to ourselves and to others. You actually have even more power when you pray the Word, believing what it is saying. You can’t be saying it and not believing it. You will either believe it or you won’t. And if you believe it, you will continue to say it and it will prove effective.

We need to pay attention to our thoughts and cast down any that are not God’s thoughts. I believe that once we commune with God, fellowship with Him and learn of Him, we begin to think like Him. The more we do this the less we have to “fight” with our thoughts. Our heart changes and when our heart changes and is filled with love, compassion, peace and joy, that is what we begin to think about. I am ready to take every thought captive before God and have my heart renewed. Are you?

PF
Women of Character Grad

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 46:4 & 5
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.

It was February 12, 1983. I was talking with a florist. My mother was with me. I was ordering a casket spray of flowers for my 17 year old son who had been killed by a drunk driver just two days before. “I want the spray to be all roses,” I said, not knowing why, but I just felt the spray had to be roses until the florist told me how much roses would cost, especially on Valentine’s weekend. So I began to think carnations. As my tears began to flow, I realized it had to be roses. WHY roses? I had no idea, but God knew! God already knew I would see a poster that said, “God gives us memories so we might have roses in December.” He already knew I would write a book entitled Roses In December. God knew my logo would become a red rose.

The florist saw my tears and said, “How much had you planned to pay for the spray?” I told her, knowing the amount wasn’t nearly enough, but her response was, “You will have roses.” When the spray arrived at the mortuary, there was also a rose boutonniere to pin on Nate’s blazer. God knew!

God has known my comings and goings all along. Elisabeth Elliott once said, “God is already in the future.” God is already in the future! And He’s waiting for me there!

I had to go to the ER recently because of an erratic heart beat and an accelerated pulse. The whole experience was new for me, but God was already there! He knew, and He was waiting for me! He had tested the waters and prepared the way for me.

Our Nate died 27 years ago. We have dealt with pain, loneliness, discouragement, confusion, and frustration, but we have also received many “aha” moments as we saw God’s goodness poured out on us. It has not been an easy path, but I can say confidently, “Jesus led us all the way.”

I’m sure there have been times when each of you have wondered, “How did I get here?” But it is such a comfort to know that God is never surprised. He wasn’t surprised when Nate showed up in Heaven, and He wasn’t surprised when I showed up at the Emergency Room.

Years ago I heard my friend, Rich Buhler, a well-known talk show host in LA say, “God never has to say ‘Oops.'” Praise the Lord, He is already in the future and there are no surprises with Him.

Psa 139:2-3 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

MWH

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 46:1 – 3
1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

How are you progressing? Have you been finding/making time to read and memorize Scripture each week? If you have not been inclined to read the Bible regularly or memorize Scripture, or perhaps the whole idea of it is overwhelming, let me encourage you to begin SOMEWHERE. If reading multiple passages seems too much, read a single chapter. If memorizing several verses is too much, select one verse out of our focus Scripture and work on that. But most importantly, ask God to enable you to read, to comprehend and to memorize. He is delighted to answer your prayer. This week we are focusing on Psalm 46:1-7:

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Commentary:
“This psalm encourages us, to take comfort in God when things look very black and threatening….The psalmist teaches us by his own example. I. To triumph in God, and his presence with us, especially when we have had some fresh experiences of his appearing in our behalf (v.1): God is our refuge and strength. Are we in distress? He is a help, a present help, a help found (so the word is), one whom we have found to be so…” [Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume]

I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O LORD my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

Points to Ponder and Apply:
The Lord of heaven inclines to hear, to draw up and out, to secure our steps!! Vital to you and me experiencing the Lord of heaven in this way is PATIENCE. Those first three words, “I waited patiently” speak volumes to us who live in a microwave culture. Most of us do not a have crockpot understanding of waiting and therefore we miss so many blessings. We miss the sight of His wondrous deeds and therefore we can not/do not tell of them.

One thing we can always be sure of in waiting on the Lord is this: it is never ever done in vain. He stoops to hear our cries and our moans in the same way He stooped to hear the cries of His Son upon the cross.

“What angels longed to see now man has found,
Wayward sons come home without a fear,
God and man at table are sat down.”1

Today, let us make the Lord our trust. Let us not turn to the proud to endorse our sin. Let us proclaim to the world with a song of praise, the goodness and kindness of our God and King!!

Stephanie

1 http://jennyo.wordpress.com/2006/09/11/god-and-man-at-table-are-sat-down/

Proverbs 2:1-5, My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

Do you desire to be wise? Do you seek to know God’s will for your day? Do you perceive that you lack understanding? Proverbs 2 gives insight as to the evidence of an earnest heart.

Be encouraged – God desires that you know Him – personally, intimately- He is knowable.

1. Receive My words – are you immersing yourself in the written Word? If we truly believe that the Bible is God’s Word-exhaled from His mouth- why do we dabble?

2. Treasure up my commandment with you… Are you on a steady diet of Scripture memorization? I must admit that prior to Bill’s challenge to the KESWICK staff, I was a memorization wimp. I rarely spent devoted time memorizing God’s Word, to my detriment.

3. Make your ear attentive to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding…are you fully engaged in your Bible reading? Alert, attentive, inclined with open ears and heart to hear God, and embrace the treasures embedded in His Word?

4. Seek it like silver, search as for hidden treasures… are you exercising due diligence? Do you have an eager spirit? Are you persevering? Do you approach God’s Word with anticipation?

5. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

How desperate are you to know and fear God?

Diane

DIGGING DEEPER

Psalm 40:5
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.