Amazing Grace

While in prayer this morning, I was inspired to go to the book shelf to find William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation. The example of the Pilgrims as recorded in this book is very inspiring to me, and with it being our season of Thanksgiving I wanted to read again of them.

I was in wonder at how the healthy ones served those who were close to death:

...There was but six or seven sound persons who to their great commendations, be it spoken, spared no pains night nor day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed them meat, made their beds, washed their loathsome clothes, clothed and unclothed them. In a word, did all the homely and necessary offices for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear named; and all this willingly and cheerfully, without any gruding in the least, showing herein their true love unto their friends and brethren; a rare example and worthy to be remembered. (p. 77)

A footnote on page 132 mentions that the Pilgrims never had a regular fall Thanksgiving Day. However, a law written on November 1, 1636, allowed the Governor and Assistants "to command solemn days of humiliation by fasting, etc., and also for thanksgiving as occasion shall be offered."

One of these particularly solemn days is recorded in a section entitled "More Semi-Starvation".
It records their pains to put in a great crop of corn only to see it wither in drought:

Yet at length it began to languish sore, and some of the drier grounds were parched like withered hay, part whereof was never recovered. Upon which they set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress. And He was pleased to give them a gracious and speedy answer...It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in that abundance as that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked...which did so apparently revive and quicken the decayed corn and other fruits, as was wonderful to see, and made the Indians astonished to behold.

And afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving. (pp. 131-132)


Oh God! How amazing is Your grace! That You heard the humble prayers of our forefathers and sent the rain. Without You we are nothing!

How I Get What I Want

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you: - Matthew 7:7 KJV

How do I get what I want? I nag. There is a time for nagging. What? you say. But what about Proverbs 27:15--A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

Let me explain. When I was a young wife and new mother, I went to visit a friend who was a grandmother. I left our four-month old son with my husband for what was to be a half-day vacation for me but turned out to be only a two-hour break (need I say more?). It was a pivotal day for me though, for in our conversation my friend Bev advised, "Never nag your husband. Nag the Lord instead." This has turned out to be some of the best life-long advice I ever received.

Matthew 7:7-8 says- Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

There is something to be said about consistently seeking the Lord about something that is on your heart.

 
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much James 5:16 records.


Luke 18:1 reads - And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint...

The first memorable time I put this knowledge to use was the time I believed we should buy our first house. My husband Tom and I had purchased a mobile home but were renting the lot it sat on. It was only a matter of time before our mobile home would be too old for it to remain on the lot. I mentioned to Tom that I thought it would be a good time to purchase a small house and then I said no more. I remembered the sage advice of my friend and did not nag my husband!

For about a month (maybe less than that) I sought Father God in the name of Jesus Christ to work within my husband regarding this desire of my heart. I was resigned to God's will in the matter and to submit to His timing.

To my surprise within that short span of time, Tom did what I had been praying for by handing me the newspaper one day and saying, "Honey, why don't you see what you can find in the way of houses for sale since I don't have the time. You do the foot work and then we'll go together to see what you have found." Inside myself I was dancing and jumping up and down for joy--it worked! Nagging the Lord worked!

To be honest I don't always get what I want. However, God's Word is true. If we align our desires with His will, our prayers will be answered in His perfect timing.