Sweet Incense of Worship

wild roses by the bay by Dee Kamp

Sweet Incense of Worship

The summer heat was intense all day long, but then as I was sitting by the open window with evening prayers upon my heart. Then a little breeze blew across the roses in the garden and like a precious ancient incense it swept away the staleness of the day.

“May My prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

Psalm 141:2 NIV

 

The palmist paints a beautiful word picture in this Psalm. Incense was precious to the ancient world and covered the unpleasant odors of everyday life with a beautiful fragrance.

God called for special incense to be a pleasant aroma that would rise up in holy worship to Him.  Incense also speaks of a person breathing out their heartfelt prayers in sweet surrender to the Lord.

Hands lifted up in holy praise to the Lord are hands not busy, toiling or creating something, but raised up in self-less, heartfelt love.

We are able to worship the Lord all the time, no matter our trials, troubles or circumstances. We don’t need to buy, mix or create an incense sweet unto the Lord, for our wholehearted worship is a beautiful and pleasing aroma to Him.

 

“I breathed a heartfelt evening prayer

To God on high, and lingered there,

To see if God did truly care

In heaven above.

Down from the heights, my answer came

A quiet peace passed through my frame,

I felt His presence, praise His Name,

For God is love.”

 R.E. Neighbour

 

“Sweet Incense of Worship” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© July 20, 2015

 

Like Tumbleweeds



Montana fields by Dee Kamp

 

 



Like Tumbleweeds

T

he wind blew dust so thick from the prairie it obscured our vision of the highway. I watched the tumbleweeds rolling along and pile up against the fences. But some were being flipped up in the air by a gust of wind, rolling them out onto the highway, and one smacked hard against our motor home. It felt as if we were in a race to outdistance the tumbleweeds. The highway patrol warned everyone on the radio that tumbleweeds can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

I have seen tourists stop and pick up a tumble weed and toss it in the back of their car for decoration back at home. It’s the last thing a North Dakota farmer would think of doing. They once thought of fencing the entire state of North Dakota to stop tumbleweeds from causing injury, by its thorns, to their horses, and from its ability to carry a prairie fire across many acres of farmland.

The tumbleweed grows until its seeds are mature, then the stem breaks off allowing this perfect ball of a plant to be tossed by the winds and disperse its seeds for miles. Interestingly, science has shown that the plant is so well-created it does not lose all of its seeds on the first bounce, but is designed to let the seeds come loose one bounce at a time. This plant survives because it can bounce to survive in adversity.

 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come our way,

consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know

that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a

chance to grow. So let it grow for when your endurance

is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete,

needing nothing James 1:2-4 NLT.

The tumbleweed has a lot going for it. Endurance allows it to survive, grow, and disperse its seeds. To some, it is a just a nuisance. But now scientists at Utah State University have found that tumbleweeds improve the soil. A tumbleweed trickles chemicals into the soil and this improves the nutrients in the ground, so other plants grow better the next season.

Just like the tumbleweed, we are each designed that in our tumbling we will have the bounce to survive. We are each designed with a great purpose by our Creator. With faith, we are able to disperse seeds of hope, faith, and love. When we roll into the lives of others who live with tired soil in their souls, we are able to nurture them in God’s Word, leaving a place where Christ will grow.

“Thou has made us for Thyself,

And the heart of man is restless

Until it finds its rest in Thee.”

—St. Augustine

 

By Dee Kamp, from: “Strength for Today, Hope For Tomorrow”

Don't Borrow From Tomorrow

 

washtub filled with flowers Sanborn Iowa by Dee Kamp

 







Don't Borrow From Tomorrow!

 

"I'm a professional worrier," my new neighbor recently confessed to me. I discovered this to be sadly true. She was so preoccupied with her worries for tomorrow she couldn't tell you what was going on around her today.

My grandma use to say, "If you borrow a cup of worry from tomorrow you'll lose a pound of joy today."

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

When waves of worry wheedle and worm themselves into our heart, take heart. When we call out the name of Jesus we will sense an instant release from worry that we can never do by our own efforts.

When my husband was often in the hospital for treatments I started carrying a tiny notebook of encouraging Scripture verses to read while time dragged anxiousness thoughts upon me. Oh how sweet a release it is to sense the nearness of the Lord in those moments.

Storing God’s Word in our heart is preferable, but also keeping His Word handy and visible will whisk worry away like sweeping away those dust bunnies from under the bed. Let the Word of God push worry out of the way and allow the Lord’s promises of peace fill up your heart every time.

 

“Said the Robin to the Sparrow:

“I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

“Friend, I think that it must be,

That they have no heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me.”

Elizabeth Cheney

 

“Don’t Borrow from Tomorrow” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© July 6, 2015

A Cup of Encouragement



A Cup of Encouragement

Sometimes the most wonderful reminder of God’s love and the cup of encouragement we need comes as a simple reminder in a little list of what God has promised us.

·       “I will give you rest.” …Matthew 11:28 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

·       “I will strengthen you.”…Isaiah 41:10 NIV “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

·       “I will answer you,”... ”You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.” Psalm 65:2 NIV

·       “I am for you.”… This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:7 NIV

·       “I will provide for you.”… “He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.” Psalm 111:4-5 NIV

God’s Word is a love letter written specifically for us, He is our Father in heaven who adores us.

Come, sit down with a cup of your favorite beverage and take the weight off your feet and your heart. Come away His beloved, rest awhile with Him. He is waiting there on the sofa, on the porch swing, in the garden just for you.

“A Cup of Encouragement” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Moring Ministries© June 24, 2014

 

 

Strength to Rise Above Every Storm



Strength to Rise Above Every Storm

 “The boat was filling up with water, they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master , Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm! Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:22-25 NLT

I listened with intent interest the year I was about ten, to a story around the church campfire about keeping our eyes on God and not the storm.

Our counselor was a great story teller and began by saying, “The weather was changing from sunny skies to skies filled with bulging thunder clouds. The wind was picking up and dust devils spun crazy-like across the fields. People stopped what they were doing to look up at a sizeable storm approaching fast. But to my surprise my grandmother was smiling as she looked up into the sky and was pointing out something there for me to see.”

“What is it?” I asked her squinting hard to see.

“I see the eagle, who looks to God and not the storm. He trusts the Lord to get him above the storm and never worries how he will get through it. “

 He shared how it’s true the eagle does know when a storm is approaching long before it breaks. It will fly to some high area and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is able to soar above it. The eagle doesn’t escape the storm, it simply uses the storm to lift it higher.

As I grew up I found that God does the very same for us. He uses the storm to lift us higher and closer to Him, He uses it to build our strength, our faith and our hope. He may take us around them, high above them, or He may choose to hold our hand tightly to get through them.

 Through the years there were many storms too big for me to fly above, too large to soar over and too powerful to get through on my own strength. I learned God can do all three. He will be right beside us, He blesses us with courage and strength to endure and uses the Holy Spirit wind to rise us above every storm.

“God does not give us overcoming life-He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength….But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.”   Oswald Chambers -My Upmost for His Highest

“Strength to Rise Above Every Storm” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© June 25, 2015

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 [BK1]

Flower Arrangement of Faith



 Flower Arrangement of Faith

When I was about ten years old my best friend’s mother encouraged me to come with them to a flower show way across town. When there they insisted I also enter a flower arrangement for children my age. I laughed at such a thought! But they insisted that any flower and any vase would do fine.

But when I told my mother she laughed and said, “What a foolish waste of time!”

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.” John 15:10 NIV

With no support at home I was filled with doubt and certain I would be an embarrassing failure. But it just so happened at this time in my life, God led me to be with this friend and be a part of her whole family who all loved Jesus.

I was wearing my doubt all over my face and the mother of my friend said to me, “Pray and trust in Jesus.”

As I went to search for flowers, all I could find were some late fall chrysanthemums. I knew not to take any of my mother’s vases and only thing I thought would do was a coke bottle! I hid in the garage as I arranged some sprigs from the pine tree, and a few bright yellow mums. Soon my friend’s mother came and off it went to be judged.

The next evening after our supper mother answered the phone and I heard her say, “What? Say that again. She what? Yes, I’ll be sure and tell her.”

My heart gave a big thump in my chest thinking here it comes, my mother is going to tell me she was right, this was a foolish idea.

 To my shock, mother came over to me and gave me a huge hug and said, “You didn’t tell me what you did! Hey! You won! You won a blue ribbon for the most unusual flower arrangement!”

When we keep our hearts filled with hope, with child-like faith we will always find ourselves continually in the keeping of Christ’s precious love. And sometimes too, our prayers may be rewarded in the most surprising and special ways.

The lesson for me was more than winning a blue ribbon for a few faded flowers in a coke bottle ― it was all about how one flower arrangement filled with faith will make us all winners of God’s great faithfulness.

“When in doubt-pause

When fearful-pause

When weary-pause

When stressed-pause

And when you pause-pray.”  

Anonymous

 

“The Flower Arrangement of Faith” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© June 9, 2015

Sea to Shore



Sea to Shore

A storm was brewing and declaring itself with gusts of wind whirling down from black clouds pressing in fast over the Pacific Ocean. The white capped waves were rolling and crashing high up against the shoreline rocks and bluffs.

 

From the vantage point of the second story window that day I watched as a man and woman strolled slowly along the beach seemingly unconcerned and unaware of the great storm coming  or the power of the sea intensifying up behind them.

 

Did they realize it is God our Creator who draws the imaginary line in the sand commanding the sea to stop and then withdraw again? Did they not know it is He who watches over us along every shoreline we wander?

“…Should you not fear me? declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence?

 I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.

The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.”

Jeremiah 5:22 NIV

One learns to fear and respect the oceans ability to rush into shore past that invisible line of demarcation any time of year along the Washington coast. The locals here will warn all newcomers how the sea can send sneaker waves rushing to shore frighteningly fast and catch a person unaware and it is able to carry them out to sea even after the storms have past.  

 

If we were to write down everything God has created for us, for all He has provided and blessed us with, we could not count or measure them for there would be more than all the grains of sand along the seashores of our lives. Worship lifts us out of self-thinking and reminds us how great thinking about great God is.

“No one ever said at the end of his days, “I have read my Bible too much, I have thought of God too much, I have prayed too much, I have been too careful with my soul.” J.C. Ryle

 

“Sea to Shore” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© June 3, 2015