From Beside the Still Waters (a devotional) ...

 "One Thing Thou Lackest"

Read: Mark 10:17-31

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." - Mark 10:25

My friend and I were discussing the financial aspect of life.  "I just don't want to be poor," he said.  I have often thought about those words.  Someone may start pursuing wealth with the good intention of gaining only what is sufficient, but this has been the downfall of many.  Today my friend is far from poor, and I wonder sometimes if that is actually good.  Most of us fathers desire to provide for our families and also to have enough to give away (at least we say that).  But we need to be honest about our intentions and the deceitfulness of riches.

In today's Bible reading, the rich young ruler became very sorrowful when Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor.  After all, life was good, and business was going well - but he lacked "one thing" that was necessary to inherit eternal life.  For the natural mind it is very difficult to accept Jesus' words.  It requires understanding the vanity of earthly wealth and the infinite value of spiritual riches.  The people who witnessed this interaction between Jesus and the rich ruler were astonished at what they heard (verse 26).

The important question for us is not, "Might Jesus be asking me to sell all my possessions?"  It is rather, "Why do I want to be rich, and how much do I trust in riches?"  We find some excellent instruction in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God ... that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate [share with others]."  The "one thing" will not be lacking if we do these things.

Levi Baer - Kryvoshyintsi, Ukraine

"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."

 - Proverbs 30:8-9

Winter is here!

 Not many leaves left on the tree now...

Yesterday it rained most of the day.  Freya knew the best place to be...

And I wasn't far away, with plenty to keep me busy...

continuing to work on hand quilting a cot quilt panel for new grandson due 21st July

My squares for the fistula blanket are coming along.  Still accompanying Marnie to various medical appointments, so I have opportunity to knit while I wait for her...

I have 26 squares done, need 4 more, then I can start sewing it together.  Yay! Not.

And I'm re-reading Penelope Wilcock's The Hawk and the Dove series 1.  I read it many years ago, but my original copies have since been passed on, so I'm gradually buying the new editions.  I have the first 6 of the 9, and I'm currently reading book 2, and enjoying it very much, perhaps even more so than the first time I read them ...

Pen's blog is HERE if you'd like to visit her.

This morning at church the sermon was on the Sabbath from Matthew 12:1-14

"Rest time is not waste time.  It is economy to gather fresh strength.  In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less." 

- Charles H. Spurgeon

A walk to the river ...

Haven't been to the river in a while, but I took a walk there yesterday morning...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

For you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

From Amish Peace (a devotional) ...

 Faith Walks

"Don't just listen to God's word.  You must do what it says.  Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." - James 1:22

In every community there are expectations.  In my neighborhood it's expected that we keep our lawns mowed.  It is expected that we wave when passing a neighbor on the street or chat for a few minutes when passing each other on a walk.  The expectations are different in an Amish community.  When a neighbor has a loss in the family, you show up with food and help with chores.  When there is a hospital bill, the cost is split between all church members.  And when a sermon is preached, the words aren't simply something you should ponder.  Instead you must do your part to give and serve, to fast and pray.

Here is an English translation of an excerpt from an Amish prayer offered up after the sermon: "Beseech Thee, beloved and merciful Father, that Thou wouldst let Thy word, which we have heard and received, be powerful and genuine in the heart of each one of us, and be fruitful, bearing fruit that remains until eternal life.  May we through it be not only born again, but completely turned about, changed, and renewed."

Being born again is being in a state of acceptance with Jesus Christ.  It is also a call to action.  It would be foolish to an Amish person to accept the gift of salvation without acting upon it.  Or, as we read in James 2:27, "Faith by itself isn't enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."  Amish people know that they are saved by grace alone, but they are also expected to act as those who are saved.

How do your actions prove your faith?  Do you care for others differently because of the gift of eternal life God has given you?  It's easy to hear God's word, but it's much harder to do what it says.  Yet when you do, your faith shines and people take notice!

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word, and I thank You that Your love shines so clearly through people living out their faith.  I long to do the same, walking and talking what my heart believes!

The Peace of Jesus (a devotional) ...

From Oasis of Hope... 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 12:27

John, the gospel writer, recorded for us the farewell speech Jesus gave to His disciples.  That speech holds a very special tone, every word seems weighty.  First and foremost, Jesus wanted His friends not to be overcome with fear.

Why was there no cause to be fearful even if Jesus was leaving them?  Up to that point, they had been with Jesus daily and the thought of Him leaving shocked and troubled them.  Jesus told them He was giving them a gift.  They would get the very best He had to give: His own peace.  He would send them the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Advocate, who would also bring peace.

"My peace I give to you," Jesus said.  It didn't, and still doesn't, come from anywhere or anyone else.  Is passes understanding and is beyond any previous experience.  And what were the first words Jesus uttered when He appeared to the disciples after His death and resurrection?  "Peace to you."

The apostle Paul linked prayer and peace with each other.  He advised us to leave every concern in prayer to God (Philippians 4:6-7).  We are to bring every single thing that causes helplessness - every fear, every worry - to Him.  Then the Holy Spirit can bring peace and will guard our hearts.  His peace will be ours as we practice this.

Where do you need peace today?  Look for verses in Scripture concerning the subject of your need.  Take those concerns to God, then allow Him to speak peace into your heart through His word.

- Anu Ahonen 

I thought of Psalm 121 ...

I will lift up my eyes to the hills - 

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, 

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; 

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel 

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Do you have a favourite Psalm or Bible verse that gives you peace?

A short hiatus...

 Hello friends!

I'm back after a bit of a break, due to necessity.  My daughter has been quite unwell for the last 6 weeks and most of my time has been taken up with hospital visits and accompanying her for various test and scans.  The short of it is that the doctors think it was an adverse reaction to the medication in an injection she was given. It's been a long process eliminating other causes, but praise God she is starting to improve.  So, I hope to be able to get back to more regular posting.

With all the sitting and waiting while she attended medical appointments, I have been able to get quite a few of my knitted squares for the fistula hospital blanket done.  I learnt to always take my knitting and something to read with me when I went with her as it could end up a long wait.

It's nice to get back to a more regular routine and be able to enjoy the autumn colours in the garden.

Back soon ...Lord willing.

xx

My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up. - Psalm 5:3

From Oasis of Hope (a devotional)...

 Thorn in the Flesh

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelation, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 ESV

We don't know the exact thorn Paul endured, but we know it was painful.  It harassed him, nagged him, bothered him.  The original word describes something more like a tent stake, not a tiny rose thorn.

So many people think thorns of illness and pain could never be part of the life of a believer.  According to Scripture, that's a lie.  We know it was given to Paul.  He begged God to remove this thorn, repeatedly.

It's not surprising because Paul was actively sharing the gospel, in a life of active ministry.  His suffering must have made the work even more challenging.

Our chronic, lingering illnesses not only bring physical suffering but emotional and spiritual ones.  Like Paul, we beg God for healing ... and sometimes He says no.  But perhaps, the Lord has a better plan for us, as He did for Paul.

In Paul's case, God's purpose was to keep him from pride, to help Paul experience His constantly sufficient grace to humbly keep going, and to show God's power through Paul's weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God's answer for us also might be His sufficient grace.  Our thorns may be here to stay, but he encourages us with this verse:

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13 ESV).  Maybe our illness is a "thorn" to help us place our hope completely on the day we will see Jesus, by His grace.

Let's pray for healing, but also trust His grace so we might be able to sing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" ("Amazing Grace," Newton, J., 1779).

Do you have a song of trust you could sing today?

- Lauri Hogle