Some people give time, some give money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give.
From Matthew 23:11-12: “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Relationship
With Father
Through timeless prayer
Grace connects us together
Hope
Guidance
Holy Spirit
Empowering our obedience
Following God’s sacred will
Faith
Revelation
God’s Word
Strengthens our character
Transforming life’s imbalanced alignment
Believe
Let every man of whatsoever craft or occupation he be of . . . serve his brethren.
From Joshua 24:14-15: “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
From Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Father walking nearby
Hearing heartfelt prayers
Healing life’s brokenness
Always present, God cares
Dark fears and emotions
Steps stumble, almost fall
Slowly confidence grows
Feeding faith from God’s call
Recalling faithfulness
God’s hope covers this place
Healing former despairs
Love shining through His grace
During days of trouble
Stirring praises of joy
Father’s shelter protects
Grace’s refuge deploys
Once withdrawn in darkness
His light calling lives out
Always present, God cares
Love covering throughout
From Psalm 27:13-14: “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Instead of seeing our difficulties as loss, we need to view them as a means God uses to build endurance.
From James 1:2-4: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Searching the local bookstore for one of the all-time classics to read, I find myself wandering the nearly infinite rows of bookcases, overflowing with books of every kind. I am not looking for just any book, mind you. My reading appetite hungers for something rich in prose, but the book needs to fit my personal definition of a classic.
As I walk around, my eyes notice many classics of American literature. I flip through pages of book after book. Hmm, “not this one” becomes my common response. Frustration is beginning to set in, and the time is growing late.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
While these books would fill many lists of some of the most treasured novels to read, my appetite is still looking for something with the “crowning glory” of literature. My vigilant book search continues.
Coming around a corner, the final section of the enormous store is laid out in front of me. This overly small section of is buzzing with activity. A large gathering of book lovers are digging all over its shelves. What stories are these readers of classic literature finding here?
“Jonah and the Whale”
“Moses Leads Israel Home”
“Daniel in the Lion’s Den”
“David vs. Goliath”
“Abraham and Isaac”
“Noah Builds an Ark”
Feeling the excitement now as well, my eyes capture a beautiful volume with the above stories, but I also discover “The Greatest Story of All-Time” about a Galilean named Jesus Christ.
My spiritual journey has finished at last. The Holy Bible will fill my spiritual hunger for an eternity. Amen!
A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it.
From John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
From Deuteronomy 8:3: “He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Life’s darkening journey
Never exempt from pain
Evil always prowling
Adversity’s campaign
Seeking life’s foundation
Holy Word, God alone
Heavenly love provides
Troubles no longer groan
Praise our Great Comforter
Treasures open, His love
Understanding God’s law
Commandments from above
Freed from harsh wilderness
Rejoice with faithful trust
Delighting in God’s love
Filled with hope, life adjusts
Depend upon the Lord
Manna nourishing needs
Trials teach bold lessons
His great love always leads
From Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”
Man is created for the glory of God.
From Genesis 1:27: “So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”
G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945) was a British preacher, evangelist, and author. He was one of the most reverent and competent Christian voices during his lifetime.
Anchor
God’s Word
Answers life’s doubts
Steadies each shaky step
Grace
Wilderness
Testing faith
Facing certain adversity
Christ walks with us
Strength
Guideposts
God’s wisdom
Growing in trust
Before life reaches new
Crossroads
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
