Sorrow Upon Sorrow...

"Wealth... good health, good humor, and good sense, no one is poor with this defense."
                                              Helen Steiner Rice

I often think of the life of Job... he was a man that was tried to the depth of his soul, yet he never forsook God and never charged Him as doing anything wrong... that is faith.  There have been many Job's since him and I think that the Lord allowed his story to be told in His book so that all of us may look to it as an example as to how we should behave during the trials in our life.  Faith and trust... the two go hand in hand... and when we have the Lord Jesus dwelling in our hearts and active in our lives, we need not worry for tomorrow... He takes care of the sparrow and He will surely take care of me.

The above quote states that good health is part of wealth, and I do believe that this is true, but I believe that poverty and illness can also we wealth in a life devoted to Him... most of us reading this probably don't know what 'true' poverty is... folks who went through the depression would have a pretty good idea I do believe... but for the most part we all have it pretty good.  Yes we may run late on some bills occasionally and can't do a vacation every year or get the latest and greatest... but we are far from living in an ally in a cardboard box.  Illness too, if allowed will draw us closer to Him... it can bring a peace knowing He is in control of it all, and will do what he knows is best...

...what is wealth...Wealth to me is a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit dwelling within... a life devoted to serving Jesus in all I do... a walk that is so close to the Father that I can feel His protecting arms... wealth has nothing to do with the checkbook, it has everything to do with the soul...
Life is filled with both sorrow's and joy's and we are taught that 'in all things give Him praise'...  What more can we want when He is filling our everyday with love.

Until next time,
Jean
     

The Blessing Of Fellowship

I am so thankful for the blessing of being able to attend church every Sunday... I often think of those in countries where Christians are persecuted for thier faith and belief in Jesus...

I don't know if anyone reading this know's about the Esh family... a couple years back the family, all but two of the children were killed by in a car accident by anther driver who had fallen asleep and gone across the median... There is a C.D. that is available through Beside The Still Waters in Crokett, Kentucky of thier funeral sermon. Anyway, the minister talks about a story he once read about a Captain of a ship that was on his death bed at sea. He called for his next in command to pray for him, but the man said that he was not a praying man... the Captain went on to ask the next of his men... he too had the same response as the first.  The captain requested that they find someone on the ship that would have a Bible and to bring him to his bedside.  After some search there was found the cooks son who had a Bible. The lad was brought to the Captain and he asked the boy to read to him some words of comfort.  The boy being young and nervous thought about the Captains request and went on to tell him what his mother had said to him as he and his father boarded the ship. The kind mother read the words out of Isaiah 53:5... reflecting on the phrophecy of Jesus' coming. 

"But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquites;

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;

and with His stripes we are healed" 

The young lad read this to the captain and told him that his mother had told him to put his own name in  this verse as follows all the days of his life...  "But He was wounded for Willie Plat's transgressions, He was bruised for Willie Platts iniquites; the chastisement of Willie Plat's peace was upon Him; and with His stripe was Willie Plat healed."  This moved the Captain to where he requested the lad to put his name in that place... and so the story ends.

Today if you don't know Him won't you take the time and fill your name in... He is able to do all this and more...

Until next time,

Jean

Jesus of Nazereth

This Jesus of Nazareth, without money or arms, conquered more millions than Alexander; Caesar; Muhammad, and Napoleon; without human science and learning.

He shed more light on things human and divine than all the philosophers and scholars combined.

Without the eloquence from humanistic schooling, He spoke such words of love as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet.

Without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men in both ancient and modern times.

The Person of Christ
The American Tract Society, 1913
(Adapted)

Blessings In Disguise

"Two Hearts That Beat As One", by Jean Smith

Blessings In Disguise

by, Denise A Dewald

So many blessings are disguised

By pain and trials sore-

We cannot see the end result

Or what God has in store.

For often through our suffering

We come to know God's love,

And feel the peace He showers down

From Heaven up above.

And did you ever stop to think

Of how much you've grown?

For in all that you have gone through,

You were never alone.

God held your hand along the way

Though you were not aware-

He helped you lift each heavy cross,

And every burden bear.

Just take some time to reflect

On what He's brought you through-

He'll never leave you on your own,

No matter what you do.

So thank Him now on bended knee,

Your blessings in disguise;

Your character's been strengthened, friend-

More than you realize.

What a beautiful poem...

What a reflection of a heart that has been won by the Lord...

What a testimony to His great love and mercy...

What a gentle, loving Lord I serve...

Until next time,

Jean

"Unfair! Unfair!"

Life is full of unfairness don't you think... full of uncertainties and sadness...
Life is also filled with joys unheard of if we allow the unfortunate circumstances to take hold of our minds and our life...
This was one of my devotions this morning and it just fit in this blog...
May we look up in hopes of a new, bright day... one that we will be in Heaven with our Saviour... one that there will be not whiners or scab pickers...
God is in Heaven... all is well!

"Unfair! Unfair!"

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth... neither was any deceit in his mouth." Isaiah 53:7, 9

"Christians who understand the true meaning of Christ's cross will never whine about being treated unfairly. Whether or not they are given fair treatment will never enter their heads. They know they have been called to follow Christ, and certainly the Savior did not receive anything approaching fair treatment from mankind.
In language the word unfair seems altogether innocent, but it indicates an inner attitude that has no place among Christians.
The man who cries "Unfair!" is not a victorious man. He is inwardly defeated and in self-defense appeals to the referee to note that he has been fouled. This gives him an alibi when they carry him out on a stretcher and saves his face while his bruises heal.
It is a certainty that Christians will suffer wrongs; but if they take them in good spirit and without complaint, they have conquered their enemy. They remember that Jesus was reviled—but any thought of His shouting for fair play simply cannot be entertained by the reverent heart!

"Lord, remind me to think of Your example whenever I am tempted to complain that "life is unfair." You suffered the greatest injustice of all; yet You remained silent."  Tozer

Look to Him who loves you so much... He will never leave nor forsake thee...

Until next time,

Jean

This was my devotion the other morning... It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord works in my life... He is always so quick to give me the tender, as well as chastening words that I need to get me on.  May this bless you as it blessed me...

...a few word's from Charles Spergeon

“The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory.”  Deuteronomy 5:24
"God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see his “wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as he did his servant Moses, that you might behold his glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you."

Until next time,
Jean

One Of God's Perfect Creation... the Hummingbird

This is one of my devotions I get each day... I thought this one particularly interesting and wanted to share... I love hummingbirds, although my favorite bird is the common Garden (House) Wren...


     One of the most fascinating and unique creatures of all creation is the common hummingbird. What is the probability that all of the unique characteristics of the ruby-throated hummingbird, each of which are needed for its survival, developed by some step-by-step evolutionary process? A few of the hummingbird’s incredible abilities are listed below:

1. No other bird can fly forward, backward, upside-down, and straight up like a helicopter.
2. The use of a special fringed tongue to sweep insects out from the inside of flowers. It cannot survive on nectar alone but also needs the protein from eating insects.Without its special tongue it could never catch the insects.
3. The ability to fly 500 miles nonstop over the gulf waters to Mexico. The hummingbird can conserve its strength for long flights by taking a prolonged rest just prior to the flight and making every motion count in flight.
4. The ability to go into a "torpid" condition at night by almost shutting down its metabolism. Because of its incredibly high energy activity, gram for gram, the hummingbird has the greatest energy output of any warm-blooded animal. Yet at night it uses only about one-fifth of its normal energy.
   

The hummingbird is truly a marvel of God’s creativity.

Character Sketches
Volume 2, pages 42-48



Seek the LORD, and his strength:
seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done;
his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Psalm 105:4-5