Faith, Love, and Perfect Gifts

The Lord is so faithful to provide encouragement through His Word for every aspect of His children's lives.  As I have felt very needy of His presence and aid, He has blessed me with precious passages to meditate on, promises to hold on to, and verses to give me strength and courage.  I hope that these passages will be a blessing to some of you as well, in whatever the Lord is placing before you.

~Brittany

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

James 1:2-8,12

“Be not faithless, but believing.”

John 20:27

Exposé of Psalms 119:97-105

I was blessed and challenged by this exposé written by a family friend of ours.

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through thy precepts I get understanding : therefore I hate every false way.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalms 105:97-105

Do you truly love the law of the Lord? Does your heart beat after him as the deer after the water? Does he consume your thoughts? Do you delight yourself in him as a young man delights himself in his new wife? Do you spend time with God the way you spend time with your favorite hobby or pastime?
Sadly, if you and I are honest, we do not. The psalmist says he delights himself in God's precepts. Truthfully, it is sad to say but, we do not have Christ and his law as our first love. He does not reign supreme in our lives as he ought.
 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, do you fear your God? Sure I know that the word can also mean reverence but should you not stand in awe and be amazed that the hands that hold the universe were nailed to a tree for you? For your sin, and for mine. The voice so terrible as to make the Hebrew people shrink back in terror at mount Sinai, the God of glory thundereth!!! That same voice calls gently and softly to each of us with a love that will not let us go. The righteous Judge of all the earth who's eye never sleepeth and who's hand is never slack, the God who destroys nations, raises kings and throws down others is the same who has redeemed and ransomed us from sin. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Yet, to the repentant he has promised to in no wise cast them out when they come. This is the God I fear.
The wisdom of God brings us understanding. Knowledge puffeth up. Having knowledge is not having wisdom. Without wisdom there is no understanding and without understanding, knowledge is useless. The reason why the verses above say that, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. “ is because that God's law teaches us three things. One, what evil looks like. Two, what its consequences are. Three, the way of escape.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” In this world of sin and darkness the light of Christ is a dire necessity. And as the allegory so blatantly presents the Word of God should guide our every step. As in a room that is dark save a single light we must be close to the light to be able to perceive detail so must we be close to the Word of God to discern truth.
Let us serve our master well because of the price he has paid for us and because he deserves our love and obedience. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16
Jesus says to each of us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Let him be your guide, follow him into green pasture, feed on his word, and take every thought captive to the Word of God.

- Thomas Smith -

~Brittany

The House that Mom Built~Stacy McDonald

Unlike The House that Jack Built, Mom’s House isn’t built in a day…

 There are so many ways we women can either build up or, in contrast, tear down their own houses. As mothers, we have the choice each day whether or not we’re going to be an influence for godly growth and joy in our households. In this talk Stacy discusses some of the qualities of a wise woman, and just what makes her wise.

Click Here to Listen to the Message

I was blessed and challenged as I listened to this message.  And though she's mainly speaking to married women, she also addresses the young ladies role in this as well.  Very inspiring and thought provoking!

I took a few notes that I thought I'd share here, but please don't replace them for listening to the message! :-)

12 ways women can foolishly tear down their houses:

-be hyper critical of your husband and children

-nag them constantly

-ignore the house work

-put your husband down privately and publicly

-be unfaithful and untrustworthy

-be careless and sloppy about your appearance, especially when your husband is home

-be lazy and spend money carelessly

-gossip about your family, especially your husband

-use your tongue as a weapon

-refuse to submit to your husband

-be sure to disrespect him to the children

-watch soap-operas and romanticize about how much kinder other husbands are

A wise woman, a woman who builds her house:

-is not contentious (verbally contentious or giving the silent treatment)

-she uses her tongue to speak wisdom and kindness

-she avoids gossip and vain talk

-she submits to her husband in an expression of faith to God

-she’s industrious and hard working

-she has a meek and quiet spirit

A wise woman isn’t perfect, but she puts her faith in the One who is.

It all boils down to that a wise woman loves.

“Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity.  Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness.  Hence, where there is love in the home, unselfishness is the law; each forgets self and lives for others.”  -J.R. Miller 

~Posted By Breanna