“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)
Psalm 56:6-9 (The Message)
5-6) They don’t let up—
they smear my reputation
and huddle to plot my collapse.
They gang up,
sneak together through the alleys
To take me by surprise,
wait their chance to get me.
7) Pay them back in evil!
Get angry, God!
Down with these people!
8) You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
each ache written in your book.
9) If my enemies run away,
turn tail when I yell at them,
Then I’ll know
that God is on my side.
God is our Accountant and our Vindicator! He is willing and ready to heal our every hurt and pain. He wants to restore to us everything that has been stolen. But, have we paused recently to think about what it would be like if we were on the opposite side of God being our Accountant and Vindicator? Have we wronged others? Have we said things about others that smear their reputation or gang up with others to cause people or groups of people to fall or to look small so we can walk in pride?
Matthew 12:36 NIV “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”
Romans 14:12NIV “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
By the way accountants subtract as well as add, don’t they? Vindicators prove who is right and who is wrong, don’t they?
thedailylily.com 
Yes, accountants do subtract. If our ledger account is full of debits we may ask why we fast and pray, as they did in Isaiah 58, and God doesn’t notice, hear or answer us. There’s a condition to God’s promises…usually, an ‘if’ or a ‘but’. It looks like in Isaiah 58 they were doing what this blog says… “If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,”….(vs 9)
then,,,”I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.” (vs 11 message)
This blog is helpful in enabling us to trace back our debits/minuses and credits/pluses so we can get on the right side if we are on the opposite. We do need to take a daily accounting. Thanks.
When we read of these things in the Bible we acknowledge them and give our assent to the truth of these Words. But these words have come to roost very close to home, very recently. Being responsible and being accountable is urgent for we never know when the Lord will call us to stand before HIM at the Bema Seat of Christian Judging. We will ALL stand before Him when we are released from this body and we will either watch our deeds and works be burned up or we will receive the rewards of works well-done as good and faithful servants.
I think of my godly brother who was suddenly taken home to be with His Savior, yesterday morning. He and I had talked about being prepared
if ever he might be called home. I praise God that confessions were made, repentance and forgiveness all around and making right the situations that needed to be attended to.
Rest in peace, my lovely brother. You have run the race, well. You have fought the good fight of faith. You have finished your course. I pray that you are receiving the victor’s crown prepared for you before the beginnng of time. You and Sister Grandma are rejoicing with the angel bands in Heaven and your feet are like hinds’ feet as you dance before your LORD
I have footnotes for Matt 12: 34-36: “Jesus reminds us that what we say reveals what is in our heart. What kinds of words come from your mouth? That is an indication of what is in your heart. You can’t solve your heart problem, however, just by cleaning up your speech. You must allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with new attitudes and motives, then your speech will be cleansed at its source.”
The footnotes for Romans 14: 10-12 says: “Each person is accountable to Christ, not to others. While the church must be uncompromising in its stand against activities that are expressly forbidden by Scripture (adultery, homosexuality, murder, theft), it should not create additional rules and regulations and give them equal standing with God’s law. Many times Christians base their moral judgments on opinion, personal dislikes, or cultural bias rather than on the Word of God. When they do this, they show that their own faith is weak; they do not think that God is powerful enough to guide his children. When we stand before God and give a personal account of our life, we won’t be worried about what our Christian neighbor has done.”
“Many times Christians base their moral judgments on opinion, personal dislikes, or cultural bias rather than on the Word of God.” from footnotes from Neeedles above comment. Gee, this comment alone is enough sin to send you in the wrong direction! CULTURE BIAS, personal dislikes and our opinions…..help help help…..
As I was writing the above thoughts, my mind flashed with way too many thoughts but then a song came flooding through my soul and saved me from going off the deep end! Sing with me:
His name is higher than any other,
His name is Jesus, His name is Lord.
His name is Wonderful,
His name is Counsellor,
His name is Prince of Peace,
The mighty God.
His name is higher than any other,
His name is Jesus, His name is Lord.
MG, family and friends…We are all so sorry about Eugene’s departure from your life and the life of his family, church, and friends but we believe heaven is aglow with joy! Our prayers for Pastor Norris and Mark as they make the appropriate arrangements for the service(s) celebrating Eugene’s life. We will continue to pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for all that knew Eugene. The grace of Our God to greet each loved one and the mercies of Our Lord to serve as a daily reminder of the love of Jesus that was made available at Calvary. May Gene’s life be a beacon as a reminder that God reaches out to anyone that will receive His continuous flow.
CCI and thedailylily.org sends their continuous love, support and prayers. Be strong, be brave, be courageous and do it all in the power of OUR MERCIFUL LORD.
from Needles comment above: “I have footnotes for Matt 12: 34-36: “Jesus reminds us that what we say reveals what is in our heart. What kinds of words come from your mouth? That is an indication of what is in your heart. You can’t solve your heart problem, however, just by cleaning up your speech. You must allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with new attitudes and motives, then your speech will be cleansed at its source.”
Am I understanding this correctly…the mouth reveals the heart and the heart reveals the mind. Therefore, reason (by using your mind) with your attitudes and motives about issues and then the heart will be happy and the mouth will bond with the heart. Am I getting it or not?
Sara, it seems to me that you get it and hopefully I am understanding what you are ‘getting’ because if we can get it, I believe it can help make our words productive, our motives pure and our minds sound.
I find that my own wrong thinking because of past experiences, wrong ways I may have learned something, the marks of past sins needs to be corrected. Proverbs talks a lot about how important getting understanding is and that it’s linked to wisdom and Truth. Sometimes I get understanding about my wrong attitudes and motives by reading God’s word and ‘reasoning’ with Him. But much of the time it comes through annointed sound Biblical teaching that brings revelation knowledge by the power of the Holy Spirit…much of the time through your own teaching and this website. Once, through reasoning, I get the correct understanding than I can choose to be obedient/heart change/mouth change.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Prov 23:7
I found your comment on ‘Money Vs Character’ on Aug 25 a helpful example in explaining something about this also. …..”blogging gives each of us an opportunity to write, evaluate, dialogue and really search our thinking and actions.
We have quoted Isaiah’s words recently, ” …if we be willing and obedient we shall eat the fruit of the land.” But, let’s examine how we become willing and obedient, my favorite part of the verse…Isaiah 1:18 (NCV) “The Lord says,
“Come, let us talk about these things.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they can be as white as snow.
Though your sins are deep red,
they can be white like wool.
19 If you become willing and obey me,
you will eat good crops from the land.
20 But if you refuse to obey and if you turn against me,
you will be destroyed by your enemies’ swords.”
The Lord himself said these things.”
Love you Wendy, you talked by blogging and reasoned with your thoughts and the thoughts of others and made adjustments. Truth was and is supreme to you. I pray you are blessed with good in your life and the life of your family.”
MG my heartfelt sympathies go out to you and your family and my love and prayers with those that Sara wrote above.
If a person is wise (working hand in hand with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit – being obedient) they will think before they act (self-control) – Proverbs 13: 16 This will bring about happy heart and bonding with the mouth.
Persons I have seen who are wise, humble and have renewed their minds daily in the Lord don’t speak wasteful words. They have patterned their lives after Christ and they seem to possess a deep happiness and peace in all types of circumstances. They seem ‘togther’, a whole person, walking grounded in God’s will…and it must be because the mind, heart and mouth are in unity with the Lord. Reminds me of the ‘living sacrifice’ person Romans 12:1-3 exhorts us to be:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
MG, may the Lord comfort you and help you through this difficult time. Your brother has a beautiful new body and is Jesus’s arms now safe from any more danger. Like Job the Lord has prepared a feast for him and he will be happy for all eternity. Praise you Lord for your knowledge of what is best for us and praise you Lord for your beautiful will. I Love You, MG. God Bless You and Your Family.
Sara, as I was reading this blog, I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears. Just to sit here and think that God loves me so much and that I am so important to him that he has collected my tears. I know God is very busy and it is amazing to me that He collects not just my tears but everyone’s tears. I am a mother of two boys and I love them with all my heart and I know them very well, but I don’t know them like God knows them. I love the Lord with all my heart and I repent of any wrong doing that I have ever done or said aganist another. Lord, I beg for forgiveness. I know that you love me and you are my accountant and vindicator, but Lord I never want to be on the opposite side of you. If I am on the opposite side of you, then I am your enemy. I never want to be your enemy, Lord, not even for a second. Please help me to control my tongue and actions in every situation. Help me to be strong and bold for you Lord and Lord help me to turn from temptation. I praise you, Lord and humble myself before you. Hold my hand Lord cause I can’t take one step without you. I love you Lord and I thank you.
Chickenfarmer, I feel the same way. I want nothing between my Savior and my soul. When I pray for myself and others I want to believe that I can quickly access the throne of God.
Thank you for acting on behalf of our Wonderful Heavenly Father when I and many others need help. I prayed and asked for favor when I needed a car to drive and could not find one. You heard my hearts cry and answered with meeting my need. I know you heard from God because not even a friend most of the time would even think to help. And, if the Holy Spirit asked them they and myself would have all kinds of excuses why we couldn’t. But, not you. You not only gave but gave your best. Many thanks…..and may God always give His best to you and family.
Dearest Lilies,
Thank you so very much for your kind condolances concerning my brother Gene’s passing from this earth. He was a gentle giant…not perfect by any means, but compassionate beyond belief. He saw the poor, the homeless, the destitute, the unlovely through the eyes of Jesus Christ.
He saw what God saw and he loved them because Christ loved them and he loved Christ. He saw what others were not gifted to see.
Many people came to give testimony concerning how he helped bring them to the Lord, brought them food, went out after them when they were fallen on the streets of his town. He brought them into the house of the Lord and several are now church going Christians with jobs and planning on getting married and building a life.
His eulogies are inspiring. He ignored the nay-sayers and reached out to people, some who were populating the gutters, living in the parks, under bridges and in refrigerator boxes behind the grocery store.
I heard stories I had not known about before. In the end he did not have much except a legacy to deposit in and for the Kingdom of God.
As a beautiful colleage of his remarked at the funeral, Gene was a seed planter. And he planted seed throughout the church and the community and there is coming a harvest….a great harvest.
farewell, good and faitful servant. Greet Sister Grandma and keep on dancing till we get there. I love you, my brother, my gentle, kind brother.