Dawn’s inspiration
Creator’s masterful truth—
Every unique breath
Beloved contrast
Landscape’s eternal bloodstream—
Ancient, yet unborn
Boundless spirit thrives
Tiniest ember of life—
Tomorrow wakens
Every vision will be made real if we have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry.
From Isaiah 35:6b-7a: “For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water.”
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.
Each sister, each brother
Walking with Christ, our Lord
Supporting one another
With grace, arriving on board
Faith immersed in Christ’s Word
Trusting always His light
Revealing peace to be heard
Enemy’s darkness takes flight
Christ, faith’s firm foundation
Transforming every stone
Building path to salvation
Filled with hope, never alone
Believers marching on
Following in Christ’s steps
Witnessing Heaven’s fate drawn
Mercy knocks at each doorstep
Each sister, each brother
Sharing Christ’s Living Bread
Accepting one another
Called to serve with truth now fed
To keep the faith, run with the right crowd.
From Galatians 5:25: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”
John R. Rice (1895-1980) was an American pastor and Christian evangelist.
From Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Peering into depth of darkness
Seeking remedy to life’s ills
Light of perseverance comes forth
Trusting to obey Father’s will
Filling hope with light’s endurance
Tasting Father’s sustaining grace
Spiritual awakening
Walking toward salvation’s birthplace
Entering light’s sanctuary
Calvary’s cross, bloodstained
Redemption from sinful darkness
Forgiving debts, no longer chained
Thirsting to follow Christ, thy Lord
Receiving light of peace each day
Replenished from living waters
Embracing His hope-filled pathway
Replacing darkness with His light
Following Father’s divine Word
Righteousness fills faith’s every breath
Witnessing truth as prophets heard
From Hebrews 10:37-39: “For yet in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay, but My righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back. But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost but among those who have faith and so preserve our souls.”
Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ.
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.”
Sheila Walsh (born 1956) is a Scottish-born, American contemporary Christian vocalist. Her journey has also taken her into writing, speaking, and evangelizing.
Prayer is the greatest force that we can wield. It is the greatest talent which God has granted us. He has given it to every Christian.
From Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
John Mott (1865-1955) was an American evangelist and distinguished leader of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). In 1948, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts in establishing and strengthening international Protestant student organizations in promoting peace.
The visible mark of extraordinary wisdom and power appear so plainly in all the works of creation.
From Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.”
John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and writer.
From Matthew 21:14-16: “The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that He did and heard the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they became angry and said to Him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself?'”
“Please, Mommy, please! Can we listen to our records? Heather and I want to listen to a record. We don’t want to watch what’s on TV. We want to listen to records!” As I flipped through the TV stations, Taryn was jumping up and down, pulling on my arm. Heather was following her lead. They were trying to persuade me to listen to their favorite records rather than watch TV. From songs they had learned in Sunday School, they both loved listening to and singing them.
There was no way I could refuse their pleading! They were learning the lesson I’d been trying to teach them. Today, they were teaching me! There are so many more interesting and fun things to do than watch TV all day. I realized Satan is using the television more and more in the world every day. It’s become one of the main vehicles to share deception and trickery. The violence, suggestive language, actions, vanity, and other worldly issues we are shown can attack our families in very subtle ways. As these have eased themselves onto the screen and into our minds, we’ve found ourselves becoming used to them. We accept them without a fight. Things that would have upset us five or ten years ago are seen in homes every day without a thought.
God tells us to think on things that are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Our children must be brought up with this attitude instilled in their minds. To ignore what they watch on television is a tragic mistake. When we allow them to see cartoons or other shows filled with violence, hatred, magic, or witchcraft, we are falling short of the teaching in God’s Word. If this garbage Satan 23 is dumping on our children continually invades their minds, what effect will it have on them next week, next year, or five years from now?
What a precious reminder Taryn and Heather had given me! I praised God for the wisdom of my children as we sang the songs on their record that morning. They smiled back at me as we sang, “I am a promise. I am a possibility. I am a promise. I can be anything, anything God wants me to be.”
This devotional post is written by my wife, Colleen. It is taken from her book’s section on Devotions. She has recently been blessed with seeing her BITS ‘N’ PIECES OF MY HEART available at a Christian bookstore in the United Kingdom. God continues to light a pathway for others to read her book, as it is available on most online bookstore sites.
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.
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.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher. He was a leading voice in America’s transcendentalist movement in the 19th century.
Big Sky Buckeye 