Hidden Treasures

Why are things that are so precious
hid in things of little worth?
Perhaps to show the life which Christ
would live here on the earth

Why is a diamond hid in a stone,
that is known as rough?
Wouldn't clay be far more soft
and not near so tough?

Christ ways are not our ways,
we choose the easy way out,
But He knows what He's after
and His treasures are far more stout

Than anything I've seen
formed in mud or pliable clay
Perhaps that's why He makes them thus
and hides them safely away

He forms these precious things in secret
Not on display like we
He even now is forming
a precious gem in me

He works in quiet places
Unseen by most every eye
Only those who truly seek
Will find where His treasures lie

So seek His treasures in hidden places
Though rough the digging may be
Look to Him and find true beauty
Where you didn't expect it to be!

The Terror of Love

Can love be terrible, my Lord?
Can gentleness be stern?
Ah yes!-intense is Love's desire
To purify His loved-'tis fire,
A holy fire to burn.
For He must fully perfect thee
Till in they likeness all may see
The beauty of thy Lord.

Can holy love be jealous, Lord?
Yes, jealous as the grave;
Till every hurtful idol be
Uptorn and wrested out of thee
Love will be stern to save;
Will spare thee not a single pain
Till thou be freed and pure again
And perfect as thy Lord.

Can love seem cruel, O my Lord?
Yes, like a sword the cure;
He will not spare thee, sin-sick soul,
Till He hath made thy sickness whole,
Until thine heart is pure.
For oh! He loves thee far too well
To leave thee in thy self-made hell,
A Savior is thy Lord!

From Mountains of Spices (chapter 10) by Hannah Hurnard

Carrying God's Burdens

I looked out of the window this morning and saw the sun streaming through the fluffy gray/white clouds which had been tented yellows and golds and pinks by said sun rays. As I was gazing upon this beauty a thought entered my mind, “you look out on a free land”.
How many thousands, even millions are there who don't have the freedom we have? How many countless myriads of Christians die for their faith, for simply loving Jesus, because Christianity is forbidden in their country?
How many people have lost their lives because they prayed to the One True God?
People of God what are we doing?!
We have freedom. We have comfort. We have plenty!
Are we just going to enjoy that freedom while our fellow brothers and sisters suffer? While there are still countless numbers who don't know Christ? While the Satan is still being glorified?

O God! Forgive us for our laxness! Forgive us for our selfish, self-centered, self-seeking...well I can't even really call that Christianity for “Christianity” is “like Christ” and I can say for myself that I have not been exemplifying Him in this way!
Oh God would You break our hearts for what breaks Yours and fill us with the hope that fills You!
I don't even know why God would want to give us His heart seeing how we have neglected and even trampled it in the past.
Lord, teach us to rightly handle Your heart. To carry Your burdens without dropping them when they get tedious of cumbersome.
Lord, please teach us perseverance and fill us with Your Spirit that we might be all that You would have us to be.
We MUST have YOU Jesus!
"The secret to imitation is impartation." ~Eric Ludy
We must have Jesus! We have NOTHING of worth without Him. All our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Lord Jesus, we need You! I need You!
Fill us with Yourself today. Lord, may each one who reads this find more of You today.
Thank You Jesus that You are faithful even when we are not! (Rev 19:11)


Please take a few minutes and scroll down to the bottom of this page and watch the short film "Depraved Indifference"

PRAISE JESUS!

With about 14 out of the last 18 days over 100 degrees and the other 4 days in the high 90's this mornings going out to mid 60's-ish was beautiful!


What's even better is I don't know that it has even sprinkled (maybe it has a tiny bit, I'm not sure) since the post I wrote on June 29th titled "He Opened the Floodgates". Well today He did it again!
I love Jesus!

God is a good God, YES HE IS!!

My brothers and sister and I thanked Jesus as the rain came pouring down. It is lovely to see puddles of water after so many days of dry hot weather!

Thank You Jesus!
We humbled ourselves and prayed and You are healing our land!

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2Chr 7:14

Faith

A dear friend of mine wrote this post on her blog and it blessed me so I thought I'd share. Click the link to read it- www.melodiousecho.blogspot.com/2011/07/just-imagine-if-we-had-faith-as-grain.html

Run With Endurance

More weight?
I asked for more strength and I got more weight?

Isn't it funny how when we want to build muscle we except the weight, but when it comes to spiritual fitness we often question it?
Why do we grit our teeth and lift one more time, take one more step, or pull one last rep in order to be physically fit, but when it comes to spiritual fitness we often don't exert ourselves?

Lord Jesus,
You have given us the grace to overcome, help us to decrease that You might increase. Consume us with You, the Faithful One!