Lamplighter

I was in prayer last night and the Lord reminded me of the passage in Matthew 25, concerning the ten virgins. We all have been taught about the wise ones and the foolish ones… but take it a step further.

They were, in essence, the Lamplighters. The ones called to light the way, to keep the oil burning.

If you read the Old Testament, in Numbers 8, God instructed Aaron to set up the lamps of the Menorah so that they would give light in front of the Menorah, originally one of the Most Sacred vessels in the Holy Temple. It was lit every evening by the High Priest.

The Menorah is celebrated to remember the Miracle that happened when the Jewish rebels (the Macabees) took back the Holy Temple from the their conquerors. The enemy had done everything that they could to defile the Temple, including bringing idols into the Temple.

It was made of pure gold, decorated with buds and blossoms.. a vessel of magnificence and beauty. It was made with six outlying branches, and one centered, creating a total of seven lamps. It stood five feet tall.

Every morning, a priest filled the menorah’s seven lamps with the purest olive oil; in the afternoon, he would climb a three-step staircase to kindle the menorah’s lamps. The seven flames burned throughout the night, a symbol of the God’s divine light that radiated from the Holy Temple to the entire world.

Can you imagine the breathtaking beauty of the Menorah, as the sunlight possibly glanced off of it’s golden shadow? The hues would radiate with such a shining aura. Such heart stopping beauty that I can only imagine.

That beauty would remain untouched throughout the day… its luster there for the priest to view. But, other than the High Priest, who was there to partake the beauty? To see its beauty, its perfection? It was, for all intents and purposes, a lamp without a flame. Beautiful but useless.

Then, as the sun began to sink in the horizon, the lamps would be lit. The perfect oil that had been replenished in the early hours of the morning was now put to use.

Now, after the flames were kindled.. the Light was strong. To illuminate the shadows of darkness. The lamp was now fulfilling its purpose, its destiny. An undisputed useless vessel of magnificence had now become a beacon of radiance. A blazing luminescence of Glory. A light to a darkened world. A rising flame in the inky blackness of night.

This is where it gets interesting. To me, anyway. According to Torah Law, an ordinary layman is also allowed to light the menorah. The laws governing the Lighting are a paradox, in the fact that any Jew can light the lamps, but the menorah is located deep within the Holy Temple. It is situated in a place that ordinary men aren’t allowed to venture. Only the High Priest can enter in.

The only way for an ordinary Israelite to light the menorah was if he did so with the aid of long pole, or if the menorah was carried out to where he was, and then replaced back into the Holiest Place.

Without the long pole, an ordinary person cannot reach the lamps to light them.

Being a woman who is vertically challenged, I can relate very well to attempting to reach the unattainable.

I usually climb, or beg someone to reach it for me.

That is the point I am attempting to make today. Without attempting to reach the unreachable heights, we’ll never know if we can achieve our goal. We, as Christians, sometimes have to go beyond our comfort level, to do things that our Lord asks of us.

We can sit all day on a sofa and whine that “I can’t reach it, I can’t do it”, but, until we try, we’ll never know how much that long pole will help us reach our goal. I know that I’ve used several “poles” to obtain things out of my reach.

A few years ago, I would never have imagined that I would be where I am today. I didn’t get here the way I planned, or wanted, but I still arrived. I never thought I’d ever write one book, much less several. I never thought several things in my life would ever happen, but, they did.

As I sit here and type this, I keep thinking about the ten virgins that the Lord used in His parable. Five lamps full of oil… or five lamps that were empty. They all wanted to meet the bridegroom, but some chose not to prepare.

If you think that God has chosen you in any capacity, whether or not you happen to think that you are qualified….then you need to find your pole.

Find a way to reach what seems unreachable. Find a way to obtain the goal that God has laid upon your heart. It is our duty to fulfill the destiny He has shown us. He’ll make sure the pole that we need is within our grasp. He’ll make sure that it’s long enough for us to reach our purpose, our destiny. Fill your heart to overflowing with His most precious oil…. what He offers freely in His Word. Be prepared to reach beyond your comfort level. When your lamp is kindled, let it illuminate the darkness that surrounds your loved ones, your neighbors, your world!

We are His Lamplighters today… we’ve been called, we’ve been chosen, to show His Light, to keep it burning for our children, and for our future. Lord, don’t let me ever let Your Light be extinguished !

Go light your world!!

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

King James Version (KJV)

1 My son, forget not my law;

but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life,

and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:

bind them about thy neck;

write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding

in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes:

fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel,

and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance,

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,

and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;

neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;

even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is

better than the merchandise of silver,

and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies:

and all the things thou canst desire

are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;

and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:

and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth;

by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes:

keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,

and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:

yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,

neither of the desolation of the wicked,

when it cometh.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,

and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour,

seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause,

if he have done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor,

and choose none of his ways.

32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord:

but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked:

but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners:

but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35 The wise shall inherit glory:

but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Proverbs 3

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, keep my commands in your heart;                                                                                         2 for they will add to you many days, years of life and peace.                                                                                                    3 Do not let grace and truth leave you —                                                                                                                                                                                      bind them around your neck;                                                                                                          write them on the tablet of your heart.                                                                                                                                          4 Then you will win favor and esteem                                                                                         in the sight of God and of people.                                                                                                                                                  5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart;                                                                   do not rely on your own understanding.                                                                                                                                         6 In all your ways acknowledge him;                                                                               then he will level your paths.                                                                                                                                         7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom;                                                                        but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.                                                                                                                                                8 This will bring health to your body                                                                   and give strength to your bones.                                                                                                                                                          9 Honor Adonai with your wealth                                                                and with the firstfruits of all your income.                                                                                                                                      10 Then your granaries will be filled                                                                  and your vats overflow with new wine.                                                                                                                              11 My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline                                                                 or resent his reproof;                                                                                                                                                                         12 for Adonai corrects those he loves                                                                            like a father who delights in his son.                                                                                                                                         13 Happy the person who finds wisdom,                                                                           the person who acquires understanding;                                                                                                                                 14 for her profit exceeds that of silver,                                                                                 gaining her is better than gold,                                                                                                                                                      15 she is more precious than pearls —                                                           nothing you want can compare with her.                                                                                                                                               16 Long life is in her right hand,                                                               riches and honor in her left.                                                                                                                                                                         17 Her ways are pleasant ways,                                                                                and all her paths are peace.                                                                                                                                               18 She is a tree of life to those who grasp her;                                                          whoever holds fast to her will be made happy.                                                                                                                        19 Adonai by wisdom founded the earth,                                                                                       by understanding he established the heavens,                                                                                                    20 by his knowledge the deep [springs]                                                                                                                                                                                       burst open and the dew condenses from the sky.                                                                                                       21 My son, don’t let these slip from your sight;                                                                                  preserve common sense and discretion;                                                                                                                                             22 they will be life for your being                                                                                                                                          and grace for your neck.                                                                                                                                                              23 Then you will walk your way securely,                                                                                                  without hurting your foot.                                                                                                                                                24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;                                                                             when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.                                                                                                       25 Don’t be afraid of sudden terror                                                                                                                                                                                        or destruction caused by the wicked,                                                                                                                            when it comes;                                                                                                                                                                                                26 for you can rely on Adonai;                                                                                                        he will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.                                                                                                                          27 Don’t withhold good from someone  entitled to it                                                                                                         when you have in hand the power to do it.                                                                                            28 Don’t tell your neighbor, “Go away!                                                                                                                                                                         Come another time; I’ll give it to you tomorrow,”                                                                                  when you have it now.                                                                                                                                                                29 Don’t plan harm against your neighbor                                                                                       who lives beside you trustingly.                                                                                                                                       30 Don’t quarrel with someone for no reason,                                                                     if he has done you no harm.                                                                                                                                                                     31 Don’t envy a man of violence,                                                                                           don’t choose any of his ways;                                                                                                                                        32 for the perverse is an abomination to Adonai                                                                                                  but he shares his secret counsel with the upright.                                                                                                          33 Adonai’s curse is in the house of the wicked,                                                                      but he blesses the home of the righteous.                                                                                                                                                         34 The scornful he scorns, but gives grace to the humble.                                                                                                                                   35 The wise win honor, but fools win shame.

_____________________________________________

“1 My son, forget not my law;

but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life,

and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:

bind them about thy neck;

write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding

in the sight of God and man.”

Again, we are reminded here to remember His Words.

That if we engrave His Words upon our hearts:

THEN and only then, will we have a life of peace.

His Commandments… His Words, to us,

are to be the very fiber of our souls.

We are to hang on to His Words,

as though our very lives depended on them.

His Words will allow us to live the

life that He wants for us.

A life filled with favor and understanding from Him.

From our Father: our Creator.

Who doesn’t want the favor of their father?

Who doesn’t long for their father’s attention

and understanding?

Long conversations and fellowship with Dad?

“5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes:

fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the Lord with thy substance,

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,

and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Allowing ourselves to think, even for one minute,

that our own intelligence surpasses His,

can be a very tragic mistake.

His wisdom is immeasurable:

our human minds can never comprehend its vastness.

In these verses, we are yet again,

admonished to trust in Him.

To acknowledge His infinite Wisdom, and to fear Him.

Not to cower down in fear of His authority:

simply to honor Him enough to know that

His wisdom is much more vast than our own.

As much as we would honor our earthly parents:

extend to Him the same honor.

As we honor Him, our Father will reward us

with far more than we can imagine.

Even as parents might spoil their favorite child:

so will He manifest His love for us.

“11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;

neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth;

even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better

than the merchandise of silver,

and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies:

and all the things thou

canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;

and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:

and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

Even as parents correct a wayward child,

so does our Father correct our errant,

and sometimes, immoral, behavior.

Our children have to be taught, and corrected,

from the day they are born.

Not to cross the street without looking,

not to touch a hot stove, etc. It’s a continual battle,

at times, to convince them that we know best.

Just like our Father has to convince us.

We correct our children, because we love them.

We don’t want them to get hurt, or worse.

Our Father loves us even more than we love our babies.

He chastens us as we get to close to the edge

of whatever cliff we may be heading toward.

He doesn’t want us to get hurt.

As we learn to trust Him: to follow Him…

we eventually learn the wisdom of not

jumping off that cliff.

Wisdom and understanding can be

elusive concepts to learn at times.

Remember the School of Hard Knocks?

I think I graduated from there… as most of us did.

We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes at times.

Although, when we do achieve that knowledge:

it is indeed more precious than gold.

It saves us from much heartache in our futures.

Hard won wisdom is never

forgotten. Our Lord had much rather we graduate

from His School of Wisdom, than the School of Hard Knocks.

He has much to teach us:

if we only sat down long enough to learn from Him.

“19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth;

by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths arebroken up,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes:

keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul,

and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,

and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:

yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,

neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

If the very Earth, and all therein,

bows down to His Wisdom,

why do we think that we are so

equipped as to not need His direction?

If we only realized our own ineptitude,

and allowed Him to guide our footsteps,

how much more would our lives be enriched?

When His Words teach us that trusting in Him

equals a peace filled existence?

That if we would learn at His feet, we would all be

much more at rest within our hearts and souls.

This world is full of fear and anxiety:

any news media will assure you of that.

In Him, we don’t have to yield,

nor permit, those fears to torment our minds.

That is a tool of the enemy…

to torture our very souls with fear.

One synonym of torment is afflict:

the actual definition of the noun is severe mental distress.

The exact opposite of what our Lord intended for his children.

Never once did He EVER intend for us to live a tormented life.

He is our confidence! He is our validity!

“27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,

and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour,

seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause,

if he have done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor,

and choose none of his ways.

32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord:

but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked:

but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”

As much as our Father extends His Mercy to us, we need to

extend that same mercy to all of humanity.

If we are blessed more than others,

how can our hearts be hardened

to the plight of the less fortunate?

Let us not become so callous as to

ignore the pain of someone.

Nor let us become so envious of the more fortunate

that we become resentful of their wealth.

It isn’t worth it.

Let us not waste our lives by being jealous of

someone who might choose an easier path.

If indeed they become your persecutor:

remember Who was persecuted for you.

Who was crucified that you might live.

Who suffered more pain than you probably ever will.

HE is our Defender: our Champion.

HE is the Winner.

We may endure battles:

HE wins the war!

Proverbs 2 : 12 -22

Proverbs 2 : 12 -22
King James Version (KJV)
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
12 They will save you from the way of eviland from those who speak deceitfully, 13 who leave the paths of honestyto walk the ways of darkness, 14 who delight in doing eviland take joy in being stubbornly deceitful, 15 from those whose tracks are twistedand whose paths are perverse. 16 They will save you from a woman who is a stranger,from a loose woman with smooth talk, 17 who abandons the ruler she had in her youthand forgets the covenant of her God. 18 Her house is sinking toward death,her paths lead to the dead. 19 None who go to her return;they never regain the path to life. 20 Thus you will walk on the way of good peopleand keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land,the pure-hearted will remain there; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,the unfaithful rooted out of it.

We all have heard the idiom that experience is the best teacher, I am sure. To take that one step further: as we become older and more experienced, we become wiser. God’s Word teaches us here that if we seek Him, He will impart this wisdom to us. As previously posted, “if we if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment”, “then you will understand the fear of Adonai and find knowledge of God.” We see in these verses today, that God-given wisdom will also save us from the way of evil. It will save us from the liars that will attempt to fill our heads with their myriad deceptions. To be caught in such a web of dishonesty can be very detrimental to your well being. For so many reasons. I know from my own experience, having been on that path. It can cause heartbreak, self hatred, loss of any confidence that you may have ever had. You end up believing all the fabrications that you have been told. Even though you realize, deep within, that it is a lie: you still believe it. To do anything else would be admitting that you placed your trust in something that was beyond damaging to your very soul.
I think that we all have felt that way, at some point in our lives. God would not have us go through that: if we would only allow Him to guide us. To listen to His still small voice.. to seek Him… to seek His Wisdom. We cannot be among the “none who go to her return;they never regain the path to life.” We have to cry for His wisdom: search for His discernment so that we will not be the ones who “forgetteth the covenant of her God.” We all strive daily to know Him more: I pray that we all do. To be among the “will walk on the way of good people and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, the pure-hearted will remain there;”.
My heartfelt prayer for all of us, myself included, is to be part of the righteous…..to be one of those who can truly call Him Father. May all of you be Blessed by Him as we seek His Wisdom together in this life.

Proverbs 1:31-33

King James Version Proverbs 1:31-33
“31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

Complete Jewish Bible Proverbs 1:31-33
“31 So they will bear the consequences of their own way and be overfilled with their own schemes.
32 For the aimless wandering of the thoughtless will kill them, and the smug overconfidence of fools will destroy them;
33 but those who pay attention to me will live securely, untroubled by fear of misfortune.”

It seems that we have learned in this chapter that seeking His Wisdom is vastly more important to our own well-being than seeking our own mindless pleasures.
For in seeking HIS Wisdom; we only enhance our lives, instead of the opposite. Whatever we may do to “chase our dreams” without Him seems to generally fail. Is it that we place too much importance on “chasing our dreams” and not enough importance on seeking Him? “So they will bear the consequences of their own way and be overfilled with their own schemes.” Sounds a bit familiar in this world. Sadly, I have met a few people who were convinced that their own self-importance took more precedence in this life than any mere wisdom learned by prayer and seeking Him. I imagine that you have met people like that, too.
“For the aimless wandering of the thoughtless will kill them, and the smug overconfidence of fools will destroy them;” How many time have we seen a project fail when the master mind was so filled with his own confidence and self-worth that he “couldn’t see the forest for the trees”? Time after time, we can all become so blinded by our own egotism that we fail miserably in our attempts. When we become so self-absorbed in our own arrogance that we believe we are right and everyone else is wrong.
“but those who pay attention to me will live securely, untroubled by fear of misfortune.” In those Words; we have His Promise. Through Him we will not fail! When we stop long enough in our hamster wheel of life… we might actually see HIM! We might see His Glory when we take off our self-imposed blinders of self-importance. When we seek Him.. when we pay attention to Him… all other things become much more insignificant. We learn to live securely in Him.. without fear. Our Trust is in Him…the One Who holds the world in His Hands! The One Who created the world!
Who better to trust than the One Who is I AM? The One Who is Alpha and Omega? The One Who is EVERYTHING?

Proverbs 1:3-7

(The Complete Jewish Bible) Proverbs 1:
“3for gaining an intelligently disciplined life,
doing what is right, just and fair;
4 for endowing with caution those who don’t think
and the young person with knowledge and discretion.
5 Someone who is already wise
will hear and learn still more;
someone who already understands
will gain the ability to counsel well;
6 he will understand proverbs, obscure expressions,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

(King James Version) Proverbs 1:
“3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

In my previous post, I discussed the value of “perceiving the words of understanding”. For without perception, reading is a fruitless endeavor. It is a pointless past time. To understand is to fully grasp. Then, we must receive that knowledge. Otherwise, it is simply as  seeing an expensive gift in front of you, but, never reaching out to take it. By receiving it, we “gain an intelligently disciplined life”. We are also equipped to endow with caution those who don’t think and the young person with knowledge and discretion. In other words… those who learn .. TEACH. Sound familiar?
I remember many nights studying over homework that seemed to be beyond my grasp. My father told me, very often, “when you finally see it… it will be as though you always knew and understood.” I had my doubts, but, once again… he was right! Once I grasped that evasive tidbit of knowledge… I had no problems figuring out the rest!
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels”. We must always strive to learn.. to seek those who are more knowledgeable than we are…
We cannot allow ourselves to stagnate in our quest for wisdom and perception. “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” Our quest for the unknown is never ending…. otherwise, we would not have researchers, or scientists… or engineers… or teachers. If we learn, and if we perceive that which we have learned… then and only then… can we gain an intelligently disciplined life in order to endow the younger generation. Always remembering that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”.
For if we do not fear Him… if we do not stand in awe of His Omnipotence…. His Eternal Wisdom…. then our very lives are in vain. We were made to worship Him, in understanding, and in Truth. I will not willingly be a fool who despises wisdom. Teach me, Oh, Lord, Your wisdom.

God is Able

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us ” . This verse has been on my mind all day. No matter what we ask of God… He is MORE than able to give us what we ask… and even more than we ask. Remember that old adage ” Be careful what you pray for; you might get it” ? How very true those words are. Sure, we all WISH for riches and untold wealth… but realistically, when we really, really pray…. He hears us. He answers in ways that usually boggle my mind. When our very souls cry to Him.. He is always there.. right on time. He will NEVER let us down.. Not ever. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. He is more than enough.