July 9th, 2014

July 8th, 2014

July 6th, 2014

"Faith TESTED is faith STRENGTHENED; it is to have learned your weakness, but to have learned the faithfulness of God, His tender care even in sending the difficulties, that we may be there with HIM." -Pilgrim Portions

"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." I Peter 4:19

"Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you...the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." 

I Peter 5:7 & 10

-compiled by Joanna Bartlett from the Joyful Mothers

July 5th, 2014

I think sometimes in life it is easy to stay in our comfort zone, to not act because standing still seems safer.  We stay still because we are afraid of the unknown.  We are afraid of making a mistake.  We are afraid of looking stupid.  We are afraid of failure.

We are afraid to trust God.

Because he gives us the choice.  In fact, in any potential leap of faith there are usually three important choices along the way.   All three require trust.

First, we have to make the choice to listen.   We will never hear the call to action if we don’t take the time to be quiet and just listen to what God might be telling us.  In my own prayer time, as in much of life, I generally like to be the one in control.  I have a list of prayer requests I need to address, and agenda for exactly how I’d like my devotion session to go.  But every once in a while I actually manage to Just. Stop. Talking.   And I listen.  And those are the moments where God is waiting to speak.

Second, we have to make the choice to obey.  When that whisper, that nudge, that deep conviction appears, we can’t push it away.  Our temptation is to argue, or to ignore it, or to tell ourselves we are crazy, that the whisper isn’t real.  But we know, deep down, that we have been called to obey.

And so we must say yes.

Yes without knowing what may happen.  Yes without necessarily having any actions steps in place.  Yes to the plans that he has for us.

Finally, we have to make the choice to follow through.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  We can’t just say yes and keep standing there.  There comes a moment where we have to close our eyes and jump and just trust God.  To let go of the notion that we are in control and instead open ourselves up to all the possibility that comes ahead.  We have to keep going, even when we feel like quitting, and trust that he who begins a good work in us will always, always see it through to completion.

Read more at http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/07/25/leap-of-faith/#IrP2fEA8iWrbwpc8.99 - Ruth Soukup

July 4th, 2014

July 2nd, 2014

July 1st, 2014

My High Tower

by Paul Gerhardt

Is God for me? I fear not, though all against me rise;

I call on Christ my Saviour, the host of evil flies.

My friend the Lord Almighty, and He who loves me, God,

What enemy shall harm me, though coming as a flood?

I know it, I believe it, I say it fearlessly,

That God, the Highest, Mightiest, for ever loveth me;

At all times, in all places, He standeth at my side,

He rules the battle fury, the tempest and the tide.

A Rock that stands for ever is Christ my Righteousness,

And there I stand unfearing in everlasting bliss;

No earthly thing is needful to this my life from Heaven,

And nought of love is worthy, save that which Christ has given.

Christ, all my praise and glory, my Light most sweet and fair,

The ship wherein He saileth is scatheless everywhere;

In Him I dare be joyful, a hero in the war,

The judgment of the sinner affrighteth me no more.

There is no condemnation, there is no hell for me,

The torment and the fire my eyes shall never see;

For me there is no sentence, for me has death no stings,

Because the Lord Who saved me shall shield me with His wings.

Above my soul’s dark waters His Spirit hovers still,

He guards me from all sorrow, from terror and from ill;

In me He works and blesses the life-seed He has sown,

From Him I learn the Abba, that prayer of faith alone.

And if in lonely places, a fearful child, I shrink,

He prays the prayers within me I cannot ask or think;

In deep unspoken language, known only to that Love

Who fathoms the heart’s mystery from the Throne of Light above.

His Spirit to my spirit sweet words of comfort saith,

How God the weak one strengthens who leans on Him in faith;

How He hath built a City, of love, and light, and song,

Where the eye at last beholdeth what the heart had loved so long.

And there is mine inheritance, my kingly palace-home;

The leaf may fall and perish, not less the spring will come;

As wind and rain of winter, our earthly sighs and tears,

Till the golden summer dawneth of the endless Year of years.

The world may pass and perish, Thou, God, wilt not remove—

No hatred of all devils can part me from Thy Love;

No hungering nor thirsting, no poverty nor care,

No wrath of mighty princes can reach my shelter there.

No Angel, and no Heaven, no throne, nor power, nor might,

No love, no tribulation, no danger, fear, nor fight,

No height, no depth, no creature that has been or can be,

Can drive me from Thy bosom, can sever me from Thee.

My heart in joy upleapeth, grief cannot linger there—

While singing high in glory amidst the sunshine fair;

The source of all my singing is high in Heaven above;

The Sun that shines upon me is Jesus and His Love.