Quote of the Week ~ Nov. 4, 2014

"For my strength is made perfect in weakness." — 2 Corinthians 12:9

"A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory," defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for "it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 

They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. 

The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up." ~ Charles Spurgeon

"When I am weak then am I strong,

Grace is my shield and Christ my song."

Joy Can't Die

Don't miss this hugely encouraging post from Rachel Jankovic at Femina:

So here you have it in a nutshell. God’s mercy doesn’t need any memorial – it never dies. It is the one legacy that we can give our children that does not just melt away in time. God’s righteousness will not fade in the sun or break under the weight of snow. There is no grave that can hold that. It is explosive from one generation to the next. 

I find myself looking differently at all this work we are doing – the most enduring legacy that we can give to our children is God’s grace to us. When I indulge in a petty attitude about my work at home – I am choosing the thing that cannot last over the thing that cannot die. When I seek God’s grace to overcome the temptations that are before me, however petty, I lay up very real inheritance for my children.

When we fight for contentment and joy, we fight for generations of blessing – for generations of the strength of righteousness. When we do not indulge in selfishness or shrillness or bitterness because we are living in the joy of the Lord – our children will be strengthened by that. And in a hundred and fifty years – what will have become of these adorable little children of mine? They will have poured themselves out for the next generation – and Lord willing, those children of my children will be fighting the good fight. Not just for organized closets – but for the Glory of God. And they will be fighting with the mercy and grace and strength that God poured out so long ago on us.

Click here to read the rest

Treasure in Mother's Jar of Clay

(This beautiful post by Bambi Moore of  In the Nursery of the Nation was such an encouragement to me. She has graciously allowed me to republish it here)

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19

Over the last six months, our lives have taken twists and turns. God has given grace and sometimes I reach out and take it, while other times I reject his goodness and instead, edge closer to that deep pit called Self Pity.

A cycle of sleepless nights, tears, doubts and anxieties have hit me like a ton of bricks. I have spent more time in the Word and prayer, even when it seemed pointless. I have rejected real feelings that I knew weren't true, but feelings that threatened to destroy the sound mind I've been promised, nonetheless.

I've cried out to God, remembered that His Word sustains and asked others to hold me up in prayer. And I think that is so very important. To admit weakness and frailty isn't glorying in sin or making light of the grace of God. It is giving others the opportunity to bear burdens. To weep with those who weep. We don't give others a true picture of gospel grace if we never allow others to see that we too have issues and that we must hold to an anchor. Why would there be any need for an anchor if we could hold steady all on our own? The treasure we have in jars of clay is to show the surpassing power "belongs to God and not to us."

So I am here today, to do just that.  No blog, no book, no human being however wise, can anchor our souls but Christ Jesus, especially when seasons change, afflictions arise or the soul is downcast. And what's more--we must remember that we battle not with flesh and blood.  

This morning, my husband sent me this quote below.  Since "there is nothing new under the sun" I know there are others of you out there who may need this good word too.  And Kevin added some thoughts at the bottom as well, so please read to the end.  (He said I could include it if I didn't make him sound like a better man than he is, in this blog post. So I tell you, he is not perfect, but his love and understanding, and bearing with me as a weaker vessel, has encouraged me so greatly today).

"Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience, that Satan hinders us. From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the vanguard and in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. 

If we toil in the field, he seeks to break the ploughshare; if we build the wall, he labours to cast down the stones; if we would serve God in suffering or in conflict- everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. Fierce conflicts we had with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he endeavours to hinder the completeness of our personal character. 

You may be congratulating yourself, "I have hitherto walked consistently; no man can challenge my integrity." Beware of boasting, for your virtue will yet be tried; Satan will direct his engines against that very virtue for which you are the most famous. If you have been hitherto a firm believer, your faith will ere long be attacked;if you have been meek as Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips.The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. Satan is sure to hinder us when we are earnest in prayer. He checks our importunity, and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. 

Nor is Satan less vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah begin to labour, Sanballat and Tobiah are stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord's side, and are doing the Lord's work, and in His strength we shall win the victory, and triumph over our adversary. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

This made me think of your labors here at home. Anything worthwhile for the kingdom of God will be opposed. Thankfully we have the encouragements of scripture to spur us on. Galatians 6:9 '"let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." 1 Corinthians 15:58 "therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of The Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in The Lord. "

The Lord is your help. He takes your efforts performed in faithfulness and multiplies their effectiveness for His own glory. You may not see fruit of your labors now, but in time, there will be a season for reaping. Remember, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. I love you. Will pray the joy of The Lord will be your strength today.

Thankful for you, 

Kevin

Used with permission by Bambi Moore at In the Nursery of the Nation.

Quote of the Week ~ August 4, 2014

The people that do know their God shall be strong... Daniel 11:32

"Every believer understands that to know God is the highest and best form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a source of strength to the Christian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlightened and taught of the Lord; they are said to "have an unction from the Holy One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office to lead them into all truth, and all this for the increase and the fostering of their faith. 

Knowledge strengthens love, as well as faith. Knowledge opens the door, and then through that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another similitude, knowledge paints the portrait of Jesus, and when we see that portrait then we love Him, we cannot love a Christ whom we do not know, at least, in some degree. If we know but little of the excellences of Jesus, what He has done for us, and what He is doing now, we cannot love Him much; but the more we know Him, the more we shall love Him. 

Knowledge also strengthens hope. How can we hope for a thing if we do not know of its existence? Hope may be the telescope, but till we receive instruction, our ignorance stands in the front of the glass, and we can see nothing whatever; knowledge removes the interposing object, and when we look through the bright optic glass we discern the glory to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous confidence. 

Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we have patience unless we know something of the sympathy of Christ, and understand the good which is to come out of the correction which our heavenly Father sends us? Nor is there one single grace of the Christian which, under God, will not be fostered and brought to perfection by holy knowledge. How important, then, is it that we should grow not only in grace, but in the "knowledge" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." ~ Charles Spurgeon

Wonderful, Merciful Saviour...

Wonderful, merciful Saviour

Precious Redeemer and Friend

Who would've thought that a Lamb could

Rescue the souls of men

Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper

Spirit we long to embrace

You offer hope when our hearts have

Hopelessly lost our way

Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace 

Our hearts always hunger for 

Oh, our hearts always hunger for 

Almighty, infinite Father 

Faithfully loving Your own 

Here in our weakness You find us 

Falling before Your throne 

Oh, we're falling before Your throne 

You are the One that we praise 

You are the One we adore 

You give the healing and grace 

Our hearts always hunger for 

Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Strength in Weakness (Excerpt from "Queen of the Home")

From the conclusion to Queen of the Home:

As you begin to grasp just how vitally important your role as the queen of your home is, it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. Building a nation, raising an army, training, guiding, guarding, loving, helping and nurturing—as well as changing diapers, washing dishes, wiping cute little noses, doing laundry and tending to a mind boggling array of other duties around the clock—is a tall order to fulfill. Isn’t this all just a bit too much to put on one person? Is it even possible to attain to all these high and lofty ideals? What if we have no idea how to begin?

Take heart! This is where we must remember that we cannot depend on our own strength to do this great work. We are weak, we grow weary, we are sinful, we get tired of laying down our lives for others (we just want to lay down and take a nap), and we can easily lose our vision (it got buried under all those piles of laundry). When discouragement begins to creep in and you feel like throwing in the towel (or, in this case, the crown) consider just a few of God's beautiful and sure promises:

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Psalm  73:26 

It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Psalm 18:32 

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2 

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isaiah 40:29

What does it really mean though to look to Him for strength? How do we find rest when we grow so weary?  What about those days where we feel like we really have given our all, but still have to keep on giving? It sounds wonderful, but how does this actually play out  in the day to day whirlwind?

I was pondering this myself one day; wondering particularly how “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) actually worked. I opened up my Bible to Proverbs 16:20 and found my answer: “Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” 

Our strength comes from our joy in the Lord and our joy in the Lord comes from our trust in Him. When we truly trust the Lord then we rest in Him, and no longer rely on our own strength but on Him to hold us up and carry us. Eureka!

It is trust in God and what He says in His Holy Word that keeps our hope and vision alive; without it we lose our purpose and our way. Trust is what causes us to cry out to Him for help and sees Him answer in all the little details. This is where we can find delight and peace and joy like we've never known. This is what we fall back on and what pushes us forward. Our trust in Him strengthens us to obey Him and our obedience leads to even greater trust. It is confidence in Him that undergirds us and gives us a sure foundation on which we can stand even when the winds blow hard. When we are built on the Rock (Matt. 7:24) He holds us up even (and especially) when we come to the end of ourselves.

If we could rise to this high calling in our own strength we would not learn to depend on the Lord the way we do when we fall exhausted at His feet—and when we learn to depend on Him, then we also glorify Him. Instead of patting ourselves on the back and feeling satisfied with our wonderful accomplishments we point to our faithful God and know the only reason we accomplish anything is by His grace and mercy.
As daughters of the King of Kings may we rule honorably and well our little corners of His Kingdom.  Let us keep our eyes fixed firmly on our Heavenly Father and His Word. Though to the world our heads may look bare, may we earn and wear the crown of glory promised to those who seek wisdom and faithfully persevere:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Proverbs 4:7

May we never forget the might and power of our calling and our utter dependence on our Heavenly King to fulfill it.

Worn

For all my fellow mothers in a season of exhaustion - who feel like they can hardly put one foot in front of the other, who are worn "even before the day begins", who are even more soul weary than they are physically weary, who are walking through trial while caring for the needs of their families, who are just plain wiped out. Keep fighting the good fight; remember  in the midst of the temporal chaos, heartache, crumbs and laundry that we are investing in eternity.  Remember we can rest in our faithful God Who never grows tired:

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [that] the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [there is] no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40: 28-31

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

I pray this song encourages you as it did me.

Mothering Through Fatigue

From The Modest Mom

The fatigue threatens to steal my joy. It’s been a long day, we are out of town and I should be enjoying the break from everyday life. Instead old fears creep in as I struggle with being so tired.  I’ve walked this path before and it isn’t a pleasant journey.

I slip away for an afternoon nap, and wake up feeling just as exhausted. Downstairs I try to put on my happy face and visit with family as if nothing is wrong. Inside I really want to just cry.

Bedtime finally comes and I wrestle with my 2 year old not wanting to go to her bed in a strange house. Anxiety is rearing it’s ugly head as my body is so weary, my adrenaline is soaring as I try to stay calm.

Suddenly I stop. I have a choice to make. A decision to choose joy or to slip further into discouragement. As I start putting pajamas on the 2 year old and look into her smiling face, the answer is clear. I must choose joy. My children depend on me. My husband needs me to be peaceful instead of irritated.

The words to Psalm 46 flood my mind, and I remember my mother singing it through lips of faith. “God is my refuge and strength, an ever present help in time of trouble. So we will not fear, though the earth give way. Though the mountains fall into the midst of the sea.”

Click here to read the rest

Why Moms Need to Reboot

From Kelly Crawford at Generation Cedar:

I get tired. I get grouchy and start to look around and only see too many pairs of shoes out of place, dust under the couch, toys left out for the 100th time.

Painstaking.

But I MUST reboot, and remind myself that the mechanics–that is, how I handle the mechanics, are intricately tied to this bigger thing that we do…this growing of souls, and launching of good, sturdy men and women.

I cannot allow myself to be too tired for too long. Grace is given, yes, but then I must draw, not from my own strength, but from that source of never-ending power that comes from the One who has called me to this.

Click here to read the rest.