A Pure Heart is a Single Heart for God's Will

"A pure heart is a single heart, not divided.

A pure heart wills what God wills,

no matter what the cost.

Strength of will is to will against oneself,

to say, "Not my will - Thine.""

~Elisabeth Elliot, Quest for Love

~Brittany

God Moves In A Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain:

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

- Poem by William Cowper, 1731-1800

~Brittany

My Deepest Desire - His Plan, His Design

My Deepest Desire – His Plan, His Design

I do not need to understand His plan

I need only to trust His hand.

Around every corner and bend in the road

It is enough that He knows.

It is His will that I desire

In this confidence I cannot expire.

Through these years He has always faithful been

And He will see my journey to its end.

Beyond all hopes and dreams of mine

It is His will and His design.

His hand has beset me before and behind

And I know in the end I will see His design.

My deepest desire His glory to fulfill

I know He will give me peace in His blessed will.

And as I keep trusting His hand to guide

His plan will unfold before my eyes.

~B.A.A.

~Brittany

Waiting with Patience ~ Resting in the Lord

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him (Psalms 37:7).
Have you prayed and prayed and waited and waited, and still there is no manifestation? Are you tired of seeing nothing move? Are you just at the point of giving it all up? Perhaps you have not waited in the right way? This would take you out of the right place the place where He can meet you.
"With patience wait" (Rom. 8:25). Patience takes away worry. He said He would come, and His promise is equal to His presence. Patience takes away your weeping. Why feel sad and despondent? He knows your need better than you do, and His purpose in waiting is to bring more glory out of it all. Patience takes away self-works. The work He desires is that you "believe" (John 6:29), and when you believe, you may then know that all is well. Patience takes away all want. Your desire for the thing you wish is perhaps stronger than your desire for the will of God to be fulfilled in its arrival.
Patience takes away all weakening. Instead of having the delaying time, a time of letting go, know that God is getting a larger supply ready and must get you ready too. Patience takes away all wobbling. "Make me stand upon my standing" (Daniel 8:18, margin). God's foundations are steady; and when His patience is within, we are steady while we wait. Patience gives worship. A praiseful patience sometimes "long-suffering with joyfulness" (Col. 1:11) is the best part of it all. "Let (all these phases of) patience have her perfect work" (James 1:4), while you wait, and you will find great enrichment.
--C. H. P.
Hold steady when the fires burn,
When inner lessons come to learn,
And from this path there seems no turn
"Let patience have her perfect work."
--L.S.P.
~ Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman for February 21st

~Brittany

The will of God...

~Breanna

Strength to Answer God's Call

I was reading an article this morning by Tricia Goyer and was very blessed by certain aspects of it.  I didn't care for everything in the article, but the overall message of the article was very good.  Those "aspects" I thought I would share with you all, bits and pieces from the article, to hopefully be an encouragement to some of you as well.  :-) ~Breanna

There is a myth today that says we must get our life organized and in order before we follow God’s call.  How can we give from a empty well? How can we spare what we don’t have: whether it be time, money or energy? 

Yet God’s call never waits for us to unclutter our lives. In fact, He usually calls us when we have nothing to spare. Why?

When we don’t have anything to give, we look to the Giver.
When we have no time, we must readjust our priorities and set things according to God’s schedule.
When we feel foolish and inadequate, we’ll look to God’s wisdom.
When we feel wrung out, we’ll look to His strength.
And in the midst of following Him, we’ll find Him.

And what have I discovered?

More time? (Not really.)
More energy? (I wish!)

Instead, I’ve discovered that when I do God’s work He takes care of mine 

There are many things that can occupy our time—there always will be. There are good things that we can devote our lives to, but the most important things are the God things.

When you do decide to step out your schedule won’t automatically clear, it never does. Instead, God will show up. He will give you extra wisdom, energy, resources and strength. But mostly He will give you Himself! And when you have Him, you have everything.
And when you give others the knowledge of Him, they can have Him, too.
And when lives around you are transformed, all the stuff you were busy with doesn’t seem as important any more.

And God is glorified, because it’ll be clear to everyone that it’s Him doing the work!

 ~Tricia Goyer

The Will of God ~ Give Thanks

~Brittany

"The person who would do great things well

must practice daily on little ones;

and she who would have the assistance of the Almighty in important acts,

must be hourly accustomed to consult His will in the minor affairs of life."

~ Emily Judson ~

(pen-name, Fanny Forester)

"May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin,

lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell."

-- Charles Spurgeon --

~Brittany

~Brittany

"Peace lies in the trusting acceptance of
His design, His gifts, His appointment of place, position, capacity.

It was thus that the Son of Man came to earth--embracing
all that the Father willed Him to be,

usurping nothing--no work, not even a word--that
the Father had not given Him."
~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

"Children of the jungle tribe I knew years ago did not complain
because they had not been taught to."

~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

"Lord, we give You thanks for all that You in Your mercy have given us
to be and to do and to have.
Deliver us, Lord, from all greed to be and to do and to have anything
not in accord with Your holy purposes.
Teach us to rest quietly in Your promise to supply,
recognizing that if we don't have it we don't need it.
Teach us to desire Your will--nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.
For Jesus' sake.  Amen."

~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

-taken from her book, Keep a Quiet Heart

~Brittany

His Will, His Grace

I know I posted this quote a while back, but I was so blessed by it that I put it with a picture.  I love this picture of Sarah.  Carefree, but diligently working away at pulling loose roots up from the yard.  She was so peaceful.  I thought the picture went well with the quote.  So... I had to post it again. :-)
~Brittany

I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize

the Lord is able to carry out His will,

and His will is mine.

It makes no matter where He places me, or how.

This is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions

He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, 

His grace is sufficient."

~ Hudson Taylor ~

I was very blessed by reading this on another blog this morning, and am seeking to apply it to my life.  The Lord is so good to remind me to simply trust in His faithfulness!  I hope this quote is a blessing to some of you as well!

~Brittany

"The heart set to do the Father's will need never fear defeat."

~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

from her book Passion and Purity

~Brittany

Encouraging Paul Washer Quotes

Paul Washer posted these two tweets on twitter today that blessed and encouraged me.  I hope you will be blessed as well by these godly reminders!

~The days are quickly passing. While it is day and while we have strength, let us give ourselves

 (heart, soul, mind, & strength) to His will! 

 

~All our trials have an eternal purpose.  The obstacles in our lives do not restrict us, they recreate us into the image of Christ

Where are my Eyes?

Accustom yourself in everything that happens, to recognize the hand and will of God, This lesson is of more consequence than you think. Whether it be some great wrong that is done you, or some little offense that you meet in daily life, before you fix your thoughts on the person who did it, first be still, and remember, God allows me to come into this trouble to see if I shall glorify Him in it."..."Let me first recognize and submit to God's will in it...with my eye turned from man to God, suffering wrong is not so hard as it seems.
 - Andrew Murray

Thanks for sharing this Anneke!  :-)