Jesus I my cross have taken!

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
   Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
   Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
   Yet how rich is my condition! God and heav’n are still mine own.
2. Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
   Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
   And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
   Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.
3. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
   In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
   I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
   Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.
4. Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast;
   Life with trials hard may press me; heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
   Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
   Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.
5. Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
   Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
   Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
   What a Savior died to win thee, child of heav’n, shouldst thou repine?
6. Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
   Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
   Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
   Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
7. Henry F. Lyte
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Knowing You!

All I Once Held Dear (Knowing You)

All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more

To be found in you and known as yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Oh, to know the power of your risen life

And to know You in Your sufferings

To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Graham Kendrick

Comfort

This morning I was asking the Lord to comfort me. Sometimes the way gets lonely! Right after praying, I opened my Bible randomly to Isaiah chapter 40:1+2; “Comfort, yes, comfort my people! Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem (Jenny), and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned…” 

I started to think of other verses about comfort, and this theme of the Lord holding my hand came to mind. 

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 41:13)

“I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,

To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” (Isaiah 42:6+7)

“See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27+28)

The apostle Paul felt alone at times too. These were his words. “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. *But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2 Timothy 4:16+17; See also 1 Peter 5:8+9) 

“BUT THE LORD!” If we didn’t have Him! How lost and alone we would be! 

Jesus came and spoke to them, (His disciples) saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, *I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

“I AM WITH YOU!” What a promise! What a gift! For truly it is, “in His presence that there is fullness of joy!” (Psalm 16:11) 

What is your calling?

The following, are the words of Queen Elizabeth as she entered her royal position. Words of surrender to the calling of God on her life. 

“I have not chosen this office for myself: he has appointed me to it, and I go to be consecrated to it by him. My prayer must echo that of the Virgin Mary, and that of our Lord himself: ‘Be it unto me according to Thy will’; ‘Not what I will, but what Thou wilt.’ And because he leads, I may follow in complete trust.”

I believe marriage is a gift, and singleness is a gift, and you never know how long you may have it. So dear friend, embrace the gift/calling God has given you for such a time! There’s a beautiful scripture reference from 1 Corinthians 7:24 that says, “Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.”

This thought of remaining or abiding with God is beautiful, especially when you recognize who he is, and the beauty of his character. May we meditate daily upon his loveliness! John 15:5 reminds us of the words of Jesus, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Another one of my favourite scriptures, 

is from Philippians 4:11; “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

To be content in the calling of God for the season of time which he has ordained, will not only bring peace and joy to one’s heart, but will glorify the Creator/Owner. Let us trust in the wisdom, love, and provision of our Maker day by day! 

1. Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
   However dark it be;
   Lead me by Thine own hand,
   Choose out the path for me.
2. Smooth let it be or rough,
   It will be still the best;
   Winding or straight, it leads
   Right onward to Thy rest.
3. I dare not choose my lot;
   I would not, if I might;
   Choose Thou for me, my God,
   So I shall walk aright.
4. Take Thou my cup, and it
   With joy or sorrow fill,
   As best to Thee may seem;
   Choose Thou my good and ill.
5. Choose Thou for me my friends,
   My sickness or my health;
   Choose Thou my cares for me,
   My poverty or wealth.
6. The kingdom that I seek
   Is Thine: so let the way
   That leads to it be Thine,
   Else I must surely stray.
7. Not mine, not mine the choice
   In things both great or small;
   Be Thou my guide, my strength
   My wisdom, and my all.

-Horatius Bonar

Disappointment His Appointment

“Disappointment — His Appointment”

Change one letter, then I see

That the thwarting of my purpose

Is God’s better choice for me.

His appointment must be blessing,

Tho’ it may come in disguise,

For the end from the beginning

Open to His wisdom lies.

“Disappointment — His Appointment”

Whose?  The Lord, who loves me best,

Understands and knows me fully,

Who my faith and love would test;

For, like loving earthly parents,

He rejoices when He knows

That His child accepts, UNQUESTIONED,

All that from His wisdom flows.

“Disappointment — His Appointment”

“No good thing will He withhold,”

From denials oft we gather

Treasures of His love untold,

Well He knows each broken purpose

Leads to fuller, deeper trust,

And the end of all His dealings

Proves our God is wise and just.

“Disappointment — His Appointment”

Lord, I take it, then, as such.

Like the clay in hands of potter,

Yielding wholly to Thy touch.

All my life’s plan in Thy moulding,

Not one single choice be mine;

Let me answer, unrepining —

“Father, not my will, but Thine.”

-Edith Lillian Young

Highest prized treasure

“I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” -Psalms 142:5  

The word “portion” above, means “highest prized treasure.” Is God our highest prized treasure? He longs to be!

The One above all others

One there is above all others,

    Oh, how He loves!

His is love beyond a brother’s,

    Oh, how He loves!

Earthly friends may fail or leave us,

One day soothe, the next day grieve us;

But this Friend will ne’er deceive us:

    Oh, how He loves!

’Tis eternal life to know Him,

    Oh, how He loves!

Think, oh, think how much we owe Him,

    Oh, how He loves!

With His precious blood He bought us,

In the wilderness He sought us,

To His flock He safely brought us:

    Oh, how He loves!

Blessed Jesus! would you know Him?

    Oh, how He loves!

Give yourselves entirely to Him,

    Oh, how He loves!

Think no longer of the morrow,

From the past new courage borrow,

Jesus carries all your sorrow:

    Oh, how He loves!

All your sins shall be forgiven,

    Oh, how He loves!

Backward shall your foes be driven,

    Oh, how He loves!

Best of blessings He’ll provide you,

Nought but good shall e’er betide you,

Safe to glory He will guide you:

    Oh, how He loves!

      -Marianne Nunn