King’s Blooming Rose is having a giveaway! This is a neat ministry directed to helping young ladies and I have been blessed by some of their challenges in the past two years.
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Nature
This is my Father’s world,
And to my list’ning ears,
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world,
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world,
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father’s world,
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world,
The battle is not done,
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.
{This is My Father’s World by Maltbie D. Babcock}
Picture Verse
When God Calls a Daughter to be Sarah
The story of Abraham and Sarah fascinates me. What trust of a woman who follows her husband into the unknown, following a God that their fathers did not serve!
Sometimes, we girls dream of following our future husbands that way. In our minds, we are totally dedicated to our husbands – “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Peter 3:6). If God calls our husband to a foreign mission-field, we will go! If God calls him to travel the country, we will go! If God calls him to be a music minister, we will go! We are prepared to follow God through our husbands when that day comes.
But what if God calls our Dad?
If God calls our Dad to a foreign mission field, will we go? (“But there are no eligible young men in Papua New Guinea!”) If God calls our Dad to travel the country, will we go? If God calls our Dad to be a music minister, a pastor, a soul-winning layman, will we go? If God calls our Dad to stand for truth even when others disagree or lead his family in a way contrary to others . . . will we go? Are we prepared to follow God through our Dad?
It looks glorious to be a dedicated little wife, faithfully submitting to her husband (Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”), but to submit to our dads!? When following our Dad means we have to leave friends, lose friends over differences, go where there seems to be no future husbands for us, or be the “different” girl, we are not so ready to be a “dedicated little {daughter}, faithfully submitting to her {dad},” ready to go and support him where God has led him. However, before a girl can submit to her future husband, she has to learn to submit to her Dad (Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” – Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”).
As a daughter, we have the privilege and honor of being our Dad’s cheer-leading team, his support-group, and his encourager. But we can destroy that privilege by being our Dad’s resistance, his sorrow, and his discouragement.
Though written for all believers, there are a few simple truths that we should apply for being our Dad’s supporter:
~We must strive to keep ourselves in unity with our Dad’s decisions
Romans 15:5-6 – “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:2 – “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
~We must faithfully pray for our Dad
1 Timothy 2:1-2 – “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
~We must close our lips when tempted to disagree with our Dad’s decisions
Philippians 2:3 – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
Philippians 2:14 – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”
1 Peter 3:10-11 – “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.”
~We must forget how our Dad’s decisions affect our wants and support him
Philippians 2:3a-4 – “but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
When God calls a daughter to be like Sarah – to leave her family, her friends, and follow God – God also gives her the grace to follow (2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”). Sarah could not follow Abraham in her own strength, nor can we follow our Dad or our future husband in our own strength. But: “I can do all things, through Christ, which strengtheneth me.”(Philippians 4:13)
Is God calling you to be a Sarah? How will you respond?
Waiting for the "Foundation"
There are many “buts” in our life. The “buts” are generally . . . excuses. “I would do this, but . . .”
The other day, I found a very interesting “but” in God’s Word. “From the first day of the seventh month began they (Israel) to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.” (Ezra 3:6)
Israel was coming from the pagan enemy’s land to rebuild the temple by decree of King Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1-3). Almost immediately when they returned to Jerusalem, the city of the temple, they began sacrificing to God. Nothing hindered their service to the one true God. Not even the fact that the temple was not prepared or ready!
As I read this captivating story of Israel’s return to God, I began to realize that there are many “foundations” I am placing as prerequisites for my service to God. Things that in my eyes make sense, but in reality are a just an excuse for my disobedience to God’s gentle prodding. It can be as easy as, “Lord, if you answer this prayer, then I will . . .” or, “Yes, Lord, I see that I should do this, but I must wait until tomorrow.” or as far-sighted as, “Lord, I’ll do this, but it makes sense to be married first.” When we feel God’s leading, we do not need the “foundation of the temple” to be set in order before we begin. We can begin as soon as He tells us.
What “foundation” are you waiting for before giving your life, your possessions, and your time to God?
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Today, stop and reconsider how you treasure God’s Word. Is it special to you? If it is special to you, how often do you read it? Memorize it? Talk of it?
It is Written . . . for ME!!!
Stop for a moment and think about how great our God is. He created all that eye can see (Genesis 1:1), there is none greater than He (Psalm 77:13), and He is all powerful (Exodus 15:6).
Our Great, Powerful, Almighty, Holy, Perfect, Righteous, Creator God created something for each of His children to have: something that we can hold in our hands, something that we can understand, and something that will greatly help us. It is just another one of God’s wonderful gifts to us – and yet, how often do we throw it aside? How often do we view it as “boring?” How often do we view something else as more important?
This gift is God’s Word – the Holy Bible.
{following emphasis added}
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”(2 Peter 1:3-4)
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
God knew that we needed this gift, or else He would not have given it. But do we see that we need it?
Today, stop and reconsider how you treasure God’s Word. Is it special to you? If it is special to you, how often do you read it? Memorize it? Talk of it?
Just reading, or learning?
The other day, as I read through my morning Psalm, I was lifted and encouraged. It is so beautiful to bask in the truths of God’s Word, to rely on those truths, and to claim them as promises for us!!!
However, I do not always enjoy my time reading God’s Word. Sometimes I read “just to check it off my list” or skim through the page, not trying to glean anything from it. Often, I shut my Bible, continue my daily life, and forget all that I just read.
The Lord continually convicts me of this problem, and I have learned that I need to ask Him to bless my reading time and help me to learn from Him. Psalm 119:18 is a verse that I often pray: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
How is your Bible-reading going? Has the Lord used a verse, two verses, passage, or chapter in your life recently?
And since I mentioned it, here is the Psalm that God used in my life the other day:
Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.
14 For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.
21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Prayer— Battle in “The Secret Place”
Again, I am sharing the devotional that I read this morning that really encouraged me.
~~~
My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers)
August 23
When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6
Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.
We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.
About Friendships and Disillusionments
Yesterday, I read a devotional that, while it took me reading through twice to understand, struck me as an amazing reminder of how I view my friendships.
~*~*~
From My Utmost for His Highest
By Oswald Chambers
(July 30)
“Jesus did not commit Himself unto them . . . for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)
“Disillusionment means that there are no more false judgments in life. To be undeceived by disillusionment may leave us cynical and unkindly sever in our judgment of others, but the disillusionment which comes from God brings us to the place where we see men and women as they really are, and yet there is no cynicism, we have no stinging bitter things to say. Many of the cruel things in life spring from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts; we are true only to our ideas of one another. Everything is either delightful and fine, or mean and dastardly, according to our idea.
“The refusal to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering in human life. It works in this way – if we love a human being and do not love God, we demand of him every perfection and every rectitude, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; we are demanding of a human being that which he or she cannot give. There is only on Being Who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Why our Lord is apparently so sever regarding every human relationship is because He knows that every relationship not based on loyalty to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no man, yet He was never suspicious, never bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God and in what His grace could do for any man, was so perfect that He despaired of no one. If our trust is placed in human beings, we shall end in despairing of everyone.“
~*~*~
Where is our trust concerning our friendships? The more we cling to friendships, the less we will care about God’s thoughts concerning the friendship. I am reminded once again to hold first my relationship with God and second, my relationship with those around me.
Unhidden
“God sees everything.” We have heard this concept, but do we really know it? Reading through Psalm 139:1-16 helps to paint a clearer picture of this concept.
Verses: O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my Thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. (Psalm 139:1-5)
Truth: The Lord knows everything about us. He not only knows who we say we are, but also who we really are – better than we do ourselves. Right now, He is around us seeing what we are doing.
Verses: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. (Psalm 139:6)
Truth: God, the Creator of the Universe, the Master of the seas, the all-knowing, omnipotent Ruler, know my name! He has bowed down from His Majestic throne to take interest in my life!
Verses: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee. (Psalm 139:7-12)
Truth: There is absolutely nowhere that we can go to hide from God. He sees us wherever we are, at all times. Our sins might stay hidden to those around us, but they are open and revealed before God’s eyes.
Verses: For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Truth: From day one of conception, God saw us. He was working in our lives to mold us as He saw best then, and is still working in our lives today – spiritually and physically – to continually mold us as He sees fit. Because God created us and molded us, we are a marvelous work.
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