THE LORD CARES FOR ME?

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 28 April 2012

Hi all,

The journey home was uneventful. Swaziland to Jo’burg takes about 5 hours in a normal car. Many will do it in much less time. This depends on the driver’s attitude to speed limits!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Time with Jesus – Saturday, 28 April 2012
INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES					THE LORD CARES FOR ME?
Having been away all week, I’ve been a bit short of time for proper preparation. So for this morning I thought it would be better to make use of one my previous poems. It’s not entirely out of place. What is does, is answer some of the hidden questions likely to be in the psalmist mind when he wrote them. As you see in the poem heading, my thinking at the time was on the content of Psalm 8, 23, 27 and 139. You might like to look at these Psalms and check out my thinking? To this very day, I’m amazed that God is even remotely interested in me and what I do. Any possible connection between the Lord and me seems laughable. How can the One who spoke the entire creation into existence, even care that I exist? The gap between us is more than astronomical. Being a former employee of a massive corporation, I was little more than a number on their list of employees. As long as I did what was required without making waves, my salary would be paid into the bank. But when I raised any enquiries, the first thing they asked for was my employee number. It was the same for everyone. Yes, I had a name. Yes, my boss knew me by name. But somewhere going up this chain, I would be completely unknown. I’m not complaining. This is one of the facts of life. Inevitably I came to God with this thinking. He is the boss of all the bosses. Naturally He would be very busy and have no time for me. Perhaps He would refer me to a clerk in one of the lower angelic divisions. That was my expectation. It was wrong but it was entrenched into my thinking. The possibility that He would have time for me, didn’t appear on my radar screen! How do we go about cleansing our thoughts of this nature? We have to do what we are commanded to do by Paul, in his letter to the Romans: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 TNIV We need to be aware that there are some things God will do and some things He has commanded us to do. Never pray to the Lord and ask Him to do for you that which He has already commanded you to do. For example only He can save you. So you must ask Him for this. Other things only you can do. If you are thirsty, you have to drink. He will not drink for you. Pray for water to drink. But when it’s available, you must drink it. The same is true of renewing your mind. He will not do it for you. Praying and asking Him to do this for you, won’t work. He will help you understand. But what you decide to put into your mind is up to you. If you don’t, He won’t! What He does say is already in His Word. It’s up to you to read and believe it’s true. When this is established, ensure your thinking corresponds with His. This is not optional. You must renew your mind. My experience with this, is Darwin’s theory of evolution. I thought it was true. I had to change my thinking. First I had to establish the truth regarding evolution. He helped me establish the truth. After that it was up to me! We are all in the same boat. Ask Him to establish truth. Then do what His Word says. Jim & Phyllida Strickland		14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. Psalms 71:14 ESV					This poem is a compilation of a number of thoughts from Psalm 8, 23, 27 and 139. You’ve let me call You Father, though I’m so very small. As insect is to elephant, I’m hardly there at all! A pinprick in the ocean; a grain upon the shore. A tiny piece of nothingness. I’m surely not much more. And yet You say You love me! You listen to my praise! You love it when I worship You and follow in Your ways. You treat me like a shepherd who dotes upon his sheep. You’re with me when I’m wide awake and when I’m fast asleep! And even when You formed me within my mother’s womb, Your presence was around me, within that darkened gloom. There’s no way to escape You. No matter where I go, Your hand is there to lead me. My every thought, You know! For You are my salvation; a refuge sure and strong. No foe can overpower me while I to You belong. Yes, even when in battle, besieged and sore attacked, You were the One who rescued me; and I have nothing lacked. You hear me when I call to You. You heal me when I’m ill. You give me health and sustenance and pay my every bill. And even though my closest friends may come to cast me down, You shield me and protect me and turn to smiles, my frown. You know my every facet; You know that I am frail; You know that everything I do will only make me fail. You know all my anxieties; You know that I am weak; You know that I am fearful; at times too scared to speak. You know all my ambitions. You know how hard I’ve tried. You know my disappointments; You’ve seen me as I’ve cried. You’ve watched me roar with laughter and seen my emptiness. And yet in spite of all of this, Your gentle, sweet caress Has settled on my spirit, as soft as eiderdown. And You have said You love me and that I’ll wear Your crown. Jim Strickland – Written 2010
		12 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Philippians 3:12 NLT
		1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. Hebrews 6:1 NLT
		18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT
		1 I love the LORD, because he heard my voice. He heard my cry for his favour. 2 Because he paid attention to me, I will call out to him as long as I live. Psalms 116:1-2 NIrV
		By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.1 I will thank the LORD at all times. My mouth will always praise him. Psalms 34:1 GW
		For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. 1 God, we look forward to praising you in Zion. We’ll keep our promises to you. Psalms 65:1 NIrV
		8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings. Each creature was covered all over with eyes, even under the wings. Day and night, they never stop saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God who rules over all. He was, and he is, and he will come." Revelation 4:8 NIrV
		23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honour Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalms 50:23 NASB
		16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
		4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV