Category Archives: Morning Musings

Morning Musings

What WAS God’s Plan?

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Genesis One….Verse 1….

   We have seen that God had a plan BEFORE He began His creation work (and is still working to it !) From God’s viewpoint, the whole plan was as good as accomplished….now He is just waiting for it to work itself out. After all, He created TIME….ETERNITY is timeless, without time! Time didn’t come into being until the sun, moon and stars were created for without them, there is no measuring rule…..

   God knew before He began, how He would bring salvation to man….that His only beloved Son (part of Himself) would go to earth to live a sinless life and then be qualified to die to pay the penalty of sin…a Person with no sin of His own (1 Peter 1:20). He knew BEFORE time began, all those who would come to Him in repentance, and wrote their names in the Book of Life (Revelation 17:8b.) He had even prepared a kingdom for them all BEFORE the foundation of the earth was laid  (Matthew 25:34). But all these things were kept a secret from angels and principalities until AFTER Jesus Christ had died and brought salvation to mankind. (Matthew 13:35). It was then that God’s Holy Spirit revealed these truths to His Apostles who wrote them down for us to read today in the Holy Bible. Let’s make sure that we not only read all about these things for ourselves, but that we make sure that our name is in the Book of Life!

God’s plan was written and early made, Before the world’s foundation laid;

Before the sun e’er showed its face, Or time began, God made our space.

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Morning Musings, Random Devotional Thoughts

How Do We Stack Up?

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     We had a baptismal service at our church recently when four young people were baptised. Each of them gave very clear testimonies as to why they wanted to be baptised, and how they had come to know the Lord for themselves. To them God was not just a force “up there”, but He was personally their Father in Heaven.

    How many people say the Lord’s prayer today starting with “Our Father which art in Heaven”, and they don’t know God as their Father at all! We wouldn’t dream of approaching just any man out there, and calling him “Father”  and asking Him to supply our daily food. Yet so many people do this without even thinking what they are saying. Let’s hope you aren’t one of these!

   The speaker after the baptismal service, made it quite clear to the congregation that what these young people had done was not to gain favour with God to get them to heaven, but were going through this rite in obedience to what God had asked them to do. It is something that Jesus Christ told His disciples to do before He left this earth….”Go and teach all nations,  baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and see, I will be with you always”. What a wonderful promise this is, that He gives to all who do as He asks!

We have to make sure that we KNOW why we are  going through this baptismal rite before we do it. We don’t just do it because it is expected of us, or to please our parents, or because our friends are doing it….we need to know the reason for it. We should be going through it because it is something that the Lord is asking us to do. After all, look what He did for us on the cross….and all that He went through for us!  Surely we can do this for Him!!

    

Morning Musings

My Heart, God’s Home…(10) The Rumpus Room…

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The Rumpus Room

He asked me if I had a rumpus room, where I went for fun and fellowship. I was hoping He would not ask about that, There were certain associations and activities that I wanted to keep for myself.

One evening when I was on my way out with some of my buddies, He stopped me with a glance and asked, “Are you going out?” I replied, “Yes.’ “Good” He said, “I would like to go with you.” “Oh,” I answered rather awkwardly. “I don’t think, Lord Jesus, that You would really enjoy where we are going. Let’s go out together tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to a Bible class at church, but tonight I have another appointment.”

“I’m sorry,” He said. “I thought that when I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, to be close companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to go with you.” “Well,” I mumbled, slipping out the door, “we will go someplace together tomorrow night.”

That evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt rotten. What kind of friend was I to Jesus, deliberately leaving Him out of my life, doing things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy? When I returned that evening, there was a light in His room, and I went up to talk it over with Him. I said, “Lord, I have learned my lesson. I know now that I can’t have a good time without You. From now on, we will do everything together.”

Then we went down into the rumpus room of the house. He -transformed it. He brought new friends, new excitement, new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever since. The old things passed away, and all things became new!!

Morning Musings

My Heart, God’s Home….(9)…The Workroom…

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The Workroom.

Before long He asked, “Do you have a workroom in your house?” Out in the garage of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I wasn’t doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little gadgets, but I wasn’t producing anything substantial.

I led Him out there. He looked over the workbench and said, “Well, this is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?” He looked at one or two little toys that I had thrown together on the bench and held one up to me. “Is this the sort of thing you are doing for others in your Christian life?”

“Well,” I said, “Lord, I know it isn’t much, and I really want to do more, but after all, I don’t seem to have strength or skill to do more.” “Would you like to do better?” He asked. “Yes, I certainly would,” I replied. “All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work through you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy Spirit is the Master Workman, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work through you.”

He stood around behind me and putting His great strong hands under mine, He held the tools in His skilled fingers and began to work through me. The more I let Him do the work and trusted Him for it, the more He was able to do with my life. I had to learn to realise that the work was not mine, but His, and He was allowing me to have a part in it! What a blessed thought this was, and what a difference it made in my attitude to the work He was calling me to do!!

Not only that, but He reminded me that I was spending too much time playing games on my computer instead of producing something worth reading, something that would point others in the right direction towards Him. I was convicted within myself, knowing that He was quite right. I had to confess this to Him, and ask Him to help me do better. He is the only One Who can keep me focused and take my mind off these worthless things that are only time wasters!

Morning Musings

My Heart, God’s Home…(8) The Laundry…

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        I was a bit reluctant to take my Guest into the laundry room. But He insisted. “I need to see ALL your house, if I’m to stay with you” He said as we went down the passage. “You know I will never leave you nor forsake you, and I want you to willingly show Me each room in your house!”

   He must have sensed my reluctance. As we opened the door it was as bad as I had feared. The damp clothes that I had been meaning to wash last week made a horrid smell as we went in. “ I meant to do the washing but somehow there were other things to do”, I muttered shamefacedly, “Things like going to Bible Study and church services”, hoping to make it sound a bit better. I still hadn’t learned that He knows it all anyway….there was no way I could fool Him!

“Those things are good things, but we are not to leave the other things undone”, He said, “I have given you twenty-four hours each day to make use of. See that you use them wisely. You don’t really need ten hours of sleep you know! Just get up earlier in the morning….I’m always waiting for you to come and see Me, no matter how early it is!”

    He knew me only too well. “Oh Lord!”, I cried, “You know all my weaknesses and failings, there is nothing I can hide from You! Search my heart and show me where I’m at, and lead me to do better!” He knows me through and through, so there is no point in trying to hide things from Him . I didn’t waste any time getting those clothes into the machine after He had gone, and it was such a good feeling to be able to get them clean again!

In the same way, we have in Him redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace . (Ephesians 1:7)

Morning Musings

My Heart, God’s Home (6)….  The Bathroom

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    “This is the bathroom”, I said proudly as I took My Guest in. Surely there wouldn’t be anything wrong in here! This was the room where there was fresh running water at all times. I never spent much time in this room, as I just did the necessary things like a quick shower.

“Ah, yes,” He said, “The place where all the impurities are washed away!” I began to squirm a little. His eyes seemed to pierce through to the very innermost parts of my being. It was almost as though He knew how little time I really spent there! He walked in to where the shower cubicle was. I glanced down at the base of the shower, and hoped He wouldn’t notice the beginnings of the algae settling in the corners. I hadn’t had time to give it a good scrub for some time.    But alas, His glance followed mine and His piercing eyes took it all in…the grime and the scum that was accumulating through neglect.

“My blood cleanses from ALL sin”, He said meditatively, “You just have to confess it to Me. That is why I died“,  He continued, “To pay the penalty of your sins”.

“Oh Lord”, I cried, “I DO believe it! Help me to keep this room in my heart cleaner by daily confession. I promise to get into all the corners with the brush and get rid of everything that grows into sin!”   

He smiled at me, and said, “My child, this is why I came to earth and died for you. My Father is in the work with Me you know, I and My Father are One”.

I couldn’t help thinking of that verse that says,  “ If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.   (1 John 1:9) What comfort that gave me!

Morning Musings

My Home (5) The Library and Study

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   The next room we went into was the library with the study attached to it. In my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house.     I was very proud of this room, and couldn’t wait to show Him around.  He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable. Strangely, I had not felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed.     Some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a few magazines that a Christian had no business reading. As for the pictures on the walls – the imaginations and thoughts of the mind – some of these were shameful.

    Red-faced, I turned to Him and said, “Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over. Will You help me make it what it ought to be?” “Certainly!” He said. “I’m glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible, and helpful study books. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day and night. As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but I have something that will help.”     He gave me a full-size portrait of Himself. “Hang this centrally on the wall of your mind” He said, “and you will find it a great help.”

    I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. I found too, that saying the verse out loud, “The blood of Jesus Christ. cleanses me from all sin”, helped greatly too. His cleansing blood does indeed, cause these impure thoughts to disappear. So He has helped me to bring my thoughts under His control. Bad thoughts cannot be in the same room that He is in!!

Morning Musings, Uncategorized

My Heart, God’s Home (4) The Dining Room

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     From there we went into the dining room. the room of appetites and desires. I spent a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy my hunger and my wants. I said to Him, “This is a favourite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve.’ He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, “What is on the menu for dinner?”  “Well,” I said, “my favourite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes.”  These were the things I liked – secular fare.

When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He did not eat it. I said to Him, “Master, don’t You care for this food? What is the trouble?” He answered, “I have food to eat that you do not know of. If you want food that really satisfies you, you must do the will of the Father. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction. Seek to please Him. That is the food that will satisfy you!”

    It was there at the table, that He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God’s will. What flavour! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies the hungry soul.