Closed Door

"When one door closes another door opens;

but we so often look so long and so regretfully at the closed door

that we do not see the ones which open for us."

~~*Alexander Graham Bell*~~

Do not be Afraid of Their Faces

To say that what I believe isn't always popular is an understatement. And the last day or two have been difficult in that people want to crush what I believe and make me believe the way they do. I don't like that. Some have called me young and naive (I call them old and dumb, just I'm polite and don't say it to their face like they do to me). Unlike them, I have a fresh perspective on life. I'm not afraid to take a risk. I'll stick my neck out to go with the unpopular vote over the popular vote any day. Besides, their generation taught me that what is popular isn't always right, yet instead of practicing what they preach, they jump on me for following orders. (Yes, I am ranting, but I promise it's not going to last too long). If you haven't guessed, it has to do with politics (something I love and hate at the same time).

So needless to say, I've been struggling. Big. Time. This morning God reminded me that my hope is in Him, not in an earthly cause or person. "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." (Psalm 43:5 NKJV) Ah, what sweet comfort. He saved me from a pit of despair, why do I keep going back into it willingly? Silly me. But still, frustration held on to me just a tiny bit. Fact: I am young. Fact: I don't have a lot of experience. So who am I to go against these people who supposedly know a lot more than me. But God, in His loving way once again led me to a beautiful passage in Jeremiah. The great prophet is at this time young, and like me, feels inadequate. Listen to the exchange:

God: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah (I can imaging he's trembling a little bit and says in a shaky voice): "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth!"

There! He said it! He can't do it! Duh! He's too young! C'mon God! What are You thinking? 

But alas, God replies: Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you.

Well, who can argue with that? Not Jeremiah, and definitely not me. God's calling isn't always easy, but He gives us what we need. He is with us and will deliver us.

Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,

you'll never win

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

On the Moon and God's Timing

Last night I went to a truck pull with a good friend of mine. Being girls, we didn't just sit and watch the trucks (although we did a lot of that), we also talked quite a bit --we always do when we're together. We discussed life and how difficult it is to see the big picture. We both know that God is in control, and we are both happy waiting on Him, yet sometimes that wait is so hard to bear. We know if we trust God and delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts, yet still, our hearts long for certain things for which God has not yet given the "ok."

Towards the end of the night I looked up at the moon. It was a beautiful, bright harvest moon, although not full. (After I got home I looked it up and it is a waning gibbous.) The moon is not always beautiful and bright, sometimes it's hidden by clouds. Other times it's not as full as we would like it to be, but eventually that phase comes and it is something amazing to behold. A new moon doesn't even appear to be in existence, but still it is, we just have to wait. No matter what, the sun is still behind the moon and it is shining, even in the moon's darkest hours.

Life is so much like the moon. We go through phases of fullness and completeness, only to be hit by a phase of slow waning and then darkness. At times it seems like things should be going well, but the clouds of doubt and despair move in and cover our joy. Yet through it all God's Son is shining behind and through us, longing for us to allow Him to make us into something more beautiful than we could ever imagine. He always sees us as a full moon, because He knows the path that we are going to be taking. We simply have to trust Him. Every one of us has the potential to reach the full moon phase when Jesus is shining through us.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever...to him who made the great lights...the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever." {Psalm 136:1,7a,9}

Even the Trials

"Have you thanked God for the life He's given you? Even the trials?"

~A Friend~

From friends and family to work and beyond life has been one twist after another lately. Things have been confusing, irritating, flat out wrong, full of people who are indecisive and careless. As a result my soul has been cast down and my spirit has been lacking the joy that is usually there. I've been troubled about many things and instead of relying on Christ as my Rock I found myself focusing instead on my circumstances and worrying about what I was going to do about them.

Last night I was texting a friend about something we were supposed to do today. I was not very optimistic about the outcome and finally told him, "I'm just tired of my life in general and this is yet another problem at the moment." To which he responded with the quote above, "Have you thanked God for the life He's given you? Even the trials?" It was as if God were saying, "Hey girl, quit your whining and complaining, I'm getting tired of it! You need to focus on Me instead of you, and you need to find that there are things in life to be thankful for, even in the worst of times." I felt as though I were a three year old and had been caught getting into something I shouldn't have and been thoroughly spanked. I'd been so busy focusing on circumstances rather than on God. All the problems that I was having were only made worse by the attitude I'd had towards them.

This morning I went to the book of James and read, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) Patience, what an awful word. According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary patience is "the ability to remain calm and not become annoyed when dealing with problems or with difficult people." So that was pretty much a second spanking. Obviously I failed miserably in this area over and over again. However, there is hope to the passage in James, the very next verse says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5) Also according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the word wisdom is defined as, "good sense." So putting that word into the verse it would read something like this: "If any of you lacks good sense, let him ask of God..." So here I am, realizing that I'm handling all of these situations completely wrong, and I have no idea how to handle them. Yet the Bible clearly states that trials bring about patience, but if we don't know how to bear the trials all we have to do is ask God and He will give us the knowledge we need to deal with them.

God doesn't want His children focused on their circumstances. He wants them to focus on Him. Praise Him. Thank Him. Live for Him. He desires for us to be so dependent on Him that we automatically hand over our struggles to Him. He alone has the answers, nothing is up to us. Only when we thank God for the life He has given us can we then appreciate all that He has done for us. This is a lesson I am sure I will be learning over and over again, but God is gracious and long-suffering and He will always welcome us back to fellowship with Him.

Trust God

God didn't plan for us to have our lives planned out;

He planned for us to trust Him to plan our lives.

Are We There Yet?

"The Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart." ~Deuteronomy 8:2~

If there is any such thing as a universal question, it may be this: "Are we there yet?" Generations of children have asked it. They have then grown into adults who have to answer the same question when their children ask.

Whenever I read the books of Moses, I wonder how many time he heard that question from the Israelites. Before rescuing them from slavery and leading them out of Egypt, Moses told them that the Lord would lead them "to a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). He did, but first they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. This was no ordinary wandering, however. They were not lost; they were wandering for a purpose. After 400 years of slavery, the children of Israel need to have their hearts, souls, and minds reoriented toward God. This was accomplished in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2, 15-18), but not before an entire generation died because of their disobedience (Numbers 32:13).

In life, it sometimes seems as if we are wandering in circles. We feel lost. We want to ask God, "Are we there yet? How much longer?" At such times it helps to remember that the journey, not just the destination is important to God. He uses it to humble us, to test us, and show us what is in our hearts.

All God's testings have a purpose--

Someday you will see the light;

All He asks is that you trust Him,

Walk by faith and not by sight. -Zoller

It's the journey, not just the destination that's important.

Copied from, Our Daily Bread, March 9, 2011

Contemplating God

Have you ever sat down and contemplated God? I mean really think about Him? He has so many aspects. He is all powerful, all knowing, loving, caring, compassionate, righteous, true, pure, holy, omnipresent, just, glorious, patient, wonderful and on the list could go. In my mind it is easy to think of Him as a creature that is so big, but distant. The best I can relate that feeling to is the President. He's powerful, a leader, and there isn't much of a chance that I will ever get to meet him, let alone have a personal, one-on-one relationship with him. God is not that way. God may be big, but He longs to know each one of His children on a personal level.

God is not some creature up in Heaven sitting back and watching the happenings in the world, unconcerned, and unattached. Rather, He is right here on earth in spirit with His children. He longs for a close, personal relationship with us. I fear that often we go through life forgetting that He is there and totally blowing Him off. But patiently He waits, softly calling our name until we realize that He is there and how wonderful being with Him can be. When we embark on an intimate relationship with God He blows us away with how He treats us.

"God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us." ~St. Augustine Just think about that, God has many children, but yet He takes time for me and treats me as if I am His only child. The hymn "In the Garden" says is well, "And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other can ever know." Sadly, I think we often pass up that precious relationship because we have other things on our mind. Out of a sheer lack of appreciation God is pushed off and we forfeit a sweet, close relationship with Him.

"Because he has set his love upon Me [God], therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name." ~Psalm 91:14

Consume Me

"God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus."

~Jim Elliot~

Jim Elliot wrote this one summer while he was in college, which means he was right around my age. He had an evident dedication to God, and he wanted to display that in any way possible -- even to the point of death. He ended up being a missionary in Ecuador, and was martyred by the Auca Indians. As a result of his death the door was opened to these people for the Gospel. Now there is a thriving church among this once feared tribe of cannibals.

This made me seriously consider my life. I have come to the conclusion that I want God to run my life, I want to be filled by Him, I long to have a life that benefits and brings glory to Him alone. Whether I have one year or 60 years left in my life I want them to be filled with helping people and doing what God wants. I desire my life to be a living sacrifice to my Savior. When it is time for me to stand before my Maker, I hope to hear the words, "Well done!" I don't want to look back with regret at missed opportunities, wasted minutes, and empty enterprises. I want to look back at a full life -- full of things done to bring people closer to Jesus. I want my life to be a blazing "stick" for Christ, not a smoldering pile of ash that never amounted to anything.

Happiness Is:

The other day I was listening to the radio while driving home from work. They played "Happiness is the Lord" which I have not sung or heard since I was growing up.

Happiness is to know the Savior,

Living a life within His favor,

Having a change in my behavior,

Happiness is the Lord.

Happiness is a new creation,

Jesus and me in close relation,

Having a part in His Salvation,

Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,

No matter if the teardrops start,

I've found a secret,

It's Jesus in my heart.

Happiness is to be forgiven,

Living a life that's worth the livin'

Taking the road that leads to Heaven,

Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,

No matter if the teardrops start,

I've found the secret,

It's Jesus in my heart.

I love being a Christian. I love knowing where I'm going when I die. I love having a life that I know is worth living. I love having a close relationship with Christ. I love having that joy, even when life is not hard, and I cry, there is still a joy deep down that brings me hope. Some may find their happiness in their job, or in their friends and family, or in the stuff that they have. Those things are all well and good, but true joy and lasting happiness come from God Above, who blesses His children with the promise of life everlasting. Like Mary the mother of Jesus said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord; and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior..." (Luke 1:46)

The Next Day

The past few days I have seriously been thinking about how quickly life changes. With the sudden death of Mrs. Williams life has taken on a whole new meaning. I keep thinking of Proverbs 27:1

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Friday afternoon she was babysitting some of her grandkids. I am sure that she was planning what she would fix for dinner, what time she was going to put the baby to bed, what she was going to be doing the next morning, and so on but none of that happened. Instead she ended up in the emergency room, flying to a bigger hospital, having surgery, and ultimately going Home to be with her Lord.

For some unknown reason to us, God chose to take His servant to Heaven with Him Saturday morning. He chose to take her suddenly, without giving any of us a chance to knowingly say our good-byes. I honestly don't remember the last time I spoke to her, but I do know it was in the past two weeks. I don't remember what our conversation was about, or how long it was. I do know that I did not have a clue that I would never speak to her again.

I have learned that taking life for granted is really a sin. We don't know what will happen to us, in a minute, an hour, a day or a year. Make sure that you leave no hard feelings, no sadness, and no wrongs that have not been made right. Most of all, make sure that you have trusted Christ as your personal Savior, and that you have a short account with God.

None of us knows when it is our time to die. For some, it may be a prolonged illness, where we know that our days are short. Although some major suffering may be included, at least those have a chance to say good-bye to their loved ones. However, others may go in an instant with no extra chances. Only God knows, He it is Who knows our moment of death.

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make profit'; whereas ye do not know what will happen tomorrow.

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"

~James 4:13-15~

Shall We Not Accept?

Some of you know that I am taking a semester off from school while my mom recovers from her surgery (here is the post I wrote on that decision). I made the offer to drop out willingly and am very happy to be able to help out. However, yesterday was a bit rough for me because it was the first day of classes and I was not there. It felt really weird and I was somewhat sad. Then this morning I was reading in Job when a phrase jumped out at me:

"Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"

(Job 2:10b)

It is so easy to take the blessings and good that God bring, accept it, be happy about it, and move on. But when He, in His sovereign way, chooses to bring adversity I react in sorrow. Yes, it is understandable to not always be the happiest when life throws a curve ball at me, but instead of fighting against it and asking God why He allowed something in my life, it is much better to accept His all knowing way, learn from the experience, and grow more in His image.

My heart's desire is to be more like Christ, and only by obediently following Him without question and complaint can I grow in Him. It is not an easy task, and often I fail, but He is always there to forgive and encourage me. He has promised to never leave or forsake me, and that is all I need.

New Years Resolution: Grow

I recently saw the title of this post as a friend's status on facebook. The girl that wrote this is a crazy teenager who happens to be short, and wrote this as a joke and it did make me laugh. Then I began to think about it, I mean, really think about it, and I realized growing is an excellent New Years resolution. Reflecting upon my life I find that in every area I have a need to grow, whether it be in my walk with God, in my relationships with others, mentally, emotionally, and in many other aspects. Growing in these areas is not something anyone should ever stop doing, because when we cease to grow and attain knew knowledge, we cease to have a purpose in life. Eric Butterworth once said, "Don't go through life, grow through life."

I think that the key to growing is to take the unexpected and accept it; the unpleasant, make it pleasant; sadness turn to joy; the exhausting make refreshing; the tears, turn them into laughter; the confusing change into understanding; and the unknown make it known. None of these things are easy, and it sometimes you fail, but failing is another key to growing. When you fail (and you will, we all do) you have to pick yourself up from the dust, brush yourself off, and go on with life. Accept the fact that you are not perfect and realize that the only way you can do better is with God's help alone. Growing includes stretching, bending, hurting -- all things that are not always enjoyable, but when it is over you can look back and see how the pain created something that is more beautiful than you had ever dreamed.

So this year I plan to be open to the growth that God has planned for me. I do not want to buck and fight against Him. I desire to let Him have His way, no matter how hard it is. What is your resolution?

"But GROW in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."

~II Peter 3:18~

Not My Will but Thine

If you tell God that you want HIS will, not your own, you had better be prepared for that decision to be put to a test. This can be incredibly difficult to do because surrendering your will to God involves an amazing amount of faith and trust in Him. Sometimes God will test you to see if you really meant what you said, and then He will give you the desires of your heart. Other times, God truly performs His will, even if it hurts you very badly. There is an example of each of these types of surrender in the Bible. The one is of Abraham and Isaac, the other is Jephthah and his daughter.

Genesis 22 finds Abraham going about his regular routine until God comes to him and tells Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and offer him as a burnt offering. If that were me, I probably would have said, "Wait a minute God, You want me to do WHAT?! I can't do that....I mean...he's my only son. You promised that Isaac would be the one to make a great nation from me, how can that happen if he dies?" But did Abraham do that? No. Instead Genesis 22:3 says, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him." No complaining. No questioning. Just a simple yet strong faith that believed God's will was best. How did it turn out? Well, Abraham went through obediently. He took Isaac and a few servants, went to the mountain that God had told him of, took his son, some wood and fire, and headed up the mountain. Abraham went so far as to build the altar, place Isaac upon it, and raised his hand to kill his son when an angel suddenly stopped him. "And [the angel of the Lord] said, 'Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.'" God then provided a substitute ram to be offered in the place of Isaac.

Jephthah had a slightly different situation. He went to war against the Ammonites who were attempting to take over part of Israel. He vowed to God that if He brought Israel through and made them victorious that when he went home, the first thing that came out of his home to greet him would be offered as a burnt offering to the Lord (Judges 11:30-31). God grants his request, and the enemy was defeated. Jephthah returns home victorious, celebrating his great victory. As he comes down the road to his house, his daughter apparently hears him coming and runs out to meet him. She was the first thing that came to meet him. Was Jephthah expecting this? Not at all. He could have easily said, "God...you know when I made that vow, I wasn't thinking of her! I can't sacrifice my daughter, she's too precious to me." Yes, the Bible does say that he was sad, and naturally so, "And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, 'Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.'" (Judges 11:35) A long series of events lead to two months later when in Judges 11:39 states, "And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow." I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts going through Jephthah's mind as he did what he promised God. Doing God's will, not his own even though it was the hardest thing in the world.

The ultimate example of surrender is shown in Christ when He was sent to the cross. His agony in the garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion shows how human and divine He was in His choice to follow His Father's will. "Then saith he unto [his disciples], 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here , and watch with me.' And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed saying, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.'" Jesus went to the cross and died, not because He necessarily wanted to go through the pain and suffering, but because He knew that is what His Father willed and so He uncomplainingly went, bearing our sin and iniquity on His body.

Is following God's will always easy? the answer is a resounding NO. But is it right, oh yes! God will give a peace that goes beyond comprehension to those that choose to do His will. Following Him is the best decision that anyone can make.

Determination: An Extended Definition

Determination is the steadfastness of mind that, once a task has begun, it will be completed regardless of the adversity. It is the ability of an individual to say, “If this is what it takes to reach a goal, I am willing to press onward, regardless of the odds, in spite of what anyone may say, no matter the difficulty, pain, or rejection.” Determination cries, “I can see where I am at and where I need to go; I have a purpose and a goal; nothing will stop me from attaining my aspirations!” Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines determination as the “Decision of a question in the mind; firm resolution; settled purpose.” Benjamin Disraeli once stated it this way, “Nothing can resist the human will that will stake even its existence on its stated purpose.” For a Christian, the Apostle Paul put it aptly in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Had the renowned inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, given up on his work of inventing an incandescent light bulb, there is a possibility that electricity as it is know it today would not exist. After over 9,000 attempts at electricity, the right connection was made and current began to flow through the wires and produced light. Edison was willing to fail again and again. Unlike the average person, with each failure he picked himself up and kept persevering onward to his goal. He once said, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

The most powerful and perfect pattern of determination is that of Jesus Christ. He stated in recurrent passages of Scripture that His purpose on earth was to do His Father’s will. His purpose was, “…to seek and to save that which was lost.” Christ went through much temptation, suffering and anguish, yet, He doggedly refused to yield to the pain and to the torment. This became most evident in the account of Christ’s time in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion. Here in the garden, all alone, Jesus spent some time praying, not necessarily that His impending death be taken away, but rather that, as He submitted to God’s will, He would be granted the determination needed to press on. “And he was withdrawn from them [the disciples] about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 19:41-44) Christ followed through with the plan that the Father had for Him. He was determined to do the right thing, even to the point of death.

Determination is one of the most difficult traits to acquire. It is a compilation of faithfulness, loyalty, and courage. Just as Christ displayed all of these in His determination to die on the cross for the sins of the world, so ought every Christian be unwavering in their stand for what is right and carry on the work that Christ has called them to do. As Paul said, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

What is Love?

Let me preface this with the fact that this is not aimed at anyone at all. Some recent events in my life have caused me to want to come up with my own definition of what love is really about, and these are my findings and my opinions. So, with that being said, after much thought and research, here is my definition of love.

I did quite a bit of research, reading, and deep thinking to come up with this definition. I read Bible passages and articles people had written, as well as looking up definitions of numerous words, and I have formed my opinion on this topic from all of the digging I have done.

True love is not an object to be thrown away when imperfections are found. True love is a commitment to be there when the other person falls. It's a promise that no matter what happens you will always be there for each other, it is also a partnership of two people united together to face the world as one and sticking together in joy and sorrow. True love asks not, "What can I get?" but rather, "What can I give?" True love never fails.

True love sees past the imperfections of a sin cursed human being, to the real inward beauty of the other person. Love accepts the person as they are – not as they want him or her to be. It doesn’t try to change the person into what they should be; rather it strives to build the other person up, to help them grow on their own.

When thinking of love I also thought of the word “devotion.” Miriam Webster defines devotion as “the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal.” When one is loyal he never wavers from his belief. Therefore, when one is in love and dedicated they never leave their partner in the good times as well as in the bad. This makes me think of the movie, “Fireproof,” and the main theme, “You never leave your partner, especially in a fire.” The apostle Paul said it well, “Love suffers long and is kind…” (I Corinthians 13:4a) Solomon, in all of his wisdom, wrote, “Love is as strong as death.” (Song of Solomon 8:6). In other words, love is being faithful to your partner. The Marines have as their slogan, “Semper Fidelis” which in English is translated, “Always Faithful” and so it should be with love.

Love is a perfect trust in an individual. It has no fear of anything happening in the future to possibly change how the other partner feels about them. I John 4 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” An Irish saying goes something like this, “When mistrust comes in, love goes out.” To be fearful is not to love.

Love is the ability to watch someone fall and instead of saying, “I told you so,” or, “Why did you do that again?” it simply reaches out and picks the loved one up, dusts them off, and moves on. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (I Corinthians 13:4-7)

Probably the thing most longed for in the world is love. Everyone is looking for it, but the only way it is going to be found is through Christ, for it is only He Who holds the key to everlasting and perfect love. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” By looking to Jesus we will find the perfect example and only by following Him will we in turn be able to truly love others.

Always Now

"We...beseech you that ye recieve not the grace of God in vain." II Corinthians 6:1

The grace you had yesterday will not do for today. Grace is the overflowing favour of God; you can always reckon it is there to draw upon. "In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses" --that is where the test for patience comes. Are you failing the grace of God there? Are you saying--Oh, well, I won't count this time? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you; it is taking the grace of God now. We make prayer the preparation for work, it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God. Don't say,--I will endure this until I can get away and pray. Pray now; draw on the grace of God in the moment of need. Prayer is the most practical thing, it is not the reflex action of devotion. Prayer is the last thing in which we learn to draw on God's grace.

"In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours"--in all these things manifest a drawing upon the grace of God that will make you a marvel to yourself and to others. Draw now, not presently. The one word in the spiritual vocabulary is Now. Let circumstances bring you where they will, keep drawing on the grace of God in every conceivable condition you may be in. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be humiliated without manifesting the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

"Having nothing..." Never reserve anything. Pour out the best you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful about the treasure God gives. This is poverty triumphant.

From "My Utmost for His Highest" June 26th, by Oswald Chambers

No Mistakes

Today I was spending some time playing through the hymn book - it's one of my favorite things to do, especially when I'm thinking. It seems to clear my mind as I meditate on the songs I play. I came across a song by Kim Moore, titled, "God Makes No Mistakes" and as I read the words my thoughts flew to my own life, as well as the lives of others that I know, how often it seems like God is making a mistake by bringing some hardship or trial in our lives, but then looking back one can see how it all worked out for the good. The chorus of that song goes, "I know God makes no mistakes. He leads in ev'ry path I take along the way that's leading me to home. Though at times my heart would break, there's a purpose in ev'ry change He makes: that others would see my life and know that God makes no mistakes."

Often when I'm in the middle of something that seems impossible to me, my attitude does not reflect God's presence. Instead, far to often I find myself focused on me, and my problems, not on what God wants to do in my life through this difficulty. I'm sad to admit that I've even flat out told God that He was making a mistake, that I didn't want this, and it was too hard for me to bear. How I want that to change, to become more open to my Father's leading, His kind correction, and His knowledgeable stretching of my faith in Him. I want my heart's cry to be "More like my Savior" but that can only be accomplished through a heart that understands "God makes no mistakes."

Each Simple Step

I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying lately. When I say a lot, I mean more than I've ever done in my entire life. As of late life for me has gone quite contrary to my plans, goals, ambitions, and agendas. However, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. God works in mysterious ways, and one of them is taking our plans and desires, and changing those into His plans and desires. He has bigger things for me than what I could even imagine.

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11. Throughout the years I've come back to it time and time again when it seems like my life is changing drastically.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)

I often plan things and then get disgusted when those plans don't go the way that I want them to. However, when I stop to think about it, I know that God has a better plan. Maybe I don't see it right away, and maybe I never see it. All that matters is that I follow God. Taking life step by simple step. When I do that it's amazing how much God can and will bless.

His Way is Perfect

When my way seems dark and drear

and the future I don’t know,
My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow.
When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul,
This one thing I know for sure: My God is in Control.

His way is perfect, HIs way is perfect.
Though I don’t understand His wise and loving plan,
His way is perfect. His way is perfect.
Take my life and make a vessel purified.
God makes no mistakes; His way is best.

When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care,
I faint ‘neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear.
When the joy has departed from my sorrow stricken soul,
This one thing I know for sure: My God is in control.

His way is perfect, His way is perfect.
Though I don’t understand HIs wise and loving plan,
His way is perfect. His way is perfect.
Take my life and make a vessel purified.
God makes no mistakes; His way is best.

~Betsy Kistler

That Night

That night the Lord appeared to [Isaac] (Genesis 26:24)

It was the same night Isaac went to Beersheba. Do you think this revelation from God was an accident? Do you think the time of it was an accident? Do you believe it could have happened any other night as well as this one? If so, you are grievously mistaken. Why did it come to Isaac the night he reached Beersheba? Because that was the night he reached rest. In his old land he had been tormented. There had been a whole series of petty quarrels over the ownership of insignificant wells. There is nothing like little worries, particularly when there are many of them. Because of these little worries, even after the strife was over, the place help bad memories for Isaac. Therefore he was determined to leave and seek a change of scenery. He pitched his tent far away from the place of his former strife. That very night the revelation came. God spoke to him when there was no inner storm. He could not speak to Isaac when his mind was troubled. God's voice demands the silence of the soul. Only in the quiet of the spirit could Isaac hear the garments of his God brush by him. His still night became his shining night.

My soul, have you pondered these words: "Be still, and know" (Psalm 46:10)? In the hour of distress, you cannot hear the answer to your prayers. How often has the answer seemed to come much later! The heart heard no reply during the moment of its crying, its thunder, its earthquake, and its fire. But once the crying stopped, once the stillness came, once your hand refrained from knocking on the iron gate, and once concern for other lives broke through the tragedy of your own life, the long awaited reply appeared. You must rest, O soul, to receive your heart's desire. Slow the beating of your heart over the concerns for your personal care. Place the storm of your individual troubles on God's altar of everyday trials, and the same night, the Lord will appear to you. His rainbow will extend across the subsiding flood, and in yours stillness you will hear the everlasting music.

By: George Matheson taken from: Streams in the Dessert complied by L.B. Cowman