He Giveth . . .

A few weeks ago one of the men in our church sang this beautiful song and told a little about the author, Annie Johnson Flint.  I think learning some of the story behind the song makes it even more meaningful, so I trust that it will bless and encourage your heart.

Annie was born on Christmas Eve in the year 1866.  Shortly after Annie graduated from High School, arthritis began to appear.  She tried several doctors, but it steadily grew worse until it became difficult for her to walk at all.  Soon she had to give up her work, and there followed three years of increasing helplessness.

Arrangements were made for Annie to go to the Sanitarium at Clifton Springs, New York.  She finally received the verdict of the doctors at the Sanitarium that henceforth she would be a helpless invalid.
With a pen pushed through bent fingers, and held by swollen joints, she wrote with painfully distorted hands without any thought that it might be an avenue of ministry.  Her verses provided a solace for her in the long hours of suffering.  She spent about 40 years as a "shut-in" within the compass of four walls, with the occasional break of an excursion in an invalid chair.  Sometimes, for considerable periods, she had to have a trained nurse.

Like the Apostle Paul, she prayed for deliverance , but there came to her with real assurance the voice which said, "My grace is sufficient for thee.  My strength is made perfect in weakness."  She reached the place where she too could say with Paul, "Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  Perhaps that was when she wrote this beautiful poem which was later set to music.
     
     "God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
      But God hath promised strength for the day, rest from the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love."

The last years of her life brought her no ease from her affliction, no lessening of pain and suffering.  Nine soft pillows were carefully arranged on the bed for use in protecting the exquisitely sensitive, pain-smitten body. No one but God and she knew what suffering she endured as the disease became worse with the passing of the years, and new complications developed.  But through it all, her faith in the goodness and mercy of God never wavered.  She was at all times able to say, "Thy Will be Done".
For more than 40 years there was hardly a day when she did not suffer pain.  For 37 years she had become increasingly helpless.  Every joint in her body had become rigid, although she was able to turn her head, and in great pain write a few lines on paper.
Her last words were: "I have nothing to say.  It's all right."  A few minutes later she had gone to be with Christ.  Sorrow, affliction, pain, suffering and death were ended forever!  One may well apply to her these words from the book of Revelation:  "These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb."       

I trust that the words of this beautiful song will be a blessing and encouragement to your heart as they have been to mine many times through the years:

     "He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
      To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

      When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
      When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

      His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men;
      For out of His infinite riches in Jesus --
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!"

The Storms Pass!

A few days ago, it rained almost the entire day!  It was quite dreary out, and not very pleasant.  In the evening, it didn't let up -- it just kept getting worse!  While we were still sitting at the supper table, the rain started coming down in torrents!  It sounded sort of like it must have sounded in Noah's day when the windows of heaven were opened!  The wind blew furiously, and the storm raged relentlessly for some time.  Gradually, it began to lessen as it passed over.

Later that evening, I looked out my front window and not a leaf was moving!  Everything was quiet and at peace.  The storm was over!

Our lives are not without some storms, but Jesus is our refuge, and He will keep us safe 'till the storm passes by!
I love this song by Mosie Lister:

     "In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
      'Mid the crash of the thunder, precious Lord, hear my cry,  
'Keep me safe, 'til the storm passes by!

      Many times Satan whispered, 'There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow; there's no hope by and by.'
      But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storm never darkens the skies.

      When the long night has ended, and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on that bright, peaceful shore.
      In that land where the tempest never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

     'Til the storm passes over,  'Til the thunder sounds no more'
'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky. 
     Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."
  

KEEP ME!

This morning I was reading in the 17th Psalm, which is a prayer of David!  When I came to verse 8, the first two words, "Keep Me," just warmed my heart as I thought about how my Heavenly Father is able to Keep Me -- every day -- no matter what comes my way!
So I thought that I would share a few verses with you that I trust will encourage you to know that Jesus not only WANTS to keep you, but He is ABLE to keep you as Jude records in the last words of his epistle:
     "Now unto Him that is able to 'keep you' from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen."

I Samuel 2:9 -- "He will keep the feet of His saints . . ."

Psalm 17:8 -- "'Keep me' as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings."

Psalm 91:11 -- "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to 'keep thee' in all thy ways."

Psalm 121:3 -- ". . .He that 'keepeth thee' will not slumber."

Isaiah 26:3 -- "Thou wilt 'keep him' in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee . . ."

Philippians 4:7 -- "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 'shall keep' your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

     Thank You, Heavenly Father, for your blessed Word which is such a wonderful lamp for my feet and light for my path!
  

What Do You Think On?

Philippians 4:8 says:  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I have a quote written in my Bible that says:
     "The battle for man's soul is won or lost in the mind!"  This is a very sobering thought and I believe it to be true!  We must keep our thoughts in subjection to our will.  There is a little quote that says:  "Convince a man against his will, and he's of the same opinion still."

I am thankful for the sweet scripture in the 26th chapter of Isaiah that assures us:  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.  Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."  Praise the Lord!

Who Shall Abide?

The 15th Psalm is a very short little Psalm of only five verses, but very interesting in content.  The Psalmist, David, asks the Lord two questions in verse one -- "Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?  who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?"  He then answers the questions in the remaining four verses.
v.2 -- He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
v. 3 -- He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.
v. 4 -- In whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord.  He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
v. 5 -- He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.  He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

  In these four small verses, there are 16 specific statements given to answer the two questions in verse one, and then the Psalm ends with a wonderful statement:  "He that doeth these things shall Never be moved."
It brings to mind the wonderful words in Psalm 119:97:  "O how love I Thy law!  It is my meditation all the day."

As we begin this New Year, let us daily take time to commune with God and feed on His Word!
     

Into The Future!

In these beginning days of 2017, we cannot see beyond today as God can see, but when I opened my Bible a few minutes ago, my eyes fell upon a little quote I had written there -- "Fear no one but God, and remember that we must account to Him for every word and action."
As I enter this New Year, I want my words and actions to be pleasing to my Heavenly Father and a testimony to those I come in contact with from day to day.

This poem by L. T. Halsey speaks to my heart.  I trust that it will be a blessing to you, as well, and may the beauty of Jesus be seen in us as we step "Into the Future" with God!

     "I step into another year and pause to meditate --
'Tis well to think of lessons learned and inventory take,
      The sorrows seemed too hard to bear, but all have worked for good.
Each pain has left a bit of gain, as Father meant it should.

      I find myself more patient, more trustful, and more still,
More deeply rooted in my God, more yielded to His will.
      I face the coming New Year with a settled peace within
As another year of service for my Master I begin.

      As signs about me witness that His coming draweth nigh,
I hopefully anticipate that meeting in the sky!
      O Lord, may every lesson learned bear fruit in other lives.
Help me to overcome each plot that Satan may devise.

      May victory crown the New Year with accomplishments for Thee,
And may you live unhindered your blessed life through me."

The New Year!

The 3rd verse of the 33rd Psalm begins with these words:  "Sing unto Him a new song:"  So as the New Year begins, let us keep a new song of joy and blessing bubbling in our souls! 
As we face the unknown future of 2017, there will no doubt be tests and trials, perhaps some disappointments and heartaches, but the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight!

"It was a cold December night in West Orange, New Jersey in the year 1914.  The factory of Thomas Edison was humming with activity.  Work was proceeding on a variety of fronts as the great inventor was reaching to turn still more dreams into realities.
Edison's plant, made of concrete and steel, was deemed "fireproof."  It Wasn't!!!  The night was lit up with a sensational blaze that burst through the roof.
His 24 year old son, Charles, made a frenzied search for the famous inventor.  When he finally found him, he was watching the fire.
My heart ached for him, said Charles.  Here he was, 67 years old, and everything he had worked for was going up in flames.

The next morning when Edison looked at the ruins of his factory, here is what he said:  "There's value in disaster.  All our mistakes are burned up.  Thank God we can start anew!"
What a wonderful perspective on things that appear at first to be so disastrous!!  WHETHER THESE THINGS DESTROY AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS LARGELY ON THE ATTITUDE HE OR SHE TAKES TOWARD THEM."

As we begin this New Year, let us often meditate on this wonderful promise in Romans 8:28:  "And we know that ALL (not 99 %, but all) things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."