Day 3

"By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4).

"And through it he being dead still speaks." That is what you call a testimony! Even after you have died, how you lived on earth, still speaks of your faithfulness in living for the Lord in righteousness. I crave such a testimony. A testimony that shows that I lived "differently" and makes those who live after me ask what made me different. As they seek to discover my secret perhaps they might find more then they bargained for. Perhaps they might find God! My prayer is that God will help me to live my life so that I might be a testament to His goodness and in my testimony I might please Him (Hebrews 11:5).

Being, a light in darkness, your neighbor's Bible, a testimony to the love of God, pleasing the Lord. All of this is an overwhelming objective if you think you can do it alone. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But 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 diligently seek Him." Without faith it is impossible, but with Christ, with faith in Him, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13).

So my prayer today is that God will continue to mold me and grow me in Him, that I may leave behind me footprints of faith, a testimony to God's greatness that will point others Homeward.

~*~

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

Abraham had faith that God knew what He was doing, and even though Abraham did not know where he was being led he obeyed and followed. Do I walk by faith? Do I go faithfully where God is calling me even when I can't see?

Day 2

August 30

Today Deuteronomy 19:15 stood out to me (another cross reference from Hebrews).

"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter is established."

How often I judge others based on the words of one other person. How often I condemn them accordingly. As I was thinking these things, Matthew 7:1-2 came to mind.

"'Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.'"

That is a sobering thought isn't it? Let us say that someone does something though, that is not against us. Something that is wrong. Maybe we are talking about a fellow Believer who has stabbed a friend in the back, or who's actions were less then Christlike in some other way. I did not witness the act, but one of my friends did and they tell me about the incident. My first reaction should not be, "I will not have anything to do with so and so" or "Someone needs to take action to pay him back!" No, my first thoughts should be to pray for them. "Lord, my friend just told me about this wrong act of so-and-so, and Father I am concerned...Please, work in the heart of this person and draw them near to You. If there has been wrong done, Lord, place a burden on their heart to make things right with You and the one they have wronged."

How often do I do this? How often do I respond in a way pleasing to the Lord? How can I judge another for his wrong deeds while I stand judging him when I have no real grounds for doing so? Doesn't that put both of us in the wrong?

"Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1). I need to take this to heart.

As I continued to read I came across Luke 18:8.

"When the Son of Man comes will He really find faith on the earth?"

Wow, that is a verse that will put you in your place. When Jesus returns will He find that we have faith? This brings to mind another question. When Jesus returns will He find us to have been faithful? Faithful in loving and serving Him, in loving and serving others, in prayer, in studying His word, in being good stewards of all that He has blessed us with? Will He find that we, you and I, have been faithful?

In closing here is a quote from Amy Carmichael's Edges of His Ways.

"Perhaps the Lord is saying to that one and to other who are constantly praying about something they personally desired, "Leave the matter to Me; you have prayed enough about it. You have compassed that mountain long enough."

This little excerpt may not mean much to you, but to me it is a reminder that sometimes we can pray and pray and beg and beg, but in the end it comes down to, "Do we trust Him?" When it is something we desire very much it is so hard to do, but there always comes a time when we need to lay it down at His feet. "Father, you know this desire in my heart, and Lord, this is hard. I do not want to give it up. I do not want to not get my way, but I know, Father, that You love me. You have my best interest at heart. Lord, take this desire, I surrender it to You. Lord I trust You! Whatever You discern in this matter, I know it will be best."

Day 1

I could tell a long tale, relating all the events that have lead me to this day, but if I were to do that it would surely require such a long post that I would loose your interest before I was even half-way done. To summarize it, I was brought short by the fact that though I claim that my relationship with God is the most important one in my life, I do not act as if it is. If someone is important to you, you schedule time to spend alone with them. Your actions will verify that what you say is true. My actions have not been telling God that He is the most important being in my life, so I am setting out on a mission to show Him by my actions that I want my words to be true and that I want Him to always be the most important aspect of my life.

Today is Day 1 of 40. In the next 40 days I am committing to give God the first part of every morning. My plans include studying His Word, devotional reading, prayer, and scripture memory. I already can tell it will not be easy. In fact, a part of me was half-way regretting this choice when my alarm clock went off this morning. That is the half of myself that I am out to overcome. Each day I intend to record something that stood out to me about my time with my Father and share it with you for two reasons. One, I need accountability. Two, perhaps something that God is using to encourage me might also encourage you.

I covet your prayers during the next 39 days as I seek to "know Him more." It will not be easy, but by the grace of the Lord, and in His strength I walk forward.


Day 1: August 29

"Let your gentleness (graciousness or forbearance) be known to all men The Lord is at hand."

Philippians 4:5

O Beloved of my soul,

This do I desire:

Faith for the impossible,

Love that will not tire.

Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me

Love for the unlovable,

Love that will not tire.

O Beloved of my soul,

Yet again I come;

Give me cords of love to draw

Many wanderers home.

Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me

Love that knows nor strain nor flaw,

Love to lead them home.

~Amy Carmichael

As I was reading God's Word this morning I was cross referencing some verses and was lead to Philippians 4:5. Right away I knew I would claim the verse as my special help for today. Later as I was reading through my devotional book by Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways, I read the poem above. I began to pray, Lord let my gentleness be known. Let me be gracious and forbearing. May others see You in me. Let them see the "Love that knows no strain nor flaw" let them see the Love that will "lead them home."

If you have done or are doing a 40-day journey to know God more, I would love to hear from you!

Be Encouraged

"I have always noticed that when God has purposes of blessing for

some should the devil of discouragement, who is one of Satan's

most useful servants, is sure to come and whisper all sorts of sorrowful,

depressing, miserable thoughts.He drops these thoughts about,

sometimes in one heart and sometimes in another. If they take root and grow

into feelings and words and deeds, he knows that a great deal has been

done to hinder what our God intends to do.

Do not forget that discouragement is always from beneath; encouragement

is always from above; God is the God of Encouragement.

~ Amy Carmichael

The Edges of His Ways

How often when you have become discouraged by "sorrowful, depressing, or miserable thoughts" have you discovered that the root of it is Satan? Often times I have grown very discouraged with who I am and what I have done. I get so down that all I can think is "Poor me!" Wait. Poor me? I rewind. Poor me? No, blessed am I! Blessed beyond measure.

Satan tries to pull blinders over our eyes and take our focus from God and turn it onto ourselves. Here is my comeback line:

"Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD you God and Him only you shall serve'" (Matthew 4:10).

Don't believe the lie. You are precious in the eyes of your Heavenly Father for you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of man, the ultimate sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14).

Prayer IS the Answer

"There are no shortcuts to Christlikeness. Shortcuts only lead to masquerading. There is no substitute for spending consistent time alone in His presence. The cost is great. But the rewards are even greater. If we want to be transformed, we must be willing to

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word...

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Much time spend in secret with Jesus alone;

By looking to Jesus, like Him though shalt be;

The friend in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

~ Willeam D. Longstaff (1822-94)"

A Place of Quiet Rest

~Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I know I have written several times lately about the urgent need in all of our lives for prayer. This morning in devotions I was remind again of how important prayer is.

The end of summer has been busy for me, and in all my bustling around I have slacked in the one area of my life that should always remain consistent, prayer. Again I have reaped the fruits of my lack of faithfulness in seeking my Maker. I have been overwhelmed, discouraged, and lacking a sense of direction. When I sat down to ask myself why things were going so badly and why I was frustrated at every turn, I did not have to search my heart more than a few seconds to discover that I was doing it again. I was trying to do everything alone. Again, God used circumstances, including a failed test and being in a minor car accident to remind me that I need Him. I cannot hope to cope with all life throws at me alone. I just cannot.

Prayer is the ANSWER!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

in everything give thanks; for this is the will

of God in Christ Jesus for you"

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Modesty

As a young teen I did not understand modesty. I thought modesty was about my parents old-fashioned views of what a girl should or should not wear. I did not get it, and I resented when my parents told me that something I wanted to wear "wasn't appropriate." It was while I was really struggling with this that I read the Rebelution Modesty Survey, it was then that I began to understand things better from my brothers points of view and I began to really take to heart scriptures like 1 Timothy 2:9 which says, "In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing."

As I began to realize that in dressing with care I could assist my brothers in Christ in being faithful and guarding their eyes and minds, I also began to advocate modesty. I am a sister. I have brothers. I want other girls to dress in a way helps my brothers not to stumble, so, in turn I dress modestly to help other girls brothers. Most of all, I want my actions to glorify God. My motives in dressing should be a reflection of my heart, and I long for my heart to reflect purity.

Modesty is not about a list of rules. It starts with the heart. When you become more concerned about helping your brothers and sisters in the Lord to walk uprightly and not stumble then you are about your own appearance, that is when you will find that you do not feel restricted. You feel privileged. I am not here to point fingers or judge, to give you a list of rules. I just wanted to encourage you to think twice before you buy a new outfit, and to thank those of you who have taken modesty to heart. You are an encouragement to me and a blessing to the men in my life. Keep holding steadfast God's standards for purity. May God be glorified!