Aches and Praise Six Hundred & Seventy Eight

September 6, 2024
 
 
Dear friends,  
 

In recent weeks, Karen and I have been going through lots of papers and stuff that we’ve accumulated over many years. I have not been good at throwing things away, thinking that I might need them someday, even though I am not using them now. Karen has helped me realize that it is time to discard things that we aren’t using. It has been a blessing to give some dishes and other things that we’re not using to friends who can use them.

In thinking about what is important in life, I found a helpful article on the Internet: https://www.bibletruths.org/what-most-important-thing-christian-life/. Here is how it begins:

“A Christian man told me his “light was getting dimmer.” I asked him about his lifestyle. What is important to him? Does he read his Bible? No. Does he pray? No. Does he go to church? No. Does he have any Christian friends who can encourage him and hold him accountable? No. Does he serve anyone besides himself? No. And, he added, “I struggle with loneliness.” I think I see a pattern. I think I know the problem.            

Once you have accepted the substitutionary death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and have been born again as a new creation with life from above, what is next? What is the most important thing in the Christian life? Is it Bible study? Is it sacrifice? Let’s see what Jesus said…                                                                                                                                                               
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.  And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. (Mark 12:28-34Matthew 22:34-40Deut. 1-19).”                                                                                                                                                                                             
Although some words     like “durst” have changed over time, the truths of God’s Word have not changed. God loves us more than we can imagine. As the hymn “Anywhere with Jesus” – https://wordwisebiblestudies.com/anywhere-with-jesus/ attests, Jesus will never fail us.           

The following verses were published in 1887 and are as helpful to us today as they were to our forefathers.                                                                                                                                        

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,                                                                                    

Anywhere He leads me in this world below;                                                                   

Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade;                                                

Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.

Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone;                                                                                    

Other friends may fail me, He is still my own;                                                     

Though His hand may lead me over dreary ways,                                                 

Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise.
 
 

The “aches” in the title of my blog posts stands for the burdens that God gives me and all of His children, including sharing the gospel with others and praying for their salvation. One “ache” that I have is to ask you to join me in praying for J.P. in Montreal who has health challenges.

May we delight in walking with the Lord and trust Him to guide us to share His Word with others.

Scripture for the weekend: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40 (NKJV)

Thought for the weekend: “Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery or meanness. Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them.” – Phillip Brooks (from a prayer quoted in “The Disciplines of Life” by V. Raymond Edman)

 

By His grace,
 

Steve


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