Singing in the Shelter

The greater our present trials and troubles, the louder our future songs of praise will be. – Charles H. Spurgeon

The Psalms, Mary's 'Magnificat'. When you remember the sufferings of people like Moses, David, and even Mary - it gives greater meaning to their songs of praise. AMEN!

Life is exact in its dealings with us. It plays no favorites. From time to time all of us must face discouragement and defeat. Winter, spring, summer or fall, the season nor our age gets us a pass. And sometimes, we experience life-changing personal losses that may leave us reeling. It is what we do in those moments that determine who we are and whose we are. The same God we praise is ready to be called upon when we are in trouble, waiting, standing at the ready to heal, restore, protect and comfort us according to His good pleasure and will. So if our world seems to be trembling or crumbling beneath our feet, we need to seek the protection of the One who can’t be moved. The God who made this universe and everything in it will keep us if we ask Him….so let’s ask Him. We’ve got nothing to lose and stand to gain everything, and if we actually think about it, what He’s already done, we should sing until we’re hoarse.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….this is what the Lord….says…I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you….” – II Kings 20:5

The Great Side of "No"

Some of God’s best gifts are unanswered prayers. – Anon

Though God’s answer to Paul was a resounding ‘NO’ to his prayer for healing, Paul came to know the GRACE of God in a much deeper sense. Hmm!

If we are true to ourselves all of us could possibly think of times we were disappointed our prayers weren’t answered as we thought they should be, or that life would have been so much better if God would have just done exactly what we asked of Him. But in reality we need to take a step back and see actually what God did do in those situations – He worked it out for OUR good AND HIS glory. That's His nature and His way. When God is slow to respond to our requests or says no, He has plans greater than we can fathom at the time. We should be eternally thankful that God’s answers are much wiser than our requests. If we were honest none of us would trade where He has us now for what might’ve been.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” – Psalm 84:11

Smooth Transitions

God does not hear us because of the length of our prayers, but because of the sincerity of them. - Charles Spurgeon

The tax collector's 7-word prayer "God, have mercy on me, a sinner," was answered not because of simplicity but his humility. Hmm!

Clutch, shift, gas....go! When done properly it is a smooth, rarely noticeable activity. The car just rolls along with traffic. When not done smoothly you get a lot of herky-jerky movement and maybe even stalling out. Sometimes we may feel like this in our prayer life, we're stalling out in our attempts, sputtering in our words, hit and miss, not connecting, and becoming frustrated. It might be we're just not trusting and relying on the Holy Spirit. He is our go between, and He becomes ever more effective when we stutter or grope for what we truly need or want to say to God. He takes those moments and interprets them to make a smooth transition for us, as He knows the thoughts and intentions of our heart. So friend, don't fret and please don't stop praying. Just trust the Holy Spirit will get the message through.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...before a word is on my tongue you, Lord know it completely...." - Psalm 139:4

Future Praise

The greater our present trials and troubles, the louder our future songs of praise will be. – C.H. Spurgeon

The Psalms, Mary's 'Magnificat'. When you remember the sufferings of people like Moses, David, and even Mary - it gives greater meaning to their songs of praise. AMEN!

Life is exact in its dealings with us. It plays no favorites. From time to time all of us must face discouragement and defeat. Winter, spring, summer or fall, the season nor our age gets us a pass. And sometimes, we experience life-changing personal losses that may leave us reeling. It is what we do in those moments that determine who we are and whose we are. The same God we praise is ready to be called upon when we are in trouble, waiting, standing at the ready to heal, restore, protect and comfort us according to His good pleasure and will. So if our world seems to be trembling or crumbling beneath our feet, we need to seek the protection of the one who can’t be moved. The God who made this universe and everything in it will keep us if we ask Him….so let’s ask Him. We’ve got nothing to lose and stand to gain everything, and if we actually think about it, what He’s already done, we should sing until we’re hoarse.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“….this is what the Lord….says…I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you….” – II Kings 20:5

Answers greater than the Requests

Some of God’s best gifts are unanswered prayers. – Anon

Though God’s answer to Paul was a resounding ‘NO’ to his prayer for healing, Paul came to know the GRACE of God in a much deeper sense. Hmm!

If we are true to ourselves all of us could possibly think of times we were disappointed our prayers weren’t answered as we thought they should be, or that life would have been so much better if God would have just done exactly what we asked of Him. But in reality we need to take a step back and see actually what God did do in those situations – He worked it out for OUR good and HIS glory. That's His nature and His way. When God is slow to respond to our requests or says no, He has plans greater than we can fathom at the time. We should be eternally thankful that God’s answers are much wiser than our requests. If we were honest none of us would trade where He has us now for what might’ve been.

Until Monday……

Pastor Botts

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” – Psalm 84:11

Holy Spirit Smooth

God does not hear us because of the length of our prayers, but because of the sincerity of them. - C.H. Spurgeon

The tax collector's 7-word prayer "God, have mercy on me, a sinner," was answered not because of simplicity but his humility. Hmm!

Clutch, shift, gas....go! When done properly it is a smooth, rarely noticeable activity. The car just rolls along with traffic. When not done smoothly you get a lot of herky-jerky movement and maybe even stalling out. Sometimes we may feel like this in our prayer life, we're stalling out in our attempts, sputtering in our words, hit and miss, not connecting, and becoming frustrated. It might be we're just not trusting and relying on the Holy Spirit. He is our go between, and He becomes ever more effective when we stutter or grope for what we truly need or want to say to God. He takes those moments and interprets them to make a smooth transition for us, as He knows the thoughts and intentions of our heart. So friend, don't fret and please don't stop praying. Just trust the Holy Spirit will get the message through.

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

"...before a word is on my tongue you, Lord know it completely...." - Psalm 139:4