II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 36:5-10; Matthew 19:26 - "His Name"

I woke up this morning singing...

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

Yes! His name has more power than any other word. No matter what we are going through in life we can call out His name and He is there. When we are in relationship with Him, His peace becomes ours when we call out His name. When life doesn't make sense and we call out His name, it will not matter that we do not understand what is happening. I remember as  a little girl singing "His Name Is Wonderful" and feeling such contentment in my spirit. 

He is the Mighty King
Master of everything
His Name is Wonderful
Jesus My Lord 
He’s the Great shepherd
The Rock of All Ages
Almighty God is He 

This song tells me He is greater than any other. He is over all. I have always loved the idea of Him being my Shepherd. I remember as a little girl seeing pictures of Jesus sitting and having lambs around Him and even on His lap. I also remember pictures of Him sitting and holding little children. All of these pictures showed such love in His face. They showed Him as a gentle man. When I was young and still had siblings at home, I never slept alone. I did not have my own room or even my own bed but instead just chose to sleep with whoever I wanted to when it came time to go to bed. That seems strange to think of with the way many children today do not even share a room with one sibling. When my last older sibling married and left home, I was moved downstairs to be in a room beside my Momma and Daddy. It was a huge room that formerly was our living room. It had a big picture window in it. One night when it was storming and I laid there all alone I started to get afraid. It wasn't so much the storm but just the idea that I was alone. Jesus came to me in a vision. He was sitting in the window pane with His hands folded and looking up to heaven. He told me I didn't have to be afraid because I was never alone. He was always with me and all I had to do was talk to Him. From that point one, my life changed. Fast forward to today and I am in awe of how He speaks to me. Yesterday He spoke to me through something Dan Bohi said. 

Prayer is preoccupation with our needs...

Praise is preoccupation with our blessings...

Worship is preoccupation with God alone.

I love that! The key word is preoccupation. I want to be preoccupied with God. I want Him to be in my thoughts 24/7. As I live such life, His love will flow out of me. Praying and praising are a part of my life but the greatest part is living a life of obedience to His will. He is first, no matter what else is happening. His ways are the ways I desire to chose. Do I always live such a life? No because I am not perfect as He is but the more I strive to be Christ-like, the less I will not be. Woo hoo! How do I accomplish such a life? By standing on His name and in His love. By asking Him to cleanse me so He can fill me each and every day. I love the way He is described in Psalm 36:5-10 in The Message...

But you, O Lord, your mercy-seat love is limitless, reaching higher than the highest heavens.
Your great faithfulness is infinite, stretching over the whole earth.
6 Your righteousness is unmovable, just like the mighty mountains.
Your judgments are as full of wisdom as the oceans are full of water.
Your tender care and kindness leave no one forgotten, not a man nor even a mouse.
7 O God, how extravagant is your cherishing love!
All mankind can find a hiding place under the shadow of your wings.
8 All may drink of the anointing from the abundance of your house.
All may drink their fill from the delightful springs of Eden.
9 To know you is to experience a flowing fountain, drinking in your life, springing up to satisfy.
In your light we receive the light of revelation.
10 Lord, keep pouring out your unfailing love on those who are near you.
Release more of your blessings to those who are loyal to you.

He is limitless...infinite...unmovable...wise...caring...kind...extravagant... protects... welcoming...filling...satisfying...a revelation...loving...a blesser. I don't know why anyone would not want to be in relationship with Him but I do know people cannot accept Him if we do not share His love with them. People will go to hell for eternity if we do not share His love with them. That is hard to think about but it is the truth. I know I cannot be instrumental in the salvation of all but I do know if God puts an opportunity before me to share His love I need to do so. As I do His will, I will "experience a flowing fountain" and be satisfied. I will receive not only His blessings but He will use me in a new, different way for Him. A few years ago I prayed for God to give me a word for the new year. He gave me the phrase "new, different" and I have been amazed how many times He brings those words to me. There are many people who do not like change. But I see change as a challenge that God will strengthen me through. Something "new, different" is good because it will draw my faith deeper. It will give me a perspective that may not be what I previously had. It may seem impossible to accomplish but nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 19:26). Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being all You are to me! Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for the words from Brother Dan! Thank You for Hope accepting the call You put on her life! Thank You for Adam's visit! Thank You for Doc continuing to be able to eat and feel a little better. I pray You will go before him tomorrow with chemo treatment #5 and strengthen him as You use the chemo to shrink the tumor. I pray for Sally, Gary, and Pastor Tim who are recuperating from heart procedures. Lord, I also pray for Elizabeth and Serena who are recuperating from shoulder surgeries.  I ask that You be very real to all of them. Lord, I pray for the application I completed and sent out yesterday to be blessed. I pray You will continue to give us wisdom with the bills. Thank You for friends who blessed us yesterday through their gift in the mail. Father, would You cleanse me today so You can fill me? Would You take what is ahead in this day and make it new, different? Would You ooze out of me today in a way that would make people desire to have You in their life? I desire for people to see You instead of me. I desire them to hear Your words instead of mine. The only way that will happen is for me to stay in constant communion with You. Thank You Jesus for being My Preoccupation! Amen.