God With Us - For Us - In Us

John 1 [selected] KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.
12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 52 NIV

The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

13 See, My servant will act wisely ;

He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at Him—

His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man

and His form marred beyond human likeness—
15 so will He sprinkle many nations,

and kings will shut their mouths because of Him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand. [all emphasis added]

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Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

THANK YOU, GOD!

Ezra 3

... as prescribed by David king of Israel.

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD :

"He is good;

His love to Israel endures forever."

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Psalm 42

4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

A Proclamation.
The Year that is drawing to a close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke the aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversion of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascription's justly due to Him for such singular deliverance's and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth. [bold added]

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

[Thank you, Mr. President…]

THANK YOU, GOD!

Psalm 95:2

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.

Choosing JOY with a new heart of Thanksgiving,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

Click here: President Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Begging YOUR Pardon

PRAYING - Daniel 9

4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:

"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 "Lord, You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to You. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against You. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You.

"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him.
15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for Yourself a Name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, look with favor on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear your Name." [all Scripture emphasis added]

I'm so glad that Daniel was not above saying "we" - even when He desired to obey all that God asked. Our only hope for our sinful ways is to beg for forgiveness, mercy, and restoration. Thankfully - WE have a God who is able to forgive sin - ALL SIN. None of us have a sin that is 'too big' for God to forgive. His complete forgiveness is there for the asking - when true repentance comes from our humbled hearts!

So Let US Pray - and ask - individually - and on behalf of our nation.

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

LAID BARE

Psalm 119 [selected KJV]

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

16 I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.

Hebrews 4:12-13

12 For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

"When we give the Word of God space to live in our heart, the Spirit of God will use it to take root, penetrating the earthiest recesses of our lives." ~ Ken Gire

GOD'S WORD is the basis of ALL TRUTH! Bank on it!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

With a SINCERE HEART

Deuteronomy 30 (selected)

6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as He delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep His commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Offer of Life or Death

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the Word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Psalm 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Hebrews 10:19-23

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere [pure] heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. [all Scripture emphasis added]

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

A Cure for the "Blues"

Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt You, my God the King;

will praise Your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise You

and extol Your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

His greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend Your works to another;

they will tell of Your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

and I will meditate on Your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of Your awesome works,

and I will proclaim Your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate Your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;

He has compassion on all He has made.
10 All You have made will praise You, O LORD;

Your saints will extol You.
11 They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom

and speak of Your might,
12 so that all men may know of Your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and Your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful to all His promises

and loving toward all He has made.
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,

and You give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways

and loving toward all He has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call on Him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;

He hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love Him,

but all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

Let every creature praise His Holy Name

for ever and ever. [EMPHASIS ADDED]

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A year ago the LORD had given me Psalm 145 [the entire Psalm] to pass on to people over the Christmas holidays. God even bought me plaid wrapping paper from Walmart that when I got home and opened it up- it had a verse from Psalm 145 stamped all over the paper! Only God! So many of the gifts I gave out were wrapped in that very Psalm.

Last night at a Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister church in Newfield the Pastor shared Psalm 145 [again]. I couldn't help remember how God had shown it to be what I call: My PRAISE PSALM. I'm sharing it again!

Often - as the holidays approach many people get depressed [for many reasons]. This Psalm of Praise is the answer to that despair - because where there is PRAISE there cannot be despair. One will always override the other. [see: Isaiah 61:3]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]

A GOOD GOD, A JUST GOD

Lamentations 3 (selected)

31 For men are not cast off

by the Lord forever.
32 Though He brings grief, He will show compassion,

so great is His unfailing love.
33 For He does not willingly bring affliction

or grief to the children of men.

37 Who can speak and have it happen

if the Lord has not decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that both calamities and good things come?
39 Why should any living man complain

when punished for his sins?
40 Let us examine our ways and test them,

and let us return to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands

to God in heaven, and say:
42 "We have sinned and rebelled...

47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,

ruin and destruction."
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes

because my people are destroyed.
49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,

without relief,
50 until the LORD looks down

from heaven and sees [EL ROI]. [emphasis added]

May we lament as Jeremiah did over our own sin - and the sin of our nation in turning away from a Holy God. He desires good for us - He desires a relationship with His people - He loves beyond measure.

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

[Led Home by the Shepherd]