Wake up

 

Besides, you know the time has come; the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up, because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe.

Ro 13:11

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985)

I have heard of a painter who loved to work by the morning light. He said that the colors were better understood by the light of the early day, and so he was wont to be in his studio waiting for the rising of the sun. Then every moment it grew lighter, and he found he could accomplish things which he could not reach if he waited till the day had advanced.

Is there not work waiting for us—work that no one else can do—work, too, that the Master has promised to help us perform? Shall He come and find that we still sleep? Or shall the Sun of Righteousness, when He appears, find us waiting, as that painter waited, looking and longing for the first gleam of day? Surely those of us who thus wait on the Lord shall renew our strength, and eagle-like, rise to greet the Sun.

Thomas Champness

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

LAURENCE from a child longed to be a Saint; and when he was nineteen years of age there was granted to him a vision of the Eternal Wisdom. All earthly things paled in his eyes before the ineffable beauty of this sight, and as it faded away a void was left in his heart which none but God could fill. Refusing the offer of a brilliant marriage, he fled secretly from his home at Venice, and joined the Canons Regular of St. George. One by one he crushed every natural instinct which could bar his union with his Love. When Laurence first entered religion, a nobleman went to dissuade him from the folly of thus sacrificing every earthly prospect. The young monk listened patiently in turn to his friend’s affectionate appeal, scorn, and violent abuse Calmly and kindly he then replied. He pointed out the shortness of life, the uncertainty of earthly happiness, and the incomparable superiority of the prize he sought to any his friend had named. The nobleman could make no answer; he felt in truth that Laurence was wise, himself the fool. He left the world, became a fellow-novice, with the Saint, and his holy death bore every mark that he too had secured the treasures which never fail. As superior and as general, Laurence enlarged and strengthened his Order, and as bishop of his diocese, in spite of slander and insult, thoroughly reformed his see. His zeal led to his being appointed the first patriarch of Venice, but he remained ever in heart and soul an humble priest thirsting for the sight of heaven. At length the eternal vision began to dawn. “Are you laying a bed of feathers for me?” he said. “Not so; my Lord was stretched on a hard and painful tree.” Laid upon the straw, he exclaimed in rapture, “Good Jesus, behold I come.” He died A.D. 1435, aged seventy-four.

John Gilmary Shea

Pictorial Lives of the Saints (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1887)

We are to go forward in life with eyes ever on the prize of heavenly eternal life. The time is short for us to realize our heavenly birth is near. It approaches quickly, silently. Are you still asleep? Are you ready?

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Love God

 

  Thou art my God: early will I seek thee

        Ps. 63:1

In a world where there is so much to ruffle the spirit’s plumes, how needful that entering into the secret of God’s pavilion, which will alone bring it back to composure and peace! In a world where there is so much to sadden and depress, how blessed the communion with Him in whom is the one true source and fountain of all true gladness and abiding joy! In a world where so much is ever seeking to unhallow our spirits, to render them common and profane, how high the privilege of consecrating them anew in prayer to holiness and to God.

Archbishop Trench

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

True holiness is resting in prayer to God in all things, in all situations.

Do not Love the world

 (Today Jill and I celebrate 62 years of marriage. We thank the Lord for each other and our blessed marriage.)

Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world—disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world, with all its disordered desires, is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains for ever. 

1 John 2:15–17

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985)

If you will go to the banks of a little stream, and watch the flies that come to bathe in it, you will notice that, while they plunge their bodies into the water, they keep their wings high out of the water; and, after swimming about a little while, they fly away with their wings unwet through the sunny air. Now, that is the lesson for us. Here we are immersed in the cares and business of the world; but let us keep the wings of our soul, our faith and our love, out of the world, that, with these unclogged, we may be ready to take our flight to Heaven.

J. Inglis

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

What is it that draws people to the pleasures of the world and all of its distractions? Is it worth the loss of Eternity? Surely the temporary pleasures are a respite from the toils of everyday life as long as the focus does not come away from the walk with the Lord. It is not good to long only for the excitement and thrill of the world forgetting the eternal soul within us. The world would rob us of the eternal life with the Lord in any way it can. Be ever prayerful and contemplative and wary of the distractions of this world. Heaven is where we long to go, and belong, when the new earth and Jerusalem are brought into existence.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Now

  To him be glory both now and forever

        2 Peter 3:18

Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him now? The apostle’s words are, “To him be glory both now and forever.”

C. H. Spurgeon

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

Born to Work

 

We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life.

Eph 2:10

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985)

No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. There is always work, and tools to work withal, for those who will.

J. R. Lowell

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997)

It is not known to us when we are born into this world what our vocation will be. It may not be known to us until the Lord puts our hearts and minds in parallel with the path He wants us to take. For some, that means clearing the world out of the way within the soul, removing the worldly habits from our ways and clearing our vision to see clearly the path He has chosen for us. For those who enter that path it is the happiest of toils.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Be not Idle

  He … said … I … hid thy talent in the earth.… His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant

        Matt. 25:24–26

Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.

Monod

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

As the Lord is ever present and active, so we should be. Idleness is a place where prayer should be filling the emptiness or the place of silence before the Lord.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

By His Grace

 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

2 Co 12:9

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (Washington, DC: National Council of Churches of Christ, 1993)

God’s way of answering His people’s prayers is not by removing the pressure, but by increasing their strength to bear it. The pressure is often the fence between the narrow way of life and the broad road to ruin; and if our Heavenly Father were to remove it, it might be at the sacrifice of Heaven. Oh, if God had removed that thorny fence in answer, often to earnest prayers, how many of us would now be castaways! How the song of many a saint now in glory would be hushed! How many a harp would be unstrung! How many a place in the mansions of the redeemed would be unfilled! If God answered all the prayers we put up to Heaven, we should need no other scourge. Blessed it is that we have One who is too loving to grant what we too often so rashly ask.

F. Whitfield

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

The Saints knew this lesson intimately. How often have you endured something painful, praying for an end to the suffering? How often have you endured to the end of the experience? It is for our own good that the Lord allows us the benefit of suffering through the trials of life to strengthen us for what is yet to come. Not all prayer is answered as we want but as we need to have it by His grace and will. By His grace we survive, not by our will. It is the building of strength and endurance by which we grow.

May the good Lord bless and Keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Hand in Hand

 

  I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee

        Isa. 41:13

Don’t try to hold God’s hand; let Him hold yours. Let Him do the holding, and you do the trusting.

H. W. Webb-Peploe

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

It is not by us reaching to hold God's hand that He is honored. It is allowing Him to reach for and hold ours that He is glorified. By ourselves we can do nothing but by His grace we can do anything. With His hand in ours we are trusting Him to lead us and show us His ways. By this we are taught to trust Him.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Pray then wait

 

  In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God

        Phil. 4:6

The natural temptation with every difficulty is to plan for it, to put it out of the way yourself; but stop short with all your planning, your thinking, your worry, and talk to Him! “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee.” You may not always be able to do this in a moment or two. Then keep on with supplication until you know He has it, and prayer becomes praise. Rest, trust, and wait, and see how He does that which you wanted to do, and had so much care about. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”

A. E. Funk

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

The Lord does not always answer prayer immediately. Continually cast your cares before Him, then wait on Him for the answer. I have often asked for different things as needed. His answer was often " I am sufficient for you." Other times he answered but not the way expected. He even gave me a schedule of the things He would take, all of which were done in the grace of His good time. Be of patience and you will have answers. Be still and know.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Answers

 

  My soul, wait thou only upon God

        Ps. 62:5

Did it ever occur to you that if you do not hear God’s answer to prayer, it may be not because He is dumb, but because you are deaf; not because He has no answer to give, but because you have not been listening for it? We are so busy with our service, so busy with our work, and sometimes so busy with our praying, that it does not occur to us to stop our own talking and listen if God has some answer to give us with “the still small voice”; to be passive, to be quiet, to do nothing, say nothing, in some true sense think nothing; simply to be receptive and waiting for the voice. “Wait thou only upon God,” says the Psalmist; and again, “Wait on the Lord.”

Selected

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

Be still and know. Psalm 46:10

1 Kings 19:9-14

There are times when being busy is a hinderance. Being still and listening is where the answers are. 

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."