From Worry to the One Who is Worthy 10-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside Your still waters in these first moments of my morning, as You renew my spirit and restore my soul. ... "Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights" (Habakkuk 3:17-19). In the times of lack, You are still worthy of praise. In the times of temptation to give in to worry, anxiety, and fear, You are still worthy of praise. In the times of turmoil, uncertainty, and confusion, You are still worthy of praise. Praising You lifts our eyes from worry and onto the One who is worthy. The arms of our Father are stretched out wide to quiet the hearts and calm the fears of Your children. And the abiding presence of Your Holy Spirit lifts our eyes and our spirits to the One who is our hope and strength, steadying our feet beneath us and guiding our steps forward. I saw an image of traders on the floor of the stock exchange with heads lifted up to watch the numbers rise and fall, along with their hearts and stomachs. That's a picture of much of our nation and the growing impact upon the nations of the world in this time of economic turmoil. Our faces are lifted to the focus of our security and hope. And that exposes the degree of idolatry of our hearts. What is the source and focus of our security and hope -- the strength of our economy, the value of our investment account, the stability of our financial institution, the rescue plan of our politicians, the economic intervention plan of our government, or the certainty of our job? As important as any of these things may be, they cannot be our source or focus of our security and hope. "What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it -- a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! Alas for you who say to the wood, 'Wake up!' to silent stone, 'Rouse yourself!' Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him!" (Habakkuk 2:18-20). In the hours of uncertainty, You remind me to look to the One who is always certain. In the days of discouragement, You call me to look up to the One who encourages me by Your Word and guides me by Your Spirit. "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3). By Your grace, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let (my) foot be moved; He who keeps (me) will not slumber... The Lord will keep (my) going out and (my) coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we stand in agreement in prayer with one another and for one another through these troubled times. Humility before God and dependence upon Him alone to guide us through these days will be keys of the kingdom of God for us (Matthew 18:18-20). I would appreciate your prayers for us this weekend while I lead a Prayer Revival and Time of Healing in Claremore, Oklahmoma, being hosted by several churches in the city and held at the First United Methodist Church, http://www.claremorefumc.org Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Come to The Fountain! this Month on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome! Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com To our friends in Pennsylvania, Laura Beach will be leading a retreat in Millerstown, PA on Thursday, October 23 from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The theme of the day is Kaleidoscopes of Restoration. This day will be a gentle time of healing using the familiar image of the kaleidoscope, a word that comes from the Greek words kalos [beautiful] and eidos [form]. The kaleidoscope takes broken pieces and fits them together. As light shines through its lens, we see a thing of beauty. Through guided prayer, Scripture and reflection, the broken pieces of our lives can be illumined by the light of Christ. It is in that light that we experience restoration. For more information or reservations, contact the Center for Spiritual Formation, via email: formation1@embarqmail.com or phone: 717.240.0678. Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org