"oak"
- chandré de wet 20/07/09
Stripped of all my former glory
every adornment, achievement on the floor
exposed to the elements, bared to the storms
the wind threatening to remove my last source
till nothing remains but bark and twiggs and branches
but rooted deep, receiving from unseen waters
nothing on the outside, yet anchored on the inside
seemingly no hope, yet new life just a season away...
And even in the midst of winter
Birds still chirping on my arms, People still finding peace and shade in my limited stature...
Maybe winter isn't so bad after all...
Maybe winter strips us of all that is us, till our only hope is the water from within...
And maybe even with all the tears, and exposure, coldness and death, those who embrace and hold on
are allowing for a harvest of new life...
A seed has to die for new life to begin.
We remain oaks of righteousness in summer or winter because our righteousness stems from our depth in God...
This is only visible in winter.
Why does the oak remain?, even after rain, wind, storms, losing their leaves...
Because all along the strength of the oak was not the bright sunshine or the colourful spring, but the life within, the deep, inner, hidden, source...
The living water of John 4...
Our Christ within, the hope of Glory
Monday, July 20, 2009
really like this song... in the mean time God is singing this to me... At least most of the parts...
Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are
Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are
Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care
I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.
I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.
I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.
Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are
Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care
I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.
I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.
I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.
Friday, July 17, 2009
You Remain - Misty Edwards
You have been so kind
So gentle, time after time
Of all the years that I've come
You're still the one to whom I run
When everything changes
You remain the same
When all around, the world is shaken -
You remain, You remain, You remain...
So Holy Spirit come,
How I long for your touch
I was made for much more
Than the things that are so easily changed
I was made to love You and be loved by You.
I was made to love You and be loved by You
So gentle, time after time
Of all the years that I've come
You're still the one to whom I run
When everything changes
You remain the same
When all around, the world is shaken -
You remain, You remain, You remain...
So Holy Spirit come,
How I long for your touch
I was made for much more
Than the things that are so easily changed
I was made to love You and be loved by You.
I was made to love You and be loved by You
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday...
On Tuesday a really amazing, sweet and soft guy asked me out... He is muslim. I know what the word says... Yet in 9 years not a single person except this amazing guy has liked me enough to express it, or even to commit to me...
Anyway, I'm taking it one day at a time...
Anyway, I'm taking it one day at a time...
Monday, July 6, 2009
Psalm 31 Revelations
Psalm 31: verses 1 - 5
" refuge, never be put to shame, deliver me, rescue, rock of refuge, strong fortress, rock and fortress,free me from trap, refuge "
Our hiding place, our safety, the one who rescues, delivers and frees us our rock, our fortress?
In Him - verse 1 "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; "
We take refuge in Him, we hide ourselves in Him, not in his temple, or in his provision, or whatever of him but in Him, In God we take refuge.
" let me never be put to shame; " And ask him let us never be put to shame, which is entirely possible if we are hiding in Him.
"deliver me in your righteousness."
We even ask him to deliver us, in His righteousness. Struggling to live a pure life, to live right before God. We ask God to deliver us from our situations, in HIS righteousness.
"Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;"
When I go through a situation, I should be calling out to Him first thing,asking Him to turn his ear to me (David is fully expectant that God can and will hear him that is why he says God turn your ear to me and come quickly to my rescue!) Cry out to To not let us be put to shame, God to deliver us in his righteousness and to come quickly to our rescue...He is able and we shoudl be crying out to him, not waiting for temptation to be full blown or the enemy to strike in Him we take refuge! We hid ourselves...and not just in trouble but every day...
"be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me."
God needs to be my strength, my rock the strength I am leaning on. He is strong, but we also need to let him be our ROCk of refuge (hiding place), a STRONG fortress emphasizing yet again the strenght of God in whom we hide to Save Us. Where are we hiding, are we hiding and if yes where are we hiding to be saved...David again repeats...in verse 3 Since you are my rock and fortress.. Saying but God, I am hidden in you and protected in you, you are the one in whom I am hidden... And because of that, for the sake of your name, for your glory, becuase of who you are...
Lead and guide me. Wow so from that place of hiddenness, we say the next thing. the next step God, my next move. You lead and guide me...You direct me... Hectic. this is not only asking God for his will, but asking him for his will for his name's sake...Its almost like when people say it's not the fact that you are prayign thats wrong, its how you are praying, from what perspective.
"4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge. "
Cause the devil has a plan, daily there are traps, there are snares, there are temptations or even my own weaknesses, baggage pasts, Lord, Free me from that, because you are the one where i am safe in.
"5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. "
What it comes down to is saying God, I give the very me, the deepest part of me, the life of me,my essence to You. I place that in your hands. and say Lord. Redeem me, Buy me back, pay the cost that is on my life, O Lord! the God who doesn't lie, who is real and whose heart and word is real, who is truth...Redeem me.
Summary.
I take my refuge in Him, in Him I hide, and give to him, my spirit. I ask him to lead and guide me. He is a rock of Refuge and a strong fortress. I ask him to not only free and deliver me, but I ask him to redeem me, in light of who he is, the LORD, the God of Truth!
" refuge, never be put to shame, deliver me, rescue, rock of refuge, strong fortress, rock and fortress,free me from trap, refuge "
Our hiding place, our safety, the one who rescues, delivers and frees us our rock, our fortress?
In Him - verse 1 "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; "
We take refuge in Him, we hide ourselves in Him, not in his temple, or in his provision, or whatever of him but in Him, In God we take refuge.
" let me never be put to shame; " And ask him let us never be put to shame, which is entirely possible if we are hiding in Him.
"deliver me in your righteousness."
We even ask him to deliver us, in His righteousness. Struggling to live a pure life, to live right before God. We ask God to deliver us from our situations, in HIS righteousness.
"Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;"
When I go through a situation, I should be calling out to Him first thing,asking Him to turn his ear to me (David is fully expectant that God can and will hear him that is why he says God turn your ear to me and come quickly to my rescue!) Cry out to To not let us be put to shame, God to deliver us in his righteousness and to come quickly to our rescue...He is able and we shoudl be crying out to him, not waiting for temptation to be full blown or the enemy to strike in Him we take refuge! We hid ourselves...and not just in trouble but every day...
"be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me."
God needs to be my strength, my rock the strength I am leaning on. He is strong, but we also need to let him be our ROCk of refuge (hiding place), a STRONG fortress emphasizing yet again the strenght of God in whom we hide to Save Us. Where are we hiding, are we hiding and if yes where are we hiding to be saved...David again repeats...in verse 3 Since you are my rock and fortress.. Saying but God, I am hidden in you and protected in you, you are the one in whom I am hidden... And because of that, for the sake of your name, for your glory, becuase of who you are...
Lead and guide me. Wow so from that place of hiddenness, we say the next thing. the next step God, my next move. You lead and guide me...You direct me... Hectic. this is not only asking God for his will, but asking him for his will for his name's sake...Its almost like when people say it's not the fact that you are prayign thats wrong, its how you are praying, from what perspective.
"4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge. "
Cause the devil has a plan, daily there are traps, there are snares, there are temptations or even my own weaknesses, baggage pasts, Lord, Free me from that, because you are the one where i am safe in.
"5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. "
What it comes down to is saying God, I give the very me, the deepest part of me, the life of me,my essence to You. I place that in your hands. and say Lord. Redeem me, Buy me back, pay the cost that is on my life, O Lord! the God who doesn't lie, who is real and whose heart and word is real, who is truth...Redeem me.
Summary.
I take my refuge in Him, in Him I hide, and give to him, my spirit. I ask him to lead and guide me. He is a rock of Refuge and a strong fortress. I ask him to not only free and deliver me, but I ask him to redeem me, in light of who he is, the LORD, the God of Truth!
Psalm 31 - Stuck on this...
Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave. [b]
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave. [b]
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
No title...
Obedience
Serving
Purity
Joy
Faith
Trust
Direction
Strength
Humility
Just some of things I'm praying for
Serving
Purity
Joy
Faith
Trust
Direction
Strength
Humility
Just some of things I'm praying for
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