Lover of Fruit

 

I aim to follow YOUR rule and law

Though I be saddled with

Problems of my clayish flaw

Because I know that if

I hold on to and maintain-

Fruits of the righteous

I will attain.©

(Based on Isaiah 3:10)

********

Be blessed.

Walking by faith,

A Fixer

 

When I see a situation that is troubling, I tend to want to fix it. I guess I am what could be called a word fixer. Isaiah says it best when he refers to my gift as having the right words. See scripture below:

Isaiah 50:4 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

4 The Lord God gives me
the right words
to encourage the weary.
Each morning he awakens me
eager to learn his teaching;

Now, I don't wonder anymore as to why people seek me out to talk to me about their problems or why I feel driven to attempt to say the right words at certain times; why I feel driven to write poems for certain situations in honor of people who have made a great contribution to the church, whether locally, nationally or globally.

Having said that, you now understand why I feel driven to speak about Covid-19 as I did on my Twitter feed today.

 

I am the way that GOD made me

And I do try to give it my all

So, when I wake up, whether

In the wee hours or no

I write to try to place thoughts

On your heart for you to take

With you, each place that you go.

Yes, I know I have a job that

I have been assigned to do

And I take that job seriously because

One day, reckoning time will come due.

And I want to be able to say that I

Tried hard to leave seeds of light

With brand new sparks

In every heart that I found enshrouded

In the discouragement of the dark.©

********

 

Everything?!

 Usually, one does not punctuate the title of a piece; however, it is permissible if it is needed for clarification or emphasis. I have heard often enough in my life the scripture that says, "Let everything that hath breath, praise the LORD." When I was a child, it used to tax my mental faculties sore as I tried to figure out how anything other than a human being could do that. I mean, the lower animals have breath, but they can't praise HIM because they can't talk, right? I just figured it was a way of making sure that all human beings knew that it was imperative that we praise GOD. That was the way I reasoned it out in my head and never thought much about it until my trip through Psalms this time around.

Then I read the last three chapters of Psalms today, and my mind was agog. You might say, "Well, Alma, it does not take much to put your mind agog," and you would be right. But when I explain what had me agog this morning from my reading, your mind will be agog, too.

Here is the text that had me agog:

Psalm 148 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
² Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
³ Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
⁴ Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
⁶ He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not pass away. (O-o-oka-ay...?)

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;
⁸ Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
⁹ Mountains and all hills;
Fruit trees and all cedars;
¹⁰ Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged fowl;
¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
¹² Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above earth and heaven. (Wow! Yes, this scripture threw me beyond my childhood memories of wondering about the animals and whether or not they could praise!)

I mean, there are some things that most everybody knows and accepts, right? Uhm hmm, well you can see my astonishment when thinking about the things listed below being able to praise the LORD:

• sun, moon
• stars
• highest heavens
• water above the heavens

That is a list of what astonished me about praise from the heavens. Now here is my list that astonished me about things on the earth in reference to praising GOD:

• sea monsters and all deeps (so much for wondering if they were real)
• fire and hail, snow, clouds
• stormy winds
• mountains and all hills
• fruit trees and all cedars
• beasts and all cattle
• creeping things and winged fowl

Now, I know why I was led to pen the book, W.O.W. created w.o.w. The WORKER OF  WONDERS created a woman of work.)

And I will remember as long as I can formulate coherent thought that, as HIS creation, we are to offer the LORD praise. I mean, if a mountain that does not live, as far as I know, can offer praise, then we as the talking part of HIS creation better take note and do what we have been told repeatedly in the book of Psalms, "Praise the LORD." And let's not forget the thanksgiving.

My mind is still agog thinking about a hill being able to speak and so forth. HIS glory is above heaven and earth. WOW! Be blessed.

Because of what through

The Scriptures I see

I think, "Oh, what manner of

Praising people we ought to be.

 

For, how can a mountain, a hill, a tree, etc.

Praise the LORD for HIS work

Pray tell me how these things can be?

Yet, it is commanded, so it must be so

It's just too deep a thing for me to know

And neither can I understand how a star

The sun and the moon can praise

But they offer their praise, too

And that goes back to my first thought

Concerning the amount of praise that

You and I should do.

Praise to YOU, LORD, for YOU do all things well

And that is why I allow praises from my lips to swell!©

********

Winds to Blow and Waters to Flow

 

Well, I am close to finishing up my stroll through Psalms, and I must say that I enjoyed my walk this time around more than in years past. I think the difference is that I took the time to make it palatable to you, and that made me put it into a strolling down the garden path format. Whatever the reason, it was enjoyable, and I hope that our time in it has blessed you in your life's walk. Tomorrow will be my last work from my stroll through Psalms for a while.

I may do Isaiah, Romans, or Hebrews next; however, I am open to doing whichever book you might be interested in my tackling. If you have a preference, let me know via this blog, and I will attempt it. At any rate, I appreciate the courtesy of your readership and hope that my thoughts generate productive thoughts in your heart as we make our trek toward eternity in preparation for the day of judgment.

Here is a poem inspired by Psalm 146:5 and Psalm 147:11 & 18. Enjoy!

 

To the great GOD, WHO causes the winds to blow

And WHO causes the waters to flow

I feel YOU in the gentlest breeze

That ripples across the grain

And I see YOUR power to imbed

A straw in the trunk of a tree

And inspire awe in me.

 

I see YOUR hand in the tiniest trickle of water that flows

And I see YOU in the thundering waterfall

That is quietening and awe-inspiring for us all.

 

And I am further inspired and reassured when

I read verses like Psalm 147:11 that have

YOUR lovingkindness nestled within

So, Thank YOU for being my HOPE and my HELP

WHO guards my way and orders my steps.©

********

My Momma Told Me

 My Momma told me

And now I have my own story to tell

About how the GOD of my Momma and

Her generation does all things well

Because HE has allowed me an intimate

Relationship with HIM

And I can tell the world that HIS

Lovingkindness will envelop and sustain you

When the wattage of your faith begins to dim.©

********

 

When Angels of GOD Walk the Land

When I awoke this morning, a song that I rarely, if ever, sing was blasting in my head. The name of the song is, "Standing on the Promises." So, in a puzzled state with that song playing in my head, I went on to get my Bible to begin my stroll through my two chapters of Psalm for the day.

Have mercy, Y'all, I got goosebumps again this morning when I read verse 8 of Psalm 143. Below is how that verse reads:

Psalm 143:8 King James Version (KJV)

⁸ Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. (The underlining is not a part of this verse, I just did it to emphasize the part of the verse that gave me goosbumps.)

So, you can imagine the almost astounded state I was in when I read six verses down, Psalm 144:2.

Psalm 144:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

² My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

This verse set my soul on fire because I had been awakened with an inspirational song about GOD's promises and HIS lovingkindness. I felt like I had wings on my feet, and like my smile could light up a dark room! Y'all, joy pulsated through my veins with every beat of my heart as I thought about This GOD of mine, This GOD of my Momma's faith, and This GOD of my Grandaddy's faith!

Somebody might be asking, "So, you woke up to a song; what's the big deal about that?!" Well, to you, I say that the coincidence of the song and the verses grabbed my attention. We have already established the fact that there are no coincidences in life and to awake to a song reminding me that I could stand on the promises of the GOD that carried my Momma (preacher's daughter), and my Grandaddy was enough to grab my attention and hold it fast. I can tell you this; when you are in the grips of a moment of enlightenment, that grip will last until you finish reading whatever Bible passage that began it.

So, I continued my reading, but I read three chapters instead of my usual two. Why? Well, the reading was getting so good to me that I wondered what moments of enlightenment might jump out of the scripture next. I don't know; I guess that I was supposed to read the next chapter. And when I did and found the scripture about one generation telling the next and the next about the works of the LORD and about HIS lovingkindness, my joy and amazement were complete for this moment.

You see, that word lovingkindness just wraps me up like a fluffy well-fed kitten. I mean, I just like the word, the sound of it and all that it entails, and when that word is spoken of with regards to the CREATOR of this world, my ROCK, my soul gets excited. I know that "Every good and perfect gift comes from GOD," so one tailormade for me has to be something else and is to be treasured! How sweet and how lovingly kind it was to be awakened by the angels of the GOD of my Momma and my Grandaddy. Here's the gist:

• HE is my FORTRESS
• HE is my DELIVERER
• HE is my SHIELD
• And HE is my REFUGE!

Yes, and since HIS angels walk the land, HE sent me a reminder of this fact.

I tell you, folks, I will be on winged feet the rest of the day

Because GOD sent me a morning wake-up care package

That drove cares, problems, and concerns away.

I can hear HIM say in Isaiah 54:15, (paraphrasing)

Problems may come, but not by MY hand

And for your sake, they will not be allowed to stand.

My soul has sprouted wings of joy and

I have added a bit of my story

To my family's generational history about

The GOD I serve and HIS glory!©

********

And so, I will close with this thought:

Psalm 144:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁵ How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 145:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

² Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

 

I am blessed because my Momma's GOD is my LORD

And I will bless HIS name each day that I live

Because HE knows and loves my frame so well

That HE can send the right wake-up call to

Cause my heart with joy and hope to swell!©

********

This is what my Momma's Daddy told her and subsequently, what she told me:

Psalm 145:4-7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious [a]splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
⁶ Men shall speak of the [b]power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
⁷ They shall [c]eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

HE Will Make It All Right

 

I had a problem that I found out about late last night, and it was heavy on my heart. And Y'all know that sometimes when you fall asleep with a problem on your mind, it will pop to the forefront when you awake in the morning. Well, my problem did the same. So, as is my custom, I went for my walk in Psalms. The one for today was Psalm 142. And guess what I found when I opened my Bible to read? Yes, I found my garden path scented with the aroma of answered prayer! My soul marveled, and I rejoiced as I devoured the scripture. And when I finished the reading, this blog post was born, poem included.

 

There are some times in life

When we can be brought very low

But, I wanted to remind everybody

That, as HIS children, we have

An advocate against the foe

For, we know where to go.

 

Sometimes our enemies feel like

They can do us wrong

And that, since we are powerless

We can do nothing about it because

We are weak, and they are strong.

 

But, daughter of a preacher's daughter that I am

I don't allow my soul to be riddled with doubt

I, instead, turn it all over to Jesus

And watch HIM take impossible situations

Smooth them over and work them out.

 

You see, the world likes to make us feel helpless and small

But I know a MANGOD, WHO answers my call

And has been doing it for so many years

That I don't hesitate at all

Like a charter member of Hebrew 11's hall of fame of faith

I, with confidence, state my case and watch

As my COMFORTER eradicates my problems

And, one by one, let's me see them fall.

 

During these trying times, always remember that

If you are GOD's child, you have an advocate

With the FATHER, WHO sits on Heaven's throne

And I'd like to think that this problem arose in my life

So that I could remind you of the benefits

Of prayer, especially during these times of strife.

(Based on Hebrews 11 & Hebrews 8:1-6)

 

We have talked about coincidence a little bit, haven't we on several others of my blog posts? Well, if this particular problem had not arisen in my life, I would not have made the application to prayer in such a poignant manner as I did this morning. If this blog post answered a need in you, understand that according to the providence of GOD, you have received an answer to your prayer and a confirmation that GOD is aware of your situation and is working the matter out for your good.

Remember

1. You are never alone.
2. Your SHEPHERD, your SAVIOR, works behind the scenes to build up your faith, perseverance, and trust, as HE takes your heaviest burdens and often makes them dissipate like air.

 

I Will Trust in the LORD

 

Whatever
Whenever
Wherever
However
I Will Remember that My Beginning, Before I Was Formed, Was Written In GOD's Plan Book and Folks, I step on!
I can step past whatever, whenever, wherever, however, and whomever because I travel the road called ultimately. That means that

• When I have to cry, I step.
• When joy overwhelms me, I step.
• When I am beset by enemies, I step.
• When the beauty of a mountain drive enthralls me to the extent that I have to stop and stare, I step.
• When, when, when, when, When, I step!

And do you know why? Of course, you don't; I mean, you might know why you step, but you don't know why I step. So, I am going to tell you.

When I opened my eyes this morning, the first thought that popped into my head was, "Trust in the LORD." So, as is my custom, I went to get my Bible to continue my walk through Psalms. You know that yesterday, I cited Psalm 138, verse 8, which says:

Psalm 138:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Now, let me show you the beauty of the LORD's working in my life. If you have been keeping up with my blog, then you know that, here lately, I have started a couple of sessions with the words, "I wonder..."  Uhm, hmm, well, I had been wondering about something very strongly and about how I could get my message into certain boardrooms in a more powerful way. Yes, I always use the avenue of prayer, and for a while, it seemed to be working, but then... Well, you know how life goes; something goes awry, and things go back to square one or, seem to get worse.

BUT, oh no, not this time! Before I could get to my Bible reading this morning, here is what happened. Let me show you the beauty of things when GOD's angels walk the land. Y'all are going to love this! As I said above, I had been wrestling with how to make an even more impactful statement than I had already sent up in my prayers, and was vexed that the progress seemed to stop. Ha, I need not have worried because  I heard one of the most powerful men on the planet speaking my words from his mouth as if I had written the script for him! I did a doubletake, and just stared open-mouthed at the television while he ran down through my train of thought, even putting anger and voice inflections where I had in my diatribe with myself!!

Somebody just said, "Say what?!" Yep, you heard me correctly. That is what happened. So, with that, I went on to read my Bible and take my walk through Psalms, all the while, puzzling over the coincidence of hearing my words (voice inflections included) coming from somebody else's mouth on the television screen. Then I opened to Psalm 139 and got goosebumps. I mean, this was a scripture that I knew well, in fact, had included in my book, From the Tallest Mountain in My World.

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹ O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
³ You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
⁵ You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

 

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
¹⁶ Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

From reading my Bible, I realize that all positives and negatives in my life mean that JESUS, in HIS infinite wisdom and care, strategically weaves the pattern of my life so that all things fall according to HIS plan. And I am moved to tell HIM, "Thank YOU, great LORD, for YOUR love and care, and I will remember this fact as I continue to step on."

Forward I Go

Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139 have let me know

That You have already made plans

For me and armed with that

Knowledge, it is forward that I go.

I see in nature when I look around

That you never leave situations to chance

For Your meticulous preparation

Can be seen throughout all creation

You plan things down to minute details

And because of that fact, I get assurance

And armed with the knowledge of Your love

It is on down the row that I go.

When I think about the fact that Your

Omnipotent hands fashioned me in my work

In the way that You wanted me to chop my row

I get renewed vigor and tenacity

No matter what is thrown at me by my foe

And it is with relish that I tell the world

My God loves you and me and this is a

Fact that I know

For knowing that I am a part of His eternal plan

I chop the weeds that are on my row

Whether they are tall or high

It is with determined tenacity

That I, with my eyes on my Father work my row

As toward the eternal city, I go.©

(excerpt from Chopping My Row by Alma L. Jones)

********

Never forget that you are still in GOD's hands...

Thank YOU for Another Day

 

Psalm 138 tells me that whatever is concerning to me, GOD will handle it. So, I walked with HIM through another day, and I bow to say Thank YOU.

FATHER, DEVINE

Thank YOU for the joys that are mine

That includes the complex and the simple

From wondering about the

"Washing of a rainbow's knee"

To the sweet smile of a baby

When he googles at me

But, most of all, Thank You for THEE.©

 

 _____________________________________

For HIS Lovingkindness Is Everlasting

 

There are times when so much

Good fortune on you befalls

That you wonder what you have

Done to deserve it all

Only to realize that it was

Planned for you

After all.©

(Based on Psalm 136)

There are 26 verses in Psalm 136, and you know what I discovered about each of the verses? They all end with these words:

"For HIS lovingkindness is everlasting."

Now, while I know that this Psalm was written in reference to the nation of Isreal, I can make it apply to me as well. How? Easily, I am spiritual Israel. And I know that the lovingkindness that GOD displayed for Israel is extended to me, too.

So, when folk hate on me because

I do certain things for HIM, I just

Keep working right along

And when I can, singing my song

Because I know that the GOD that

I depend on will justify my faith in HIM

By displaying HIS love for me with flair!

 

Haters didn't stop David, and they won't stop me

As a matter of fact, I will keep working

Until I cross the threshold of eternity.

So, keep going folks, and you will see

That though some people ride your coattails

Right up to the gates of eternity

Your destination will be worth it

Just you wait and see!©

********

It Won’t Matter

 When I see JESUS, it won't matter

How many tears I have had to cry

Because HE promised to wipe

Every tear from my eye.

The skipping joy and pollyannaish joy

That, down here, I displayed

Will be exhibited as I walk on streets

That are, with gold, laid.

And when, with a tremulous grin,

I see JESUS, I'll say, "I finished the work

That YOU gave me to do

Though the world made me cry

And made it hard to be true to YOU

So, Thank YOU for helping me make it through."©

********

Stopped by to Tell You

 The Valley Wide

As I look across the valley gaping wide

I have no fear because JESUS walks by my side

And I wanted to tell you, America

That no matter what the valley throws

At you and me

We will be okay because we are shepherded

By the PRINCE of eternity

For, sometimes, it takes abject adversity

To make us see

The love of JESUS in its complex simplicity.

And make no mistake about it

New writers, poets, and storytellers from

This virus will be born

So that future generations will be

Comforted on their sojourn.©

******** 

I Love You

 

I Love YOU, LORD GOD

MAKER AND SAVIOR of man

Lifting my voice this Wednesday morning to say

I trust YOU and depend on YOU

Because YOU are my HOPE and STAY.

Psalm 131:3

Psalm 130:5-6

********

Never let circumstances or men determine the boundaries of your faith. And always work through today while looking toward tomorrow.

 

The Valley Wide

 

I awoke this morning and gave thanks for another day

I thought about life from my Momma's viewpoint

And wondered what she would have to say

About the present condition of our land

And I can hear her say, "Baby, you just keep

Holding on to GOD's unchanging hand

And I promise you that at the end of the day

You will be able to stand, still."

That was my Momma's way of saying:

"Keep the faith, child, 'cause GOD will."

So, I find myself in the midst of the valley wide

But, I remember the teaching of my Momma and

How GOD took care of me, sheltered me and

Gave me favor when, as a little girl, I cried.

And though I do not understand life's course

I know enough to maintain my faith in

And keep my grip on my POWER SOURCE

Because one of these days, skirmishes will be over

And I will walk in the sun-washed meadow

With my feet nestled in clover

Because HE will have brought me through the valley wide

And allowed me to walk in victory on the other side.©

(Based on Psalm 129:1-2.)

*******