I HAVE posted a short story here titled Digging up Seeds. I hope to post more here in time with a dedicated page of linked articles by Timothy Shay Arthur.
TIMOTHY Shay Arthur was born in the year 1809, near Newburgh, Orange County, New York. He was a popular 19th-century American author, most famous for his work, Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There (1854), a novel that showed the evils of alcohol. He authored dozens of stories for Godey’s Lady’s Book, a popular American monthly magazine, and published and edited his own Arthur’s Home Magazine. Virtually forgotten now, Arthur did much to articulate and disseminate the values and virtues of the American middle class. I discovered his writings online at Grace Gems (http://www.gracegems.org). At times, his thoughts and stories lean towards a moralistic view, but I have found his observations quite thought provoking, helpful understandings on one side of the equation towards spiritual growth and developing Christian Character. As Paul says, one plants, another waters, but God gives the increase (1Cor 3:5-9), …there are many workers in God’s garden. Being always discerning, we need to hear what godly men have to say as they have been given as gifts to be treasured to the church (Eph. 44:7-11).
ARTHUR’S piece posted here is a short story dealing with a mother learning patience in dealing with her child – planting seeds and waiting on God to bring the increases; primarily a lesson for parents and teachers, but also for the Christian desiring spiritual growth in their own life as well as others. Which brings me to today’s meditation
TODAY’S consideration below follows on the heels of last weeks, the Christian’s journey through Romans 7 and 8. I have another wonderful discovery, a devotional published by CCEF, titled Matter of the Heart*. March 10th, referring to Gal. 5 and the work of the Holy Spirit in producing the Fruit of the Spirit; the author writes:
We must reject a view of the Christian life that emphasizes what we should do more than what God is doing in us by his Spirit. We should reject any view of the Christian life that says that the change God calls us to is impossible, or only takes place in eternity. We should reject any perspective on the Christian life that minimizes the war that rages in our hearts every day – or ignores the fact that God is fighting it for us and with us! The biblical picture is that God meets us in the trials of life, and he doesn’t just give us rules – he gives us his Son!
With that, I commend to you another musing from Miles Stanford, None But the Hungry Heart.
In the wondrous blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15 & Job 2:10
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REST IN HIM
“He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus for doing good deeds which He beforehand planned for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10, Wms.).
The turning point in our Christian life comes when we begin to “let God be God,” the day we throw all caution (fear) to the winds and look to Him to carry out His purpose for us in His own time and way.
“Our Father never does a thing suddenly: He has always prepared long, long before. So there is nothing to murmur about, nothing to be proud of, in the calling of God. There is also no one of whom to be jealous, for other people’s advantages have nothing to do with us. ‘It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy’ (Romans 9:16). Our heritage, our birth, our natural equipment: these are things already determined by God. We may pick up other things in the way, for we are always learning; but the way is His way. When we look back over our life, we bow and acknowledge that all was prepared of God. To have such an attitude of heart, that is true rest.” -W.N.
“Let us take care lest we get out of soul-rest in seeking further blessing. God cannot work whilst we are anxious, even about our spiritual advance. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfillment of it to Him.”
“For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire” (Philippians 2:13, Weymouth).
*Published at New Growth Press: http://stores.newgrowthpress.com
