Psalms 1:1-3
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed [is] the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
This Psalms tells me to stay close to God. To keep my eyes and heart on Him. To think on Him and about Him so that I stay away from the things in this world that may harm me. It tells me that when my focus is on God I am less likely to be led astray and that the Lord will bless me for this. It tells me that God is willing and able to satisfy all my needs and to take care of me.
It offers me peace, joy and hope that can only come from Him. No matter what is happening around me. I am like a tree firmly planted by the rivers. I stand “planted in Christ”. Thirsty for more, yet having all I need.
Also I found this link to a simple song by Sherri Youngward . Listening to it also added to my peace. Let me know what you think. Also, what does Psalm 1 say to you?
http://www.blueletterbible.org/hymns/hymn.cfm?MusicID=2
Blessings,
Alane
The Discipline of Meditation and Prayer
The Discipline of Meditation and Prayer
The disciplines of meditation and prayer have greatly impacted my heart and my thinking. I am grateful and blessed by wisdom and instruction of God in my life.
Understanding what biblical meditation is and that it is necessary must come first.
Let’s define it as; the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His word.
BLESSED is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV)
A great form of meditation is simply reading God’s word. Read the same passage several times in one sitting and seek the deeper meaning. Seek the personal communication God intends. This brings us closer to Him and allows us see the areas in which He wants us minister and serve others.
Very often, I am drawn to this verse; "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal 2:20NKJV).
This one verse has been the key to my understanding who I am in Christ. It has brought true healing and peace to my life time and time again. Just this one verse! It’s so exciting and uplifting to spend this type of time with my Jesus.
Blessings,
Alane D. Brown
Knowing; Not Feeling God's Presence
Knowing; Not Feeling God’s Presence
For years my heart had yearned for a way to truly know God’s voice and to know He was with me beyond my believing I could feel Him near.
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27NKJV)
A Commitment to becoming disciplined in the areas of solitude and silence has had a profound impact on my life. It offers the opportunity to hear the Divine Whisperer. The simple habit of sitting every day, in the same place, in silence and waiting upon the Lord can fill us with a desire to know Jesus on deeper level and to be able to discern His voice from the many distractions in life. In spending this time with the Lord we no longer doubt His presence when our physical senses fail to speak the truth and try to convince us that He is nowhere to be found. Spending time with Jesus each day, we simply know He is with us. It’s no longer a feeling but an understanding, a concrete, solid knowing. Sewing this truth into our heart allows us the peace and understanding needed to grow in our walk with the Lord and is surely an immeasurable blessing.
If you are feeling a bit disconnected from the Lord, try this simple discipline. Go to the same place each day; Read God’s Word, pray and then … listen.
It’s a guarantee you will be blessed knowing you are in God’s Presence!
Blessings,
Alane D Brown
Alane@ChristianWomenNow.com
www.ChristianWomenNow.com
Teach Me To Love
Teach Me To Love
Unworthy am I of Your love and grace
but You came and died. You took my place.
So humbly I come to the foot of your thrown-
to ask You something already known…
I’ve been running away So long and so fast
Hiding myself and fearful to ask
But I’m ready now, to take your hand, So please
teach me to love…like only You can.
Oh, teach me to love Lord. Bring me closer to you
Teach me to Love Lord. Please make me like you.
Oh, teach me to love Lord and then to give it away.
Teach me to Love Lord I want YOU this day.
Unworthy am I of Your love and grace.
but You came and died. You took my place.
So ready I come to the foot of Your Cross-
to die to self cause You paid the cost…
I’ve been running away So long and so fast
Hiding myself and fearful to ask
No more of this, I’m ready to stand! So please-
teach me to Love…Lord only You can!
Oh, teach me to love Lord. Bring me closer to you
Teach me to Love Lord. Please make me like you.
Oh, teach me to love Lord and then to give it away.
Teach me to Love Lord I want YOU this day.
Alane Brown
Alane@ChristianWomenNow.com
www.ChristianWomenNow.com
God Time
Matt 6:5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Do you have a “secret place” for prayer? Every morning I sit in the same chair to read my Bible, pray for a while and then wait upon the Lord. It’s my God Time. It’s a heart thing -
God is with us all day, every day but there is something special about this appointed time. For me it’s about discipline and consistency. It’s about showing up for God and letting Him know that I am looking to be with Him. That my heart desires alone time with Him. Sure, we talk all day long but it’s during this time my heart is most at peace. No matter what is happening in my life what I look forward to most is my – God Time.
Blessings,
Alane D. Brown
It’s About God and Me and About God and You!
Praise God we do not need to worry about what other people might think and say.
Do any of you have a “personal ministry”, one that most people do not see or know about?
Well then praise Him all the more! You will be rewarded openly by your Heavenly Father!
Mat 6:1-4 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
So that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Most of what the Lord asks us to do is personal and hidden from the eyes of others Why? Simply because it needs to be. You see we all have a special gift that the Lord gave us and we use them ALL the time but not many people notice and that’s okay. It’s not about them. It’s about God and the ones He sends to us. Those who need to know trust. Who need to be heard, and prayed for and who need to know Our Fathers Great Love.
Some are gifted differently and God has them ministering in the wide open for His purposes. That too is wonderful and awesome. However, some of us minister in more quiet ways. It is to those hearts this message is speaking today.
Remain grateful my friend, and content, knowing that God knows exactly what you do. That He knows you are obedient to Him and that you love Him deeply. Our Lord seeks a personal relationship with each of us. It’s between God and me and it’s about God and you!
Keep looking to Him and --
Be Blessed.
Alane
Seek Your Dream
Most likely it’s been inside of you for years and years and just won’t leave. It’s probably something you have thought about doing time and time again but have never moved forward with it. The reason it is still there, is because you are destined to do it. Once you have accomplished the beginning of the dream, God will open up the door even wider and allow you to see even more of the blessings and vision He has in store for you!
Sometimes the dream is clear and sometimes a bit foggy but whatever condition you see it in right now, doesn’t matter. God has placed it there for you. It is a gift and He wants you to begin to follow it and then, continue to seek His plan for you. I can guarantee you, that when you are living your purpose and serving God, you will be happier than you have ever been, because you will be a path the Lord has formed for you!
Some of us may have lost sight of our dreams for a period of time. That’s okay. It’s a new year. Instead of making New Year resolutions and promises to yourself try this: Sit down or kneel down and pray. Seek Gods plan for your life. Remember, what God said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Trust in the Lord the creator of your dreams.
Blessings,
Alane D Brown
Alane@ChristianWomenNow.com
WWW.ChristianWomenNow.com
Strength in the Storms of Life
It amazes me how flexible trees can be, even trees that are three stories tall. Their whole body moving in the wind, from their trunks to the tips of their limbs. It completely defies what any sane person believes about wood. Our wood dining table and chairs are meant to be rigid and strong . . . strong enough to bear our body weight. So, how can wood be so sturdy, yet so flexible?
The flexible trees remind me of this scripture “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Wouldn’t you agree that every human undergoes storms in their lives? Sometimes they can be gentle ones, only ruffling the edges of our being. At other times they can be as wild as a hurricane, shaking us to the core. However, God made both trees and man to withstand storms. This is evident in the many trees in my yard. But when I see a downed tree or a broken limb, it’s also evident that there was something wrong. Living trees can be weakened by many things such as wounds, disease, chemicals or lack of nourishment, making them unable to endure the damaging winds.
This is true of people as well. Before I gave my will over, trusted Jesus and was reunited with God, the only strength I had was my own. A strength which often failed me when difficulties came. Like so many people, I had wounds from my past, did not always seek the right type of nourishment and made lots of poor choices, all of which made me weak. But now my wounds have been healed, my poor choices forgiven and I have God’s strength living inside of me. It is His strength, not my own, that helps me bear the brunt of the stormy blasts. Sometimes the storm will be brief and other times last a long time, but with God I may bend but I will not be broken!
Be blessed,
Jeanine
What is Hope to You?
What is Hope to you?
What does it mean to hope? Does the word hope or the action of hope, take on a different meaning when we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives? Do we “need” faith in order to hope?
What exactly does hope mean and what are you hoping for, personally, for another or for our world today?
For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord”, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jer. 29:11
I Never Knew
Was reading through a bunch of poems I have written and chose to post this one.
Let me know if you identify- Blessings, Alane
I Never Knew
Oh, I never knew love from the father or man -
who was nothing but seed for my birth.
God, I never knew trust from the touch of his hands -
because he used them to take all of my worth.
So, I never knew peace from a man or the thief -
who with intent stole the heart of my soul.
And I never knew warmth when he’d leave me so weak –
to hide alone with my scars in the cold.
So forgive me Jesus for clinging to darkness –
and building walls meant to keep me from You.
Cause I never knew You were there in that blackness –
able and wanting to carry me through.
I never saw beauty in the face of a man -
till I was given the gift of your sight.
Then I felt you my Father, reach down with your hand –
and was rescued from the Darkest of Knights.
Then I knew love was the presence of Glory –
and there was life in the blood of the Lamb.
And then I was shown love, forgiveness and mercy –
as I was found by the grace of your hand.
So I sing with adornment. Oh Lord you are worthy –
and I wish to be like clay in Your hands.
Cause I know Your grace and Your presence and Glory –
I was redeemed in the blood of The Lamb!
Feb. 19, 2000
