Quotes for the new year

Posted on January 1, 2007 by Barbara Harper

There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. Joshua 13:1

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12

From Joy and Strength compiled by Mary Wilder Tileston:

Be strong and of good courage … fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 1 Chronicles 28:20:

That we should serve in newness of spirit.. Romans 7:6:

Help us, O Lord! behold we enter
Upon another year today;
In Thee our hopes and thoughts now centre,
Renew our courage for the way;
New life, new strength, new happiness,
We ask of Thee; oh, hear, and bless!

— Johann Rist

The year begins; and all its pages are as blank… Let us begin it with high resolution; then let us take all its limitations, all its hindrances, its disappointments, its narrow and common-place conditions, and meet them as the Master did in Nazareth, with patience, with obedience, putting ourselves in cheerful subjection, serving our apprenticeship. Who knows what opportunity may come to us this year? Let us live in a great spirit, then we shall be ready for a great occasion.

— George Hodges

From Our Daily Walk by F. B. Meyer:

We can all start afresh! However far we have ascended, there is something higher; and however far we have fallen, it is always possible to make a fresh start. We need to take our place in the School of Christ and be taught by Him (Eph. 4:20-21). If the Holy Spirit be ungrieved, He will witness to our sonship. He will enthrone Christ as King of our life; He will keep the self-life in the place of death; He will give us a hunger for the things of God; He will give power in witness-bearing. In order to have a strong and blessed Christian experience, the one thing is to see that we do not grieve the Spirit. I do not think that we can grieve Him away, but we may greatly limit and restrain His gracious work by insincerity of speech, the nursing of an unforgiving spirit, any kind of over-reaching or fraudulent dealing, impurity of speech, or failure in love. We may be bound, so as not to move our arms, by a number of cotton threads, quite as tightly as by a strong rope…Let us take care not to grieve Him by such inconsistencies.

From Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman:

Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown. There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to possess it. Who can tell what we shall find? What new experiences, what changes will come, what new needs shall arise?
All our supply is to come from the Lord. Here are springs that shall never dry; here are fountains and streams that shall never be cut off. Here, anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the Heavenly Father. If He be the Source of our mercies they can never fail us. No heat, no draught can parch that river, “the streams whereof make glad the city of God.”
We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!

From My Daily Meditation by John Henry Jowett:

He went out not knowing whither he went (Heb. 11:6-10). Abraham took “one step” and he did not “ask to see the distant scene.” And that is faith. Faith is not concerned with the entire chain; its devoted attention is fixed upon the immediate link. Faith is not knowledge of a moral process; it is fidelity in a moral act. Faith leaves something to the Lord; it obeys His immediate commandment and leaves to Him direction and destiny.
And so faith is accompanied by serenity. “He that believeth shall not make haste ‘ — or, more literally, “shall not get into a fuss.” He shall not get into a panic, neither fetching fears from his yesterdays nor from his tomorrows. Concerning his yesterdays faith says, “Thou hast beset me behind.” Concerning his tomorrows faith says, “Thou hast laid Thine hand upon me.” That is enough, just to feel the pressure of the guiding hand.

Face the New Year with the Old Book.
Face the new needs with the old promises.
Face the new problems with the old Gospel.

–Author Unknown

(Graphic courtesy of Antique Clipart)

Daily Light for the last day of the year

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Love how today’s verses from Daily Light combine looking back on God’s provision in the past and looking ahead to His provision in the next year:

The LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

BARE you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.–In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.–As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did lead him.

Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.–This God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee.–Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.–For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

DEUT. 1. 31. Ex. 19. 4.–Is. 63. 9.–
De. 32. 11, 12. Is. 46. 4.–Ps. 48. 14.
Ps. 55. 22.–Mat. 6. 25, 32. 1 Sa. 7. 12.

Another year is dawning

Posted on December 30, 2006 by Barbara Harper

By Frances Ridley Havergal

Another year is dawning,
Dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting,
Another year with Thee.

Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning
Upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,
Of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,
Dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven,
Another year for Thee.

“The year we have now passed through…”

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Barbara Harper

The year we have now passed through,
His goodness with mercies has crowned;
Each morning his mercies are new,
Then let our thanksgivings abound.

Encompassed with dangers and snares,
Temptations, and fears, and complaints;
His ear he inclined to our prayers,
His hand opened wide to our wants.

We never besought him in vain,
When burdened with sorrow or sin.
He helped us again and again,
Or where, before now, had we been?

For so many mercies received,
Alas! What returns have we made?
His Spirit we often have grieved,
And evil for good have repaid.

How well it becomes us to cry,
“Oh, who is a God like to thee?
Who passeth iniquities by,
And plungeth them deep in the sea!”

“Assist us, we pray, to lament
The sins of the year that is passed.
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the last.”

—John Newton, Olney Hymns

New Year’s Wishes for You

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Barbara Harper

This is not original with me: I received it in an email years ago, I forget from whom, and the author is unknown. But I thought the wishes and the writing were witty, and I do hope these things for you in the coming year:

New Year’s Greetings!

May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, our cardiologist, your gastro-endocrinologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your gynecologist, your plumber and the IRS.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May you find a way to travel from anywhere to anywhere in the rush hour in less than an hour, and when you get there may you find a parking space.

May Sunday evening, December 31, find you seated around the dinner table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends, ushering in the new year ahead. You will find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much
more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.

May you wake up on January 1st, finding that the world has not come to an end, the lights work, the water faucets flow, and the sky has not fallen.

May you ponder how did this ultramodern civilization of ours manage to get itself traumatized by a possible slip of a blip on a chip made out of sand.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them.

May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, and may your check book and your budget balance and may they include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say “I love you” at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parents, your friends; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.

May we live as God intended, in a world at peace and the awareness of His love in every sunset, every flower’s unfolding petals, every baby’s smile, every lover’s kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.

A Very Happy New Year to All!

(See also New Year’s quotes and two poems sitting for the new year, The Year We Have Now Passed Through and Another Year Is Dawning.)

The Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Solitude

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Sallie at A Gracious Home has been sponsoring “A Carnival Of Beauty” with various topics every week. This week the theme is “The Beauty of Solitude,” hosted by Kezia at A Woman Who Fears the Lord.

When I first saw the listing of topics, I knew this topic was one I wanted to post about. I not only want, I need a certain amount of solitude to stay sane. 🙂

Some years ago I read a quote from a forgotten source along the lines of being your own best company. That struck a chord with me. In everyone’s life there are lonely times, and if we’re just not happy unless we’re with other people, those times will be especially hard. I feel most comfortable with a few close friends rather than a room full of people anyway. But even as a teen-ager I enjoyed time alone in my room to think, write, read, etc. It was a refuge. When I got married I was so thrilled to be with my husband more, and our first few months together we were both in school and working together, so we did have a lot more time together. Then I graduated, but he was still in school, and our work situation changed, and I saw him a lot less. Then when he got his first professional job, it entailed some degree of traveling out of town. I ended up spending a lot more time alone. I was dismayed and disappointed. I thought, “This is not the way it is supposed to be!! I got married so that we could be together!” But it seemed the more I prayed (or rather, wailed, complained, etc….) to the Lord, the more my husband had to work out of town. One can’t live with that level of discontent for long. I finally had to just give it over to the Lord and ask His help for those times alone.

One of Elisabeth Elliot’s books that I have not yet read is The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness to God. But I have read enough of her writings where she touched on the subject to know that she would say to offer it back to the Lord: give that loneliness to Him and ask Him to consecrate it, and see how He wants to minister to you through it and what He wants you to do with it.

Yet, to me, the word “solitude” has a more restful connotation than the word “alone.” One needs to be alone to have solitude, but one can be alone without solitude. The dictionary definition doesn’t really make that distinction, though, so maybe it is just in my own mind.

What beauty can one find in solitude? For me, it is in solitude, when I can put away other distractions and duties, that I really “get down to business” with the Lord. Whether I need to think through an issue, deal with a sin, pray over a need, or just fellowship with Him, all of those things are best done in solitude with Him. He called Moses and others out to meet with Him alone; the high priest entered into the holy place alone. As I wrote before, sometimes solitude with small children in the house is rare, but He does give grace in time of need.

It is also in solitude that I regain perspective, get my thoughts in order, get at peace with myself and others. Even with a houseful of people whom I love and enjoy, I need those moments of solitude. My thoughts can be like the swirlings in a snow globe, and stillness and solitude help restore order and peace.

In a practical sense, as well, I’ve learned to make use of those times of solitude when my husband has had to be away. It is in those times that I can spend time on the phone with a friend, work on projects, write, read to my heart’s content. It’s not that I can’t do those things when he is here. He has always encouraged my friendships with other women, for example, but I have not wanted to spend time when he is home on the phone with other people.

When my children were small, solitude was at a premium, and maybe that’s when I learned to treasure it so highly. 🙂 I am not looking forward to the excess of solitude that will come as they leave home, yet God has ordained that children grow up and leave father and mother and establish their own homes, so I trust that His grace will be sufficient for that time. I have projects I want to do that will keep me busy til I’m a hundred, so I won’t have a problem with finding something to do with myself. 🙂 But I know I will miss them and I hope to channel that into praying for them.

So much in a Christian’s life comes back to that word balance. There are times we need solitude, yet God also placed people into our lives for us to minister to. I have been guilty of sometimes pushing people away for solitude’s sake when I should be ministering to, listening to, paying attention to them. As always our best example is the Lord Jesus Himself: He ministered to people all through the day, took interruptions graciously in stride, yet sought out times to be alone with His disciples and alone with His Father.

Ten free gifts for Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2006 by Barbara Harper

10 FREE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS

(Author unknown)

1. The gift of listening…
Try giving this to someone in need. And you must really listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your responses. Just listen.

2. The gift of signs of affection…
Be generous with your hugs, kisses and gentle squeezes of the hand. Let these tiny actions demonstrate the love inside of you.

3. The gift of a note…
It can be as simple as “I Love You” or as creative as a sonnet. Put your notes where they will surprise your loved ones.

4. The gift of laughter…
Just cut out a cartoon, save a clever article. Your gift will say, “I loveto laugh with you.”

5. The gift of compliment…
A simple “You look good in blue” or “Good supper” can be of greatest value to those who may feel they are being taken for granted.

6. The gift of a favor…
Help with the dishes, run an errand, etc.

7. The gift of leaving alone…
There are times in our lives when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Become more sensitive to those times and give solitude.

8. The gift of a cheerful disposition…
Try to be cheerful around those you love.

9. The gift of a game…
Offer to play your loved one’s favorite game. Even if you lose, you’ll be a winner.

10. The gift of prayer…
Pray for your loved ones and let them know you pray for them.

See Also:

Christmas Devotional Reading

Mary’s Virginity

For God so loved that He gave…

Mary’s Dream

If I were a goose

Christmas quotes.

Christmas funnies or jokes #1 and #2.

The Primary Purpose of a Home.

The Perfect Christmas

Christmas Grief

“Immanuel” by C. H. Spurgeon

Posted on December 19, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23

Immanuel

Written by C. H. Spurgeon at the age of 18

When once I mourned a load of sin;
When conscience felt a wound within;
When all my works were thrown away;
When on my knees I knelt to pray,
Then, blissful hour, remembered well,
I learned Thy love, Immanuel.

When storms of sorrow toss my soul;
When waves of care around me roll;
When comforts sink, when joys shall flee;
When hopeless griefs shall gape for me,
One word the tempest’s rage shall quell–
That word, Thy name, Immanuel.

When for the truth I suffer shame;
When foes pour scandal on my name;
When cruel taunts and jeers abound;
When “Bulls of Bashan” gird me round,
Secure within Thy tower I’ll dwell–
That tower, Thy grace, Immanuel.

When hell enraged lifts up her roar;
When Satan stops my path before;
When fiends rejoice and wait my end;
When legioned hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry, Immanuel.

When down the hill of life I go;
When o’er my feet death’s waters flow;
When in the deep’ning flood I sink;
When friends stand weeping on the brink,
I’ll mingle with my last farewell
Thy lovely name, Immanuel.

When tears are banished from mine eye;
When fairer worlds than these are nigh;
When heaven shall fill my ravished sight;
When I shall bathe in sweet delight,
One joy all joys shall far excel,
To see Thy face, Immanuel.

More ramblings

Posted on December 19, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Well, yesterday I wrote a post full of praise and amazement at how the Lord helped me get so many necessary things done.

Then the rest of the day went downhill.

I mentioned that there was one present I wanted to make but had not started on. I thought I might go ahead and start on it and just see how far I got — I could still send the package in question out today and it would still get there in time. So I headed out for the needed supplies, couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for but settled on what I thought I needed, got home……and it was the opposite of the Midas touch — everything just seemed to go wrong (I have to be purposefully vague about the details because this is all still a surprise). After several hours I had to go back out again for supplies and start from scratch.

Part of me thought, “Lord, what’s wrong? I was just ‘bragging’ on you this morning about how much you helped me get done.” It felt like just after praising Him, then He removed His hand and let me fall flat. I don’t think that is really what was happening — that was just my first human reaction.

I don’t really know what was going on, though. I know Elisabeth Elliot has written several times that often just before or after she speaks on a particular subject, she’ll be tested on that very subject. I am not one to blame the devil for every little negative thing that happens (I don’t really think he would care about what I do for Christmas presents….though of course he cares about my actions and reactions). Maybe, probably, it was just “life in a fallen world.” Maybe I needed further reinforcement of the lesson about using time wisely.

But God is the same. He is still good, loving, and kind whether my day is going swimmingly or whether I am meeting with frustration at every turn.

Habakkuk, after just receiving some very bad news from the Lord about what was coming for Israel, concludes his prophecy by saying, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places” (Habbakuk 3:17-19).

Maybe that was the lesson — or at least one lesson.

The present is obviously not going to make it into today’s package, and I do have something else for the person for whom it was intended. Said person does have a birthday coming up, so I will aim for that event instead.