The Pathway Of Faith

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

   in you I trust, O my God.

Show me your ways, O LORD,

    teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are God my Savior,

    and my hope is in you all day long.

                                ~ Psalm 25:1-2,4-5

Focus Is The Only Thing You Can Control

The Things To Do

* Give Thanks
* Choose Joy
* Do Not Fret
* Do the Next Thing
* Accept with Joy
* Keep a Quiet Heart
* Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
* Be Still and Know that He is God
* Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart, and
* Lean Not on Your Own Understanding

The Act Of Faith

The act of faith 

  is being willing to trust 

    in the wisdom and 

        the will of God 

    without knowing the 

         outcome.  

                              ~ Dr. Charles Stanley
 

Wait For The Lord

Wait for the LORD; 

  be strong and take heart 

    and wait for the LORD.

                                      - Psalm 27:14

We wait in hope for the  Lord;

    He is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in His holy name.

May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

    even as we put our hope in You.

                                      - Psalm 33:20-22

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits

I wait for the Lord

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits

I wait for the Lord

In His word I place my trust

In His word I rest

In His word I place my trust

For I know I must wait

Thou shall not live on bread alone

But by every word of God

I will not live by bread alone

But by every word (yeah)

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits

I wait for the Lord

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits

I wait for the Lord

I will wait

                                        - Jeremy Camp

Dwelling Place

Whoever dwells in the shelter 

  of the Most High 

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, 

  "He is my refuge and my fortress, 

      my God, in whom I trust." 

                                        - Psalm 91:1

Surely Your goodness and love 

  will follow me 

all the days of my life, 

  and I will dwell in the 

    house of the LORD forever.

                                        - Psalm 23:6

Where do I spend my days?

Do I dwell with Him?

More often than not,

  I find myself dwelling 

    in other spaces…

in anxious spaces, in fearful places,

  in places where my mind wanders 

    to “what if” scenarios.

But the promise in Psalm 23 

  is not only that if we follow Jesus 

we'll dwell with Him forever 

  in eternity —

     the promise is for now, too.

                                        - in(courage)

An Eternal Perspective

Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Though outwardly we are wasting away, 

yet inwardly we are being renewed

  day by day. 

For our light and momentary troubles 

  are achieving for us 

    an eternal glory that 

      far outweighs them all. 

So we fix our eyes 

  not on what is seen, 

    but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, 

  but what is unseen is eternal. 

                       - 2nd Corinthians 4:16–18 

The Path of Obedience

This is what the cross of Christ means –

the willingness to take 

  whatever conditions are necessary 

in the path of obedience,

  letting go of our preferences.

                         - Elisabeth Elliott

Wait, My Daughter

Wait, My daughter,

    until you find out what happens.

                               – Ruth 3:18

Your time has not yet come

Watch and pray

Continue on 

  until the Lord closes the door

Stay the course

Whatever you do, 

  do it unto the Lord

Life is an adventure, 

  and Jesus is the trail guide

Stolen Joy

Don’t let 〰️ Anxiety 〰️

   steal your ♥️ Joy ♥️ 

Trust Me

Whatever dark tunnel we may

  be called upon to travel through, 

    God has been there. 

Whatever deep waters 

  seem about to drown us,

    He has traversed. 

Faith is not merely 

  “feeling good about God”

but a conscious choice, 

  even in the utter absence of feelings 

    or external encouragements, 

to obey his Word when he says, 

    “Trust me.”

                                   - Elisabeth Elliot

Strength to Sustain the Burden

We may bring any difficult situation

  to our Heavenly Father,

laying it before His eyes,

  and asking not for instant escape

but for strength to sustain 

  the burden and to do 

    what we ought to do.

                      - Elisabeth Elliot

Too Much Stuff

Too much stuff, too much stuff

More than enough, more than enough

It’s out of the closets and filling my space

It’s growing and spilling all over the place

I’m tripping all over a terrible case of 

Too much stuff, too much stuff

More than enough, more than enough

The piles are staring me in the face

They’re multiplying at an alarming pace

And soon I’ll be buried without a trace in

Too much stuff, too much stuff

More than enough, more than enough

It isn’t easy to run the race

With all this stuff slowing down my pace

I think I need some additional grace for 

Too much stuff

                                        - Janet L Janzen 

I Will Lift My Eyes

I will lift my eyes to the Maker

    of the mountains I can’t climb

I will lift my eyes to the Calmer

    of the oceans raging wild

I will lift my eyes to the Healer

    of the hurt I hold inside

I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes

    to You

                          - Bebo Norman 

The Next Chapter

Forgetting what is behind and

    straining toward what is ahead, 

I press on toward the goal 

    to win the prize 

for which God has called me

    heavenward

        in Christ Jesus.

                           – Philippians 3:13–14

But the Lord is righteous;

    He has cut me free 

        from the courts of the wicked.

                           – Psalm 29:4

We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise

We bring the sacrifice of praise

into the house of the Lord.
We bring the sacrifice of praise

into the house of the Lord.

And we offer up to You 

the sacrifices of thanksgiving
And we offer up to You

the sacrifices of joy.

                                        - Kirk Deerman

Let them sacrifice thank offerings 

  and tell of His works

    with songs of joy. 

                                         - Psalm 107:22

Through Jesus, therefore, 

  let us continually offer to God 

    a sacrifice of praise

                                         ~ Hebrews 13:15

Inadequate to Cope

When you feel utterly 

  inadequate to cope, 

the enemy of our souls 

  is specially alert,

seeking to turn us in on ourselves 

  rather than upward to the One

     who stands ready to be 

        our Refuge and Helper. 

                             - Elisabeth Elliot

I Look to the Shepherd

I look to the Shepherd,  

  He meets all my needs.  

Beside the still waters  

  He faithfully leads,

Bringing peace to my soul  

  as His love makes me whole.  

  

Surely goodness and mercy 

  shall follow me  

     follow me,  

  all the days of my life  

Surely goodness and mercy 

  shall follow me  

     all my life.

  

And when in the valley  

  of deepest despair,  

I look to the Shepherd,  

His presence is there,

  bringing peace to my soul  

    as His love makes me whole.

Surely goodness and mercy 

  shall follow me  

     follow me,  

  all the days of my life  

Surely goodness and mercy 

  shall follow me  

     all my life.

                                  - Maranatha!

Gratitude

Gratitude springs from acceptance

  of the gifts, the conditions

    and the circumstances

      that God gives us.

                             - Elisabeth Elliott

Give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

                        - 1 Thessalonians  5:18

What’s Here Now?

What If  Is Not Now

What Is  Is Now

What ~

Used as an interrogative 

  expressing inquiry 

about the identity, nature, or value 

  of a person, object, or matter

Focus

Focus is really the only thing 

    you can control.

                             – Scott Turansky 

Gratitude

Gratitude springs from acceptance

  of the gifts, the conditions

    and the circumstances

      that God gives us.

                             - Elisabeth Elliott

Give thanks in all circumstances, 

  for this is God’s will for you 

    in Christ Jesus.

                        - 1 Thessalonians  5:18

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal.

Chart and compass come from Thee.

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boist'rous waves obey Thy will

When Thou sayest to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

Then, while leaning on Thy breast,

May I hear Thee say to me,

"Fear not, I will pilot thee."

                                       - Edward Hopper

Where Are Your Eyes?

Imagine a scene as if in a play, where the characters are in an area lit by a spotlight, while the area outside of the spotlight is shadowy. 

The characters in the spotlight are a flock of sheep, along with their Shepherd. 

Some of the sheep are content in the Shepherd's care, and are thankful for the sunny day and the rich pasture. 

They are trusting their tomorrows to their Shepherd's care, knowing that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

Their focus is on today, 

  and on their Shepherd.

However, many of the sheep are standing at the edge of the spotlight, peering anxiously into the shadows of the future. 

They are worried about what the future might hold that they might not like, and they are trying to figure out how they will handle things they imagine might happen tomorrow. 

Even though their Shepherd is the same yesterday, today and forever, they are unable to see Him in the shadows of the future. 

Their focus is on tomorrow, 

  and not on their Shepherd.

Where are your eyes?

Two sheep were in a park; 

one saw light, the other saw dark. 

Look to the Shepherd

or

Look into the Shadows

Beware the Crosses of Anxious Foreboding

Fenelon 1651-1715

The crosses of the present moment always bring their own special grace and consequent comfort with them; we see the hand of God in them when it is laid upon us. 

But the crosses of anxious foreboding are seen out of the dispensation of God. We see them without the grace to bear them; we see them indeed through a faithless spirit which banishes grace. So, everything in them is bitter and unendurable; all seems dark and helpless. 

Let us throw self aside. Tolerate no more self-interest, and then God's will, unfolding in every moment in everything, will console us also every moment for all that He shall do around us, or within us, for our discipline.

<>< <>> <>< 

The crosses which we make for ourselves by a restless anxiety as to the future, are not crosses which come from God. We show want of faith in Him by our false wisdom, wishing to forestall His arrangements, and struggling to supplement His Providence by our own providence. The future is not yet ours; perhaps it never will be. If it comes, it may come wholly different from what we have foreseen. Let us shut our eyes, then, to that which God hides from us, and keeps in reserve in the treasures of His deep counsels. Let us worship without seeing; let us be silent; let us abide in peace.

<>< <>> <><

Let us then think only of the present, and not even permit our minds to wander with curiosity into the future. This future is not yet ours; perhaps it will never be. It is exposing ourselves to temptation to wish to anticipate God, and to prepare ourselves for things which He may not destine for us. If such things should come to pass, He will give us light and strength according to the need. Why should we desire to meet difficulties prematurely, when we have neither strength or light as yet provided for them? Let us give heed to the present, whose duties are pressing. It is fidelity to the present which prepares us for fidelity in the future.

Henrietta Louisa Sidney Lear

A constant anticipation of evil which perhaps never will come, a foreboding which takes away life and energy from the present, will simply hinder and cloud the soul, and make it timid and sad. If troublous thoughts as to the future will press, darkening a bright present, or hurrying on coming clouds, the safest thing is to offer them continually as they arise to God, offering too the future which they contemplate, and asking for grace to concentrate our energies on the immediate duties surrounding us. Many have dreaded troubles which they thought must come; and while they went on ever expecting to make the turn in their path which was to open out fully to the evil, lo!, they found that they had reached the journey's end and were at the haven where they would be.

Elisabeth Elliot

To take on the burdens of tomorrow

is to sap the strength needed 

to carry out the work assigned for today.

<>< <>> <>< 

It is not for the flock of sheep to know 

the pasture the Shepherd 

  has in mind. 

It is for them to simply follow Him.

Whatever Path I’m Called to Trod

Whatever path I’m called to trod,

always with me will be my God.

Where Do Your Thoughts Dwell?

There is always plenty

  to complain about

if your life is controlled

  by your feelings.

But there is always much more

  to thank God for

if your life is controlled

  by your dwelling on 

    His faithfulness,

        His love and His mercy.

                                    - Elisabeth Elliot

Even Through This?

Will you still Follow Me

    even through this?

Will you still Trust Me

    even through this?

Will you still Love Me

    even through this?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It seemed to Much-Afraid 

  that she was actually looking 

    into abyss of horror, 

  into an existence in which 

    there was no Shepherd to follow 

      or to trust or to love — 

  no Shepherd at all, 

    nothing but her own horrible self. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Will you go down this 

  path of forgiveness 

    into the Valley of Loss, 

  just because it is the way 

    that I have chosen for you? 

Will you still trust and 

  still love me?”

                        - Hannah Hurnard

                 “Hind’s Feet on High Places”

What Is Contentment?

Contentment is a state of the heart. 

 

It's a posture that must be cultivated 

   by humility, surrender, and 

       repeated trust 

   in God's goodness and 

       sovereignty.

                                  - Lauren Bowerman

Godliness with Contentment

Godliness with contentment 

    is great gain.

                          - 1st Timothy 6:6

Though the uproar of the tempest 

  without was almost deafening 

     and the hut shuddered and shook 

        in every blast, 

yet inside was nothing but peace

    and thanksgiving and 

        cheerful contentment.

                          - Hannah Hurnard

                     “Hinds’ Feet on High Places”

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed Be Your Name  

In the land that is plentiful  

Where Your streams of 

     abundance flow  

Blessed be Your Name

Blessed Be Your Name  

When I'm found in the desert place  

Though I walk through the wilderness  

Blessed Be Your Name

Every blessing You pour out, I'll  

Turn back to praise  

When the darkness closes in, Lord  

Still I will say  

Blessed be the Name of the Lord  

Blessed be Your Name  

Blessed be the Name of the Lord  

Blessed be Your glorious Name

Blessed be Your Name  

When the sun's shining down on me  

When the world's all as it should be'  

Blessed be Your Name

Blessed be Your Name  

On the road marked with suffering  

Though there's pain in the offering  

Blessed be Your Name

Every blessing You pour out I'll  

Turn back to praise  

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say  

Blessed be the Name of the Lord  

Blessed be Your Name  

Blessed be the Name of the Lord  

Blessed be Your glorious Name

You give and take away  

You give and take away  

My heart will choose to say  

Lord blessed be Your Name

You give and take away  

You give and take away  

My heart will choose to say  

Lord blessed be Your Name

              - Matt Redman / Beth Redman

I’ve Been Wronged, Lord!

Do not seek revenge 

  or bear a grudge against anyone

    among your people, 

but love your neighbor 

  as yourself. 

I am the Lord.

                                  - Leviticus 19:18

Get rid of all bitterness, 

  rage and anger, 

    brawling and slander, 

      along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate 

  to one other, 

    forgiving each other, 

      just as in Christ God forgave you. 

                                  - Ephesians 4:31–32

Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; 

    it makes you bitter. 

Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; 

    it sets you free.

Strength According to Our Days

The Lord gives us daily, not weekly, bread.

He gives strength according to our days,

    not our years.

The work, the suffering, the joy

    are given according to 

        His careful measure.

                            - Elisabeth Elliot 

Your strength will equal your days.

                            - Deuteronomy 33:25

Coming Face to Face with Grace

The grace of God 

  is the only possible way 

   to accept ourselves,

    to learn humility, 

     to take responsibility, 

to make the necessary changes 

  in our lives, and to become 

   the individuals God designed 

      you and me to be.

In the end, it’s all about grace, 

  the very grace of God.

                                - John Townsend

The Next Grace for the Next Thing

Are you troubled

    about something that looms ahead?

God will give you the next grace 

    for the next thing you need to do.

It will always be enough.

                                   – Elisabeth Elliott

The Companions and the Enemies

The Companions 

  Sorrow 

    Suffering

The Enemies 

  Fear

    Bitterness

      Resentment

        Pride

          Self-Pity

How does Christianity Relate to Suffering?

Wrong answer: 

     Strong Faith = no Suffering

      Christianity prevents suffering 

         (if you have enough faith)

Right answer: 

     Suffering = Strong Faith

       is designed 

              to make us more Christlike

         (if we respond with faith 

             and trust in the Lord

               and not in anger and 

                   bitterness toward God). 

Groaning or Grumbling

Groaning is complaining to God;

  grumbling is complaining about God.  

Groaning happens to God’s face;

  grumbling happens behind God’s back.

                                  - John Ortberg

A Hammer, a Chisel and a File

Every experience that God 

    allows to happen to us, 

that God gives to us 

    as the bountiful gifts 

      of his love and his mercy 

         and his grace;

Every single experience 

    without exception

         can be a Gateway to Joy

IF we Accept it from His hands,

    Thank Him for it,

         and offer it back to Him.

                                  - Elisabeth Elliot 

When a thing cuts across

    our natural desires,

        see in it a chance to die. 

                                  - Amy Carmichael

At The Present Moment

The whole essence 

    of the spiritual life

consists in recognizing 

    the designs of God for us 

        at the present moment.

One step at a time.

                                   - Elisabeth Elliot 

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way  

His wonders to perform  

He plants His footsteps in the sea  

And rides upon the storm

Deep in unsearchable mines  

Of never-failing skill  

He treasures up His bright designs  

And works His sovereign will

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take  

The clouds you so much dread  

Are big with mercy and shall break  

And in blessings on your head  

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense  

But trust Him for His grace  

Behind a frowning providence  

He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast  

Unfolding every hour  

The bud may have a bitter taste  

But sweet will be the flower

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take  

The clouds you so much dread  

Are big with mercy and shall break  

In blessings on your head  

Blind unbelief is sure to err  

And scan His work in vain  

For God is His own interpreter  

And He will make it plain

                           - William Cowper