Classics: Streams in the Desert - February 24 entry - Personal reflection.

Published by Jean-Louis Mondon

	The entry from "Streams in the Desert" below and the following poem reminds me of a time of struggle in my life some time ago which was exacerbated by a horrible cold winter weather. Since I was working outside a house washing up the deck with a pressure washer in freezing temperature it was hard for me to muster positive and uplifting thoughts about my life. But God.... It is always when the situation is dire and we feel like giving up and crawl under the blankets of temporary comfort, whatever they happen to be, that God in his mercy and grace shows up (although he is always Jehovah Shamah, the God who is there). Through the Holy Spirit eyes, we see things unseen to us and we hear the Lord talking to us through nature, things that  we were oblivious to because we focused our attention on ourselves and on the raging waves and not on our compassionate Lord and his power to take us through the rough places in life. As I started crying out for help, the Lord opened my eyes which focused on a beautiful naked bush which I had not noticed all morning long. The peculiar thing about this bush is that only one single beautiful tiny red flower had survived the wintry elements and was offering hope and a lesson in perseverance against all odds by the brightness of its color . The Lord was showing me that even though under the frigid rigor of winter, the earth appears to be stripped and dead and shares its gloom with us humans, the blood of Jesus shed for our sin is a reason for great rejoicing and patience. This was just a season that the Lord in his wisdom uses to strengthen our faith and dependence on him in everything.  This small red blossom was a reminder from my  Lord Jesus´suffering and death on the cruel cross and that because of his willingness to be obedient  unto death,  a new abundant,  wonderful and eternal  life would be given as a free gift to those who repent and believe in him through the power of his resurrection. This thought was enough to lift me up and to be greatly encouraged to endure  winter and life´s passing  trials and rejoicing while  keeping my eyes and mind on Christ´s soon return  and the blessings of a life without suffering, trials, tears and death spent in forever praising and glorifying our Blessed Father, Lord Jesus and our dear comforter, the Holy Spirit who always stands ready to encourage and stay alongside us to help us bear whatever comes to us. May you you receive Holy Spirit comfort and encouragement today. The Lord knows what you are going through and he cares about you. Help is already on the way as he hears and answers the fervent prayer of his righteous children. Jean-Louis.          ___________________________________________________________________ "John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true" (John 10:41). You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for Nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life.  John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ. Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says, "The dawn! the dawn!" and then dies away. Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to their conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness. We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say: "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself." --George Mathison Reposted from www.backtothebible.org "THY HIDDEN ONES" (Psa. 83:3) "Thick green leaves from the soft brown earth, Happy springtime hath called them forth; First faint promise of summer bloom Breathes from the fragrant, sweet perfume, Under the leaves. "Lift them! what marvelous beauty lies Hidden beneath, from our thoughtless eyes! Mayflowers, rosy or purest white, Lift their cups to the sudden light, Under the leaves. "Are there no lives whose holy deeds-- Seen by no eye save His who reads Motive and action--in silence grow Into rare beauty, and bud and blow Under the leaves? "Fair white flowers of faith and trust, Springing from spirits bruised and crushed; Blossoms of love, rose-tinted and bright, Touched and painted with Heaven's own light Under the leaves. "Full fresh clusters of duty borne, Fairest of all in that shadow grown; Wondrous the fragrance that sweet and rare Comes from the flower-cups hidden there Under the leaves. "Though unseen by our vision dim, Bud and blossom are known to Him; Wait we content for His heavenly ray-- Wait till our Master Himself one day Lifteth the leaves." "God calls many of His most valued workers from the unknown multitude" (Luke 14:23).

The public domain version of this classic devotional is the unabridged edition of Streams in the Desert. This first edition was published in 1925 and the wording is preserved as originally written. Connotations of words may have changed over the years and are not meant to be offensive.

BEAUTY FOR ASHES.

Written and posted by Jean-Louis.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen– for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:17, 18.

This morning as I was writing a message to a friend, I was noticing that we use the letters and number B4A, as short for Beauty for Ashes taken from the verses in Isaiah 61:3: " and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor".

As I was thinking that alphabetically A comes before B, a verse came to mind from I Corinthians 15 that says: v. 46 "The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual". Suddenly, I saw more clearly the application of both verses about the resurrection in the light of the grand scheme of God. This is about the celebration of the grand finale when the Lord will display His glory and we will share in that glory. The A in the Ashes, the Natural has to precede the B of Beauty of the Spiritual.

V.42: "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[f]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man".

But the best thing is that we do not have to wait until the Lord comes back in order to rejoice, be glad and be clothed with the garment of praise.

■We are already clothed with his righteousness, we have passed from death to life, we have died with Him, our sins nailed to the cross and we live in him, for him and through him. Rom 6:8-14
If today you feel like the ashes cover you with their grayness suffocating your life, keeping you from seeing your way out of the heaviness of grief, the suffering of carrying an albatross of guilt as a heavy yoke around your neck, let him take your burden for he cares for you:

■He has already provided the way for you to let the wind of his Spirit blow away those ashes, II Corinthians 1:3-5
■He has provided the hope of standing firm, rooted and established in the grace in which we stand, Romans 5:1-5.
■He has anointed us with his oil as priests who serve him with gladness in our hearts, I Peter 2:5, 9.
■He has clothed us with his garment of salvation and a robe of righteousness as a bride adorns herself with her jewels Isaiah 61:10-11,
■His name is Emmanuel, God with us who “lives in a holy place, but also with him who is contrite in heart and lowly in spirit, I will guide him and restore comfort to him creating praise on the lips of the mourners…and I will heal them, Isaiah 57:15-19
■His yoke is easy and his burden light, go to him and rest in him, accept and welcome his will for your life.
■His word is true, his promises are sure and he never disappoints those who are hurting, empty, hungry for real food and drink and come to him with humble hearts seeking the comfort that they need.

 
All these and more are reasons to be grateful, thankful and praising him.

Personally Christmas time has always been the hardest season for me, I must confess and this year especially away from my family and American friends. I know that it so for a great number of other people who get depressed. What I am sharing with you has filled me with hope, a renewed sense of his wonderful presence and the scriptures that I quoted have comforted me. I hope that they will help you to turn your eyes away from the ashes of the past and enable you to contemplate the Beauty of His Holiness.

We thank you and praise Lord Jesus for your great love for us and reaching down to us to transform our lives and our heart that is yearning for you the desire of the nations.

Jean-Louis.

Spurgeon, Faith's Checkbook, "It Will Not Be Long"

Reblogged from The end Time
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (James 5:8)

Spurgeon: "The last word in the Canticle of love is, "Make haste, my beloved," and among the last words of the Apocalypse we read, "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come"; to which the heavenly Bridegroom answers, "Surely I come quickly." Love longs for the glorious appearing of the Lord and enjoys this sweet promise - "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." This stays our minds as to the future. We look out with hope through this window."

"This sacred "window of agate" lets in a flood of light upon the present and puts us into fine condition for immediate work or suffering. Are we tired? Then the nearness of our joy whispers patience. Are we growing weary because we do not see the harvest of our seed-sowing? Again this glorious truth cries to us, "Be patient." Do our multiplied temptations cause us in the least to waver? Then the assurance that before long the Lord will be here preaches to us from this text, "Stablish your hearts." Be firm, be stable, be constant, "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." Soon will you hear the silver trumpet which announces the coming of your King. Be not in the least afraid. Hold the fort, for He is coming; yea, He may appear this very day."