Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but THE WORD OF OUR GOD ENDURES FOREVER.”
The BIBLE is:
LIGHT -- Psalm 119:105,
FIRE -- Jeremiah 23:29,
SEED -- Luke 8:11,
BREAD -- Dueteronomy 8:3,
MILK -- 1 Peter 2:2,
HONEY -- Psalms 19:7,
MEAT -- Hebrews 5:14,
GOLD -- Psalm 19:10,
SWORD -- Hebrews 4:12,
HAMMER -- Jeremiah 23:29,
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Don't Quit no matter what!
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won if he'd stuck it out. Don't give up, though the pace seems slow - You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out - The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are - It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.
- by Author Unknown
HAVE COURAGE TO SAY NO! You’re starting, my boy, on life’s journey, Along the grand highway of life; You’ll meet with a thousand temptations— Each city with evil is rife.
This world is a stage of excitement, There’s danger wherever you go; But if you are tempted to weakness, Have courage, my boy, to say No!
In courage, my boy, lies your safety, When you the long journey begin, Your trust in a heavenly Father Will keep you unspotted from sin.
Temptations will go on increasing, As streams from a rivulet flow; But if you’d be true to your manhood, Have courage, my boy, to say No!
Be careful in choosing companions, Seek only the brave and the true, And stand by your friends when in trial, Ne’er changing the old for the new;
And when by false friends you are tempted The taste of the wine cup to know, With firmness, with patience and kindness, Have courage, my boy, to say No! Have courage, my boy, to say No! Have courage, my boy, to say No! Have courage, my boy, Have courage, my boy, Have courage, my boy, to say No! - by Author Unknown
What is a dream?
A dream is a magical thing
A rainbow of joy in your heart
Your own secret corner
Where no one can go
Where the path
To fulfillment can start
A dream lures you on,
Always one step ahead
Until you have caught it,
And then there's always another
To capture your soul
And lead you onward again.
- by Author Unknown
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise,
With this equipment they all began--
So start from the top and say, I CAN.
Look them over, the wise and the great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes;
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will;
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have arms and legs and a brain to use;
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know;
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had;
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, 'I CAN.'
- by Author Unknown
“When faced with a mountain I WILL NOT QUIT I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine, with gods help” Rev. Robert H. Schuller -
Courage brings Freedom & Peace
John 14:27 "PEACE I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Romans 8:15 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Philippians 1:12-14 “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Psalm 31:24
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the
Ephesians 6:10
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
"Taking Mother's Hand"
When a boy or girl thrusts his small hand in yours, it may be smeared with chocolate ice cream, or grimy from petting a dog, and there may be a wart under the right thumb and a bandage around the little finger.
But the most important thing about his hands is that they are the hands of the future. These are the hands that someday may hold a Bible or a Colt revolver; play the church piano or spin a gambling wheel; gently dress a leper's wound, or tremble... wretchedly uncontrolled by an alcoholic mind.
Right now, that hand is yours. It asks for help and guidance. It represents a full-fledged personality in miniature to be respected as a separate individual whose day-to-day growth into Christian adulthood is your responsibility.
author unknown
Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Proverbs 31:31 - Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Johnny Cash "These Hands" Live in Asbury Park NJ Oct 1985
Wrinkled Hands
In a school there was a class
Of twenty eight-year-olds
They were given a task to find... The most beautiful thing in the world
Two weeks to search for that thing
Five days to paint it well
Two days to prepare a speech about it
To explain during Show-and-Tell
All the students had their ideas
All that is, but one.
One little boy who tried to do
What no one else had done
He tried to find a special thing
That no one else could find.
Something of beauty yet still unique
But could this be found in time?
Three weeks have gone by
Everyone was excited for class
Each explained his beautiful work
And the little boy went last.
When he showed his little painting
The boo's didn't seem to end
For what beauty can you find
In two pairs of wrinkled hands?
The teacher encouraged the little boy To explain his work of art With tears in his eyes, the boy recalled The people in his heart. "These are my parent's hands, The hands they use to earn These hands worked to send me here So that I could learn "These hands have guided me When I was still a babe These hands showed me much Of love that wouldn't fade "One late night while I was asleep A great fire broke out Two strong arms carried me While the people ran about. "Then, another pair of hands Shielded me from the heat These pair of hands saved me And were damaged for this feat. "I know they seem so ordinary And ugly, they may be But these wrinkled hands I painted Are still beautiful to me"
When the little boy sat down
Silence filled the place
Then, the teacher started to clap,
Tears running down her face
For that day she saw much splendor
Much more than she had planned
But she found beauty beyond compare
In the painting of wrinkled hands.
author unknown
Isaiah 49:16 - Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Grandpa's Hands
by Melinda Clements
Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. ...
When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was OK. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong voice.
"I didn't mean to disturb you, Grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to him. "Have you ever looked at your hands," he asked. "I mean really looked at your hands? I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down.
No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.
Grandpa smiled and related this story: "Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my Mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my Parents and Spouse and walked my Daughter down the aisle. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."
I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my Grandpa's hands and led him home.
When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife, I think of Grandpa. I know he has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.
At first it sounded like a Thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglass of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.
I have used them mostly for good and not for wrong.
Jesus has forgiven me from the times they have done evil,
by open or secret sins when I obeyed the devil!
I intend to use them until my last day
For blessing others and to pray.
The MANUFACTURER'S HANDBOOK (AKA THE BIBLE)
IS FILLED WITH SCRIPTURES ABOUT HANDS
Acts 11:21 - And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Luke 24:50 - And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
Luke 4:40 - Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
Mark 10:16 - And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
HANDS -- THEY CAN BLESS AND THEY CAN CURSE ONESELF AND OTHERS
Mark 9:43 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Matthew 18:8 - Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast [them] from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
WHAT ARE YOUR HANDS BUSY AT?
Tending others in need or lifting a jug and wallowing in self pity?
Isaiah 59:1 - Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
1 Timothy 4:14 - Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Hebrews 6:2 - Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Acts 19:6 - And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Mark 16:18 - They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
1: [Noun] A high degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy. His delight is in the law of the Lord. Ps. 1..
2: [Noun] That which gives great pleasure; that which affords delight. Titus was the delight of human kind. I was daily his delight. Prov. 8. Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement..
3: [Verb] To affect with great pleasure; to please highly; to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear; the good conduct of children, and especially their piety, delights their parents. I will delight myself in thy statutes. Ps. 119..
4: [Verb] To receive great pleasure in. I delight to do thy will. Ps. 40:8..
5: [Verb] To have or take great pleasure; to be greatly pleased or rejoiced; followed by in. I delight in the law of God after the inward man. Rom. 7..
The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Delight The idea of delight occurs approximately 110 times in Scripture in various forms. Less than fifteen occurrences are found in the New Testament. The related concept of "please" occurs about 350 times, about seventy-five of these occurrences in the New Testament. The Old Testament. Two of the most common Hebrew terms for delight are hepes [,pej], "to bend towards, to be inclined towards [an object or person], " and rasa [h'x'r], "to delight or take pleasure in."
God delights in the obedience of his children more than in sacrifices ( 1 Sam 15:22 ). Obedience to his commands so pleases God that he will prosper his people as they walk in his way ( Num 14:8 ; Deut 30:9 ). God delights in his people ( Psalm 16:3 ).
God is also delighted with honesty in business ( Prov 20:23 ), a blameless life (11:20), truthfulness (12:22), and the prayers of the upright (15:8). God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please him ( Eccl 2:26 ), and he promises to deliver those in whom he delights ( Psalm 18:19 ). God delights in showing mercy ( Mic 7:18 ), and kindness, justice, and righteousness bring him pleasure and cause him delight ( Jer 9:23 ).
God placed Solomon on the throne of Israel because he delighted in him ( 1 Kings 10:9 ; 2 Chron 9:8 ). God had special delight in his Servant-Messiah, upon whom he put his Spirit ( Isa 42:1 ).
A man might delight in another man ( 1 Sam 18:22 ; Est 6:6-11 ), or a man might delight in a woman ( Gen 34:19 ). Well-behaved children bring delight to the heart of their parents ( Prov 29:17 ).
People are encouraged to delight in that which pleases Godhis law ( Psalm 1:2 ; 112:1-9 ). God's statutes are to be our continual delight ( Psalms 119:24Psalms 119:70Psalms 119:77Psalms 119:174 ). We are to delight in God's law because we love it ( Psalm 119:41-48 ). We are to rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation ( Psalm 35:9 ), for in so doing we will receive the desires of our hearts ( Psalm 37:4 ).
It is possible for people to delight in or take pleasure in that which is foolish or evil. Some people "delight in doing wrong" ( Prov 2:14 ), in voicing their own opinions (18:2), in lying ( Psalm 62:4 ), and in waging war ( Psalm 68:30 ). It is clear that the object of our delight or pleasure is critical. It is possible to delight in those things that are good and proper; it is also possible to delight in that which is an abomination to the Lord ( Isa 66:3 ). The New Testament. The Greek word most commonly used for "delight" is eudokeo [eujdokevw], usually used when God's purpose, resolve, and choice are in view.
God points out his delight in his Son at both the baptism and transfiguration of Jesus ( Matt 3:17 ; 17:5 ). This pleasure points to a distinct anointing and blessing that rest upon Jesus. Indeed, "God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him" ( Col 1:19 ). God's peace rests upon those in whom he delights ( Luke 2:14 ), and God works in those destined for salvation according to his good pleasure ( Php 2:13 ). God is not pleased, however, with the disobedient and unbelieving ( 1 Cor 10:5 ).
As our supreme example, Jesus took great pleasure in honoring and obeying his father ( John 5:30 ; 8:29 ). That which delights Jesus should be our delight as well. We should make it our all-consuming desire to please him ( 2 Col 5:9 ; 1 Thess 2:4 ; 4:1 ; 1 John 3:22 ).
We are to delight after God's law in the "inner man" ( Rom 7:22 ). We are to delight in our weakness, for this is when God's power is most clearly revealed in our lives ( 2 Cor 12:10 ). We should not, on the other hand, delight in false humility or religion ( Col 2:18 ). Our desire should be directed toward the salvation of souls ( Rom 10:1 ). Faith is essential if we are to please God ( Heb 11:6 ), and God is especially delighted when we pray to those in authority ( 1 Tim 2:3 ). In the essential relationships of life, God is pleased when wives submit to their husbands, husbands love their wives, children obey their parents, parents encourage their children, slaves obey their masters, and masters treat their slaves kindly ( Col 3:18-4:1 ). It is as living, holy sacrifices that we become pleasing to our Father in heaven ( Rom 12:1 ).
Daniel L. Aiken
Bibliography. M. Unger and W. White, Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament; W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words; W. Wilson, Old Testament Studies.
DELIGHT de-lit' (verb, chaphets, ratsah, sha`a`; sunedomai): "To delight" is most frequently expressed by chaphets, which means originally "to bend" (compare Job 40:17, "He moveth his tail"), hence, "to incline to," "take pleasure in." It is used of God's pleasure in His people (Numbers 14:8; 2 Samuel 22:20; Psalms 18:19, etc.), and in righteousness, etc. (Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 9:24; Micah 7:18, etc.), also of man's delight in God and His will (Psalms 40:8; 73:25; the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), "There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee"), and in other objects (Genesis 34:19; 1 Samuel 18:22; Esther 2:14; Isaiah 66:3); sha`a`, "to stroke," "caress," "be fond of," occurs in Psalms 94:19, "Thy comforts delight my soul"; Psalms 119:16,47,70, "I will delight myself in thy statutes." Similarly, Paul says (Romans 7:22), "I delight (sunedomai) in (margin, the Revised Version (British and American) "Greek with") the law of God after the inward man." This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament. "To delight one's self" (in the Lord) is represented chiefly by `anagh (Job 22:26; 27:10; Psalms 37:4,11; Isaiah 58:14). Delight (noun), chiefly chephets (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalms 1:2; 16:3), ratson (Proverbs 11:1,20; 12,22; 15:8), sha`ashu`im (Psalms 119:24,77,92,143,174; Proverbs 8:30,31). the Revised Version (British and American) has "delight" for "desire" (Nehemiah 1:11; Psalms 22:8; 51:16), for "observe," different reading (Proverbs 23:26), "no delight in" for "smell in" (Amos 5:21), "delightest in me" for "favorest me" (Psalms 41:11), "his delight shall be in" (m "Hebrew `scent' ") for "of quick understanding" (Isaiah 11:3). The element of joy, of delight in God and His law and will, in the Hebrew religion is noteworthy as being something which we are apt to fall beneath even in the clearer light of Christianity. W. L. Walker
