Abiding and Working - A Quote from Andrew Murray

I have been slowly reading through a book called Abide in Christ* by Andrew Murray, and have been so blessed, encouraged and convicted by it. Each chapter has had much that spoke to my heart, and that I have then been seeking to apply to my own life. The below portion (as well as many others) was especially convicting to me . . . I hope that it will bless and encourage your heart as it did mine!

"If we are abiding in Jesus, let us begin to work. Let us first seek to influence those around us in daily life. Let us accept distinctly and joyfully our holy calling, that we are even now to live as the servants of the love of Jesus to our fellow-men. Our daily life must have for its object the making of an impression favourable to Jesus. When you look at the branch, you see at once the likeness to the Vine. We must live so that somewhat of the holiness and the gentleness of Jesus may shine out in us. We must live to represent Him. As was the case with Him when on earth, the life must prepare the way for the teaching . . . .

"Living so, with our hearts longing to have Jesus glorified in the souls He is seeking after, let us offer ourselves to Him for direct work. There is work in our own home. There is work among the sick, the poor, and the outcast. There is work in a hundred different paths which the Spirit of Christ opens up through those who allow themselves to be led by Him . . . . Abiding in Christ, let us work."

Quote taken from the book Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray; pg.117

*As a little disclaimer, I do not necessarily agree with everything that is shared in the book, but overall, the content is excellent!


-Posted by Sarah

Gleanings from a Sunday Teaching

What a blessing it is to be a part of the body of Christ, and Sundays when we gather together with brothers and sisters in the Lord are such wonderful and encouraging times . . . it truly is a family meeting together with a one another love for each other and for our God and Savior. When one member rejoices, the others rejoice; when one member suffers, the others suffer as well; when one weeps, the others weep with them; when one has a need, the others seek to support and meet that need.

I hadn’t realized how fully this could be realized in a church family until the past year or so when each of the families in our group went through significant trials and hardships. How beautiful it was to see how these trying times allowed for such growth in the Lord and growth in our relationships with one another. It also provided much opportunity for encouraging one another and building up one another in Christ.

In light of all that had taken place in everyone’s lives over the past months, one of the men was led to share a bit of encouragement to everyone the Sunday before last. The teaching that he prepared was so uplifting and so thought-provoking, and my pen flew across the paper in my notebook as I tried to keep up with taking notes. Afterwards, the thought came to mind that what was shared might also be good to share here as well. There is no way that I can type up what was taught as clearly as how it was presented on Sunday, but I thought I would attempt to, at least in part, share some of what was taught . . .

We began by looking at a number of verses that speak of how our hearts should be when we are going through trials, and then also what the Lord’s relationship with us is as we walk through these trials. Just the verses themselves spoke so much to my heart . . . .

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Our trials can be reasons of great joy for us . . . simply look at what good fruit they can bring forth!

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Psalm 62:8)

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

How beautiful, and how encouraging these verses are . . . the Lord daily bears our burden, He is our God of salvation, He is a God of deliverances, He is a refuge for us, He is our sustainer, and He will never allow those who are His to be shaken. What precious, precious promises.

This type of trust and rest in Him can come through the simple knowledge that God is God. We don’t always see what He is doing “behind the scenes” so to speak; we have no way of knowing what wondrous fruit He may be working in our lives through the trying and difficult circumstances that we may be going through. Nor what fruit they may bear in the lives of those who are watching.

After talking about this for a bit, we turned to 2 Chronicles and read through chapter 20 piece by piece. I had not thought of this chapter quite in this light before, and it was wonderful to see it ‘opened up’ as we dug deeper into the word of God. And how well this account applied to the verses that we had just read through!

“Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).’ Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all of the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-4)

Can you imagine being the nation of Judah and then finding out that all of these mighty nations were joining together to come and attack you? What would your response be? To immediately begin planning how to defend yourself and what your plan of attack would be? I think that would be more of how I would respond. 

But what was Jehoshaphat’s response? Yes, fear did come into his heart, but his immediate response was that he “turned his attention to seek the LORD.” And not only that, but he led the nation of Judah to seek help from the Lord as well. What a beautiful testimony this is of Jehoshaphat’s close relationship with the Lord and also of his great faith in Him.

The chapter continues with sharing . . . .

“Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, and he said, ‘ O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 

"They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.' 

"Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. O Our God, will You not judge them? 

"For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us: nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.’ All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.” (2 Chronicles 20:5-13)

Jehoshaphat prayed to the Lord and in that prayer, He acknowledged who God was and His power, presented the circumstances that the nation, Judah, was in, and beseeched the Lord for wisdom and direction. And where were Judah’s eyes throughout this time? Were their eyes on their problems and the impending attack upon their nation? No, but their eyes were on the Lord. What a declaration of faith this is.

In the passage above, great humility is also seen in that they recognized that they themselves were powerless; that they did not know what to do. Instead of trying to fix the problem on their own, to fight in their own might and strength, they turned to the One who is all-knowing and who is all-powerful, to the one true Savior. The God whom they knew could deliver them . . . and it was He whom they sought with all humility and trust.

The answer to the prayer of Jehoshaphat’s is found in the verses that follow it . . .

“Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 

" 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.’ 

"Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.” (2 Chronicles 20:14-19)

So many things are presented in this passage! A couple of points that were brought up by the one who was teaching were

-We are to not fear or dismay in the trials that we are faced with 

-We cannot fight our own battles in our own strength 

-We must humble ourselves before the Lord 

-Judah was told to: not fear . . . stand still . . . see the salvation of the Lord 

-The Lord cares for His children; our ‘battles’ are important to Him. As children rely on their earthly father, so must we rely and depend unquestioningly in our heavenly father. For would He not have our best interests at heart? (This reminds me of the verses in the gospels that speak of the Father giving good gifts to His children that are so much greater than what even an earthly father would give.) 

-If Judah had looked specifically at the ‘facts’ of the matter and had responded with their minds, then fear and dismay could easily come in. But instead, they looked to the Lord and had faith and trust in Him.

What follows next is an amazing act of the Lord to protect and preserve His people . . . to indeed, fight their battle for them . . . .

“They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.’ When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ 

"When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses on the ground and no one had escaped . . . So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.” (2 Chronicles 20:20-24, 30)

Judah trusted in the Lord, they sang and praised Him for who He is, for His lovingkindness that is everlasting . . . and the Lord brought deliverance to them.

What a stirring account all of this is in 2 Chronicles 20, and when faced with our own trials and tribulations, may our hearts respond with the same immediate heartfelt earnestness that Jehoshaphat displayed. Turning our attention to seek the Lord, praying for His wisdom and deliverance, trusting Him, and keeping our eyes on Him to see what He would have us do.

After finishing reading through the account, we looked at a couple more verses to bring together all that had been shared so far . . .

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

No matter what the circumstances are, if we are His children, we can know that God will work these trials and hardships for our good . . . someway, somehow.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

The Lord loved us so very much to give His own Son to meet our greatest need . . . the need of a Savior. If He loved us so much when we were “yet sinners”, how much more so now when we are His blood-bought children! As this verse shows, and as it was shared on Sunday, if the Lord could do so much for us to meet our greatest need, how much more to meet our much smaller daily needs and trials.

“And my God will supply all your needs according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, if we seek the Lord and for His wisdom and guidance, He will be to us a well-spring of wisdom, strength, peace, joy, comfort, and victory. It may not be a physical victory that can be seen as in Jehoshaphat’s and Judah’s case (in fact, most times it isn’t), but spiritual victory will most certainly be had. And as this verse shows, the Lord will supply our needs according to the riches in glory in our blessed Savior and Redeemer, Christ Jesus. Praise and thank the Lord for all of the many blessings that He so freely pours out upon us!

-Posted by Sarah

Proverbs 31 - An Example of Biblical Womanhood

Proverbs 31 has always been an inspiring chapter to me, but sometimes it can be difficult to see how it relates to our lives today . . . how do the activities that she is doing apply to us? How is it applicable? When hearing the question posed recently by a young lady asking what Proverbs 31 would look like lived out in our lives today, it got me to thinking and then to eventually write out some thoughts regarding it.

One thing that has been a help to me in regards to seeing the application to my own life, is to not look specifically at what she is doing, but the principles behind what she does. Which I hope makes sense! :) In Proverbs 31, some of the things that stand out to me are her industriousness, her lack of idleness, her servant heart, her willingness to work, and her good care of her home and of her family. There is so very much in this chapter, and here are just a few brief thoughts verse by verse:

“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.” (vs. 10)

There will be more on this later. :)

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.” (vs. 11)

She is trustworthy and loyal to her husband, and thus, he has full and complete confidence in her. She is a genuine helpmeet, and because of how she fulfills her role, her husband will have no lack of those things which are truly of value. A thought that comes to mind as far as actual physical lack, is that it would appear that she is frugal and a good manager of their finances and resources.

“She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” (vs. 12)

While this can be considered specifically to be for married women, it is applicable to those of us who are unmarried as even now, by the character we are developing, the things we are learning, etc., we can be doing good to the husbands that the Lord may have for us in the future. This also implies a continual doing of good . . . as every single day of her life, she is doing him good.

“She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight.” (vs. 13)

This is one of my many favorite verses in Scripture, and simply for the last word in it: delight. How often that has come to mind as I am working on things around the house! (Scrubbing the bathtub/shower comes to mind . . . :) Here she is looking for labor to do, she is actively seeking, and the work of her hands is a delight to her. She delights in doing these labors as she possesses a servant heart, and she knows that she is fulfilling the role that God has given her as a wife and mother. 

This delight is defined as: eager willingness, great earnestness, cheerfully, and taking a high degree of pleasure in. As we go about our day to day household tasks whether it be doing the laundry or scrubbing the floors, may this be our heart as well!

“She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.”(vs. 14)

She is resourceful and a planner . . . she is searching and looking for food. Perhaps this can be applicable to looking for ‘bargains’ in order to spend money wisely while providing food for her family.

“She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens.” (vs. 15)

One could never accuse this woman of being lazy, could they?! :) She seems to be very industrious and is looking to others’ needs above her own. She sacrifices her own comfort to arise early to make sure that her family is well cared for and provided for.

“She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard” (vs. 16)

From what is shared here, it appears that she is an entrepreneur given her purchase of land and then planting a vineyard. This also indicates long term goals and planning as a vineyard would take many years before it would begin to produce fruit. She also is a manager of finances. And she must manage well in order to have the money available to purchase the land.

“She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” (vs. 17)

This verse seems to indicate that she cares well for her body both through exercise and through what she eats, and that she has the physical strength necessary to perform her daily labors . . . there is also a principle of spiritual strength as well.

“She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night.” (vs. 18)

She rests in contentment knowing that her labor is producing fruit which is good. The last part, though, is still a bit of a puzzle to me . . . one idea that someone once shared with me is that often a candle was left burning in the window as a sign of welcome to a passerby who may be needing shelter. Or again, it could be an indicator of her industry.

“She stretches out her hands to the distaff and her hands grasp the spindle.” (vs. 19)

Again, she is a woman of industry as she seeks to provide for the needs of her family through providing clothing and coverings for them.

“She extends her hands to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy.” (vs. 20)

Here the passage seems to take a shift as the focus moves from first, her husband, and then second, her family, to now thirdly, towards others outside of her family. She sees needs and seeks to meet those needs, she has a heart of service, love and of generosity towards those in need. And I would imagine that this would not only be physical needs, but spiritual as well. “Extending her hands” is also an indicator of a sign of welcoming, and in another sense, stretching out to give a gift.

“She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.” (vs. 21-22)

Again, those of her household are well provided for through her foresight and labor of love as she worked to provide for their needs; and she was prepared in advance. Her clothing being made of fine linen and purple suggests not just a ho-hum effort and sloppy work, but care and beauty in what she makes. One thing that also stood out to me in this is that first her household is clothed, and then she provides for herself. The unselfish, giving heart of this woman again shines through.

“Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen.” (vs. 23-34)

She has a home business through which she sells the work of her hands . . . and it comes after her family and household have been well cared for and provided for. She uses her skills and talents to help earn an income and be a helper to her husband.

The passage continues with pointing out her trust and joy in looking to the future and her lack of fear and worry for she trusts in the Lord and knows that she has provided as well as she can for the needs of her family (vs. 25.) She is also clothed with dignity and strength, and it is shared that the words that flow from her mouth are words of wisdom and the teaching of kindness (vs. 26.) 

She is one who “looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness” (vs. 27.) Idle is in part to be slothful, avoiding work, not doing the tasks that you need to be doing, and being lazy. Instead of being idle, though, she willingly and joyfully serves her family and cares well for her household . . . in providing food, providing clothing, and I would imagine, caring for the cleaning, laundry, and other household tasks . . . and she does these tasks well.

Perhaps what stands out to me the most, though, about this chapter in Proverbs is found in verse 10 where it mentions her “excellence” or her being “virtuous.” Virtuous is something that is internal through which her actions, words, behavior, etc. flow from. It is having the virtues of God in her life . . . she is living and exemplifying the character that God has called her as a woman to have. When I think about that, the things that come to mind are the instruction given elsewhere in Scripture which speak of the character of a godly woman . . .

~A gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:3-4)
~Sober/Dignified (1 Timothy 3:11)
~Sensible (Titus 2:5)
~Pure (Titus 2:5)
~Submissive (1 Peter 3:1-6; Titus 2:5, etc.)
~Kind (Titus 2:5)
~Reverent in behavior (Titus 2:3)
~Respectful (1 Peter 3:2)
~Gracious (Proverbs 11:16)
~Loving of husband and children (Titus 2:4)
~Modest (1 Timothy 2:9-10)
~Teaching what is good (Titus 2:3)
~Faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11)
~Not contentious (Proverbs 25:24, 21:19; etc.)
~Not a gossip (Titus 2:3; 1 Timothy 3:11)
~Temperate (1 Timothy 3:11)
~Having discretion (Proverbs 11:22)

Just reading through this list convicts my heart!

And one more to add to that list, and what is the summation of Proverbs 31, is being a woman who fears the Lord (vs 31) . . .

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30.)

This is the part that convicts me the very most as it is foundational to all of the other things mentioned in this chapter . . . and all of the other instruction given by God in His Word to women . . . it is the very heart of the matter and that is our personal relationship with our God and Father. This fear of the Lord is a deep reverence and awe for the almighty and holy God, our Savior and Redeemer. 

And how very important it is for us to cultivate our relationship with Him! To humble ourselves before Him and honor Him as God. To earnestly seek to love Him and serve Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And then to cultivate and strive after all of the many attributes that He desires us to have in our lives . . . including this beautiful chapter of Proverbs 31.


-Posted by Sarah

Thoughts on the life of a king

The other morning, while spending time in God's Word, I was reading about the life of King Hezekiah. Now if you recall much of the history of the kings in the Old Testament, the majority were described as doing evil before God. But Hezekiah was different . . . Scripture describes him as one who put his trust in the Lord and did right in the sight of God. What caught my eye though, while reading about this man, was another small phrase that described his life. "For he clung to the Lord." What a statement to be the description of your life, to be passed down generation after generation!

As I began thinking about what it means to cling to God, the picture that came to mind was that of a small child clinging tightly to their parent. Unwilling to let go lest someone take them out of the sight and protection of the one they love and trust.

And I wonder . . . how often do I let myself get sidetracked with the busyness and experiences of life that I forget to keep my eyes on the Lord? Will I choose to cling tightly to Christ today, this very moment? Will you? What will others remember of us in years to come?

"You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; 
and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice,
serve Him, and cling to Him." Deuteronomy 13:4

-Posted by Leah

A Psalm to Share

Last evening, as I opened my Bible to read a Psalm before bed, I found that the one that I was on for the day was one of my favorites . . . and one that I have memorized in song (only the New King James Version of it. :) I found myself singing in my head the beautiful and encouraging words as I read, and I hope that the words will be a blessing to you as well . . .

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Even before there was a word on my tongue,

behold, O LORD, You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before,

and laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn,

if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

even there Your hand will lead me,

and Your right hand will lay hold of me.

If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

and the light around me will be night,'

even the darkness is not dark to You,

and the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

"For you formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

wonderful are Your works,

and my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was made in secret,

and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

and in Your book were all written

the days that were ordained [lit. fashioned] for me,

when as yet there was not one of them.

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.

When I awake, I am still with You . . . .

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

try me and know my anxious thoughts;

and see if there be any hurtful way in me,

and lead me in the everlasting way."

Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24

-Posted by Sarah

Not in part, but the whole

This past week, I have had a song repeatedly coming into my thoughts throughout the day. Its message is stirring and thought-provoking, and also bears a challenge to each of us as followers of Jesus Christ.

All Of Me

All of me, Not a part but all of me

All the heart and soul of me

Jesus, I surrender

I believe, Lord, help my unbelief

On the altar now I lay

all I am today

So use me, Lord, use me anywhere at all

Though my place may be great or small

let me fill it gladly

Take my life, be it poor or be it grand

Let me live it by Your plan.

Shape it with Your hand

As I am, I come to Thee without one plea

Only that Thy saving blood

was shed for me

All of me, through the ages yet to be

I surrender Lord to Thee

I surrender all of me

All of me

I surrender all,

All of me

After reading the lyrics again, I took a moment to look up two of the main words in the song to see just what they mean . . .

Surrender: To give oneself up completely, to yield
All: Completely, Entirely, Wholly, without reservation

Indeed, that should be the earnest cry of the heart of every believer. And also something that we should be asking ourselves often . . . are we surrendering all to Christ? Have we yielded every part of our lives to be shaped by His hand? Or are there areas that we are holding back? I think it is safe to say that surrendering ourselves wholly to the Lord is something that we must do each and every day - it is not a one time thing. But day by day, we can come closer and closer to our goal and someday we will reach that point of complete surrender when we are with Him in glory. What a precious promise that is!


-Posted by Leah 

Words and music by Mosie Lister
Photo by : Bruno Monginoux www.Landscape-Photo.net

In Tune

Yesterday afternoon, Leah and I had been playing the piano together, and I pulled out my fiddle to play that for a bit as well. As with any stringed instrument, it needs to be tuned each time before playing it. Usually, this is just a tweaking and doesn't take long, but with our recent drop in humidity, all of the tuning pegs had slipped and the strings were loose on the instrument. As I worked to tune them back up to where they needed to be, the parallel between this fiddle and our spiritual lives came to mind.

Just as the fiddle needs to be 'in tune' in order to play the sweet melody that is pleasing to the ear, just so our lives need to be 'in tune' with the Lord in order to walk in obedience to Him and be pleasing in His sight.

The longer the instrument is allowed to sit without being tuned, the further out of tune it becomes . . . which again, is the same with us. The longer we spend away from the Lord, away from reading His word, away from prayer, the further 'out of tune' we become, and the longer it can take to bring our lives back into harmony with God's word.

When the fiddle slips as far out of tune as it had yesterday, it also needs several 'rounds' of tuning done . . . first I needed to tune each string and get them close to where they needed to be. Then came the fine tuning to bring them into perfect tune. And it took work, and time. 

It couldn't be done instantly or haphazardly, but was done carefully and according to what the tuner indicated needed to be done. Again, another parallel! Our maturing in Christ must be something that we carefully and thoroughly seek and strive after, and all according to the written word of God which acts as the 'tuner' for us. For as it is written in Psalms, His Word "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105.)

As I shared these thoughts with my Dad last evening, he brought up another point . . . and that of the humidity. If the humidity had not dropped, my fiddle would not have been nearly as out of tune as what it was. He related this to outward influences that can hinder and/or damage our walk with the Lord and can lead us away from a walk of loving obedience to God. If we had been proactive and had been humidifying the air in anticipation of the humidity falling, the tuning wouldn't have been nearly as much of an issue.

Yet again, a parallel for us . . . if we are proactive, if we examine and test the things that come into our lives, if we hold "fast the faithful word" (Titus 1:9), if we continue in studying and applying the Scriptures, if we continue in striving to grow and obey, if we continue in prayer and seeking the Lord, these negative influences will have much less of an impact upon us. Or, aspects of them may become non-existent.

This all brings to mind a passage of Scripture that has been running through my mind quite a bit the past week or so . . .

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word" (Psalm 119:9.)

It is through His word that we cleanse our way, and are able to become and stay 'in tune' with Him. The Psalm continues on to share:

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee . . . I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word" (Psalm 119: 11, 15-16.)

Oh, how very important and necessary His word is!

"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

the judgments of the LORD are true, they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

in keeping them, there is great reward."

Psalm 19:7-11

-Posted by Sarah

A Few Verses to Share

When reading my Bible recently, the below verses spoke to my heart, and I hope that they will be an encouragement to you all as well . . .

"Though the fig tree should not blossom

and there be no fruit on the vines,

though the yield of the olive should fail

and the fields should produce no food,

though the flock should be cut off from the fold

and there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord GOD is my strength . . ."

Habakkuk 3:17-19a

-Posted by Sarah

Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work

There is a phrase from a verse in Scripture that has been on my heart and mind lately, and it is from the book of Colossians. The first portion of the verse, Colossians 1:10, was written about here regarding walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and what it is to please Him in all respects. And the phrase that has been on my heart lately is quoted below in bold . . . .

“. . . so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

This “bearing fruit” is a part of what it is to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord . . . it is an integral part of our walk and life with Christ. As I thought about ‘fruit’, the parallel between this fruit of Christ and a fruit tree came to mind. 

For example, we have peach and apple trees planted on our property and in order for them to bring forth good fruit, certain care and attention must be given to them. Things such as watering, fertilizing, pruning, cultivating, protecting them from deer and other pests, and preventing and treating diseases.

The watering and fertilizing provide for the nourishment of the tree giving it health and strength and growth . . . this parallels our time spent in the word of God and taking in “the bread of life” (John 6:35) and the “living water” (John 4:10.) And not just reading the words, but taking them in as a part of who we are. 

For the water and nutrients can do no good to the tree, unless they are absorbed into the roots. This watering and fertilizing is also time spent with our Lord in prayer and in fellowship with Him. And in part, it can be time spent learning from those whom the Lord has brought into our lives for teaching and instructing . . . godly older men and women, our parents, and other brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Pruning, while necessary for the tree, also brings forth some loss and pain, but it is all for the good of the tree and the good fruit that will be produced. The pruning not only increases the fruit, but the tree is strengthened as dead, dying or non-productive growth is removed. 

This pruning is what the Lord also does to us, His children . . . He gently prunes us for our good and He refines us “like gold and silver” (Malachi 3:3.) And as we yield our lives to our loving Potter’s hands, He will mold us into vessels for His use. This pruning seems to also be something that we can in part do ourselves. 

For example, when we see bad ‘growth’ or ‘branches’ that negatively affect the tree, we can remove them from our lives. Much as Christ shared figuratively “if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off” (Mark 9:43.)

Cultivating around the tree helps to remove the weeds and also softens and loosens the top of the soil to allow the water and nutrients easier access to the roots of the tree. How this brings to remembrance the parable of the sower and the seed! 

Once the ground was cultivated and the thorns and rocks were removed, the seed could then grow and bear fruit abundantly in this good soil. May we take to heart what is shared in this parable, and be seeking to practice this continual cultivation of our hearts, and thus, giving no time for the ‘weeds’ to become firmly rooted in our lives.

Protection of the tree from deer and pests is also so important as we found with our peach trees this year! The deer came and nearly destroyed one of the trees and ate all of the fruit. Yet if we had been vigilant and had put up some means of protection, this loss and damage could have been avoided. 

Yet again, this is the same in our spiritual life, as we put up a ‘hedge of protection’ of God’s word in our hearts and minds, as we seek to put up ‘barriers’ to prevent evil influences from infiltrating our hearts and minds, as we are careful of what things we watch, read, participate in, etc., lest they, like the deer, come in and bring destruction and loss.

Closely related to this is the prevention and treatment of diseases. With our trees, we have found that it is much easier to take care of the problem before it begins, or at least when it is just in its beginning stages, than later on when the disease is prevalent. 

May we be ever watchful so that these ‘diseases’ do not infiltrate and grow in our lives! The diseases of habitual sin . . . may we recognize what areas we are sinful in and seek in “the strength that God supplies” (1 Peter 4:11) to overcome them.

As we seek to practice all of these things in our lives, then the result will be this good fruit being borne for the Lord and for His glory. And what a comfort it is to know that the Lord does not demand perfection . . . He desires a striving after to maturity. 

“Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead . . . press[ing] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14.) 

We will never attain to perfection in this life, but with perseverance, we can have growth . . . and just like the fruit tree, it does not happen overnight, but it is a continual process with each of the aspects working together to yield the abundant and good fruit from the tree.

The verse in Colossians gives further understanding to this ‘bearing of fruit’ in that it is to be in “every good work.” We should be seeking in all things to bear fruit unto the Lord for His glory. There is so much instruction given in Scripture as to what this fruit is, yet there is specific instruction given to women of the Lord. 

There are certain fruits that the Lord desires us to be bearing in our lives which we should be seeking after. The fruit of a gentle and quiet spirit, a submissive heart, graciousness, fearing the Lord, prudence, discretion, being reverent in behavior, being sensible, pure, modest and kind, being a keeper at home and more.

With all of that said, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and also to have the focus of our hearts become inward, in seeing all of these things that “we” need to do. But it should not be so, for it is only us bringing our will into subjection to Christ, and then Him working through us as we seek to grow in these areas. 

And it is a process, little by little . . . an infant cannot instantly become a mature man, but the growth and maturation take place over time through learning, training and practicing.

I have recently been reading through once again a book written by A. W. Tozer titled The Pursuit of God. There was a portion of it that kept coming to mind as I thought about the things that have been shared so far, and it seems to relate well . . .

“The pursuit of God will embrace the labor of bringing our total personality into conformity to His . . . I speak of voluntary exalting of God to His proper station over us and a willing surrender of our whole being to the place of worshipful submission which the Creator-creature circumstance makes proper . . . . The moment we make up our minds that we are going on with this determination to exalt God over all, we step out of the world’s parade . . . .  

“ ‘Be Thou exalted’ is the language of victorious spiritual experience. It is a little key to unlock the door to great treasures of grace. It is central in the life of God in the soul. Let the seeking man reach a place where life and lips join to say continually, ‘Be Thou exalted,’ and a thousand minor problems will be solved at once. His Christian life ceases to be the complicated thing it had been before and becomes the very essence of simplicity.” (The Pursuit of God; pg. 102 and 103.)

So it isn’t about us, but it is all about Him. May that be our heart’s cry, our goal, to always be able to say “Be Thou exalted” . . . in our lives, our words, our actions. May we ourselves be a sacrifice unto Him, and all for His glory and His exaltation. 

May we be seeking and striving after this “bearing fruit in every good work.” For He is worthy of all that we are . . . He has redeemed us from the pit of destruction and covered us in His precious blood. What a very small sacrifice it should be, then, to give ourselves fully and completely to our Savior and Redeemer!

-Posted by Sarah

A Psalm of Encouragement

The other evening when reading my Bible before bed, Psalm 89 was read, and the portions of it below especially blessed my heart, and I thought I would share them here in the hopes that they would be a blessing to you all as well . . .

"I will sing of the lovingkindess of the LORD forever;

to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth . . .

"The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;

Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD?

Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD,

a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,

and awesome above all those who are around Him?

O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD?

Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

"The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;

the world and all it contains,

You have founded them.

The north and the south, You have created them;

Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.

You have a strong arm;

Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!

O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.

In Your name they rejoice all the day,

And by Your righteousness they are exalted.

For You are the glory of their strength,

And by Your favor our horn is exalted.

For our shield belongs to the LORD . . .

"Blessed by the LORD forever!

Amen and Amen."

Psalm 89:1, 5-8, 11-18a, 52

-Posted by Sarah

Graciousness

Do you ever have times when the Lord seems to be impressing a certain area, a certain thought, upon your heart? As of late, He has often been bringing to my heart and mind “grace” . . .

Grace is so often spoken of in Scripture, yet I find it interesting that it is specifically mentioned in regards to women in the book of Proverbs . . .

“A gracious woman attains honor, and ruthless men attain riches.” Proverbs 11:16

Being a gracious woman is a part of the beautiful, internal adornment that God desires His daughters to have . . . and it is an aspect of having the “gentle and quiet spirit” that is spoken of in 1 Peter. Yet what is this ‘grace’, and how should it be evidenced in my life? In my words, my thoughts, my actions, my service?

According to Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language ‘grace’ is:

“Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another”

And ‘gracious’ is defined as:

“Favorable; kind; benevolent; merciful; disposed to forgive offenses and impart unmerited blessings; expressing kindness and favor”

How convicting these definitions are! One with a heart that is gracious will have kindness towards others flowing from them . . . their words will be kind and merciful . . . they will be seeking ways to unselfishly serve and bless others . . . when offenses are done against them, instead of responding with anger, bitterness, or self-pity, they respond with love and forgiveness, giving and serving and “turning the other cheek” . . . imparting “unmerited blessings.”

As young women of God, grace should be such a near and real aspect of our character that it becomes our ‘disposition’ (as the definition of ‘grace’ shows), that it becomes a natural outflowing from us.

While this is our desire, how important it is to recognize where this wellspring of grace is derived from! It is only through our Lord . . . it is through Him that this grace is given, it is through His strength that we are able to have this grace, for God is the originator of grace. 

When looking in the concordance for verses that speak of ‘grace’, the vast majority are in reference to the grace of the Lord, and the grace that is bestowed on all of mankind, and specifically given towards us, His children. For He is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10.)

Recognizing that it is only from the Lord that we are able to have this grace, may our hearts be ever seeking to draw near to the Lord, seeking to walk in accordance with His word, and asking in prayer for the Lord to fill our hearts with His grace so that this grace can then be poured out to others. To our families, our friends, and yes, even our enemies.

One area that this grace is often evidenced (or not evidenced) is through the words that we speak. In the book of Colossians, exhortation is given for our speech to be with grace . . . 

“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6

One of the words that stood out to me as I read this verse yet again, was the word “always.” Grace should adorn our speech not only when it is easy, not only when we feel like we are in a ‘good mood’, not only when someone is deserving of grace, but always. Every word that proceeds from our mouths should be adorned with this grace . . . being kind, merciful, benevolent, obliging and giving towards others.

The parallel given in this particular verse is “as though seasoned with salt.” The thought that first comes to mind is that salt is a preservative, and gracious words spoken from a pure heart can preserve relationships, preserve good will, preserve our witness for Christ, and so much more.

Being a preservative also inhibits bacteria from growing and reproducing . . . our gracious words can do the same. A gracious word given to one who is downhearted can uplift and encourage. A gracious word falling from our lips when anger is present, helps to bring calmness and helps to dispel the tension there. Like an abundance of water upon a spreading fire . . . or a gentle and soft breeze on a hot day.

A gracious word spoken to ones who have wronged us also demonstrates love and forgiveness, and is a picture of the abundant grace and forgiveness that Christ has shown towards us. A gracious word spoken to those we love, allows the light of Christ to shine through us to them, and again, demonstrates to them our love and care that we have for them.

Salt is also something that enhances the flavor . . . and if our words are ‘seasoned’ with grace, they are more encouraging, more edifying, more uplifting to others than if they were absent of this ‘flavor enhancer.’

And again, it is only as our hearts are yielded to the Lord, that this grace can become a part of our character. May this be the earnest desire of our hearts, as young women desiring to be obedient to our Lord, to seek to adorn our hearts with this God-given grace.

So then, the next time the opportunity for hasty words or angry looks or an unforgiving spirit arises, we will instead let the grace of Christ flow through us to everyone that the Lord brings across our paths . . . first of all to our dear families, our parents, our brothers, our sisters; and to the church, friends, neighbors, strangers we meet on the street, the checker at the grocery store, to everyone. And with practice and the yielding of our will to Christ, may this adornment of graciousness become such a part of who we are, that it will be the natural outflowing from our lips and from our hearts.



-Posted by Sarah