Weekend Words

 From Be Still and Know...

"In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength, and ye would not" (Isaiah 30:15)

Does quietness describe your life today?  Or is it filled with tension and turmoil?  Such tension can bring depression of spirit, draining of energy, and depletion of strength.  Important, therefore, is an inner stability to carry us through the pressure times of life.

The children of Israel were in danger of an attack by the Assyrians.  Instead of going to the Lord for help, they turned to Egypt.  God warned them through the prophet, Isaiah, that only in returning to God and resting in Him, could they find safety and security.

When problems arise in our lives, we begin to seek ways of solving them ourselves.  We turn to those we think can give us assistance.  We try plans and methods we think may handle our situation, but non of our self-seeking plans is adequate.  This is not God's way.

WE must CEASE from OUR feverish activity, our self-effort, and rest in Him.  Quiet tension is not trust.  It is simply compressed anxiety.  Only in returning to God and resting in Him will we have quietness in place of fear and a confidence in God that will be our strength.

In a partnership, each partner shares in the work.  In our partnership with God, God does the work, but He uses our lives to accomplish it.  Our part is to be available.

God reminded the Israelites, "...and ye would not."  Sometimes we learn our most valuable lessons when "we would not."  We may have to learn the hard way.  When we rebel against returning to the Lord for His help,  He lets us experience the failure of going our own way.

Strength for meeting life each day becomes ours as we wait in His presence.  It is there we learn of Him; we discover His direction for our lives and are empowered of Him to accomplish it.  From this comes His quietness and confidence that strengthens us, knowing that all is well in God's hands.

"Ye would!"  "Ye would not!"  The choice is ours.

From Behold the Lilies...

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21

Did you notice that the servant was called good and faithful because he was faithful over a few things?  We often get this twisted and allow the influence of many years and many voices to tell us just the opposite: if we have many things and responsibilities, we are doing well.

God says we can be assured of His blessing if we are faithful with even just a few responsibilities.  In His mercy, God distributes gifts according to our various abilities.  If He would put a responsibility upon me that I could not carry out, I would be an unprofitable servant.  If He would give me more than I could take care of, I would be a poor steward.  Having less, and even by appearance doing less, will not disqualify us from heaven like unfaithfulness will.

Being discontent with my little can cause me to become unfaithful.  When I wish for more, the devil has blinded my eyes, making me believe that my acceptance with God lies in how much I do or have.  But the truth is that my acceptance is directly related to how devoted I am to God and how much I've allowed Him to take control of my life.  When God has captured all my attention and interest, I will be so busy serving Him that my little will become much because I am occupied with His joy.

Little deeds have inspired and challenged me as much as great sermons.  When I taught school, I was touched when little people willingly shared small things like a sheet of paper or a crayon.  A man stopped to do a kind deed by closing the car door for me.  A student brought me a drink because she heard me saying I was thirsty.

The children and the man on the street were perhaps unaware of what it means to be faithful in little things.  How much more should I as a Christian be aware of the value of being faithful in a few things?

Weekend Words (Easter)

From Beside the Still Waters...

Abide With Us - Read: Luke 24:1-32

"But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent." - Luke 24:29

At the dawning of this most glorious morning in the history of mankind, while the world lay hushed, several women were on their way to Jesus' tomb.  As far as they knew, its opening was covered by a great stone that they could not roll away, with the imperial seal of the Roman government on it so that no man might dare to move it.  The women also thought a detachment of soldiers was guarding the tomb.

But they were going anyway.  And behold, the mighty Roman Empire and its soldiers had proved strictly powerless before the angel who came to roll the stone away.  When it was time for our Savior to rise from the dead, all opposing forces were as nothing.  Oh, the praise due to our God for this most wonderful morning!  The completion of God's marvelous plan of salvation had been accomplished for all mankind.

Again in this account, we see the personal care that Jesus has for each of His followers individually.  That evening when two disciples were walking toward Emmaus, Jesus walked with them and talked with them and explained the Scriptures to them.  When they neared their destination, "he made as though he would have gone farther."  Had they not given Him the invitation, "Abide with us," He would not have tarried there.  But they did invite Him, and soon their eyes were opened and they knew Him.  As we observe this special day of remembering what Jesus has done for us, may we also invite Him to abide with us so that our eyes may be opened, we may receive understanding, and we may know Him.

Allen Hoover - Ephrata, PA

From Be Still and Know...

"Because I live, ye shall live also" (John 14:19)

In a world on the brink of collapse, gripped by hate and filled with despair, Easter has a powerful message.  It brings a message of LOVE, PEACE, and HOPE, for it is a message of LIFE.  "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).

Men's biographies end with their death; not so with the story of Jesus.  He rose from the dead, becoming the Living Savior.  In Revelation 1:18 we read, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore."

One day a man stood looking in a shop window at the picture of the crucifixion.  Standing next to him was a ragged little street urchin, lost in contemplation of the picture.  Wondering if the boy really understood its meaning, the man said, "Sonny, what does it mean?"  "Don't you know?" the boy replied.  "That man is Jesus.  The woman crying is His mother.  The others are the Roman soldiers."  He paused, then continued, "They killed Him."  The man turned away.  In a moment he heard steps running after him.  It was the little boy.  Breathlessly the boy said, "Say, mister, I forgot to tell you.  He rose from the dead."

Jesus' death and resurrection give us the promise of life everlasting.  "...Because I LIVE, ye shall LIVE also."

The personal possession of the life of the Risen Savior gives peace, power, and purpose for our daily living.  Jesus said, "I came that they may HAVE (not will have) and enjoy life, and have it in abundance - to the full, till it overflows" (John 10:10 Amplified).  His life filling our lives gives us power to meet each situation and is sufficient for each day.

Has Easter lost any of the freshness and reality of its meaning for you?  Is the presence of the Christ of Easter real to you?  Knowing the nearness of His presence doesn't depend on our feelings; we accept it by faith.  One of our lovely Easter songs asks the question "You ask me how I know He lives?"  The answer, "HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART."

On the home front...

It's raining here today, so I'm taking a break from the garden work to get a post done.  It's supposed to stop this afternoon so hopefully I can go for my walk then.  There is still plenty to do in the garden.  Yesterday I cut back a BIG rosemary bush (the size of a small tree), plus cutting back the blackberry bushes as they finishing fruiting.  Still picking some blackberries every couple of days, but they have just about finished.  The tomatoes are going well.  I pick some every couple of days, and when I have a tray full, I chop and freeze...

So far I've frozen about 4 kilos, but there are plenty more coming on.  I just hope the frost doesn't beat them

I also freeze sandwich size zip lock bags of  various foods to have on hand for easy access when needed for recipes...

top l-r: cooked lentils and blackberries (9 kilos so far)

bottom l-r: cooked chickpeas and cooked black eyed beans

Cooking up more apples, but these are some Marnie and Denver brought me from a road side stand they passed...  

One can never have too many apples!!

And I recently made a curry and coconut milk chicken and veg stirfry...

with the mandatory cashews sprinkled on top :)

And fried rice...

I finished the scarf I was knitting and also two beanies.  They will go (via Knit4Charities) to Backpacks for Kids in Victoria....

Picked up this book from the library and am really enjoying it...

and started another beanie for the kids backpacks

Some photos from my recent river walks.  Not all taken on the same day...

At this time of year, I sometimes feel a bit like the Ingalls, as they prepare for winter...

"All through the pleasant fall weather Laura and Carrie were busy girls.  In the mornings they helped do the chores and get breakfast.  Then they filled their dinner pail, dressed for school, and hurried away on the mile walk to town.  After school they hurried home, for there was work to do until darkness came.  Saturday was a whole day of busy working...

Laura and Carrie picked up potatoes while Pa dug them.  They cut the tops from turnips and helped Pa pile them in the wagon.  They pulled and topped the carrots, too, and the beets and onions.  They gathered the tomatoes and the ground-cherries...

All day long while the girls were at school, Ma made preserves of the red tomatoes, and the purple husk tomatoes, and of the golden ground - cherries.  She made pickles of the green tomatoes that would not have time to ripen before it froze.  The house was full of the syrupy scent of preserves and the spicy odor of pickles." 

(from Little Town on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder)

image from the book:  The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder

And after all this garden talk/work, I think it's time for my coffee :)

And also time to re-visit The Little House books!  It's been two years since I've re-read them and they make such a nice winter read.

Do you have books you like to re-visit every couple of years?

xx

Weekend Words

 From Our Daily Bread...

A King on a Donkey - Read Matthew 21:1-11

"See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey." (Matthew 21:5)

It was Sunday - the day we now call Palm Sunday.  Without a doubt, this wasn't Jesus' first visit to Jerusalem.  As a devout Jew, He would have gone to the city every year for the three great feast (Luke 2:41-42; John 2:13; 5:1).  In the past three years, Christ had also ministered and taught in Jerusalem.  But this Sunday His coming into the city was radically different.

By riding a young donkey into Jerusalem at a time when thousands of worshipers were coming to the city, Jesus was the center of attention (Matthew 21:9-11).  Why would He take the place of prominence before thousands of people when for the past three years He'd deliberately kept a low profile?  Why would He accept the people's proclamation that He was King just five days before His death?

Matthew says that this took place to fulfill a five-hundred-year-old prophecy (Matthew 21:4-5) that God's chosen king would come into Jerusalem "righteous and victorious, (yet) lowly and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9, see also Genesis 49:10-11).

This was a truly unusual way for a triumphant king to enter a city.  Conquering kings usually rode on mighty stallions.  But Jesus didn't come riding a warhorse.  This reveals what kind of King Jesus is.  He came in meekness and lowliness.  Jesus came not for war, but for peace, establishing peace between God and us (Acts 10:36; Colossians 1:20).

K. T. Sim

What kind of king is Jesus to you today?

How can you honor Him as your King?

Jesus, thank you for coming into Jerusalem to reveal Your mighty and humble ways.  Fill my heart with your peace. 

*****

From Beside the Still Waters...

Jesus Knowing All Things - Read: John 13:1-5, 16:25-55

"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God..." - John 13:3

How would it be if we knew beforehand the things that are going to take place?  Would we try to rearrange matters to suit ourselves, and especially to remove unpleasant experiences that call for self-sacrifice?  We can clearly see that Jesus struggled with submitting to death on the cross when he prayed in the garden, "Let this cup pass from me."  We also see His submission to the will of God in His words, "Not my will, but thine, be done."  Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross "for the joy that was set before him."

Jesus knew that He had come from God.  This did not cause Him to lift Himself up in pride or to seek a reputation; rather, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the will of God.  Jesus also knew that all things had been given into His hands, which means the choice was His concerning the use of legions of angels, the full finishing of the salvation of souls, and the endurance of intense suffering.  He knew who would betray Him and told Judas to do it "quickly."  Jesus always leaves the choice of life or death, blessing or cursing, to every man.

Once we know the will of God, we need to yield ourselves to it.  We do not have foreknowledge as Jesus did, but we do have the same choice to rebel or submit to God's will as He did.  And just as it was for Him, we find peace in submission, and joy in victory over evil.  And we look forward to heaven in the end!

Daniel Stauffer - Ephrata, PA

Blessed are all who willingly learn obedience through suffering.

Weekend Words

 From Be Still and Know...

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God." (Isaiah 41:10)

As you begin a new day, do you wonder what it will hold?  Because of the uncertainty and insecurity of life, fear of the unknown often fills our hearts.  We may fear loss of employment, sickness, being left alone, or failure of being accepted in society.  People are sometimes so gripped by fear that they can't cope with life.

What place should fear have in the life of a Christian?  If we are honest, we must admit that at some time each of us has experienced fear.  Satan makes every effort to keep us fearful, robbing us of trust in the Lord.  He will attempt to discredit the power of God to handle our situations and keep us from the assurance of His personal interest in us.

Fear is not of God.  "For God has not given us the spirit of fear" (2 Timothy 1:7).  Throughout the Bible two simple, encouraging words, "Fear not," reassure us that we can TRUST GOD.

In today's Scripture verse we are reminded of two reasons why we need not fear.  First, because "I AM WITH YOU."  When fear comes He speaks these comforting words, "Fear not, for I am with YOU."  It is easier, when going through trouble, if someone shares the burden with you.  In our times of stress and strain God is our present companion, easing our load and encouraging our hearts.  He does not say, "I HAVE been with thee," or "I WILL be with thee," but "I AM with thee."  Surely we need not fear when we have the companionship of the God of the universe.

Then we need have no fear because He is our personal God.  "I am THY GOD."  The all-powerful God, the creator of heaven and earth, is interested in us and cares for us.  Not one detail in our lives is unimportant to Him.  He is saying, "Fear not; I am in control of your circumstances."

Paul reminds us of this same truth in 2 Corinthians 6:16.  HIS PRESENCE in us: God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM, and walk with them."  HIS PERSONAL INTEREST in us: "I will be THEIR GOD, and they shall be MY PEOPLE."

From A Prairie Devotional...

HOLD STILL AND LISTEN

"If you'd hold still for a minute, I'd tell you." - Laura Ingalls

Our lives and schedules are full.  We zip from one task to the next, hoping to accomplish everything on our to-do list while longing to discover purpose in it all.  I've found myself, when speeding around, asking God to reveal His will for my life.  Will God instruct us while we're multitasking?  Laura had an idea for how they could surprise Mary, but Albert wouldn't stop talking and cleaning the stalls to hear her out.  Laura encouraged Albert to hold still, in much the same way that God asks us to "be still, and know" (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Sometimes life forces us to stop.  That happened to me when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Immediately, every plan, every item on my to-do list that didn't have to do with healing was put on hold.  Suddenly I had time to think and pray.  It proved to be a season during which God whispered all kinds of promises to me through His Word and through His people.  But mostly, I heard Him in the stillness.

One of our greatest challenges when we're before the Lord is learning to be quiet - to stop talking.  Stop asking.  There are times when pouring out our hearts is necessary.  At other times, silence gives way to the simplest, most authentic connection.  We will never know what the Lord has to tell us if we don't cease our constant chatter.  How much direction might I have missed before my surgery experience because I didn't stop to listen?

Since recovering from my brain surgery, I'm in motion most of the time.  Now I'm constantly striving to find more quiet.  Our homes aren't always the best places for silence, especially if children are around.

When I need peace, I go to the beach.  There's something about taking in the beauty of creation that inspires stillness in me.  To sit and watch the waves, waiting for the colors to erupt as the sun dips down; for me it is the perfect place to listen.

It's not easy for us to put our agendas aside and be quiet.  It takes sacrifice and discipline on our part.  Yet God has so much to tell us in the silence.  Just as Laura said, hold still and let Him tell you.

The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength." - Isaiah 30:15

grand daughter Hazel 'being still' and watching her butterfly

On the home front...

 A change of scenery last week and a walk with Marnie by the Mersey River and up Dooley's Hill while she did a photo shoot for her new business Campfire Beanies...

Marnie gave me some squash and zucchini from her garden, which I've chopped up and frozen for soup making...

And a chicken and cashew stir fry for lunch is hard to beat...

Meanwhile, Freya has decided my knitting bag makes a good bed...

Finished the two baby blankets I was knitting and they have been mailed off to a charity in Victoria...

Working on a scarf with the yarn I picked up recently from the op shop.  This will also be for charity...

Finished these two books.  Both very good...

Wurmbrand

Through Shadow and Sunshine

Reading these ones now...

Life Lessons from the Hiding Place

The Torch of Truth

And I'm starting a Bible study via correspondence through CWCI and their KYB studies...

I've been part of quite a few KYB (Know Your Bible) groups over the years, but as there is no group currently meeting close by, I've decided to do a study by correspondence.

I'll leave you with a quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder...

"I believe we would be happier to have a personal revolution in our individual lives and go back to simpler living and more direct thinking.  It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature.  There are not hothouse blossoms that can compare with my bouquet of wildflowers."

The above two illustrations are from the book The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder...

I wish you a day of simple blessings!

xx