AS I mentioned in the previous posting, my heart is particularly burdened on a number of fronts.  I know a number of troubled souls, individuals going through difficulties; burdensome trials that bring one to tears. “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your

Trials still surprise me, as if the way of the cross that Jesus walked should not apply to me. I’d like to fast-forward through Good Friday and go straight to Sunday dawn. But until this world is fully and finally set to rights, God’s people, even me and even you,

FROM the previous posting: IT is often said that we need the “big picture” if we are to have the right perspective on a thing, the right vision as to what is, was meant to be, and will be.  One does not and cannot have the right perspective on Rom.

So last time, we looked at the “big picture” we must never loose sight of.  I’d like to repeat the closing paragraph: IN lieu of Rom 8:28-29, 2Cor 3:18 defines what I call the “principle of assimilation” – what we focus on often determines who we are. The desires of

WHEN I was young growing up, the Lord brought into my life the influence of an individual who exuded Isaiah 30:15b, In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. THE timing of his entrance into my life was such that it had a profound impact in determining the life path

ISAIAH 30:15 has become one of the banner verses of my life, something that I aspire to and rejoice in achieving to some degree; although not as much as I would have liked or hope to have accomplished before my passing (Phil 3:14).  I explained in the last comment how

WE’VE been musing upon Isaiah 30:15 these past couple of comments, a verse of singular significant to me, along with others like You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You (Isa 26:3).  As mentioned, Isa. 30:15 became significant to me from the influence of one

THE above is how I ended the previous comment; a cliff hanger “But you would not” as a warning that the associated promise – “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” – is not a given, but a covenantal promise. It requires something of us, a faith-rest in waiting

I HAD an array of character traits that I would pick from to assemble my Character Curriculum when I was principal at Covenant Christian Academy.  Over time I pretty much settled into a select group of virtues, occasionally rotating one or two in and out year to year.  But there

OF late I’ve been making note of and enjoying what I call “little providences,” small providential events some might call an interesting coincidence, which I believe ought not to go unnoted for what they truly are.  We like it when we can survey the hand of providence on the stage

THE last several comments have delved into Isa. 30:15.  It is one of five verses found at the foot of my signature closing along with Neh. 8:10; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; and Prov. 21:30.  I’m often tempted to add a sixth, Phil. 3:12.  Not that I have already attained, or

IN the last posting, the Spiritual Growth reading was from Book 2 of Miles Stanford’s None But The Hungry Heart.  He actually wrote twelve of these little devotional books, each containing 31 readings focusing on growth principles that center on Not I, But Christ.  It is my understanding that these

WE return to our walk through None But the Hungry Heart, Miles Stanford’s devotional.  As a reminder, it contains 12 months of 31 readings each, focusing on growth principles centered on Not I, But Christ.  I recently discovered a great on-line resource, The Bible Portal that contains among many other

CONTINUING to look through the several None But the Hungry Heart devotional books of M. Stanford, I found another one that had a simple “check mark” by the title.  It made my heart smile as I reread it and considered it afresh.  IF you haven’t already noticed, most of what

THE last couple musings I’ve referenced “check mark” titles noted from my rather worn individual devotional copies of None But the Hungry Heart, by Miles Stanford.  Single copies combining all twelve-monthly readings can be readily found on-line, from PDF to printed copies. It can also be accessed at Bible Portal

OVER the years, I have been working on a little side project, an idea for a teaching tool that came out of a JR Miller devotional reading from Grace Gems. THERE is much in the Christian life that is hard to come to grips with, paradoxes that don’t seem to

LATELY, I’ve been sharing from “Lessons in the Garden,” a devotional collection inspired by Miles J. Stanford’s “None But the Hungry Heart.” Today’s reflection, however, comes from another treasured devotional: Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest.” A recent reading stirred my thoughts toward a frequently asked question: What is

IN today’s Lessons from the Garden, we’ll reflect on how true freedom is built. We’ll draw from None but the Hungry Heart’s devotional reading 2-4, Freedom’s Foundation —where the early confidence of a new believer meets the real-world battle of self and the world. As the old Pogo cartoon once

THE more time I spend in the Word, the more I see that which is counterintuitive.  Today’s Lessons from the Garden rendering from None But The Hungry Heart points to that very thing.  HOW would you define that which is counterintuitive? A quick dictionary or web search might produce something

TODAY’S None But The Hungry Heart reading is titled Rest of Faith.  Early on in my Christian walk I recall a minister frequently referencing what he called the Faith-Rest Life.  My thoughts often harken back to his words of faithful instruction and encouragement. AS we prepare for today’s reading, let’s

TODAY’s Lessons from the Garden consideration is just that, a lesson from the garden! “Gardens Just Don’t Happen’ – jlg LOVING trees as I do, we find a fitting metaphor and reflection on spiritual growth as a journey—one that moves through stages of recognizing personal need and inadequacy, then finding

ONE of my go-to verses when struggling, either within myself or attempting to help another is Col 2:6: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” THIS always begs the question, “So how did you receive him?”  The answer is always “by faith” – faith