His Look of Love

Photo by Dee Kamp 

His Look of Love

At a women’s retreat last weekend, I was suddenly brought out of my reverie at the beautiful sound of over three hundred women singing How Great Thou Art when I saw a woman walking slowly to the front of the church and then kneel before the wooden cross covered with prayers nailed there.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 12:28

Tears were streaming down her face and her hands shook as she picked up the hammer, then a nail. The dull thud of her pounding that nail in reverberated through my heart as I watched her put up her burdens upon the cross.

A jolt of surprise went right through me at what at what saw there. I didn’t just see two pieces of wood which someone had nailed together for this event ― but I suddenly saw Jesus Himself nailed there!

 I saw the tears in His eyes, I saw Him grimace with the pain of every blow of the hammer. And I witnessed His look of love for this woman who was bent down  weeping before Him. I saw so clearly how Jesus was willing take our pain as His own.

Why the Lord chose to reveal His love for us in such a profound way, I cannot say. I will never see the Cross the same again.

 And I am certain of this, the Lord’s chief desire is to reveal Himself to us in order that we will desire Him more and more, give Him all our burdens that He may bless us with His abundant love, mercy and grace.

“It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits―a faith that comes only from the Son of God.” Oswald Chambers

“His Look of Love” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 24, 2015

From Plowing Fields to Planting Seeds

 

Photo by: Dee Kamp

 

From Plowing Fields to Planting Seeds

Honest questions, thundering statements, tender touches, tough love, that’s our God. Shaking every tree, moving every stone, seeking out the lost sheep in the valley and hills. He’s looking to take us from plowing fields to planting seeds in the hearts of many.

”For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:38-40 NLT

God will get our attention, the choice is ours to turn and follow Him. Isn’t that evident in the Bible? He made a shepherd a king, a humble maiden the mother for His Son. He takes prophets from plowing the fields to planting His Word in the hearts of men.

God is still moving in miraculous ways today, seeking our hearts, not one bit less than yesterday but tirelessly on and on today. God seeks to turn the hard stony soil of our hearts hoping we will make the choice and come to Him.

He has an abundance of seeds to plant in our willing hearts. Seeds of faith and plans for us to prosper. He will take us from plowing fields to planting His Good News, His Word which are the seeds of hope for all mankind.  

Never pushing, but inviting, ever gentle with enduring patience. Step by baby step He leads us to that tender place in His heart that will lead us to have a greater understanding of His miraculous grace and unconditional love.

“…If there are a thousand steps between us and him, he will take all but one. But he will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours. ―Max Lucado The Gift for all people”

Planting Fields to Planting Seeds  by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 20, 2015

 

 

 

 

Constant Prayer Builds Constant Faith

 

photo by: Dee Kamp


Constant Prayer Builds Constant Faith

 

 Our knees may not be bent, our lips may not move, but it’s very good when our spirit is always in the constant act of prayer.  Constant prayer builds constant faith.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

Saintly men and women in the past centuries show us by great example of how they prayed to God without ceasing. St. Frances of Assisi knew how to do battle among the men of his country because he loved to “fly away” and pray.  A man who preached across America on horseback, David Brainerd, spent his time praying endlessly as he rode through the woods and so fulfilled his ministry in a very short time.

 Prayer is said to do one of two things for us. It will free us from the trouble we fear or give us the strength and courage to meet the challenges when it comes.

Focusing on the world brings little change. Focusing on the power of prayer reveals God has the power to change everything.

“Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to be subject of prayer, Prayer reaches down to the least of things of life and includes the greatest things which concern us.” EM Bounds

 

“Constant Prayer Builds Constant Faith” by Dee Kamp, February 19, 2015

 From: Grace Every Morning Ministries— April 20, 2012

 

Shoutn' to Your Mountain

Mt Rainier by Dee Kamp

Shoutn’ to Your Mountain

 When we first bought our little home by the side of the woods our land was barely cleared of trees, bushes and the dreaded thistles. It seemed with each weekend there was yet another stump to move, a delivery of top soil, bark and gravel as we faced one mountain after another. A lot like life, I mused one day digging and moving it around.

“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. How precious is your unfailing love, O God!” Psalm 36:6-7 NLT

 But those piles of rocks and dirt were nothing to the mountains my husband I were to face in the near future. Our mountains of worry were for our children, health and jobs.

 It was in the middle of one of those mountain challenges that I became daily encouraged by the promises of God in His Word.  I learned there is nothing greater before us than the power of our God who is for us. There were times I allowed myself to shout out loud to the current mountain we faced and say, “My God is bigger than you!”

Later on looking back and remembering all God has done for us, I know now what I thought were mountains were mere foothills to God.

So today, go ahead- feel free to do some shout-n’ to your mountain, for our God is mighty and helping us over a mountain or moving it aside is His delight.  

           “God is too good to be unkind, and he is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace his hand, we must trust his heart."―Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Shoutn' to Your Mountain” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 11, 2015

Kee On Keeping On

Bible and Cross Gloritta New Mexico, by Dee Kamp

 

Keep On Keeping On

While the details of our daily life are different, all who approach God in prayer from time to time will question God’s silence. When the minor prophet Habakkuk asked God for what he needed most but still didn’t hear or feel God’s response in any way, Habakkuk found great peace and satisfaction when he realized what God really wanted to give him- God, Himself.

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19 NIV

The last of Habakkuk’s chapters sings of confidence in God. As Habakkuk looks back, as we should do too, he sees how God protected him, sheltered him, and was there for him.

In those dark hard days of my personal sorrow many years ago there was a song that continually played on my radio. It was a secular song, but God used it to encourage me and it helped me to continually have faith in Him for the strength I needed. The song repeatedly said, “Keep on, holding on”.  And that is exactly what I did, and it’s what we need to do too, day by day, hour by hour, and sometimes, minute by minute.

It’s the Lord’s past faithfulness remembered which eases our anxious heart and will motivate us to holding on and believe God is with us.  

“The way God helps us make spiritual progress is by being with us to strengthen and encourage us to ‘keep on keeping on’ in rough times.” ―Joyce Myers Battle Fields of the Mind

“Keep On, Keeping On, by Dee Kamp Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 9, 2015

Overcomers



Seattle Ferry on the Puget Sound by Dee Kamp

Overcomers

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5: 3-5

Sometimes when I am very still and in my quiet time with the Lord I will hear Him whisper great truths. Today, this is what Jesus said in my heart to share with you:

“You are like Noah’s ark which I am continually building to rise above the great flood. First is the frame work, building your faith strong and steadfast in My Word. Then board by board, day by day I strengthen you to endure and overcome life’s circumstances. You are an overcomer because I am the one who overcomes in you. I will give you endurance, I will sustain you to rise above the troubled waters threatening you in this sin filled world. I am the Overcomer you can depend on to redeem you, to lift you above the waters, now and forever.”

Revelation 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is the Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”

 It is with great joy in Christ knowing it is He who overcomes us. Jesus will triumph over all our difficulties and overwhelm Satan, and this world which tries to lead us away from God when we keep our eyes on Him.

Victory is seeing the Cross with Jesus in all circumstances of our daily lives and in this world. When Jesus overcomes us, He changes our hearts and through us He changes the world around us. Celebrate! Rejoice! We are overcomers!

"Out of a very intimate acquaintance with D. L. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater pray-er than he was preacher. Time and time again, he was confronted by obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but he always knew the way to overcome all difficulties. He knew the way to bring to pass anything that needed to be brought to pass. He knew and believed in the deepest depths of his soul that nothing was too hard for the Lord, and that prayer could do anything that God could do. “–Reuben Archer Torre

“Overcomers” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 6, 2015

 

Helping Hands

Helping Hands

When I pray, when I worship the Lord, and when I sing praises to the Him I lift up holy hands to the throne of God. But there have times in my life when I became too weary though my heart was willing that I could not do it alone.

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, one on the other-so that is hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword… Moses built an altar and called it the LORD is my Banner. He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD.” Exodus 17:11-13, 15 NIV

As long as we keep our eyes on God for all we need, as long as we lift up our hands to His throne of mercy, the battles we face, and those of our loved ones will be won through the power and unfailing love of God.

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out, our strength fails. That’s when it is only by God’s divine intervention He will bring along beside us another’s helping hand to rekindle our faith.  .

We never face our battles alone

And when we are too weary to stand

God is our banner, Jesus is our Rock

He will provide for us- a helping hand

 

 

 

 

"Helping Hands" by Dee Kamp Grace Every Morning Ministries, February 4, 2015

 

 

A Flower Called Hope



 

A Flower Called Hope

It was early June and the mountain air in Yosemite Park was still cool and crisp. We were huddled inside our coats as we traveled in the open air tourist tram. It was a fascinating excursion that included a fine lecture by the park ranger at the helm.  

Piled below the giant Sequoias were heaps of snow. “I’m so disappointed,” I said to my husband, “I have little hope now of getting any good photos of wild flowers here, it’s too early in the season and too cold for them yet.”

But little did I know then, God had a surprise coming up just around the bend.

“And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Romans 5:5 NIV

As the tour on the tram drove us through huge Sequoias the park ranger said, “There’s an odd looking red coned shaped flower which we look for with great earnest this time of year. The old legend goes that in these mountains when you first see it, it will give one great hope —for it means winter is finally past! I haven’t seen one yet, so keep your eyes out there for one.”

Not far along we were stopping to observe one of the oldest Sequoias in the land but before my eyes sought this tree I spotted something on the bank across the road. Oh my goodness I gave out a shout, “There it is, the flower you spoke of!”

“That’s it!” the ranger cried out excitedly.  “It’s called the snow flower! But I’d rename it if I could,” she said. “I’d call it, the flower of hope.”

 We can’t see it with our eyes sprouting up under the trees, but faith and hope are real and God will surprise us with its flower just when we need it the most.  

There is no snow too deep, no mountain too high, and no heart too sad or broken for God’s flower of hope to rise within us.

 

“Brave your storm with firm endeavor,
Let your vain repining go!
Hopeful hearts will find forever
Roses underneath the snow.” —Cooper

 

“A Flower Called Hope” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 2, 2015 reprint from: Grace Every Morning, April 10, 2013