Happy Valentine's Day!

Contentment

"Contentment is grounded in the confidence that the Lord has and will provide all of your needs."

--Timothy Witmer

Reconciled

 "Reconciled"

"Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Timothy 1:2) 

Consigned to disobedience

Rebellious to His face.

The Law said, "He deserves God's wrath!"

God said, "I'll give him GRACE!"

Free grace that I so ill-deserve,

"O Lord, depart from me!"

Love points to blood on MERCY-seat,

Both guilt and misery flee.

Christ's precious blood spilt willingly,

For one who is the least!

Where sin deserved God's enmity,

God's mercy calls out, "PEACE!"

To Minister

 "Selfish feeding on our own troubles, and continual pouring over our sorrows, are one secret of the melancholy misery in which many spend their lives. If we trust in Jesus Christ's blood, let us remember His example. 

He ever "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). 

He came not to be ministered to, but to minister—as well as to give His life a ransom for many. Let us try to be like Him. Let us walk in the steps of the good Samaritan, and give help wherever help is really needed. Even a kind word spoken in season is often a mighty blessing. That Old Testament promise is not yet worn out:   

"Blessed is the man that provides for the sick and needy—the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble" (Psalm 41:1)."

--J.C. Ryle

Love

 

Propitiation: 

"A sacrifice that bears God's wrath and turns it to favor."

Praise the Lord!

Full Bloom of Obedience

Full Bloom of Obedience

                                                          ~John 15:8-11

My heart did struggle to comply

     to my Lord's command.

Dear sins, self-love--all things to which

     the Lord held out His hands.

But seeing these hands were pierced for me,

     my heart released its hold,

And found that in so doing I

     abided in His love. 

With great surprise my heart did note

     the rush of sap and life.

I saw the fruit, not of myself,

     replace the sin and strife.

When next the Lord of Life walked by,

     with pruning-shears in hand,

His face did shine with glory-light

     at growth and fruit sustained.

And then did heart full understand--

     the end of obedience see--

When Lord, through life, be glorified,

     more full our joy shall be.

It's All Jesus :)

"Because of the way that [Jesus] lived and the way that He died, because of His substitutionary sufferings and His vicarious obedience, the Lord our God accepts us. What a preciousness there is in Him to overcome our lack of preciousness! What a sweet fragrance to remove our bad aroma! What a cleansing power of His blood to take away sin such as ours! What glory in His righteousness to make such unacceptable creatures be 'accepted in the beloved.' (Eph. 1:6)"

--Spurgeon

(Morning and Evening, March 28)

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Galatians 6:14

Trust Him

"The moment has come when you must get off the perch of distrust, out of the nest of seeming safety, and onto the wings of faith; just such a time as comes to the bird when it must begin to try the air. It may seem as though you must drop to the earth; so it may seem to the fledgling. It, too, may feel very like falling; but it does not fall--it's pinions give it support, or, if they fail, the parent birds sweeps under and bears it upon its wings. Even so will God bear you. Only trust Him; "thou shalt be holden up." "Well, but," you say, "am I to cast myself upon nothing?" That is what the bird seems to have to do; but we know the air is there, and the air is not so unsubstantial as it seems. And you know the promises of God are there, and they are not unsubstantial at all. "But it seems an unlikely thing to come about that my poor weak soul should be girded with such strength." Has God said it shall? "That my tempted, yielding nature shall be victor in the strife." Has God said it shall? "That my timorous, trembling heart shall find peace?" Has God said it shall? for, if He has, you surely do not mean to give Him the lie! Hath he spoken, and shall He not do it? If you have gotten a word --"a sure word" of promise--take it implicitly, trust it absolutely. And this sure word you have; nay, you have more--you have Him who speaks the word confidently. "Yea, I say unto you," trust Him."

 --J. B. Figgis, M. A.