September 11, 2017 Monday

            I awoke to being weary and my eyes still hurting.  The devastation of Irma as the storm rolled over Florida was terrible but better than they feared.  This morning Irma went from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm.  There is still the aftermath in Texas and Louisiana after the previous hurricane and the horrific wildfires out west.  There is also the storm and earthquake in Mexico.

            All this destruction besides the nuclear fears that North Korea will bomb others, tensions with Russia, China being belligerent and Muslim attacks across most of the world.  We still await the peaceful Muslims to step up.

SEPTEMBER 11 

Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord; 

Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word; 

Once His gift I wanted, now, the Giver own; 

Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.

 Once ’twas painful trying, now ’tis perfect trust; 

Once a half salvation, now the uttermost; 

Once ’twas ceaseless holding, now He holds me fast; 

Once ’twas constant drifting, now my anchor’s cast.

 Once ’twas busy planning, now ’tis trustful prayer; 

Once ’twas anxious caring, now He has the care; 

Once ’twas what I wanted, now what Jesus says; 

Once ’twas constant asking, now ’tis ceaseless praise.

 All in all forever, Jesus will I sing; 

Everything in Jesus, and Jesus everything.

When they had lifted up their eyes,

they saw no one but Jesus only. – Matthew 17:8

From a devotion by Robert J. Morgan, Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns (p. 259). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

            In this hymn which was our devotion for today we are able to face all the above and the grief from September 11^th knowing that if all seems lost IT IS NOT TRUE!  For in our pain, in our loss and in our grief we can know that we have Jesus Christ and we have everything!

            Even as Muslims around the world cheer on the storms and destruction believing Allah has done this, we know that God is blessing in the midst of destruction and even pray that their hearts will be changed!   To the glory of God, My Lord and My Love!!!