My Journey To the Heart of God.

I have no idea if you have ever read the Word of God and felt like screaming out with joy, but I have. I have no idea if you have ever read the Word of God and felt like running a race, but I have. I have no idea if you have ever read the Word of God and tears start to flow down your face over the mercy of such an awesome God, but I have.

This morning, I feel all those things. I have NO IDEA why I have never underlined any verses in Psalm 104! BUT, Now I HAVE! 🙂 HE is such an awesome God who speaks to me! My husband and I are taking a huge step of faith right now and I needed the Word more than anything this morning to tell me I was on the right track and assure my fearful and insecure heart that He is with me. I have no desire to go anywhere without Him!

The words I read this morning in Psalm 104, I am going to share. May you KNOW that He loves and cares for you and that He is such an AWESOME GOD! May you be encouraged as I was that when we look to Him to give us everything we need in life, He DOES provide and He DOES NOT withhold any good things from us, His children. The lesson is to trust that He knows way better what is a ‘good thing ‘even if we think we know better.

May you and I live life eating out of His gracious hand today!

Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures…

27 These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.

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      Each deeper push seems harder than the rest.

I am thankful for Your presence Lord,

Yes, I know I am truly blessed.

But for my roots to go down deep

The way seems cold and hard,

A bit scary, a lot steep.

Yet, I know You push me onward,

And onward I will go

Knowing that You love me and standing on Your Word.

Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God of hosts;let your face shine, that we may be saved! 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it;it took deep root and filled the land.

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When I think of my daddy,

The first word that comes to mind is strong,

Not in the physical sense

Although that would not be wrong.

My daddy has an inner strength

Which comes from God above.

He is grounded in the Word

And shows his Father’s love.

My daddy stands straight and tall

Above most men I know

But his character is what is known

 For he has given God his all.

My daddy has been there

Through thick and through thin

No matter how long it took

Or the energy spent.

My daddy went out of his way

To make sure I knew he

Loved me that day!

Thank you daddy for being you!

An example to follow

One of the faithful few!

Your children love to call you theirs!

For you have shown us the most important

Thing is to be Christ’ joint heirs!

Copyright 2010 by Deanna Gott

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Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.

Some of the sweetest memories from the younger days of my children was the conversations we had after a time of hard discipline. I have three very different personalities as far as my children go. My oldest was very strong-headed and yet had such a sweet spirit, meaning, he was never just downright hateful about his rebellion, he just didn’t see the need to obey mom. I remember one time in particular that I had to stay with him almost all day on a certain matter, it took until almost supper that night before he completely submitted to my will. He was only 4. 🙂 After supper, I bathed him and his one-year old brother, and sat down on the couch to read to them. He chose the story of Jonah. After I read it to them, Jeremiah, the baby, was sound asleep, but Nekoda was amazed with how Jonah kept on disobeying God. It was the perfect opportunity to “talk” about his own disobedience. Proverbs 19:18 says “discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” ( I believe that this is inferring that lack of discipline is putting that child to death.)

I was told often by family and friends during Nekoda’s adolescence that I was “too hard on him”, and that he “needed to be a boy”, of course these same people were the ones who were most likely to talk behind my back on how unmanageable Nekoda was and how I needed to get a handle on him. I learned early on that I was not going to please everyone by the way I raised my children, and if that was my goal I would be miserable.

Nekoda will soon be 17. He has the most pursuing heart for Christ of any teenager I have ever met. He sings and makes melody to his Lord, every day, many times a day. One thing I have noticed over the past year is that Nekoda has learned to take rebuke and instruction. If all the people who thought there was no hope for him before could meet my Lord, I believe they would be proud of who Nekoda has become.

This morning I read Psalm 85.

As I was reading about God’s saving and restoring power, I came across this verse. “Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”

At once I saw myself sitting on the lap of my Father, after a time of rebuke, and discipline. He was leaning over me, speaking peace to my heart, but I LOVE the last part, MAY HE NOT LET ME TURN BACK TO FOLLY!!!!

OH! Deanna has had some foolish moments! But the loving Father that I have will keep me in His will if I but seek His face and obey HIM! How I love my Father. How I am thankful for the discipline He has done in my life, even when the world may have thought it was too much!

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Boy, sometimes you just want to give up, don’t ya? I do. The prayers we have prayed for seemingly so long, the desires of our hearts, the never-ending battle with the flesh. Sometimes it just seems like it will go on for far longer then we can do! My husband and I consistently pray for the salvation of certain people, some who think there is no hope, and some who don’t seem to realize they have no hope apart from Christ. Many times it gets tiring. You feel like salvation it SO far from coming, or maybe God just isn’t hearing you with this one.

Psalm 74 spoke volumes to me this morning on this subject of perseverance. The people of God are crying out to Him to DO SOMETHING, show Himself to them and to the nations and enemies around them.

Psalm 74:9 We do not see our signs;
there is no longer any prophet,
and there is none among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the fold of your garment  and destroy them!

12 Yet God my King is from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.

I just love the word, “Yet” in verse 12! You can feel their confusion, the desperation, their souls cries in 1-11, and then the word “Yet” is said. It’s a change of focus. A choice to praise. A choice to look on the character of their God. They remember that He is a God who “works salvation in the midst of the earth.” What does that mean to me? I’ll tell you. It means, when Deanna doesn’t see it, when Deanna doesn’t feel it, when Deanna doesn’t taste it, when Deanna doesn’t smell it, when Deanna can’t even hear salvation coming, IT’S STILL COMING!  I get so dependant on my senses that I lose the faith that God is still at work! Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

No matter what my circumstances are, God is still God. He IS our Saviour. It’s who HE is! And that does not change! He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever! So, when I feel like there is no hope… I have the word “yet” to remind me, OH there is salvation being worked, whether I see it or not.

This encourages my heart so much! My hope rests in the Lord.

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Have you ever had a friendship in which you felt like you could not walk in the Spirit at the same time you were with them? I think we like to put this off on perhaps teenagers making right choices in friends, but the truth is, even as adults friendships can be tricky. As I was reading in Genesis 38 this morning, I was struck by the friendship Judah made with a man named Hirah.

Genesis 38:1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

…In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

 It seems every time we see these two together in this chapter, Judah is found stepping out of God’s plan. The first time we see them, we see Judah take a wife from the land of Canaan, something they were told NOT to do. Then we see him go back to this “friend” and commit immorality with his daughter-in-law, who he thought was a cult prostitute. Now, I want to interject something here; God had a plan, that plan was His Son who came from the blood line of Judah, so He did use him regardless, but it doesn’t negate the fact that it seems Hirah might not have been the best influence over our boy, Judah.

I have had friendships in my life and still do that have led me to a deeper walk with Christ. Those are priceless. However, I have had friendships that almost seemed detrimental to my walk with the Lord from the very start. Perhaps, they were based on the pleasures of the world, perhaps even as much as I thought I could “help” this person, in the end it seemed to be me who needed the help to get out of  that relationship.

When I think about the importance of friendship this verse comes to mind;

Proverbs 12:26The righteous chooses his friends carefully,but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

I don’t know if that makes you consider any of your close relationships right now. You know what I am saying, not that you are not friendly and want to help others, but who do you depend on the most? Who do you run to for counsel? Who is your “best friend”?

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 By: ABBIE GOTT

 Anniversaries is starting new again;

Starting another year

With your wife or husband.

You spend a fresh new day with your spouse

You buy him a coat

 Or he gets you a blouse

But the greatest gift you can give is LOVE;

Especially Christ’s LOVE;

From the Kingdom above.

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I had wondered if it would ever happen

If you really existed

If my world would ever include the love of you ,my man.

I had gone through pain and betrayal

Crying out to Him for healing

And seemingly getting more trials.

I walked into a brick wall

Everywhere I turned

While He was waiting to become my All.

The waiting, the loneliness, the sorrow

 One day it seemed ran into the next

Till I let Him change my tomorrow’s!

I ran into His embrace,

I gave up the fight

All I wanted was to see His face!

He was my Dawn

He was my Noon

He ended my day wrapped in His arms.

Then the day came

You walked in

And my days were never the same.

I spent my days in awe and wonder

This love He has given us

Is like no other.

I am thankful for you Tony Gott,

You are my gift

Gift He has brought.

Not because I deserved you,

But because He loved me so

And this is the truth.

As we walk through another year

My heart is thankful

That He draws us near.

“Nearer My God to Thee”

May this be our prayer

All through this year, number three.

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We have a neighborhood man who has proved to be a bit of a challenge for the Gott family. We are for the most part a quiet, keep to ourselves bunch in the neighborhood. However, this man, Roger, has a learning disability and has been quite attracted to our family since we have moved here. Most of the time we have decent conversations when it is just him and I outside or in the neighborhood, but for some reason I have noticed he likes to try to engage my men in a battle of words. Tony, Nekoda, and Jay all pretty much ignore this, but to me it gets very annoying. Let me explain a little bit; We have been told that Roger has around a 7-year-old mentality even though he is in reality 57. Roger did not have a dad and his mom had serious spiritual issues. So, I figure this has a whole lot to do with who he  is today towards men in general.

Yesterday morning we were about half-way through our run when he came outside to wait for the bus to carry him to “work”. As we neared his house he started his usual chiding my husband “you better work boy, you better quit being lazy”, the words we have all become so familiar with. Tony hollered out over his ipod “Good morning.” I had to smile. I don’t know if Tony actually heard what was said and chose to ignore it or if the Word that was being sung in his ears was so loud that he could only clearly hear it. Whatever it was, God spoke to me about the latter. In Proverbs 8 we are told that Wisdom (aka The WORD) calls out loudly to anyone who will stop to listen. The world with all of its demands also has a loud voice and can over-run what we as children of God are called to hear. So, how do I, Deanna learn to listen to wisdom more than the worlds voices? I believe the answer is simple and yet takes discipline. I have to read what God is saying to me through His word. I have to spend time memorizing it, speaking it back to my soul. I must have that all forgotten sweet hour of prayer in my day. And I have to minimize as much as possible the worlds voices to me. Such as TV, computers, carnal music that speaks to my flesh, and etc. If not, I think I am going to have more and more of the world yelling out enticements, and also discouragements to my spirit then I want.

I plan to walk with my spiritual ipod on today. May God’s voice be louder than all the rest.

Proverbs 8:1 Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.

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Psalm 119:24 Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my counselors.

There is a powerful and destructive teaching that has come in and made the church sick. Actually, there are many, however, this one has me very concerned for many people and most of all for my children (Physical and spiritual). The teaching is this, “As long as we think something sounds right and spiritual, we will go with it and even defend it, never going to the Word for what God says and even getting angry when we are challenged to do so.”

The longest chapter of the Bible is actually about the Bible itself. I happen to love Psalm 119 because in one of my darkest hours, when I needed life restored to my spirit, God used His Word to give it to me. Vs 25. says “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” He did this for me and DOES this for me over and over again.

I am more and more saddened by the fact that believers in God have no idea what God says to them about anything. An issue arises and they tend to run to their closest friend, or perhaps even facebook/myspace to gain counsel for their lives! WHY? When we are given the WORD of GOD, why do we settle for any other counsel?

Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I am not saying all counsel is wrong, but instead, I am saying, unless they back it up with the Word of God, you as a believer have no business thinking that by that counsel you will gain any kind of freedom. Instead, you can bet on the fact that you will be led farther and farther away from freedom and one day (hopefully) wake up in a pit and have to struggle your way out.

Friends, hear my heart, go to the Word. The Word alone is dependable. The Word alone can guide you onto the path that God laid out for you. Quit searching elsewhere. Quit grasping for straw when you can stand on and take hold of the solid foundation of the Word!

We must learn to go to the Word ourselves and teach our children to do the same! No other counsel should be our delight.

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