Never forget, when you have lost your faith, when God is no longer real to you–go back. Go back to the last place you saw Him. He will be waiting for you there.
From Isaiah 30:18: “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Martha Williamson is a television producer, who is best known for her contributions as the head writer and executive producer of the award-winning television series, “Touched by an Angel.”
From Ephesians 6:10-12: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
From Psalm 27:1-2: “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? When evildoers assail meto devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.”
From Psalm 147:5-6: “Great is our Lord and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; He casts the wicked to the ground.”
American preacher and renowned hymn writer, Robert Lowry (1826-1899), wrote over 500 hymns. One inspired this poem, “My Life Flows On in Endless Song.”
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
From Hebrews 6:19-20: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) served the United Kingdom as Prime Minister from 1940-1945 and later from 1951-1955. He unwavering leadership during World War II lifted the spirits of his nation in the darkest of times. He was also a prolific writer with countless published works.
From Psalm 85:5-6: “Will you be angry with us forever?Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again,so that your people may rejoice in you?”
From Luke 2:12-14: “This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!'”
A select few face overwhelming challenges in life. Encouraged by a heart filled with perseverance, these trailblazers adopt an attitude where “Can” outplays “Can’t.”
Born in 1786, young James Holman joined the British navy at age 12 during Europe’s Napoleonic Wars. He became an accomplished sailor and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
When he reached the age of 25, his life faced the insurmountable. Serving with the navy during the War of 1812 (British-American conflict), he contracted severe rheumatism. Unable to overcome the pain in his legs, ankles, and feet, Holman could barely walk. Eventually, the illness caused him to lose his eyesight.
Due to his blindness, he was awarded an act of royal charity. Joining the Knights of Windsor, he received a pension and residence at Windsor Castle. He was expected to live quietly there until his eventual death.
Holman was never content to sit idly and watch his life decline year by year. He refused to live as an isolated invalid, and he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to attend medical school.
Queen Victoria’s own doctor backed up Holman’s need to be free from the confines of Windsor Castle. His painful rheumatism responded well to healing sunshine from continuous travel’s change of scenery and climate.
Holman’s time at Edinburgh motivated him to travel the world and fill his days with curiosity and fun. In 1819, he began his first journey to Europe, and he continued this quest over the next four decades. Traveling unaccompanied, he always traveled solo.
Left: A young James Holman from his naval days (courtesy of NPR). Right: A mature Holman with a full-grown beard (courtesy of Vintage News).
His first foreign travels took him to France. With little money, unable to speak the native language, and blind, Holman found his life’s purpose. His own words described his initial travels: “Behold me, then, in France! Surrounded by a people, to me, strange, invisible, and incomprehensible.”
By 1832, he had completed circumnavigation of the globe. By 1846, he had visited every inhabited continent. It was calculated that he traveled an estimated 400,000 kilometers. His metal-tipped walking stick was a constant companion.
Many adventures awaited Holman over the years. In Russia, he was imprisoned and later exiled as a spy. In Africa, he was involved in actions against the slave trade.
In his later years, Holman compiled memoirs of his travels. Five volumes would eventually be published, but most were not widely read.
Following his death in 1857, Holman’s life moved to obscurity. His adventures were long forgotten, but this would change.
In 2006, author James Roberts published a biography of Holman’s life and travels in A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler.
People once again discovered the man known as the “Time Traveler.”
For more details about Holman’s extraordinary life, here is a link to more: Explorers Web.
Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference.
From Exodus 3:4: “When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.'”
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher. Following his death from an illness while in Egypt during World War I, his wife took on the task of transcribing the detailed notes she had written from his lectures and sermons. Gertrude Hobbs Chambers’ efforts resulted in the publication in 1924 of MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. I frequently read from this devotional, and it has greatly deepened my faith and understanding of God’s Word.
From 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all our anxiety oh Him, because He cares for you.”
Big Sky Buckeye 