Better Than a Light

And I said to the one who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the Unknown."
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way."
—Minnie Haskins

May God bless you in the new year of 2008!

"I know not what the future holds but I know who holds the future."
—Anonymous

Springs in the Wildernsss

I was listening to a message online titled Surviving the Desert, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (a Christian speaker for women) of Revive Our Hearts Radio. A friend directed me to the message, and, since it was less than 25 minutes long, I listened to it right away!

I've appreciated what I've heard/read by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and this message was no exception. In it, she offers Biblical advice so you can not only survive the desert experiences, but actually thrive in them!

If you have a few minutes, I'd recommend you listen to it yourself, even if you don't feel you are going through a "desert time" in your life. If you don't have the time now, perhaps bookmark it and listen to/read it a little later!

When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst,
I the LORD will hear them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in high places,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys:
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.

That they may see, and know,
and consider, and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD hath done this,
and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

(Isaiah 41:17-18, 20)

A Glorious Morn...

Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful season with your family and friends. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, may we all take time to reflect on the reason He came to earth – to die that we might have life – and share His message of salvation with those around us!

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night divine! O night, O holy night!

Unfolding The Rose

I saw this sweet poem on a friend's blog and I just had to share. It reminded me that when things in life seems to be behind my assumed timetable... when I long to see what my life's rose will look like... I can trust that the Father, in His wisdom, will unfold each petal in HIS time. For His way is perfect.

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design,
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I,
The flower God opens so sweetly,
In my hands would fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust Him for His leading
Each moment of every day
And I'll look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

For the pathway that lies before me
My heavenly Father knows
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.

—Anonymous

Experiences

I saw this quote on a friend's blog tonight and it struck a chord. So I simply had to share:

"If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others... It will mean not knowing why God is taking you that way, because knowing would make you spiritually proud." —Oswald Chambers

The Master Weaver's Plan

My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me
I may not choose the colours –
He knows what they should be
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side
While I can see it only
From this, the underside.

Sometimes He weaveth sorrow,
Which seemeth strange to me;
But I will trust His judgement,
And work on faithfully;
'Tis He who fills the shuttle,
And He knows what is best,
So I shall weave in earnest,
Leaving to Him the rest.

Not 'til the loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why;
The dark threads are as needed,
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

—Author Unknown

This Is What It Means...

Something that's been on my heart lately...

Letting go of cherished dreams,
Laying my will at the cross,
Giving every hope to God,
Clinging tighter through each loss;
This is what it means to die;
This is what it means to give
Heart, and soul, and mind to Him,
Fully yielded life to live.

All I lived for, all I loved,
All my passions, goals, and plans,
Each ambition, wish, desire,
I must leave within His hands.
This is what it means to die;
This is what it means to trust
Life and future to my Lord;
All I know is that I must.

Giving up my stubborn will,
Losing it within His own
Rooting up so painfully
All the hopes and dreams I'd sown;
This is what it means to die;
This is what it takes to grow;
Though He slay me, I will praise—
I can trust His heart, I know.

Trusting Him for every day,
Following where'er He leads,
Loving Him with heart and soul,
Knowing He'll meet every need;
This is what it means to live;
This is what it means to rest
Confident His faithful hand
Only giveth what is best.

"And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John 12:23-25)

Dreams Must Die

I know what I want, O Lord, my God,
And it is right, and pure, and good;
And yet, I feel a tug within
To give it up; obey I would.

The struggle is, thus far, intense—
Why must I give up my dreams?
I want Your will, Your way, Your time;
This is Your way? So strange, it seems!

Why must that I treasure most
Thus be given, dreams must die?
Why must cherished hopes be broken,
Dashed, and crushed; why, Lord, why?

Dreams must die; like grains of corn
Must be buried, fruit to bear,
Even so, my will must die;
My life I give—I'm in Your care.

When Your plan at last is shown
More beautiful, I know, 'twill be
Than all the castles, bright and fair,
I build upon this sand I see.

And so, 'til then, I walk by faith,
Trusting wholly in Your way,
Leaning ever on Your arm,
Finding strength for each new day.

Disappointment - His Appointment

Disappointment—His appointment;
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
Though it may come in disguise;
For the end, from the beginning,
Open to His vision lies.

Disappointment—His appointment.
Whose? The Lord who loves me best,
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test.
For like loving earthly parents
He rejoices when He knows
That His child accepts unquestioned
All that from His wisdom flows.

Disappointment—His appointment;
No good things will He withhold.
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold.
Well He knows each broken purpose
Leads to a fuller, deeper trust,
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.

Disappointment—His appointment;
Lord, I take it then as such,
Like clay in the hands of the Potter
Yielding wholly to His touch.
My life's plan is all His moulding;
Not one single choice be mine.
Let me answer unrepining,
“Father, not my will, but Thine.”

—Author Unknown

I Will Tell My Griefs to Him

All my griefs by Him are ordered
Needful is each one for me,
Every tear by Him is counted,
One too much there cannot be;
And if when they fall so thickly
I can own His way is right,
Then each bitter tear of anguish
Precious is in Jesus' sight.

For too well my Saviour loved me
To allow my life to be
One long, calm, unbroken summer,
One unruffled, stormless sea;
He would have me fondly nestling
Closer to His loving breast,
He would have that world seem brighter
Where alone is perfect rest.

Though His wise and loving purpose,
I cannot yet clearly see,
I believe with faith unshaken,
All will work for good to me;
Therefore when my way is gloomy,
And my eyes with tears are dim,
I will go to God my Father,
I will tell my griefs to Him!

—Author Unknown

A Rose From Brier

Thou hast not that, My child, but thou hast Me;
And am not I alone enough for thee?
I know it all, know how thy heart was set
Upon this joy which is not given yet.

And well I know how though the wistful days
Thou walkest all the dear familiar ways
As unregarded as a breath of air;
But there in love and longing, always there.

I know it all; but from thy brier shall blow
A rose for others. If it were not so
I would have told thee. Come, then, say to Me:
"My Lord, my Love, I am content with Thee."

—Amy Carmichael

Thou Hast Made It , and Thou Dost Know

I'm not sure where this story originated, but the point is excellent.

"I need oil," said a man, so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the man, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray thee." And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the man. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the man sought the abode of a brother, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," the brother said, "and see! It thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not way or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it Thou dost know.'"

I Know Whom I Have Believed

Recently, we went on a short camping and canoe trip with some friends. Some were old friends, some more recent. I think familiar friendships were strengthened, newer friendships grew, and as far as I know, everyone loved it! It was a truly refreshing time of fun, enjoying nature, praising the Lord, and fellowshipping.

I got to thinking (of course): I don't think any of us are exactly alike in belief and practice, but the cord that draws us all together is each striving to live for the glory of God, and the desire to help one another along the way.

And I was challenged afresh to truly believe the Lord. In our church meeting there, it was pointed out that true belief is simply trust. Trusting even with what is very precious to me. Trusting the Lord to keep safe that which I have committed to Him.

If I see the path stretched out straight and clear in front of me, what is to stop me from skipping this time of following the Shepherd and instead run on ahead of Him? If I know everything that is going on or coming up, I have no need to trust. But when I trust absolutely, I do not need to know or see. I only need to follow in faith.

Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief.

"...I know whom I have believed [or, trusted], and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."
(II Timothy 1:12)

I Want Thy Will

I was looking through my files, and found this poem I wrote back in the spring. I could have just as easily written it about now, and I was challenged afresh to leave all on the altar and trust the Father's hand.

Thy will, O Lord, Thy way, Thy time -
Thus is the prayer my heart would make
To ask for else, I would not dare
Thou knowest best the way I take.

Thy will, O Lord, is what I want
My eyes, they cannot see ahead
A veil is thrown across in love
And so I trust what Thou hast said.

Thy way, O Lord, is always right
For ‘tis the only path that’s sure
And as Thou leadest onward still
Oh, keep me trusting, keep me pure.

Thy timing, Lord, is always best
Please teach me patience day by day
Ahead of Thee, I would not run
For I would that Thou led the way.

I Wish Thy Way

I wish Thy way.
But when in me myself would rise
And long for something otherwise
Then Holy Spirit,
Take sword and spear
And slay.
—Amy Carmichael

Child of My Love

It seems other people are doing an excellent job of summing up my thoughts lately... and better than I could. So, a poem that encouraged me very much:

Child of My love, fear not the unknown morrow.
Dread not the new demand life makes of thee;
Thine ignorance doth hold no cause for sorrow,
For what thou knowest not is known to Me.

Thou canst not see today the hidden meaning
Of My command, but thou the light shall gain.
Walk on in faith, upon My promise leaning,
And as thou goest, all shall be made plain.

One step thou seest: Then go forward boldly;
One step is far enough for faith to see.
Take that, and thy next duty shall be told thee,
For step by step thy God is leading thee.

Stand not in fear, thine adversaries counting;
Dare every peril, save to disobey.
Thou shalt march on, each obstacle surmounting,
For I, the Strong, shall open up the way.

Therefore go gladly to the task assigned thee,
Having My promise; needing nothing more
Than just to know where’er the future find thee,
In all thy journeying, I go before.

—Author Unknown

Teach Me To Pray

Okay, so, you're wondering what happened to that "degree of regularity" I mentioned? I was surprised to realize that it has been a full month since I posted that! Life continues. But anyway, this quote sums up pretty well what has been on my heart of late:

"Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what I need: Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. O Father! Give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or consolations; I simply present myself before Thee, I open my heart to Thee. Behold my needs which I know not myself; see and do according to Thy tender mercies. Smite or heal; depress me or raise me up; I adore all Thy purposes without knowing them; I am silent; I offer myself in sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee; I would have no other desire than to accomplish Thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray Thyself in me. Amen."
—Francois de la Mothe Fenelon

I Could Not Do Without Thee

Well, it's a little later into May than I'd figured on. But I'm trying to finish up grade 12, so this blog will have to take a backseat for a few months. In other words, I probably won't be posting much orginal content on here for the moment, but I'll try to post stuff like the following song with some degree of regularity - things by others that have encouraged me.

I love this song:

I could not do without Thee
Oh Saviour of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Saviour,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

I could not do without Thee,
For, oh, the way is long,
And I am often weary,
And sigh replaces song:
How could I do without Thee?
I do not know the way;
Thou knowest, and Thou leadest,
And wilt not let me stray.

I could not do without Thee,
O Jesus, Saviour dear;
E’en when my eyes are holden,
I know that Thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
This changeful life would be,
Without the sweet communion,
The secret rest with Thee!

I could not do without Thee;
No other friend can read
The spirit’s strange deep longings,
Interpreting its need;
No human heart could enter
Each dim recess of mine,
And soothe, and hush, and calm it,
O blessed Lord, but Thine.

--Frances Ridley Havergal, 1873

Just a heads-up...

Sorry this blog hasn't received much attention for the past few weeks or so. I've been sick this week, and I'm getting ready to go away for the rest of this month for a computer course. So you likely won't be hearing more from me until May.

May the Lord bless you with a wonderful April!

Rejoicing in His Resurrection,
Marissa

Fasting and Praying for the Younger Generation

Take a look at this:
(A Call for Fasting and Praying for the Younger Generation)
(The direct links to the posts are broken links, so the related posts are the top four in the [above] March 2007 archive - "A Call for Prayer and Fasting for Daughters" through "A Most Unusual Generation of Young Women".)

And a young lady's response:
(A Plea to Single Women)

What do you think?

I Cannot See

I cannot see beyond today
So I know not what is the way
That I should take.

I cannot know what lies ahead
And so, by faith, this path I tread
To higher ground.

Lord, why the darkness? why not light?
I walk by faith, and not by sight
He leadeth me.

When trusting Him, I need not fear
He holds my welfare very dear
And sees ahead.

So when the way I cannot see
I trust in Him who loveth me
And I can rest.

Answers in Genesis cartoons

Check out this AiG cartoon:
Man at His All-Time Best?

(These are creationist cartoons if you haven't figured that out yet. ; ))

While you're at it, here's a few more of my favourites:
Celebrate Something Real
Intelligent Design
Nope, I Don't Believe in Science

And this one is an encouraging one:
A Smile & Some Tears

Be Still, My Anxious Heart

Be still, my anxious heart, and rest-
Thy Saviour will supply thy need;
Gives He, who loves thee, aught but best?
Be still, my anxious heart, and rest.

Be calm, my fearful heart, be still-
Thy soul the Shepherd well doth feed;
I trust my future to His will;
Be calm, my fearful heart, be still.

Take rest, my weary soul, and trust;
In pastures green the Shepherd leads;
He knows our frame - we are but dust-
Take rest, my weary soul, and trust.

Be filled, my longing heart, with Him;
Oh, His is love, yes, love indeed;
The cares of earth will soon grow dim-
Be filled, my longing heart, with Him.

The Modesty Survey Results are out!

TheRebelution.com just launched the results of their massive Modesty Survey! Over 1,600 Christian guys have answered questions on everything from glitter lotion and lip gloss to swimsuits and skirt slits! It's everything girls have ever wanted to ask guys about modesty, but were afraid to ask! For guys, it's really interesting to see what other Christian guys think!

Most importantly, the survey is presented as a resource to help Christian girls (and guys), not a list of legalistic rules, and it is accompanied by the Modesty Survey Petition (which tons of guys have signed) which encourage young women to focus on the heart, not the hemline, to honour their parents, etc.

TheRebelution.com presents the results of the survey as a big Valentine's Day gift from 1,600 Christian guys to all Christian girls.

It is pretty amazing. Encouragement for girls that modesty really is important to guys, and for guys, that many girls do care! So...

Check it out! -->>

Strength In Quietness

"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:
And ye would not."
(Isaiah 30:15)

I've pondered that verse before, but this time it really hit home. I've been meditating on it a lot over the past few weeks. What does it really mean to find salvation in returning and rest, and strength in quietness and confidence? Who is the object of our return and confidence?

I'll answer the last question first. Clearly, this is the Lord God beckoning us to return to Him. To find rest in Him. We do not find strength as we run ourselves past our limit serving, working, and "doing" for God... while forgetting to just BE in His presence.

But so often, we do just that. We have our own ideas of what constitutes good things to do, and, in most cases, they are truly good things. But are they the best? Are they what God has placed as priority for us, right now? When we're just busy doing our own thing, we can't expect God's blessing.

Now, I'm not discounting or discouraging ministry and serving the Lord. That's an important part of our Christian walk. But take a look at Luke 10:38-42 for a minute:

"...[Jesus] entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Jesus knew very well that Martha desired to serve Him by having the house just so, a special dinner, and all the trimmings. But He gently rebuked her, saying that Mary, who had chosen to sit at His feet and listen to Him speak, had made the better choice.

Our service has to flow out of a living relationship with Him. Even if we're doing good things for God, He is not pleased if we serve Him to the neglect of really knowing Him. The listening must come first.

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
(I Samuel 15:22)

"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened…
I delight to do thy will, O my God..."
(Psalm 40:6,8)

He asks of us a listening, quiet heart, and a willing, obedient spirit.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
(Isaiah 40:31)

When we take time to be still and delight in the Lord, when we trust confidently in His perfect way and wait upon Him, that is when we will find His strength, and His blessing.

God forbid He need ever say of us "...and ye would not." He offers rest for our souls. But we will only find that rest and strength when we learn to sit still and commune with Him, and seek HIS will.

"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."
(Jeremiah 24:7)

Let us first pursue the best – to know God, to be quiet and listen – and He will add everything else.

The Reason Why

The cares of life o’erwhelm my heart
O’erhead a threat’ning sky
My Father feels my deep distress
And knows the reason why.

When all I know comes crashing down
And I just want to cry
I can run to Father’s arms
He knows the reason why.

The strain is much, the pressure great
The heat is turned on high
My Father is Refiner, too
He knows the reason why.

It comes by pain, but needful, yes
My will must fully die
And I will trust my Father’s heart
He knows the reason why.

When I can see Him face to face
In that sweet by and by
He’ll take the veil from off my eyes
And show the reason why.

Written April 2006

Truly Our All In All

Relationships. Ah, that wonderful thing we all crave. Be it a good friend, or a special someone, life is dull without someone to share it with, right?

We all want someone with whom we can cry, laugh, and share our hearts... someone who will love us unconditionally. And, we all need friends. Don't we? We think we do. After all, God made us to have meaningful relationships. Our desires are God given. He ingrained a need for companionship into our nature.

But only One Person can completely fulfill that need. The only absolutely necessary friendship is with One Friend. All others will fail us at some point. Until we are finding our fulfillment and worth in Christ, He may take away friends. He may choose to withhold our dreams from us.

We say that He is our All in All, but do we mean it, from our heart? His purpose is to bring us to the point where we are content with Him alone, willing that He bring anything, take anything in our life, and we still say "Blessed be the name of the Lord." If that means taking away our earthly "idols," that is what He will do. Until we find that He is sufficient. He is enough to meet every need, fulfill every longing. He is the only one who will truly love us unconditionally.

So, why won't these desires go away? Either God wants to fulfill them, or He has a higher purpose. A friend showed me some verses (Deut. 8:2-3), and they've been such a help and encouragement to me! I think they show quite clearly what sort of purpose He has is mind:

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth
not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

So, He's allowing these desires to see if I love Him more? He wants to see if I will do what I know is right, and come to Him with my heart? He wants me to find my worth and fulfillment in Him alone? Maybe He's saying, "Marissa, lovest thou Me? If you love Me, keep My commandments. I know it's hard, but I didn’t say it would be easy. I said I am with you."

The King of kings has promised to be with me, and He is faithful that promised. He cares enough to be my Friend, to take part in every detail of my life. All the love, encouragement, and affirmation I really need I can find in His Word and in prayer. Why do I so often insist He not enough? Well, He's still working on me. I want my prayer always to be, as Elizabeth Prentiss, "More love to Thee!" If He should call me to a life with only Him by my side, He will give grace to live it joyfully.

Printed December 2005, Hidden Wisdom Magazine, Vol.69. (See text at bottom of page for more information.)

Thy Gold to Refine

Pain. Heat. It’s almost unbearable at times, isn’t it? Refining is an extremely painful experience.

I’ve heard a story of how a man was watching a refiner of gold. The refiner kept turning up the heat, until at last, the curious onlooker asked him, “How long do you need to keep that fire burning?”

The refiner replied, “Until I can see my reflection in the gold.”

What a picture of what the Refiner does to us, His treasures, His gold! When he adds more wood to the fire, we cry out, “Lord, why? I can’t cope with any more problems! The heat is high enough already!”

But He just says, “Wait and see. I am making you more beautiful and much more valuable to Me. I will not give you more than you can bear.”

God has said in His Word, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” He will give grace to endure whatever trials and testing He sends!

It is a beautiful picture of what God is doing in my life. Within this past year, we had to leave our church of people that we had churched with for eight years. Now, we don’t see them more than a few times a year. It’s painful. Very much so. But I have grown so much closer to my Saviour throughout it. He has led me into such a sweet, close relationship with Him, dearer than any earthly friendship can ever be. It almost makes it worth it all. I know that it will be worth it all, when He is finally finished with me. I am so thankful that He is faithful, and He never gives up on me. His love and tender mercies never fail!

Throughout everything, God has used this hymn as such a comfort and encouragement to me:

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said,

To you, who, for refuge, to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove

My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,

Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I will never, no never, no never forsake." --John Rippon

He knows my distress, my pain, and He is with me, strengthening me. He will never leave or forsake me. His grace is sufficient, and His love is forever. He will not leave the heat on any longer than necessary. Only until He sees His reflection in me. Until I am truly a Christian — a copy of Him.

(Printed March 2005, DGSP Magazine. See text at bottom of page for more information.)

Rest in the Lord

Based on Psalm 37:7, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him..."

Often we are tried and troubled
Many a care have we;
Jesus knows each thought, each feeling,
He sees what we can’t see.
He knows that every flame He sends
Will only purify;
Every flood can wash us clean
When He is by our side.

Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will be your light when the way has grown dim
Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will guide you, walk beside you
Just trust in Him.

When we cannot see why
A problem must arise
Jesus knows the end will make it
Worth our flooded eyes
He works each circumstance together
As part of His wise plan
He only asks we trust Him fully
And, by His grace, we can

Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will be your light when the way has grown dim
Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will guide you, walk beside you
Just trust in Him.

Things and people change
Though we wish they’d stay the same
Jesus is the only one
Who doesn’t ever change
He’s always there to lead and guide us
Be our faithful friend
His love can never, ever fail
He’ll be with us to the end!

So rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will be your light when the way has grown dim
Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him
He will guide you, walk beside you
Just trust in Him.

Written January 2005