the life of abraham

"Had not God pledged Himself to take care of him and to give him an inheritance?

There was no fear, therefore, that Lot could ever rob him of that which was guaranteed to him by the faithfulness of God.

And Abraham preferred a thousand times over that God should choose for him than that he should choose for himself.

The man who is sure of God can afford to hold very lightly the things of this world.

God Himself is his inalienable heritage, and in having God, he has all.

As we shall see, the man who "hedges" for himself does not do so well in the long run as the man who,

having the right of choice, hands it back to God, saying:

"Let others choose for themselves, if they please.

But as for me, You shall choose my inheritance for me."

Not mine -- not mine the choice

In things great or small;

Be Thou my Guide, my Guard, my Strength,

My wisdom and my All."

-fb meyer

meekness.

[ B-1,Noun,4240,prautes / praotes ] an eariler form, denotes "meekness." In its use in Scripture, in which it has a fuller, deeper significance than in nonscriptural Greek writings, it consists not in a person's "outward behaviour only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men; as little in his mere natural disposition. 

Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God. 
It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, 
and therefore without disputing or resisting; 

it is closely linked with the word tapeinophrosune [humility], and follows directly upon it, Ephesians 4:2;Colossians 3:12; cp. the adjectives in the Sept. of Zephaniah 3:12, "meek and lowly;" ... it is only the humble heart which is also the meek, and which, as such, does not fight against God and more or less struggle and contend with Him. This meekness, however, being first of all a meekness before God, is also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are permitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying of His elect" (Trench, Syn. xlii). In Galatians 5:23 it is associated with enkrateia, "self-control."

The meaning of prautes "is not readily expressed in English, for the terms meekness, mildness, commonly used, suggest weakness and pusillanimity to a greater or less extent, whereas prautes does nothing of the kind. Nevertheless, it is difficult to find a rendering less open to objection than 'meekness'; 'gentleness' has been suggested, but as prautes describes a condition of mind and heart, and as 'gentleness' is appropriate rather to actions, this word is no better than that used in both English Versions. 

It must be clearly understood, therefore, that 
the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. 

The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself; 
but the Lord was 'meek' because he had the infinite resources of God at His command. 

Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; 
it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, 
simply because it is not occupied with self at all. 


-Vine's Expository Dictionary

the first of september.

hello, friends. it's been a good summer. i can't believe it's nearly over.

the Lord has been teaching me.
about walking in the Spirit.
about being kept in perfect peace when i stay my mind on Him.
about trusting Him, His Word and His character, implicitly.
about asking. abiding. sowing seeds. bearing fruit. walking in liberty.

the Lord has been blessing me.
with friends and sweet fellowship.
with His love for people like i've never before known.
with opportunities to pour out His love into people's lives.
with richness and contentedness and abundant satisfaction in Him, though outward circumstances have not particularly changed.
i don't have much of an opinion anymore, and it's glorious, because i've got Him; and He's got me.

the Lord has been at work.
i know He's working in your life as well, even when you don't see it.
maybe even especially when you don't see it.

put your confidence in Him.
He is your shield and your exceedingly great reward.
He has given you a way; commit it to Him, and He'll bring it to pass.
and don't forget to bless Him.
don't forget to love Him.
because He loved us first, and it's not about us and it's His work and all we have to do is abide.

what a sweet Saviour He is.

this morning felt like fall.

it was the strangest sensation. it's not yet august but i heard the first melancholy strain of autumn beginning today.
[it's mostly because my nose was cold for the first time in months, but still.]
summer is drawing to a close. it's been a lovely summer, a dear summer, a social summer, a summer of bearing fruit after many years of sowing seeds. and i think i've only begun to see the firstfruits of the harvest.
one thing is certain: it hasn't been a blogging summer. sorry about that, faithful readers.
but here are a few things for which i am entirely grateful to the Lord:
-girls bible study. my eight darling little ladies come out faithfully every week. we study the Word, we pray, this past week we spent time worshiping and lifting our voices to the Lord, having been reminded that in Jesus alone is abundant satisfaction and Living Water.
-teen camp. i went back for the millionth time to work at camp, and the Lord corrected my heart before it began. things like "annie, it's not about you. it's My work. i don't need you but if you'll step back and let Me lead, i'll use you for My glory." and He was absolutely faithful. i still hear from campers nearly every day, telling me they're praying for me, sharing how the Lord has done the impossible in answering our prayers we prayed during camp, asking me what they should read next in their Bibles. it's a sweet work, and it was all the Lord's. i was absolutely blessed to be there and be part of it. my insides nearly burst with joy when i get to talk, share the Word, and pray with kids whose hearts are open to Jesus. it was basically a whole week of that, nonstop, with lots of opportunity to worship Him together as well.
-encouragement. our friends joey and rebecca came all the way out here to visit our church and spend time in the midwest with us. i was exceedingly blessed and edified, spending several days just talking and sharing about the Lord and about vision and calling and ministry. oh man. i must say my heart was stirred up once again for the work of the ministry. and for dearest old europe.
-open doors. all summer long, the Lord has been opening doors for me to walk through. doors for ministry, and friendship, and encouragement, and people to pray for, and places to fellowship. Jesus really is the One who holds the keys, and opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. "See, I have set before you an open door!" in like manner, the end of this week will find my family in a van heading west for an incredible opportunity which the Lord has opened on my behalf. more details shall follow, but it includes a voice and some songs and some instruments and a studio. i'm also very excited to see some dear friends from europe while we're out there, and lead worship together! then we'll top it all off with a few days of family vaca and spend hours feasting our eyes and hearts upon those gorgeous rocky mountains. i'm serious, i get utterly homesick for mountains. my soul longs for them, in all honesty. so anyway, my soul shall be satisfied in about a week! oh sweet blessed Lord, You're so so good to me.
i can't say this summer has been all blessing and no hardship. on the contrary, there has been a lot of spiritual warfare, a lot of battles fought on my knees, a lot of repenting before the Lord of my wayward heart. but i can say assuredly that the Lord is working here. and i'm content here. [that alone is proof of God's hand at work!!] i do not know what the future shall entail, but my faith is not in what i can see, but in Whom i have believed. and He is able to keep what i have entrusted to Him until that day. <3

so blessed.

THANK YOU for your prayers! girls bible study today was awesome, and such a blessing to talk with the girls about abiding in the Lord and the importance and simplicity of prayer because of the blood of Jesus. love it.

ps it's $1 frozen lemonade day at BK everyone goooo!

pray without ceasing!

here's a wee update:
girls' discipleship went great last week, and we're meeting again this afternoon! please pray that the Lord will use me to speak truth into the girls' lives, that they'll be open to receive from Him, and that they'll grow in their knowledge of Jesus, His Word, and their love for Him. ps we're studying about prayer today, and spending some time praying together!

oh love the Lord, all you His saints!
for the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.
be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord!
psalm 31:23-24

when you pray..

.."Lord, make me busy for you", He actually does take you seriously! I heard Cheryl Brodersen say that this spring, and again a few weeks ago, and well, she was telling the truth. And there's no better thing in the world than to be abiding in the Lord, being filled up and being poured out for His glory.

Tomorrow afternoon is our first Jr High Girls Discipleship! Please pray for open hearts as we open the Word together, and for sweet, sweet fellowship among us. I'm planning on about 6 girls in attendance. So excited!

Just received an opportunity to lead worship and share at a local girls' ministry next Thursday night. Please pray that the Lord uses me to encourage and edify and challenge these young ladies to seek His face.

Jamming with some friends on Friday.. can't wait.

Leading worship at our church's service in the state park this Sunday; praying that lots of people will come and receive from the Lord. Also, we're having a baptism! Praise the Lord for His faithful work in people's lives! And we're having a picnic! Please Jesus no thunderstorms!

If you need an amazing book to read on prayer, please don't pass go and don't collect $200 - just order If You Will Ask by Oswald Chambers from Amazon immediately!! I was just telling my mom about it today, and lo and behold, she found her mother's copy on the shelf. And get this, it was given to my grandma by her Sunday School teacher in 1938.. when she was only 8 years old! I want to be as awesome as that Sunday School teacher and build truth into kids' lives!! So, the Lord provides, from generation to generation. And the book? It's so good. It is the best book on prayer that I have ever read. It's all about Jesus. I love it. You need to read it too.

Sunday after the picnic I'm racing down south for a camp staff meeting, because teen camp is in two and a half weeks! I've been emailing with the other worship leader to get stuff prepared, so that'll be awesome, and I'm so excited for my evening cabin devotions with the girls. That's seriously my favourite part of the whole week, every time. Please pray that the Lord prepares the hearts of staff and campers and speaker, and that He is glorified in every single person who comes.

And last but not least, a little bit of Germany and California is coming my way in just over a week! An American guy who served down the road from us in Germany, who invited me many times to come down and lead worship at their church and youth group, who is now serving at the Bible College in CA, who is also moving his family back to Germany in the very near future to start a church in what I hear is an incredible city...... is coming to our church to visit! My dad met him at the pastors' conference a few weeks ago, and invited him out to share with us what the Lord's doing in their lives. I'm excited to hang out with him and his wife, and for my church to catch more of the vision of what God's doing in Europe!! Dear Europe..

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You,

which You have prepared for those who trust in You, in the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19

and again.

once there was a lovely friend of mine who wrote a lovely song called, "and again." you know who you are!

here again is another passage of Scripture that has really been ministering to my heart. i am really digging my amplified bible these days! seriously, it's so great. it's like the Bible on steroids, with lots of extra wooooords! i do love words. it gives the fullest interpretation of the greek and hebrew words, so it's a really rich text to read. i read it pretty slowly. but it's such a blessing, because they are verses i know with a touch of added insight and wisdom. you should check it out.

my life has gone from 0 to 60 around here lately! all of the sudden i've got loads of friends with whom to fellowship, pray, worship the Lord, hang out and have fun together. i'm really blessed. in all honesty, i didn't really believe there were people around here with whom i could be friends. but the Lord sees all! it's kind of like when elijah freaks out and says "Lord, i alone am left and these pagans are wanting to kill me too!" and God gently reminds him, "I have seven thousand faithful among Israel." i'm being humbled pretty much daily to see that hello, it's God's work and not mine at all, whatsoever, no matter which way you look at it. He's so faithful to bless us, to encourage us, and to give us opportunities to be His witness, as we simply and gratefully abide in Him! and it's so natural- no striving, no fretting, no endeavouring on our own part. just trust-and-obey-for-there's-no-other-way-ing! you should try it and seeee!

ok, so here are the verses. i came across them in church yesterday, as we were studying chapter 13 of hebrews. a reference was made to 1 peter 5, for an entirely different reason, and i looked at the end of it and found another treasure, which you will see in bold/italics.

hebrews 13:5-6, Amplified Bible

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money

[including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]

and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have;

for He, God Himself, has said,

I will never in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.

I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless 

nor forsake you nor let you down [relax My hold on you]!

Assuredly not!

So we take comfort and are encouraged

and confidently and boldly say,

The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm

I will not fear or dread or be terrified.

What can man do to me?

hebrews 13:20-21, Amplified Bible

Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace],

Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus,

that great Shepherd of the sheep,

by the blood that sealed and ratified the everlasting agreement [covenant, testament],

strengthen [complete, perfect] and make you what you ought to be

and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will;

while He Himself works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight,

through Jesus Christ [the Messiah];

to Whom be the glory forever and ever [to the ages of the ages].

Amen [so be it].

1 peter 5:10, Amplified Bible

And after you have suffered a little while,

the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor],

Who has called you to His own eternal glory in Christ Jesus,

will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be,

establish and ground you securely,

and strengthen, and settle you.

what grace! what glorious grace! JESUS DOES IT ALL, and strengthens and settles us meanwhile, as we abide in Him.
come hang out with me and i'll tell you more about it!

so blessed.

x

and this.

Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to your mercy,

That they may know that this is Your hand - that You, LORD, have done it!

Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let Your servant rejoice.

I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him.

psalm 109:26-28,30-31

this.

And this I pray: 

that your love may abound yet more and more 

and extend to its fullest development 

in knowledge and all keen insight 

[that your love may display itself 

in greater depth of acquaintance 

and more comprehensive discernment],

So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, 

and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value 

[recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], 

and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless 

[so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, 

you may approach] the day of Christ 

[not stumbling nor causing others to stumble].

May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness 

(of right standing with God and right doing) 

which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), 

to the honor and praise of God 

that His glory may be both manifested and recognized.

Philippians 1:9-11, Amplified Bible