Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Gate Called BEAUTIFUL!!

"Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You choose and cause to come near, that he may dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple." Psalm 65:4 Amplified (turning up the volume of the original KJV)

So many thoughts, so little time to choose and order them...trusting The Lord to order my steps (thoughts and words in this instance!). This year had some tough challenges and it wasn't pretty or comfy as we went through pruning and refining! The season seems to be changing! Fruit is popping up and it IS indeed luscious! But in the hardest, darkest times the golden thread that I would grab hold of from time to time was Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks...I'd like to say that I "clung" to it...that sounds so much more appealing to our Christian sensibilities. However, the truth is what will set you free! I most certainly did not cling to this truth, but God, Who is rich in His mercy, kept helping me to catch sight of the golden thread and when I did glimpse it, I indeed grabbed it...would indeed be refreshed for a while, and then as the dreary clouds would encroach again, I would then drop it and amble on the path weary and slowly, not having the means or the clear direction where to travel, just one day at a time.

As I took those steps day at a time, more light came and more revelation of the power of Thanksgiving and the purpose and power of Praise. I PRAY I never forget, never weaken in my resolve to continually let Thanksgiving pour forth, and when it doesn't want to pour, that I will shake my vessel and tip it on its head if I have to, in order to pour some out.

Do you have some places in His Word, that draw you, but you don't have full revelation of them, and probably never will. But you love to look at them, to think on them, ponder and mull, and let Him over time give you a little puzzle piece here and there? One such place for me is Acts 3.

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;"
Acts 3:2 KJV

I encourage you to read verses 1-10 by clicking here, then come back! :)

The name of the gate...has always beckoned and always will beckon me. Inviting me to know Him more fully. Jesus said "I am The Way and The Truth and The Life
No one comes to the Father except through me.". This one time, poor, lame man in Acts 3 was lame "from his mother's womb" JUST LIKE US! due to our sin nature. He was invited in by Peter, as we are to "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Rise up and walk !", enter into the gate, the gate which is called Beautiful! He went leaping and praising, and I would imagine making a bit of noise as he went into the temple, through the gate which is called Beautiful!

The simple elegant golden strand which the Good Lord repeatedly put in my path to hang onto was just this, thank me that your name and those of your husband and your sons, and all that you are thankful for, that their names are written in The Lambs Book of Life. Out loud. So I would, as I performed the routine tasks in a cloud of pain, disillusionment and confusion, I would state my gratitude that indeed my name is written in The Lamb's Book of Life, my husband's name is written in The Lamb's Book of Life, my son James, my son Jason, I am so blessed that their names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. More and more I would do this, and every time it was like walking on a bridge to a place where I would find JOY waiting for me! I would be refreshed and continue on the good fight of faith! I just realized yesterday that that truth, that mercy that the Lord showed me, was very crucial to where I am, where I will stay "Psalm 23 "...and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."! Where I will bring it with me wherever I go!


Psalm 100 again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful to Him, and bless His Name."Justify Full. Yes, there are still and always be challenges, but I have more tools, more revelation, I can fight smarter, and I KNOW Him more fully, which gives me rest! Blessed indeed "is the man You choose and cause to come near, that he may dwell in Your courts."

9 comments:

  1. So glad you commented on my blog...I LOST YOU....things came and went quite a while back and I couldn't find everybody. Thanks for your kind words....some days I feel on the brink of implosion....so much seems "off"...yet I continue to set my gaze at Him and hang on. I hunger for the simple days of my college years...church was not about keeping everybody entertained...it was the Word...we could hardly wait to gather during the week for Bible studies...oh how I hunger. But I am learning I need to dig in for myself...go for the meat....we have no one to spoon feed us. So much seems "surely wrong" but here is where God has us planted for now.

    LOVE this post...so much to be thankful for...I am His if nothing else...it is well.

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  2. I used to think I had to FEEL thankful before I could GIVE thanks. Thought if I wasn't feeling it, I would be a hypocrite to give it. Same thing with praise.
    Then God showed me otherwise, and I made an amazing discovery.
    Not only do I not need to FEEL thankful before I give thanks, but when I start to give it - I usually start to feel it, too.
    Crazy!

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  3. SO much of this post could have been written by me from the view of our ever present situation.
    This year has been hard! And yet I have clung to promises He made even when I could see no way of Him bringing those promises to fruition.
    I thank Him for the fact that He is faithful...He has to be it is who He is.
    And until we step into eternity and all of this faith has been made sight....I thank Him that He promises not to let me go and not to give up on the work He started in me.
    How thankful I am that He never looses sight of His love for me.
    I am so glad that He calls us to enter His courts...I am so grateful we are His children.
    Good to have you here.

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  4. Where have you BEEN??? I lost you for a while too! How is life? Writing? Need to catch up on you...

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  5. Beautiful sweet sister! Amen. The heart of gratitude gives so much more back to us. We have so much to be thankful for...so much. We need to keep our eyes properly focused! Let's cling to His promises. Let's cling to Him. Let's see the eternal. Let's give thanks always in all circumstances! Hugs. Thanks for the great reminder! Love ya!

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  6. There is so much Thanksgiving and praise and joy in this season for us as Christian brothers and sisters!What a good reminder here! Thank you for the comment on my blog! I do have a new private blog (Our Sweetest Dreams Come True) dedicated just to our children, all our activities and the little homeschooling I am attempting to do with them at 2 and 3 years old. I started to feel uneasy about posting pictures of them, when we saw a thing on the news about a lady who found her childrens' pictures on an ad on Craig's List. She said she knew they had come from her blog. And we don't always know who is reading. It's unfortunate, but I Hugh and I decided to make a private one for family and friends we could invite. I'd love to invite you if you'd like. Just send me your e-mail address to mine (tiffanystaylor@hotmail.com) Blessings my friend!

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  7. Pam! YES, implosion DOES feel like an option once in a while...thus the golden strand thoughts! I am thinking this is something I will be learning all my life, but it IS well! I'm liking the moments, the hours, the days I feel like I'm in the "zone", then I seem to relapse to old ways of thinking! But, more and more quickly I recognize it and take charge! Like dirt on my kitchen floor, it ain't stayin' there! (stinking thinkin' that is!, I have decided that is my enemy MORE than circumstances, and Thanksgiving, gratitude, praise-these are my tools to overcome and route out the stinkin' thinkin'!) :)

    Karen, you are SO right! It DOES change our hearts when we with our minds act on the truth - the truth has the power to change our temporary circumstances, which I have known for a long time, but, this power in the giving of thanks, the decision to praise even, and ESPECIALLY when I don't FEEL it, these are powerful weapons He has graciously given us!

    Sharon, YES! I am thankful for these things, too! He is so gracious to us! It's easy for me to think of the reasons why He shouldn't bother with me, but, I am learning then to remember JESUS! He sees me In JESUS, and that is a very good look for me! :)

    LAURA! I am SO GLAD we are connected again! Working on the wind in the leaves!

    Leslie! The eternal! That's it! This is the training ground for what really matters! Amen!

    Tiff, we sure do! Much thanks, much reason! I'm glad you did, if mine were little I would certainly do the same. I am familiar with the news story. Alarming and sad. I'll e-mail you!

    WOW! it feels so good to be in touch with you all again! I have so missed this. Grateful for a new season!

    In MUCH thanks and praise n- 'cuz He's ALWAYS worthy!!
    Maria

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  8. Yay we have found each other again Maria! This is Karen from NZ. How ARE you? I have a new blog http://indefatigable.webs.com

    Bookmarking you so that I don't lose you!!

    Merry Christmas

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  9. Karen! What a GREAT Christmas surprise! I've missed ya'! I will be book marking you! So glad we aren't lost anymore! So glad you are back on!

    Merry Christmas!
    Maria

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Thanks for visiting, and REALLY thanks for leaving a comment here in the Squawk Box! I love to hear your thoughts! May God speak softly to you today!

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