Are You There

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful.

[A devotional by A. B. Simpson]

[Three things are notable about this man:

1. His company. "He walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

2. His reading and thinking. "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

3. His fruitfulness. "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."]

As I was reading this devotional my mine keep say, "how true, how true!" I understand the three notable things that A. B. Simpson was writing about in a Godly man. Usually once a month I sing with a business men's gospel group. One of the songs is called "There Is A River." The song talks about a woman at the well who was drawing water. Then she met Jesus there and was never again the same. For lyrics to this song click here to go to another blog of mine.

[The river is the Holy Ghost; the planting, the deep, abiding life in which, not occasionally, but habitually, we absorb the Holy Spirit; and the fruit is not occasional, but continual, and appropriate to each changing season.

His life is also prosperous, and his spirit fresh, like the unfading leaf. Such a life must be happy. Indeed, happiness is a matter of spiritual conditions. Put a sunbeam in a cellar and it must be bright. Put a nightingale in the darkest midnight, and it must sing.]

A lot of people I meet either through the God's Love Outreach Ministry or in my daily life say that I am a happy man. How true that is. I also tell them I chose to be happy but I also believe that choice was the same one I made when I asked Christ to take control of my life. The fruit I am bearing for the Kingdom now is continual. I am drawn less and less to ungodly things as the minutes tick away on the clock. Praise God that my eyes were opened and are now in tune with my heart. My prayer for each reader of this and also those they may not read this, that they can feel as I do if they don't already.

Closer to the Lord
I went up to the mountain top
so closer to the Lord I could be.
My eyes looked in all directions
but my Savior I did not see.

I thought maybe if I yelled
from the top of my lungs,
the Lord would hear my voice
and see how far I’d come.

So as I stood and waited
for my Savior to appear,
I let my heart be still
and waited without fear.

And then within the moment
in my heart He did speak.
Jesus said, “My child,
what is it that you seek?”

I felt His presence in my spirit,
and said, “My Lord with You I want to be!”
Jesus’ love touched me deeply and replied,
I am with you always, even in the valleys.

Jesus said, My Spirit is within you
no matter where you roam,
His love is the same as the Father’s and Mine,
and through Our love it will bring you home.

3/12/2009
E. P. Shagott


From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott