|
"Let us run with patience." (Hebrews
12:1 King James Version)
"Running 'with patience' is a very difficult thing to do. The word 'running' itself suggests
the absence of patience, or an eagerness to reach the goal. Yet we often associate patience with lying down or standing still.
We think of it as an angel who guards the bed of the disabled. Yet I do not believe that the kind of patience a disabled person
may have is the hardest to achieve. There is another kind of patience that I believe is harder to obtain - the patience
that runs. Lying down during a time of grief, or being quiet after a financial setback, certainly implies great strength,
but I know of something that suggests even greater strength - the power to continue working after a setback, the power to
still run with a heavy heart, and the power to perform your daily tasks with deep sorrow in your spirit. This a Christlike
thing! Many of us could tearlessly deal with our grief if only we were allowed to do so in private. Yet what is so difficult
is that most of us are called to exercise our patience not in bed but in the open street, for all to see. We are called upon
to bury our sorrows not in restful inactivity but in active service - in our workplace, while shopping, and during social
events - contributing to other people's joy. No other way of burying our sorrow is as difficult as this, for it is truly what
is meant by running 'with patience'. Dear Son of Man, this was Your kind of patience. It was both waiting and
running at one time - waiting for the ultimate goal while in the meantime doing lesser work. I see You at Cana of Galilee,
turning water into wine so the marriage feast would not be ruined. I see You in the desert, feeding the multitude with bread,
simply to relieve a temporary need. Yet all the time, you were bearing a mighty grief - not shared or spoken. Others may ask
for a 'rainbow in the clouds' (Gen. 9:13), but I would ask for even more from You. Make me, in my cloud, a rainbow bringing
the ministry of joy to others. My patience will only be perfect when it works in Your vineyard." (George Matheson)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Room for God?"
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock." (Rev. 3:20)
"Some of the saddest words on earth are:
"We don't have room for you." Jesus knew the sound of those words. He was still in Mary's womb when the innkeeper said,
"We don't have room for you."... And when He was hung on the cross, wasn't the message one of utter rejection? "We don't have
room fo you in this world." Even today Jesus is given the same treatment. He goes from heart to heart, asking if He
might enter... Every so often, He is welcomed. Someone throws open the door of his or her heart and invites Him to stay. And
to that person Jesus gives this great promise:..."In my father's house are many rooms."...What a delightful promise He makes
us! We make room for Him in our hearts, and He makes room for us in His house." (Max Lucado - Grace For The Moment)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tuning" by Pollyanna Sedziol:
"I
need to go to God each day
For guidance as I go life's way;
I need the daily knowledge of
His comforting and glorious
love;
As dawn awakes the birds to sing,
So praising God gives my days wing."
:-) :-) :-) :-)
Plotting
"One worker to another: 'How long have you been working here?'
Answer: 'Since they threatened to fire me."
:-) :-) :-) :-)
(Taken from Healing
Through Humor by Charles & Frances Hunter)
<>< <>< <><
<>< <><
"The greatest miracle is not physical
but spiritual. It is when a lost soul
comes to
know the forgiveness from sin
and the glorious, saving grace of God's
Son, Jesus Christ."
"The Word declares it
is the Father's
desire that none should perish but that
all would have eternal life."
(Benny Hinn)
<><
<>< <>< <>< <><
"Praise the LORD, all you servants of
the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD...May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from
Zion."
(Psalm 134:1,3) (New International Version)
"You may see this as a strange time to worship - 'minister[ing]
by night in the house of the LORD.' Indeed, worshiping at night, during the depth of our sorrows, is a difficult thing. Yet
therein lies the blessing, for it is the test of perfect faith. If I desire to know the true depth of my friend's love, I
must see how he responds during the winter seasons of my life. And it is the same with divine love.
It is easy for me to
worship in the summer sunshine, when the beautiful melodies of life seem to fill the air, and the lush fruit of life is still
on the trees.
But when the songbirds cease and the fruit falls from the trees, will my heart continue to sing? Will I
remain in God's house at night? Will I love Him simply for who He is? Am I willing to 'keep watch for one
hour'(Mark 14:37)
with Him in Gethsemane? Will I help Him carry His cross up the road of suffering to Calvary?
Will I stand beside Him in
His dying moments, with Mary, His mother, and John, the beloved disciple? Would I be able, with Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus,
to take the dead Christ from His cross?
If I can do these things, then my worship is complete and my blessing glorious.
Then I have indeed shown Him love during the time of His humiliation. My faith has seen Him in His lowest state, and yet my
heart has
recognized His majesty through His humble disguise. And at last I truly know that I desire not the gift but
the Giver. Yes, when I can remain in His house through the darkness of night and worship Him, I have
accepted Him for
Himself alone."
(George Matheson - Streams In The Desert)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What More Can You Ask" by Helen Steiner Rice:
"God's love endureth forever -
What a wonderful thing to know
When
the tides of life run against you
And your spirit is downcast and low...
God's kindness is ever around you,
Always
ready to freely impart
Strength to your faltering spirit,
Cheer to your lonely heart...
God's presence is ever
beside you,
As near as the reach of your hand,
You have but to tell Him your troubles,
There is nothing He won't
understand...
And knowing God's love is unfailing,
And His mercy unending and great,
You have but to trust in
His promise -
'God comes not too soon or too late'...
So wait with a heart that is patient
For the goodness of
God to prevail -
For never do prayers go unanswered,
And His mercy and lover never fail."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Who Is the Servant?"
"Martha was distracted with much serving...
But Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from
her." (Luke 10:40-42) (New King James Version)
"Martha is worried about something good. She's having Jesus over for dinner.
She's literally serving God. Her aim was to please Jesus. But she made a common, yet dangerous mistake. As she began to work
for Him, her work became more important than her Lord. What began as a way to serve Jesus, slowly and subtly became a way
to serve self...She has forgotten that the meal is to honor Jesus, not Martha...
It's easy to forget who is the servant
and who is to be served."
(Taken from Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado)
^^^^^^^^^^^^
"I have confidence that each time I
call on
my Heavenly Father, He is
always 'at home' - He always hears
me when I pray."
(Taken from Mark My Word by
Reinhard
Bonnke)
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
He compares you to no one else -
You
are one of a kind.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"HOW GREAT IS HIS GOODNESS,
AND
HOW GREAT IS HIS BEAUTY!..."
(Zechariah 9:17)
(King James Version)
*******************************
My prayer for you is that you would take a few moments
today to really appreciate that Jesus is a wonderful listener & just "talk" to Him!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
PLEASE NOTE: <<<
THERE IS SOME VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ON THE PAGE MARKED
"SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS"
-
Please be sure & check it out!!!
You won't regret it!
Click here to go directly to "Spiritual Blessings"
 
|
