Faithful River

From Psalm 65:5:  “By awesome deeds You answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; You are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”

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Headwaters on mountaintop

Watered from heavens above

Praises from valley below

Earth’s bounty fills with God’s love

 

Holy temple blooms with peace

Sky, earth, seas breathe with God’s grace

Light proclaims deliverance

Salvation for human race

 

Faithful river dries each tear

Troubled seas no longer toss

God answers as He promised

Hope fulfilled on darkest cross

 

Quietness covers each land

Eternity’s Son shall rise

Spirit opens morning sky

God answers with new franchise

 

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From Psalm 65:9:  “You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide the people with grain, for so You have prepared it.”

Oswald Chambers Quote

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Every time we have gone back in spiritual communion it has been because we have impertinently known better than Jesus Christ.  We have allowed the cares of the world to come in, and have forgotten the “much more” of our Heavenly Father.

From Matthew 6:30:  “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

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.

Daily Steps Forward

From Lamentations 3:22-23:  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

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Rising up every morning

Forgetting life’s messy side

Praying for much brighter day

God’s grace reverses high tide

 

Believing in God’s goodness

Guiding life’s vessel shoreward

Conversing with Lord Jesus

Blessed daily steps forward

 

Spending one more hour with God

Finding tomorrow’s new hope

Feeling seed of faith growing

Life discovers ways to cope

 

Walking away from dark past

Accepting changes through God

Witnessing grateful mercy

Life no longer feeling flawed

 

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From James 1:17-18:  “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  In fulfillment of His own purpose He gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Oswald Chambers Quote

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In looking back we cannot tell why we did certain things, we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love for us.

From Romans 5:5:  “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

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.

Love’s Faithful Hope

From Romans 5:5:  “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

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Without love, faith remains empty

Absent of faith, all hope dries up

Lacking hope, tomorrow grows dark

Grace waiting to fill every cup

 

Man’s works never earn salvation

Imperfection fills heaven’s eyes

Seeing dimmest light on one cross

Christ’s love opens faith’s new franchise

 

Holy Spirit pours into hearts

Love cascades from Living Water

Witnessing Father’s endless grace

Mercy’s hope for sons and daughters

 

Father’s love rescues each sinner

Debts paid in full through Savior’s death

Unlocking redemption’s closed door

Love’s faithful hope stirring each breath

 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Springs of faith rising in each heart

Sharing their spontaneous love

New hope’s energizing restart

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From 1 Corinthians 13:13:  “And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.”

Love, Faith, and Hope (Elfchen Series #158)

Unblemished Design

Love

Inspiring tomorrows

Trusting Father’s vision

Today, suffering no more

Faith

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Among Us

Faith

Overcoming darkness

Endurance molding character

Jesus filling another heart

Hope

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Blessed Advocate

Hope

Pouring out

Patient Spirit prevails

Fulfilling faith’s daily peace

Love

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Finding Encouragement

From Joshua 1:9:  “I hereby command you:  Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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Challenges rolling in

On waves of ceaseless tides

Searching for faithful hope

Jesus shall be thy guide

 

Universe seems empty

Darkness never takes rest

Seeking encouragement

Jesus hears each request

 

Faith walking toward light

Hope growing from His love

Filling heart with fresh grace

Jesus comes from above

 

Optimism descending

Day’s outlook shining bright

Finding encouragement

Jesus shares trusted light

 

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From Romans 15:5-6:  “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Monday Memories: Living Hope

Reading through the last four entries in my journal, God brought inspiration to bring this praise to Him.  There entries provide the bulk of the this poem, along with a few selected writings of Apostle Peter.  I hope this poem sustains hope in you during your daily journey.  During Lenten season, we are reminded of the hope we receive through Jesus’ walk to an old rugged Cross.

ocean waves crashing on rocks

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With God’s truth leading us

Our faith growing each day

Fueled by our Lord above

Hope responds, let us pray

 

God guides with steadiness

Navigating our ship

Through ever-present storms

Safe on our Lord’s flagship

 

Life-giving hearts may hide

Our emotional selves

Yet, other times we find

God’s Word within ourselves

 

Sometimes, life proclaims

Our “red badge of courage”

Straight into inner souls

Our faith will encourage

 

Much like a frigid wind

Freezing our tender face

Life challenges us to bear

Torment covered by grace

 

Through our Father’s mercy

A new birth, a living hope

Jesus . . . Resurrection

Life viewed through His new scope

person looking through binnocular

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From 1 Peter 1:3-5:  “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Originally published April, 2020.

Sustaining Refuge

From Psalm 31:1-2:  “In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in Your righteousness deliver me.  Incline Your ear to me; rescue me speedily.  Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.”

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Facing life’s overwhelming odds

Darkness invades, hope crashing down

Searching for sustaining refuge

Forsaking another showdown

 

Emptiness penetrates deeply

Faith weakening, now feeling mocked

Each empty promise calling out

Distant future forever locked

 

Calling to Father above

Reaching for His righteous-filled hand

Praying for heavenly rescue

Grasping mercy, fleeing quicksand

 

Light overcomes evil’s doomsday

God’s promises, always to trust

Mighty fortress restoring faith

Distant future looking robust

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From Psalm 31:14-15:  “But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’  My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.”

Faith’s Hope

From Hebrews 11:1-3:  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”

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Faith fills assurance

Light brightens day’s hope

What’s seen and unseen?

Love viewed through God’s scope

 

Faith moves through Scripture

Testaments make clear

Witness Abraham

Hope waits, then appears

 

Faith grows, trusting God

Hope’s great centerpiece

Foundations built strong

Life of blessed peace

 

Faith matures with time

God’s perfection reigns

His Word guides with truth

Hope makes lifelong gains

 

Faith’s hope, joined as one

Journey’s promised land

God forever praised

Mercy’s steady hand

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From the words of American pastor and Christian writer, Warren Wiersbe:  “Love increases our faith, and when we have faith and love, we will have hope.”