Hide & Seek

There are days when the Lord seems

        Distant and far away

                        Silent

                                His presence veiled

When I recognize that feeling, it causes me to

        Examine myself

                See if there is unconfessed sin

                        Hindering, impacting my relationship

Have I let the noise of this present world

        Drown out God’s still small voice

Am I distracted by

        What I can see and hear

                Ignoring that which is apprehended by faith

Have I put other things

        Ahead of God and His Word

                Set aside the eternal

                        For that which is passing away

Lord, Your Word assures me

        You will never leave nor forsake me

                Never abandon me

                        You are ever present

When I feel You are not near

        May I pursue You diligently

                Seek You while You may be found

By Susan Wachtel

November 30, 2013

Five Minute Friday – Truth Be Told

 LORD, the truth be told,

          I’ve been struggling

                   with fear and doubt

Try as I might

          I can’t control the future

                   or guess what will happen tomorrow

In my fear

          I’ve gotten my eyes off of You LORD

Forgotten

that You are able

          that You have a good and perfect plan

                   which You are working out in my life

I’ve lost sight of the fact

          that You walk with me always

both in the peaks and valleys of my life

You use all circumstances

          To help me grow and change

You expose my sin

          So that I will confess and repent

You buff out that which is displeasing to You

and reveal conduct unbecoming a Christian

Help me walk by faith

          May I not doubt Your goodness

                   or Your ability to accomplish what concerns me today

May I remember that with each step I take

          You are with me

You alone know what my future holds

          You are perfectly able to direct my path

Help me to keep my eyes on You Lord

          Not my circumstances

                   Not the people that surround me

Help me to trust You

          Tenaciously

                   Unswervingly

                             to the end

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s FiveMinute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday - Still Small Voice

 

I cry out to the Lord for help

For the courage to carry on

To not give up

Depend upon the Holy Spirit within me

 

Filter all that I do and say

Through the grid of God’s

          Grace

                   Mercy

                             Truth

                                      Love

 

When I feel I can’t go on

Or take another step

Strengthen me

Give me courage

 

When I don’t know what to say

Help me to remember

It’s okay to say nothing

Ask my Heavenly Father for wisdom

 

Let my words reflect the Lord

May the words I speak into broken lives bring

Life

          Healing

                   Grace

                             Hope

                                      Truth

 

 

Light the path before me

Guide each step

Incline my ear so that I may hear

And listen closely to Your still small voice

 

 

Susan Wachtel

August 17, 2013

 

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

 

 

 

Five Minute Friday - Broken Lives

 

It seems all around me

I see fragile lives

And broken people

 

Broken lives

Broken hearts and minds

Broken bodies, souls and spirits

 

Broken by sin

Selfishness, pride and arrogance

Sickness and disease

 

Left to our own devices

We are undone and without hope

Destined to a Christless eternity

 

But there is One

To Whom we can turn

The One who forgives, heals and restores

 

One God

One Father, One Son and One Spirit

One Way to salvation thru Jesus Christ the Lord

 

In Christ we are freed from sin

That so easily entangles us

God forgives us completely and we are restored

 

He gives us a new nature

We are dead to sin

Alive to Christ

 

He walks with us through every trial

Equips us for every battle, every day

One day He will lead us home victoriously

 

by Susan Wachtel

July 27, 2013

 

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

Five Minute Friday – The Beautiful Cross

Whenever I see a cross

I found myself drawn to it

An instrument of cruel torture, punishment and death

Has become something quite beautiful to me

For it is on the cross my Savior died

The sinless Son of God

He bore my sin debt

Paid the price I could never pay

His precious blood was shed

So that I could be free

When I confessed with my mouth

Believed with my heart that Jesus Christ is Lord

I was forgiven and set free from the penalty of sin

Freed from the power of sin and one day the presence of sin

In Christ, the chains of sin that once bound me

Have been broken

I have been sealed

With the Holy Spirit of promise

Assured that one day

I will be with my Lord Jesus Christ in glory

by Susan Wachtel

July 6, 2013

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday – Whom will I listen to?

Just coming back from vacation and listening to the world’s messages on television, I’m struck by the contrast to the Word of God and Christ’s message to the church.

The world’s messages:

·        Entitlement

·        I deserve this

·        Dissatisfied with what I have

·        Always wanting more

·        It’s all about me

·        If it feels good, do it

·        Elevate myself

·        It’s important that people feel good about themselves

·        Approval of everyone’s choices and lifestyle, except the narrow minded, bigoted, rightwing conservative Christians who think they know right from wrong.

·        Everyone goes to heaven except for a few people who were really evil, like Hitler. 

·        Get even when I have been wronged

·        All paths lead to God or heaven

Christ’s Messages to His followers

·        Die to self, pick up your cross daily and follow Me.

·        Forgive those who hurt you, persecute and despitefully use you.

·        Trust God, in good times and bad

·        Thy will be done

·        Glorify God

·        Be sanctified, set apart, dedicated unto the Lord

·        Be thankful always

·        Trust that God is doing a good and perfect work, even in your affliction and pain

·        Do good, even to your enemies

·        When I am weak, then I am strong

·        Guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus

·        Choose to meditate on that which is true, just, noble, pure, lovely and of good report

·        Repent, godly sorrow leads to repentance

·        What I deserve is hell for I have sinned against a holy, righteous and just God.

·        What I have received is mercy and the grace of God.

·        There is an objective standard of right and wrong which God has revealed in the inerrant Word of God, the Bible

·        That which God has declared sin, is sin

·        There is One Way to salvation, through Jesus Christ.  Those who confess with their mouth, believe with their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord will be saved.

Lord, help me to listen to Your Word and tune out the world’s messages.  Holy Spirit, guide me and help me to understand, apply and practice the truth revealed in Your word.  Please put a guard around me, may I put on the full armor of God each day. 

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s FiveMinute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.