Higher Ground

I’m pressing on the upward way,  

New heights I'm gaining every day;  

Still praying as I’m onward bound,  

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.  

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,  

By faith, on Heaven's table land;  

A higher plane than I have found;  

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.  

I want to scale the utmost height,  

And catch a gleam of glory bright;  

But still I'll pray till Heav'n I've found,  

Lord, lead me on to higher ground.

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,  

By faith, on Heaven's table land;  

A higher plane than I have found;  

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.  

                            - Johnson Oatman Jr 

Mud or Stars?

Two people looked

    through prison bars;

One saw mud,

    the other saw stars.

 

                               - Unknown 

Focus is the only thing 

    you can control.

                              - Scott Turansky

Joy On The Journey

I can choose to
Fret and Fume, and 

  Grumble and Gripe,

or I can choose to

Focus by Faith 

  on the Goodness of God,
      and look for 

          Joy on the Journey.

Professed-Belief and Heart-Belief

All your waves and breakers 

    have swept over me.

Why are you downcast, 

    O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, 

    for I will yet praise Him,

    my Savior and my God.

                                     ~ Psalm 42:7,11

What are we who profess our 

    faith in Christ 

  to do when the waves of life 

    wash over us?

Will our faith prove to be genuine?

Or will we spurn Christ and 

    rush toward 

      the false harbors of this world?

At such a moment of trial,

    we are forced into one of 

        two positions:

either cynicism and coldness of heart

    or true depth with God.

When that moment comes,

    sent by the hand of a tender Father,

will we believe what we have confessed 

    about God to be true,

or will we suspect Him 

    of deserting us?

The two lines of professed-belief 

    and heart-belief,

      to this point parallel,

are suddenly forced either to 

    overlap completely 

        or to move further apart.

We cannot go on as before.

And why does this happen?

Because God will not let us remain 

    the people we would be

as long as the waves reached 

    only our waist. 

                                  ~ Devotional

Unfailing Love

But I trust in your unfailing love;

  my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

  for He has been good to me.

                            - Psalm 13:5-6

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

Be Strong and Take Heart

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart

    and wait for the Lord.

                                - Psalm 27:14

    

But I trust in you, O Lord;

    I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hands

Be strong and take heart,

    all you who hope in the Lord.

                                  - Psalm 31:14-15,2

I have told you these things, 

  so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. 

  But take heart! I have overcome 

      the world.

                                   - John 16:33

I 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

As He Unfolds the Rose

It is only a tiny rosebud,   

A flower of God's design,  

But I cannot unfold the petals  

With these clumsy hands of mine.  

The secret of unfolding flowers  

Is not known to such as I,  

The flower God opens so sweetly,  

In my hands would fade and die.  

I cannot unfold a rosebud,  

This flower of God's design,  

Then how can I have wisdom  

To unfold this life of mine?  

So I'll trust Him for His leading  

Each moment of every day  

And I'll look to Him for His guidance  

Each step of the pilgrim way.  

For the pathway that lies before me  

My heavenly Father knows  

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments  

Just as He unfolds the rose.  

  

                              ~ unknown

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

You call me out 

upon the waters

The great unknown 

where feet may fail

And there I find You 

in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon 

Your name

And keep my eyes 

above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest 

in Your embrace

For I am Yours 

and You are mine

Your grace abounds 

in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail 

and fear surrounds me

You've never failed 

and You won't start now

So I will call upon 

Your name

And keep my eyes 

above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest 

in Your embrace

For I am Yours 

and You are mine

Spirit lead me where 

my trust is without borders

Let me walk 

upon the waters

Wherever You 

would call me

Take me deeper than 

my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be 

made stronger

In the presence of 

my Savior

Spirit lead me where 

my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon 

the waters

Wherever You 

would call me

I will call upon 

Your name

Keep my eyes 

above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest 

in Your embrace

I am Yours and 

You are mine

                  ~ Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, 

                            Salomon Ligthelm

The Things That Cannot Fail

In the bitter waves of woe,
beaten and tossed about
by the sullen winds that blow
from the desolate shores of doubt —

When the anchors that faith has cast
are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
to the things that cannot fail.

                    - Washington Gladden
                                (1836-1918)

Our Interruptions

We can have faith that our lives 

    and their interruptions 

will accomplish God's 

    good purpose.

                                - Jami Nato

God is in Every Tomorrow

God is in every tomorrow,

    Therefore I live for today,

Certain of finding at sunrise,

    Guidance and strength for the way;

Power for each moment of weakness,

    Hope for each moment of pain,

Comfort for every sorrow,

    Sunshine and joy after rain.

                                    - Unknown

Love’s Sacrifice Leads to Joy

Measure thy life by loss 

    instead of gain;  

Not by the wine drunk, 

    but the wine poured forth  

For love's strength standeth 

    in love's sacrifice;  

And whoso suffers most 

    hath most to give.

                                    - Ugo Bassi

The Habit and Practice of Hope

When the feeling of hope failed me,

    the habit and practice of hope 

         carried me.

                                - Katherine Wolf

The Active Presence of God in Our Lives

How can I trust in God's goodness 

    and believe His promises 

amidst the pain and suffering 

    all around me?

Belief, hope, and trust 

    are gifts of grace 

        given by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is 

    God's active presence in our lives,

        the supernatural power that fuels 

            belief and hope and trust.

How can you see God 

    when you're focusing 

        on something else?

Establish a habit -- 

    to practice belief, hope, and 

        trust in the goodness of God.

The active presence of God 

    in our lives is the one thing 

        that can change everything.

                                      - Robin Dance

The Age-Long Minute

Thou art the Lord 

    who slept upon the pillow, 

Thou art the Lord 

    who soothed the furious sea,

What matter beating wind 

    and tossing billow 

If only we are in the boat 

    with Thee? 

Hold us in quiet 

    through the age-long minute 

While Thou art silent, 

    and the wind is shrill: 

Can the boat sink while Thou, 

    dear Lord, art in it?

Can the heart faint 

    that waiteth on Thy will? 

                        - Amy Carmichael

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Let us run with perseverance 

    the race marked out for us. 

Let us Fix Our Eyes On Jesus,

    the author and perfecter of our faith.

                                      – Hebrews 12:2 

  

Fix Your Thoughts On Jesus,

    the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 

                                    – Hebrews 3:1 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, 

    Set Your Hearts On Things Above,

        where Christ is seated at the 
            right hand of God. 

Set Your Minds On Things Above,

    Not On Earthly Things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden 
       with Christ in God. 

When Christ, who is your life, appears, 

       then you also will appear 
            with Him in glory. 

                             – Colossians 3:1-4 

  
Therefore, we do not lose heart. 

Thought 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. 

For what is seen is temporary, 

    but what is unseen is eternal. 

                    – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, 

    walked on the  water and came toward Jesus. 

But When He Saw The Wind, 
        He Was Afraid 

    and, beginning to sink, cried out,
       "Lord, save me!" 

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand 
       and caught him. 

"You of little faith," He said, 
     "why did you doubt?"

                        – Matthew 14:29-31 

Satan wants us to Doubt the Word of God. 

He wants to Distract us from spiritual things. 

He wants to Disable us in the Lord's service. 

He wants to Destroy us physically. 

His primary strategy:  Deception. 

The only way to avoid these tactics is 

to keep our eyes on Jesus 
   and not on the problem. 

                          – Dr. Charles Stanley 

Many believers gaze at their problems and

        glance at the Lord. 

We need to gaze at the Lord and 

       glance at our problems. 

            quoted by Joni Earekson Tada 

When we are blind-sided: 

* Focus on the cause of the anxiety 

    (becomes a magnet) 

            or 

* Focus on God 

    (when you take your focus off God, 

        you will be thrown off balance) 

                              – Dr. Charles Stanley

How shall we fix our eyes on things unseen? 

There is no other answer but faith, 

faith in the character of God Himself. 

That and no other is the anchor for our souls. 

                                – Elisabeth Elliott

Focus is the only thing 

    you can control. 

                                – Scott Turansky

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,   

let me hide myself in Thee;   

let the water and the blood,   

from thy wounded side which flowed,   

be of sin the double cure;   

save from wrath and make me pure.   

Nothing in my hand I bring,   

simply to the cross I cling;   

naked, come to thee for dress;   

helpless, look to Thee for grace;   

foul, I to the fountain fly;   

wash me, Savior, or I die.   

While I draw this fleeting breath,   

when mine eyes shall close in death,   

when I soar to worlds unknown,   

see Thee on thy judgment throne,   

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,   

let me hide myself in Thee.

                           - Augustus Toplady 

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;

To added affliction He addeth His mercies,

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

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 no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

                              - Annie Johnson Flint

He Holds the Keys of Death

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” 

says the Lord God,

“who is, and who was, and 

    who is to come,

         the Almighty.”

“Do not be afraid.

I am the First and the Last.

I am the Living One;

I was dead, and behold I am alive

        for ever and ever!

And I hold the keys of death 

        and Hades.”

                  - Revelation 1:8,17-18

Do The Next Thing

From an old English parsonage 

    down by the sea 

There came in the twilight 

    a message to me; 

Its quaint Saxon legend, 

    deeply engraven, 

Hath, it seems to me, 

    teaching from Heaven. 

And on through the hours 

    the quiet words ring

Like a low inspiration, 

    "Do The Next Thing." 

Many a questioning, 

    many a fear, 

Many a doubt, 

    hath its quieting here. 

Moment by moment, 

    let down from Heaven, 

Time, opportunity, 

    guidance, are given. 

Fear not tomorrows, 

    child of the King, 

Trust them with Jesus, 

    Do The Next Thing. 

Do it immediately, 

    do it with prayer; 

Do it reliantly, 

    casting all care; 

Do it with reverence, 

    tracing His hand 

Who placed it before thee 

    with earnest command. 

Stayed on Omnipotence, 

    safe 'neath His wing, 

Leave all resultings, 

    Do The Next Thing. 

Looking to Jesus, 

    ever serener, 

Working or suffering, 

    be thy demeanor; 

In His dear presence, 

    the rest of His calm, 

The light of His countenance 

    be thy psalm, 

Strong in His faithfulness, 

    praise and sing. 

Then, as He beckons thee, 

    Do The Next Thing. 

                                           - Author Unknown

The Sheep of His Pasture

Shout for joy to the Lord, 

  all the earth.     

Worship the Lord with gladness;

  come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us, 

  and we are His, we are His people, 

    the sheep of His pasture. 

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

  and His courts with praise;

    give thanks to Him 

      and praise His name. 

For the Lord is good 

  and His love endures forever;

    His faithfulness continues 

      through all generations.

                              - Psalm 100

Along Unfamiliar Paths

I will lead the blind by ways 

           they have not known, 

    along unfamiliar paths 

        I will guide them; 

I will turn the darkness into light

        before them

    and make the rough 

        places smooth. 

These are the things I will do; 

    I will not forsake them.

                           - Isaiah 42:16

We Are His Sheep

Come, let us bow down in worship,

  let us kneel before the 

     Lord our Maker; 

for He is our God

  and we are the people of his pasture,

    the flock under his care.

                               - Psalm 95.6-7