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Inspirational Gems for Each Day -- VOLUME 9.

               Written by Marilee Miller

Copyright (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller.

PLEASE READ THIS!

Copies may be given privately to about six friends, providing that text is not changed, and
that this full notice accompanies each document or part thereof.
One GEM or parts of two, per Volume, allowed for a public review or article, under the fair use clause.
No other public circulation, no mass copying or commercial or for-profit use without consent
of the author -- e-mail to: kingfisher crossing at gmail com (close up the spaces, etc.).

See the complete archive of 365 thoughtful Christian devotionals -- Gems -- at:
www.wordforlife.com/kingfisher/gems-complete/gems-menu

Scripture texts are from the King James Version.

1. CHOOSE MY WAY

Lord, set my feet upon the way
That you would choose for me;
I ask only that my foot not stray;
I accept your gift of liberty.

            "[O Lord,] Hold up my goings in
thy paths, that my footsteps slip not."
(Ps. 17:5)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

2.. NEEDS

     I'm praying for you, my brother in the
Lord, or my sister. Your needs have been
close to my heart. It's all right for you to
admit your helplessness and powerlessness.
For you can't "carry your own cross".
Even Jesus became too weak to carry his
cross. But God provided someone --
Simon of Cyrene -- to carry the load.
And that same mighty, powerful God is
still working in this tired ol' world.
Assuredly, he hasn't forgotten you! He
still cares! He still has a plan for you,
if you're willing to let him have you,
just as you are.

            "For God so loved the world,
       that he gave his only begotten
       Son, that whosoever believeth in
       him should not perish, but have
       everlasting life."   (John 3:16)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

3. HELP ME WALK WITH YOU, LORD

It may not be given me to know what the
future holds;
But Lord, surely these persistent
hardships will pass:
Meanwhile, please hold fast to my
quivering hand.
Oh, teach me a cheerful spirit
to assume -- and
To expect glory even though hope of
success is dimmed:
Help me dream on when my life seems as
sifting sand.
If I may not know what to expect -- then,
childlike,
Let me unburden myself to you wholly,
taking peace;
And give me strength to walk on, the
breadth of faith's land.
(Earth-limits cannot hold one who close to
heaven will stand.)

            "But my God shall supply all
      your need according to his riches in
      glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil.4:19)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

4. COME FORTH, LORD

Come forth, oh Lord.
Come forth as One girded up for battle.
Get your people ready for the battle of
       life!
Get them ready to fight all enemies of the
            faith.
Get them ready for holiness and love.
To those who have not surrendered, bring
             humility.
To those who have surrendered, bring joy.
Let your people know that your power is
             proclaimed.

            "And the Lord appeared unto
       him..."   (Gen. 18:1a)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

5. THE LORD'S KINGDOM

Come forth, oh Lord.
Come forth -- your kingdom awaits.
We are in a hurry to receive you.
    You have said, "It won't be long
          till I come."

We must have the might, the power;
We pray for strength to go on,
            to march along.
Come forth, oh God.
Come forth in your wisdom and power.
    We have said, "We need you
                 so very much."
Thank you, Lord, for coming forth to help.

            "Now therefore, our God, we
       thank thee, and praise thy glorious
       name."   (I Chron. 29:13)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

6. AN AGREEMENT WITH GOD

Let us enter into an agreement with God.
An agreement to pray and pray, until his
will be done on earth. An agreement to
keep coming to him, accepting his love.
An agreement to follow the teachings of
Jesus Christ. An agreement to allow him
to work in us.

Let us enter into an agreement with God.
So shall we be rescued from the enemies
that would try to trap or ruin us.

            "...The Lord of hosts shall be
exalted in judgment, and God that
is holy shall be sanctified in
righteousness."   (Isa. 5:16)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

7. from the Scriptures

     "When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none, and their tongue
faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear
them. I the God of Israel will not
forsake them.
     "I will open rivers in high places,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of
water, and the dry land springs of water.
     "I will plant in the wilderness the
cedar, the shittah [acacia] tree, and the
myrtle, and the oil [olive] tree. I will
set in the desert the fir tree, and the
pine, and the box [cypress] tree together;
     "That they may see, and know, and
consider and understand together, that the
hand of the Lord hath done this, and the
Holy One of Israel hath created it."
(Isa. 41:17-20)

8. FISH WONDERS

     In the Coquille River of Southwestern
Oregon, there is a fish called the "sucker".
A fish-biologist says that the suckers here
apparently originated in the Willamette
Basin of Oregon. During the Ice Age, a
huge ice flow blocked the coast fork of
the Willamette River, which then spilled
over and actually managed to join the
Coquille system and others (which are
many miles away, and across a mountain
range). The fish in the Coquille system
is the large-scale sucker. It comes from
the same general family as the goldfish.

     To me, all such marvels point back to
the incredible imagination of a loving,
Creator God. He even cared enough to
design some fish to have large scales, and
others to have smaller ones. I see his
loving hand at work in all of Nature and
its patterns.

            "Who can utter the mighty acts
       of the Lord? who can show forth
       his judgments?" (Ps. 106:2)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

9. GOD KEEPS WORKING IN OUR LIVES

     We need God's presence so very much.
Yet sometimes we can't "feel" the Lord's
nearness at all. Sometimes our hearts cry
out for refreshing, for a renewing of our
energies, yes, a re-kindling of our love
for our Maker. Yet we see the blessings
going out to other people, and can't seem
to see as many coming in to our lives.

     May God remake us according to the
heavenly plan. We offer our thanks to a
Heavenly Father who keeps all promises.
Oh, may we open our hearts to receive all
of the Master's design, all our God has
planned for us to do and say and be. Let
us remember: no matter what we feel, God
keeps working in our lives.

     We entrust our lives and futures to
our Lord.

            " ...Our God turned the curse
       into a blessing." (Neh.13:2b)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

10. FRESH WIND

Come forth with your army, oh Lord.
We need you.
We need the Resurrection-power of Jesus,
To fill our lives,
To blow fresh winds through our sails;
To make us once more alive,
So that we know that we cannot fail,
Because of you!

            "And the hand of the Lord was
       with them [the disciples]: and a
       great number believed, and turned
       unto the Lord."   (Acts 11:21)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

11. AN INFILLING

We need a Resurrection-power Jesus
To swell and enrich our lives,
To blow fresh winds into our strifes,
To cause us once more to "come alive",
So that we know that in him we live
-- And all because Jesus is alive!

         "For as yet they [the disciples]
       knew not the scripture, that he
       [Jesus] must rise again from the
       dead."   (Jn. 20:9)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

12. SEND THE LIGHT

I trust you, oh God,
        to show forth your might.
End this dullness we walk
       under, as if it were night.
Save us from exasperation;
           keep our hearts right.
Drive away fears that
         loom large in our sight.
Send your light, Lord; send
       the light, send the light!

            "A woman when she is in
       travail hath sorrow, because her
       hour is come: but as soon as she
       is delivered of the child, she
       remembereth no more the anguish...
            "And ye now therefore have
       sorrow: but I [Jesus] will see you
       again, and your heart shall re-
       joice, and your joy no man taketh
       from you."   (Jn. 16:21-22)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

13. THINGS GOD HAS PROMISED

   ...Not to leave us alone or reject us.
   ...To comfort us when we are sad.
   ...To call us by his own name.
   ...To choose us to be his own.
   ...Not to bring evil to us,
                     but to do good.
   ...That we may be "one with him."

            "That they [the believers] all may
be one; as thou, Father,art in me
[Jesus], and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us..."   (Jn. 17:21a)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

14. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

     The past is gone. It can't be changed
any more. Let us learn from it. Let us
"connect" what has happened, for good
or bad, by reminding ourselves of the
goodness of God. He is at work in our
lives, always. However, may we not dwell
on the past, elevate it, regret it, or mourn
its passing.

     But we still have a future. What we
do or think or say today, can determine,
in part, what kind of a future we will
have. Will we use our days for good?
Speak kindness to others? Offer hope and
a "listening ear" to those who need help?
Turn to our Lord in every hour? Let us
use today to look toward our hope in God
for a future with him.

            "Any person who looks into God's
perfect law of freedom, and is not a
forgetful hearer, but keeps on doing
what God considers 'right and
appropriate', will find that God
blesses every act and every part of
life." (Jas. 1:25 MM paraphrase)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller

15. GOD IS FAITHFUL

God is faithful: he has promised
To be with me to the end;
No matter what I confide to him,
His kind ear to me he'll lend.
When my heart is full of crying,
He reaches out his hand.
If his way for me seems cryptic,
Still, I need not understand;
But only trust his mercy,
As he leads me by the hand.

God is faithful: he has promised
"A bruised reed he will not bend,"
And when I'm at my weakest,
His graces strongest blend.
I'll come to him anew each hour,
Let him imprint his own brand
Of his love and caring kindness --
My walk with him, he's planned.

            "But the Lord is faithful, who
       shall stablish you, and keep you
       from evil."   (II Ths. 3:3)
(c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller
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