My Journey 7/15 - 7/16/2010

God's insight to me:

As I was reading the devotional by A. B. Simpson the song, "You Are My All in All", came to mind. We sang this last Sunday in church. Click here to listen to on YouTube. This song is an inspiration to sing in God's church on a Sunday morning, expressing how each of us there feel. Well, I hope everyone there feels that way. I love how A. B. Simpson writes, "Moment by moment we may now take Him as our grace and strength, our faith and love, our victory and joy, our all in all."

The Streams in the Desert devotional has a wonderful poem by George MacDonald. The devotional and the poem both speak of God's leading. I have often used the quote, "A lot of people want to serve God, but only as adviser's!", in some of the God's Love Outreach Ministry programs. When God speaks to our hearts and asks us to do something for Him we always want to but, do it our way in our time.

I love Max Lucado's devotional. From it the Lord blessed me with this poem today. Always remember that Christ is our bridge to the Father. His love for us bridges the Father's love to us. Thank You Jesus!

The Bridge

I came upon a bridge today,
that separated someone from me.
Neither one wanted to cross,
so together we could be.

The bridge seemed so very long,
we were both unsure what we’d find.
On either side would there be, friend or foe?
Would their hearts be cruel or kind?

At first we both were hesitant,
leery to take the first step.
Then Jesus said, “Remember my commandments,
the ones you both said you kept?

Love your neighbor as yourself
is important as can be.
Love is the bridge that connects each heart,
and it all began at Calvary.

E. P. Shagott
7/16/2010

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
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July 15

Days of Heaven Upon Earth
A devotional by A. B. Simpson

"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon vi. 3).

If I am the Lord's then the Lord is mine. If Christ owns me I own Him. And so faith must reach out and claim its full inheritance and begin to use its great resources. Moment by moment we may now take Him as our grace and strength, our faith and love, our victory and joy, our all in all.

And as we thus claim Him we will find His grace sufficient for us, and begin to learn that giving all is just receiving all. Yes, consecration is getting Him fully instead of our own miserable life.

There are, indeed, two sides of it. There are two persons in the consecration. One of them is the dear Lord Himself.

"And for their sakes," He says, "I consecrate Myself that they also might be consecrated through the truth." The moment we consecrate ourselves to Him He consecrates Himself to us, and henceforth, the whole strength of His life and love and everlasting power is dedicated to keep and complete our consecration, and to make the very best and most of our consecrated life.

Who would not give himself to such a Saviour? Surely we will to-day, first give ourselves and then give Him each moment as it comes, to be filled and used.

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July 16

Streams in the Desert
a devotional by Mrs. Charles Cowman Devotional

Who is Leading?

"O Lord , I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23).

"Lead me in a plain path" (Ps. 27:14).

Many people want to direct God, instead of
resigning themselves to be directed by Him; to
show Him a way, instead of passively following
where He leads. --Madame Guyon

I said: "Let me walk in the field";
God said: 'Nay, walk in the town";
I said: "There are no flowers there";
He said: "No flowers, but a crown."

I said: "But the sky is black,
There is nothing but noise and din";
But He wept as He sent me back,
"There is more," He said, "there is sin

I said: "But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun";
He answered: "Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone."

I said: "I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say";
He answered me, "Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they."

I pleaded for time to be given;
He said: "Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in Heaven
To have, followed the steps of your Guide."

I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said: "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"

Then into His hand went mine,
And into my heart came He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The path I had feared to see.
--George MacDonald

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July 16

Days of Heaven Upon Earth
a devotional by A. B. Simpson


"As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God" (Ps. xlii. 1).

First in order to a consecrated life there must be a sense of need, the need of purity, of power, and of a greater nearness to the Lord. There often comes in Christian life a second conviction.

It is not now a sense of guilt and God's wrath so much as of the power and evil of inward sin, and the unsatisfactoriness of the life the soul is living. It usually comes from the deeper revelation of God's truth, from more spiritual teaching, from definite examples and testimonies of this life in others, and often from an experience of deep trial, conflict and temptation in which the soul has found its attainments and resources inadequate for the real issues and needs of life.

The first result is often a deep discouragement and even despair, but the valley of Achor is the door of hope, and the seventh chapter of Romans with its bitter cry, "O wretched man that I am," is the gateway to the eighth with its shout of triumph, "The Spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

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July 16

The Bridge of Friendship
By Max Lucado

“Unfriendly people are selfish.” Proverbs 18:1

We’re in a fast-moving, fast-paced society. We need to build bridges between our hearts and those of people who need a friend—and allow Jesus to cross that bridge of friendship and walk into their lives . . .

Whether or not you are friendly could determine whether or not someone hears about Jesus.