Slow me down, Lord!

"The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him . . ." (Lam. 3:25)

"Wait on the Lord: . . . He shall strengthen thine heart." (Psalm 27:14)

"Wait on the Lord . . . and He shall exalt thee . . . " (Psalm 37:34)

Slow me down, Lord! Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the smoothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations . . . of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book. Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise that I may know that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to live than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny. In Jesus' name, Amen." - Unknown

We must learn to wait. When we do not know what to do we must simply do nothing. Wait till the fog clears away. Do not force a half-open door; a closed door may be providential. Ability to hold steady under pressure gives god unlimited sway. A hurried spirit is always from beneath (and out of breath.) "He that believeth shall not make haste."

There is grace supplied for the one who waits. The Psalmist knew this secret. He experienced this grace. "I wait for the Lord," he declared in Psalm 130:5. Waiting is a great part of life's discipline and therefore God often exercises the grace of waiting in the anxious hurrying person. "Waiting has four purposes," says Dr. james Vaughan. "It practices the patience of faith. It gives time for preparation for the coming gift. It makes the blessing the sweeter when it arrives. It shows the sovereignty of God - to give just when and as He pleases."

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

Calling Upon the Lord

This morning I read about how Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away because Sarah didn't want Ishmael to share in Isaac's inheritance. Through their journey into the desert they ran out of water, faith and hope. At this point Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush and walked some distance away from him so she didn't have to watch him die. It says that they both began to cry. God heard their cries and called out to Hagar from heaven. "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there . . . Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." Genesis 21:17-19a.

I am touched by the fact that God heard Hagar and Ishmael in their desperate hour of need. He not only heard them but He responded. Psalm 9:9 reminds us that "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Mrs. Charles E. Cowman wrote, "The Father cares when He sees His children in the teeth of a blinding storm, but He knows that faith grows in the tempest. He will hold our hand bidding us not to try to see the next step we are to take. He knows the paths of a hundred million stars, knows the way through the whirlwind and the storm, and has promised, "I will never, never let go of your hand!"

I don't know how Hagar and Ishmael went from their time at the well to becoming a great nation. But they trusted and had faith that God would bring about what He promised. Somehow she got off the desert floor, drank deeply from the well and pushed forward not giving up. The water God provided was life giving for them like it is for us today. He (Jesus) says, "but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. In deed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

When we call upon the Lord He listens and responds. He doesn't fix our situation but He leads us through it that we might learn and grow. May we never give up in the middle of the storm. We may not see the Lord but we can always feel His hand closed around ours. If you've never turned to Him I strongly urge you to do so. Turn to Him like Hagar did and He will respond to you - I GUARANTEE it. Do you want to be satisfied, feel safe and loved? Then drink of the living water He talks about in John 4:14.

Krista Jones
1.6.08

Wait to be Guided

"My times are in Thy hand." Psalm 31:15

"Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed." Jeremiah 51:29

I am so glad! It is such rest to know
That Thou hast ordered and appointed all,
And wilt yet order and appoint my lot.
For though so much I cannot understand,
And would not choose, has been, and yet may be,
Thou choosest, Thou performest, THOU, my Lord.
This is enough for me.

F. R. HAVERGAL

"We mustn't be in a hurry to fix and choose our own lot; we must wait to be guided. We are led on, like the little children, by a way that we know not. It is a vain thought to flee from the work that God appoints us, for the sake of finding a greater blessing to our own souls; as if we could choose for ourselves where we shall find the fulness of the Divine Presence, instead of seeking it where alone it is to be found, in loving obedience."

GEORGE ELIOT

Everywhere and at all times it is in thy power piously to acquiesce in thy present condition, and to behave justly to those who are about thee.

MARCUS ANTONINUS

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Lord, I am no Hero

"Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth
it off." I Kings 20:11

"Put on the whole armor of God." Ephesians 6:11

Was I not girded for the battle-field?
Bore I not helm of pride and glittering sword?
Behold the fragments of my broken shield,
And lend to me Thy heavenly armor, Lord!

ANON

Oh, be at least able to say in that day,--Lord, I am no hero. I have been careless, cowardly, sometimes all but mutinous. Punishment I have deserved, I deny it not. But a traitor I have never been; a deserter I have never been. I have tried to fight on Thy side in Thy battle against evil. I have tried to do the duty which lay nearest me; and to leave whatever Thou didst commit to my charge a little better than I found it. I have not been good, but I have at least tried to be good. Take the will for the deed, good Lord. Strike not my unworthy name off the roll-call of the noble and victorious army, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and let me, too, be found written in the Book of Life; even though I stand the lowest and last upon its list. Amen.

C. KINGSLEY

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

The Water of the Servant

"He poured water into a bowl and began to wash the follower's feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him." John 13:5

To place our feet in the basin of Jesus is to place the filthiest parts of our lives into His hands. In the ancient East, people's feet were caked with mud and dirt. The servant of the feast saw to it that the feet were cleaned. jesus is assuming the role of the servant. He will wash the grimiest part of your life.

If you let Him. The water of the Servant comes only when we confess that we are dirty. Only when we confess that we are caked with filth, that we have walked forbidden trails and followed the wrong paths . . .

We will never be cleansed until we confess we are dirty. We will never be pure until we admit we are filthy. And we will never be able to wash the feet of those who have hurt us until we allow Jesus, the one we have hurt, to wash ours. - A Gentle Thunder

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

The Precious Words of Promise

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; For my strength is made perfect in weakness . . . II Cor. 12:9a

. . . Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." II Cor. 12:9B

God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Grace for all trails,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Annie Johnson Flint

We never prize the precious words of promise," said Mr. Spurgeon, " 'til we are placed in condition in which their suitability and sweetness are manifested." We all of us value those golden words: "When thou walkest through fire thou shalt not be burned neither shall the flame kindle upon thee," but few, if any of us, have read them with the delight of Martyr Binney. To him this passage was a stay while he was in prison awaiting burning at the stake. His Bible, still preserved in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, has the passage marked with a pen in the margin.

Doubtless if all were known, every promise in the Bible has borne a special message to some one Christian, and so the whole volume might be scored in the margin with momentoes of Christian experience, every one appropriate to the very letter.

Every promise in the Book is mine;
Every chapter, every verse, every line.

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." II Peter 1:14

"The promises of God are certain, but they do not all mature in ninety days." - A. J. Gordon

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

Our Best Defense

"Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me." Psalm 31:2

In late January 1956, during the tense days of the Montgomery Boycott, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could not sleep. A threatening phone call had terrified him. So he prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now, I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. . . . The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. . . . I can’t face it alone.”

Dr. King later wrote, “At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”

The rest is history. Dr. King wanted to see people of all colors free of the damage done by racism and prejudice.

If we face opposition when we’re trying to do what’s right, we too must cry out to the Lord. He alone is our “rock of refuge, a fortress of defense” (Ps. 31:2). He is our reliable source of strength and protection. —David C. Egner

Lord, help me stand upon Your rock of Truth
And never trust myself to sinking sand;
Whenever I am faced with evil powers,
I’ll call upon Your strong and mighty hand. —Hess

When we trust the power of God, we experience peace, not panic.

When the Moon Doesn't Shine

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Usually the moon shines bright on clear May nights in eastern Pennsylvania. But tonight the moon is missing. All is dark. I notice brown circles under the lamp in the hall when mother welcomes our 2:00 a.m. arrival from Illinois. I also notice brown circles under her eyes. Tired skin under gentle folds.

But here she stands, my mother for forty years. I sense an accumulation of nights waiting up for home-coming children, as though the years have cast shadows from the lamp onto her face. I see the years in the black and blue veins that have just this week felt the heart specialist's probe. I hear the years - like the ocean ringing in seashell - in the doctor's diagnosis: "Enlarged Heart . . . . slow the pace . . . ." I stare into uncertainty. Tomorrow has been an assumed promise - a grand procession of weddings, births, celebrations. Time has been an event, not a sequence.

As I look at Mother, I sense that someone has wound the clock. years have become increments. History has a beginning and an end. I shiver in the early morning chill. But then Mother's arms wrap me in warmth, and I am home. A forty-year-old child reassured by her mother's touch. There is no time to touch.

I hear the tea kettle whistling. Mother's chocolate chip cookies on Grandma Hollinger's ironstone plate pull me back into timelessness. Our laughter drowns out the clock. There is no time in laughter. Mother laughs the hardest of all. Dark circles. Tired circles of joy. Her children are home.

For a moment I forget bruised veins and ticking clocks. I am held together by things that do not change - a mother's early morning welcome, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and ironstone plate and laughter. I am held together by a God who does no change. I know the God of time who is yet above time. I see tonight in my mother's face the strange paradox of time and timelessness. A rare glimpse of the divine.

By Ruth Senter, taken from "Women's Devotional Bible 2"

Coming before the King

"Then I heard all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea saying: "To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever." Revelation 5:13

The whole purpose of coming before the King is to praise Him, to live in recognition of his splendor. Praise - lifting up our heart and hands, exulting with our voices, singing His praises - is the occupation of those who dwell in the kingdom.

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

Got Water?

I recently went to a Study Retreat and discovered that I need to have a deeper thirst for the Word and my Lord. During this study I learned some interesting facts about water and what it meant to people during Biblical times. Water was not easy to come by and wells were often located outside the city walls where it had to be brought in one jar at a time. Some cities were fortunate enough to have wells inside their city walls and at least 2 cities, including Jerusalem, were known for bring their water into the city through an underground tunnel.

It didn't rain for six months out of the year which often caused the wells to dry up. Water carriers would peddle water they got at the wells and went through the market place calling out, "Ho, ye thirsty ones, come ye and drink." There were times when philanthropic persons paid the water carrier for all his supply of water and offer it to people free of charge. He would call forth, "Ho, ye thirsty ones, come and drink today for nothing, for nothing!" Such words remind us of the prophetic invitation of Isaiah: "Ho, every one who thirsty, come to the water. And you who have no money come buy and eat, by wine and milk. Without money and without cost." Isa. 55:1. The water from the well of Bethlehem was different and highly desired. It collected it's water from the hillsides and vineyards around the city which kept it delightfully cool in the summer months. It was this water that David yearned for in 2 Sam. 23:15 and the water his three mighty men risked their lives for when they went through enemy lines to get for him.

We don't have to think about our water because it's in great supply and easy to come by. Therefore, we've taken our thirst elsewhere and have filled ourselves up with things of this world. Kind of like my Mountain Dew habit. It's not good for me yet I desire to drink it. It's full of nothing but bad things, fills me up, makes me feel yucky and unsatisfied. Oh that we would desire to thirst and fill ourselves up with God and His Word. To yearn for Him like David yearned for the cool water from the well of Bethlehem. The Psalmist said, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go meet with God?" WOW! "When can I go meet with God?" He thirst so much that he was WANTING to spend time with the Lord.

Since water is free for the taking, we don't really realize the impact of what the Water of Life being free meant back in Biblical times. I can see why people wanted to know where they could get this free water because the availability of water was scarce. Rev. 22:17 says, "The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." The Bible also says, "if any is thirsty let him come to me (Jesus) and drink." John 7:37. Whoever accepts it will be filled and satisfied. John 4:14 says, "But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to the eternal life." Psalms 107:9 also says, "for He satisfies the thirsty."

When I drink lots of water I notice that when my body needs it it tells me right away. I feel the thirst and can be only satisfied by drinking water. I want to get to the point where I thirst deeply for the Lord. That if I'm not getting my daily intake of it I "feel" the yearning of being filled by the Lord alone. "Blessed are those who huger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matt. 5:6.

What do you thirst for? Does what you fill your life with satisfy you? Or are you left feeling like you have a Mountain Dew yucky empty feeling? Jesus is the one and only true way to fill your emptiness. Do you want to drink from the cool water He's offering?

Krista Jones
1.14.08

God's Mountain

""the Lord shall guide thee continually . . ." Isaiah 58:11
". . . and He will make my feet like hind's feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places." Hab. 3:19

Advance into this new year on your knees. Faith does not concern itself with the entire journey. One step is enough. That fist step is all that is needed. Breathe a prayer for courage to fill your legs as well as your heart as you face the unknown, the unexpected. What matters that you know not your destination? Put your hand into the hand of God. he gives the calmness and serenity of heart and soul. As He endures, you too, can endure and climb over sharp rocks and crags. Climb with Him to the end of the year - yea, even to the end of life's trial. "The peak that is nearest the storm-cloud is nearer the stars of light." He gives the courage for which you pray to rise above the valley. Heed the Master's voice and press bravely on to the fulfillment of your task. You have a whole year to scale.

"A Voice said 'CLIMB.' And he said, 'How shall I climb?
The mountains are so steep that I cannot climb.'
"The Voice said, 'CLIMB' or DIE.'
"He said, 'But how? I see no way up those steep ascents.
This that is asked of me is too hard for me.'
"The Voice said, 'CLIMB or PERISH, soul and body of thee,
mind and spirit of thee. There is no second choice for
any son of man. CLIMB or DIE.'"

Some of the bravest of mountaineers have related incredible tales of concerning their climbs up the hills of earth. Sometimes they were aware of the presence of a Companion who was not among the earthly party of climbers on the mountains.

How much more positive is the presence of the Heavenly Guide as God's mountaineers climb the high places of the Spirit!

God's mountain climbers are created to walk in precarious places, not on the easy levels of life.

Do not limit the Limitless God! With Him face the new trail and follow on unafraid, for you walk not alone!

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

God's Promise

I just got done reading about the flood and God's promise to never destroy the earth and all living upon it by a flood again. I often forget about this promise when I see a rainbow. That the rainbow is a constant reminder of the covenant God made with us (Genesis 9:12-17). How often I forget to fulfill my promises? Every time a rainbow appears God is reminded not to destroy us by flood ever again. I'm quite sure that our society is very much like the society of Noah's time. I'm sure God has been torn up and angry over what we're doing today. Yet, as much as we anger Him with our sin, He has kept his promise. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

Spurgeon said, "We never prize the precious words of promise till we are placed in conditions in which their suitability and sweetness are manifested." As I look in the concordance of my Bible I see that there are many instances where God promises us something. It means that there is a promise in the Bible that speaks to each one of us. Let us remember the precious promises God has sprinkled through the Word and "rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil." Psalm 119:162.

Krista Jones
1.5.08

Ballerina

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?" Psalm 121:1

When television coverage of the Winter Olympics brought visions of twirling, whirling ice skaters into our home, we had two diminutive skaters in our living room. Spin after spin catapulted them into tangled heaps of arms and legs on the floor. Finally, my five-year-old asked in exasperation, "Mommy, how do they spin so fast?"

I tried to explain a technique learned many years ago when I was the ballerina-to-be - the technique of spotting. Start by focusing your sight on a fixed spot and with each rapid turn of the head, return your gaze to the same place. No dramatic improvement resulted form my little ballerina's initial efforts as she began trying this technique. Spotting does not come naturally at any age. She and her sister continued to look like they were playing a musical game of Twister, ending in the same heap on the floor. But slowly, ever so slowly, spotting took effect. Her turns were more controlled, she retained her balance and before long she was trying to explain spotting to her little sister.

Spotting takes practice, but it works. And it's no different from grownups. On what do we set our sights? Are we spotting on career moves, relationships, things? What occupies our minds as we wake in the morning or creeps in unsolicited to our thoughts as we close our eyes at the end of the day? Our uninvited thoughts and recurring worries are probably a good indicator of what we're using to spot.

The psalmist wrote, "I lift up my eyes . . ." (vs 1). He knew about spotting, even if He didn't call it that. He knew where to set His sights. Only one thing sis worthy of our practiced focus, and only one thing will enable us to maintain balance. When my head is spinning and my world is turning too fast, I can spot on One whose power is greater than mine, One who never loses his balance.

By Debra Klingsporn, taken from "Women's Daily Devotional Bible 2"

The Foundation of Courage

"I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

"(God) justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26)

For those in Christ, theses promises are not only a source of joy. They are also the foundations of true courage. You are guaranteed that your sins will be filtered through, hidden in, and screened out by the sacrifice of Jesus. When God looks at you, He doesn't see you; He sees the One who surrounds you. That means that failure is not a concern for you. Your victory is secure. How could you not be courage?

The Applause of Heaven

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

The New Year

"Forgetting the past . . . I press onward." Phil. 3:13-14

One of god's glorious gifts to mankind is to bestow upon him the dawn of a new year. New opportunities and challenges are before him. A chance to try again, to make another endeavor to successfully accomplish the ambitions which were perhaps cast aside with discouragement in the year past. Life is full of beginnings. As one stands at the gate and with doubtful hand draws aside the curtain and peers into the unknown, he begins today by taking his first step across the threshold of the new year. It is already a beautiful year because it is another year of Our Lord.

Gazing at the far horizons and half wondering what the coming months will bring, pause but a moment to reflect over the old volume of three hundred and sixty-five days just ended. The pages may have been marred by mistakes and torn by intentions, but a few more miles have been covered on the upward climb, pressing toward the mark.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come,
'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far,
And grace will lead us Home.

It has not been our own achievement. Great has been our Father's faithfulness; new every morning have been His mercies. He faileth never!

It is part of our nature to want to live in the yesterdays of life, in "the days that come not back again." We would rather relive the strifes, the bad habits, the heartaches, and stumbling steps than to face the uncertain. With tenacity the past does cling, and like barnacles, would hinder us from pushing out from the shore and launching into the deep.

Old Past, let go, and drop in the sea!
Till fathomless waters cover thee;
For I am living, but thou art dead;
Thou drawest back, I strive ahead
The Day to find.
Thy shells unbind! Night comes behind,
I needs must hurry with the wind
And trim me best for sailing.

Standing at the parting of the ways, there is a choice to make, some road to take, we much consider which. How is it that we intend to live? Will it be repetitious of the past?

"I do not see my way: I do not care to; but I know that He sees His way, and that I see Him." Shining destinies are ahead! We must keep our eyes upon Jesus as we now face the Dawn.

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

At Home with God

"If people love me, they will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23

God wants to be your dwelling place. He has no interest in being a weekend getaway or a Sunday bungalow or a summer cottage. Don't consider using God as a vacation cabin or an eventual retirement home. He wants you under His roof now and always. He wants to be your mailing address, your point of reference; He wants to be your home . . .

For many this is a new thought. We think of God as a deity to discuss, not a place to dwell. We think of God as a mysterious miracle worker, not a house to live in. We think of God as a creator to call on, not a home to reside in. But our Father wants to be much more. He wants to be the one in whom "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

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

Faith like Abraham

Abraham was an amazing man. I love him because he faith to step out into the unknown and into the loving hands of a loving God. God told him to leave his family and country to set out for a land that He would show him. He promised Abraham that he would "make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:2-3). He had faith in God and in His promises enough to just set out into the unknown.

Gen. 15:6 says, "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." We know that man is without righteousness and that God must reckon His own righteousness to man's account through man's trust in Him. We also know that as Christians we live by faith and faith "Is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb. 11:1) Abraham did not see what lay ahead. In fact, he had no references like the Word (Bible) to guide him like we do today. He was truly a faithful man (Heb. 11:8-12; Gal. 3:6; & Rom. 4:3).

Another thing Abraham had was patience. He waited for the fulfillment of God's promises and never lived to see it happen. God says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Ps. 27:14). "Waiting has four purposes. It practices the patience of faith. It gives time for preparation for the coming gift. It makes the blessing the sweeter when it arrives. It shows the sovereignty of God - to give just WHEN and AS He pleases." Dr. James Vaughan. May we have faith like Abraham!

Krista Jones
1.04.08

Worshiping all Week Long

"Come into His city with songs of thanksgiving and into His courts with songs of praise. Thank Him and praise His name." Psalm 100:4

Our biblical act of worship is not what we do on Sunday mornings in ties and dresses, but our act of worship is a lifelong, seven-days-a-week process of placing ourselves upon an alter of sacrifice. Worship is living the principles of Christ in everything we do. You're worshiping God by what you do all week long.

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

My Prayer for You

"May God help us be a people that will embrace not only the message about Him that delights our hearts, but also the ones that grip us and shake us to the core of our soul." James MacDonald taken from "Gripped by the Greatness of God"

Don't Miss God's Answer

"Is anything too hard for the Lord? No!" Genesis 18:14

The God of surprises strikes again . . . God does that for the faithful. Just when the womb gets too old for babies, Sarai gets pregnant. Just when the failure is too great for grace, David is pardoned . . .
The lesson? Three words. Don't give up . . .
Is the road long? Don't stop.
Is the night black? Don't quit.
God is watching. For all you know right at this moment . . . the check may be in the mail.
The apology may be in the making.
The job contract may be on the desk.
Don't quit. For if you do, you may miss the answer to your prayers.

(He Still Moves Stones)

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

A. W. Tozer Quote

"One characteristic that marks the average church today is lack of anticipation. Christians when they meet do not expect anything unusual to happen; consequently only the usual happens, and that usual is as predictable as the setting of the sun...
We need today a fresh spirit of anticipation that springs out of the promises of God. We must declare war on the mood of nonexpectation, and come together with childlike faith. Only then can we know again the beauty and wonder of the Lord's presence among us."

God Tells the Man Who Cares, 168,170.

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

Too Old?

"You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14

God has limitless ways of reaching people. So if you feel that you don’t have the ability to reach others for Christ, think about 76-year-old Ethel Hatfield. Desiring to serve her Lord, she asked her pastor if she could teach a Sunday school class. He informed her that he thought she was too old! She went home heavy-hearted and disappointed.

Then one day as Ethel was tending her rose garden, a Chinese student from the nearby university stopped to comment on the beauty of her flowers. She invited him in for a cup of tea. As they talked together, she had the opportunity to tell him about Jesus and His love. He returned the next day with another student, and that was the beginning of Ethel’s ministry.

Ethel was delighted to share the gospel of Christ with these students, because she knew He has the power to change lives. His gospel “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

Precisely because of Ethel’s age, Chinese students listened to her with respect and appreciation. When she died, a group of 70 Chinese believers sat together at her funeral. They had been won to Christ by a woman who was thought to be too old to teach a Sunday school class! —Vernon C Grounds

In the strength of the Lord let me labor and pray,
Let me watch as a winner of souls,
That bright stars may be mine in the glorious day
When His praise like the sea-billow rolls. —Hewitt

Taken from "Our Daily Bread"

Rise with Christ

"The Child is set for the . . . rising again of many." Luke 2:34

You can rise with Christ, particularly when your hopes are lowest and when you understand His ways, though not your ways, are always the best. Sir Henry M. Stanley, searching for Livingstone in the heart of Africa, had to be led through a siege of tropical fevers that kept his temperature constantly at 105 degrees before his hardened attitude toward life turned to the joy of his salvation. His sick-bed became his school for Christ, and having read the warnings and promises of Scripture, he wrote: "I flung myself on my knees and poured out my soul utterly in secret prayer to Him from whom I had been so long estranged, to Him who had led me here mysteriously into Africa, there to reveal Himself and His will." Perhaps God has been leading some of you through the jungles of life, through the wastes of illness and loneliness, to have you find Christ with Him this uplifting grace which Simeon proclaimed as his voice rang through the Temple, "This Child is set for the . . . rising again of many." - Walter A. Maier

Lonely! The very word can start the tears
And chill the heart as with the sun's eclipse;
It uses to fall so sadly from my lips,
It used to sound so mournful to my ears.

Then, like Naomi in an alien land,
I found the One who loved and guided her;
And, like Elijah by the juniper,
I tasted meat and drink from God's own hand.

Lonely? The knell fades on the brightening air,
And melts into a happy carillon.
Is the road rough? I have a Friend to share
Its brave adventure till the journey's done.
Come, lonely heart, will you not join us there?
Who walk with Christ can never walk alone.

Ruby Weyburn Tobias