Promises

I want to express my sincere appreciation for all of the love and concern you all have shown over the past year and a half for me and my family. Your prayers especially have meant so much to us.

I have been mostly silent on what has been transpiring simply because it is not my story to tell. But, oh, the stories that I could tell if I were free to! It makes me want to shout from my rooftop that we do indeed serve a Great and Mighty God! Nothing is impossible with Him, and when we claim His promises, He demonstrates in a big way His faithfulness in keeping them. Each time He does this I am awed anew at His portrayal of "exceeding abundantly above all you could ask or think!"

Just this morning I read Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

When we pray using the promises of God's Word, it lends an integrity to our prayers that we cannot otherwise fully rely upon. My own heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked so that I am constantly checking my motives and reasoning behind what I find myself praying for. What a comfort Bible praying has been to my heart and mind throughout this ordeal. (Please understand that I am not talking about vain repetitions here. I pray the verses and promises from God's Word randomly as He brings them to mind.)

I was reading a headline that was plastered on my homepage this morning from Newsweek about how we have reached the "End Of Christian America." As I skimmed the four page article it struck me that these people are writing as if Christianity were a mere religion. To me being a Christian is not a "religious" thing. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is my Father, my Brother, and my Friend as well as my God. I love Him. I wouldn't want to live my life without Him as the focal point of it. A life like that is simply not worth living.

When you come to the point where you are experiencing God, and I mean for Who He really, truly is, you come to see that the existence that you knew before was indeed a living death. Seeing how abundant and fulfilling and exciting life can be when God is at the center, now that is true living! He even said, "I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly!"

My parents are free. We are living, and loving, and enjoying the life that God has so graciously allowed us to live. We are experiencing the very greatness of God.

The Lord is (our) Shepherd; (we) shall not want.

He maketh (us) to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth (us) beside the still waters.

He restoreth (our) soul(s): he leadeth (us) in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though (we) walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (we) will fear no evil: for (He) is with (us); (His) rod and (His) staff they comfort (us).

(He) preparest a table before (us) in the presence of (our) enemies: (He) anointest (our) head(s) with oil; (Our) cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow (us) all the days of (our) (lives): and (we) will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

I really hate to admit this, but I never really liked Psalm 23. It was just so familiar and seemingly overused to me. But if ever it was applicable before, it is to us now. Now it is precious and alive to me with a depth of meaning that I couldn't comprehend before.

I have come to expect great things from God. With complete faith and confidence in Him alone, I know I will not be disappointed. He has shown me it is so.

I don't know many of the people reading this, but I do know that some of you are searching; sincerely searching for the truth. The Bible says that if you search for Him as for hid treasure you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart. That's a promise of God. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" Then He reiterates it! "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

But let me encourage you not to look for Him in a religion. We are blessed to have the living, inspired, infallible Word of God at our fingertips. The answer to all of life's questions are contained therein. Find a KJV Bible and start reading in the book of John. Believe it or not, He wants you to know Him even more than you want to know Him. I promise you will not be disappointed. But don't take my word for it. Take His.

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

It's a promise, straight from the heart of God, to you.