“I Need Thee Every Hour” – Monday Musical Musings

October 28th, 2013 dsisler

Today’s musical musing is an older hymn that has caught a lot of attention because of one young man’s a cappella version. The arrangement was all around Facebook and posted continually. The arrangement and execution itself is amazing, but the words lead us to a deeper understanding of where we find our strength and our being.

 

0005030206R-849x565Click here to listen to Sam Thomas Longford Robson’s version of this great hymn of our faith.

 

“I Need Thee Every Hour”

 

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

 

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

 

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

 

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

 

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

 

Refrain:

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.[i]

 

Apparently the Apostle Paul understood this concept long before the lyrics to this song were written. While in Athens, Paul spoke these words.

 

“For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28a – NIV)

 

As we combine the lyrics above to Paul’s words, we find there is nothing outside of God. He gives us the strength to do what we do and then He gives us the purpose to do it. Without God, life is meaningless.

 

And when we think we can do this thing called “life” on our own, we quickly learn that we can’t. God’s voice brings peace to our chaotic lives. God provides the way out of temptation. God rejoices with us in the good times and comforts us when we are sorrowful. God leads and directs us. God teaches us. God shows us the promises He has for each of us.

 

Certainly, we need God. And more often than not, we need Him every hour that passes.

 

If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus and walk with Him through your life, perhaps today is the day to accept the gift of grace that God so willingly offers. God doesn’t care if your life is all messed up. He will help you get it straightened out. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made.

 

If you have accepted Jesus but haven’t allowed Him to have a footing in each area of your life, maybe today is the day to make that decision. Allow Paul’s words to reverberate through your life so that others may see Jesus through you. Acknowledge that you cannot do it on your own and that you truly need God every moment of every day.

 

I pray that you will find comfort in the words of this old hymn. Knowing that God is with me in each situation eases the discomfort that may be lurking. It can be the same for you. Just say it!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] “I Need Thee Every Hour,” Words: Annie S. Hawks, Music: Robert Lowry, 1872

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The Great Throng

October 27th, 2013 dsisler

The Great Throng

 

What a glorious day! The sun is shining. The trees in my back yard are filled with color. The sunrise was spectacular. The day bursts forth with praise to God.

 

Now it’s time for me to prepare for worship.

 

As I looked for passages that speak of worship, I found Psalm 109:30 (NIV). Let’s read it together.

 

“With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him.”

 

We don’t use the word extol very much. Some might not even know what it means. It means to praise enthusiastically. King David knew how to extol God. Not just in his actions, but in the way he lived.

 

And King David didn’t extol God alone. He joined the great throng in extolling his God. And that is exactly what we are to do as well.

 

So today, let’s make our time with God more than just worship. Let’s extol Him. Because without Him in our lives, there is nothing to consider praise worthy.

 

I’m sharing chapter 5 of the dollhouse series today. It’s about following directions. Such good advice for our lives. Enjoy!

 

Building a Doll House: Following the Directions – Chapter 5

 

After opening the doll house kit and marking each piece, Mason read through the directions. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that the given directions were not very good.

 

Joy's Dollhouse Assembly 030mMason knew he would be frustrated if he had use this set of instructions. So he searched the internet to find anything that might help work through this process. He found an excellent online resource that gave some excellent instructions. And there were pictures!

 

He quickly bookmarked the website and referred to it quite often.

 

We don’t always get the best instructions for many products in our world. Whether they only include pictures, difficult words, or confusing language, directions can make putting something together difficult.

 

God knows how important good instructions can be. Scripture is filled with advice when it comes to this topic.

 

God asks that we listen to instruction. We would be wise to listen and accept instruction, whether it is His or from a wise person.

 

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)

 

“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13)

 

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” (Proverbs 19:20)

 

Some benefits of listening to God’s instructions can be seen in these verses.

 

“Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.” (Proverbs 8:33)

 

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:20)

 

“When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.” (Proverbs 21:11)

 

By following God’s direction, He leads us in the way we should go.

 

“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalm 119:35)

 

“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24)

 

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

 

There is no doubt about it, when we listen to God’s instruction, accept what He has asked, learn from what He has to say, and allow God to lead us throughout our lives, we will be wise, prosper and gain knowledge. Why then is it so difficult to do?

 

Because we want to get involved. We want to change the instructions. We think we know better than God and tweak the directions. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. These are the times we get ourselves into trouble.

 

The online dollhouse instructions proved to be invaluable to us as we worked on Joy’s dollhouse. On multiple occasions, we were thankful that someone had taken the time to document their own journey for others to learn from. That is exactly what God has provided for us. Pages and pages filled with good advice and instruction.

 

It’s all there for your use. Why not pick up God’s instruction manual and see what He has to say to you today?

 

“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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A Mosquito

October 26th, 2013 dsisler

At 3:44 am this morning, a mosquito began his hunt for blood around my body. With mosquitoes, you can’t say, “Their bark is worse than their bite,” because their bite is worse. But at 3:44 am, their little “bark” is annoying.

 

mosquitoThe buzz around my ear from this mosquito was all it took to wake me up to the point that I could not fall back to sleep. So I got up.

 

I didn’t want to be awake for the day. I have plans to go to the zoo with the grandkids and it would make for a very long day with just a few short hours of sleep. So I read a bit. But still, I wasn’t sleepy. So I read some more. Eventually, I was able to fall back asleep, but I can tell, I’m going to have a rough day.

 

So here’s my question this morning. How can I possibly be effective today with less than adequate amount of sleep?

 

Well, if I rely on my own abilities, I know it is impossible. I don’t believe I can be effective on my own. But, I do believe with God’s Spirit working through me, I can be effective.

 

Here are some Scriptures to back up this statement.

 

Isaiah wrote a message long ago for us to consider. “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17 – NIV) When I think of effectiveness in connection to righteousness (God’s righteousness upon me), the result will be quietness and confidence. Now with that combination, I can be effective.

 

Paul and Barnabas were pretty effective guys. But they also knew where their effectiveness came from. God. God’s Spirit at work in them caused a great awakening among the Jews and Gentiles. Look at Acts 14:1 (NIV) to see the results. “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.”

 

Paul loved visiting with his Church people. And the Church at Corinth held a special place in his heart. He had a great desire to spend some quality time with this group, so at one point he opted to skip a visit so that he could stay longer the next time…and because of an effective work in Ephesus.

 

“Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:6-9 – NIV)

 

On another occasion, Paul wrote these words to Philemon. “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” (Philemon 1:4 – NIV) Paul was and is pretty good at deepening our understanding of all we have through Jesus Christ.

 

And then there’s the message from James about prayer. I began with righteousness and will end with righteousness. “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 – NIV) Now that is what I call effective!

 

So what can I take from these passages?

 

Through God’s righteousness, I can be effective.

 

Through God, I can speak effectively for Him.

 

Through God, great doors for effective work will open.

 

Through God, I can effectively deepen my understanding of His goodness.

 

Through God’s righteousness, my prayers are effective.

 

I may have a difficult afternoon with these few hours of sleep, but in those moments when I feel the least effective, I know that I can lean upon God and His righteousness and I will be effective.

 

How effective will you be today?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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I Know Better

October 25th, 2013 dsisler

My daughters and I are taking my grandkids to Boo at the Zoo tomorrow. The grandbabies will be dressed as “Sophia the First,” “Jake the Pirate,” and “Rapunzel.” It will be crowded (more in the parking lot than inside the zoo), but it is fun to go and watch people and see how the kids interact with others.

 

318402_10150365327400502_1307764648_nSeveral years ago my daughter and I took Joy to Boo at the Zoo in her “Jessie” the cowgirl from Woody’s Round Up Gang. She looked so cute from her red cowgirl hat down to her sparkly red boots.

 

She apparently looked convincingly life-like. As we were waiting to go into the zoo, a young girl walked up to Joy and gave her a bear hug. She didn’t want to let go. The little girl’s father joined the pair. He apologized and explained that his daughter thought Joy really was Jessie. When she saw Joy, she had been mesmerized and was drawn to the life-sized version of her favorite character. It was such a cute scene.

 

As grownups, we too can be attracted to things in this world that pull us away from the safety and security of our heavenly Father. We believe what we’re taught. We are swayed by a great speaker. We don’t take the time to investigate. And pretty soon we’re bear hugging the enemy himself.

 

So how can we keep from falling into these traps?

 

First and foremost, we must be teachable. We must want to know what God has to say about situations in our lives. King David understood this important step and he asked God to help him. In Psalm 119:66 (NIV), David is quoted as saying, “Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.”

 

When we allow our hearts and our heads to learn from God and then put it into practice, we will be filled with knowledge and good judgment.

 

As a Christian, we have God’s Spirit within us to lead and guide us. He will help us along our journey to discern who and what we need to stay clear of.

 

Jesus told His disciples of God’s Spirit in John 14:16-17 (NIV). “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be with you.”

 

With God’s Spirit, who is our Counselor and Truth, we are able to distinguish between good and bad, true and false, righteous and evil. This will help us to remain close to our Heavenly Father and to be safe within His arms.

 

We also must know God’s Word. As studiers of the Bible, we have an obligation to know what is within its pages. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) tells us, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

 

Knowing what God’s Word says is part of our responsibility. The Bible will help us to stay on the right path (Psalm 119:11). It is a light (Psalm 119:105). It is a means to our preservation (Psalm 119:93). It leads to understanding and insight (Psalm 119: 99-100).

 

The combination of God’s Spirit and God’s Word will help us as we go through this life. But we must be willing to listen and obey. Listen with our hearts to what the Holy Spirit is telling us and know when things are out of line because we have studied God’s Word.

 

I pray that your spiritual discernment will keep you from falling into the evil one’s traps. Keep studying. Stay focused. Listen to God’s Spirit. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 – NIV)

 

It will be a good day tomorrow and I look forward to seeing the many characters out there. Some young ones may believe them to be the real thing, but I know better. My little princesses and pirate are just pretending.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Your Words

October 24th, 2013 dsisler

I read the results of a survey recently. While I wish these numbers were higher, I am encouraged that some Americans seek God in times of trouble. Take a look.

 

“A quarter of Americans have searched the Bible within the last month to help deal with pressure. When asked, ‘Where do you turn when you feel pressure? a majority of Americans (52%) say they turn to someone who will listen. Forty-five percent turn within themselves and 36 percent turn to prayer.”[i]

 

God's WordIf you had been asked this question, what would your answer be?

 

I love that there is a group who search God’s Word for guidance. I find great pleasure and comfort when I spend time in God’s Word.

 

Perhaps you’ve seen a few lists of passages to read when you face certain situations. There are plenty out there and they can help when you don’t know where to begin. Let me share a few with you.

 

If you’re stressed, take a look at Psalm 55:22; Psalm 119:76; Philippians 4:6; or 1 Peter 5:7.

 

If you need strength, read through Joshua 1; Psalm 121; Isaiah 40:28-31; or 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

 

If you are unsure of yourself, God’s Word has something to say about that. Take a look at Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9; or 1 John 3:1.

 

God’s Word also helps us through times of sorrow (John 14), times of worry (Matthew 6:19-34), times of loneliness (Psalm 23), times of rebellion (Psalm 51), times of discouragement (Psalm 126).

 

Yes, there isn’t a time in our lives when we cannot go to God’s Word to find the answer. It’s just a matter of taking the time to find it and then actually reading what God has to say about each circumstance in life. God has provided.

 

I enjoy God’s Words so much, that I have a Pinterest board devoted to Scripture combined with artwork. What a great way to see all that God has in store for us. Click here to see my Scripture board.

 

Perhaps you have a favorite passage to turn to just when you need it. If so, please share! We all would love to hear it and read it as well.

 

God has given us a great resource for us to examine, believe, encourage and put into practice. I pray that you will find all that you need within the pages of your Bible.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

To leave a comment, please click here.


[i] Facts and Trends Magazine, Volume 59, Number 5, Fall 2013, pg. 8, Source: LifeWay Research and Bible Studies for Life.

 

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    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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