Scriptures

This morning's prayer

I Love Old Hymns

A favorite hymn. Painting is one I did many years ago. 

The Love of Christ

This verse spoke to me this morning. It speaks of of the great love of Christ for His church.

These are my own orchids. 

Spurgeon's Evening Reading

 Why go I mourning?

— Psalm 42:9

"Canst thou answer this, believer? Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the night would never end in day? Who told thee that the sea of circumstances would ebb out till there should be nothing left but long leagues of the mud of horrible poverty? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow, and ice, and hail, to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Knowest thou not that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! For God fails thee not. Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in the midst of all this? Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day, and God's love is as true to thee now as it was in thy brightest moments. No father chastens always: thy Lord hates the rod as much as thou dost; He only cares to use it for that reason which should make thee willing to receive it, namely, that it works thy lasting good. Thou shalt yet climb Jacob's ladder with the angels, and behold Him who sits at the top of it--thy covenant God. Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendours of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led thee through them, and wrought thy lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Make the wilderness to blossom like the rose! Cause the desert to ring with thine exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then "for ever with the Lord," thy bliss shall never wane.

"Faint not nor fear, His arms are near, He changeth not, and thou art dear; Only believe and thou shalt see, That Christ is all in all to thee."

Matthew 12

 

Seeking

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.  

Psalm 27:8

Journaling

September 15, 2021

 

CH Spurgeon Quote

"The other day I was reading the Sept. 3 morning reading from CH Spurgeon, the whole thing really spoke to me, here is a portion: "Get positive knowledge of your love of Jesus, and be not satisfied till you can speak of your interest in Him as a reality, which you have made sure by having received the witness of the Holy Spirit, and His seal upon your soul by faith."

A New Year

JANUARY 2021 Friday, Jan. 15 -- We have come to a new year, a time that seems to be shaking everything. I am hoping to start up again with more frequent posting. I have been thinking about three hymns, Great is Thy Faithfulness, In the Name of Jesus, and Holy, Holy, Holy. I heard someone singing them and had a great sense of being lifted up. It says in Isaiah ch. 30 that in the day of judgment we (his people) shall have a song. This is really something to think about.

Wonderful Devotional

I have been following the Charles Spurgeon Morning and Daily Readings for a good while now and they are excellent and deeply profound. The readings for the week of April 15 - 21 are particularly edifying (although they all are), this week speaks about the deep thirst for Him alone and also the power of the Blood of Christ, so wonderful on the topic of the scarlet cord and other things. They are widely available online since they are public domain, and also available in audio recordings.

This Morning, reading Psalm 25

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New Creation

A new one today.

Poetry

Recently, my mind has turned to poetry.  The Lord is wanting to speak to me in a different way these days. Its funny though, this goes back decades.

The End of the Search-

There is no finding of Him in books

Written in vain, though they vastly cover

Realms of thought; but as my heart looks

And accepts Him unknown, it shall discover

Peace unsurpassed, because the Only Lover

Of my soul, becomes known in the myriad nooks

Of inner writings imprinted in His image;

Though I never knew when, or how He did manage

To unite our hearts and intentions so near,

That the division between becomes unclear.

And not in thoughts does my heart end its care,

But in purposeful union of will, so dear. 

        -SJS, 1983

     

Contentment

Was reading in the wonderful old book "Daily Strength for Daily Needs".  I wanted to share this days devotion on contentment:
MAY 23
Be content with such things as ye have.—HEB. xiii. 5.

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content.—PHIL. iv. 11 ( R. V.).

  No longer forward nor behind
    I look in hope or fear;
  But, grateful, take the good I find,
    The best of now and here.  -J. G. WHITTIER.

If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:—

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather.

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself.

5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."    -E. B. PUSEY.

Simple Inspiration

I came across this simple and uplifting quote today.

"Be simple, hidden, quiet and small."
    -Thomas Hopko

End of the Year Thoughts

It has been in my thoughts to get back to doing some posting and I hope to do this in the fast approaching (tomorrow) new year.  Please pray for me that the Lord will give me that grace....in the meantime, I hope anyone who visits here will go back through and read my older posts.  I think they still speak of some things that might edify.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Gift of Simplicity

Thinking of the old Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts".
Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free, tis the gift to come down where we ought to be........