All I’ve Ever Needed

I was reading in Revelation.  As I came to the final chapters, I did a double-take.  Within the span of eight verses virtually the same statement is made twice.

“But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light.  And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.  Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).  And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causesan abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each treeyielding its fruit every month.   The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.   And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.  And they shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 21:23-22:5).

This was John’s description of the New Jerusalem as the Lord Jesus Christ revealed it to him.  How profoundly it must have astounded John!  I mean for him to mention it more than once sounds like it’s pretty important to me.  I see such an emphatic reiteration as sort of being like when your mama is trying to get your attention so she uses both your forename AND middle name.  You know?

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The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light… There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.

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There is no need, NO NEED, of anything other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God!  Are our lives a reflection of this truth?  Is there no need of anything other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God in our lives?  If we are not sure we could answer that question how we would like to, what might be keeping us from doing so?  Why is that or are those things keeping us from being able to say that there no need of anything other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God in our lives?  How could we ensure to live more and more as there is no need of anything other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God in our lives?

I would encourage you to spend time with the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and in the Word, seeking Him.  Praise Him for graciously and mercifully revealing Himself.  Tell Him your heart, that you are or want to be desperate to live more and more as there is no need of anything other than Him in your life.  And thank Him.

Blessings,

Victoria

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KEEP Knowing Him Better

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better” (Ephesians 1:15-17, NIV84).

Who has the Lord Jesus placed in your life’s path to encourage in the faith?  Has someone come to mind?  In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul expresses his earnest affection for his readers.  “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (see verse 16).  Why?  So that they might “know Him [Jesus Christ] better” (see verse 17).

In the Christian community, saying that one came to “know Jesus” tends to be used to refer to the moment in which one repented and believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  I used to have this perception that “leading someone to know Jesus” meant having them repeat a prayer in that moment to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  But here’s the thing, I had never realized that coming to “know Jesus” is an ever deepening relationship (i.e.: to KEEP knowing Him BETTER).

The person or persons the Lord Jesus has placed in your life’s path to encourage in the faith may (or may not) have already come to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in that moment.

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Then how can we encourage those in the faith if they’re already in-the-faith?

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Don’t stop giving thanks for them, remembering them in prayer!  Paul KEPT asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, might give the Ephesians the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that they might ever know Him better!   

“Lord Jesus, I pray today for those You have placed in our life’s path to evangelize, equip, and or encourage to keep knowing You better. May their faith increase!  May they have a truly ever deepening relationship with You, Jesus!  May You give them more and more wisdom to see You and to hear You as You continue to reveal Yourself to them.  Thank you for this privilege You have given us to expresses our earnest affection for You and those You have placed in our life’s path!  And thank you for them!  Amen.”      

In Christ,

Victoria

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HAPPY 2014!

Hello there!  Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by the With True Hope blog 🙂  I would like to wish you a Happy New Year!  I hope that you all had an exceptional 2013 and I pray that you all will have a blessed 2014!  In 2013, we published over fifty posts which were seen by readers in over forty countries around the world!  If you might have missed any of those posts, please feel free to search through the archives on the left-hand side of this site to access all of the With True Hope posts which are organized according to month.

Coming this new year we will be making some improvements to the With True Hope blog such as with its publishing dates, format, and even appearance.  Throughout this process, your understanding, patience, and prayers will be greatly appreciated!  Again, I offer my thanks, thoughts, and prayers to you in this new year!  May you and your loved ones have a joyous year filled with an increase of the Lord Jesus’   g r a c e,   p e a c e,  and   p r e s e n c e   in your lives!

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^“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” – Jesus (John 14:27, NASB95).

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“May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.   His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires” (2 Peter 1:2-4, HCSB09).

All The Best In Christ,

Victoria

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ALWAYS pray and NEVER give up

Who doesn’t love when the scripture interprets the parable for you?!? “Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should ALWAYS pray and NEVER give up” (Read Luke 18:1-8, NIV84).

For me, it is very easy to pray when my heart is especially burdened.  I am quite sure that throughout my life, the closest I have ever been to God is in my times of struggle.  In those times of struggle, I definitely want relief, protection, closure, and sometimes… I even want to “fast-forward” to the time when the pain will be over.

What happens in the moment when the break up happens or the person we care about so deeply takes a turn for the worse? Have you ever gotten angry with God for allowing a situation?  Or wonder where He is and why He hasn’t rescued you?  ALWAYS pray and NEVER give up.  Don’t ever lose hope or faith in your struggles!

On the other hand, what about when things are settled?  When we leave the hospital or heal from the break-up or begin resolving the issues that tear apart a marriage?  When these struggles are over, when they are not burning inside us every moment, distracting us from everything else, do we just “get back to life”?

Have you ever experienced a spiritual drought?  The kind where your prayers almost seem like they lack heart… when things are so settled that you start your day and then seek God…maybe… instead of seeking Him in desperation the moment you wake up?

What does God prompt you to always pray about and never give up on?  This also implies always believe, always hope, and always trust that He will answer and that He will answer FULLY.

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Why the widow?

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When I read this scripture, I wonder why God used a widow.  My first thought was that it is because God uses everyone to tell His story and His glory.  Noah was  a drunk.  King David was an adulterer.  Rahab was a prostitute.  The list goes on.  And you think your sin is too big or you have too much baggage to glorify God?!?  Newsflash, He has plans for you just like He had plans for these sinners.

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I also believe that one of the many reasons Jesus chose a widow in this story is that we can all relate to her desperate and vulnerable nature…

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Widowhood presented a difficult time in a woman’s life, especially when compounded with a diminished ability to meet financial needs– a common circumstance in the ancient patriarchal world of the Bible.  From the time of Israel’s inception, God has been known as the Defender of widows (Deuteronomy 10:18 and 24:17). “Justice” among God’s people was measured in part by the treatment of widows (Isaiah 1:17). God’s compassion for the widow became the covenant community’s responsibility, which the early church naturally took up (James 1:27).  First Timothy 5:3-16 gives clear instructions about the treatment of widows.

Luke has a habit of focusing on the “underdog”.  In this chapter of the gospel alone, we see this widow, little children (Luke 18:15-17), a blind beggar (Luke 18:35-43), and a humble tax collector (Luke 18:9-14).  You see, God tells us to pray and not give up, but He continues with this parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector… why?  What does this tell us about the quality of our prayers?  Pray and never give up… but be humble.  Pray for righteous things that are of God’s will.  Pray in humility.  Pray that revels to us the sins we need to repent of.  Pray that He will be merciful to us!

I ask you, if this judge who doesn’t fear man or God grants the widow’s request, how do you think our Heavenly Father feels when we, His children petition Him?

Those of you who are parents, do you not want what’s best for your children?  Doesn’t it hurt your heart when they want for something?  Or when you need to keep them from something because it is not in their best interest?  My friends, God hears your every cry!  In fact, He knows the desires of your hearts before you speak them!  He wants what is best for you!   And He will answer!

ALWAYS pray and NEVER give up,

Carrie

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BRAIDS AND BRIDGES

Connect Mission Trips– Nashville.  Who knew that when Mission Discovery introduced their Connect Mission Trips for 2013 that the Nashville trip which caught my eye would soon thereafter catch my heart and the hearts of those in my church as well!  God did.  Although it probably goes without saying at this point, we recently returned from spending a week in Nashville serving alongside Mission Discovery making new connections and strengthening existing ones!

So “braids and bridges”…what’s that all about?

For one thing, our trip involved a lot of braids as evidenced bellow!

Half of our group– the half I was with– had the privilege to spend our days at a local community center’s children’s camp!  This is where most of the braiding occurred 😉  While my hair was not quite ideal for scalp braiding, “my” girls fearlessly took on the challenge and gave me my first ever scalp braids!  They did an amazing job!  (If you need further evidence than the above pictures, you could check out this video from 1:55-2:03 too!)

The other half of our group– the half my brothers were with– had the privilege of building a wheelchair ramp for a really sweet lady who has cerebral palsy!  Once they began the building project, it did not take long for them to start referring to the ramp as the “bridge”…  Just look at the pictures below and you’ll probably also agree that the “bridge” is indeed an appropriate term for their project!

More than the actual projects, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we greatly enjoyed and appreciated the people we had the opportunity to connect with– or rather were braided and bridged together with 😉

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Connections (kəˈnekSHəns)– a relationship in which a person…is linked…with some[one] else.¹

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You see, “braids and bridges” not only signifies the tangible (and very tight if I may add) scalp braids and wood bridge structure but the deeper connections that were made on our trip.  Deeper connections with one another in our group, with other Mission Discovery (and MFUGE) leaders and team members, with the Civil Group youth, with the children and staff at the community center, with Mrs. W…and especially with Christ!

In a song I wrote, What Matters Most, are these lyrics: “Did I know You for who You are?  Did I draw near, not apart?  Did I believe from my heart and show the world who You are?”  Answering “yes” to these question is (or should be) the ultimate goal in our lives… Do we know, really know Christ because it’s not just knowing about Him that is important?  Are we desperate to be nearer and nearer to Him with each moment?  Do we then encourage others to do the same as we live and love like Christ because we truly believe from our hearts that He is who He is?

I believe that it is only in the pursuit and appreciation of a genuine relationship with Christ that we can learn how to pursue and appreciate quality relationships with others!  He shows us what relationships, or “connections”, are to look like.  He is trustworthy, honorable, encouraging, and forgiving, a friend who loves at all times, sticking closer than a brother, regarding the interests of others, laying His life down for His friends…and the list can go on and on!

Towards the end of our mission trip, we were presented with a great idea: to pick a couple of names of the friends we had connected with during the trip and remember to pray for them every day for the next year.

In John 17, Jesus’ prayer for His friends is recorded.  He prays, “…I ask on their behalf…Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.  While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me…now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:9-19, NASB95).

What a beautiful prayer! And what a beautiful example for us…for me to follow and accordingly live and love like Christ!

Today, I pray for you, my friends that the Holy Father would keep you in His name, the name of Jesus Christ.  I pray that you will have Christ’s joy made full in you, knowing His word and truth; that He would keep you from the evil one; and that you may be sanctified, being who God has called you to be and doing what God has called you to do!

Your Friend,

Victoria

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1. “Connection.” Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Available from http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/connection.

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‘Bout Time For An Update

Back in January, I wrote of how I usually adopt a “theme verse for the year” and that this year’s is “Pray without ceasing” from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB95). As we are half way through the year, I thought that it was ’bout time for an update– a reevaluation of sorts.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear your theme verse for the year?

Who knew that three, THREE, simple words could be so challenging! Needless to say, this year’s theme verse has been the hardest to apply so far!

Why do you say that?

As there’s so much to do and so little time, my past six months have looked a lot like this: coffee, intensely and simultaneously think about the hundred and fifty plus things that I have to do and/or am concerned about, attempt to get ’em done and/or resolved, and repeat! (Yes, I heard that “amen”, you know what I’m talking about!) But I’m not to let any instant be without prayer!

So where does that fit into your schedule?

That’s it, the exact problem: I’ve been fitting prayer into my schedule, rather than earnestly and attentively engaging in prayer with God and letting Him set my schedule!

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“And it scares me to think that I would choose my life over You, oh, my selfish heart divides me from You, it tears us apart” (“Beautiful Ending”, BarlowGirl).

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What are you going to do about it?

Ah, good question! I’m learning that intending to do something and actually doing that something are two different things, in this case. I could intend to “pray without ceasing” all year long, but if I don’t actually make the effort and do it, I’ll get nowhere. That said…I know that what I need to do about it is PRAY! I need to pray specifically that my will, my schedule, my concerns would be shaped to be what Christ wants. Christ needs to be above and over everything that I do in every instant of my life because my life is His!

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“Take all of the good and all of the bad ’cause all of it’s so me, take all of my ways the things that I chase the things that control me. And all that I hide could You bring it to life, could you open my eyes and show me, take all that was me and shape it to be reflecting you solely! I wanna lose myself, lose myself to find You” (“Lose Myself”, TobyMac).

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Learning to lose myself (Rom. 6:11-13),

Victoria

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The Valley of Decision

I love (“sports love” that is) Football!   Now you have to understand that I am talking about US Football here.   The National Football League (NFL) has done a great job of captivating our attention and gaining market share not just during the 16 week football season, but now even into the Spring with all of the attention on the NFL Draft.   It is fascinating to see how something like the NFL draft which used to happen almost behind the scenes has become a passion for football fans beginning literally the day after the Super bowl.    This attention on the NFL draft has also had a side effect of bringing even more attention to college football players as everyone is determining who the right players are for “their team”.

As I was watching the NFL draft last week I couldn’t help but notice all of the decisions being made.  Each team had to decide:

• Which player they should draft…
• Who is the “best available athlete”…
• Should they even draft a player or trade their spot to another team for a different selection spot…
• They had to decide when in their allotted time where they going to announce their decision as well…

Not only did the teams need to make decisions, but the fans each had to make decisions about what they thought of the selections…would they “cheer” or “boo” the decisions made by their team.    The networks had to decide how they were going to present the draft, which players they were going to highlight, which commentators were going to be on location in New York City, how much they were going to sell advertising time for.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions….it’s always about decisions!

Thinking about this reminded me of Joel 3:14 in the Old Testament which states “…Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!   For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision…”.    Joel is not referring to a career related decision, or “best available athlete” decision, he is talking about an ETERNAL decision.

The Bible is filled with examples of decisions that people had to make:

• Adam and Eve had to decide if they would obey GOD or eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.   (Genesis 3)
• Cain had to decide how he would treat his brother Abel.  (Genesis 4)
• The people of Noah’s day had to decide if they would listen to the call for repentance or take their chances swimming outside of the ark.    (Genesis 7)
•  Joshua told the Israelites to decide “…whom [they would] serve…”   (Joshua 24:15)
• David had to decide if he would attack the Giant or cower in fear.   (1 Samuel 17)
• Esther had to decide if she would take a stand for what’s right or let her people die.   (Esther 5)
• Blind Bartimaeus had to decide if he would cry out to Jesus or sit back quietly.  (Mark 10:48)
• The Ethiopian had to decide if he would take help from Phillip or if he would let his pride get in the way.    (Acts 8:26-40)
• King Agrippa had to decide if he would believe the testimony of Paul or if he would stay in his traditions.   Unfortunately, King Agrippa was only “almost persuaded”.   (Acts 26:28)

Earlier in chapter 3, Joel talks about this “valley of decision” occurring in the “the valley of Jehoshaphat” where the Bible tells us the nations will be judged.   The word Jehoshaphat in this context literally means “The Lord will Judge”.    This judgment will be based on the ETERNAL decision that each of us make.

Scripture is very clear.   We are reminded by Paul that ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)    The Bible also tells us that there is only one way to get to Heaven…and that way is through Jesus Christ.   (John 14:6)  One of the most well known Bible verses is John 3:16 which tells us  “…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him…”.   Every one of us must make the decision that will determine our eternal destination.   Either we will decide to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or we will decide to reject HIM.    The decision is actually pretty simple, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior we will be forgiven of our sins and we will be a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) with a future heavenly destination of Heaven.   If we decide to reject Jesus Christ as our Savior we will remain unrepentant sinners with a future eternal destination of Hell.

You may be thinking, “but how do I decide to accept Jesus as my Savior? “, “Can He really forgive me?”  The bible makes us a promise found in John 1:12 where we are told “…But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…”     This means that if you believe and accept that JESUS is the Son of GOD who died on the cross for your sins and rose from the grave you have the right to become children of God.

Maybe you are thinking, “how can Jesus love me….you don’t know what I’ve done?”    Know that JESUS does love you and is waiting with open arms for you to make your decision.  In fact in Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “…Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened…”    Notice he doesn’t put any conditions on it, HE loves you and is waiting for you to decide to come to HIM!

Finalizing this critical decision is a straightforward process:

• Admit that you are a sinner who is in need of JESUS CHRIST to be your Savior.  Everyone one of us are sinners (Romans 3:23).  That means that even if we just do one little thing wrong (yes, even a “white lie”) during our lifetime, we are not perfect and are not worthy of spending eternity in the presence of GOD.  There is only one way to GOD – we need a Savior…and HIS name is JESUS  (John 14:6).
• Repent (turn from) your sins.   To repent means to turn away from something or to literally change our attitude about it.   It is not just feeling really bad about getting caught, but it is about making a conscious decision to turn from our sins – with the help of God – and change our attitude about our sins.   Matthew 4:17 tells us to “…repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near..”
• Believe that JESUS CHRIST died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.    This “believing” is the next critical piece of the process.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us “…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him…”.   JESUS never sinned, but HE died on the cross taking all of our sins on HIM and HE took the judgment that we deserved.   He literally paid the price that our sins required.    He made the decision to do this because of his great love for us and because of His sacrifice we can be forgiven!

Just talk directly to GOD, know that HE is listening and say something from your heart like:

“Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of Yo,u the Savior and I ask for Your forgiveness.   I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the dead.   I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart.   I trust You and have decided to follow You as my Savior and Lord.   In Your Name I pray….”

Once you surrender your life to Christ, you can be assured that you have made the best decision anyone could ever make!

Are you in the valley of decision today?   What decision have you made about your eternal destination?    Choose wisely!

God Bless!

Stephen

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Listening?

I recently heard a recording of a remarkably interesting dialogue.  It was from a “radio show” piece in which the “host” (protagonist) conversed with an individual who was referred to as the “caller-inner” (antagonist).  The “caller-inner” was very blunt and stanch.  He had called in to the “radio show” because, and only because, he was bored and had nothing else to do with his time.

The “host”, however, firmly believed that it was because of God’s providence that he had called.  The discussion came to the topic of prayer with God.  Notwithstanding the persistent negativity of the “caller-inner”, the “host” remained calm and gently kept the conversation pointing back to God and His Word.

First, the “caller-inner” did not believe that he could talk to God.  “God doesn’t want to hear from me, I am nothing”, he said, “He doesn’t need to be bothered by me”.  And the “caller-inner” kept repeating these contentions, while ignoring the pleas of the “host” that God indeed wanted to hear from him, as He wants to hear from each one of us!  Second, the “caller-inner” did not believe that God talked, or would even want to talk, to him.  To this the “host” responded, “But HE is talking to you right now, you’re just not listening”.                          

This two-man “radio show” was recorded years ago with a Fisher Price cassette recorder by my brothers, who were then under ten years old!  Initially, I laughed when I heard it.  But then I thought seriously about the message.  How many people actually believe that they cannot talk to God?  How many believe that God does not talk to them?  And the kicker: How many people have we done a disservice to by keeping silent and letting them continue in their disbelief, not sharing the Message of Hope with them?

You know, it’s not by accident that I recently heard this “radio show”…. and it’s certainly not by accident that you are reading this post right now.  I am compelled to tell you that…

–  God is not some-far-off-maybe-existent-force.

–  He is the Eternal God Jehovah who made everything and continues to sustain everything that we would seek Him and reach out for Him and find Him, for He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:24-27).

–  He is not an unknowable God, He can be known.

–  If we seek Him, He will let us find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

–  He does not forsake those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10).

–  God is the One who hears prayers (Psalm 65:2).

There is no God like the Lord, the God of Israel in heaven above or on earth beneath.  Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him.  Yet He regards the prayer of His servant and His servant’s supplication (1 Kings 8:23,27-28, paraphrased).

You can talk to God.  He desires to hear from you!  God speaks to you.  Are you listening?

Victoria

From Obscurity To Clarity

Hello friends!  I hope that your beginning to this new year is going exceptionally well!  I’m sitting here attempting to write this post with this little guy (pictured below) staring at me and barking for my attention, “I’m-here-I’m-here-I’m-here”!

Gus (aka Guster Mythbuster)

Anyway…I would like to share with you a little bit about my beginning to this new year.  Each year for the past few years I have adopted a sort of “theme verse for the year”.  For 2011, mine was: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV84).  For 2012, mine was: “Draw me after You and let us run together” (Song of Solomon 1:4, NASB95).   And this year’s is… “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NASB95).

Last week, I picked up the Heroes of the Faith book, “Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God”.  I came to chapter thirteen and was cut to the heart with these words:

“No charge of idleness can be made against us, as a whole.  But how is it that so much of our busy energy appears to be expanded in vain?  Holy Scripture, personal experience, the voice of conscience, all these alike suggest one answer– we have neglected largely the means which God Himself has ordained for anointing from on High…Prayer!” ¹

OUCH!  How much of my busy energy has been in vain?  Am I guilty of largely neglecting the means which God Himself has ordained for anointing from on High?  Have I spent more time guessing or praying?

Is not it better to beseech God for clarity, listen and obey, than attempt to obscurely peek in “doors” and “windows”, misapplying the assertion that such obscure peeks are “steps of faith”?       

It is my prayer this year that I would not neglect the means which God Himself has ordained for anointing from on High!  Instead, I want to pray as I should, coming to God believing that “He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV).  Maybe I could even learn a lesson from little Gus, who quite obviously knows how to diligently and devotedly “seek”.

Here I am!  Here I am!  Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening (1 Samuel 3:10, paraphrased).

 Victoria

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          1. Wellman, S., (1998), ” Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God”, p. 177, Qtd. Carmichael, A., (1950), “This One Thing”, pp. 79-83.