August 29, Streams in the Desert

Once again, I was greatly uplifted by this small, but incredible book. Today's entry was a perfect picture of how the cross that we are made to bear in this life is tailored for each individual person by the hand of God. The story was about a worn out woman who thought the cross that she was made to bear surely was heavier than the crosses of others, so she wished that she could carry the cross of another instead of her own. The account that follows is from a dream that the woman had...

She was taken to a place where there were many different crosses from which to choose. There were various shapes and sizes, but the most beautiful one was covered with jewels and gold. "This I could wear with comfort," she said. So she picked it up, but her weak body staggered beneath its weight. The jewels and gold were beautiful, yet they were much too heavy for her to carry.

The next cross she noticed was quite lovely, with beautiful flowers entwined around its sculptured form. Surely this was the one for her. She lifted it, but beneath the flowers were large thorns that pierced and tore her skin.

Finally she came to a plain cross without jewels or any carvings and with only a few words of love inscribed on it. When she picked it up, it proved to be better than the rest, and the easiest to carry. And as she looked at it, she noticed it was bathed in a radiance that fell from heaven. Then she recognized it as her own old cross. She had found it once again, and it was the best of all, and the lightest for her.

Shining as Stars

Today I was thinking about the image that the Christian should give off to the world around them and I was reminded of these verses, which I found very convicting. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." Philipians 2:14-15

I think that some of the easiest things to fall into, even for Christians, are complaining and arguing. I know I struggle with these a lot. And the may seem like small things to worry about compared to other sin problems, but they can ruin a Christian's testimony just as easily as anything else. It is certain that the world is always watching and waiting for the Christian to slip up; nothing goes unnoticed or without criticism. So if a Christian shows humility through not complaining and arguing, an unconverted person notices this right away because it is so completely different from what the world is used to. They may begin to wonder what this Christian has that makes them respond so differently from the way the rest of the world would. "Shining like stars" is a powerful term, but in overcoming these two little traps of complaining and arguing there also lies a powerful witness that could open up an opportunity to "hold out the word of life."

The Character of Christ

"Christ is the Father's fulness of grace and glory. He must have the pre-eminence. He alone is worthy, who is to build the spiritual temple of the Lord and to bear the glory. Every vessel of this temple, from the cups to the flagons, must all be hung on Christ. He, by his Father's appointment, is the foundation-stone, corner-stone, top-stone."

~Thomas Wilcox, Honey Out of the Rock

Isaiah 54:10

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." I read this verse a while ago and have been thinking about it quite a bit. In the context that it is written, God is talking to His people Israel and making a covenant with them. But as we know, what pertains to God's literal "chosen people" Israel often pertains to His spiritual "chosen people" the Christians as well.

Isn't it amazing to think that we are loved by a God so mighty that even the most powerful forces on earth have no effect on his love and compassion for us? It made me think of Paul's declaration in Romans 8:38-39..."For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." How could God's love for us ever be changed if it is based on the redemptive work of His own Son? What a blessing to know that none of this is based on our own worth, but on the merits of Christ and His shed blood.

August 20, Streams in the Desert

In today's entry there is a story that depicts Sorrow and Joy as characters in a fictional story. It was a wonderful reminder of how closely the two seem to follow one another and how they are of equal value in our lives to bring out the righteousness and contentment that God desires. I will not give the whole story word-for-word because it is rather long, but here is the general setting...both Sorrow and Joy are beautiful in their own way: Sorrow with moonlight and mystery, Joy with sunshine and smiles. The two long to be together, but it seems they cannot because they are so very different from each other. In mourning the fact that they will never be united, they are visited by Jesus Christ. Here is the story from that point on...

[Sorrow] and Joy became aware of someone standing beside them. In spite of the dim light, they sensed a kingly Presence, and suddenly a great and holy awe overwhelmed them. They then sank to their knees before Him. "I see Him as the King of Joy," whispered Sorrow, "for on His head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. And before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness. I now give myself to Him forever." "No, Sorrow," said Joy softly, "for I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of terrible agony. I also give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy I have ever known." "Then we are one in Him," they cried in gladness, "for no one but He could unite Joy and Sorrow." Therefore they walked hand in hand into the world, to follow Him through storms and sunshine, through winter's severe cold and the warmth of summer's gladness, and to be "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."

God's Will and Promises

I've been thinking about God's promises to the Christian that He will never leave us or forsake us, and how He works everything for our good. How can God say no to something He has promised? He can't without making himself out to be a liar, which God obviously could never do. Even in placing the Christian in undesirable circumstances, He is working out good in his/her life and fulfilling His own promises. At the same time, God often places certain desires in our hearts to point us in the right direction. How does the Christian discern the desires of his own heart and possible ulterior motives from the actual will of God?

I've heard it said that in praying and trying to determine the will of God, the Christian should also appeal to the promises of God. Even though this may not make the choice clearer or provide any greater sense of direction, it is hard to go wrong in appealing to the promises of God. It seems that the two can hardly be separated when trying to determine the will of God for our lives. No matter where you are at in your Christian walk, I believe that it is certain that God has a purpose for placing you exactly where you are and exactly at this time, even though you may not know where you are going next. I discovered these poems a few days ago and found them very encouraging on that note.

Go the the depths of God's promise,
And claim whatsoever you will;
The blessing of God will not fail you,
His word He will surely fulfill.

~Author unknown

In the center of the circle
Of the will of God I stand:
There can come no second causes,
All must come from His dear hand.
All is well for it's my Father
Who my life has planned.

Shall I pass through the waves of sorrow?
Then I know it will be best;
Though I cannot tell the reason,
I can trust, and so am blest.
God is Love, and God is faithful,
So in perfect Peace I rest.

With the shade and with the sunshine,
With the joy and with the pain,
Lord, I trust You! both are needed,
Each Your wayward child to train,
Earthly loss, if we will know it,
Often means our heavenly gain.

~I.G.W.

Isaiah 53-For the Glory of God

Today I was reading this passage and was struck by the great affliction that Jesus endured leading up to and during the Crucifixion and the vivid language that Isaiah uses to describe the scene. First of all, Jesus died for a people who were not interested in a Savior. Verse 2 says "...He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." Indeed, we not only had no desire for him, but prior to salvation, we hated him. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not," verse 3. But in spite of all this, Christ died for our sins. He could have avoided the cross if he had wanted to; in power he could have slain his captors, resisted arrest, and triumphed over his enemies, but he chose to die for them instead.

Verses 4-9 describes the pain of affliction, the shame of torture, and the horror of the cross, all of which were endured without a word. But I think verses 10-11 really were the most encouraging to me. "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. (v11) After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." These verses tell us that it was the Lord's will that Jesus suffer and die on the cross; why? Because in fulfilling God's will there lies an incredible amount of glory for God, which is the whole purpose of our existence, and Jesus' experience at the cross. And though Christ was crucified, he was raised to life and now sees the "offspring" of his redemptive work-Christians bought with a price and serving God to increase His glory.

August 10, Streams in the Desert

I have been through the valley of weeping,
The valley of sorrow and pain;
But the "God of all comfort" was with me,
At hand to uphold and sustain

As the earth needs the clouds and sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrow and joy;
So He places us oft in the furnace,
The dross from the gold to destroy

When He leads through some valley of trouble,
His omnipotent hand we trace;
For the trials and sorrows He sends us,
Are part of His lessons in grace

Oft we run from the purging and pruning,
Forgetting the Gardener knows
That the deeper the cutting and trimming,
The richer the cluster that grows

Well He knows that affliction is needed;
He has a wise purpose in view,
And in the dark valley He whispers,
"Soon you'll understand what I do"

As we travel through life's shadowed valley,
Fresh springs of His love ever rise;
And we learn that our sorrows and losses,
Are blessings just sent in disguise

So we'll follow wherever He leads us,
Let the path be dreary or bright;
For we've proved that our God can give comfort
Our God can give songs in the night

August 7, Streams in the Desert

Oh, the Spirit-filled life; is it thine, is it thine?
Is your soul wholly filled with the Spirit Divine?
As a child of the King, has He fallen on thee?
Does He reign in your soul, so that all men may see?
The dear Savior's blest image reflected in thee?

Has He swept through your soul like the waves of the sea?
Does the Spirit of God daily rest upon thee?
Does He sweeten your life, does He keep you from care?
Does He guide you and bless you in answer to prayer?
Is your joy to be led of the Lord everywhere?

Is He near you each hour, does He stand at your side?
Does He clothe you with strength, has He come to abide?
Does He teach you to know that all things may be done
Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?
Does He witness to you of the glorified Son?

Has He purified you with the fire from above?
Is He first in your thoughts, does He have all your love?
Is His service your choice, and your sacrifice sweet?
Is your doing His will both your drink and your meat?
Do you run at His calling with glad eager feet?

Has He freed you from self and from all of your greed?
Do you hasten to comfort your brother in need?
As a soldier of Christ does your power endure?
Is your hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?
Are you patient and meek, are you tender and pure?

Oh, the Spirit-filled life may be thine, may be thine,
Ever in your soul Shechinah glory may shine;
It is yours to live with the tempests all stilled,
It is yours with God's blest Holy Spirit to be filled;
It is yours, even yours, for your Lord has so willed

Praise Changes Things

Nothing pleases God more than praise as part of our prayer life, and nothing blesses someone who prays as much as the praise that is offered. I once received a great blessing from this while in China. I had recently received bad news from home, and deep shadows of darkness seemed to cover my soul. I prayed, but the darkness remained. I forced myself to endure, but the shadows only deepened. Then suddenly one day, as I entered a missionary's home at an inland station, I saw these words on the wall: "Try giving thanks." So I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, never to return. Yes, the psalmist was right: "It is good to praise the Lord." Psalm 92:1

~Henry W. Frost

A Heartfelt Prayer

Father, here I bow before you
Accept my humble plea
Take this soul I'm praying for
And save it mightily

Lord, if it would please you
Rescue by your might
The lost sheep that's far away
And ever hold it tight

Indeed, I pray with fervent heart
For the salvation of a friend
I ask you Lord to bring, at last
Sin's power to an end

So many times I've asked you
With tears in the dark of night
To mercifully redeem and turn
This dark heart into light

And Father when I cease to trust
In your great power to save
Lift my eyes from my doubts
To the Son you gave

Oh help me e'er to find in you
Comfort when needed most
Enable me to wait on grace
Great Shepherd and Lord of Hosts

Greater faith please give to me
And more trust in your will
Grant me the perseverance
To keep on praying still

And when an answer to my prayers
May sometimes doubtful prove
By your words remind me
You work all things out for good

But Father God, above all things
When my prayers reach your throne
If you choose to answer me
Let the glory be yours alone

July 31, "Streams in the Desert"

As moves my fragile boat across the storm-swept sea,
Great waves beat o'er her side, as north wind blows;
Deep in the darkness hid lie threat'ning rocks and reefs;
But all of these, and more, my Pilot knows.

Sometimes when darkness falls, and every light's gone out,
I wonder to what port my frail ship goes;
Although the night be long, and restless all my hours,
My distant goal, I'm sure, my Pilot knows.

~Thomas Curtis Clark

Thoughts from Isaiah

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." Isaiah 44:3

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it..." Isaiah 45:8

A few days ago it began raining in the morning and continued to rain fairly hard for most of the day. These verses got me to thinking...wouldn't it be wonderful if the heavens truly did rain down righteousness? Or if pools of salvation sprung up from the ground and caused righteousness to grow in us? We would all be saturated with righteousness and our salvation would cause righteousness to grow all the more in our hearts! But the Christian life would not, could not be that easy. God means for us to learn lessons in all that He prepares for us and does not just hand a Christian his righteousness all at one time on a silver platter. God works sanctification in our hearts and lives continually over the span of the whole Christian life, making us perfect in the end when we reach Heaven. However, to balance this idea, I believe that we are responsible to strive toward this growth and righteousness as much as we can, rather than saying that God will sanctify us when he is ready with no effort on our part.

So I began to wonder what I could do to strive more after righteousness in my own life. The Lord gave me a lot of things that I could begin doing and a lot that I could stop doing, or certainly do less of. I'm sure if we each made a list there would be certain things that would be individual, but there are a lot of things that we might also have in common. I'll leave that to you to decide what changes need to take place in your own life, but it certainly is good to think about these things. In reality, righteousness does not rain down from the sky or well up from the ground- it has to be whole-heartedly desired, striven for, a frequent request in prayer, and finally granted by God in the Christian life.