"The life of faith [in Christ] is lived one day at a
time, and it has to be LIVED--not always looked forward to as though the "real"'
living were around the next corner. It is TODAY for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.

-Elisabeth Elliot

ALL Things

"If He [God] is indeed "Creator of all things visible and invisible" He is certainly in charge of all things, visible and invisible, stupendous and miniscule, magnificent and trivial. God has to be in charge of details if He is going to be in charge of the overall design. . . .

"If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things."

Elisabeth Elliot
Let Me Be a Woman

Trust

"We may not be able to trace God's hand, but we can always trust His heart."
~C.J. Mahaney

So Lord, Dear Lord . . .

"You be the needle
and I be the thread
You go first, and I will follow
wherever You may lead."

~Congolese Christian

Trust. It's a huge issue. I must constantly counsel myself, remind myself, rather than listening to myself. He is worthy of my trust. He is trustworthy.

In contrast, "Doubt" occurs when we exalt and elevate our own perceptions, feelings, and emotions over God and His Word and His promises. Doubt places that which is hollow--emotions, lies, myself, my thoughts, my fears--upon the throne rather than bowing to Christ as Lord of my life. This is sin.

Behold, God is my salvation
I will TRUST and will not be afraid
for the Lord God is my strength and my song
and He has become my salvation.
~ Lamentations

This God--HIS WAY is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him. ~ 2 Samuel 22:31

Trust, my Soul. Trust and Obey. He has been faithful thus far, and He will be faithful

Forever.

"If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ . . . Lord speak to my own heart and give me to know thy Holy will and the joy of walking in it."

~ Jim Elliot

He is Worthy

I have been so challenged and encouraged by the testimony displayed in the lives of Jim Elliot and those who gave their lives in ministry in Ecuador. Despite tragedy and death while reaching out to lost souls, their hearts and words point to a greater hope, a greater treasure--the One who was over all. Over the next few posts, I hope to share a few quotes which illuminate Christ's sustaining presence in their lives.

"Their story . . . has pointed to one thing: God is God. If He is God, He
is worthy of my worship and service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.

" . . . God is the God of human history, and He is at work continuously,
mysteriously, accomplishing His eternal purposes in us, through us, for us, and
in spite of us."

~ Elisabeth Elliot
Through Gates of Splendor

Go The Extra Mile

The Lord is encouraging me through a book called Through Gates of Splendor, the story of God's work through Jim Elliot and Nate Saint encompassing their testimony of faith and service to the hostile indians in Ecuador, South America. Not that I have gotten that far yet--still at the "setting the stage" part of the book.

These missionaries' passion for the Gospel really has encouraged and challenged my heart. I wish I was this way.

One quote particularly stirred my heart. Ed McCully, one of the missionaries who met up with Jim Elliot in Ecuador, tells of the Lord's burden on his heart for ministry inspired by his study of Nehemiah:

Here was a man [Nehemiah] who was left everything as far as position was concerned to go do a job nobody else could handle. And because he went the whole remnant back in Jerusalem got right with the Lord. obstacles and hindrances fell away and a great work was done . . .
I have one desire now--to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting ALL my energy and strength into it. Maybe He'll send me someplace where the name
of Jesus Christ is unknown . . .

I'm taking the Lord at His word, and I'm trusting Him to prove His word . . . [W]e've already put our trust in Him for salvation, so why not do it as far as our life is concerned?

If there's nothing to this buisness of eternal life we might as well lose everything in one crack and throw our present life away with our life hereafter. But if there is something to it, then everything else the Lord says must hold true likewise.

-Ed McCully

Christ: The True Treasure

Over the past few weeks, I have steered clear of blogging. Maybe I should articulate my worry with you:

The Lord has really been impressing upon my heart the superficiality of media outlets. When you come to this portal, you only see "one side of the story." I can chose what I want to share. I can chose what I want to hide. My fear is that those who visit this blog may see me as someone I am not ...

You don't see the real "me."

My hope is that somehow, in some way, you may encounter Christ as you read this journal.
My hope is to encourage others who are "running the race" by sharing the ways He is graciously carrying me in His arms by His strength, not mine.
My hope is that everything typed on this page may reflect Him, point to Him, focus on Him.

Please don't look at me. Look at Him. Look at Him who is the true "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews).

May Christ be our treasure even MORE.

My prayer is that you would see Him here.

The Lord: Our Present Help

"Which is harder, to do or to endure? I think to endure is much the harder, and our Father loves us too much to let us pass through life without learning to endure. So I want you to welcome the little difficult things, the tiny pricks and ruffles that are sure to come almost every day. For they give you a chance to say 'No' to yourself, and by doing so you will become strong not only to do but also to endure.

"Whatever happens, don't be sorry for yourselves. You know how our Lord met the tempting 'Pity thyself' (Matt. 16:22). After all, what is anything we have to bear in comparison with what our Lord bore for us?

"I know that each one of you is in need of continual help [yes!] if you are continually to conquer. I have splendid words to give you. They are from the first verse of Psalm 46--a very present help.

"Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than thought can imagine, so near that a whisper can reach Him . . .

" . . . For Thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek Thee."

~ Amy Carmichael
Candles in the Dark

"I Am With Thee" : This is Enough.

The past few days, I have been reading through a compilation of Amy Carmichael's notes entitled, Candles in the Dark. I find it encouraging to see how words reflecting the Lord's work and growth in another's life--though distant in history--can encourage and minister to my soul today.

[Commenting on Judges 6:12-16; the story of Gideon] "'And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might . . . Surely I am with thee'

"The 'why?' and the 'where?' are not answered. Perhaps they never will be answered on this side of eternity. But it was enough that He looked upon [Gideon] and was surely with him. So I will trust in that the greatest of all miracles will be wrought once more. The humanly impossible will become the divinely possible, to the greater praise of His glory. The exceeding greatness of His Power to you who believe will be made manifest." ~A.C.

"God, Keep Us Standing . . ."

An exerpt from Amy Carmichael's writings:

". . . but thank God for victory too, and we are nearer the Crowning Day this morning than ever we were before. 'And having done all, to stand.' God keep us standing. 'When I said, 'My foot slippeth,' Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.'

"And now as we look forward we see great stones, and many of them. 'Who will roll away the stone?' More and more I delight in the word that says, 'The angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.' We shall see the angel of the Lord sitting upon many a stone during the coming year. And think of it, we may see the Lord Himself, Christ risen, Christ CROWNED, this year. Oh, what will it be to see Him? To be forever with Him, holy forever, strong forever, never, never, to grieve Him again."

Be Still.

"Be still, my soul!
Thy God doth undertake
To Guide the future as He has the past
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul:
the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below."




Be still.

:: :: ::

On The Tablet of My Heart

A TABLET Lord, .................Thy servant holds,

Down Soul’s deep depths ......Only your eye beholds.

It flows like a stream of water, channeled by your guiding Hand

A plot of SOIL for sweet seed of Word to season, grow, and stand.

The heart alone, easily drifting with the mold of worldly push and pull,

Is a master deceiver, twisting mind and shameful thoughts in full;

Stone dead, a pillar of salt, cold, unbelieving, unyielding,

So I withered away in sin’s death cry and decaying.

But in scarlet stream you gave with no measure,

Bathing the heart in heaven’s cleanser.

Now etched with your name,

And never the same;

Only For Thee

Will I Be.