Dear Friends,
I am basically a positive person, but sometimes have my moments of doubt and feeling down.
Yesterday morning started out well, but by the time we headed out the door to do our errands, I had a big lump in my throat, and felt like crying and in fact did shed a few tears. DH held and comforted me, and I told him "I don't know what's the matter with me this morning."
We headed out the door, and that's when I saw the basket plant (Callisia fragrans) flowers in bloom all down the driveway and said to DH, "Look at all these flowers".
After we got into the car and were waiting in the driveway to pull out into the road, DH patted my arm and said " Who but FlowerLady could be down one minute then walk out and see flowers and have her whole day change." He said when I had walked out into the driveway and turned to him with a big smile on my face telling him to look at all the flowers, his spirit was lifted too.
Things can get us down, and something as simple as walking outside and seeing flowers in bloom, or hearing birdsong, or taking in some delightful scent, will give us a change of heart, in attitude and boost us on our way.
I do believe in Jesus and my hope is in Him, that He will work all things out. He takes care of us every single day even when we feel like He isn't. The evil one does his best to discourage us and to think on all the 'what ifs' when we should be thinking of the Love and Mercy of God for us.
Things are rough around the whole world these days. We no longer live in a 'Norman Rockwell' world, instead it is a world full of greed, animosity, fear, over-consumption. As a believer in Jesus, I am looking forward to His return, and we believe it could be soon. There are signs all around us if we look. This world is not our home the way it is now. Man cannot bring order to the chaos that is here now, only Jesus as God can do that.
When life gets us down we can look to the 'author and finisher' of our faith. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. We all will go through things in life, that we hopefully learn from. We were not promised a good, perfect life. We will have hardships, dissappointments.
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I stopped with the last paragraph to look up some scripture in my E-Sword program and the following is what came up for the scripture reading and commentary for this morning and tonight as well. They were just right for this post. The commentary is by C.H. Spurgeon, (1834-1892).
I will let those writings be the ending to this post.
May you all feel the Light, Love, Peace and Strength of God flowing through and surrounding you in your lives each and every day.
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May 11
Morning
“I am with you alway.”
- Mat_28:20
It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life.
O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon him who abides for ever faithful to thee. Build not thine house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure.
My soul, I charge thee, lay up thy treasure in the only secure cabinet; store thy jewels where thou canst never lose them. Put thine all in Christ; set all thine affections on his person, all thy hope in his merit, all thy trust in his efficacious blood, all thy joy in his presence, and so thou mayest laugh at loss, and defy destruction.
Remember that all the flowers in the world’s garden fade by turns, and the day cometh when nothing will be left but the black, cold earth. Death’s black extinguisher must soon put out thy candle. Oh! how sweet to have sunlight when the candle is gone!
The dark flood must soon roll between thee and all thou hast; then wed thine heart to him who will never leave thee; trust thyself with him who will go with thee through the black and surging current of death’s stream, and who will land thee safely on the celestial shore, and make thee sit with him in heavenly places for ever.
Go, sorrowing son of affliction, tell thy secrets to the Friend who sticketh closer than a brother. Trust all thy concerns with him who never can be taken from thee, who will never leave thee, and who will never let thee leave him, even “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.” “Lo, I am with you alway,” is enough for my soul to live upon, let who will forsake me.
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Evening
“Only be thou strong and very courageous.”
- Jos_1:7
Our God’s tender love for his servants makes him concerned for the state of their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage.
Some esteem it a small thing for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God thinks not so. From this text it is plain that our Master would not have us entangled with fears. He would have us without carefulness, without doubt, without cowardice.
Our Master does not think so lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are desponding we are subject to a grievous malady, not to be trifled with, but to be carried at once to the beloved Physician.
Our Lord loveth not to see our countenance sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should come into the king’s court dressed in mourning: this is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come mourning as we are; but still he would have us put off the spirit of heaviness, and put on the garment of praise, for there is much reason to rejoice.
The Christian man ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that he may glorify the Lord by enduring trials in an heroic manner. If he be fearful and fainthearted, it will dishonour his God. Besides, what a bad example it is.
This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic which soon spreads amongst the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad. Moreover, unless your courage is kept up Satan will be too much for you.
Let your spirit be joyful in God your Saviour, the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you: but cowardice throws down the banner.
Moreover, labour is light to a man of cheerful spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. The man who toils, rejoicing in his God, believing with all his heart, has success guaranteed. He who sows in hope shall reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be thou strong, and very courageous.”
