Hope and refuge

 

Hope and Refuge.

 

Changes in life can happen as wrestling commentator Jim Ross would say “quicker than a hiccup.”  We need an anchor for our hope and a refuge, and we can find that in God.  I found myself seeking Him in prayer and trying to trust him more in the weeks I was without work. I want to share some verses that have helped.

Psalm 31:3-5

          “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead me and guide me.  Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.  Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me. O Lord, the God of truth.” 

Psalm 31:24

          “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Psalm 33:20-22

          “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” 

          These verses are points of hope and the Batcave blog has always been about giving the participant hope found in God’s word with the intention that you may be able to draw closer to God. I don’t know what your current struggle may be but you can place your hope in God.

 

Psalm 112:1

          “Praise the Lord.  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.”

Psalm 84:12

          “O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

 

 

Rock of Ages by Steven Curtis Chapman

Made me glad by Sandi Patti

Not by Sight by Petra

Psalm 112 by 4 Him

Highest Hope by RL Worship

Be the Church

 

Be the Church

 

          A few years back at Real Life Corpus Christi there was a sermon series called Be the Church.  See the Christian church was never meant to be just a building where people meet.  It’s meant to be made up of believers who go out and live out God’s word.  Between Monday through Wednesday of this week Texas has been hit by the worst cold weather in a very long time.  But I want to tell you about what has happened to Marion and I and our dog Pumpkin.  We lost power then it came back and went off again along with the running water.  After the second time we grabbed clothes and the dog and went to my parents’ house.  A normal 45 minute drive took about an hour and a half because freeways were closed.  We stayed 2 and a half days with my parents and 2 of their church members and my sister and her family.  A total of 10 people and 5 dogs.  They lost power on Tuesday My Dad got a generator working and we had a small cabin that ran on propane, My Dad and Mr. Daryl left multiple times and checked on other members of their church family.  My Brother-in-law Lance got gas for the generator.  Dad and I ran wire for it.  Peggy and Marion helped my mom in the kitchen.  My sister and her daughter helped my mom with food.  I got messages from our friends Patrick and Carolyn and my friend Ryan checking up on Marion and I.  Church changed from being a place to being people who cared and helped.  The whole event brought me to these verses I want to show you because through all this I want to encourage you to Be the Church.  At one point I caught myself complaining about the situation and I realized how stupid and selfish I was being.  We were all in a situation where we could help one another.  Not a day goes by that we shouldn’t be capable of learning that lesson.  We all helped each other in some way.    

Galatians 6:2-3 

          ‘Share each other’s burdens and in this way obey the law of Christ.  If you think you are too important to help someone you are only fooling yourself.  You are not that important.”

Galatians 6:9-10

          “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” 

“A heart to God and a hand to man here begins the healing of our land.”

 

 

 

Hand inHand by Degarmo and Key

Love in anylanguage by Sandi Patty

My offeringby Union of Sinners and saints

Love by Petra

Heart toGod, Hand to man by Geoff Moore and the Distance

We Will stand by Russ Taff 

Horsepower

 

Horsepower

 

            Over the last few weeks strange things have happened in my life.  We moved into a new house and even crazier things happened with my job.  I’ve been praying a lot and have had a lot of stress.  I haven’t handled it all well.  I’ve been finding a lot of help in the Psalms.  Maybe like me your life is chaotic.  You, like me need to forsake horsepower.  May I direct you to Psalm 20:7

            “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

            I’ve said before that this blog is a mixture of Christian music and scripture.  This specific blog will mention verses and I will leave links to the music and if you ever wanted to memorize scripture the songs will help with that.  So if you click on the link in the comments you will access the written portion of the blog that contains the music links as well.  See Psalm 20:7 is the basis for the Steve Green song “We trust in the name of the Lord Our God”.  And the next verses in Proverbs are the basis for “Trust in the Lord” by Girls of Grace and Psalm 18 is a chapter that Clear has done a song called Wide Open Spaces about.  See the blog is very interactive if you choose to interact.  You get what you put into it.  The purpose is for the participant to draw closer to God and find Hope in his Word.

Proverbs 3:5-6

            “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalms 33:20-22

            “We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

Psalm 31:14-16

            “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.  Let your face shine on your servant save me in your unfailing love.”

Psalm 18:19

            “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

Psalm 147:10-11

            “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” 

            “There is strength in the Name of the Lord, there is power in the name of the Lord, There is Hope in the name of the Lord.” 

 

 

 

Trust in the Lord by Girls of Grace

We trust in the name of the Lord by Steve Green

Hold me Jesus by Rich Mullins

In the name of the Lord by Sandi Patti

Wide Open Spaces by Clear

My life is in your hands by Kathy Trocolli

 

Country Church style vol 2

 This is going to be simplistic in nature but sometimes you just need to let God's word speak for itself.  This has been a Psalm I keep coming back to over the last few days.  

Psalm 19

1The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4Yet their voice ^b goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.