Day 16 – Thank You

You have brought me through

My victories are not mine

Let me not forget

In The Midst

Journeying along life’s unexpecting road

Challenges plague me and leads me to wander

but, in the midst of my trials

I remember, through Him, I’m more than a conqueror

Greed, lust, lies and selfish desires

The flesh directs my heart wayward

but, in the midst of my temptations

I remember my strength is in the Lord

Disappointment and failure, a constant reminder

Murphy challenges even my best laid plans

but, in the midst of my shortcomings

I remember I can hold onto His hands

When nothing around me makes any sense

To the questions of life, I’m only drawing blanks

but, in the midst of it all

I remember I must give God all the thanks

Let Me Burn

 

Dear Merciful God,

I desire to burn

You are a consuming fire

It’s for You I yearn

 

An earthly world full of chaos

Without You I know I’m doomed

Shield me with Your love

I desire to not be consumed

 

I come to You in Jesus’s name

As I come holding His hand

If I can but burn forever

In your presence I could stand

 

Nothing on earth matters

If my soul I throw away

So make me fireproof this day

So with You, I can always stay

 

My Mountains Led

Back in July 2013, I hiked to the top of the volcano, La Soufrière, in St. Vincent standing at just 1,234 m.

Then in October 2015 & again in the same month in 2016, I hiked 2,256 m to the peak of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica.

These heights are both still quite small compared to that of Mount Everest, 8,848 m, which is the highest peak on earth. So here are a few questions. What does this have to do with anything? Who cares how high I’ve hiked? What difference does it make if I’ve hiked to the top of a 500 m hill or a mountain standing a whopping 7,000 m?

Well the answers to those questions are quite simple. This has everything to do with my life. I am the one who should care. It does not make a difference if the peak was 500 m or 7,000 m, as long as I made it through to the top.

La Soufrière and Blue Mountain were both physical feats for me. Small for some and mammoth for others. Regardless of what they mean for others I’ll share with you what it was for me.

In life we will face many obstacles and our own forms of mountains and they will all seem to come in our way preventing us from reaching our destination. But does a mountain really stop us from reaching or does it challenge us to do more than we had planned/expected? Mountains force us to go forward and to go up while maneuvering a rough terrain.

I believe our mountains are there to teach us lessons we need to learn for the journey ahead. I heard a really interesting twist on mountains the other day when watching a video on Youtube (can’t remember the video). The person in the video said that mountains will never be smooth because no one can climb a smooth mountain. I thought about it and it is true. If mountains were not rough, where would I place my foot to step up? Nowhere. I thought back to the times I hiked and there were parts of the trail that were smooth and sloping and I had to depend on the rough areas to get a grip to pass those parts.

The irony. While climbing my mountain and I come to smooth parts on my way up, I had to look for and depend on the rough parts to pass safely through. That made it clear for me to see that the rough parts are indeed important and needed to make it through. If we aren’t challenged to grow or to trust the process, will we make it through to the end?

Each time I hiked it was a new lesson for me. The first time in St. Vincent; it got colder as I went up and some parts seemed scary but I knew it would have been worth it to make it to the top and through it all I prayed and trusted the Lord to take me to the top safely, and He did. Blue Mountain took a lot more out of me to make it. The first time was the worse of the two, as I didn’t know how far till I reached the cabins, and then I didn’t know how far till I reached the peak. Not knowing, reminded me that in life as we get in a situation, we may not know how we’ll get through, how long it will take to make it, or what it would be like at the end. Trust that the hike up Blue Mountain was indeed a physical challenge; but one in which I made it through by the grace of God and trust in Him.

The real eye opener for me was the second time I hiked Blue Mountain in 2016. It was by far easier; it still ached my body after, but it was less stressful mentally. Why was it easier the 2nd time around? Was it that I had to walk a shorter distance or that the mountain somehow got shorter? Nope. None of those. It was because after making it through the first time, I kind of knew what to expect. I knew some of the answers to the questions I wondered about while hiking the first time. Now I had knowledge I didn’t have the first time. The first trip shaped me up for the 2nd.

So in life, when you are faced of a mountain of your own, trust God and depend on Him. Remember that it would be rough but He allows that for our safety, and for us to make it through how He wants us to. He never promised the road would be easy, but He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Once you make it through, when you have to face a similar mountain, just recall that He was willing and able to take you through it before. And trust and believe He is still there to do the same again.

As we start any journey and we come to an obstacle, in this case a mountain, and we see the peak all the way up there, remember that the road will be rough but once you hold onto God you will make it to that peak. It is only at that point that you can look and see the beauty all around and where you have come from. You get a small taste seeing the beginning and the end. And that is just one obstacle. God can see the beginning and the end for us all. The 2nd time up Blue Mountain, I trusted in God to take me there safely. I was also able to trust the little knowledge I had of the journey from the first trip.

So here’s a couple questions for you… How much more can you trust the one who has all knowledge of every journey for all time? Will you trust the process and trust the one with the plan and the road map?

My mountains led me to a better understanding of my journey and life.

My mountains led me to trust in God a little more.

My God knows what’s best for me.

My mountains led me closer to Him.

I am thankful for my mountains.

 

BRB as I go hiking again. What will this mountain teach me?

The Way In

I am trying to find my way.
I am looking for a way out.

Ever lasting life.
Ever wondered the way there?
Ever thought about it?
God did.
He thought about it for us.
He made a way for us.
He sent His son for us.
His son, our friend, our brother,
Christ Jesus.
Jesus declares “I am the way,
the truth, and the life”
What a truth.
He is the source of all life.
So follow Him.
Christ will lead the way.
The way in is simple.
Let ourselves out.
Out with selfishness.
Out with hatred.
Out with greed.
Out with pride.
Out with us,
And
Let Him in.
Emptying ourselves will leave room to be filled.
Jesus declares
“Bless are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
For they shall be filled.”
Fill us O God.
Fill us with Your love.
Fill us with You.

My Journal- Day 13

Reference : Desire of Ages 190-192 [Chapter 19- At Jacob’s Well (part 3) – (John 4:1-42)]

 

After Jesus declared that He was the Messiah that she heard about and longed for, her faith grew. The Holy Spirit was preparing her to receive more light. The simple declaration that Jesus made to this woman, He couldn’t reveal to the Jews, but He saw that this woman would do great things with this light and draw many to Christ. It really goes to show that He reveals more light to whomever when He thinks the time is right. We can’t in ourselves obtain more light until He is ready for us to have it. Jesus rejoiced as the water of life sprung up in this woman and He rejoices when it springs up in all of us.

“He long with inexpressible desire that they should come to Him and have life.” [DA 191.2] Being spiritually filled, the woman went and left her water-pot and forgot about her physical thirst as she went back to the city to carry the message she received to others. “With heart overflowing with gladness, she hastened on her way, to impart to others the precious light she had received.” [DA 191.3] When we as Christians receive light, we are to be excited and ready to share it with everyone we know and all we come in to contact with just like this woman as she declared “Come see a man…”. She understood where she had to point toward to direct to the light; that man Christ.

Jesus shared with His disciples that the work to be done for the kingdom here on earth was divided in two parts; sowing and reaping. “Here Christ points out a scared service owed to God by those who receive the gospel. They are to be His living agencies. He requires their individual service. And whether we sow or reap, we are working for God.” [DA 192.1] Both the sower and the reapers have their roles to play and they both receive their wages and rejoice together. Good seed had been sown in the woman at the well and the harvest was received quickly. The woman and the people were eager to receive more light so they asked Jesus to stay a while with them and He did. It goes to show that some seed needs more for it to be ready for harvest as with the Pharisees as they demanded signs the He was sent of God. However, these people were more than eager to receive the light and needed no sign or miracle to spring up the fountain of life in them. This is a good point to remember as we go about doing God’s work.

My Journal- Day 10

Reference : Desire of Ages 180-182 [Chapter 18- He Must Increase (part 2) – John 3:23-36]

 

Just like John when he was fulfilling his mission, we are to empty ourselves of ‘self’ to allow ourselves to be filled with light from above. We can only receive that light once we are emptied. Only through Christ is any service worthy. John told his disciples “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” John continued to cement that Christ was indeed at the centre of it all and he was pointing to the importance in realizing this so that we do not miss out because we missed Christ.

We are not to do as John’s disciples did and get tied up with the messenger; fixing too much attention on him or any messenger preparing our hearts for Christ. We are to be instruments to be used and understand that the success of the work was not dependant on us but upon the divine.

“Happy are they who are willing for self to be humbled, saying with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” [DA 182.3]

Today, I Say Thanks For… #11

Today, I say thanks for Jesus’ love.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 KJV)

In this scripture verse, Jesus calls us his friends. He goes on to say in the next verse why He calls us His friends.

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

What greater love can we imagine than that of someone who willingly gives up their life to save? Knowing that Jesus loves us so much, why is it that we forget to show that same very love to brothers and sisters, families and friends?

Jesus did command us to do just that.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12 KJV)

I pray that I may remember each day to do that. If Jesus loves us and we’ve sinned and hurt Him and The Father so much, why do we find it so hard not to love those who have hurt us?

Today, I Say Thanks For… #10

Today, I say thanks for our children. The children are our future.

I pray that we nourish and train them them right. Their minds are young and very impressionable. Teach us how to be that firm foundation they need in their lives now that they may grow into good individuals. I pray you guide us too, that you will bring us to know You as our king that we may be in a better position to teach our children, from young, the laws of Your word.

I pray all of them be touched and blessed.

It’s our responsibility to know the truth and right from wrong so that we can teach them accordingly that they may know too.

Today, I Say Thanks For… #9

Today, I say thanks for strength.

When we are tired and feel like we can go no further, God is there to give us that strength to carry on. When we are on our feet all day and feel as though we can stand no longer, He is there to provide that strength to stand firm. When we walking on the journey with Him and things get difficult and we want to give up, He gives us the strength to continue.

Why does He do this? It’s because He loves us all.