God Knows Best

I read this a few years ago and Breanna shared it with me afresh this morning.  What a precious illustration to me, as a parent, with my children.  I hope it will be an encouragement to you as well as you pray over your children and loved ones.  ~Karen

Consider the lilies, how they grow (Matt. 6:28).

I need oil," said an ancient monk; 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 monk, "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 monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he 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 ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow--
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the, dew--
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night--
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light--
Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him
'Tis more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him--for you are His care.
You, you know.
--Selected

Hidden Sanctification of the Soul

 

It is good that we should have to submit to what we do not understand.  It teaches us the laws of faith and hope.  

It is good that we should have to do what we would rather not, in circumstances not of our choice.  

It is good that there should be always something to prick us on, something to remind us that we are in an enemy's country, belong to a marching column.  

It is good that we should meet with checks and failures in what we undertake, to keep us humble and prayerful.  

All these things belong to sowing in tears.

God seems to have laid out the order of things in His Church, not for a general and brilliant triumph but for the hidden sanctification of the individual souls which compose it.

~ Janet Erskine Stuart in Prayer in Faith

~Breanna

Encouraging Quotes on Prayer and Trials from the book War Room

Recently I read the book War Room and was so blessed by it!  Many similarities, obviously, to the movie, but the book was so much better!  There were many things that I walked away with from reading it that challenged and encouraged me, so I thought I would share a couple of those with you all to hopefully be equally as encouraging to some of you.  Both quotes are from "Miss Clara".
~Breanna

Sometimes the best gifts God gives us are not the easy times when everything goes our way.  The best gifts are the hard times when your life is reduced to a couple of good questions: What is this all about? Why are we here?  God is not interested in making me comfortable or happy.  His goal is to make me holy, like His Son.  And I've never met a follower of Jesus who hasn't encountered some suffering and pain.  God doesn't tell us to pick up a memory foam cross.  It's rugged and it's heavy.  You can run and try to find some easier way, but eventually He leads you through the thorns and the briars and that valley of the shadow.  But I promise you, if you trust Him, He will lead you to green pastures and peaceful waters.  Not just when you get to heaven, but right now.  Peace and contentment in the middle of the storm.  In the middle of the disappointment and fear and anger.  The bad times are really the good times in disquise.

The goal of prayer is not to change God's mind about what you want.  The goal of prayer is to change your own heart, to want what He wants, to the glory of God.  When we pray, we participate in what God is doing.  He gets the glory, and we get the privilege of walking with Him, and in that process we are changed.  And guess what happens from that change?  He gets the glory. 

Tidbits from "The Battle Plan for Prayer"- What is prayer and what is it's purpose?

I was so blessed and tickled to be able to borrow a used copy of the book"The Battle Plan for Prayer" by the Kendrick Brothers, a book inspired by the film War Room.  If you haven't seen the movie yet, it's so worth watching!  Our family was very blessed and challenged by it.  Which is why I was so tickled to be able to get my hands on this book.  Many aspects of prayer that they are sharing I'm very familiar with and seek to practice.  But I have been challenged by having my mind refocused on what prayer is actually and what it's purpose is.  Also, I've been challenged in the ways of focusing on praise and thanksgiving.  But for this post, I wanted to share with you all tidbits from the book that most challenged me in regard to what prayer is and what it's purpose is.  We know this stuff, but I know that at least for me, I become lax and forgetful and need to be reminded of these things so I can refocus.  We can become so lackadaisical, half-hearted, irreverent and in many ways selfish in our praying.  But when we look at what prayer is and what it's purpose is, it wakes us up and reignites our hearts to seek the Lord, the true purpose of prayer.  I hope you'll be blessed and challenged as well!
~Breanna

 

 

Prayer is not about prayer...just like a cell phone is not about a cell phone.  A phone's primary purpose is not for itself but to serve as a conduit to connect us in relationships.  If held up to our ear without engagin another person with it, we're not making it do what it's been created to do.  Likewise, there are activities you can undertake that may  look and feel like prayer, but they're not really prayer if God is not truly engaged.

Prayer, at its heart, is communicating with God.  Reverently and openly.  Sincerely.  Interacting directly with the magnificent God of the universe who is really there.   

What is prayer? Prayer is communion with God in order to...
1. Intimately know, love and worship Him.
Knowing Him and loving Him leads to worshiping Him.  The natural response the the presence of God is worship.  Honor and loving adoration.  Dedication and delight.  Willing submission.

2.  Understand and conform our lives to His will and ways.
Prayer doesn't merely change things; it will change us.  As we pray, God reveals His will and ways to us, and then starts to align our hearts and minds with His.  We yield to His awesome lordship.

3. Access and advance His kingdom, power and glory.
God is unlimited in His capacity to accomplish anything.  At the same time, we don't just receive these things but we seek to advance them.  When we seek first His kingdom, that's when so many other things fall into place.  Prayer allows us the priceless priviledge to not only know Almighty God better, but to join Him in what He is already doing among the nations for His glory.

Prayer is not about prayer.  It is about a Person- God Himself.  When it becomes merely about accessing the provision or protection of God rather than knowing and pleasing the Person of God, then we are getting off track.  But when the one goal of our praying is to live in relationship with Him- one on One- He will cause prayer to also help us experience His purposes, His plans, His provision, His protection, and everything else He intends.  All for His glory.

-Tidbits from The Battle Plan for Prayer by the Kendrick brothers.  Well worth reading!

Trust ~ He Knows Best

"I need oil," said an ancient monk; 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 monk, "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 monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.
Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he 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 ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

- taken from Streams in the Desert, Vol. 1, March 29th

~Brittany

A Caution to Adamancy

“Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”  - 1Corinthians 10:12

It is a curious fact, that there is such a thing as being proud of grace. A man says, “I have great faith, I shall not fall; poor little faith may, but I never shall.” “I have fervent love,” says another, “I can stand, there is no danger of my going astray.” He who boasts of grace has little grace to boast of. Some who do this imagine that their graces can keep them, knowing not that the stream must flow constantly from the fountain head, or else the brook will soon be dry. If a continuous stream of oil comes not to the lamp, though it burn brightly to-day, it will smoke to-morrow, and noxious will be its scent. Take heed that thou gloriest not in thy graces, but let all thy glorying and confidence be in Christ and his strength, for only so canst thou be kept from falling. Be much more in prayer. Spend longer time in holy adoration. Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly. Watch your lives more carefully. Live nearer to God. Take the best examples for your pattern. Let your conversation be redolent of heaven. Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for men’s souls. So live that men may take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of him; and when that happy day shall come, when he whom you love shall say, “Come up higher,” may it be your happiness to hear him say, “Thou hast fought a good fight, thou hast finished thy course, and henceforth there is laid up for thee a crown of righteousness which fadeth not away.” On, Christian, with care and caution! On, with holy fear and trembling! On, with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, and let your constant petition be, “Uphold me according to thy word.” He is able, and he alone, “To keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.”

“I will take heed to my ways.”  - Psalm 39:1

Fellow-pilgrim, say not in your heart, “I will go hither and thither, and I shall not sin;” for you are never so out of danger of sinning as to boast of security. The road is very miry, it will be hard to pick your path so as not to soil your garments. This is a world of pitch; you will need to watch often, if in handling it you are to keep your hands clean. There is a robber at every turn of the road to rob you of your jewels; there is a temptation in every mercy; there is a snare in every joy; and if you ever reach heaven, it will be a miracle of divine grace to be ascribed entirely to your Father’s power. Be on your guard. When a man carries a bomb-shell in his hand, he should mind that he does not go near a candle; and you too must take care that you enter not into temptation. Even your common actions are edged tools; you must mind how you handle them. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian’s piety, but everything to destroy it. How anxious should you be to look up to God, that he may keep you! Your prayer should be, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” Having prayed, you must also watch; guarding every thought, word, and action, with holy jealousy. Do not expose yourselves unnecessarily; but if called to exposure, if you are bidden to go where the darts are flying, never venture forth without your shield; for if once the devil finds you without your buckler, he will rejoice that his hour of triumph is come, and will soon make you fall down wounded by his arrows. Though slain you cannot be; wounded you may be. “Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when all seemeth securest to thee.” Therefore, take heed to thy ways, and watch unto prayer. No man ever fell into error through being too watchful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so shall they always please the Lord.

- Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening Devotional for March 14th

~Brittany

Giants, God's Sustaining Hand, Fighting in Prayer

"It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants.

It was when Israel was going forward that the giants appeared.

When they turned back into the wilderness they found none."

- Selected, Streams in the Desert, Vol. 2 -

"It is most needful for all servants of Christ to remember that whenever the Lord places a man in a position of responsibility, He will both fit him for it and maintain him in it.

It is, of course, another thing altogether if a man will rush unsent into any field of work, or any post of difficulty or danger.  In such a case we may assuredly look for a thorough breakdown, sooner or later.  But when God calls a man to a certain position, He will endow him with the needed grace to occupy it.

This holds good in every case.  We can never fail if we only cling to the living God.  We can never run dry if we are drawing from the fountain.  Our tiny springs will soon dry up; but our Lord Jesus Christ declares, 'He that believeth in me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'"  - C.H.M.

"We plant our feet, and we fight in prayer."
- Paul Washer -
sermon, Importunity in Prayer, part 1

~Brittany

Praying and Trusting for God's Guidance

"I urge you to trust God.  He wants to give you the best.

He will help you.  He has promised to guide you.

He knows what you need.  Ask Him to show you.

Pray silently.  Watch quietly."

- Elisabeth Elliot, from her book Keep a Quiet Heart

~Brittany

"You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon the righteousness of Christ."  - Charles Spurgeon

"Wherever Jesus may lead us, He goes before us.  If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go.  With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road?  The journey may be long, but His everlasting arms will carry us to the end."  - Charles Spurgeon

"It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations.  Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay.  That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God.  The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven.  Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it.  Is prayer your element or your weariness?"
- Charles Spurgeon

~Brittany

Praying for Our Children & Encouraging One Another

I was encouraged this morning by these devotionals as a reminder to always keep praying for our children (or in my case my siblings:-) ), and to make sure to take the time and thought to truly encourage each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord.  The battle for our souls in fierce and we must not forget these two weapons.

Praying for Our Children

“Bring him unto me.”  - Mark 9:19

Despairingly the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed, but the miserable child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus’ word, “Bring him unto me.” Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents; they may be filled with the Spirit of God, or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one receipt for the curing of all their ills, “Bring him unto me.” O for more agonizing prayer on their behalf while they are yet babes! Sin is there, let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries which betoken their actual advent into a world of sin. In the days of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit which will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands, “Bring them unto me.” When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should remember the great Physician’s words, “Bring them unto me.” Never must we cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives.

The Lord sometimes suffers his people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary he is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our morning’s need may be, let it like a strong current bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow, he delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to him while he waits to meet us.

Encouraging One Another

 “Encourage him.”  - Deuteronomy 1:38

God employs his people to encourage one another. He did not say to an angel, “Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan-go, encourage him.” God never works needless miracles; if his purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, he will not use miraculous agency. Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as Moses. A brother’s sympathy is more precious than an angel’s embassy. The angel, swift of wing, had better known the Master’s bidding than the people’s temper. An angel had never experienced the hardness of the road, nor seen the fiery serpents, nor had he led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as Moses had done. We should be glad that God usually works for man by man. It forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family. Brethren, take the text as God’s message to you. Labour to help others, and especially strive to encourage them. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer, lovingly try to remove stumbling blocks out of his way. When you find a spark of grace in the heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees, but tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, and of the charms of communion with Christ. Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding. Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful to go on their way with gladness. God encourages you by his promises; Christ encourages you as he points to the heaven he has won for you, and the spirit encourages you as he works in you to will and to do of his own will and pleasure. Imitate divine wisdom, and encourage others, according to the word of this evening.

- Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening Meditation for September 17th

~Brittany

Warning Against a Lack of Prevailing Prayer

"Too often, in the absence of prevailing prayer, the asault has to be made without, and precious lives are sacrificed, time is lost, and all efforts are in vain; not because God is unfaithful, or the servant is not devoted, but because the artillery of prayer has been lacking, and no breach has been made in the enemy's defences."

- Northcote Deck. -

Prevailing means:

 Predominant.  Generally current.  Having superior power or influence.  Effectual.

Effectual means:

Producing or capable of producing an intended effect; adequate.

Valid or binding, as an agreement or document.

 

~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

Make Me Broken by Sidewalk Prophets

Lyrics:

Make me broken
So I can be healed
'Cause I'm so calloused
And now I can't feel
I want to run to You
With heart wide open
Make me broken

Make me empty
So I can be filled
'Cause I'm still holding
Onto my will
And I'm completed
When you are with me
Make me empty

[Chorus:]
'Til You are my one desire
'Til You are my one true love
'Til You are my breath, my everything
Lord, please keep making me

Make me lonely
So I can be Yours
'Til I want no one
More than You, Lord
'Cause in the darkness
I know You will hold me
Make me lonely

[Chorus]

'Til You are my one desire
'Til You are my one true love
'Til You are my breath, my everything
Lord, please keep making,
I know You'll keep making
Lord, please keep making me

Inspiring Story

Our dear little Esther was ill today, so Sarah and I stayed home with her while the others went to church.  We are so very blessed by the church body God has given to us and very much missed the blessing of being there today.  God is so good and blessed us in other little ways throughout this day.  This movie, sharing the life of Samuel Morris was one of them.  We hope that it will encourage you in your relationship and faith in the Lord, as it did us.  If God lays it on your heart to pray for Esther we would greatly appreciate it.  What a delight the Lord's Day is!  

Thoughts on Waiting from Elisabeth Elliot

I began to learn to wait.  Patient waiting does not come naturally to most of us, but a great deal is said about it in the Bible.  It is an important discipline for anyone who wants to learn to trust.

I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the hear to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one's thoughts.

Waiting silently is the hardest thing of all.  But the things that we feel most deeply we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God.

S. D. Gordon, in his Quiet Talks on Prayer, describes waiting.  It means:

Steadfastness, that is holding on;
patience, that is holding back;
expectancy, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do;
listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear.

How long, Lord, must I wait?
Never mind, child.  Trust me.

~ taken from Elisabeth Elliot's book, Passion and Purity

~Brittany

Learning to Trust the Father's Love

When my brother Dave was very small, we spent a week at the seaside in Belmar, New Jersey.  In vain my father tried to persuade the little boy to come into the waves with him and jump, promising to hold him safely and not allow the waves to sweep over his head.  He took me (only a year older) into the ocean and showed Dave how much fun it would be.  Nothing doing.  The ocean was terrifying.  Dave was sure it would mean certain disaster, and he could not trust his father.  On the last day of our vacation he gave in.  He was not swept away, his father held him as promised, and he had far more fun than he could have imagined, whereupon he burst into tears and wailed, "Why didn't you make me go in?"
An early lesson in prayer often comes through an ordeal of fear.  We face impending adversity and we doubt the love, wisdom and power of our Father in heaven.
When the people of Israel were encamped in Pi-hahiroth and saw the Egyptians coming after them, they felt they were looking death in the face and it was all Moses' fault - "as if there weren't enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die!"
"Don't be afaid," said Moses.  "Stand by.  The Lord will fight for you if you'll just be quiet."
You know the story of deliverance.  The song of victory Moses and Israel sang reveals their recognition not only of the strength, majesty and wonder-working of the Lord, but of His loving-kindness, immeasurably  beyond anything they had dared to hope.
Poor Dave!  His father could have forced him to come into the water, but he could not have forced him to relax and enjoy it.  As long as the child insisted on protecting himself, saving the life he was sure he would lose, he could not trust the strong love of his father.  He refused to surrender.  In this simple story we hear echoes of the most ancient story, of the two who, distrusting the word of their Father, fearing that obedience to Him would ultimately bar them from happiness, chose to repudiate their dependence on Him.  Sin, death, destruction for the whole race were the result.
Learning to pray is learning to trust the wisdom, the power, and the love of our Heavenly Father, always so far beyond our dreams.  He knows our need and knows ways to meet it that have never entered our heads.  Things we feel sure we need for happiness may often lead to our ruin.  Things we think will ruin us (the chariots of Egypt, the waters of the sea, or the little waves in Belmar!), if we believe what the Father tells us and surrender ourselves into His strong arms, bring us deliverance and joy.
The only escape from self-love is self-surrender.  "Whoever loses his life for Me will find it" (Matthew 16:25, NIV).  "Dwell in my love.  If you heed my commands, you will dwell in my love, as I have heeded my Father's commands and dwell in His love.  I have spoken thus to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy complete" (John 15:9-11, NEB).  My father knew far better than his small, fearful, stubborn son what would give him joy.  So does our Heavenly Father.  Whenever I have resisted Him, I have cheated myself, as my little brother did.  Whenever I have yielded, I have found joy.
- taken from Elisabeth Elliot's book, Keep a Quiet Heart
~Brittany

Praying, Instead of Talking

"...in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."

- Isaiah 30:15 -

"Do you know what Luther said?  'Suffer and be still and tell no man thy sorrow; trust in God - His help will not fail thee.'  This is what Scripture calls keeping silent before God.  Talk much of one's sorrows makes one weak, but to tell one's sorrows to Him Who heareth in secret, makes one strong and calm."  - Tholuck

The little sharp vexations

And the briars that catch and fret,

Why not take all to the Helper

Who has never failed us yet?

Tell Him about the heartache,

And tell Him the longings, too;

Tell Him the baffled purpose

When we scarce know what to do.

Then, leaving all our weakness

With the One divinely strong,

Forget that we bore the burden,

And carry away the song.

                    ~ Margaret Sangster

- Streams in the Desert, Volume 2, February19th

~Brittany

Open and Closed Doors ~ Listening for God's Perfect Plan

"They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia."

~ Acts 16:6 ~ 

It is interesting to study the methods of His guidance as it was extended towards these early heralds of the Cross. It consisted largely in prohibitions, when they attempted to take another course than the right. When they would turn to the left, to Asia, He stayed them. When they sought to turn to the right, to Bithynia, again He stayed them. In after years Paul would do some of the greatest work of his life in that very region; but just now the door was closed against him by the Holy Spirit. The time was not yet ripe for the attack on these apparently impregnable bastions of the kingdom of Satan. Apollos must come there for pioneer work. Paul and Barnabas are needed yet more urgently elsewhere, and must receive further training before undertaking this responsible task.
Beloved, whenever you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. Say, "Blessed Spirit, I cast on Thee the entire responsibility of closing against my steps any and every course which is not of God. Let me hear Thy voice behind me whenever I turn to the right hand or the left."
In the meanwhile, continue along the path which you have been already treading. Abide in the calling in which you are called, unless you are clearly told to do something else. The Spirit of Jesus waits to be to you, O pilgrim, what He was to Paul. Only be careful to obey His least prohibition; and where, after believing prayer, there are no apparent hindrances, go forward with enlarged heart. Do not be surprised if the answer comes in closed doors. But when doors are shut right and left, an open road is sure to lead to Troas. There Luke awaits, and visions will point the way, where vast opportunities stand open, and faithful friends are waiting.  --Paul, by Meyer

Is there some problem in your life to solve,
Some passage seeming full of mystery?
God knows, who brings the hidden things to light.
He keeps the key.

Is there some door closed by the Father's hand
Which widely opened you had hoped to see?
Trust God and wait--for when He shuts the door
He keeps the key.

Is there some earnest prayer unanswered yet,
Or answered NOT as you had thought 'twould be?
God will make clear His purpose by-and-by.
He keeps the key.

Have patience with your God, your patient God,
All wise, all knowing, no long tarrier He,
And of the door of all thy future life
He keeps the key.

Unfailing comfort, sweet and blessed rest,
To know of EVERY door He keeps the key.
That He at last when just HE sees 'tis best,
Will give it THEE.
- Anonymous -

- Streams in the Dessert, January 10th, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

~Brittany

Advance on Your Knees ~ Faith & Courage for This Year's Journey

And the Lord shall guide thee continually...

Isaiah 58:11

...and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

Habakkuk 3:19

Advance into this new year on your knees.  Faith doesn ot concern itself with the entire journey.  One step is enough.  That first step is all that is needed.  Breathe a prayer for courage to fill your legs as well as your heart as you face the unknown, the unexpected.  What matters that you know not your destination?  Put your hand into the hand of God.  He gives the calmness and serenity of heart and soul.  As He endures, you too, can endure the climb over sharp rocks and crags.  Climb with Him to the end of the year - yea, even to the end of life's trail.  "The peak that is nearest the storm-cloud is nearer the stars fo light."  He gives the courage for which you pray to rise above the valley.  Heed the Master's voice adn press bravely on to the fulfillment of your task.  You have a whole year to scale.

"A Voice said 'CLIMB.'  And he said, 'How shall I climb?

The mountains are so steep that I cannot climb.'

"The Voice said, 'CLIMB or DIE.'

"He said, 'But how?  I see no way up those steep ascents.

This that is asked of me is too hard for me.'

"The Voice said, 'CLIMB or PERISH, soul and body of thee, mind and spirit of thee.  There is no second choice for any son of man.  CLIMB or DIE.'"

Some of the bravest of mountaineers have related incredible tales concerning their climbs up the hills of earth.  Sometimes they were aware fo the presence of a Companion who was not among the earthly party of climbers on the mountains.
How much more positive is the presence fo the Heavenly Guide as God's mountaineers climb the high places fo the Spirit!
God's mountain climbers are created to walk in precarious places, not on the easy levels of life.
Do not limit the Limitless God!  With Him face the new trail and follow on unafraid, for you walk not alone!
- Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Streams in the Dessert, Volume 2, January 2nd
~Brittany

Exhortation on Worry ~ Looking with Eyes of Thanksgiving and Faith

"Be careful for nothing."

Philippians 4:6

Do you cross rivers before you come to them, dread troubles that never come, expect evil from the Lord instead of good?  In other words is your soul full of unnecessary care?  For that is what the word "careful" means - unnecessary care.
"Do not worry" is a plain and simple command, but it is such a difficult one to follow.  M. D. Babcock has given a few beneficial suggestions for the person who feels defeated because of the common ailment of worry.  "The anxious Christian hurts more than himself; he hurts the faith of those who know him and the good name of his Lord Who has promised to supply all his needs.  There is nothing which we cannot pray about.  Go deeper into the text: 'But in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.'  What we can take to God we can trust to God.  What we put our fidelity into, He will perfect by His faithfulness.  While we work for the best, He works the best for us.  We may not succeed as we hoped; we may have discipline we little expected, but the Father knows what His child needs.  What God has for us to do we can do, or to bear we can bear.  Is there not enough in His ocean to fill our pitcher?  With the need of every day will come His promised supply - 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
"Do not forget the words further on in the text: 'with thanksgiving.'  Be on the lookout for mercies.  Blessings brighten when we count them.  Out of determination of the heart the eyes see.  If you want to be gloomy, there's gloom enough to keep you glum; if you want to be glad, there's gleam enough to keep you glad.  Better lose count in enumerating your blessings than lose your blessings in telling your troubles.
"Unbraid the verse into three cords and bind yourself to God with them in trustful, prayerful, thankful bonds, - Anxious for nothing, Prayerful for everything, Thankful for anything - 'and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' "  (from Thoughts for Every-Day Living.)
- Steams in the Desert, Volume 2, December 10th
~Brittany