CopyRighted By God

Last week I was able to counsel at a Jr. High camp from our church. It was my first time ever going to a camp let-alone counseling a bunch of Jr. Highers. I was rather nervous about counseling and had been praying for the camp before hand. When I did prayed, I prayed that the Lord would show His wonder to these kids, and I kept praying that even while at camp.

On the first night they played a song that said, "You are the Author of salvation..." referring to God; and I asked God, "Lord would you write many salvation books this week! May You be the author of many, countless books of salvation this week! May you truly show your wonder to these kids." When I asked Him to show His wonder to these kids I thought about a poem Beth Moore said in one of her Bible studies, "Show Your wonder, save this lot..."

I thought about this and asked God, " Father, may you show your wonder, save this lot." And opening my hands around the whole group of Jr.. higher as to couple them together, I asked, "Save this lot. May you write tons of books of salvation this week! May you indeed be the Author of countless books of salvation!" He said, "Okay." and shook my hand in a sense to close the deal.

It was the last night of camp and we were closing with our study outside in the amphitheater round a bonfire. The director and teacher that night asked all us counselors to come down round the fire and had all the kids who wanted prayer to come down and one of us counselors would pray for them, whatever they wanted. By the end of the night all the kids had gathered around the fire and were worshiping with hands lifted high in surrender and worship to God.

They played the song again, "You are the Author of salvation.." I thought, "Lord, you are the Author of salvation! You showed Your wonders! You are amazing, I stand in awe of you!" And it was as if I could hear in the heavenly paper rushing and commotion like that you would hear coming from a printing press. And God answered back, in a way that when your close friend does something simply amazing and they get done doing it and you go up to them are say, "That was amazing! You were absolutely amazing what you did!" And they reply, "Yeah wasn't it!" In somewhat of astonishment at how truly amazing it was. Well, God said, "Wasn't it though!"

And as I stood there in amazement gazing around at all these Jr. Highers praising God from their hearts, I heard God say, "I saved this lot." And put His hands out just as I did as to couple the group together within His hands and said, "I saved this lot. Just as I promised you."

As I started writing this all down in my journal and thought about God being the Author of salvation, and how books are copyrighted. I thought, if God is the Author of salvation then these books of salvation are copyrighted, they are copyrighted by God. And just as with any other book, when copyrighted, its so that no one can steal its work or take stuff out from it or misuse it without giving the author credit. That means, when God is the Author of your salvation, you are copyrighted by Him - you are sealed by Him; no one, not even the enemy can steal that work or take anything out of it without God's permission, without giving God glory. No one can use us or touch us or steal us from the work God has done in our lives without giving God glory. We are sealed, we are copyrighted by the Holy Blood of The Lamb! And whenever we get quoted from the books of our salvation, God gets full credit, He gets all the glory!

Keep Singing

Recently I was looking over the Daniel Bible study I had finished in just the first of this year, and in my study book I came to a chapter in it titled, “Keep Singing”. I looked over it and came to a paragraph where I had marked pretty well and so I stopped and read deeply what Beth, the author, was saying. As I read her words, I began to tear up. Here is what she said; “At times we may feel so outnumbered and outclassed that we’re tempted to ‘hang up our harps.’ We can’t do it, Sweet One. We can’t keep quiet. We have to keep singing the song of the Lord in this foreign land.” Through this present stage of my life and what seems like many road blocks, it is hard to not just give up, lose hope, to stop believing that there is indeed a light at the end of this tunnel. For I have been down for so long I don’t think I can lift my head up any more because it takes all I have to just keep my head above the waters from drowning at times. But then reading this, it brought conviction to my heart that I can’t give up! Even when I feel so out numbered and outclassed, especially then, for it’s “…Our job to keep singing the song of our God by the rivers of Babylon until all who have ears to hear can listen.”

Refreshment For a Weary Soul

• A verse that has encouraged my heart through this current journey presented before me of transforming my heart from a heart fearful and anxious to that of a lion, courageous, defeating fear.-
  "May He strengthen you, in His glorious might, with ample power to meet whatever comes with fortitude, patience and joy, and to give thanks to the Father."-Colossions 1:11,12

• Here is a quote and veres that go hand in hand, which in this point in my life, has brought things back into perspective.
  - “Take the very hardest thing in your life- the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom.” - By Lilias Trotter
  
  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7 -We go through these hard times of refining or growing into the likeness of Christ and often forget that God and God alone has either brought this about or has allowed this to happen in our life for our good, to mature us in Christ.