Streams in the Desert

 Streams in the Desert

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1).

The owner of the tenement which I have occupied for many years has given notice that he will furnish but little or nothing more for repairs. I am advised to be ready to move.

At first this was not a very welcome notice. The surroundings here are in many respects very pleasant, and were it not for the evidence of decay, I should consider the house good enough. But even a light wind causes it to tremble and totter, and all the braces are not sufficient to make it secure. So I am getting ready to move.

It is strange how quickly one's interest is transferred to the prospective home. I have been consulting maps of the new country and reading descriptions of its inhabitants. One who visited it has returned, and from him I learn that it is beautiful beyond description; language breaks down in attempting to tell of what he heard while there. He says that, in order to make an investment there, he has suffered the loss of all things that he owned here, and even rejoices in what others would call making a sacrifice. Another, whose love to me has been proven by the greatest possible test, is now there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. After tasting them, all food here seems insipid.

Two or three times I have been down by the border of the river that forms the boundary, and have wished myself among the company of those who were singing praises to the King on the other side. Many of my friends have moved there. Before leaving they spoke of my coming later. I have seen the smile upon their faces as they passed out of sight. Often I am asked to make some new investments here, but my answer in every case is, "I am getting ready to move."
--Selected

The words often on Jesus' lips in His last days express vividly the idea, "going to the Father." We, too, who are Christ's people, have vision of something beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. We are journeying towards fulfillment, completion, expansion of life. We, too, are "going to the Father." Much is dim concerning our home-country, but two things are clear. It is home, "the Father's House." It is the nearer presence of the Lord. We are all wayfarers, but the believer knows it and accepts it. He is a traveller, not a settler.
--R. C. Gillie

The little birds trust God, for they go singing
From northern woods where autumn winds have blown,
With joyous faith their trackless pathway winging
To summer-lands of song, afar, unknown.

Let us go singing, then, and not go sighing:
Since we are sure our times are in His hand,
Why should we weep, and fear, and call it dying?
'Tis only flitting to a Summer-land.

Avoiding Compromise..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Avoiding Compromise

Dr. Charles Stanley

Proverbs 2

 

Although the temptation to compromise threatens every believer, we don't have to give in. If we're aware of the danger and understand the downward progression and ultimate consequences, we can determine to be vigilant in obedience to the Lord.

 

The first step in learning how to avoid compromise is understanding why it is so tempting. When others pressure us to take part in in what we know God has forbidden, it's easy to give in because we don't want to feel rejected. But anyone who's committed to living a godly life must be willing to stand alone and face ridicule or even persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). At other times, we consent to activities that violate our conscience just to avoid conflict, but peace at any price means we have to sacrifice obedience to God.

 

However, the temptation to compromise doesn't always originate with others. In fact, James 1:14 says we are tempted when we're carried away by our own lusts. How many Christians have fallen into sexual immorality or pornography by desiring a second look? Greed is another motivation that drives us to compromise. If you fudge on your income tax or take a few things home from the office, you've stepped over the line of obedience to God. Our choices should be based on scriptural truth, not on our feelings and desires.

 

In order to stand firm against compromise, we must make God's Word the standard for our conduct. If you begin each day with the Lord in His Word, He will guide your way. Then when the Spirit gives a warning, obey immediately, because giving consideration to the temptation opens a door for Satan.

When Everything Overwhelms, How Do We Overcome?..... GRACE P. CHO

 When Everything Overwhelms, How Do We Overcome?

GRACE P. CHO

 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

“Hey, that’s where great-grandpa and grandma live!” My kids excitedly point to the senior housing community as we drive by, and instead of correcting them, I nod in agreement and choke back tears. My husband’s grandfather passed away a couple of months ago, but it still feels as though he’d be standing at the door, eager to welcome us in if we were to visit.

Death is such a strange thing. It is at once final and yet … not. And grief after death lingers with no end.

I’m surprised by my sadness, and I chide myself for not being over it yet. After all, do I have a right to be so sad when I had only known him for the last 10 years of his 90 years of life? Should I still be crying when I was just his granddaughter-in-law? I wrestle with these questions, but in a moment of grace toward myself, I push away the critic’s voice in my head and let the tears run down my cheeks.

These days, loss is compounded by more loss. I attend a funeral and watch a mother weep as she buries her daughter. I notice the weariness in people’s eyes — in my own eyes — as we try to figure out how to make it through another day. I hear the fear and anxiety that uncertainty brews. I lament in anger for Black mothers and fathers and children who are not safe sleeping in their beds, going for a run, making mistakes and being human.

Each death, each act of violence, each oppressed silencing and each loss feels like waves crashing over me, and I am overwhelmed. I don’t know if I can swim to the surface to catch a breath or find a way to the shore. I long for solid ground, to lie still and rest, and I cry out to God — How much longer, Lord?

My strength is made weak by the constant barrage of what this year keeps throwing at us, and in my helplessness, I remember Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I repeat the verse over and over, and in His words, I hear truth and hope. The truth is that we will have trouble in this world. We will face abandonment, loneliness, hatred and death. Out of love and kindness, Jesus wants us to be aware rather than surprised when these things happen; they are to be expected.

Then, He gives this two-fold promise of hope: First, when everything is chaos, we can have peace in Him. Second, we can be encouraged because Christ has already overcome the world.

We can get through hard things because we follow a God who has gone through every hard thing and has come out of it victoriously. When we are weary and we feel like we can’t take another hit, we can be encouraged. We can overcome. Christ has gone before us, and in Him, our weaknesses are the platforms from which His power shines.

Take heart, friend. We have a God who understands, who has endured and who helps us to do the same.

God, thank You for the hope we can have when everything feels like too much. Your promises are more than silver linings; they are anchors of assurance. Thank You for being with us, entering into our pain and empowering us to persevere. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NLT)

Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

Be Still ..... by Sarah Jennings Phillips

 Be Still

by Sarah Jennings Phillips

Be still and know that I am God. (Ps. 46: 10)

The affairs of God are accomplished little by little and almost imperceptibly. The Spirit of God is neither violent nor hasty. -- St Vincent de Paul

The past several weeks have been filled with jam-packed schedules, crowded airports, chattering children and blaring cell phone ring tones -- a never ending stream of noises, technology, and motion. It seems the older I get, the more those lazy summer days of childhood feel like fairy tales from another life.

If you're American, you're probably just as busy if not busier than I am right now. We're a country filled with activity. Studies show we're some of the most sleep-deprived people in the world. We work long hours, come home to more work (completed with the television blathering on in the background) before collapsing into bed to repeat the process again the next day.

Why do we live such frantic, hyper stimulated lives? Sometimes it's out of a sense of obligation - we feel it's a sin to say "no" so we overextend ourselves trying to fill the roll of Savior for everyone around us. Sometimes our frenzied lives stem from a sense of inadequacy - "If I work hard and accomplish such-and-such, I will have value." Sometimes it's a mode of escape - burying ourselves in work or in a TV program keeps our minds off life's disappointments. And sometimes we've just lost sight of our priorities, defaulting to the heightened pace of the culture around us, unaware that we've let our down time slip away little by little.

Regardless of why we're living in the fast (and loud) lane, deep down we all know we need to get out of it. Our souls crave peace, stillness, and silence. And even if we can ignore the cries of our souls for awhile, our bodies demand it when they eventually wear out.

Why do we crave that stillness? It seems the "noise" of life is more often man-made than God-ordained. In Scripture we see that time and again, God calls us to find peace in Him, to lighten our burden with Him, to set aside our anxieties and meaningless business. We see God speak to the prophet Elijah through a "gentle whisper" and tell an anxious Martha that her sister Mary chose the "better" part when she abandoned household duties to sit at Jesus' feet. (Luke 10: 41-42)

After a long day of running here and there, I find myself longing to be peaceful Mary whose only job is to be with Christ. So how can we become more like Mary when the vast majority of us more closely resemble worried Martha? I love the opening Scripture verse -- it's so simple, it cuts through all the junk clanking around in my brain. Be still.

In the midst of the activity surrounding her, Mary made a simple choice. To sit and be still. You and I can make that simple choice too, even when life seems to be pressing on all sides. It may be awkward at first - we may be tempted to grab for the remote or cut our time with God short. But by seeking stillness we are effectively saying, "Nothing else is as important to me as You at this moment, Lord." When I've spent time at our local Adoration chapel - a place void of constant noise and movement - I find I am never sitting in an empty room doing "nothing" but a place filled with God's presence and love, a place I can truly know God.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Visit a local chapel this week where you can sit, reflect and be alone with the Lord for one hour.

Further Reading

Luke 10: 38 - 42
1 Kings 19

Light That Travels..... By Jennifer Waddle

 Light That Travels

By Jennifer Waddle

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16

Recently, while watching a documentary about the distant planets in our solar system, I was surprised to hear that light from the sun reaches Neptune in just over 4 hours. For some reason, I imagined it taking much longer for the sun’s rays to travel such a great distance. Yet, in the miraculous way light was created - by the spoken Word of the God - I shouldn’t be at all surprised at how light travels.

The Bible speaks of the True Light, Jesus Christ, who came to light the way for all of mankind. Sadly, many have remained in darkness as John 1:5 says, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Perhaps, like the dark side of the moon, many remain in darkness, unaware of the brilliant rays of life offered freely to them. They’ve never experienced the life-giving truth Jesus’ light brings. And because they are facing the wrong direction, they only see the vast darkness ahead of them.

That’s why every Christ-follower needs to reflect the light of the Lord within their sphere of influence. Within their homes, their workplaces, and their communities, Jesus’ light needs to shine through the life of every believer. No longer can we keep our faith to ourselves. It’s time to rise like the dawn, over a lost and dying world, and display the light of Christ clearly and brightly.

My friends, as the days grow shorter and we are ever nearer to Jesus’ return, it is imperative that we climb out from our comfortable hiding spots and place our lamps on their stands. Just as beacons of the sun’s light eventually reach the outermost places of the universe, so the light of Jesus can shine through us to reach a lost and dying world. We don’t have to worry about how fast the light will travel, or how far it will go. We simply need to shine.

Heavenly Father, 

Please shine through each of us today. No matter where we are, even in the darkest of places, shine the light of Your Son ever brighter through us. As we carve out daily time in Your Word and in prayer, fill us to the full with rays of hope and peace. Then, send us into the world armored with Your truth. Let us not falter or hide within our comfort zones, but instead, lead us into a dark world that desperately needs your light. It is in the name of Jesus we pray these things. 

Amen.

A Prayer for Our Girls’ Confidence (in Christ)..... By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer for Our Girls’ Confidence (in Christ)

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. - Psalm 118:8

I can still remember lingering through the hallways of high school. Feeling like my whole world was held within the walls of one building. My confidence was fully rooted in that one single place. From my friendships, relationships, school activities, and sports, I could not see myself apart from one place that held so much of my life.

Within this season I also had no relationship with the Lord. I prayed, had a friend who talked with me about Jesus regularly, but I had no foundation set in who He was and what He said about me. Being chosen was in the eyes of how the young men perceived me, being smart was held in the hands of my teachers, leading was found in my level of popularity.

This is what a lot of our girls face today. They put their confidence in the hands of everyone else and forget or do not even know about the confidence they should have in Christ. Not because of all He can do for us but all that He has done out of HIs deep love for us. Women’s confidence in the world is the exact opposite of confidence in Christ, and we as bold believers of the Lord need to fight on the frontlines for the hearts of our younger generations.

Psalm 118:8 reminds us that it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. This means our lives should not mirror what the world says. If we know we should not trust the world's ways, then why are we not safeguarding our younger generations?

We can no longer blame everyone else around us. We cannot point the finger - we’ve got to get our hands dirty and do the hard heart work, too. Satan will never back down from his mission to ruin our younger girls' concept of confidence. This is his gateway to derail their lives to live in sin. This pitfall is where they will get wrapped up in the superficial, self-help, seductive world.

I pray we can come together as believers in Christ and come against this darkness by teaching these girls whose they are and what our Heavenly Father says about them. Our girls are chosen in His sight (1 Peter 2:4), fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and loved with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Pray with me now:

Lord, cover our girls. Help them run to you when the world comes hunting after them. God, prepare our hearts for the conversations you desire us to have with them. Remind us to share with them who you say they are and not who we think they are. Thank you for your grace and mercy today and for all eternity. We love you.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.