WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Rick Warren" [11-4 thru 11-10]

 

Seven Days of Devotion

Spiritual gifts for serving God by Rick Warren

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (TEV). You can't earn your spiritual gifts or deserve them -- that's why they are called gifts! They're an expression of God's grace to you: "Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us." (Ephesians 4:7, CEV) Nor do you get to choose which gifts you'd like to have. Paul explains that God determines that, "It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have." (1 Corinthians 12:11, NLT). Because God loves variety, and he wants us to be special, there's no one single gift given to everyone, and no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all, you'd have no need of anyone else, and that would defeat one of God's purposes -- to teach us to depend on each other. Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. The Bible says, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church" (1 Corinthians 12:7, NLT). When we use our gifts together, we all benefit. If others don't use their gifts, you get cheated, but if you don't use your gifts, they get cheated. This is why God wants us to discover and develop our spiritual gifts. Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the church. Two common problems are "gift-envy" and "gift-projection." The first occurs when we compare our gifts to others, feel dissatisfied with what God gave us, and become resentful or jealous of how God uses others. The second problem happens when you expect everyone else to have your gifts, do what you're called to do, and feel as passionate about it as you do. The Bible says, "There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving" (1 Corinthians 12:5, NLT). Sometimes spiritual gifts are overemphasized to the neglect of the other factors that God uses to shape you for service. So keep in mind, your gifts reveal one part of God's will for your ministry, but not all of it.

   

  MONDAY

A man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations -- what you love to do and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."
The Bible says what is in your heart is what you really are, not what others think you are, or what circumstances force you to be (Proverbs 27:19). Your heart is the real you. It determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do.
Physically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Just as we each have unique thumbprints, eye prints, and voiceprints, our hearts beat in slightly different patterns. It's amazing that out of all the billions of people who've ever lived, no one has ever had a heartbeat exactly like yours.
In the same way, God has given each of us a unique emotional "heartbeat" that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving.
Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel deeply passionate about and others that you couldn't care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention, while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart; listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.
When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about.
Where did those interests come from? They came from God!
God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.

Listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have

TUESDAY

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. Proverbs 20:25 (NIV)
Have you ever ...
... promised to deliver by a set date and later regretted it?
... volunteered for a job you had no idea would take so long?
... agreed to a deal that looked great but wasn't?
... accepted an invitation you wish you hadn't?
Eventually, we all learn by experience a basic law of life: It's always easier to get in than get out! The Bible says, "It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows." (Proverbs 20:25, NIV)
There are three common commitment traps:

• The Money Trap -- It's always easier to get into debt than out of debt! It's always easier to borrow than to pay it back.

• The Partnership Trap -- It's always easier to get into a partnership, or a relationship, than to get out of one!

• The Time Trap -- It's always easier to fill your schedule than to fulfill it! You can get so many irons in the fire that you put out the fire!

The solution: remember what the Bible says; don't make rash vows.

In other words, choose your commitments carefully; think before you speak; under-promise and over-deliver. With this, you'll build a reputation as a person of your word.

WEDNESDAY

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)
People with self-control master their moods. They do not let their moods master them. Most of what gets done in the world is accomplished by people who do the right thing even when they don't feel like it: "A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls." (Proverbs 25:28, NLT)
People with self-control watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths: "Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself." (Proverbs 13:3, TEV)
People with self-control restrain their reactions. How much can you take before you lose your cool? "If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it." (Proverbs 19:11, TEV)
People with self-control stick to their schedule. If you don't determine how you will spend your time, then others will decide for you: "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV)
People with self-control manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went! "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has." (Proverbs 21:20, NIV)
People with self-control maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements: "Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body ...." (1 Thessalonians 4:4, MSG)
In what areas do you need to develop for self-control? The disciplines you establish today will determine your success tomorrow.

But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control. It takes a power greater than yourself: "For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, TEV)

 

  THURSDAY

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)

God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help and (2) learn to be content --

If you've ever seen a baby born, you know they don't come into the world with a whole lot. They're not holding onto cigars, cars and a stock portfolio. They don't come into the world with anything but a little umbilical cord and that quickly gets cut.
And then, at your funeral, you don't take anything with you. The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content.
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught into "when" thinking: "When I get a certain job ... When I can retire ... When I get the house paid off ... When I get the bills paid off ... then I'll be happy!"
God says, "No, once you get there, you'll always want something else." If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more.

"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NLT)

 

FRIDAY  

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)

God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help; (2) learn to be content; and (3) practice giving in faith --

There is a universal law called the principle of sowing and reaping. If I sow criticism, I'm going to reap criticism. If I sow generosity, it's going to come back to me, and I'm going to reap generosity.
Every farmer knows this. A farmer has four sacks of seed in his barn and he looks at his empty field. He doesn't complain, "There's no crop! I wish there was a crop!" He just goes out and starts planting seed. When you have a need, plant a seed.
It seems illogical that when I have a need, I should give. That's why it requires faith. God says, "My ways are not your ways."
Why did God set it up that way? Because God is a giver. He is the most generous giver in the universe, and God wants you to learn to be like him. He wants to build character in you.
The Bible says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." (Proverbs 3:9, NLT) This is the principle of tithing. It's the principle that says every time I make $100 -- the first $10 goes back to God.
Tithing is an act of worship. We're giving to God. We're saying, "All of it came from you anyway." God says, "Put me first in your life and watch what I do." You may think you can't afford to tithe, but the reality is, you can't afford not to.
Tomorrow we'll look at maintaining integrity, another condition for answered prayer.  

SATURDAY And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In America, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly. While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so he is never in a hurry. Billy Graham associate Lane Adams once compared the process of spiritual growth to the strategy the Allies used in World War II to liberate islands in the South Pacific. First they would "soften up" an island, weakening the resistance by shelling the enemy strongholds with bombs from offshore ships. Next, a small group of Marines would invade the island and establish a "beachhead"—a tiny fragment of the island that they could control. Once the beachhead was secured, they would begin the long process of liberating the rest of the island, one bit of territory at a time. Eventually the entire island would be brought under control, but not without some costly battles. Adams drew this parallel: Before Christ invades our lives at conversion, he sometimes has to "soften us up" by allowing problems we can't handle. While some open their lives to Christ the first time he knocks on the door, most of us are resistant and defensive. Our pre-conversion experience is Jesus saying, "Behold I stand at the door and bomb!" The moment you open yourself to Christ, God gets a "beachhead" in your life. You may think you have surrendered all your life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to your life that you aren't even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment. That's okay. Once Christ is given a beachhead, he begins the campaign to take over more and more territory until all of your life is completely his. There will be struggles and battles, but the outcome will never be in doubt. God has promised that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."  (Philippians 1:6, NIV) THE WEEKLY WORD WITH RICK WARREN  Can be found here http://theweeklywordrickwarren.blogspot.com/

WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Rick Warren" [10-28 thru 11-3]

Seven Days of Devotion

 

Tell God You Love Him by Singing

Posted by Rick Warren

 

Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God ... Psalm 147:7 (MSG) 

When you express your love for God, it's called worship. One way you can express your love is by singing to him, and during the season, there are more opportunities to praise God in song than any other time of the year.

Did you know that more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world? Christianity is a singing faith because it's not about religion. It's about a love affair. It's about a relationship with God. He loves you so much that He sent His Son as a baby in a manger.

Nothing will make you more aware of God's love and God's presence in your life than singing His praises. You may be thinking, 'But you don't understand. I can't sing.'

But the Bible says, "Make a joyful noise." You can do that! You don't have to be a perfect singer to make a joyful noise.

Since you can sing anywhere, you can express your love of God anywhere. That means you can worship in the shower. You can worship in your backyard mowing the lawn. You can worship washing dishes. You can worship driving to work.

This season tell God you love him by singing to Him. If you really think about what God has done in your life, you won't be able to help yourself - a song will just burst out of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

Worship: Offering Yourself to God by Rick Warren

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Romans 12:1-2 (TEV) Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about. This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit. What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life. All of it -- 95% is not enough. Our total surrender to God is blocked by several things, including - Our ignorance of God - not knowing what he's really like. Our sinful nature - the desire to be God ourselves, and Our misunderstanding of surrender and the trust that it requires. Can We Trust God? Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. We won't surrender to God unless we trust Him, but we can't trust Him until we know Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes. How do I know God loves me? He gives us many evidences: God says he loves you (Psalm 145:9); You're never out of his sight (Ps. 139:3); He cares about every detail of your life (Matt. 10:30); He gave you the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Tim. 6:17b); He has good plans for your life (Jer. 29:11); He forgives you (Ps. 86:5); He's patient with you (Ps. 145:8); He sacrificed his Son for you (Rom. 5:8). God loves you infinitely more than you can imagine - Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, HCSB) If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you." God is not a cruel slave driver, or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

 

 

 

TUESDAY

Your heart and personality reveal God's purpose by Rick Warren

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that .... Galatians 6:4b (Msg). Another way to determine how you can serve others is to ask yourself such questions as: What do I really enjoy doing most? When do I feel the most fully alive? What am I doing when I lose track of time? Do I like routine or variety? Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself? Am I more introverted or extroverted? Am I more a thinker or a feeler? Which do I enjoy more—competing or cooperating? Examine your experiences and extract the lessons you've learned. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you. Moses told the Israelites, "Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him." (Deuteronomy 11:2 TEV) Forgotten experiences are worthless; that's a good reason to keep a spiritual journal. Paul worried that the believers in Galatia would waste the pain they had been through. He said, "Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!" (Galatians 3:4 NCV) We rarely see God's good purpose in pain or failure or embarrassment while it is happening. When Jesus washed Peter's feet, he said, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13:7 NIV) Only in hindsight do we understand how God intended a problem for good. Extracting the lessons from your experiences takes time. I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life and consider how he wants to use those lessons to help others. This will give you very clear direction on the ways he wants you to minister to others.

WEDNESDAY

Don't compare or conform your shape to others by Rick Warren

Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others. Galatians 6:4 (CEV) Yesterday I noted Satan will try to steal your joy of service in two ways: by tempting you to compare your ministry with others, and by tempting you to conform your ministry to the expectations of others. Both are deadly traps that will distract you from serving in the ways God intended. The Bible warns us never to compare ourselves with others: "Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others." (Galatians 6:4 CEV) There are two reasons why you should never compare your shape, ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else. First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you and you will become discouraged. Or you will always be able to find someone who doesn't seem as effective as you and you will get full of pride. Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your job. Paul said it is foolish to compare ourselves with others. He said, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV) The Message paraphrase says, "In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point." (2 Corinthians 10:12b Msg) You will find that people who do not understand your shape for ministry will criticize you and try to get you to conform to what they think you should be doing. Ignore them! Paul often had to deal with critics who misunderstood and maligned his service. His response was always the same: Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendation. One of the reasons Paul was used so greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted by criticism or by comparing his ministry with others or by being drawn into fruitless debates about his ministry. John Bunyan, the author of "Pilgrims Progress," said, "If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter who criticizes me."

 

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY

How to be thankful in tough times by Rick Warren

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Don't worry about anything. Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There's no such thing as born worriers; worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned. Jesus says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34, NLT) Pray about everything. Next use the time you've been worrying for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God. Thank God in all things. Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love -- but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied; it's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life. Think about the right things. If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think; the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act. So if you want to change your life, you need to change what you're thinking about. This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God's word. Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way I choose to think. When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the Apostle Paul tells us the result is, "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY

 

When the Future seems Uncertain by Rick Warren

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans ... to give you a future and a hope ... You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest."   Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (LB) No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen this year, let alone in the next few weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses. Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability. The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future: Set goals according to God's direction It's foolish to make plans without first consulting God.  He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it.  The Bible says, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word." (Proverbs 16:1)  In other words, planning without praying is presumption.  Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do in 2010?" Live one day at a time -- While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today! John Lennon once wrote, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."  Decide to make the most of each moment this year.  Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time." (Matthew 6:34) Don't procrtatsinate - DO IT NOW! - "Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) Procrastinating is a subtle trap.  It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow.  You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these days." But "one of these days" is usually "none of these days." What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do?  When do you intend to start working on it?Â

 

 

SATURDAY

Ministry: Shaped to serve by Rick Warren

Your hands shaped me and made me. Job 10:8 (NIV) God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped" to do certain things. Before architects design any new building they first ask, "What will be its purpose? How will it be used?" The intended function always determines the form of the building. Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how he wanted you to serve him, and then he shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry. The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV). Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." You're God's hand-crafted work of art. You're not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without thought. You're a custom designed, one-of-a kind, original masterpiece. God deliberately shaped and formed you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique. He carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail God gave in designing each of us: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous" (Psalm 139:13-14, NLT). Not only did God shape you before your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process. David continues, "Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139:16, NLT). This means nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others, and shape you for your service to him. God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory. By identifying and understanding these factors you can discover God's will for your life. The Bible says you are "wonderfully complex." You're a combination of many different factors: "The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises." (Isaiah 43:21, NJB)

 

 

THE WEEKLY WORD WITH RICK WARREN 

Can be found her

http://theweeklywordrickwarren.blogspot.com/

 

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Tell-a-Jew-about-Jesus: "Book Of Life"

Tell-a-Jew-about-Jesus: Men of Israel

Morning And Evening; Charles Spurgeon

 

"Last Generation Forums" :: POOR CHRISTIANS ALMANAC :: Classic Christian Authors :: Morning and Evening -Spurgeon :: Morning And Evening; Charles Spurgeon Author Topic: Morning And Evening; Charles Spurgeon (Read 6 times) Cj Avery Administrator Co-Administrator member is offline Joined: Jul 2012 Gender: Female Posts: 124 Morning And Evening; Charles Spurgeon « Thread Started on Sept 12, 2012, 7:43pm » Morning "God is jealous." Nahum 1:2 Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did he choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did he buy you with his own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that he would not stop in heaven without you; he would sooner die than you should perish, and he cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh. He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon him, he is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend--worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, he is displeased, and will chasten us that he may bring us to himself. He is also very jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in him only, this is true love; but to commune with the world, to find sufficient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the society of our fellow Christians to secret intercourse with him, this is grievous to our jealous Lord. He would fain have us abide in him, and enjoy constant fellowship with himself; and many of the trials which he sends us are for the purpose of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more closely upon himself. Let this jealousy which would keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if he loves us so much as to care thus about our love we may be sure that he will suffer nothing to harm us, and will protect us from all our enemies. Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world! Evening "I will sing of mercy and judgment." Psalm 101:1 Faith triumphs in trial. When reason is thrust into the inner prison, with her feet made fast in the stocks, faith makes the dungeon walls ring with her merry notes as she cries, "I will sing of mercy and of judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." Faith pulls the black mask from the face of trouble, and discovers the angel beneath. Faith looks up at the cloud, and sees that "'Tis big with mercy and shall break In blessings on her head." There is a subject for song even in the judgments of God towards us. For, first, the trial is not so heavy as it might have been; next, the trouble is not so severe as we deserved to have borne; and our affliction is not so crushing as the burden which others have to carry. Faith sees that in her worst sorrow there is nothing penal; there is not a drop of God's wrath in it; it is all sent in love. Faith discerns love gleaming like a jewel on the breast of an angry God. Faith says of her grief, "This is a badge of honour, for the child must feel the rod;" and then she sings of the sweet result of her sorrows, because they work her spiritual good. Nay, more, says Faith, "These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." So Faith rides forth on the black horse, conquering and to conquer, trampling down carnal reason and fleshly sense, and chanting notes of victory amid the thickest of the fray. "All I meet I find assists me In my path to heavenly joy: Where, though trials now attend me, Trials never more annoy. "Blest there with a weight of glory, Still the path I'll ne'er forget, But, exulting, cry, it led me To my blessed Saviour's seat."   Report to Mod - Link to Post - Back to Top   70.242.83.147

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Prayer :: "a Morning Prayer" :: My Soul Waits on You

 

"Last Generation Forums" :: Prayer :: "a Morning Prayer" :: My Soul Waits on You Author Topic: My Soul Waits on You (Read 1 time) Michael James Stone Administrator Site-Administrator member is online Joined: May 2012 Gender: Male Posts: 2,104 My Soul Waits on You « Thread Started Today at 5:19am » God My Soul Waits On You You have heard my Cry You know my Thoughts You see the feelings of my heart My Soul Waits on You God My Faith waits for you You know my wants You know my desires You know all that I need and will ever be My Faith Waits for You God My Spirit clings to you You know my fears You know my doubts You know my tears in the hours of the night My Spirit Clings to You   Report to Mod - Link to Post - Back to Top   Logged

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