New Year's Resolution

"Your word have I treasured in my heart, that I many not sin against You." Psalm 119:11

About 4 years ago I decided to make a New Year's Resolution. I know, we all do them and most often then not they only last a few months at the most. As time goes on the desire to do something or be something better lessens until we're back to our old self. That year I decided to read through my Bible in one year. I had only done that once in my life and many attempts to do it again always failed. That year I decided would be different. And different it was because it's something I've done every year since.

I want to challenge you to join me this year. It's not hard and when you start doing it you really do learn more about the Bible and what God is calling you to be. I know some of the Old Testament is rather boring and sometimes confusing but if it's read often it starts to sink in and make sense. You begin to see why you should read it and how important it is to what Jesus did for us which is recorded in the New Testament.

I will post a Bible reading guide at the bottom of each devotional thought. I will give you a variety of ways to read through the Bible so you can choose which one fits your personality and needs. I will also be adding a weekend Bible Reading post so you can keep going every day.

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible

See you all in the new year!!

Krista Jones

"Teach Me What I Need to Know"

"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise, apply your heart to what I teach." Proverbs 22:17

Everybody should have a friend like Ralph.

He can fix a lamp or a lawn mower, refinish furniture, build bookshelves. All by himself he has transformed his garage into a workshop and completely remodeled his mother's house.

One day, marveling at these results over coffee, I asked, "Ralph, where did you learn to do all this? Who taught you - your father?"

Thoughtfully he sipped his coffee, his blue eyes twinkling, "I never knew my father," he said. "But I did meet a good carpenter a long time ago. And he still helps me In fact, every time I have a problem, all I have to do is stop and ask him, "Teach me what I need to know.' And he does. This morning, for instance, those boards just wouldn't work. But after I'd stopped and asked him, 'What am I doing wrong?' the answer came: I was cutting them too short."

Then Ralph gave me the words of his own special prayer:

Jesus stand beside me.
Guide and direct my life.
Teach me what I need to know.
Help me with my work.
Let me serve You and others,
That I may be worthy of God's grace.

Ralph's special prayer has become a part of my own life now. I say it every morning. And all day. Whenever I am anxious or confused about a situation, one phrase of the prayer comes to my rescue: "Teach me what I need to know." Of all the things Ralph has done to help me, his prayer has helped most of all.

By Marjorie Holmes, take from, "Women's Devotional Bible"

How deep is your Yearning?

I'm amazed at the depth of yearning, humbled and repentance of the people in Nehemiah. After the wall of Jerusalem was restored and as they were being read and taught from the Book of the Law, they realized how guilty they had been. Nehemiah 9:3 says, "While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God." My study notes say that a fourth of the day is about 3 hours. Thus these people stood before God for about 6 hours listening, worshiping and confessing. There was no clock watching, backside numbing, falling asleep. No, they were on fire with yearning.

Jumping ahead to the end of Nehemiah 9 after a lengthy history of the Israelites and what God did for them. Verse 38 says, "Now because of all this we are making an agreement in writing; and on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests." But this agreement did not stop with the leaders, Levites and priests for we see in Nehemiah 10:29 that everyone else was, "joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord and His ordinances and His statues." These people were serious enough to take on a curse from God in order to keep His commandments. They humbled themselves and brought themselves under the umbrella of God once more.

My devotional hit upon humility this morning. Ahh, yes Lord, I hear you!

"The dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Matt. 15:27

While Jesus was ministering in Tyre and Sidon a women came to Him asking that He heal her daughter. According to His wisdom He hesitated until her persistent pleading drew from Him these words; "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."

"Both the humility and the quick, eager faith of this woman appear in her response. 'Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.' She was not offended by the figure our Lord had used. She was willing to be as a little dog under the Master's table. The children were first served, and then the pieces they let fall belonged to the dogs. All she asked was the portion that ordinarily went to the dogs. And even the crumbs from that table were enough fro her, more than the richest dainties from any other table.

"Thus both humility and faith were shown in her answer; and in both she is an example to us. We should come to Christ with a deep sense of our unworthiness, ready to take the lowest place. It is such a precious thing to be permitted to take even the crumbs from the Master's table, that we should exult in the privilege. The crumbs of His grace and love are better then the richest feasts of this world.

Not worthy, Lord, to gather up the crumbs
With trembling hand that from Thy table fall,
A weary, heave-laden sinner comes
To plead thy promise and obey thy call.

"Yet we are not fed with crumbs; we are seated at the full table, with the richest provisions before us. The prodigal, returning, asked only to be made a servant, as he felt unworthy to be restored to a son's place. But father-love knew no such half-way restoration as that. The white robe, the ring, the shoes, were given to him, insignia of sonship. God puts the lowliest and unworthiest at once into the children's place, and feeds them abundantly." - J. R. Miller (from Com Ye Apart) - Streams in the Desert Volume 2

Krista Jones
5.28.08

Holiness Among Us

"Shout and be glad, Jerusalem. I am coming and I will live among you," says the Lord." Zechariah 2:10

God became a baby. He entered a world . . . of problems and heartaches.

"The Word became human and lived her on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness" John 1:14 (NLT).

The operative word of the verse is among. He lived among us. He donned the costliest of robes; a human body. He made a throne out of a manger and a royal court out of some cows. He took a common name - Jesus - and made it holy. He took a common people and made them the same. He could have lived over us or away from us. But he didn't. He lived among us.

He became a friend of the sinner and brother of the poor. - When Christ Comes

By Max Lucado, taken from "Grace for the Moment"

Unto You

"Unto you," yes, even you, O weary heart and worn,
Unto you whose feet are tired, whose trembling hands are torn;
"Unto you," this sacred morn, come tidings from above
Which whisper of a Saviour born, and speaks His tones of love.

"Unto you," yes, even you, is Jesus born today,
If you will meekly give Him room, and bid your sweet Guest stay;
Though all the world may have their share, yet He is all for you,
He'll rest His head within your heart, and shed His love to true.

He does not ask for palace rare, to make His royal home,
He does not seek for costly fare, but love's sweet bidding, "Come";
He seeks a subject fond and true to yield to His blest sway,
To let the brightness of His smile light up your weary way.

"Unto you," though least of all His little ones today.
The star of Bethlehem doth shine, with gladness in its ray;
"Unto you," though small your strength, and weak the praise you bring,
"Unto you," dear trembling one, He comes your Lord and King.

"Unto you," this Christmas-tide; with your longing heart
The angels sing their song again, with all their heavenly art,
Nay, sweeter far than their sweet song, the Spirit from above
Small bring the tidings of your King, and whisper of His love.

Carry Judd Montgomery

Christmas Eve

". . . shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" Luke 2:8

Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" John 10:11

It was Christmas Eve, 1875. Ira D. Sankey was traveling by steamboat up the Delaware River. It was a calm, starlight evening, and there were many passengers gathered on deck. Mr Sankey was asked to sing. He stood leaning against one of the great funnels of the boat, and his eyes were raised to the starry heavens in quiet prayer. It was his intention to sing a Christmas song, but he was driven almost against his will to sing 'Saviour Like a Shepherd Leads Us.'

"There was a deep stillness. Words and melody, welling forth from the singer's soul, floated out over the deck and the quiet river. Every heart was touched.

"After the song ended, a man with a rough, weather-beaten face came up to Mr. Stankey and said, 'Did you ever serve in the Union army?'

"'Yes,' answered Mr. Sankey, 'in the spring of 1860.'

"'Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlight night in 1862?'

"'yes,' answered Mr. Sankey, very much surprised.

"'So did I,' said the stranger, 'but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post I said to myself, 'That fellow will never get away from her alive.' I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling upon you. At that instant, just as a moment ago, your raised your eyes to Heaven and began to sing. music especially song, has always had a wonderful power over me, and I took my finger off the trigger.'

"'Let him sing his song to the end.' I said to myself. 'I can shoot him afterwards. He's my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.' But the song you san then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly:

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way.

"'When you had finished your song it was impossible for me to take aim at you again. I thought, 'The Lord, who is able to save that man from certain death, must surely be great and mighty,' and my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side.'

"Since that time I have wondered about, far and wide, but when I just now saw you standing there praying as on that other occasion, I recognized you. Then my heat was wounded by your wong. Now I ask that you hep me find a cure for my sick soul.'

"Deeply moved, Mr. Sankey threw his arms about the man who in the days of the war had been his enemy. And that night the stranger found the Good Shepherd as his Saviour.' - (from "It Happened on Christmas Eve")

Compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert Vol. 2"

A Lovely Flower

"Who art thou that judgest another?" James 4:12

One Christmas someone sent Mr. Whittier a gentian flower pressed between two panes of glass. Seen from one side it appeared only a blurred mass of something without beauty. But seen from the other side of the glass the exquisite beauty of the flower appeared, in all its delicate loveliness. Whether the gift was lovely or not to the view depended on the side from which one looked at it. The poet hung the gift on the window pane, putting the blurred side out and the lovely flower side toward his room. Those who passed by without looking up, marked only a 'gray disk of clouded glass' seeing no beauty; but the poet, sitting within, looked at the token, and saw outlined against the winter sky all the exquisite loveliness of the flower;

They cannot from their outlook see
The perfect grace it hath for me;
For there the flower, whose fringes through
The frosty breath of autumn blew,
Turns from without its face of bloom
To the warm tropic of my room.
As fair as when beside its brook
The hue of bending skies it took.

But deeper meanings come to me,
My half-immortal flower, from thee;
Man judges from a partial view,
None ever yet his brother knew;
The Eternal Eye that sees the whole
May better read the darkened soul,
And find, to outward sense denied,
The flower upon its inmost side.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

"Too often we look upon the blurred side of actions - yes, of people too. We do not see the loveliness that there is on the other side. We are all continually misinterpreting others. There is a flower side in many an act which we condemn because we see only the blurred side. Let us train ourselves to believe the best always of people and of actions, and find some beauty in everything" - J.R. Miller (from Thoughts for the Thoughtful).

Compiled by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert, Vol. 2"

Fear Not!

"And the angel said unto them. Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Luke 2:10

What a beautiful message spoken by the angels to the humble shepherds as they watched over their flocks that night! HOw startled they must have been when out from the heavens there burst upon them the strains of sweetest music! Little wonder that they trembled at this unusual happening and were "sore afraid." How tender and assuring must have been the voice that bade them, "Far not." And thus the angel's announcement was made on that night of all nights; that holy nights; and Bethlehem's manager cradled a King! Your King! My King! The wide world's King! The God-sent King, from "out of the ivory palaces, into a wold of woe" - because "God so love!"

A number of years ago Dr. Cortland Myers, then pastor of Tremont Temple, Boston, when preaching from the text, Fear Not!" made several never-to-be-forgotten remarks, so applicable to this strange hour in the history of our stricken world. He said: "The two words, 'Fear Not' are the thrush-notes of the Bible! The thrush songs in the depths of the forest; a bit of music like that which occurs nowhere else in all the bird-world. It is marvelously sweet. It is unique, and absolutely alone. There is nothing else like it - and man's genius has many times tried to capture it and thrust it within the bars of music, and always failed in the attempt. It seems almost as if this is the note that was dropped out of the angel's music. Maybe they left it in the world the night they sang at Bethlehem; for, they had it in the Christmas anthem. Maybe they forgot it and let it here! It is a part of the angel's music. But is it a part of real life? Does it belong in reality, to every man's life and to all conditions of life? Is it a certainty? Something substantial? It is a positive reality! It is a part of the music of life; one of the high notes of music! 'Fear Not!'"

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert Vol. 2

Transforming into Butterflies

I have been reading, "Gripped by the Greatness of God" about the book of Isaiah for the second time. I like what this paragraph in the Gripped book says, "Contrary to popular opinion, God does not offer to forgive us simply so we can come to a crisis of conversion and receive the eternal benefits of His forgiveness. God cleanses us because He wants to transform us, to make us holy just as He is." Pg. 34

God wants to transform us! The one verse on transforming that came to mind was 2 Cor. 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." My study notes say, "We who believe are made partakers of this glory by being gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ." We all wear veils to cover our mistakes, past and hurts. But here God is calling us to remove them one by one and transform us into His likeness. This process is one that will take a lifetime and I need to be patient to move forward at the pace God sets. I want to rush into maturity but rushing will only cause me to miss learning.

I Peter I:14-19 says, "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.' If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your satay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable thins like sliver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.". My study notes say of I Peter 1:16, "To be holy is to be set apart - set apart from sin and impurity, and set apart to God. The complete moral perfection of God, whose eyes are too pure to look on evil with favor, should move His people to strive for moral purity."

We are like butterflies working ourselves out of our cocoon. If we rush it or are allowed help, our new wings will become weakened and useless. But through toil and pain, we gain strength as we work to get out. We want to strive for strong wings to carry us through the battle field of life. Becoming like our Savior will take time and His ultimate goal for us is to be more like Him in His holiness.

Krista Jones
5.25.08

Spiritual Force

"All these things are against me" (Gen. 42:36).

"All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28).

Many people are wanting power. Now how is power produced? The other day we passed the great works where the trolley engines are supplied with electricity. We heard the hum and roar of the countless wheels, and we asked our friend,
"How do they make the power?"

"Why," he said, "just by the revolution of those wheels and the friction they produce. The rubbing creates the electric current."
And so, when God wants to bring more power into your life, He brings more pressure. He is generating spiritual force by hard rubbing. Some do not like it and try to run away from the pressure, instead of getting the power and using it to rise above the painful causes.

Opposition is essential to a true equilibrium of forces. The centripetal and centrifugal forces acting in opposition to each other keep our planet in her orbit. The one propelling, and the other repelling, so act and re-act, that instead of sweeping off into space in a pathway of desolation, she pursues her even orbit around her solar centre.
So God guides our lives. It is not enough to have an impelling force--we need just as much a repelling force, and so He holds us back by the testing ordeals of life, by the pressure of temptation and trial, by the things that seem against us, but really are furthering our way and establishing our goings.

Let us thank Him for both, let us take the weights as well as the wings, and thus divinely impelled, let us press on with faith and patience in our high and heavenly calling. --A. B. Simpson

In a factory building there are wheels and gearings,
There are cranks and pulleys, beltings tight or slack--
Some are whirling swiftly, some are turning slowly,
Some are thrusting forward, some are pulling back;
Some are smooth and silent, some are rough and noisy,
Pounding, rattling, clanking, moving with a jerk;
In a wild confusion in a seeming chaos,
Lifting, pushing, driving--but they do their work.
From the mightiest lever to the tiniest pinion,
All things move together for the purpose planned;
And behind the working is a mind controlling,
And a force directing, and a guiding hand.
So all things are working for the Lord's beloved;
Some things might be hurtful if alone they stood;
Some might seem to hinder; some might draw us backward;
But they work together, and they work for good,
All the thwarted longings, all the stern denials,
All the contradictions, hard to understand.
And the force that holds them, speeds them and retards them,
Stops and starts and guides them--is our Father's hand.
--Annie Johnson Flint

Compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert"

World Concord

"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4).

Oh, that these happy times were come! At present the nations are heavily armed and are inventing weapons more and more terrible, as if the chief end of man could only be answered by destroying myriads of his fellows. Yet peace will prevail one day; yes, and so prevail that the instruments of destruction shall be beaten into other shapes and used for better purposes. How will this come about? By trade? By civilization? By arbitration? We do not believe it. Past experience forbids our trusting to means so feeble. Peace will be established only by the reign of the Prince of Peace. He must teach the people by His Spirit, renew their hearts by His grace, and reign over them by His supreme power, and then will they cease to wound and kill. Man is a monster when once his blood is up, and only the LORD Jesus can turn this lion into a lamb. By changing man's heart, his bloodthirsty passions are removed. Let every reader of this book of promises offer special prayer today to the LORD and Giver of Peace that He would speedily put an end to war and establish concord over the whole world.

By C.H. Spurgeon, taken from "Faith's Checkbook"

"Approved to God"

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, "I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else," then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else.

Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

By Oswald Chambers, taken from "My Utmost for His Highest"

Never Disappointed

"There has not failed one word of all His good promise." 1 Kings 8:56

As an avid baseball fan, my favorite team is the Chicago Cubs. The interesting thing about being a Cubs fan is that the team has a way of letting us down. They have not won a World Series since 1908. And while they often have great promise at the beginning of the season, they usually disappoint their loyal fans in the end. One die-hard fan had it right when he said, “If they didn’t disappoint us, they wouldn’t be our Cubs!”

Thankfully, God is not like the Cubs! You can count on Him. He will not disappoint you in the end. He always keeps His promises, and His Word provides comfort, hope, and wise advice that never fails.

When King Solomon dedicated the temple, he attested to the fact that God had not let His people down: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise” (1 Kings 8:56).

Thousands of years later, those words still ring true. And better yet, we are heirs of the greatest fulfilled promise of all time—Jesus! The longer you know Him, the more compelling He becomes.

So if you are looking for someone who won’t disappoint you, look no further. Jesus never fails! — Joe Stowell

All that I need He will always be,
All that I need till His face I see;
All that I need through eternity,
Jesus is all I need. —Rowe

Taken from "Our Daily Bread"

How strong are your Tent Pegs?

This week I've been reading out of the book of Ezra and finding that I'm really enjoying it this time around. Here are a few golden nuggets I've picked up through this year's reading.

Ezra 7:10 says, "For Ezra had set his heart to study to law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."

If you jump to Neh. 8 we see that Ezra was making good on his desire to study, practice and teach when he read the book of the Law of Moses "before the assembly of men, women and all who cold listen with understanding" (Neh. 8:2). It is here that he read and taught from early morning until midday. While he read the people began to worship and bow down before the Lord God (Neh. 8:6). Because of this the people began to turn back to God.

Ezra 8:21-23 says, "Then I (Ezra) proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against those who forsake Him. So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty."

My study notes say of verse 22 that Ezra was talking about holy shame. He was practicing what he was studying and teaching - that he had faith in God's ability to protect them on their journey. In that time the those traveling was dangerous.

Ezra 9:5-15 is a prayer of confession for the guilt of the sin the people were in by intermarrying with the nations around them. Verse 9:8 says, "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage."

Even through their sin God had been keeping a remnant alive as He had promised David. I like what Ezra said about giving them a peg in His holy place. A peg (or nail) is like a nail driven into a wall or a tent peg driving into the ground. Compared to the rest of the tent the peg seems to be the smallest accessory. Yet, without it the tent would not be able to stand secure. The tent peg has to be strong, steadfast and do it's job. A weak peg will only cause the tent to become weak. In some cases it might be in a small spot but the consequences of one peg becoming weak opens the door for others to weaken and bring the tent down. We've experienced this last year while on our camping trip to Lake Wenantchee. Our first camping spot was beautiful. It overlooked the lake and surrounded by woods. Yet it was extremely windy. Putting a tent up in the wind is interesting. We'd get one or two pegs into the ground, turn around to do another only to have a big gust of wind whip under the tent and pull the pegs up. Why? Because we had a few cheap tent pegs. It weakened the whole tent and came out of the ground often during our stay. It wasn't until we moved off the ridge to a less windy spot did the tent pegs work. They were too weak to withstand the pressure.

I fell in love with Ezra's walk. His steadfastness in his constant desire to study, practice and teach. Even in times of danger he refused to turn to human resources to protect Him. It was evident in how God used Him in an important role in the history of preserving and turning His people back to Him. Oh Lord God, I pray that I may have that same desire to practice what I read and learn from your Word. May I be a strong peg for Your Kingdom. Amen

Krista Jones
5.23.08

Praise Him For . . .

"Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!" Psalm 148:3

The sky and the stars, the waves and the sea,
The dew on the grass, the leaves on a tree
Are constant reminders of God and His nearness,
Proclaiming His presence with crystal-like clearness.

Thought: Today the marvels of God's creations will amaze and astound you. Share with a child the thrill of a glorious sunrise, a daz-zling sunset, or a spectacular starry sky.

By Helen Steiner Rice

Changing Times and Unchanging Thirst

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:38

There is a well-known saying which I think originated with the French, that the more things change the more they remain the same.

The wisdom of this saying may be seen in almost every department of human life, the reason probably being that of all the things that change and still remain unchanged, there is no better example than human nature itself.

And when do we see the unchanging quality of human nature more perfectly than at Christmas-time? Consider the radical difference between today's world and the world into which the Baby Jesus was born. Compared with our twentieth-century civilization, everything surrounding the wondrous Child was crude and primitive. Jesus was born in a stable, not in a hospital; His mother was attended by a midwife, not by a skilled scientist; His baby face was lighted by a tallow candle, not by an electric bulb; He traveled into Egypt on the back of the lowly burro, not by auto or streamlined train.

Thought: Our great grandparents lived in a radically different world than ours. So shall our great grandchildren. But all of us have intense heart-thirst and find it satisfied only in Christ!

By A.W. Tozer

Christian Perfection

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect . . ." Philippians 3:12

It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, "It could never be God’s will for me to be sick"? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son ( Isaiah 53:10 ), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.

By Oswald Chambers, taken from "My Utmost For His Highest"

Weeping with Joy

Cyrus reigned over Persia and was used by God to bring the people of Israel back together and rebuild the temple. As the foundation of the temple was completed the people were filled with joy and began to shout loudly. Ezra 3:12 says, "Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men how had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy."

Haggai says of this event, "Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?" My study notes say, that some of the older exiles had seen Solomon's magnificent temple, destroyed by the Babylonians 66 years earlier. This one seemed like nothing in comparison to the original. The older exiles must have been beyond excited to be given the opportunity to rebuilt the temple. Yet, after seeing the new foundation after their hard toil over it, they were filled with joy yet sadness over how it looked.

At times in our lives there is sorrow. We weep over what has become of what we've built up in ourselves, families and jobs. It might be that we were once walking side-by-side with the Lord and something changed that caused us to pull back. Those are hard times when you realize you are no longer on the mountain but in the valley wondering what happened. But then God calls us to Him and restores us as we slowly climb out of that valley and up by Him on the high mountain. "He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places." Psalm 18:33. That is when our tears turn to shouts of joy as we continue to be restored and healed. Psalm 126:5-6 says, "Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a should to joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

Oh Lord, may you give me hinds' feet to climb up to the high places nearer to You. Restore me to Yourself. Thank you that you bring joy after weeping. Healing after wounding. May I be more like You and less like me. Amen!

Krista Jones
5.22.08

A Passion For People

"He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." 2 Corinthians 5:15

Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

This quote appears on a Web site intended to help people discover what they are passionate about so they can live with greater significance.

The apostle Paul’s passion in life was largely driven by concern for the eternal destiny of others. In 2 Corinthians 5, he names three things that fueled his passion. First, he recognized that he was accountable to Christ for his service and wanted to give a good accounting at the judgment seat of Christ (vv.9-10). Second, Paul was driven by Christ’s love and a desire that others would know the love that he had experienced. In verse 14 he wrote, “For the love of Christ compels us.” Finally, he understood that a lost and dying world needs the Savior (v.20).

What are you passionate about? Paul’s passion for people was fueled by the love of Christ—and ours should be as well. Let’s apply Twain’s words of challenge to our efforts in outreach: “Sail away from the safe harbor.” Share the love of Christ with someone today. — Bill Crowder

Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray!
While the world perishes, we go our way
Purposeless, passionless, day after day;
Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray! —Cushman

Taken from "Our Daily Bread"

Desperate Days

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6).

The faith for desperate days.

The Bible is full of such days. Its record is made up of them, its songs are inspired by them, its prophecy is concerned with them, and its revelation has come through them.

The desperate days are the stepping-stones in the path of light. They seem to have been God's opportunity and man's school of wisdom.

There is a story of an Old Testament love feast in Psalm 107, and in every story of deliverance the point of desperation gave God His chance. The "wit's end" of desperation was the beginning of God's power. Recall the promise of seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sands of the sea, to a couple as good as dead. Read again the story of the Red Sea and its deliverance, and of Jordan with its ark standing mid-stream. Study once more the prayers of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, when they were sore pressed and knew not what to do. Go over the history of Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea, and Habakkuk. Stand with awe in the darkness of Gethsemane, and linger by the grave in Joseph's garden through those terrible days. Call the witnesses of the early Church, and ask the apostles the story of their desperate days.

Desperation is better than despair.

Faith did not make our desperate days. Its work is to sustain and solve them. The only alternative to a desperate faith is despair, and faith holds on and prevails.

There is no more heroic example of desperate faith than that of the three Hebrew children. The situation was desperate, but they answered bravely, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up." I like that, "but if not !"

I have only space to mention Gethsemane. Ponder deeply its "Nevertheless." "If it is possible…nevertheless!" Deep darkness had settled upon the soul of our Lord. Trust meant anguish unto blood and darkness to the descent of hell--Nevertheless! Nevertheless!!

Now get your hymn book and sing your favorite hymn of desperate faith. --Rev. S. Chadwick

"When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do
And leave the rest to Thee.

"And when there seems no chance, no change,
From grief can set me free,
Hope finds its strength in helplessness,
And calmly waits for Thee."

By Mrs. Charles Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert"

Fighting a Large Battle?

2 Chronicles 14:9-15 tells of a battle King Asa fought against Zerah the Ethiopian. What amazes me is that Zerah brought an army of a million men and 300 chariots. It doesn't say how many men Asa had but I'm thinking it wasn't as many as Zerah brought. Can't imagine what the scene looked like from Asa's point of view. To look over the vast army of men coming towards him ready for battle.

It is at this moment where he turns towards the Lord, "Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one besides You to help in this battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against the multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against You."' (verse 11). God came to his aid and struck the Ethiopians so they fled before him. In verse 13 it says that so many of them fell that they could not recover.

Only God, in His greatness and power could help Asa defeat such a large army. And it was Asa's obedience and trust in God that allowed God to work in his life and the life of the nation.

Zechariah 4:6 says, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."

Sometimes things come into our lives that we don't understand. They seem to be as large as the army Zerah brought and loom before us so greatly that we don't have the power to look beyond. They seem to crush you from every side and you are left wondering why you're experiencing these things and how can they ever be changed.

My devotional today spoke of this:

"God with power and might at His disposal yet works in this wise. His quiet performances are indirect, deep, serene, and seemingly slow, and have to be explored to be understood and appreciated. he quietly and confidently moves working wonders day after day. In everyday experiences, at work, in church, and in society, it sometimes appears as though God were being defeated, and the movements of His grace and providence were failures, and that all His plans were reversed flowing upstream in the opposite direction from the ocean of blessings. One has but to look up and cast his gaze out from the shore of frustrating encirclements of the present and consider the entire stream of God's purpose among His people in order to see that He is continually winning the battle in quiet circuitous ways.

The Lord makes his conquests by keeping His saints in utter dependence upon Him making them live by faith."

I cannot always understand,
The way God leadeth me,
The why, and when and wherefore
Is oft a mystery
But I can trust His wisdom,
I know His way is best,
His heart knows no unkindness,
And on His love I rest.

- Unknown

Krista Jones
5.14.08

Your Crown of Glory

"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . . and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev. 12:11).

When James and John came to Christ with their mother, asking Him to give them the best place in the kingdom, He did not refuse their request, but told them it would be given to them if they could do His work, drink His cup, and be baptized with His baptism.

Do we want the competition? The greatest things are always hedged about by the hardest things, and we, too, shall find mountains and forests and chariots of iron. Hardship is the price of coronation. Triumphal arches are not woven out of rose blossoms and silken cords, but of hard blows and bloody scars. The very hardships that you are enduring in your life today are given by the Master for the explicit purpose of enabling you to win your crown.

Do not wait for some ideal situation, some romantic difficulty, some far-away emergency; but rise to meet the actual conditions which the Providence of God has placed around you today. Your crown of glory lies embedded in the very heart of these things--those hardships and trials that are pressing you this very hour, week and month of your life. The hardest things are not those that the world knows of. Down in your secret soul unseen and unknown by any but Jesus, there is a little trial that you would not dare to mention that is harder for you to bear than martyrdom.

There, beloved, lies your crown. God help you to overcome, and sometime wear it. --Selected

"It matters not how the battle goes,
The day how long;
Faint not! Fight on!
Tomorrow comes the song."

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Dessert"

December's Memory Verse

Lamentations 3:22-23

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease. For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: Great is Thy faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB - New American Standard Bible)

November's Memory Verse: 2 Timothy 2:15

October's Memory Verse: Proverbs 16:1-3

September's Memory Verse: Proverbs 17:9

Remember the key is to review review review. Always review the verses you've already memorized along with learning this month's verse.

Vow to Praise

"But I have trusted in You lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13:5-6

This verse is one I have memorized years ago. It wasn't until this morning as I was reviewing it that it stuck out. My study notes on this verse refer me to Psalm 7:17, "I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." The study notes on this verse says it's "A vow to praise. Many prayers in the Psalter include such vows in anticipation of the expected answer to prayer. They reflect Israel's religious consciousness that praise must follow deliverance as surely as prayer springs from need - if God is to be truly honored."

My morning devotional dealt with worry. Ah, my old and faithful friend who just doesn't want to go away. I liked what the last part of the devotional said.

"Even wise philosophy shows the uselessness of worrying, since it helps nothing, and only wastes one's strength and unfits one for doing one's best. Then religion goes farther, and says that even the hard things and the obstacles are blessings, if we meet them in the right spirit - stepping stones lifting our feet upward, disciplinary experiences in which we grow. So we learn that we should quietly and with faith accept life as it comes to us, fretting at nothing, changing hard conditions to easier if we can; if we cannot, then using them as means for growth and advancement." - J. R. Miller, D. D., from the book "Come Ye Apart."

So, in light of this devotional I got to thinking about the vow to praise. We worry about what we need to be praying about. How about praising God for what He will do through those things we worry about? And on the other side, once those prayers are answered we must remember to thank the Lord for it.

Krista Jones
5.13.08

Thanksgiving Day

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Psalm 103:2

Harvest is ended. There is a son in the air - a song of joy-filled hearts and thanksgiving. Goodness and mercy have followed throughout every day of the year. We have been loaded, yea, overloaded with His benefits and manifold tokens of His love and mercy. "He careth for us." Our testings and trials have been buried beneath is mercies which outnumber the waves of the sea. We praise God that He saw us through the tempests we thought would pull us under. He is our own God; we are the flock of His pasture and the people of His hand. "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him." Psalm 67:5-7

Thanksgiving Day is a sacred day for retrospection - a day also for spiritual inventory - a day for family reunions, fellowship with old friends and neighbors, sharing our bounties with those less favored. If throughout the past year earthborn clouds have blotted out the sunshine of your spiritual sky, may there be a rift in the clouds today so that you can see through to the land of pure delight where saints immortal reign.

This story is told or Sir Michael Costa. He was holding a rehearsal one night with is vast array of musicians and hundreds of voices. The mighty chorus rang out with thunder of organ, sounding of horns and clashing of cymbals. Far back in the orchestra one who played the piccolo said to himself, "In all this din it matters not what I do." Suddenly, all was still! The great conductor had stopped. Someone had failed to take his part! The sweet note of the piccolo had been missed.

"Let all the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the at yield her increase and God, even our own God shall bless us." Try thanksgiving! Let this Thanksgiving Day mark the beginning of a new life of victory, the "praise life!"

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, taken from, "Streams in the Desert" Vol. 2

Possessing an Inheritance

We read in Joshua 11:23: "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war."

The important word in this verse is "inheritance." Joshua gave Israel the land for an inheritance.

But in chapter 13:1 we see, "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."

This appears on the surface to be a contradiction with what chapter 11 says. God had given all the land to the Israelites, but they were responsible to go in and possess it.

They were promised, according to Joshua 1:3, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you."

We also know now that God gave them the land for an inheritance. It was divided among the tribes as is outlined for us in the Book of Joshua. Nevertheless, each tribe had to go in and possess the land in order to enjoy its benefits.

So is it with our possessions in Christ. These must be appropriated on an individual basis. The Church as a whole is blessed only as we individuals possess what is ours in Christ.

Our inheritance is in Him. In fact, He is our inheritance. A good illustration is given us in 2 Samuel 3:17,18: "Now then do it" (v. 18). See also Colossians 3:1-3.

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Rom. 8:17).

By Theodore Epp, taken from "Strength for the Journey"

Our God Is "Heavy"

"We were eyewitnesses of His majesty . . when we were with Him on the holy mountain." 2 Peter 1:16, 18

Remember when we used to say, "That' heavy," when we heard something awesome? Well, that's an appropriate response to the glory of God. His glory is the visible manifestation of His attributes, character, and perfections. The word glory in the Old testament is a very interesting word that means "to be weighted, to be heavy." Today we might respond, "Awesome!"

When we talk about glory, then, we are talking about someone with an awesome reputation because He has awesome splendor. God is glorious. You can see it in everything He has made. But His glory is most fully seen in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:18 puts it this way: "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God (Jesus), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained (revealed) Him."

In His earthly life, Jesus Christ was God's glory in human flesh. That's why He did what only God could do: heal the sick, raise the dead, read people's minds, know the future. Jesus was God in human flesh. His glory was veiled, though, because no one can look on God and live.

But in Matthew 17 Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to a mountain. There Christ zipped down His humanity, so to speak. He took off the veil of flesh for just a minute, and bursting out of His humanity was a bright light. The voice from heaven was so awesome the apostles had to hide their faces because the glory of God was revealed on that mountain in the person of Jesus Christ, who was God become man.

There are only two groups of beings who won't voluntarily glorify God: fallen men and fallen angels. Both will someday be discarded from His presence because throughout all eternity, God will only fellowship with those who voluntarily bring Him glory.

You see, your claim that you esteem God will be validated by how you respond to the God you say you esteem. The proof that you glorify God, that you recognize His intrinsic value, will be the value that you ascribe to His glory.

Think about it: We have the privilege of bringing glory to the most glorious Being in the universe! What are you going to do today that will glorify God?

By Tony Evans, taken from "Time to Get Serious"

In the Small Trials

There are times when I wonder if God cares about the little things I go through. I know He's in the bigger trials because I feel His presence and see Him at work. But it's when the trials are smaller and seem less important that I begin to wonder if I should bother Him with my seemingly easier trials.

This morning I read about the axe head being recovered in 2 Kings 6:1-7. In the beginning of the chapter the "sons of the prophets" wanted Elisha to go with them to help find timber to build themselves a place to live in and/or to assemble. During the days of Elisha prophets lived in companies and were located all over the area.

As they were felling the beams for their building, someone's axe head fell into the Jordan River and sank to the bottom. The prophet who this happened to cried out, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed." (vs 5). He was upset because an axe head was a costly tool and one that was too expensive for the members of the prophetic company to buy. Thus the borrower would probably have to work off the value of the axe head in order to pay the owner back.

In verse 6, Elisha calmly takes a stick and throws it into the river at the same spot the axe head fell in. And lo and behold the axe head floated to the top to be retrieved. My study notes say, "The Lord demonstrated here His concern for the welfare of His Faithful ones."

This wasn't a major trial but one of great concern for the borrower who possibly faced many years of extra service just to pay the owner back for what he had lost. And yet, God demonstrated that He loved this prophet enough that He as concerned for his welfare.

God does care for us as we go through any trial great or small. We just need to remain faithful to Him and push forward never giving up. Here is a little devotional I read this morning about never giving up even when the task or trial ahead seems to large to bear.

"Order my steps in thy word." Psalm 119:133

A little clock which had just been finished by the maker was put on a shelf in his wareroom between two older clocks who were busy ticking away the noisy seconds.

" 'Well,' said one of the clocks to the newcomer. 'So you've just started on this task. I'm sorry for you. YOu're ticking bravely now, but you'll be tired enough before you get through thirty-three million ticks.'

" 'Thirty-three million ticks!' said the frightened clock. 'Why, I never could do that!' And it stood still instantly with despair.

" 'Why, you silly thing,' said the other clock at this moment. 'Why do you listen to such words? It's nothing of the kind. You've only got to make one tick this moment. There, now, isn't that easy? And now another, and that is just as easy, and so right along.'

" 'Oh, if that's all,' cried the new clock, 'that's easily done, so here I go.' And it started bravely on again, making a tick a moment and not counting the months and millions. But at the year's end, it had made 33,000,000 vibrations without knowing it.

"Oh, if Christians would only live by the moment, not the year! 'Day by day' is the limit of the Lord's prayer. 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,' said the lord. And 'as thy days, so shall they strength be' is the promise which four thousand years have not be exhausted."

I ask thee for a present mind,
By patient watching wise,
A heart at leisure from itself
To sooth and sympathize.
- Unknown

Streams in the Desert, Volume 2

Remember that God cares for us no matter what we're going through great or small. All He asks of us is to take it one tick at a time.

Krista Jones
4.23.08

Still Human!

". . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.

We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, "What a wonderful man of prayer he is!" or, "What a great woman of devotion she is!" If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.

We want to be able to say, "Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!" But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions ( Colossians 3:3 ). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.

By Oswald Chambers, taken from "My Utmost for His Highest"

Continuing Praying

"Continue praying, keep alert, and always thank God." Colossians 4:2

Father, when you were on earth, you prayed. You prayed in the morning, you prayed at night, you prayed alone, you prayed with people. In your hours of distress you retreated into times of prayer. In your hours of joy you lifted your heart and hands to the Father in prayer. Help us to be more like you this way . . . help us to make prayer a priority in our daily lives.

By Max Lucado, taken from, "Walking with the Savior"

Steps and Stops

"When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out." Numbers 9:19

The children of Israel had been told to watch the cloud for guidance. But there were also times when the cloud indicated that they were to wait.

The wilderness was not the most delightful place in which to wait. The barrenness of the dessert was not inviting. Waiting in itself is not easy. Regardless of their strength and eagerness to start out again, regardless of their impatience to be on the way, the Israelites did not move until God, by means of the could, direct them to do so. It may not have been difficult to wait a short time. But in the above verse of Scripture we read that they had to wait "a long time." This was no doubt difficult. It was the test of their obedience.

Sometimes we are kept waiting, too. We may be in the midst of heartaches, of problems, of trails, of temptations when we see the could stop and wait. Sometimes our waiting is for a short period. We may, on the other hand, be kept waiting for a long time. but we dare not move until He moves us.

There are times when we seem to settled in a comfortable place. We are happy and contented. Suddenly the could begins to move. We may not want to move, yet we will have His blessing only if we willingly move with His cloud.

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm." Psalm 37:23

Both the steps and and the stops of our lives are ordered by the Lord. The important thing is for us to follow where He leads.

By Millie Stamm, taken from "Women's Devotional Bible 1"

“I Did Not Know It”

"Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” —Genesis 28:16

As Jacob did in Genesis 28, I like to remind myself each morning when I awaken that God is here, “in this place,” present with me (v.16). As I spend time with Him each morning, reading His Word and responding in prayer, it reinforces my sense of His presence—that He is near. Although we do not see Him, Peter reminds us that we can love Him and rejoice in His love for us with “inexpressible,” glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8).

We take the Lord’s presence with us all through the day, blending work and play with prayer. He is our teacher, our philosopher, our companion—our gentle, kind, and very best friend.

God is with us wherever we go. He is in the commonplace, whether we know it or not. “Surely the Lord is in this place,” Jacob said of a most unlikely spot, “and I did not know it” (Gen. 28:16). We may not realize He is close by. We may feel lonely and sad. Our day may seem bleak and dreary without a visible ray of hope—yet He is present.

Amid all the clamor and din of this visible and audible world, listen carefully for God’s quiet voice. Listen to Him in the Bible. Talk to Him frequently in prayer. Look for Him in your circumstances. Seek Him. He is with you wherever you go! — David H. Roper

Oh, how oft I wake and find
I have been forgetting Thee!
I am never from Thy mind;
Thou it is that wakest me. —MacDonald

Our greatest privilege is to enjoy God’s presence.

Taken from "Our Daily Bread"

Riding the Fence?

Today I came across a minor Bible character in I Kings 18 named Obadiah. Obadiah was a common name in the O.T. and means, "servant of the Lord." This particular Obadiah was the governor of Ahab's household. He greatly feared the Lord but also feared Ahab even more then the Lord. When Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah protected 100 prophets and hid them in a cave continuing to provide them with food and water (I Kings 18:4).

It was this Obahiah who meet Elijah on his mission from Ahab to search the region for water. Obahiah, "recognized him (Elijah) and fell on his face and said, "Is this you, Elijah my master?"' Obahiah knew of Elijah and knew that he was God's prophet. At this point Elijah asks Obahiah to go back to Ahab and tell him, "Behold, Elijah is here." (I Kings 18:8). From what I can tell of Obahiah is that he had been riding the fence. He serves an evil King and obeys his commands yet he greatly feared the Lord and secretly saved 100 prophets from the Queen. Elijah is now asking him to publicly identify himself with him. He is also asking Obahiah to disobey Ahab by stopping his mission to give him this message from Elijah. Here is the turning point for Obahiah. He knew what his disobedience and siding with Elijah would mean, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?" (vs. 18:9).

I find myself identifying with Obahiah. I remember making the choice to become a Christian at the ripe old age of 5 years old. As I grew up I started to ride the fence with rebellion on one side and the Lord on the other. I knew no other life outside of a Christian home and I started to become drawn to a life that was different from my own. I didn't want to be good old Krista who did what she knew was right. I made the choice to follow my own way and leave the Lord behind by joining the party scene and drinking. I hid it from my parents and church family.

Not much is said of Obadiah after verse 15 other then he did what Eljiah asked, "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah." (18:16). Somehow he fought that white picket fence and chose a side. And with that, he was part of God's plan.

I remember the day I was asked by God to choose a side. It was during church family camp when my best friend and I heard a sermon that seemed to speak to us. To this day I'm not even sure what it was that spoke to me about having faith like a mustard seed that can move mountains but that night I started to fear the Lord and what would happen to me when I died. We had planned on getting buzzed off of wine coolers we brought with us after everyone went to sleep. It was like the two worlds (rebellious and church) were colliding before my very eyes and I felt like I was playing with fire. I was looking forward to drinking at family camp where my parents and pastor were present. Instead, we sat up most of the night discussing our fear of death and afterlife and instead choose to turn our lives around. That night I talked to the Lord like I never had and rededicated my life to Him. Just like Obahiah's obedience to Elijah to give his message to Ahab was a turning point.

If you are at a crossroads in your life and are feeling the Lord tugging at you I pray that you will open your heart and soul to hear what He has to say. We have two choices. We can either follow God or Satan. And because God is a loving Father who doesn't force us into following Him, He will allow you to choose. It is up to you.

Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many." Did you read that right? He "gave His life a ransom for many." You have been ransomed and set from from sin. It also says in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus loves you and died for you so that you would be free. All you need to do is to take that first step towards Him. It'll be the hardest step as I know fear in some form will be urging you to not take that step because of the consequences you'll have to deal with. But life with knowing Jesus is by far more joyful then life without. Do you want to fill that emptiness you're feeling? Then take that first step by realizing that you are living a life apart from the Living and Loving God. Confess to Him that you are a sinner (as we all are) and are in need of a Savior. He has already paid the price for your sins and is just waiting for you to take that step to freedom through Him. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9.

I love what 2 Corinthians 5:17 says about us once we turn to Jesus and ask Him to be Lord of our lives, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come." Your old life has passed away and you are a new creature. It doesn't mean life will be easy and the consequences of your sinful past will have to be dealt with. BUT, you have a loving God who will be your guide and be by your side while you go through the trials of your life. You will never be alone again.

What side of the fence are you going to choose?

Krista Jones
4.19.08

Sanctified Souls Are Satisfied

"My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 31:14).

Note the "My" which comes twice: "My people shall be satisfied with My goodness." The kind of people who are satisfied with God are marked out as God's own. He is pleased with them, for they are pleased with Him. They call Him their God, and He calls them His people; He is satisfied to take them for a portion, and they are satisfied with Him for their portion. There is a mutual communion of delight between God's Israel and Israel's God. These people are satisfied. This is a grand thing. Very few of the sons of men are ever satisfied, let their lot be what it may; they have swallowed the horse-leech, and it continually cries, "Give! give!" Only sanctified souls are satisfied souls. God Himself must both convert us and content us. t is no wonder that the LORD's people should be satisfied with the goodness of their LORD. Here is goodness without mixture, bounty without stint, mercy without chiding, love without change, favor without reserve. If God's goodness does not satisfy us, what will? What! are we still groaning? Surely there is a wrong desire within if it be one which God's goodness does not satisfy. LORD, I am satisfied. Blessed be Thy name.

By C.H Spurgeon, taken from "Faith's Checkbook"

Prayer

"May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." Psalm 141:2

Incense was an aromatic substance made of gums and spices that were burned, especially in religious worship. In this chapter is was "symbolical of the ascending prayer of the officiating high priest." Usually it was the high priest who led the sacrifices and offerings and were the only ones to deal with incense. In fact, in Lev. 10, Aaron's sons died because of their improper use it. In Rev. 8:3-5 an angel burns incense on the golden alter. The smoke from it ascends with the prayer of the Saints. It's obvious that incense was important in worshiping the Lord.

Here the Psalmist is praying that what he says will be like the sweet aroma of incense before God. Seeing how I struggle in this area I was touched by this verse. I pray that our prayers go beyond the requests and become prayers of praise before our Lord.

I also read about how the Israelites passed through the Jordan River on dry ground. I wonder what those who carried the ark felt as they walked up to the river holding the ark. God had told Joshua not to be afraid and courageous. That He was going to give the land across the Jordan to them. They only had to obey His commandments. It must have been a day of excitement and fear all balled up in one. And here are the priests at the edge of the river looking over it wondering if God would come through on His promise. With anticipation we can see them step up to the water and as soon as their feet touch it, it rolls back and stays away at a distance.

Sometimes I feel like those priests. I'm at the edge of the water wondering how I'll get to the other side. Change is going to take place and I don't like to change. I fear and dread it. Yet, God is calling for it so I must follow. He is asking us to trust Him and step out onto the water because He will take care of us and pave a way for us to cross over the change.

Are you feeling just like I've been feeling? Is there a change that is coming in your future or happening to you now? Look to Jesus, lift up your voice to Him and ask Him for strength and courage to carry you through this moment of change. Let our prays be like sweet aroma to Him. He is there waiting to hear from you. What are you waiting for?

Krista Jones
3.11.08

Sunshine Within

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

What will He do? He will sanctify us wholly. See the previous verse. He will carry on the work of purification till we are perfect in every part. He will preserve our "whole spirit, and soul, and body, blameless unto the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ." He will not allow us to fall from grace, nor come under the dominion of sin. What great favors are these! Well may we adore the giver of such unspeakable gifts. Who will do this? The LORD who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, out of death in sin into eternal life in Christ Jesus. Only He can do this: such perfection and preservation can only come from the God of all grace. Why will He do it? Because He is "faithful"--faithful to His own promise which is pledged to save the believer; faithful to His Son, whose reward it is that His people shall he presented to Him faultless, faithful to the work which He has commenced in us by our effectual calling. It is not their own faithfulness but the LORD's own faithfulness on which the saints rely. Come, my soul, here is a grand feast to begin a dull month with. There may be fogs without, but there should be sunshine within.

By C.H. Spurgeon, taken from "Faith's Chrckbook"

Fresh Touch with God

"And the ill favored and lean-fleshed kine did Eat up the seven well favored and fat kin…and the thin, ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears" (Gen. 41:4, 7).

There is a warning for us in that dream, just as it stands: It is possible for the best years of our life, the best experiences, the best victories won, the best service rendered, to be swallowed up by times of failure, defeat, dishonor, uselessness in the kingdom. Some men's lives of rare promise and rare achievement have ended so. It is awful to think of, but it is true. Yet it is never necessary.

S. D. Gordon has said that the only assurance of safety against this tragedy is "fresh touch with God," daily, hourly. The blessed, fruitful, victorious experiences of yesterday are not only of no value to me today, but they will actually be eaten up or reversed by today's failures, unless they serve as incentives to still better, richer experiences today.

"Fresh touch with God," by abiding in Christ, alone will keep the lean kine and the ill favored grain out of my life. --Messages for the Morning Watch

By Mrs. Charles E Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert"

God's Handiwork

"O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night, even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day, darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 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. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand when I awake, I am still with You." Psalm 139:1-18

Last night I came across Psalm 139. I LOVE this Psalm and how it speaks of how intimately God knows us. God know our every thought, word and deed. We cannot hide from Him. Yet, here despite knowing all that the psalmist is still asking the Lord to examine his life and soul. I also love how the Lord has known us from the moment we were conceived. I saw on a PBS show once that we are who we are from the moment the cells form. It's an amazing thought!!!

Another amazing thought is creation. Yesterday I took the kids to North Creek Park. It has a boardwalk that snakes around wetlands where you see wildlife. We had so much fun listening to and seeing all the different birds. You felt God's handiwork in it all. Even down to the sun warming up the grass and having it crackle and pop under it's warmth. God is our creator and we are blessed to have been created and live in a beautiful world He created for us.

It always saddens me to think that people see the same things I do and yet still say there is no God. The wetlands we walked through is literally a life cycle for the earth, animals and plants. It's plain to see that someone had to create it. This morning my devotional touched upon this very thing.

"For I know whom I have believed . . ." II Tim 1:12

A most unusual incident occurred in colorful Mexico City a few years ago. A famous artist has painted a beautiful picture, and it was being displayed upon the walls of a new, ultramodern hotel. The scene was of one of the charming beautify spots of the country landscape. It depicted with lucid clarity the rolling country landscape, quiet fields, purling streams and a touch of virgin forest, carpeted with gorgeous flowers.

"Across the top of the canvas four words were painted which stood out in bold outline. They were these: 'God Does Not Exist.' A strange bit of lettering to be found on such a famous work of art!

"Spellbound visitors surged past the painting every day.

"One evening a large group of young men entered the lobby of the hotel and made their way down the corridor to the room that housed the painting. They quietly calmly removed paint cans and brushes from kits strapped to their shoulders and were soon busily at work. No one but those in the room could see what was going on; the air was freighted with suspense. Suddenly they stepped back and again the throng pressing against the doorway caught a glimpse of the masterpiece. At first they could see no change, but continued scrutiny revealed that the words in the caption had been brushed completely from the canvass and what were the words? 'Does Not Exist.' One word remained - 'God.'

"The group quietly but with the stride of conquerors, left the hotel. The onlookers stared in awe. Under the soft lights which were thrown upon the picture, that one glorious word was emblazoned - it shone like a brilliant in a monarch's crown.

"More than anything else that may be needed - more than changed conditions, more than release from pressure, is a vigorous faith in God - a rediscovery of Him who knows the paths of a hundred million stars and knows the way through every valley or difficulty and over every mountain of trial. Renew confidence in God; rediscover God, the mighty God - a match for mighty needs!" - Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, "Streams in the Desert Volume 2"

I pray that we will rediscover our Lord and Savior. That we will look with new eyes upon the earth He created and all the beauty within it. That we will see each person as a treasure created by a loving God. That we may desire to serve them and show them that the God who created them loves them.

Krista Jones
3.9.08

Class Participation

"The entrance of Your words gives light." Psalm 119:130

As a high school teacher and college professor, I have observed that learning is a cooperative effort between the student and the instructor. That’s why educators try to get the student involved in class participation. The teacher does some work; the student does some work. Together progress is made. Education happens.

In Psalm 119, the writer suggests a similar pattern in verses 129-136. God is the teacher; we are the students.

Let’s look at God’s role in our education. He shows us mercy (v.132). He guides our steps (v.133). And He redeems us from outside trouble (v.134).

But first we must be eager students, ready to accept God’s teaching, guidance, and help. We should enter His classroom with anticipation: “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. . . . I longed for Your commandments” (vv.130-131). In our role as students of God’s Word, we should fulfill three requirements: (1) examine God’s words for what they are teaching, (2) gain understanding from those words, and (3) obey His statutes.

It’s time to enter God’s classroom and listen and learn from Him. When we do, we’ll look at God with renewed love and at the world with renewed concern (v.136). — Dave Branon

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine,
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there. —Hodder

Careful meditation on the Scriptures makes for a closer walk with the Savior.

Taken from, "Our Daily Bread"

Obedience or Independence?

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." John 14:15

Our Lord never insists obedience. He stresses very definitely what we ought to do, but He never forces us to do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit with Him. That is why whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an "If," meaning, "You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so." "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . ." ( Luke 9:23 ). In other words, "To be My disciple, let him give up his right to himself to Me." Our Lord is not talking about our eternal position, but about our being of value to Him in this life here and now. That is why He sounds so stern (see Luke 14:26 ). Never try to make sense from these words by separating them from the One who spoke them.

The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. Jesus Christ will not force me to obey Him, but I must. And as soon as I obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When God’s redemption brings a human soul to the point of obedience, it always produces. If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God.

By Oswald Chamber, taken from, "My Utmost for High Highest"

The Power of a Strong Relationship

"God's power protects you through your faith until Salvation is shown to you at the end of time." I Peter 1:5

The power of a strong relationship sustains us and gives us strength - it's that power in knowing, "If I fail, my friend is still there," or, "If I fail, I have a wife who still loves me." It's the power in knowing that - no matter what - we have a Father who still loves us."

By Max Lucado, taken from, "Walking with the Savior"

Trusting God

"Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his Mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me." Psalm 131:2

My study notes say, "A child of four or five who walks trustingly beside his mother."

I think back to when I had my babies. As infants they are so dependent on you to care for them that it can be frightening. I felt so much compassion for my babies as I knew they were in a big cold world not knowing anything but Eric and I. I also remember feeling like McMama and that as soon as they wanted to nurse it was like they pulled up to the dive thru ordering a big tall glass of milk 24/7. As difficult as it was to nurse at times I knew it was my milk that continued to sustain their little lives.

My oldest was an independent one and weaned herself at 7 months old. I could have kept her going for another few months only nursing her at night but I was as ready to stop as ready as she was to be on her own. From that point on she started to explore the world around her more and more. Yet, her security and trust was still within us, her parents. She still looked up to us with those trusting eyes knowing we'd tenderly care for her.

It's the same way with our Heavenly Father. As spiritual infants we are depended upon Him and we drink all the milk we can growing into a toddler. As spiritual toddlers we begin eating solid food and exploring the world around us. Yet all the time holding the Lord's hand because we trust Him to care for us. We trust Him because we know that He has held nothing from us. Even His one and only Son was given to us as a Savior so that we could have eternal life with Him. As parents we know we'll sacrifice anything for the protection of our children just like God sacrificed His Son for our protection.

This morning I read a story in my devotional about a Father's sacrificial love for his daughter.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. (II Cor. 5:19)

There is on record a story of how a tribe of North American Indians who roamed in the neighborhood of Niagara offered year by year a young virgin as a sacrifice to the Spirit of the Mighty River.

"She was called 'The Bride of the Falls.'

"The lot fell one year on a beautiful girl who was the only daughter of an old chieftain. The news was carried to him while he was still in his tent; but on hearing it, the old man went o smoking his pipe, and said nothing of what he felt.

"On the day fixed for the sacrifice a white canoe, full of ripe fruits, and decked with beautiful flowers, was ready, waiting to receive The Bride.'

"At the appointed hour she took her place in the frail bark which was pushed out into mid-stream, where it would e carried swiftly toward the mighty cataract.

"Then, to the amazement of the crowd which had assembled to watch the sacrifice, a second canoe was seen to dart out from the rivers bank a little lower down the stream.

"In it was seated the old chieftain.

"With swift strokes he paddled towards the canoe in which was his beloved child, and, on reaching it, he gripped it firmly, and held it fast.

"The eyes of both met in one last long look of love; and then, close together, father and daughter were carried by the racing current until they plunged over the thundering cataract and perished side by side.

"In their death they were not divided.

"The father was 'in it' with his child!

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself,' He did not have to. Nobody forced Him. The only force behind that sacrifice was the force of His seeking love for His lost world." - Selected.

Let us ponder, believe, and gladly follow, in His steps, into sacrificial service." - Streams in the Desert Volume 2

We are like weaned children resting against Him. We take His hand and walk forward trusting that He will care for us. Psalm 56:11 says, "In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid."

Krista Jones
3.8.08

Fade as a Leaf

. . . and we all do fade as a leaf; . . ." Isaiah 64:6

The air is full of hints of grief,
Strange voices touched with pain,
the pathos of the falling leaf,
The rustling of the rain. - Anonymous

the burden of every sound we hear, the moral of every sight we see, is the old, old truth, which finds a ready response in every human bosom. Numerous have been the times we have heard these words quoted from the pulpit, but from one with a doleful tone in his voice, leaving us with a feeling of sadness when the leaves begin to fall and the summer roses fade. "We all do fade as a leaf."

That is the great commonplace of the world. It is so trite and true that it has lost in a great measure the power of truth; and therefore God is annually illuminating it to us by the many colored lights of autumn, and investing it, by the aid of Nature's touching pictures, with new power and impressiveness. Every year, at the fall of the leaf, He is spreading before us a great parable, in which our decay and death are represented." - Hugh Macmillan (from Thoughts for the Thoughtful).

But how does the leave in autumn fade? It is true that certain trees renew in their autumn foliage the same color that marked them in their budding time of spring, but with fuller, brighter hues. Nature does not die drably! She puts on her most gorgeous roes in autumn and dies gloriously. She goes down with her gay banners waving, smiles back at us as she leaves us. God speaks to His own comforting messages at all season and at all times.

Why should we have a dread of the transition? God has made the "valley of the shadow" as beautiful as the daybreak. In Charles Kingsley's last hour he was heard to whisper, "How beautiful is God."

If peace be in the heart
The wildest winter storm is filled with beauty
The very trees and stones, all catch a ray of glory
If peace be in the heart.

He gave us the secret of victory. It is the peace of God passing all understanding that makes all the way long a good journey. "My peace I give to you." - Mrs. Charles E Cowman

Compiled by Mrs. Charles E Cowman, taken from, "Springs in the Valley Volume 2"

November's Memory Verse

2 Timothy 2:15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB - New American Standard Bible)


October's Memory Verse: Proverbs 16:1-3

September's Memory Verse: Proverbs 17:9

Remember the key is to review review review. Always review the verses you've already memorized along with learning this month's verse.

Pruning

"And every branch that bringeth forth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." John 15:2

Every purpose regarding our lives will be fulfilled. Every flower will be crowned with blossoms. Every vine will bear fruit. "His Calvary blossomed out into fertility." We shall have a calvary also, and it too shall blossom. There will be an abundant fruitage out of agony. There will be life out of death. This is the law of the universe.

Dr. Vincent relates an incident while viewing the luscious clusters of grapes hanging on the wall inside a great hothouse. The owner said, "When my new gardner came, he said he would have nothing to do with these vines unless he could cut them clear down to the stalk! And he did so, until there was seemingly nothing left! There were no grapes for two years, but this is the result!"

"God has challenging futures for us, and will go miracle-lengths to get us to pay attention."

The pruning knife is clasped by the Hand and Love Divine. At the most tender touch it cuts and breaks. Lives which have borne some fruit will now bear "much fruit." Those God wants to use to any significant degree will have to be pruned. Sorrow came more to Joseph than to his brethren, and the result was a great blessing to many nations. The Holy Spirit reported of him as "a fruitful bough . . . by a well; whose branches run over the wall" (Gen. 49:22). Human history projects the shadows of suffering in the great paintings, the great philosophies, and the great civilizations. They all have come into the light out of the shadows of torment. Do not fear the knife in the Pruner's hand.

Taken from "Streams in the Dessert"

Two are better then One

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friends can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Climbing a steep hill, I was pleased to meet a friend who stopped for a while to talk. Not only was the conversation good, but it also gave me a chance to rest before continuing the hard climb.

The road of life is sometimes steep too. It is a beautiful thing to have friends to encourage me by stopping to talk. It is also beautiful when I can provide a rest stop and brighten someone else's climb.

Direct me, O great encourager, in paths that cross with other', so we may refresh each other. Amen.

By Sandra Drescher-Lehman

The Greenhouse of the Heart

"People harvest only what they plant." Galatians 6:7

Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse . . . And your heart, like a greenhouse, has to be managed.

Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity . . . .

The proof is everywhere you look. Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest?

Ever wonder why others have such a sour outlook? Such a gloomy attitude? You would, too, if your heart were a greenhouse of weeds and thorns. - Just Like Jesus

By Max Lucado, taken from "Grace For The Moment"

Springs in the Valley

Last night I came across a wonderful verse tucked in the middle of the book of Psalms. "He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains." Psalm 104:10

Isn't it refreshing to drink a tall cool glass of crystal clear water on a hot summer day? How wonderful it is when the water quenches your thirst and gives your body the life force it needs? Often when we are in the valley of trials we need that spiritual water to quench our spiritual thirst. The valley can be so hard and painful. When you are wondering within it you can look up to the tall beautiful snow capped mountains and remember the mountain top experiences. They are what sustains you as you know your time in the valley will end and you'll once again be breathing in the fresh air on the mountain. But it's only when we are at the end of our rope and look up to Him that we receive the life giving water to sustain us through the remainder of our time in the valley.

Can you see it? Can you see that water cascading down in a long beautiful waterfall? Can you see it flowing through the river and into the valley just when you need it? Can you feel it sooth your sore spiritual throat? At times I'm not sure I can see it but I know it'll come. I know that God "will open rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land fountains of water." Isaiah 41:18

If you are in the valley don't continue to look down but turn your face upwards to the mountains where the Lord is waiting for you to return to. Take a drink from the water He provides from the mountain top. Learn what you need to learn in the valley and allow that water to give you strength to begin climbing. He will always send forth springs in the valley.

Krista Jones
4.8.08

Ready to Move

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor.5:1).

The owner of the tenement which I have occupied for many years has given notice that he will furnish but little or nothing more for repairs. I am advised to be ready to move.

At first this was not a very welcome notice. The surroundings here are in many respects very pleasant, and were it not for the evidence of decay, I should consider the house good enough. But even a light wind causes it to tremble and totter, and all the braces are not sufficient to make it secure. So I am getting ready to move.

It is strange how quickly one's interest is transferred to the prospective home. I have been consulting maps of the new country and reading descriptions of its inhabitants. One who visited it has returned, and from him I learn that it is beautiful beyond description; language breaks down in attempting to tell of what he heard while there. He says that, in order to make an investment there, he has suffered the loss of all things that he owned here, and even rejoices in what others would call making a sacrifice. Another, whose love to me has been proven by the greatest possible test, is now there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. After tasting them, all food here seems insipid.

Two or three times I have been down by the border of the river that forms the boundary, and have wished myself among the company of those who were singing praises to the King on the other side. Many of my friends have moved there. Before leaving they spoke of my coming later. I have seen the smile upon their faces as they passed out of sight. Often I am asked to make some new investments here, but my answer in every case is, "I am getting ready to move." --Selected

The words often on Jesus' lips in His last days express vividly the idea, "going to the Father." We, too, who are Christ's people, have vision of something beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. We are journeying towards fulfillment, completion, expansion of life. We, too, are "going to the Father." Much is dim concerning our home-country, but two things are clear. It is home, "the Father's House." It is the nearer presence of the Lord. We are all wayfarers, but the believer knows it and accepts it. He is a traveller, not a settler. --R. C. Gillie

The little birds trust God, for they go singing
From northern woods where autumn winds have blown,
With joyous faith their trackless pathway winging
To summer-lands of song, afar, unknown.

Let us go singing, then, and not go sighing:
Since we are sure our times are in His hand,
Why should we weep, and fear, and call it dying?
'Tis only flitting to a Summer-land.
--Selected

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, taken from "Streams in the Desert"

Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith . . . " Jude 20

There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God’s nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman—an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.

Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land ( Mark 14:54 ). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.

By Oswald Chambers, taken from "My Utmost for His Highest"