Something New

It was one year ago He brought me through great affliction 

One year He began to teach me what faith is

To truly know He will use whatever He allows

For His great purposes

Since then He brought me through tests, trials too 

He formed and shaped me in the desert place

Where He began something new

Yet at the time I did not see nor understand 

The wonderful work which He began

He formed streams in the desert

His abundant life flowing forth

Giving joy even in hardship 

This desert place

He uses every moment still

Testing my faith and love in them

With those challenging moments 

He is in each one

Walking with me hand and hand 

Through them all

It’s never dull when I stop to seek

For His firm hand to hold fast

Listening to His voice 

“Don’t turn here, come this way instead”

Joy is found in Him alone

It’s nothing I have done,

His love goes beyond all understanding 

He gives me delight in desiring to please Him

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When He is Near

The only way heaven
Could ever come to earth in my heart
The only way life could be
Somewhat perfect
Would be to surrender
Myself completely
To enjoy whatever my Lord
Desires to send my way
To find His joy through each trial
Finding Him near me
Right beside me as I follow His path
He walked it first
Yet now calls us to live it also
Not alone, no never alone
Unless I try to make myself big
He will not be near
Only if abiding in Him will He
Always be near
Oh to store up treasures with Jesus
Through each mundane moment
And each challenging one
If myself tried to take His place
I will find He has departed
Only when I give myself up
He is near to me
Only if I am empty
Will He fill to the uttermost
Only if I surrender each day
He will be a part of this journey
If I seek to please Him in love
His love will be evident
If I depend on feelings or man
I will not depend upon Him
He who desires all my love
Desires I walk hand in hand with Him
He longs for me to overcome
More than I could ever imagine
If only I'll trust Him each moment
In every pain, trial, suffering
Shall His strength uphold me
To suffer with Him on His cross
My self denied, my life emptied
His glory fulfilled His life abundant
It's not enough to hope
But to know, He who promised is faithful
He will bring it to pass
He called me up to Himself
To go up higher
To have His Spirit of love
Power and sound mind
That the Spirit of fear may be rooted out
His life will be radiant
Glowing from the deepest wells
Overflowing by His Spirit
Whenever the anxieties of life
Turn my eyes away from Him
Oh Lord may I pray
Save me!
He will quickly come to rescue
His grace is sufficient
He is able to save
Increase my faith I cry
More trials, temptations afflictions
Flood my path
Yet His love is past understanding
His ways are beyond finding out
He wants me to trust Him
Depending upon Him for dear life
That I will obey even in this flood
Humble myself and see
The only good in me is from He
Who fills His life from deep within
He is the only One
Who is good
These words do not describe
How marvellous He is
All that has been done which is good
Has been done
By His works alone
No man can boast
For there is none who are good
Not even one
No one who understands
what it would be like
to not be tempted by sin
He is the only One
Who will never even
glance at it with joy.
Even despite a wolf inside
He allows us to also
Have a growing hatred
for sin like He does.
If only we hate it
will it become tasteless.
Only by His power
will we partake into His Divine Nature
Shall we not go on from here?
Shall we not seek the higher things?
To see life from His perspective
To be filled with Him from our deepest
To overflow with love for Him
Oh Father may we never ever loose
Deep love, reverencing fear
For you alone
Are truly worthy
Amen

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Future or Today?

Often I wait expectantly to hear from the Lord because I want to know what He wants for me to do in the future. Perhaps He will reveal what He wants me to be or where He wants me to go.
The Lord reminded me, I'm thinking about the future, I want to know what He has for me in the advanced today. Rather He desires for me to be seeking Him wholeheartedly for what He wants me to do today. He wants me to be content in Him in the mundane jobs ahead. He wants me to be Heavenly minded, seeking Him for the next step of today. He will show me what He wants today, for today is the day of salvation. {2 Corinthians 6:1-2}
We don't know if we have tomorrow, what if we will not be here? He wants us to be seriously seeking Him and He will reveal the way He has for us.
I pray I will grow in this and not waste my time hoping for the future when His ways are always higher, and beyond what I can ever dream or imagine.
This is my desire to be fully surrendered in my plans for today so He can show me His. Amen.

He will help; Praise God!

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He Will Fulfill

"God is not man, that he should lie,
    or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
    Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" Numbers 23:19

The Father is faithful, in reading Numbers 23  there is a king who wants to curse Gods people. However, the Lord is faithful to His people. He will not allow this to happen.
We can surely trust Him with our lives, He is a loving Father who knows what we need. We need not doubt Him any further, I pray we will grow in trusting Him completely.

Listen. Has He spoken? Has He promised? 

He is able to bring it to pass, praise God.

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The Clothes

The clothes. The shoes. The hair.  

The food. The riches. The things. 

You want it. You can't get it. 

But does our Father care? 

He knows your needs 

Why do these things matter?

They have no eternal value.

Even the birds of the air our Father feeds.

The flowers are here today

and gone tomorrow.

Your Heavenly Father knows what you need.

He will help you in a way

Perhaps you will not understand.

You might want something

He may not give you. 

He still wants you to obey 

His every command

In due time, yes - you'll see

God's plans always turn out

His ways are perfect

He knows what is good

Far better than either you or me.

The clothes, shoes or hair

do not matter here

nor way up there

for the eternal is

what each of us should be seeking

nothing else should be our concern

except to seek the things of Him

In Heaven He lives

He is watching you now

as you walk along this path of life.

Trials may come and go

accept them as friends.

Our Father watches how

you will react to them. 

Will you seek His face?

Or will you become distressed?

Will you fear Him?

Or will you fear men?

What men think of you

will never matter in eternity 

Only the will of Him who sent us

will matter when He returns.

Believe my friend - it's true.

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. And do not even think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful flesh." {Romans 13:14}

Why worry about what you will wear, or eat, or anything when your loving Heavenly Father knows what you need? He will not give you everything you want He will give you something more. He knows what you need.

"But Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Then all these things will be added unto you."  {Matthew 6:33}

His Kingdom. His Righteousness. His Will. They are most important. They matter the most. Will we not live like they matter the most? Or will we go along our merry way, loving ourselves? Desiring what is not ours, wishing for things we don't have? What will we do?

"When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him." {E. Elliot}

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Reflect

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” {2 Timothy 2:3-7}

Will you be a good solider, runner or farmer? The soldier doesn't get entangled in the worlds cares, rather he seeks only His masters business. He tries instead to please the Lord with all His heart.

A runner has a goal, and it's only to please God. When he runs his race, he follows all the rules. He is careful with his life to please the Lord in every area, from his thought and heart attitudes and motives, to what he speaks. He has a goal — to finish everything God gave Him to do here, and to have more and more of the Love of God.

The farmer plants seeds and waters his crops. His goal is to have a good strong garden. Everything he does is for the his plants in order that they may grow. He desires for Gods word, and to know more of God. He reads the Lords word, digging into it and planting in his own life and others see his burden. He will receive the first share of the crop if he is diligent in taking time with Jesus alone because he wants Jesus so much and nothing else matters except to knowing HIM and being found in HIM when He comes!

Lord, you alone can help us. We need your strength your power, to overcome.

Will you join in these sufferings, laying down our own desires and doing the will of our Father instead, striving to please Him no matter what may others sufferings will come our way?

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More Than These

It is during those times of trial, suffering, pain, or weakness, that we run to Jesus. He is the Only Faithful One who will supply all our needs and help us in our time of trial.

"Peter, do you love me more than these?" Jesus asked.

"Lord, you know that I love you."

"Feed my lambs."

Perhaps your life or work is growing stressful. You are finding you often worry and spend lots of time thinking about it, wondering what you could do, what you should do. 

Listen. 

Jesus is asking, "Do you love Me more than this?" "Why worry about your work, when I already know what is in store? Instead pray. Give thanks."

When you think you have control or someone else has control over your job remember Jesus, Just as He told Pilate, "You have no power over me except it be given to you by my Father."

No one can touch you unless He allows it. You can be sure, that if something is happening, it is because He has a perfect plan through it all. 

Love Christ more than your job, family, school, and what the future may bring you. If Jesus is asking you to do something that you don't think you want to, ask yourself if you love Him. Do you love Him more than these things you are worrying about? More than these things you want? Take time to reflect on these things you are thinking about all the time. Do you love Jesus more than them? 

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