"Conflict" A poem by Anna Shipton

"Lord! my soul is burdened By a weight of care,

And my foot is taken in the fowler's snare;

​Darkness gathers o'er me, I shall fall or flee:

Helper of the helpless, Rise and succor me!

Dangers seem to threaten, Tempters' wiles assail;

In Thy light I see them, Yet I weakly quail.

Strange unholy terrors In my bosom rise;

"What distrustful language— Heavy groans and sighs!

Thoughts of sin's defilement Born of faithless mood,

Hosts of unclean devils, guests of hell's dark brood,

Leave me lame and mourning, Blind to seek and trace

All the glorious beauty Of Immanuel's face.

Look, oh, look upon me! See my wounds! and hear

In my soul's veiled chambers, what dishonoring fear!

Withered arms for service, And a palsied frame

That hath scarce a heart-throb At Thy precious name.

Touch me, cleanse me, heal me! Thou didst give me life;

Speak the word, and save me From this deadly strife.

Thine is full salvation, And the gift is free:

Helper of the helpless, Rise and succor me!

Hast Thou cast me from Thee? Well Thou mayst. Ah, no!

Hold me fast, sweet Jesus! Whither should I go?

Should I seek to hide me In some desert spot,

Earth no cavern holdeth Where my God is not.

Could I rise to heaven, Thus by fears oppressed,

There art Thou! Descending To the grave's dark breast,

​Even there Thou reignest; And the shades of night

Open lie as noon-day, To Thy piercing sight!

Wherefore am I thus, Lord? I, who fain would show

To the thirsty pilgrim Where the waters flow;

Where the milk to nourish, Where the wine of home,

Are so freely offered Unto all that come.

Father! may I call Thee Abba—Father—mine?

Dost Thou look upon me, And still own me Thine?

Ah! Thy Spirit shows me Christ! my Priest and King,

Sinless, Stainless, Perfect, Is my Offering.

Look on Thine Anointed; Let my tongue be mute,

While we gaze together On my Substitute.

​Thou art full well pleased With Thy spotless Lamb;

And Thy Spirit tells me What, O God, I am!

Lost, abhorred, and loathsome, Leprous and unclean;

Yet, enrobed in Jesus, I am spotless seen.

Oh, the weight of glory It is mine to share!

Even now He calls me "Altogether fair."

Lo, I see Thee, Jesus, Ransom of my soul!

Hast Thou not redeemed me? Let the thunders roll.

Can the law convict me? Thou hast set me free!

Back, thou wily Tempter, Jesus died for me.

Bend, oh, bend my will, Lord! This—my only aim;

For in light or darkness Thou art still the same.

​Give me, or withhold then, What Thou seest best;

Not upon Thy gifts, Lord— On Thyself I rest.

Did He say, "To-morrow I will hear thee"? Nay!

Full and free the fountain Floweth every day.

Holy Dove, oft grieved, Ere my tears were dried,

To my listening spirit Thy still voice replied.

"Child, My child! be patient: I thy sins have borne;

I have marked the conflict, And the scoffer's scorn;

I have seen the sorrows Of thy broken heart,

And in thy affliction Borne a brother's part.

"Wouldst thou fear the darkness, Didst thou hate the light?

"Would thy sin displease thee, Were thy sin delight?

​Evil would be welcome, Wert thou of the earth:

Child, look up to heaven, Whence thou hadst thy birth.

"Put thy heel on Satan, Draw the Spirit's sword,

Prove thy holy breast-plate, Take Me at My word.

Am I not thy Fortress? Wherefore fall or fly;

Grasp thy palm, rejoicing In My victory.

"'Tis the lowliest conquers; 'Tis by might of love

That the weakest soldier Doth the bravest prove.

Rest thee, weary tremble! Was the strife unsent?

Nay! thy King was with thee: Not a bow was bent,

"But thy Lord who loves thee Guided every dart;

See! they only sent thee nearer to my heart.

​At thine hands upraised Half thy foes withdrew;

Forward! I have conquered, Thou shalt conquer too.

"Child! in Me abiding, Nought thy foot shall move;

Fear not! I will help thee, Mine is changeless love.

Take My yoke upon thee, Learn the way from Me;

I am meek and lowly, Meek and lowly be.

"Take My yoke—I bore it, Lean upon My breast;

I have fought thy battle, Share with me My rest.

Soon the plains of glory Sinless thou shalt tread;

My right hand upholds thee, Rise—be undismayed.

"Trust Me—only trust Me! Wherefore shouldst thou quail?

Can a weapon prosper, Shall a foe prevail,

​'Gainst the Lord's Anointed? He hath set their bounds;

While thy faith, though feeble, Loving-kindness crowns."

I don't know about you, but I thought it well worth reading. 

Trust...

We really can trust Him at all times. He knows the end from the beginning, He is intimately aware of every detail about us and He has prepared good works for us to walk in. 

How amazing it is that the Lord God Almighty invites us to pour out our hearts to Him. He knows how wicked and deceitful our hearts have been and He has cleansed us from sin when we confess and forsake them.

I think this may be another of my favourite verses. Whenever my heart is getting full, I need to remember to pour it out to the Lord. He understands the way I feel (and what is more amazing to me, He loves me anyway) 

He is utterly trustworthy. 

He is my refuge. 

Is He your refuge too??

Return to your rest

I think this may be one of my favourite verses. Time and again I find great comfort in it. It's a great reminder for me that the Lord is so gracious and delights in dealing bountifully with His people.

This is the only way to find true rest. 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Thank You Lord for dealing bountifully with me!

New Year

I came across the above in my great

 Grandma's remembrance book and

 thought it was a helpful reminder. 

Personally I seem to have mixed feelings

 about new years, so I'm very glad for this

 promise from Matthew 28. "lo, I am with

 you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen." "

No matter what happens in 2020, we don't 

face it alone. 

The Lord has promised to be with His 

people and His plans really are the best!

Delight

Some quotes from George Muller. 

"The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord."

"There were few people, perhaps, more passionately fond of travelling, and seeing fresh places, and new scenes, than myself; but now, since, by the grace of God, I have seen beauty in the Lord Jesus, I have lost my taste for these things."

"At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since. "


Truly when we see the King in His beauty (Isaiah 33:17) , we should be filled with the greatest delight. The One who is far above all principalities and powers and every name that is named has chosen to reveal Himself to us in such a way as to restore fellowship between God and man through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. What love and grace! What condescension and mercy! What a price He paid for sinners to be forgiven of every thing that offended the Holy God! He made us His children when we used to be enemies! What tremendously blessed privileged people He has made us!

Some more challenging quotes from Samuel Rutherford

“Come, warm your hearts, all intellectual capacities, at this fire; O come, all ye created faculties, and smell the precious ointments of Christ; O come, sit down under this shadow, taste and eat the apples of life. O that angels would come, and generations of men, and wonder, admire, adore, fall down before the unsearchable wisdom of this gospel art of the unsearchable riches of Christ!” 

“I pray God that I may never find my will again. Oh, that Christ would subject my will to His, and trample it under His feet.”

“Our fair morning is at hand, the day-star is near the rising, and we are not many miles from home; what matters the ill entertainment in the smoky inns of this miserable life? We are not to stay here, and we will be dearly welcome to him whom we go to.”

“We may sing beforehand, even in our winter storm, in the expectation of a summer sun at the turn of the year; no created powers can mar our Lord Jesus' music, nor spill our song of joy. Let us then be glad and rejoice in the salvation of our Lord; for faith had never yet cause to have wet cheeks, and hanging-down brows, or to droop or die.”

“Since He looked upon me my heart is not my own. He has run away to heaven with it.”

“I never knew Christ ebb or flow, wax or wane; when he seemeth to change it is but we who turn our faces from him. Surely he hath borne with strange ways in me.  I was before at variance with Christ because I believed His outward look rather than His faithful promise, Yet He hath in patience waited for me till I have come to myself, and hath not taken advantage 'of my weak apprehensions of His goodness.'”

“You remember, ‘your summer days would have clouds, and your rose a prickly thorn beside it.’ In heaven alone is Christ enjoyed without alloy; here we must share His cross, yet I know no tree beareth sweeter fruit than Christ’s cross.”

"Christ and His cross are not separable in this life; howbeit Christ and His cross part at heaven's door, for there is no house-room for crosses in heaven. One tear, one sigh, one sad heart, one fear, one loss, one thought of trouble cannot find lodging there."

“Your heart is not the compass that God steers by.”

“All the saints have their own measure of winter before their eternal summer. O! for the long day, and the high sun, and the fair garden, and the King's great city up above these visible heavens!”

“Of all created comforts, God is the leader; you are the borrower, not the owner.”

“When the Lord's blessed will bloweth cross your desires, it is best, in humility, to strike sail to Him, and to be willing to be led any way our Lord pleaseth.”

“Oh, thrice fools are we, who like new-born princes weeping in the cradle, know not that there is a kingdom before them; then, let our Lord's sweet hand square us, and hammer us, and strike off the knots of pride, self-love, and world-worship, and infidelity, that He may make us stones and pillars in His Father's house.”

“You will not be carried to Heaven lying at ease upon a feather bed.”

“See that you buy the field where the Pearl is; sell all, and make a purchase of salvation. Think it not easy: for it is a steep ascent to eternal glory: many are lying dead by the way, slain with security.”

“Were there ten thousand millions of heavens created above these highest heavens, and again as many above them, and as many above them, till angels were wearied with counting, it were but too low a seat to fix the princely throne of that Lord Jesus (whose ye are) above them all.”

“Faint not; the miles to heaven are but few and short.”

“Set no time to the Lord the creator of time, for His time is always best.”

“ I will charge my soul to believe and wait for Him, and will follow His providence, and not go before it, nor stay behind it.”

“But the way to overcome is by patience, forgiving and praying for your enemies, in doing whereof you heap coals upon their heads, and your Lord shall open a door to you in your trouble: wait upon Him, as the night watch waiteth for the morning. He will not tarry. Go up to your watch-tower, and come not down, but by prayer, and faith, and hope, wait on.”

“You shall by faith sustain yourself and comfort yourself in your Lord, and be strong in His power; for you are in the beaten and common way to heaven, when you are under our Lord's crosses. You have reason to rejoice in it, more than in a crown of gold; and rejoice and be glad to bear the reproaches of Christ.”

“ Think it not hard if you get not your will, nor your delights in this life; God will have you to rejoice in nothing but himself.”

“Believe God's love and power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your rock is Christ, and it is not the rock that ebbs and flows but the sea.”

“We are as near to heaven as we are far from self, and far from the love of a sinful world.”

“Keep God's covenant in your trials; hold you by His blessed word, and sin not; flee anger, wrath, grudging, envying, fretting; forgive a hundred pence to your fellow-servant, because your Lord hath forgiven you ten thousand talents: for, I assure you by the Lord, your adversaries shall get no advantage against you, except you sin, and offend your Lord, in your sufferings.”

“Grace tried is better than grace, and more than grace; it is glory in its infancy.”

I've been looking up some more quotes by Samuel Rutherford, the Scottish Covenanter.

He was born in 1600 and died in 1661.

He is thought to have been a major influence in the formation of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

What I love about his quotes, is that you can tell He really loved the Lord Jesus Christ.

He must have had a very close personal relationship with Him to have penned these.

As I gathered each quote, I was challenged yet again.

Do I act like I believe this?

Am I keeping my focus on Heaven and the things of Jesus?

Am I patient and forbearing?

Am I submitted and yielded to the "blessed will of the Lord"?

When was the last time I wondered, admired, adored, fell down before the unsearchable wisdom of this gospel art of the unsearchable riches of Christ?

I hope you're also challenged.

Let me know in the comments section and if you'd like to discuss them, please feel free.

Strength

This is by no means an exhaustive list of Scriptures mentioning Strength, but I found them very encouraging. I hope you do too.

"The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. 

He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." Exodus 15:2

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him." Psalm 28:7

"For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." Psalm 31:4-5

"For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" Psalm 43:2

"Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob." Psalm 81:1

"The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." Psalm 118:14

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;

‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” Isaiah 12:2

"Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him." Isaiah 45:24

"O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction," Jeremiah 16:19

"The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills." Habakkuk 3:19

I wasn’t aware that there were so many different versions of strength in Scripture. I counted at least 5. I found it quite interesting seeing the differences.

Definitions from Strong’s Concordance:

strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise): - boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.

properly a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally a rock or boulder; figuratively a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous): - edge, X (mighty) God (one), rock, X sharp, stone, X strength, X strong

a fortified place; figuratively a defence: - force, fort (-ress), rock, strength (-en), (X most) strong (hold).

probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength: - able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+) valiant (-ly), valour, virtuous (-ly), war, worthy (-ily).

 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10

I was thinking for awhile about the Lord being our strength, but I was still acting like I had to be strong myself. Now I realise that I missed the point. It is humbling to admit that we have no strength in and of ourselves; we have to rely on the Lord’s strengthening. We can rejoice that God won the victory for us, despite how often we are still so weak. The Lord has all strength and He will equip us with all the fortitude necessary for the things to which He calls us. When we trust Him, He is our refuge and defense. We are secure in Him. A friend of mine gave me these wise words on this subject, but it’s applicable to any truth in Scripture: “It won’t do you any good until you believe and act on it!”

“Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

I’d say that was an excellent reason to rejoice!

God's Will

Thy Will be done
From In Green Pastures
by JR Miller D. D.

God's will for us leads us on earth to the noblest, truest, most Christ-like character, and then beyond this world to glory and eternal life. For you, whatever your experiences, however hard and painful life may seem to you, God's will is the very hand of divine love to lead you on toward all that is good and beautiful and blessed. Never doubt it, even in the darkest hour, or when the pain is sorest, or when the cross is heaviest. God's will holds you ever close to God, and leads you ever toward and into God's sweetest rest. It brings peace to the heart - a peace that never can come in any way of our own choosing - to be able always to say, "Thy will be done."

Today's Tozer

Nothing Can Change His Tender Mercies

If we could remember that the divine mercy is not a temporary mood but an attribute of God's eternal being, we would no longer fear that it will someday cease to be. Mercy never began to be, but from eternity was; so it will never cease to be. It will never be more since it is in itself infinite; and it will never be less because the infinite cannot suffer diminution. Nothing that has occurred or will occur in heaven or earth or hell can change the tender mercies of our God. Forever His mercy stands, a boundless, overwhelming immensity of divine pity and compassion.

As judgment is God's justice confronting moral inequity, so mercy is the goodness of God confronting human suffering and guilt. Were there no guilt in the world, no pain and no tears, God would yet be infinitely merciful; but His mercy might well remain hidden in His heart, unknown to the created universe. No voice would be raised to celebrate the mercy of which none felt the need. It is human misery and sin that call forth the divine mercy.

"Kyrie eleison! Christe eleison!" the Church has pleaded through the centuries; but if I mistake not I hear in the voice of its pleading a note of sadness and despair. Its plaintive cry, so often repeated in that tone of resigned dejection, compels one to infer that it is praying for a boon it never actually expects to receive. It may go on dutifully to sing of the greatness of God and to recite the creed times beyond number, but its plea for mercy sounds like a forlorn hope and no more, as if mercy were a heavenly gift to be longed for but never really enjoyed.

Verse

For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, / and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."Romans 9:15

Thought

As judgment is God's justice confronting moral inequity, so mercy is the goodness of God confronting human suffering and guilt.

Prayer

How great You are, Father, and how great are Your mercies!

Proverbs 12 ponderings

So I was pondering these verses today. I think they're pretty amazing and it's definitely worth paying attention to them. Don't you want to declare righteousness, promote health, be established forever, have joy, and delight the Lord? It seems simple: Love Him, Obey Him, Speak the truth.

Today's reading: Visions in the Words of Christ

Today's excerpt from Traveling toward Sunrise

"...To give unto them... the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..." Isaiah 61:3

Thy feelings will ebb and flow, thy heart will grow warm in summer's glow, and cold in winter's chill, thou wilt be brave and steadfast today, downcast and anxious tomorrow. Thy streams will be full in the rainy season, and in the time of drought they will be bare beds of stone.
 Turn away from thyself! Hope in God! He fainteth not neither is weary.
 He is the unfailing fountain;
His affections do not decay; with Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. When thou are dismayed, He is still full of eternal peace. When thou art downcast, He is still untroubled.
It is impossible to keep cares from flocking in great swarms around us, but it is our fault if they are allowed to make nests in our hearts."

This really encouraged me. Hope it does the same for you too.

Another Tozer quote

"He is Jesus, easier to approach than the humblest friend you ever had! He is the sun that shines upon us, He is the star of our night. He is the giver of our life and the rock of our hope. He is our safety and our future. He is our righteousness, our sanctification, our inheritance.
You will find that He is all of this in that instant that you move your heart towards Him in faith! This is the journey to Jesus that must be made in the depths of the heart and being." A. W. Tozer

Highlights I heard today.

Some verses from Proverbs 28

I read this this morning and it blessed, encouraged and challenged me. Am I confessing and forsaking sin? Am I walking blamelessly and wisely and not trusting in my own heart?

A poem or hymn attributed to Martin Luther

I came across this today and thought it was rather good.
I'd read the first verse before, but not the other two.


“Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God--
Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken.

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away,
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!”


― Martin Luther

A challenging quote from Gypsy Smith

“Every day and every hour of every day, not only in the church, in the home, in the work shop, in the business, in the office, in the political arena, in public and in private, I am Christ’s man, I am Christ’s woman, and I must act, I must live, I must walk, I must so conduct myself, so transact my business, so think and so speak that the Divine stamp will be on me and will be felt and seen everywhere. I must live with this ever before me, I am risen with Christ, and by my life, my neighbours, my friends, my servants, my master, my acquaintances and relatives must see that my heart is set on things above”.

Need a Self Esteem boost? Don't read Ryle, Spurgeon, Calvin or Philippians 2!! They don't think you do.!!

Let all who desire to please Christ, watch and pray against self-esteem. It is a feeling which is deeply rooted in our hearts. Thousands have come out from the world, taken up the cross, professed to forsake their own righteousness, and believe in Christ, who have felt irritated and annoyed when a person has been more honored than themselves. These things ought not so to be. We ought often to ponder the words of Paul, “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves.” (Phil 2:3) Blessed is that person who can sincerely and gladly rejoice when others are exalted, though they themselves are overlooked and passed by!

– J.C. Ryle 

https://www.facebook.com/ChristianDevotionalReadings

 found here: https://www.facebook.com/cr8edbychrist/?fref=ts

Philippians 2:5-11New King James Version (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Ocean of God's Grace

(picture found on facebook: Revival Library)

"Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be,
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to Thee."

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Romans 5:20