Weekend Words

 From Our Daily Bread Classic Gems...

No Complaints - Read Numbers 14:1-12

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing." - Philippians 2:14

I am sure we would all be surprised if we could hear a recording of our conversations for a single day.  We would be amazed at how much we grumble and complain.

Children grip about homework or washing the dishes.  Mothers complain about having to spend so much time picking up after everybody in the family.  Fathers come home and make bitter remarks about their work.  And so it goes the whole day through.

In our Bible reading today we hear the complaints of the children of Israel who had just come out of Egypt (Numbers 14:2-3).  After all that God had done for them, they should have been grateful and eager to obey Him.  But, because of their unbelief and disobedience, an entire generation never reached the promised land (v. 23).

Today as well, grumblers forfeit God's blessings and spread discouragement to those around them.  That type of attitude is inappropriate for a follower of Christ.  Pioneer missionary Hudson Taylor said: "If your father and mother, your sister and brother, yes even the very cat and dog in your house are not happier for your being a Christian, it is a question whether you really are one or not."

Do our words honor the Lord?  Do we spread joy and encourage others to trust and obey Him?

Reflect and Pray

The Christian with a thankful heart

Who praises God throughout the day

Will never grumble or complain

When things don't go his way. - JDB

A complaining Christian is a contradiction in terms.

From Beside the Still Waters...

Blessings Bring Responsibilities - Read: Deuteronomy 8

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee." - Deuteronomy 16:17

When we ask God to bless us, we need to remember the responsibility that comes with the answer to our prayer.  Every time God gives us blessings, He wants us to thank and honor Him for them.  "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:8).  We should thank God even when our blessings result from our hard work, "for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:18).

When we ask blessings of the Lord, we must also remember our responsibility to use them for His glory rather than for self-gratification.  We are always duty bound to share the blessings we receive.  One reason they are given is to see how willing we are to help those in need.  I once heard of a farmer who was blessed with rain all summer while his neighbors received little rain on their fields.  The next winter, this man's neighbors came to buy his excess crops.  But he blessed them to take what they needed without charge and use them.  "The Lord blessed me to see if I am willing to share with people more needy than I."  Such an example should not just stir our admiration but should also inspire us to do the same.

We may never become as rich as Job, but we must always be humble about our possessions as Job was.  Then even if we should lose everything, we can have the same testimony that he had.  "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

- Fred Beachy - Crofton, KY

Weekend Words

 

From Behold the Lilies...

"And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them." - Mark 6:34

Jesus was moved with compassion toward the needy around Him.  Here were more than five thousand hungry people, and He had only five loaves and two fish with which to feed them.  To the disciples it seemed hopeless to even begin feeding all these people, but Jesus used the little He had to meet all their needs.  

As we look around us, we see many people facing trials and discouragement, and those who do not know the peace which comes through faith in Jesus.  We might be unable to reach many people, but we can watch for opportunities in little things like giving a smile to those we meet, singing songs as we go about our duties, or writing a letter to a lonely or struggling person.  We will receive blessings for faithfulness in the little things the Lord prompts us to do.  God is able to bless each small deed done for Him, just as He blessed those five loaves and two fish that supplied the needs of many people.

Today, Lord, help me to sense the needs of those around me, and to do well the little you have for me to do.

From Beside the Still Waters...

Claiming God's Promises - Read 2 Peter 1:1-15

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen." - 2 Corinthians 1:20

In 1974 my wife and I had a dairy farm in eastern Ontario.  I was 35 years old when I was ordained as a minister.  The church had called us to move to northwestern Ontario to start a congregation in an isolated community about 1,100 miles away.  This took faith, and we laid hold on the "exceeding great and precious promises" of God.  We had a motto in our kitchen that said, "The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."  That saying has been our experience.

From 1995 to 2017, we spent a few months in India almost every winter to help with church work there.  Were it not for God's promises, we couldn't have done this.  Matthew 6:33 became real to us: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

On May 22, 2020, God called my dear wife home to glory after we were married for 58 years.  Since then I have had to rely on the promises of God in a new way.

Whatever your situation, you can personally claim the promises of God as your own.  If you are a widow or widower, live on the precious promises of the past, the prayers of the saints, the grace of God, and above all God's unfailing promises.  You will find it a blessing to reach out to others as you can.

Remember 1 Peter 5:7: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  Also remember that Jesus is coming soon.  If we serve him faithfully, we can claim the glorious promise that "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

Cleason Martin - Mine Centre, ON

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness". - 2 Peter 3:13

Weekend Words

 From Letters from Ruth's Attic...

What Lies Ahead

"Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ... Your father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." - Luke 12:29-31, NKJV

One day many years ago, as I was driving home from town with one of our sons, he kept urging me to hurry.  "Go faster, Mother!" he insisted.  But he was too young to read the road sign that said 45 mph.  And again, "Pass him, Mother."  But he was too small to see that there was a double yellow line.

Then I began applying the brakes.  "Why are you stopping?" he demanded.

"There's a school bus ahead that has stopped," I replied.  I thought to myself, "When God is at the wheel, we may request - but never insist.  We are too young to read certain signs, too small to see what lies ahead."

George MacDonald writes, "There is a communion with God that asks for nothing, yet asks for everything. ...He who seeks the Father more than anything He can give, is likely to have what he asks, for he is not likely to ask amiss."

There may be a long interval between these two clauses from John 16:24: "ask and ye shall receive" and "that your joy may be full" (KJV).  But the end of true prayer is always joy.

Prayer: How good it is to know that I can rest in Your provision for me, Lord. 
When I am anxious and worried about the future, please help me to seek Your face instead.

From Water My Soul...

Winter Storm

Exodus 20:18-21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Matthan is at the age when storms are fearful things.  Sometimes just a scattering of raindrops from grey clouds is enough to send him into a panic.

There are times when he seeks shelter in the dark cavity behind the couch.  Most often though, the arms of his family are his preferred method of comfort.  At the first rumble of thunder or the first sweep of wind along the treetops, he runs to whomever is closest to be soothed and cuddled.

I am afraid of some storms too.  Not necessarily of the tempests that blow through the hills with wild gales that set the treetops to dancing and bending, but the ones that sweep over my life with sudden fury.  The ones that settle down upon me with thick, smothering clouds and ice my soul with their frigid winds.

I'm afraid of the storms that bring to my heart a season that feels like a perpetual winter.

My favorite words in these verses of Exodus 20 are found in verse 21: "Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."

God is in the midst of the storm!  In the thick darkness, to be exact.  Why fear the heavy clouds that settle over us, when that is where God is?  There is no storm He hasn't seen coming, no conflict that ever takes Him by surprise.  God is never caught off guard by the unfolding events that leave me reeling with shock.

In some ways Matthan is wise.  When storms come, he runs to the arms of those he loves and trusts.  We don't stop the winds or turn a spigot to stop the torrents of rain, but we do our best to calm him.  We go with him through the storm and emerge together on the other side.

God does no less for those who turn to Him when the storms of life rage.  After all, He has promised, "and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).  He might not stop the winds, nor does He automatically make everything better, but He does walk with us through the storm.

And when the storm is subsiding and the gusts of wind are slackening, He is still with us.  He didn't leave us during the bad days or the worst hours.  Just as I would never leave Matthan when he's afraid.

Prayer: Some of life's storms are frightening to the extreme, God.  Remind me again that You have promised to walk through all my storms with me.

Reflection: Is someone I know experiencing a storm?  How could I help?

Weekend Words

 From More Letters from Ruth's Attic...

Morning Song

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare your loving-kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night." - Psalm 92:1-2

Many years ago, I had been getting up early, fixing myself a cup of coffee and then sitting in the rocker on the front porch while I prayed for each of our children and for each of theirs.

One morning I woke earlier than usual.  It was 5 o'clock, with dawn just breaking over the mountains.  I collected my cup of coffee and settled into the old rocker.  Suddenly I realized a symphony of bird song was literally surrounding me.  The air was liquid with music, as if the whole creation were praising God at the beginning of a new day.  I chuckled to hear the old turkey gobbler that had recently joined our family, gobbling away down in the woods at the top of his voice as if he were a song sparrow.

And I learned a lesson.  I had been beginning my days with petitions, and I should have been beginning them with praise.

When the disciples asked our Lord to teach them how to pray, He gave them what we commonly know as the Lord's Prayer.  The very first line is one of praise: "Hallowed be thy name."

In the 17th century, John Trapp wrote: "He lets out His mercies to us for the rent of our praise, and is content that we may have the benefit of them so He may have the glory."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You for who You are and for the abundant blessings You provide.  I join with all of creation in thanking You and worshiping You at the beginning of each day.  To You be all the glory.

From Be Still and Know...

"In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8

There is a legend about two angels - Angel Requests and Angel Thanks.  Each morning they come from heaven and go on errands all day.  At the close of the day Angel Requests has his basket full, but Angel Thanks only has a few in his basket.  Have you ever stopped to consider how many "Thank You" messages you send up to God in comparison to the number of requests?

Thanksgiving is not an arbitrary choice we have, but it is a command from God.  "in EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS."  It is not difficult to give thanks when life is going along smoothly and we have what we want.

But what about the times when everything goes wrong?  When we are sick?  Discouraged?  In despair?  Heartbroken?

Regardless of our circumstances, we are told to give thanks; give thanks IN everything, not FOR everything.  "Thank [God] in everything - no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks; for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Amplified).

This Scripture verse tells us we are to give thanks, for it is the WILL OF GOD FOR US.  Paul reminds us, "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor], all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to those who love God and are called according to [His] purpose" (Romans 8:28, Amplified).  It must be personal - "concerning YOU."

We may be going through testings and trials today.  We can be thankful that God loves us enough to trust us with testings.  We can thank Him for the necessary lessons we are learning.  We can thank Him for the assurance of knowing that He has the answer for our need.

As we thank Him for all the happenings in our life, the unpleasant ones as well as the pleasant, He can turn them into blessings.  Thanksgiving can lift us above our circumstances.

Have you been thanking Him in everything?  Take time to do so today.

On the home front...

We've had some wet weather the last couple of days, so I've been able to get a bit more inside time.

These were mailed off to Knit 4 Charities for Backpack for Kids (Vic) during the week.  They had also asked for kids underwear and socks, so I picked some up on special at the supermarket...

I'm looking forward to getting started collecting for the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes this month.

Knitting a pair of house slippers for myself...

This book is a real page turner!  It's set in Alaska, so how could I not love it!!...

and started a crocheted lap blanket

My bedtime reads...

finished War-Torn Valley, and started Eyes for My Heart last night

Marnie came to stay last weekend as Denver was away mountain climbing (Mt Osa) with friends.

She and I did the short Lilydale Falls walk on the Saturday.  Here's a few photos...

We incorporated a photo shoot for her new business venture: Campfire Beanies...

It was a magical place!!

It seems to me I'd like to go  Where bells don't ring, nor whistles blow,

Nor clocks don't strike, nor gongs sound,

And I'd have stillness all around.

Not real stillness, but just the trees, Low whispering, or the hum of bees,

Or brooks faint babbling over stones,

In strangely, softly tangled tones.

Or maybe a cricket or katydid, Or the songs of birds in the hedges hid,

Or just some such sweet sound as these,

To fill a tired heart with ease...

(Nixon Waterman, extract from "Far From the Madding Crowd")

Weekend Words

 From Water My Soul...

Pruning Back the Forest

Psalm 18:36; Proverbs 4:21; 1 Peter 2:21-22

We built our home into a mountainside covered with trees, brush, and green briars.  Basically, we chopped out an area of wilderness and placed a bit of civilization within it.  Briars crowded as close as we permitted them.

Born into me, for some reason, was an urge to plant, weed, garden, and dig in the soil.  I set about making a garden in this wilderness, which was the place I had come to call home.  It was at once wearily demanding and highly elating.

The gardens I was making were rewarding as they grew, but for every inch of ground I took from the forest and mountain around me, several more inches were revealed.  Bit by bit I pruned back the forest, but always there would be more to do.  Unless I plan to landscape entire mountainsides - which I don't - I will never be finished.

I encountered a similar situation in my spiritual life.  My heart was full of the thickets and briars at one time; when I began pruning in there, so much more was revealed that needed to be pruned.  For every sinful thought and habit I yanked out, God showed me another that needed some attention when it was exposed to his Word and will.

Sometimes we're tempted to look at the Bible and say, "There's so much in here I don't understand.  Why even try?"

The truth is, I'll never understand everything.  But I do understand enough to begin, which is admitting I'm a sinner who needs Jesus' blood and God's grace or I'm lost for eternity.  Then I begin studying the Bible.  And as I go, the way will be opened, step by step.

God could open our eyes all at once to everything he wants us to learn.  But it usually happens step by step and inch by inch as we read and study and discover new ways of applying his Word to our life.  Most often, we prune back the tangle of sin and wrong reactions and attitudes and thoughts one small bit and one small victory at a time.

We must take that first step that's clear to us before God will show us what's next.  In the same way that life is lived hour by hour and day by day rather than all at once, so our spiritual life needs to follow a step-by-step pattern.  The second step won't be revealed until we take the first.

It has taken me years to prune back the forest around our house to the point where I have it now.  And if I were to relax for even one season, briars would come creeping back and small trees would take root and begin to grow where they shouldn't.  It takes much serveillance.

My heart is the same way.  If I relax my vigil, selfishness creeps back in - plus greed, pride, anger, and so much else that is wrong.  

Pruning back the forest doesn't happen in a day.  Neither will I learn everything I need to know about living a Christ-filled life all at once.

But step by step and inch by inch.  It's amazing what one can do just a little bit at a time.

Prayer: Show me what I should work at in my heart today, Lord.  Show me what I should prune out next.

Reflection: What is one small step toward a better relationship with God that I could take today?

From Behold the Lilies...

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." - Deuteronomy 33:27

My nine year old friend and I took a walk after the sun had set.  Because I am not sure-footed on unfamiliar ground in the dark, he allowed me to lean on his arm - or rather, to hold on to him.  It was not quite strong enough to lean on as I would on an adult's arm, yet I was touched by his willingness to meet my need.  He did help me to keep my balance, but I knew he could not keep me from falling.

I live in a dark world, and I need help to live a godly life.  I appreciate the examples of other Christians.  I appreciate their perseverance and the fruit coming from their lives.  They are a big help and they keep me balanced, but they do have weaknesses.  Because of the human tendency to fail, I cannot lean only on them.

I appreciate the blessing of freedom to worship and the privilege to gather to hear the Word of God.  This inspires and spurs me on, but it has limits.  Between attending services, I need encouragement and reminders too.

I appreciate reading accounts of individuals who performed acts of kindness and generosity, or who stood unyielding on an issue of moral principle.  But their lives may also hold inconsistencies, so I cannot follow their example in everything.

Where, then, is somebody or something to lean on safely as I travel through the dark?  The Lord invites me to lean on His arm.  It does not fail.  It is always available and has no inconsistencies.  It is revealed in the Word, so I can use that as a safe guide.  That strong arm seems to be around me as I read excerpts from his Word: "He giveth power to the faint ... I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness ... For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand ... The joy of the Lord is your strength."