"After the rain"
The gentle rain
is best for all,
So a gentle word
and a gentle touch,
To a tender heart
can mean
so much.
The gentle rain
is best for all,
And least harmful
when
it
falls;
So a gentle word
and a gentle touch,
To a tender heart
can mean
so much.
A gentle tongue is a tree of life. - Proverbs 15:4
My grandson Forerunner turned nine months old on July 20.
One character trait of Jesus that I really love is His gentleness.
These bible verses speaking of the gentleness of Jesus are among my favorites:
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant...
- Isaiah 53:2
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
- Isaiah 53: 7
He will not cry out,
nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
- Isaiah 42:2-3
Take my yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
- Matthew 11:29
So, today before July comes to an end, this is my prayer for Forerunner as he turned nine months old on the 20th day of this month.- Isaiah 53:2
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
- Isaiah 53: 7
He will not cry out,
nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
- Isaiah 42:2-3
Take my yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
- Matthew 11:29
Gentleness, or kindness, is part of the nine-fold fruit of the spirit. It is related to meekness and humility. The world today is badly in need of this character trait.
We live in an era of "if it feels good, do it" mentality. Wherever we go, we see people who believe in the me-first, and satisfy your thirst religion of self.
Where such a creed is espoused, gentleness is sadly missing from its core values.
Where self is on the throne, worshiped and adored as an idol, there is hardness of heart... a critical, judgmental and demanding spirit.
One that seeks to build the kingdom of self lays it on a foundation of pride, the very anti-thesis of a meek and gentle spirit.
The Bible talks to us about the gentleness of Jesus. How freeing, how refreshing the spirit of gentleness is! How willing it is to overlook an offense, how easily it forgives another person's fault.
A gentle rain, a gentle lamb, a kind word, a tender touch, a loving gaze, a helping hand... these are just some of the things that remind me of the gentleness of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Where such a creed is espoused, gentleness is sadly missing from its core values.
Where self is on the throne, worshiped and adored as an idol, there is hardness of heart... a critical, judgmental and demanding spirit.
One that seeks to build the kingdom of self lays it on a foundation of pride, the very anti-thesis of a meek and gentle spirit.
The Bible talks to us about the gentleness of Jesus. How freeing, how refreshing the spirit of gentleness is! How willing it is to overlook an offense, how easily it forgives another person's fault.
A gentle rain, a gentle lamb, a kind word, a tender touch, a loving gaze, a helping hand... these are just some of the things that remind me of the gentleness of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Forerunner, I bless you today with a heart that is gentle, meek, and mild.
This is the character trait of Jesus that gave Him the willingness to come to earth, not considering equality with God a thing to be grasped, but taking the form of a bondservant, humbling Himself and becoming obedient to the point of death.
How I pray that you will have this very important character of being a servant-leader in God's kingdom.
My dearest grandson Matt, may you never be consumed by a sense of entitlement, or holding on to this life as a right, being weighed down by a prideful and demanding spirit.
Rather, I pray that you may go through life with open hands,
...always willing to give the other person the benefit of the doubt,
...offering the other cheek to him who strikes you on the one cheek,
...not withholding even your very tunic to anyone who takes away your cloak. (Luke 6:29)
This is living out the character of Jesus, not just in words, but in practice.
May you have a benevolent heart, generous with your praises, kind in your judgments, and ever willing to extend a helping hand to anyone in need.
May your words be life-giving and your tongue be gentle, indeed may your presence bring peace and hope into any environment that you enter.
May you have an understanding heart that sees beneath the surface.
I declare that a selfish and greedy spirit will never consume your heart.
May you learn as you grow up what it means to walk the second mile with a brother who is in need of your company.
May this world's goods never become the source of your joy, enabling you to freely share them with others.
May you never go through life with a self-protective barrier around your heart, but having a freedom to be vulnerable, knowing that Jesus is the hedge of protection and wall of fire around you.
How I desire for you to grow up to be a gentle man of God, one who is easy to be entreated, yet never compromising your Godly values!
May you be angry only for the right reasons, never giving the enemy a foothold into your heart.
May you never have a spirit that keeps grudges and holds on to hurts, may it never enter your heart to keep a record of people's wrongs, but just easily release them by maintaining a forgiving spirit.
Oh, there are so many things I desire for you my dearest grandson in the name of gentleness, kindness, and meekness.
Dear heavenly father, is this too much to ask? I don't think so. I plead before you now: may this little boy's parents, and members of his extended family give a good example to him as his values and perception of the world are just being formed.
Dear God, honor the prayers of a grandmother's heart for her grandson, to the end that You alone be lifted up and given the glory.
Amen.
Nine months old!Forerunner, just before going into the children's pool at Mambucal Resort.
Taken last Sunday, July 26, 2009
And be kind to one another,
tender-hearted,
forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- Ephesians 4:32
tender-hearted,
forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- Ephesians 4:32
15 comments:
Forerunner is such a cute little baby.
May the Lord cause him to grow in mind and body and spirit and as he grows in all aspects of his life may he draw close to God.
He is just beautiful and so is your prayer for him. A praying grandmother is a wonderful gift.
You are so wise to cover your family in prayer. They will be your legacy and a blessing to others. Your grandson is so precious .. give him a gently kiss and squeeze from me.
Hugs,
Lidj, He is absolutely adorable! What a wonderful grandma you are! You are preparing the way for him in prayer. He will be blessed because of you for all eternity. Thanks for sharing his picture with us!
Christy
Lidj,
What a beautiful grandson you truly have. You are blessed beyond measure with such a wonderful family!
This post is so true today that we should all be looking for a kind spirit. Especially in the world today, too many of us forget the person(s), that helped us get where we are today.
We remember what it was like to struggle but now in the midst of success we fail to look back and help those that got us where we are today.
I pray that God will constantly tug on my heart string and remind me to be kind and considerate and remember people that helped me get where I am today.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
I am asking in advance....will YOU write letters to MY grandchildren some day?
Lidj, you should have sort of category or new blog with just your prayers and blessings so I can download and print them for my children
How blessed Matt is..and your children...
love the pics..
Lidia, you might as well not try hiding the fact you are madly in love with your God and your family. Bless you for sharing both with us. What a handsome little guy, full of joy and promise. This is a beautiful story, indeed.
He's beautiful!
He's blessed. To have you as his grandmother.
And his prayer warrior.
I appreciate your understanding of scripture.
And prayer.
And our loving God.
Sweet dreams.
Your posts are like the freshness after the storm! Your grandson is so beautiful(When boys are little, they are beautiful).
I just want to thank you for your kind encouragement. I value the words from your heart in your posts! They are such a blessing.
I have a lovely blog award for you over at my site, a hug of encouragement like the words you give me! Come by and pick it up:
http://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2009/08/01/%e2%99%a5-a-beautiful-blog-hug/
He's a great lad!
Moses said, "My doctrine shall drop as rain, My speech flow down as dew, As small rain upon the tender herb, and as showers on the grass". After the flood rain in the scriptures is almost always blessing.
what a little sweetie!
and what an encouraging post ...
blessings on you!
What an adorable child! But then children that are covered in prayer are usually beautiful for it molds their spirit.
You are a wise grandmother and you have blessed me by sharing the gentle prayer you cover him with before God.
thank you for sharing.
Elsie <><
Hello, my dear friend....
How precious is your sweet grandson... How precious are your words and prayers!
Thank you for your sweet words on my blog. I have been waiting for words to come.... finally they did. Yet I feel I have barely touched the surface of what Papa God is speaking into me... How do I get it all out? One word at a time...
My daughter is fine now. She had a scare there for a little bit. We watched to see if the poison would get into the tissue and need surgery. But God's hand went before her... Only one fang of the snake got into her foot.... thankfully, lessening the amount of poison.
She is my daughter that is getting married in Oct. We are thankful for the protection of Papa God.
I have a question for you, friend. You said, maybe sometime I could write about the rescue. Can you expound on that. What were you thinking when you wrote that.... Maybe it will inspire words out of my heart. There are SO many buried in there....
Love & Hugs sent your way!
Oh, thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving such a kind comment. How refreshing it is to come to yours and read about your precious Forerunner and what you have to say about kindness and gentleness. You are so right when you say our world needs so much more of them both today. So many are so concerned about 'self' and not about others. It is so sad to see.
Thank you for being such a blessing to others through your wonderful blog. I can't wait to read more. I will be back again soon.
Have a wonderful weekend, my new friend!
Blessings,
Teresa <><
http://toomanyheartbeats.blogspot.com/
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