Weekend Words

 From A Year's Journey with God...

When His Power is Greatest

"My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." - 2 Corinthians 12:9a

In 1822 Charlotte Elliot would have described herself as a very religious young woman - until she had a chance encounter with a man who infuriated her by asking if she was a Christian.  She quickly snubbed him, but for three weeks she thought of nothing else.  Fortunately she 'chanced' to meet the man again and told him how she had been trying to find Jesus.  "You have nothing of merit to bring to God.  You must come just as you are," he replied.  Charlotte later wrote the hymn which has brought thousands to Jesus all over the world:

Just as I am, without one plea

but that Thy blood was shed for me

and that Thou bid'st me come to Thee

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

All her life Charlotte suffered from illness and crippling fatigue.  Confined to her home feeling useless, she often wished she could do wonderful things for her Lord like her brother, Henry, who was a clergyman with a highly successful ministry.  She did not live to hear him say one day, when his work was being highly praised, "I feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister's - 'Just As I Am.'"

O Lamb of God, I come.

Be All at Rest

"Be all at rest my soul." O blessed secret

Of the true life that glorifies the Lord:

Not always does the busiest soul best serve Him,

But he who resteth on His faithful Word.

"Be all at rest," for rest is highest service;

To the still heart, God doth His secrets tell.

Thus shalt thou learn to wait and watch and labour,

Strengthened to bear, since Christ in thee doth dwell.

For what is service, but the life of Jesus,

Lived through a vessel of earth's fragile clay,

Loving and giving, poured forth for others -

"A living sacrifice" from day to day.

And what shall meet the deep unrest around thee,

But the calm peace of God that fills His breast.

For still a living voice doth call the weary

To Him who said, "Come unto Me and rest."

Therefore "be all at rest, my soul," toward Him,

If thou a revelation of the Lord wouldst be:

For in the quiet confidence that never doubts Him,

Others His truth and faithfulness shall see.

"Be all at rest," for rest alone becometh

The soul that casts on Him its every care;

"Be all at rest," so shall thy life proclaim Him,

A God who worketh and who heareth prayer.

"Be all at rest," so shalt thou be an answer

To those who question, "Who is God, and where?"

For God is rest, and where He dwells is stillness;

And they who dwell in Him that rest shall share.

- Freda Hanbury Allen

Weekend Words

 From A Year's Journey with God...

Live as if...

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

 - Matthew 24:44

'Why doesn't God do something?' Have you ever thought that as you watch reports of war, tyranny or injustice?  One day He is going to!  John tells us: 'Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him' (Revelation 1:7).  It really is going to happen!  At long last, Jesus will give our universe a brand new start, and rule it with love and justice!  And you and I will be part of it, whether we have died or are still alive when He arrives.

Living in the light of that glorious prospect needs to change the way we live our lives now, altering our values and putting our grumbles and resentments into proportion (1 Peter 1:13).

John, one of the men who heard Jesus talking about His return that evening on the Mount of Olives, later wrote, 'Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself...' (1 John 3:3) and '...continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming' (1 John 2:28).  I'll never forget an old lady in our church, called Mary.  She cheered everyone up as she hurried about serving God in all kinds of little ways.  She often told me to live each day as if I knew Jesus was coming back before bedtime.

Nothing done for Christ is lost.  The smallest act, the quietest word, the gentlest inspirations that touch human souls leave their impress for eternity.

- J R Miller, In His Steps (1885, 1897)

From Faith's Checkbook...

A Trustworthy Name

"I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord."

Zephaniah 3:12

When true religion is ready to die out among the wealthy it finds a home among the poor of this world, rich in faith.  The Lord has even now His faithful remnant.  Am I one of them?

Perhaps it is because men are afflicted and poor that they learn to trust in the name of the Lord.  He whose own name is good for nothing in his own esteem, acts wisely to rest in another name, the name of Jehovah.  Little as the world thinks of poor people, they bring untold blessings, for they are the conserving salt that keeps in check the corruption in the world.

Again the question: am I one of them?  Do I trust in the Lord?  Jesus reveals the name, the character, the person of God: am I trusting in Him?  If so, I am left in the world for a purpose.  Lord, help me to fulfill it.

- Charles H Spurgeon

Weekend Words

 From Be Still and Know...

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." - Psalm 32:1

"I shall not want" means "I shall not lack" 

I shall not lack REST - "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures."

I shall not lack REFRESHMENT - "He leadeth me beside the still waters."

I shall not lack REVIVING - :He restoreth my soul."

I shall not lack GUIDANCE - "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

I shall not lack COMPANIONSHIP - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

I shall not lack COMFORT - "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

I shall not lack SUSTENANCE - "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies."

I shall not lack JOY - "Thou anointest my head with oil."

I shall not lack ANYTHING - "My cup runneth over."

I shall not lack ANYTHING IN THIS LIFE - "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

I shall not lack ANYTHING IN ETERNITY - "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Once a little boy was taught the first sentence of Psalm 23 by his uncle.  The uncle said, "The Lord is my shepherd."  The small child repeated it.  Thinking this was as much as the boy could remember, the uncle said, "That's enough."  The little fellow repeated, "That's 'nuff."  From then on whenever asked to repeat the verse he would say, "The Lord is my shepherd - that's 'nuff."

The Lord is MY shepherd, all the days of MY LIFE.

Weekend Words

From Be Still and Know...

"So don't be anxious about tomorrow, God will take care of  your tomorrow too.  Live one day at a time." Matthew 6:34 

One day as I sat in a railroad station, a woman hurried in.  As I watched her, I was aware that she was having difficulty with her reservations.  Finally she came and sat beside me.  She related all that had gone wrong.  She looked at me and said very seriously, "Can you think of anything I should be worrying about that I am not?"  We smiled at that, yet by the way we live do we display that attitude?  I remember a time in my life when I thought I must be overlooking something if I wasn't worrying.

One of the greatest fears today is of the unknown, the uncertainty and insecurity of tomorrow.  God's Word tells us that we are not to be anxious about our tomorrows.

Worry accomplishes nothing.  It can't add to the length of life; it can't change its course; it can't solve one problem.  "Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matthew 6: 27)

Worry shows lack of trust in the Lord.  It is saying in effect, "I don't believe God is big enough to handle my problem."

Worry adds tomorrow's cares to today's load.  Someone has said, "What I have to do tomorrow has made a wreck of me today."

Worry is a useless expenditure of time.  In Psalm 37:8 we read, "Don't fret and worry - it only leads to harm."

This does not mean we are not to plan for our future, making no provision for our needs.  If He is mindful of the birds and flowers, will He not care for us?  But our trust must be in HIM.

Our tomorrows are in God's hands.  They are His tomorrows.  As they become our todays, we can deposit them with Him, knowing our sufficiency for them is in Him.

Someone has said, "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its trials - it simply empties today of its joy.  Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow - it empties today of its strength."

What-if

What-if took hold of both my hands

And shakily proclaimed,

"What if you cannot do this job?

You'll be the one who's blamed."

"What-if did really paralyze

My "I-will-try-it" hands;

And then it kicked my willing feet

So courage could not stand.

But when I paused and prayed to God,

And asked for faith instead,

The What-if monster had to flee,

Along with doubt and dread.

If What-if comes to steal your peace,

Do not invite him in.

He brings with him blind unbelief,

Which then can lead to sin.

Have faith in God for all your needs;

Trust Him for future days.

Look daily for His benefits,

And learn to know His ways.

- Gloria Mast

All photos taken on a recent trip to Hawley Beach, Tasmania