Roy Lessin/Meet Me in the Meadow

[Judy Harder]

3 Important Things to Remember...
Jun 01, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


About your needs.

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NASB

The first thing:

God has the power to meet every need in your life because He is omnipotent.

The LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty." Genesis 17:1NASB

The second thing:

God knows what your needs are and how to meet those needs because He is omniscient.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Hebrews 4:13 NLT

The third thing:

God will personally see to it that your needs are met because He is omnipresent.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

[Judy Harder]

Fret busters #103
Roy


Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NASB

Photo Credit

"In everything"...in the smallest matters of life, bring everything to God: the little things, the very little things, what the world calls trifling things—everything—living in holy communion with our Heavenly Father, and with our precious Lord Jesus Christ, all day long.

When we awake at night, by a kind of spiritual instinct again turning to Him, and speaking to Him, and bringing our various little matters before Him in the sleepless night, the difficulties in connection with our family, our work. Whatever tries us in any way, speak to the Lord about it.

In the like manner, our joys— our easy days—speak to the Lord about them, and ask Him to help. Ask Him to help regarding everything.

"By prayer and supplication"... With earnestness, with perseverance, going on and waiting, waiting, waiting of God.

"With thanksgiving"... We should at all times lay a good foundation with thanksgiving. If everything else were wanting, this is always present: He has given us His only begotten Son, He has saved us from hell, He has given us His Word, and He has given us His Spirit.

"The peace of God"... This is so great a blessing, so real a blessing, so precious a blessing, that it must be known experimentally to be entered into, for it passes all understanding.

No anxiety ought to be found in the believer. Great, many, and varied may be our trials, our afflictions, our difficulties—and yet there should be no anxiety under any circumstances, because we have a Father in heaven who is almighty, who loves His children as He loves His only begotten Son, and whose very joy and delight it is to succor and help them at all times and under all circumstances.

-George Muller

[Judy Harder]

When the Spirit of the Lord Speaks...
Jun 06, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Because the Lord is our Shepherd and we are His sheep, we need His guidance and direction. We need to know His voice, listen to His voice, and follow Him (John 10).

Before the Lord ascended to the right hand of the Father, He told us that He would send us the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who has been sent to be our Encourager, Helper, Counselor, and the One who will lead us into all Truth (John 14, 16).



As we daily seek the Lord to direct our steps and guide our lives, here are a few principles we can learn about the guidance of His Spirit in our lives:

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us He is clear and specific.
Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Acts 11:12

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us His voice will most often be a still small voice that is calm and gentle in tone.
And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice. 1 Kings 19:12

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us it will be in agreement with Christ's heart, will, and ways.
When He has brought His own sheep outside, He walks on before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call. John 10:4-5

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us we need to be good listeners who are desirous to obey.
The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us we will have peace, and we will walk in peace when we obey.
And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Colossians 3:15

I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people. Psalm 85:8

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks to us He will always be in agreement with the Truth of God's Word.
But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). John 16:13 AMP

[Judy Harder]

Prayer for the thirsty

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 NKJV



Lord, I thirst for you. I long for more of your life-giving, spirit-refreshing, heart-fulfilling, thirst-quenching, life-changing waters of life. In this thirsty land, in these dry places, amidst these empty wells of this world I come to you and drink.

Thank You for promising to satisfy my thirst, to fill my cup, and to cause it to run over. Thank You for giving me pure, undefiled, living water. Thank You for the water that comes from beneath Your throne, from the well of Your Son, from the river of Your Spirit, and from the water of Your Word.

Lord, I come to You, the Fountain of living waters. I turn from every broken cistern which cannot hold water. I welcome Your gracious invitation to come to Your waters and drink freely— without money, without price, without labor, without strife. I drink of You, I drink from You, I drink because of You.

Lord, I drink now. I drink by faith. I drink with thanksgiving. I drink because You have said, "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters."

Scriptures: Isaiah 55:1-2, Jeremiah 2:13, Revelation 22:17, Revelation 22:1, John 4:4-15

[Judy Harder]

3 Important Things to Remember
Jun 11, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


About possessing our spiritual possessions in Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 NKJV


The first thing:
We must be aware of our inward needs.

Our needs are great, but sometimes we are blind to our needs and do not see them until God reveals to us what is in our hearts. Also, through times of testing and trial, God will help us to realize how great our need is to depend upon Him and trust in Him.

The second thing:
We must know the provision God has made for us.

God reveals our needs to us, not to frustrate us or defeat us, but to draw us to Himself so He can meet our needs— When we become aware of our thirst, God wants us to see Him as our drink; when we become aware of our weakness, God wants us to see Him as our strength; when we become aware of our defeat, God wants us to see Him as our victory.

The third thing:
We must appropriate God's provision for us by faith.

We cannot possess our spiritual possessions in Christ by only knowing our need and seeing His provision, but we must also appropriate God's provision for us by faith. In our thirst, we must not only know there is water, but we must also drink; in our weakness, we must not only know He is our strength, we must count upon His grace to strengthen us; in our defeat, we must not only know about His victory for us, but we must walk in it, stand upon it, and proclaim it day by day.

The importance of need, provision, and appropriation working together can be seen in this simple illustration— suppose you were in the desert dying of thirst (need) and someone approached you with a glass of water (provision). "Here" they said, "take this. It's real, pure water...just what you need to live." You could believe every word that was spoken and even admire the beauty of the clear water, but you would still die of thirst if you did not take the glass of water in your hand and drink it (appropriation).

Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts (need), let him come to Me (provision) and DRINK (appropriation)."

[Judy Harder]

23 Things to Remember When You Pray...

Jun 15, 2012 04:00 am | Roy

Draw near: James 4:8

Confess and forsake sin: Psalm 66:18

Call upon the Lord: Isaiah 55:6

Come to your Father: Matthew 6:9

Be in harmony with the Word: John 15:7

Depend upon the Spirit: Romans 8:26

Stand in the authority of Jesus' name: John 14:12-14

Know God's will: 1 John 5:14-15

Ask: Luke 11:9

Believe: Mark 11:24

Cry: Psalm 5:2

Petition: 1Timothy 2:1

Pray in private: Matthew 6:6

Pray with others: Acts 4:24

Request others to pray for you: Colossians 4:3

Persevere: Colossians 4:2

Obey: 1 John 3:22

Watch: Colossians 4:2

Agree:  Matthew 18:19

Have faith: James 1:6

Come boldly: Hebrews 4:16

Be thankful: Philippians 4:6

Desire God's glory: John 14:13

[Judy Harder]

He Saw You
Jun 20, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


In Monday's post, we shared with you about a new album of music and inspiration with messages from Meet Me in the Meadow and music by Jonathan Urie. If you missed this post, we hope you'll click here to learn about Jon's work and listen to a free download.

Jon mentioned he was inspired by the writing, He Saw You and that is what led him to contact Roy in 2004.

We wanted to share this message with you here today.

He Saw You
What an incredible journey Jesus made;
what an overwhelming expression of love He undertook;
what an awesome purpose He had in mind.
You were on His heart.
When He left His home in heaven, He saw you;
when He became a man on earth, He was seeking you;
when He stretched out His hands upon the cross,
He was reaching out to you;
when He returned to His Father, He was preparing a place for you.
You are the sheep He has come to shepherd,
to guide, to feed, to protect, to shelter, and to carry.
You are the one He calls His own.

[Judy Harder]

Himself
Jun 21, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


While reading my way through an old devotional book I came across the A.B. Simpson hymn Himself. Written off to the left, I assume by the precious owner of the book, was a list of Scripture references for each stanza. I'm glad someone took the time to look these Scriptures up and write them down; it provided an amplified version of the hymn that enriched its meaning. I pass them along to you in today's posting.

Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord; John 6:1-2, 66

Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word; Colossians 3:16*

Once His gift I wanted,
Now, the Giver own; Acts 8:18-24

Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Once 'twas painful trying,
Now 'tis perfect trust; Mark 9:17-19

Once a half salvation,
Now the uttermost; Hebrews 7:25

Once 'twas ceaseless holding,
Now He holds me fast; Psalm 73:23

Once 'twas constant drifting,
Now my anchor's cast. Hebrews 6:19

Once 'twas busy planning,
Now 'tis trustful prayer; Luke 10:38-42

Once 'twas anxious caring,
Now He has the care; 1 Peter 5:7

Once 'twas what I wanted,
Now what Jesus says; Galatians 2:20

Once 'twas constant asking,
Now 'tis ceaseless praise. Psalm 100

Once it was my working,
His it hence shall be; 1 Corinthians 15:10*

Once I tried to use Him,
Now He uses me; Philippians 2:13

Once the pow'r I wanted,
Now the Mighty One; Psalm 91:1*

Once for self I labored,
Now for Him alone. 1 Corinthians 15:58*

Once I hoped in Jesus,
Now I know He's mine; 2 Timothy 1:12

Once my lamps were dying,
Now they brightly shine; John 8:12

Once for death I waited,
Now His coming hail; 2 Timothy 4:8

And my hopes are anchored
Safe within the veil. Colossians 1:27

*my addition

[Judy Harder]

Sovereign Joy
Jun 22, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


Today's posting is by Linn Carlson. Linn is the manager of the Editorial Department at DaySpring.

"Sovereign Joy"

I had the opportunity last week to hear Dr. Gary Oliver speak. He spoke about having cancer 7 times, losing his dad, his wife, his son, and then losing his tongue and having to have it remade from his leg.  Wow!  Started to sound like Job.

But what he spoke about was "Sovereign Joy."  Basically having joy in God no matter what our circumstances may be.  And I know many of you have done this before...and I'm sure will continue to.  But I thought you might like the four things he said to do when sadness, heartache, discouragement, disappointment, etc. come and try to quench the joy of the Lord.

1. Set your mind on things above.

Focus on God and His Word more than on your situation

He gave the example of putting a daybrightener right in front of his face.  He said if I have this in front of me all the time I can't see the beautiful Grand Canyon behind it.  We do the same thing with our circumstances/problems.

2. Count your blessings and be thankful for them.

Even the simple things...a tongue, sight, smell, hearing, etc.

Tell others what a blessing they are

3. Obey and act on what you know to be true about Him.

What if's...are usually negative and usually result from fear.  What if I don't have enough money?  What if I lose my job? What if I lose my health?...

He said to turn them to positive.  What if God's promises are always true.  What if God's love for me is never ending.  What if greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

4. Believe His promises.

No matter what circumstances may come in life, it doesn't change His love, His care, His plans for us.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. HEBREWS 10:23 NKJV

The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. PSALM 145:13 NIV

Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you
and watching everything that concerns you. I PETER 5:7 TLB

[Judy Harder]

Our Feet

Jun 25, 2012 04:00 am | Roy


God makes our feet like those of a deer who is able to climb to high ground and stand secure—Psalm 18:33

God keeps our feet steady and free from wavering—Psalm 18:36

As we keep our eyes upon the Lord, He will keep our feet from the traps of the enemy—Psalm 25:15

God has removed our feet from the ground that sinks and stinks, and has placed them upon ground that is as solid and firm as a rock— Psalm 40:2

God has put our feet on the pathway of life that is filled with the light of His presence—Psalm 56:13

The paths that God will make for our feet will keep us from living a life of regrets—Psalm 116:8

Happy feet are the feet that walk in the way of obedience to the Lord—Psalm 119:59

Feet that walk according to the Word of God will always be stepping away from evil—Psalm 119:101

The Word of God will always shine enough light on our path so our feet can take the next step—Psalm 119:105

Our feet don't automatically move in the right direction, but they follow the path of our choices—Proverbs 4:26

Our feet were made to take us to the places where the Gospel of peace and the good news of Salvation can be proclaimed—Isaiah 52:7

Our feet need to keep moving us toward the day when His feet shall once again stand upon the Mount of Olives at His return. Zechariah 14:4