Streams in the Desert .....

 Streams in the Desert

 I will be as the dew unto Israel (Hosea 14:5).

The dew is a source of freshness. It is nature's provision for renewing the face of the earth. It falls at night, and without it the vegetation would die. It is this great value of the dew which is so often recognized in the Scriptures. It is used as the symbol of spiritual refreshing. Just as nature is bathed in dew, so the Lord renews His people. In Titus 3:5 the same thought of spiritual refreshing is connected with the ministry of the Holy Ghost--"renewing of the Holy Ghost."

Many Christian workers do not recognize the importance of the heavenly dew in their lives, and as a result they lack freshness and vigor. Their spirits are drooping for lack of dew.

Beloved fellow-worker, you recognize the folly of a laboring man attempting to do his day's work without eating. Do you recognize the folly of a servant of God attempting to minister without eating of the heavenly manna? Nor will it suffice to have spiritual nourishment occasionally. Every day you must receive the renewing of the Holy Ghost. You know when your whole being is pulsating with the vigor and freshness of Divine life and when you feel jaded and worn. Quietness and absorption bring the dew. At night when the leaf and blade are still, the vegetable pores are open to receive the refreshing and invigorating bath; so spiritual dew comes from quiet lingering in the Master's presence. Get still before Him. Haste will prevent your receiving the dew. Wait before God until you feel saturated with His presence; then go forth to your next duty with the conscious freshness and vigor of Christ.
--Dr. Pardington

Dew will never gather while there is either heat or wind. The temperature must fall, and the wind cease, and the air come to a point of coolness and rest--absolute rest, so to speak--before it can yield up its invisible particles of moisture to bedew either herb or flower. So the grace of God does not come forth to rest the soul of man until the still point is fairly and fully reached.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease:
Take from our souls the strain and stress;
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the pulses of desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, its beats expire:
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!

The Throne of Grace..... Dr. Charles Stanley

The Throne of Grace

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 4:14-16

Almighty God is righteous and just. Romans 3:23 tells us that all people have sinned and are inadequate to be in His presence. As a result of His wrath against sin, we were doomed to eternal separation from Him.

But thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. In His love and mercy, God sent His Son to walk among us. Jesus experienced the hardship and temptation common to all people, yet He never sinned. The Savior chose to die a gruesome death in our place, paying the penalty for our wrongs.

There is no deeper love, Scripture tells us, than a man who gives up his life for a friend (John 15:13). Jesus went even farther—dying for us while we were still His enemies (Rom. 5:10). In fact, He would have sacrificed Himself even if you were the only person ever to exist.

Promising forgiveness and eternal life, Christ asks sinful man to believe and follow Him. When we trust in Jesus, we are adopted as God’s children and receive His indwelling Spirit, who blesses abundantly with joy, peace, and guidance. Always welcome before the Throne of Grace, believers have access to converse with the Father at any time. He promises to hear and respond to our seeking, repentant hearts. And Jesus intercedes for us, praying on our behalf.

We don’t deserve the Lord’s invitation to have an intimate relationship with Him. Yet in His grace, He is loving and compassionate toward us. What a privilege to be able to approach the King’s throne, knowing He listens, understands, and cares. Rest in God’s love, and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.

Walking in Sustainable Faith..... By Meg Bucher

 Walking in Sustainable Faith

By Meg Bucher

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” John 6:66 (NASB)

Can you picture the scene? After Jesus preached that He was the only way to the Father.

Earth-shattering and …in the minds of those who did not believe He was the Messiah, blasphemous speech. It was too much for many to wrap their minds around. And I believe that’s where they went wrong. Our minds will never be fully capable of comprehending Jesus.

Faith kicks in to cover what we cannot comprehend.

We are purposely not privy to all of the answers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t live a life full of the tremendous purpose God has intentionally placed upon all of our lives.

It’s all in how we walk. Where we walk. And Who we follow.

The original translation of walked in this verse is, peripateo, meaning to make one’s way, progress; to make due use of opportunities. (Strong’s.) 

We walk in the life of our steps.

“Jesus had already made clear what discipleship meant, and many were not ready to receive life in the way he taught.” NIV Study Bible Notes

There are many rounds of pain we are promised to go through in this life. Rounds of physical pain, mental pain, relational pain, and tests of our faith. God is not surprised by any of them. What will we chose to do in each round? Will we remember that He’s in our corner, and continue walking …continuing fighting on in faith with Him at our side. With the Son and the Spirit that He sent to help us and build a bridge into His arms everyday we are alive.

Or will we walk away from the fight? Will we turn around when it’s too much for us to understand …bear …or carry? Life is too heavy for our backs, but fits perfectly in His arms.

Father,

Praise You for carrying us through pain. Thank You for Your faithfulness and compassion for us. Forgive us for walking away, making life in harder to bear. Remind us in the moments when life seems impossible …that it is. And that’s why You are the only One capable of carrying us through it. In

Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Getting Rid of Pineapple Hospitality..... by Katherine Britton

 Getting Rid of Pineapple Hospitality

by Katherine Britton

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. - Romans 12:13

On Friday night, my house will be clean. The kitchen will sparkle like one from Better Homes and Gardens, the guest room curtains will gently ripple in the breeze, and - best of all - my guests and friends will feel such warmth that they never want to leave.

Ever had that dream?

The impending arrival of friends has made me reconsider just what it means to practice hospitality. Part of me knows that the house is just not "ready" for guests - I don't even have a pineapple tacked on the wall at this point. Granted, the boxes have diminished, but I don't consider my house properly "finished" yet. For that reason, part of me feels like I can't offer my guests "real" hospitality.

Ever lived that reality?

So what does hospitality mean? The dictionary definition of hospitality surprised me. Hospitality is "the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way." Not one word about wowing the guests with the food, the after-dinner entertainment, or even the surroundings. The very definition takes the focus off of things and puts it back where it belongs - on people and fellowship. It's an attitude as well as an action.

Many of my favorite growing-up memories feature a table with lots of people around it. I remember laughter, encouraging conversation, challenging conversation. My parents still love to invite people they meet at church back to the house for brunch, even though many of their guests are total strangers two hours prior to the meal. They ask people about their lives and share their own. They don't put on a show, but they do offer authenticity and a desire to encourage others.

My house sure isn't perfect, but then, neither am I. Neither are the people who walk through my door. Waiting until the house is perfect actually signals a pride issue for me, because it's an excuse not to offer what I do have. I want to be like Lydia in Acts, who probably hadn't planned to shelter the disciples at her house until she asked them. She just saw the need and shared what she could. I desire that kind of heart, a heart that can share God's gifts of love, provision, and joy.

I think human hospitality is actually a pale reflection of how God welcomes us into His house. I can offer food, shelter, and company - He offers the bread of life, shelter from the storms, and a relationship with Him. I was the stranger in desperate need of His hospitality, and He opened the door. How's that for a precedent?

When my friends arrive on Friday, it'll be okay if I missed a cobweb. And if a stray box or two is still in the living room, my friends will probably chuckle and ask how the unpacking is going. Then we'll swap stories about their own recent moves and laugh at old trinkets we've rediscovered, like my Nerf gun. And my prayer is that throughout the course of the evening, we'll encourage each other in the new directions that God is pushing us. Yep. That's what hospitality means.

Intersecting Faith & Life: I want to view my home as not just a place to eat and sleep. I want it to be a place where ministry happens and God touches people, and that means taking the opportunities to see Him work. What opportunities do you have to practice hospitality? Are you letting appearances hold you back? Or are you ready to invite others into a welcome and caring atmosphere?

Further Reading

1 Peter 4:9
Matthew 25:35-46

A Prayer to Defeat Your Fear of Failure ..... By Rick Warren

 A Prayer to Defeat Your Fear of Failure

By Rick Warren

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” – Proverbs 24:16

Satan’s favorite tool to diminish your faith is the fear of failure. But you cannot serve God and be constantly worried about what other people think. You have to move forward. Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (NIV).

So how do you get rid of the fear of failure?

One way is to redefine failure. What is failure? Failure is not failing to reach your goal. Failure is not having a goal. Failure is not failing to hit your target. Failure is not having a target. Failure is not falling down. Failure is refusing to get back up. You’re never a failure until you quit. So if you’re attempting something for the glory of God, that’s a good thing. Failure is not trying and not accomplishing anything. Failure is failing to try.

Another way to get rid of the fear of failure is to never compare yourself to anybody else. You’re always going to find somebody who’s doing a better job, and you get discouraged. And, you’re always going to find somebody who’s not doing as good a job as you are, and you become full of pride. Both of them will mess up your life. Discouragement and pride will keep you from serving God’s purpose for your life.

The Bible says in Galatians 6:4, “Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others” (GW).

Did you notice that the Bible says there is a legitimate pride? There’s a good kind of pride and there’s a bad kind of pride. The bad kind of pride is comparing: “I’m better than so and so!” The good kind of pride is, “God, I’m proud of what you’re doing in my family, my business, my life, my walk of faith.” That’s the good kind of pride.

When you get to Heaven, God isn’t going to say, “Why weren’t you more like so and so?” He’s going to say, “Why weren’t you who I made you to be?”

Let go of your fear of failure, because anything you’re attempting for God in faith is a good thing, regardless of the results.

Lord, help me let go of my fear of failure. I know Satan wants to use my fears to hold me back from living boldly for You. Forgive me for not living in faith, and help me from this moment on to live with bold confidence in You. Lord, help me not compare myself to others around me. I pray instead that I can keep my eye on You and live a life that proclaims Your excellence. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.