What Will You Give?

The wise men brought their treasure,

Their gold and precious spice

They gave in heartfelt measure,

Not shrinking at the price

The lad his loaves he offered—

His lunch for Christ that day

So small, yet gladly proffered

—his own to give away

The woman brought her oil,

—the savings of a year

To One she reckoned Royal,

She poured her gift so dear

The widow in her trouble,

Her poverty and need

Delighted, not in double,

But all to give indeed 

Behold and see all heaven

Was poured out for our race

For Christ Himself was given—

Amazing gift of grace!

::Refrain::

What will you give for Jesus—who’s given all for you? What will you give? What will you give? He’s given all for you. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The sun that shines upon the earth;

The wonder of a baby’s birth;

The moon that radiates at night;

With stars that shine a brilliant light;

The showers that refresh the land;

The plant and bud on every hand;

The lofty trees with mighty roots;

The shrubs and vines and tiny shoots;

The waving grain and great blue sky;

The harvest time with its supply;

The spring and summer, cold and snow—

Declare a thing, a message show

They speak of a Creator’s love,

And show a Father’s heart above

They tell of He who holds our days,

And guards our very path and ways

The sense of sight, and touch, and smell;

The workings of the human cell;

The steady beating of the heart;

The complexity of every part;

The bounties on our table spread,

Or water with a little bread;

And that which for the soul we gain—

The Bread from Him that will sustain—

The Sabbath with its joyful rest,

Of which we are so richly blessed;

And then the Gift of gifts, the One

Whose glory outshines star and sun;

These things continually retell,

That God above does all things well

They show a love surpassing thought,

In all these gifts displayed and wrought

Continually the evidence,

Of our God’s benevolence, 

Tells His love and sings His praise—

Then why not our thanksgiving raise?

If you were wearing Solomon's shoes...

If you were wearing Solomon’s shoes

What would you want? What would you choose?

If bright this morning, on your knees,

The Lord has asked you what you please

Would you have asked for wealth or fame? 

Or for a well-respected name?

Would you have asked a pleasant life—

Devoid of challenge, strain, or strife?

Would you have wanted something good

That still was not the best you could?

A life of ease or longer days?

Or human words of love and praise?

Or maybe skill for some nice task—

Would that be what you’d want and ask?

To sing like birds...or speak like gold

Or gain a talent yet untold...

Let not the good supplant the best.

For those who ask will still be blessed

When they delight themselves in Him,

Whose choicest blessings never dim

For God “will give that which is good”

And if this thing we understood,

We’d trust the plan He had in mind

And crave each gift that He designed 

We’d want to want what He would choose,

No matter what we’d gain or lose

For just as Solomon gained more

In seeking wisdom from God’s store

When we will seek Him first and best,

Then can be added all the rest,

For such will have it’s proper place,

When far eclipsed by Jesus’ face!

Trust

Could we peel away the sky,

Could we answer every "Why",

Could we plumb the waters deep or ocean wide

Could we look into the realm

Of the waves that overwhelm, 

Or explain the ebb and flow of lunar tide

Could we answer every doubt,

And describe our total route,

Could we map our lives from genesis and on

Could we always, fully know,

Would we ever fully grow,

In the faith that sees at night the morning dawn? 

For the faith that has it's sight,

And is strengthened with the night,

When tested, proved, comes forth a brighter gold

Through days of darkness now,

With trusting we can bow,

And with thanks, commit to Him what's yet untold!

86,400 Seconds to say Thanks

Have you ever played the game 20 questions? It’s where someone thinks of a “thing” such as a Bible character, and then everyone else can make 20 guesses to determine what that “thing” is. 

Ok. Ready? …(My guess is that this will be more like twenty clues and not 20 questions, but anyways, here it goes.) 

So I’m thinking of a certain type of medicine. It has no negative side effects, but it is somewhat contagious. It affects not only the people who take it, but also everybody else around them. Studies indicate that it extends life expectancy for older adults. Beyond that, it improves the quality of life without requiring a change of any outward circumstances. It’s unique as a medication, because the more you take it, the more you will take. Now what could be better than that? For one thing, it’s free. And it doesn’t require a dose of decadent dishes on November 27. 

A merry (rejoicing) heart is good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22. 

Gratitude. It’s free. It’s contagious. It’s good for your health. But it takes a choice.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a package and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

God has given us 46,800 seconds today.

Have we used one of those seconds yet to say thank You?

Photo Credit: Kristen Pool

Impossible Prayers & Morning Miracles

Birds sing. Red and gold streak across pastel blue as if crowning a miracle. The coolness and freshness of morning air caress sleep from my eyes. Today dawns a miracle, but another miracle captivates now. 

Not that God gives good gifts… He does. 

Not that God cares for temporal necessities… He does. 

Not that He owns hills of gold, and cattle times thousands… He does.

It’s that…  He rules in the impossible. 

That a child’s prayer is heard by the King of the Universe. That He finds no complexity in our perplexity. That unfeasible realities, farfetched dreams, impossible hopes- to human sight, look very different to Omnipotence. 

A miracle times two, but really beyond numbering floods my heart with wonder. Two and half years ago, two and a half really solid impossibilities stood in my path. And really, it doesn't matter what impossibilities face us. Today, the answer is two inches from my eyes: God rules the impossible. 

  God’s working is miraculous. 
  His storehouse is sufficient.

  His answers to prayer are as sure as His name. 

...and that's present tense.

Philippians:129 Gifts

“For unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Philippians 1:29

It’s not on our wish list.  

But contrary to human thought, it holds the highest of honors. 

Enoch and Elijah, who both tasted eternity without seeing death, did not somehow receive a better gift at the hand of God than did John the Baptist. 

Fellowship with Christ in His sufferings means fellowship also in His consolation. 

...and in the world to come, eternal life. 

Of all the gifts that heaven grants

To humans on this earth,

The highest honor God implants—

The weightiest of worth,

Is fellowship with Jesus Christ

To share His suffering,

To taste of what He sacrificed

Yet trust mid anything!

Philippians: 107 Partake

“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” Philippians 1:7

What is in your heart tonight?

What holds its presence there?

Is it things that pass away,

Though costly, precious, rare?

Some things quickly pass away-

Some in trial leave,

But assured are heaven’s goods

To all who will believe.

What is in your heart tonight?

Salvation’s precious gold?

Do you hunger after souls

With longing heart untold?

Some things are forevermore,

Because they’re born of love.

Salvation’s joy and happiness

Continue up above.

What is in your heart tonight?

Is the Savior there?

Is He precious more than all- 

Above, beyond compare?

Some things go beyond all time-

At this, time ends and starts:

With Paul partaking of the gift

Of grace which God imparts.

Philippians: 102 Rest

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2. 

Context: Who is "you"? Verse one tells us, “all the saints in (in = relation of rest) (with) Christ Jesus which are at (interestingly, at also = relation of rest) Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” 

This was no external rest. Humanity, Philippian or not, hunger for a rest that reaches the deepest turmoil. It is a rest in the soul that the sons and daughters of Adam lack. This rest, the Philippians found in God. Thus, they obtained rest also in their relation to life: at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. This rest, this quietness is not an earthly commodity. It is a rest that is possible even amid earthly unrest. It is experienced only through connection with Heaven. And such a link is our only access to grace and peace. Calvary’s cross is that link. It bridges the impassable gulf between the soul and salvation. Apart from Christ, peace is as illusive as a shadow. “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” - Isaiah 30:15. 

Psalm 85:12 says, Yea, the Lord will give that which is good. And this He gives. Grace with power of change. Peace though submission to Christ. Rest that reaches the heart.

The Gift of Pain

There is so much of it in this world. Rare is the day when a patient answers me in the negative. Huh? No pain? I croak. If they only knew how uncommon they are.

Two weeks have given me a taste of where the world lives. Small taste for sure. Nonetheless, it paints a different color to life. Endure. Get through. Look beyond. 

It's a gift- the pain. When a middle-aged patient is sobbing right there, moaning in distress, what is this 21 year old supposed to say? Maybe these last weeks will help to answer that question next time. 

Seems superficial though. The pangs of the world are too deep for human compassion. 

So the gift. Much bigger, as God does things. Musculoskeletal aches,  and tingling nerves aside. My pain by proxy on His back. Broader, deeper, sharper than anything etched in language, heavier than anything we can lift, is that burden. Willingly He shouldered what would have... should have crushed us. I can't relate to their pain, but He can. Therefore, He can gaze into the eyes of a hurting world, and say, I know. I felt that anguish times infinity.

So here's the call. Their pain is an opportunity for His love. Jesus doesn't just remove our burden of pain. Rather, He gives a burden of love in its place. It's a love that's willing to hurt, to pound with the pangs of the human heart. 

The aim is not in the hurting though. It's in the healing. Eternally. No more pain- for the former things are passed away. 

Let us be persuaded. There is a Balm in Gilead. Nothing shall separate us from it. No depth. No height. No throbbing ache. No nothing. The pain He took was deep, but His heart of love was deeper. 

Still is. 

Marvelous Love. Marvelous Gift. 

Stream bed

The cooler temperatures of morning awaken my senses. I drink it in. The sky is exquisite. Light and dark, blending, shading, fading. The clouds are what really get me. So beautiful, but so soon never to be again.

Heaven's tapestry of blue and gold will fade. Soon the sky is the hue of day. Soon the clouds disappear.

Then it hits.

It's a gift about to be opened- poured out upon the earth. It's highest purpose is to bless the ones who thirst. From cloud to stream to lake and ocean, ever giving, ever given. Though the substance that quenches thirst, it changes the dry, thirsty places into streams of living water. Living because it's giving.

"No one can live the law of God without ministering to others." - DA 584. But we can only give another what Heaven gave us. We are merely the stream bed. He is the Water. He is the Giver.

Take it. Give it. Drink it. Live it.

Thank You Lord for pouring out Yourself upon the dryness of the earth. For making fountains where before was thirsting desert. For giving, and giving, and giving.

Thank You.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

An ever flowing fountain;
A well that's never dry;
Like rain upon a mountain,
Whose stream will never die;
The love of God is ceaseless,
It's end cannot be found.
It's Source has more than excess,
To quench the thirsty ground.

As palm trees shading Elim,
And rushes in its sand,
Our life may draw a pilgrim,
To Water near at hand.
For when a thirsting trav'ler
Sees life in desert waste,
It beckons to that wond'rer,
"Don't leave this place in haste."

For still the quenching river
Flows from the smitten Stone,
Salvation to deliver,
In depths of love unknown.
And those who taste it's value,
Not only will receive,
But take to give its virtue,
Another to relieve.

For the Love of Sacrifice

Too often, it is reduced to a cotton-candy fluffiness. Nothing to satisfy. Nothing worth the price to gain.

Yet, it’s most gripping revelation is in sacrifice.

Where there is no sacrifice, there is no love.

But where there is Love, can it be called sacrifice? For the one who loves, nothing is too much to give. The genuine stuff doesn’t shrink at the word “all”. Love delights in it. Beyond the point of pain, Love gives. And loves to do it. 

The soldier’s sacrifice? It’s as nothing. For the King has taken pain from the hands of death. The scaffold, the fire, the dungeon, the most inhumane atrocity cannot sever one soul from His love. 

But at the cross, mystery. Love cut off from Love. Sacrifice beyond measure. Beyond comprehension. 

He gave, yet said, I delight. 

I give, and call it sacrifice. 

Oh, for the love that shrinks at nothing… and gives because it is it’s greatest delight to do so. To know no sacrifice save His, because mine has faded into absolute nothingness in the light of the love of the cross. 

Oh, to love sacrifice, because I love His love. 

A Blessing Secured

      “The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Revelation 1:1-2

      It’s like a waterfall. It plunges down on the rocks, smoothing, shaping, fashioning. But that water is not meant to stay there. It is only as the water is passed from rock to rock on it’s speedy descent to the valley floor that granite can continue to be molded. 

      Pure, clean, beautiful, life-giving, renewing water can stagnate. Turning rocks that have been changing shape into slimy, disgusting stones. Withholding our cup, however full, from another will only insure our future thirst. 

      God gave, so His angel could give, so John could pass it on. 

      “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you…” 1 John 1:1-3

      Give and it shall be given unto you. Light is not sent to be consumed, but reflected, ultimately back to God in glorification of Him. We who have been so blessed, so privileged, so cared for, we have responsibility. That responsibility is to give our gifts away. 

      A blessing shared is a blessing secured. Give. 

Notable Curtains and Eternal Surprises

      With mounting anticipation, after months of waiting and hours of travel, the final scheme is set. FaceTime from the closet, behind new curtains. Notable curtains.

      Exuberant suspense. 

      Ready. 

      “I talked to Grandpa the other day…” my brother began in his most noble attempt at nonchalant composure. “He is thinking about buying a car…”

      Wow! It didn’t take them long! I think, poised behind those long, brown pieces of fabric. Here they come. My breath almost stops in mid air. 

      “Oh, look. These are our new curtains.” My sisters pause to note the newly hung drapery.

      Forget FT. The time had come. Those noteworthy curtains whoosh back. 

Priceless. Absolutely. Priceless. 

      • • • • •

      My mind is drawn back through the centuries. Another surprise. A bigger surprise. Centuries of waiting, not weeks. 

     That time though, there was not instant recognition. That time, those who had been told that One was coming, the ones who should have been there when He arrived weren’t. In fact, it was as if they were the ones at home, oblivious of what was happening, and those who had not been told were seeking Him. 

      Can you imagine? Heaven has been breathlessly waiting… The time has come… The curtain is about to be drawn away from the character of God. He is about to be revealed in reality. 

      And they are unconscious of it. The gift is undiscerned.

      • • • • •

      My mind speeds forward. Another surprise. Centuries of waiting passed. He is coming again. We have been told. The world will have been told. Still, some will be surprised. 

      But those who wait. They will know. Instant recognition. 

Priceless. Absolutely. Priceless.

Consider It Joy

Long centuries ago, a scripture was penned,

Enlightening the Christian's night
A precept to show, and blessing defend,
It still gives to Christian's their sight
This word in the flame, when taken to heart,
Will comfort, bring hope, and uplift
In floods, just the same, a gift t'will impart,
To buoy those who feel they're adrift

So what is this word, this most precious thought,
That cheers those who heed it's advice?
That tests those who've heard, entreating for naught,
The ones who make gloom to suffice?
Oh, "Count it all joy", is Heaven's high word,
To all who face trial and test
When troubles annoy, and grief seems assured,
This note rings above all the rest

Consider it joy, and count it the same,
When troubles and trials surround
When fear would destroy, all peace in the flame,
Faith holds, and so joy can abound
This joy will not come, apart divine grace,
- It's song is a gift from above -
But will overcome, in trial's dark face,
Through faith in God's mercy and love!