Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel.- (Philippians 1:27)

At first glance, we are not sure whether the word “Spirit” in this passage should be capitalized or not. Yet as we’ve read this past week, the love we share for each other and the unity that we have in Christ are inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We stand together, we are part of the same family, because of the tie we share together in the Holy Spirit. Our strength to strive for common goals and to make every effort to be one comes from the unifying power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

The love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness we have in our lives come because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. So now, let’s seek to let the Spirit’s influence mold us
and shape us so we can work together for the sake of the good news of Jesus.

Prayer : Almighty God, whatever happens in my life, I want to honor you, share Jesus, and display the fruit of the Spirit. I want to bless your people and stand together in unity with them, working for the cause of the gospel. So I ask for your help to honor this commitment, to keep it foremost in my heart, and to not be distracted or deterred by disappointment, hardship, heartache, or my own fleshly desires. I ask for this grace, in the name and power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Often when we pause and wonder
When we kneel down to pray;
Can God really hear
The prayer that we say.

But if we keep praying
And talk to Him;
He’ll brighten the soul
That was clouded and dim.

And as we continue
Our burden seems lighter;
Our sorrow is softened
Our outlook is brighter.

For though we feel helpless
And alone when we start;
Our prayer is the key
That opens the heart.

And as our heart opens,
The dear Lord comes in;
And the prayer that we felt
We could never begin.

Is so easy to say
For the Lord understands;
And gives us new strength
By the touch of His hands…

- – - By Connie Ciccone ©August 2005

I did not know His love before,
The way I know it now.
I could not see my need for Him,
My pride would not allow.

I had it all, without a care,
The “self-sufficient” lie.
My path was smooth, my sea was still,
Not a cloud was in my sky.

I thought I knew His love for me,
I thought I’d seen His grace,
I thought I did not need to grow,
I thought I’d found my place.

But when the way grew rough and dark,
The storm clouds quickly rolled;
The waves began to rock my ship,
My anchor would not hold.

The ship that I had built myself
Was made of foolish pride.
It fell apart and left me bare,
With nowhere else to hide.

I had no strength or faith to face
The trials that lay ahead,
And so I simply prayed to Him
And bowed my weary head.

His loving arms enveloped me,
And then He helped me stand.
He said, “You still must face this storm,
But I will hold your hand.”

So through the dark and lonely night
He guided me through all the pain.
I could not see the light of day
Or when the storm might wane.

Yet through the aches and endless tears,
My faith began to grow.
I could not see it at the time,
But my light began to glow.

I saw God’s love in brand new light,
His grace and mercy, too.
For only when all self was gone
Could Jesus’ love shine through.

It was not easy in the storm,
I sometimes wondered, “Why?”
At times I thought, “I can’t go on.”
I’d hurt and doubt and cry.

But Jesus never left my side,
He guided me each day.
Through pain and strife,
Through fire and flood,
He helped me all the way.

And now I see as never before
How great His love can be.
How in my weakness He is strong,
How Jesus cares for me!

He worked it all out for my good,
Although the way was rough.
He only sent what I could bear,
And then He cried, “Enough!”

He raised His hand and said, “Be still!”
He made the storm clouds cease.
He opened up the gates of joy
And flooded me with peace.

I see His face now clearer still,
I felt His presence strong.
I found anew His faithfulness,
He never did me wrong.

Now I know more storms will come,
But only for my good,
For pain and tears have helped me grow
As naught else ever could.

I still have so much more to learn
As Jesus works in me reform
If in the storm I love Him more,
Then I know….

The Blessings In the Storm

- – - By Connie Ciccone ©September 2005