Could I Do More?

Must I be carried to the skies,

A flow'ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

This stanza from the beloved hymn "Am I a Soldier of the Cross" brings tears to my eyes often when I sing or read it. Who am I that life should be so easy as a Christian? Surely I must be willing to endure SOMETHING more for the cause of Christ. We've been hearing about the latest soldier in this battle to be condemned to dare to love the Savior. I haven't been keeping up with the situation with Pastor Youcef in Iran nearly as well as I should. Certainly it's an easy task to pray for these saints. I have to admit to sometimes getting so busy with the mundane things of my life that I neglect to be more diligent even in that . Praying for the persecuted is the least we can do. But sometimes do you like I yearn to do more?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

To help me on to God?

A Birthday Prayer

Lord Thou hast been our dwelling  place in all generations. Psalm 90:1

My dwelling place, Lord, You have been,
The God who saved me from my sin.
Yet as I see the years roll by
And know that I so soon must die ,
I cannot help but make this plea
That You would give me eyes to see ;
My days to count your grace impart
That I might gain a prudent heart ;
With steadfast love please satisfy
That you alone may gratify
The deepest longings of my soul
And constitute my all and all.  

~ My Birthday Prayer

~ B. Gonzales

Am I in God's Stead?

 

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Gen. 30:2

All our mercies are to be traced up to our God, and all our miseries to ourselves. We are constantly making ourselves wretched, by departing from our God, or by putting creatures in His place.

We often put persons and things in God's stead in reference to our affections, loving them inordinately; in reference to our dependence, trusting them instead of Him; in reference to our worship, idolizing them instead of adoring Him; and in reference to our expectations, expecting them to relieve, comfort, or deliver instead of Him.

But insufficiency is written upon every created object. No creature can fill the place of Jehovah, take the richest - the wisest - the kindest - the nearest relative or friend, and you must exclaim, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." But Jehovah can fill the place of all; He can be instead of Father, Husband, Child, Wealth, Health, yea, of all things.

Creatures may say, Am I in God's stead? If not, why look to me? why depend on me? why expect from me? why grieve so to part with me? Am I in God's stead? If so, He will remove me, or I shall disappoint you.

Heavenly Adam, life divine,
Change my nature into Thine :
Move and spread throughout my soul,
Actuate and fill the whole.
Now my fainting soul revive,
There for ever walk and live.

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by James Smith

After he had patiently endured he obtained the promise. - Hebrews 6:15
Abraham was long tried, but he was richly rewarded. The Lord tried him by delaying to fulfil His promise; Satan tried him by temptations; men tried him by jealousy, distrust, and opposition; Hagar tried him by contemning her mistress; and Sarah tried him by her peevishness.

But he patiently endured. He did not question God's veracity, nor limit His power, nor doubt His faithfulness, nor grieve His love: but he bowed to divine sovereignty, submitted to infinite wisdom, and was silent under delays, waiting the Lord's time.
And so, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

God's promises cannot fail of their accomplishment. Patient waiters cannot be disappointed. Believing expectations shall be realized. Beloved, Abraham's conduct condemns a hasty spirit, reproves a murmuring one, commends a patient one, and encourages quiet submission to God's will and way."

Remember, Abraham was tried; he patiently waited; he received the promise and was satisfied; imitate his example, and you will share the same blessing.

All anxious cares I fain would leave,
And learn with sweet content to live
On what the Lord shall send;
Whate'er He sends, He sends in love,
And good or bad things blessings prove,
If blessed by this Friend.

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by James Smith

 

A New Year Prayer

A NEW YEAR PRAYER

O Lord,
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in thy presence,
in thy service, to thy Glory.

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbor,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy spirit, filly my sails.

Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of Love,
my soul free.

Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to teach,
thy right hand to guild,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.

My thy fear be my awe,
thy triumph my joy.

Grace to the Humble

“ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 - Matthew Henry

The proud resist God: in their understanding they resist the truths of God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they resist the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists the proud. How wretched the state of those who make God their enemy! God will give more grace to the humble, because they see their need of it, pray for it are thankful for it, and such shall have it. Submit your understanding to the truth of God; submit your wills to the will of his precept, the will of his providence. Submit yourselves to God, for he is ready to do you good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but if we put on the whole armor of God, and stand out against him, he will leave us. Let sinners then submit to God, and seek his grace and favor; resisting the devil. All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himself before him.

Choice

“Every time you make a choice you are turning into the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.”

 
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pray for Persecuted Christians

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Corinthians 4: 8-10

I Will Do You No Hurt

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by James Smith

I will do you no hurt. - Jeremiah 25:6

How is it possible that a God of love, who is full of compassion, plenteous in mercy, ready to forgive, waiting to be gracious, should do His children hurt? It cannot be. His dealings may cause us pain, but nothing shall by any means harm us.

We ought rather to argue with Paul, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" He sent His ancient people as captives to Babylon, but it was for their good; He allowed His children to be cast into the fiery furnace, into the lion's den, to be driven out to wander in sheep-skins and goat-skins, but He did not allow them to be hurt; all was sanctified to them, and the curse was turned into a blessing.

If He scourge us with one hand, He will support us with the other, and at last we shall come up before His throne, out of great tribulation, having washed our robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Not one who has arrived safe in heaven will say that his God allowed him to be hurt, notwithstanding the trials endured by the way. Nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Lord, I would my all resign,
Gladly lose my will in Thine,
Careless be of things below,
Thee alone content to know;
Simple, innocent, and free,
Seeking all my bliss in Thee.

A Stone of Stumbling

 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore?: Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 9:30-33


Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road too Mount Zion, a stone you can't get around. 
But the stone is me! If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the way, not in the way.
~ The Message.