We must learn to be happy in the hard times and not wait until things get better. Jesus is with us and it’s always good for us. Learn to be happy. Accept His joy now. Hard times come and go. Jesus gives us joy and peace for everyday of our life.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10)

I pray that God blesses and protects you.
Receive His mercy and kindness and His wonderful peace.

Discouragement is devastating to one’s ministry.
Seek to let the Lord into your mind, filling your heart to overflowing.
His Word, His presence will help you deal with discouragement.
Sometimes it takes real discipline to keep your mind focused on the Lord.
Do it. The dividends it pays are worth your life.

The Lord is looking for you. He is seeking to bring order to your life.
Chaos is always seeking to seize us. Catastrophe is driving for the win.
Stop. Pray to the Lord. Let Him fill your mind with wisdom.
It’s simple to change. Stop doing what you were doing and obey the Lord.
He is God. He is in charge, and you are not. HE will guide you step by step.

God does not play games. He is looking for obedience.
He knows what we need and provides it.
He seeks our best good, even in discipline.
He knows all about us and He knows what tomorrow brings.
Follow Jesus. Don’t presume on God. Come to Him humbly.

You cannot fool God. You only wind up fooling yourself.
Drudgery is our test for obedience. Will I keep doing what God says?
Much of life is drudgery. Drudgery is where we often get in trouble.
Stop complaining. Do your job. Accept God’s blessings.
Do the work and you will see the profit in your heart and in your mind.

When we follow the Lord and submit our life to Him, we have joined the winning team.
Our Father is Lord of all things. His Son Jesus is His appointed king. We follow Him.
Jesus is coming back. He is coming back soon. Follow Him.
His promises in His Word were written for you and me. We can claim them. 
His strength is effective in our surrender. Do not fear. Trust Jesus. He loves you.

Clay Corvin February 19, 2022

FANTASTIC JOURNEY (GENESIS 12)

Abraham, God’s friend, on a journey God called.
No squirming, complaining, or weaseling out.
He packed up his family and everything he owned.
Left Haran traveling to Canaan – “and they arrived there.”

It’s a long way for so few details. Think about your call.
How often do you struggle for years to answer God’s call?
How often do you reject His call and go your way?
People count with God, and He is calling us to help people.

What will it cost you? Everything.
How long will it take? Until you stand before Jesus in heaven.
Who can go? Everyone you take with you.
How hard will it be? It’s only hard when you ignore God.

The key on your fantastic journey is to learn to control your emotions.
Emotions are the devil’s playground. They are one of his strongest tools to hurt us.
You count with the Lord. All the people around you count with Him.
Therefore, seek to control the way you act. Love one another.

Emotions are not reliable. Never base your faith on emotions.
We don’t pursue righteousness based on how we feel.
Turn your thoughts and emotions over to the Holy Spirit.
He will guide you in getting control of your emotions to do the next right thing.

Don’t accept everything you feel. Test the spirits.
Learn the Word of God, memorize it, quote it, depend on it.
Don’t depend on your emotions. Trust Jesus to guide you through.
Emotions come and go. This too will pass. God’s Word never changes.

Emotions will defeat you. They will manipulate you.
Negative emotions separate you from wisdom.
Never believe “if it feels good do it.”
Do what the Lord says. Now.

You want to please God. Make sure He is ruling your life.
If your emotions are ruling you, God is not in control.
When you are ruled by your emotions, they become your idol.
Trust God and follow Him, only HIM.

People get lost and die because of foolishness and lack of self-control.
Study God’s Word. Listen to HIM. Not your emotions.
Live for Jesus. Love for Jesus. Self-control for Jesus.
When you choose to follow Jesus, you will follow Him and not your emotions.

Clay Corvin – January 15, 2022
North River, Northport, Alabama

PSALM 85 GOD SAID IT. DONE.

The Lord God Almighty always does exactly what He says He will do.
Time does not limit Him. He sees tomorrow as clearly as we see today.
The Lord really loves the land of Israel.
The Lord really loves the children of Jacob.
In all their weakness and heartache. Their sinfulness is tragic.

By His own choice God turned away His wrath and anger.
His people, beloved people have returned.
Now the Lord is waiting on the people of Israel to turn back to Him.
He has made the first move. His mercy is great.
He is offering salvation to the children of Jacob.

The Lord is calling. He wants to guide us. He will direct us.
We must choose Him. We fear Him, love Him.
Jacob chooses foolishly. They maintain their attitude of ingratitude.
The Lord ignores them in their foolishness. He says He has a way.
Jesus Christ is His way. Christ paid the price of our sin.

He offers us the Lord’s free gift of salvation.
He will bring us into the family of God. Grafted into Jacob.
God’s own people. His mercy, His truth, no longer at odds.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He loves us.
Follow Him and you will be home.

Clay Corvin
January 12, 2022
North River
Northport, Alabama

PSALM 86 – SPEAKING TO GOD

We are poor and needy. The Lord bends down to listen to us.
We cry out, we plead, always with an eye on our need.
God just loves us. Not for what we do or say but because He does!

We need mercy and grace. Our best is but a blemish.
The Lord is our shepherd. He knows what we need.
That is exactly what He offers. Our God does wondrous things.

Jesus came to meet our need. His love expressing God’s character.
He wants to give us His power. He willingly offers us healing.
“Come to me when you are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus said let me teach you how to live.
He calls us to share in His triumph over death. He gives us life.
Jesus is our helper. He cares for us. We are beloved of God.

Clay Corvin
January 12, 2022
North River
Northport, Alabama

PSALM 87. CITY OF GOD

God loves Jerusalem. It is His city.
Nations have destroyed it so many times.
Chaos, evil, idol worship, and wickedness have reigned.
God sees the end from the beginning. He sees the New Jerusalem.

God loves Jerusalem. It is His city.
Egypt, Babylon, Tyre, and Ethiopia all boast of their residents.
God boasts of His children from Jerusalem.
After all of these disasters, Jerusalem still counts with God.

God loves Jerusalem. It is His city.
Birthed by God. Continued by the Holy One’s love and care.
Now again occupied. “This one and that one were born here.”

One day soon we will go to be with our Father.
We will see Him face to face in the Celestial City.
Our name will be in the book. “This one is my child-enter in.”

Clay Corvin
January 12, 2022
North River
Northport, Alabama

POEM – PSALM 82 – JUDGING FOR GOD

Judges are required by God to judge justly and fairly.
God cares for the poor and orphans. The judges were criminals.
The judges offended God with their bribes and unjust judging.
It’s bad form to cheat the Lord God. He knows everything.
A judge’s lack of belief in God doesn’t set aside his guilt.
God intends for us to care for the poor and the orphan.

One day Jesus is coming back. He came with compassion and love.
His return will be a time of judgment.
The Lord is in control. We need His righteous right hand to guide us.
We desperately need His mercy and grace.
As we receive mercy and grace in abundance, let us give freely what the Lord gives us.
We will be measured by the way we care for people. Just like judges.

Clay Corvin
Northport, North River, Alabama
1/5/2022

POEM – PSALM 83 – THE WORLD HATES GOD

Hating the Jewish people is an art form in many parts of the world.
Anti-Semitism has destroyed millions of people over the years.
These are God’s people. A people He has covenanted with for eternity.
Yes, they failed on His purpose to evangelize the world. But they are still His people.
And that is why the world hates the Jewish people. They are God’s people.

God rules. God conquerors. God is not irrelevant.
He is the Creator and rules over all nature.
His purposes will always prevail. He knows the end from the beginning.
Nothing surprises Him. No one can outsmart Him.
God is our loving Father. But He has established how we should live.

Love one another. Bend the knee and help the poor.
God loves you. He isn’t interested in a co-regent.
Our ways are not His ways. He offers us mercy right now.
He would that all would come to know Jesus. The God-Man.
But one day, those who spurned God will stand before His wrath.

Clay Corvin
Northport, North River, Alabama

POEM – PSALM 84 – COMING HOME

We seek the Lord. We yearn for His presence.
To see Him. We are His beloved.
When we see Him, we will be overwhelmed for He is so proud of us.

We are blessed to live in God’s house. We are with Him.
Even though we cannot see Him we know He is there.
Our heart bears testimony to His loving presence.

We are pilgrims on a journey home to God the Father.
Jesus Christ our Advocate walks with us, guiding us.
The Holy Spirit quickens our spirit to be sensitive to the needs of those around us.

Pray for one another. Be kind to one another. Cherish family.
We trust the Lord today and one day that trust will bear fruit.
We will be with Him forever. Face to face. Praising Him. Adoring Him. Jesus is Lord.

Clay Corvin
Northport, North River, Alabama

PSALM 23 – THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

We come into this world with great need. You don’t have to teach want. 
Every day we face new challenges, wants and needs are always there. 
My Father sees to my wants. He makes all things new. He fills my soul.
Life with Him is always, forever-His love so deep and so wide he meets all my needs.

It’s hard for me to get it right in my mind. God loves me. 
The Creator of the universe is so caring and concerned about me.
He knows everything about me and still loves me. 
He came to Earth and died for me so that I could live.

My Father provides times of refreshing for me. 
Whatever else is going on My Shepherd provides rest for me. 
Nothing can separate me from His love. Nothing can throw me down and destroy me. 
Right there where I need it, the Lord has a place for me to rest in His presence.

When my world falls apart, He is with me. Evil attacks, my Father protects. 
Right in the face of evil the Lord leads me the right way. 
Righteousness is His gift to me in Jesus Christ. I live in Him. He lives in me. 
Every day I walk in victory. The Lord is my Shepherd.

He calls me to focus on Jesus. He is my strength. He is my protection. My rock. 
The Lord is here, right now, and I belong to Him forever. 
I do not fear because His hand is on me. I will sin but my Father will correct me. 
He is with me, and no fear can destroy me. His promise. My confidence.

Anxiety affects all that I do. Restless nights and fearful days. Evil is always active. 
Yet my Father deals with my anxiety. He will make a way to heal me. 
I do not fear the future and will daily walk in Jesus, my peace. 
Evil beware. God is active yesterday, today and tomorrow always protecting me.

My life is sanctioned by the Good Shepherd. I have value and worth.
He will not let my feet stumble nor will evil overwhelm me. 
Peace and security are His Word to me. He is here and lives in me.
His call to me is to live in peace and joy. The Lord is with me every moment of my life.

Clay Corvin

As you begin thinking about 2022, don’t get sidetracked by huge goals. Keep your focus on step by step changes, small increments, all things you can do.

1. BE WHERE YOU ARE- Life is never livable where you are not or cannot be. Own your current situation and begin there. You are who you are and that’s the person you have to work with. One step. Next step. Keep stepping. That gets you ownership of each day. You count. Your life counts. Be usable. Be the change you have always been working on and never seem to accomplish.
2. THIS IS THE BEGINNING – Don’t look back, you can’t change what has gone before. Don’t give up, this is now and now is where you can change and become what you have always seen yourself to be. Remember that 4,000 weeks is probably the best that anyone has in this life. Seize your weeks, all 52 of them and grab hold of your life. Move forward this counts. Remember you count.
3. HOW YOU RESPOND GIVES YOU POWER- This is your life. You are the only one that can organize the steps that you need to take. Own your life. Start each day fresh. Be that change that you are seeking. OWN 2022!
4. GOD LOVES YOU – God doesn’t love the idealized you. He isn’t in love with your accomplishments. He isn’t looking for you to be someone else. God created you. He chose you. He will equip you.
   a. Study your Bible- You study your Bible personally and daily. God has a Word for you each day
   b. Find a group of people to study with. Your church would be the best place but a small group works.
   c. Ask God to give you wisdom, mercy and grace for each. Live today. Knowledge isn’t wisdom. Doing your life you will need wisdom from God. Live it.

MAKE 2022 YOUR YEAR

POEM PSALM 79 – ANGUISH AND DESPAIR

You said it Lord, I believe it, that settles it, so I thought.
The truth is the Lord said it and whether I believe it or not, it is truth.

Such was the journey for Israel. In their sanctified, cantankerous way,
They always quibbled with God, redefining what God said.
Along the way, over the centuries, they modeled their sin, it destroyed them.
Jesus said the clergy of his day were whitewashed tombs.
That’s harsh. Hard. Who would say such a thing?
God did because of Israel’s national life and direction.

Israel chose to walk away from obedience to God.
They chose idol worship, then self-centered worship.
Never built that Father-Son / Father-Daughter relationship.
They were God’s people after all, and the rules didn’t apply to them.
Their priests and rabbis said so. Over the centuries they rewrote the rules, ignoring God.

God is not in a box. We cannot maneuver God and manipulate Him with our words.
When our hearts are far from HIM. When hate fills our minds.
Jesus said love the Lord with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself.
Even a school child can understand that. Jesus came for people. Not for religion.

Be careful how you live. We are deeply flawed creatures.
Too quickly we find ourselves on the lonesome journey, no friends, by ourselves.
Stop. Get before the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Father forgive me. Come into my heart and save me.
If you are saved remind God that you know where you are.
Father I need your help to get back to where I should be with you.

Start today. Give God all the praise, honor, and glory due Him.
Rejoice in the wonderful gift of His son Jesus and the gift in Christ of eternal life.

Clay Corvin
Henry Hall
New Orleans, LA
December 22, 2021

PSALM 80 – SOUR GRAPES

One day we woke up and the Lord was gone. We were looking for Him everywhere.
We had wobbled away and, in the process, turned our back on Him.
Oh, we knew our sin, and it was vast, but we couldn’t see God.
The fact is that we had turned our back to Him.

Desperately we tried all the old formulas, except changing.
We detailed our lists, cried out to God.
Where are you? Why have you done this?
Then went home to our idol worship and broken homes.
Sin is what I define. I forgot that God said He defined sin.

I struggled in my disease, in my famine and in me pain.
Withstanding God’s demands. Demanding that God change.
I continued to slip into more grievous sin. Societal sin.
Even to the point of approving desperately wicked acts of hate and evil.

I still cried out to God. A great deal of my time was before Him.
He just wasn’t listening.
I’m on my last leg Lord. Our grapes have turned sour. Our crops destroyed.
Our national condition is overwhelmed with evil and hate.
Why won’t you take care of us?

Jesus is coming. He will save us from our sin.
He will revive us again and we will walk with the Lord, Abba.
Jesus will restore us. Christ will comfort us. Life will refocus on God.
In that day everyone will say I belong to Jesus, He is the lamb of God, Lord of all.

Clay Corvin
December 22, 2021
Henry Hall, New Orleans, LA

PSALM 81 – THE TRAGEDY OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES

This is a heart break story.
How God claimed a people for Himself.
They were to be His evangelist.
They saw the proclamation as a privilege. Heart break!

The story unfolds in the Bible. So many times, Israel was rescued.
They never learned. As a nation they became more self-centered.
Even while acting like the pagans around them.
In fact, God’s Word said they outdid the pagans in sin.

They changed their festivals. They added a few.
Priests and rabbis considered their national life,
As a call for seclusion, they were special, other people weren’t.
Jesus said everyone counts or no one counts.

Go tell it on the mountain. Jesus Christ is born.
God has stepped into our world and is providing for our relationship.
A personal, eternal relationship with Him.
An enduring relationship with people. Everybody counts. Love one another.

Hear O Israel, God is one and people count.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Focus on obedience to God and service to people.
When you do that, everything works. Jesus is Lord.

Clay Corvin
HENRY HALL, New Orleans, LA
December 22, 2021

Psalm 143:7 “Hear me speedily, O Lord, my spirit faileth; hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.”

UP AND DOWN

It’s a rip, roaring day Lord. So much to be up for.
I’m good. Feel good. Spirit good. Thank you.

Another day. This morning, my heart is heavy. I didn’t do it.
It seems a grey cloud has invaded my mind.
The burdens of life bringing me down.
All around I see pain and anguish, indeed, I feel pain and anguish.

Life can be like carrying a heavy weight. It’s just hard to move.
You are my only hope Jesus.
You pick me up when I am down.
You carry me when I cannot move forward.

The world, the flesh and the devil work against my joy and peace.
It’s just too easy Lord to lose sight of thee.
Even when praying and reading Your Word, darkness seeks a hold on me.
Holy Spirit lift me up that I might see Jesus. He is all the world to me.

All around are dead people walking. They need Jesus.
Help me see their need. Help me care for them.
Give me Your strength and wisdom that I might be.
Claim Your joy and peace and Your faith in me.

Jesus has me. He loves me. I am free in Christ.
Do not let the world tear me down.
Build me up with Your Holy Spirit and set me free to serve.
I am Yours Lord. Slave, servant, usable.

Clay Corvin
December 9, 2021
North River, Northport, Alabama

THANKSGIVING – NOVEMBER 25, 2021
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good; his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

This is the day for family and friendship. Food, gathering. Fun. Thank you, Lord, for family.
Thank you, Lord, for friends. Our lives need others.
Gratitude brings joy and peace. Come Lord Jesus, bless us.

Focus our hearts on others. People are hurting and need help. Loneliness, heartache, disappointment, failure.
So many desperately seeking to survive.
Father, help us in our joy to remember the needs of those around us.

We pray for healing. We pray for the well-being of all the hurting. Help us maintain an attitude of gratitude and a helpful hand.
We love You, Lord. Bless this day. We need You.
Thanksgiving. We are grateful. Give us peace and joy.

Clay Corvin
November 25, 2021
North River, Northport, Alabama