It’s easy to be bold and courageous if everything is going your way. But you’ll never fully discover who Jesus really is unless you walk through one life-stretching, faith-forming challenge after another.
From Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
I shall never taste a deeper bliss, till I gaze on the glorified face of Jesus himself.
From Revelation 22:3-4: “Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”
John Gibson Paton (1824-1907) was a Scottish-born Christian missionary who lived and served the Lord in the South Pacific.
Creator’s
Transcending love
Each living witness
Handiwork crafted through faith
Forever
Free-flowing
God’s love
Never running dry
Eternal spring, drink deeply
Grace
Hope’s
Future envisions
Through Spirit’s eyes
Walking in Christ’s love
Fulfillment
Life’s faithful river
Always flowing free
Spirit awakened
Jesus walks with thee
Light covers darkness
Faithful source of hope
Spirit awakened
Jesus tames each slope
Quiet place welcomes
Prayers nurture peace
Spirit awakened
Jesus holds life’s lease
Resurrection breathes
Eternity’s grace
Spirit awakened
Jesus leaves His trace
Destiny fulfilled
Journey now complete
Spirit awakened
Jesus offers seat
Each of us has some area of pain and suffering in life. The world around us would have us run from that burden–to resent it, hate it. Instead, we should embrace it.
From Matthew 10;38-39: “And whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it.”
When a mind is in love with Jesus, this is what it sees: a world full of the wonders He has made.
From Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Phillip Graham Ryken (born 1966) is an American pastor and theologian. He currently serves as the president of Wheaton College in Illinois.
From Matthew 10:38-39: And whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it.”
Life’s suffering
World calls out
Run from burdens
Filled with doubt
Wandering
Castaway now
Full of hate
Life’s heavy plow
Overwhelming
Darkness calls
Enemy waits
Man shall fall
Each of us
Jesus teaches
Cross to bear
Pain, it reaches
Taking up cross
Burdens ease
Embrace each one
Mercy sees
Follow Christ
Losing old ways
Find new life
Faith’s hope ablaze
From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll: “Each of us has some area of pain and suffering in life. The world around us would have us run from that burden–to resent it, hate it. Instead, we should embrace it.”
Hearing
Christ’s call
Boldly following Him
Serving needs of others
Loving
Loving
Jesus more
Leaving earthly ways
Rescued from tumultuous seas
Following
Following
With humbleness
Touching another life
Living in Christ’s presence
Hearing
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.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (taken from the hymn, “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus”)
From 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Robert Lowry (1826-1899) was an American preacher as well as an acclaimed hymn writer. One of his most revered hymns is “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” It was written in 1876, and it has been sung by many contemporary gospel singers.
We must build our faith, not on the fading light, but on the light that never fails.
From 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”
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.
Big Sky Buckeye 