Jesus, Draw Me Nearer To Thee

I recently spoke on the phone with a dear friend.  She discussed how these past few months had been very trying and lonely for her.  I was surprised to hear that this was the case.  I guess I had assumed all was well with her since the last time we had spoken.  She made the comment during our conversation that these difficult times had driven her to the Lord and how even though she has been facing difficulties, there was something sweet about being able to go to the Lord with her sorrows. 


I was so thankful for the conversation that I shared with this dear friend of mine.  It reminded me of the many times trials and heartaches of my past have caused me to flee to Christ as my refuge.  He has always been my closest friend during the most trying times.  When it felt as though others had abandoned me, He was always there to hold me in His arms.


This also caused me to evaluate where I am in my fellowship with Him now.  Do I run to Him daily even when life seems easy and full of joy or is it only when I am faced with hardships?  What is it that causes me to flee to Christ?


It reminded me of the verse in that song by Sovereign Grace Music, "As Long As You Are Glorified."

"Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings

Yet not welcome any pain

Shall I thank You for days of sunshine

Yet grumble in days of rain

Shall I love You in times of plenty

Then leave You in days of drought

Shall I trust when I reap the harvest

But when winter winds blow, then doubt."

The words of this song clearly express that we are to run to Him during times of both sorrow and joy.


All of this started to make me wish I could face a trial in order to feel that satisfying and deeper communion with my Heavenly Father once more.  I should know as a child of God, that there are still many more to come my way.  I can be sure of that!


Be encouraged, dear Christian.  Our King always delights in bringing us under His wings of mercy...trial or no trial.


Verses for further meditation:


"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" - Psalm 34:8


"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18


"Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30


"...He will not leave you or forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6

Thoughts from this morning's devotion...

One of my favorite devotional books that I continually return to is the famous "Morning & Evening Daily Readings" by Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  Spurgeon was a well-known reformed preacher who lived back in the nineteenth century.  His testimony of salvation as well of his dedication to preaching the gospel has continued to affect many people all over the world.  Even after all these years, his life of servitude continues to have an amazing impact on many believers.  I myself am one of them.  There are several times that I have read his devotions and have found my heart to be greatly overwhelmed with such intense emotions.  Sometimes my heart is overcome with a joy in Christ that only the Holy Spirit can grant, but then there are those times that my heart is deeply convicted because the words he has written have pierced my soul.  This morning's devotion for June 15th reminded me of how a sinner saved by grace should never cease in rejoicing over their salvation.  Read the words of Spurgeon...

"I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was dry, and withered, and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I have been made to bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surprising grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine forever.  This day I will lift up psalms of triumph unto the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for 'my heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation."

In reading these words, I am reminded of who I was before the Lord saved me.  I believe many Christians forget what it is means to rejoice in their salvation and how the Lord has brought them out of darkness and into the light.  Many times we are still finding ourselves downcast because the cares of this life seem so burdensome.  If we look to Christ, we once again will taste the splendor of being His elect, a people who are in constant need of His mercy and grace.  

Desiring to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

I recently heard a great sermon by Joshua Harris called, "A Woman of Valor."  Pastor Harris took the passage in Proverbs 31 to present this sermon.  He used a lot of really great examples in this message, but the one that really stuck out to me the most was when he described what it would be like if he took his little girl to the mall one day and decided to take her by every store and stop to look at the way each one of them advertised their merchandise, such as on posters, mannequins, etc.  In doing this exercise, what would his little girl think about femininity and what it means to be a woman?  She would think that you had to look a certain way, act a certain way, dress a certain way, be a certain body type in order to be accepted by society.  All the things that his little girl would see is the exact opposite of what God calls a woman to be in scripture.  


God calls us to be women who fear the Lord.  He doesn't wish for us to seek to be women that the world wants us to be...women who use their bodies and attitudes to seduce and get their way.  Why do you think all the other passages in the book of Proverbs warn us to stay away from the adulteress woman?  She is a woman of foolish and wicked desires.  "With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.  All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird  rushes into a snare; he does not know it will cost him his life" (Proverbs 7:21-23).


May the Lord raise up more Proverbs 31 women. "...She is far more precious than jewels" (Proverbs 31:10)


Here is the link below if you would like to listen to the sermon by Josh Harris:
http://www.covlife.org/resources/3499575-The_Woman_of_Valor

Pray for the younger generation of our day...

After facing my own teenage years, I can remember the times I began to feel smothered by the worldliness that surrounded me everywhere I turned.  Those memories bring to my mind the grace and mercy that the Lord has had upon my life.  I remember begging the Lord to forgive me for some of the foolish choices I had made.  In light of this, the Lord has given me a great burden to reach out to the youth of our day who are constantly being bombarded by every temptation imaginable.  Unfortunately, many of them are giving in, and at very young ages too.  You don’t have to look very far in order to see what I am talking about.  Just take a trip to your local mall, log on to facebook, or step inside the doors of your very own church.  Yes, even the youth in many churches today are participating in shocking and rebellious types of behavior.  

Hollywood stars, reality television shows, and nasty tabloids have become the top educators on informing our youth how to dress, who to date, how to talk, and that it’s totally acceptable to indulge in promiscuous behavior before marriage.  Our society has fallen into this “use and be used” way of thinking where young men and women treat dating like you would use an empty candy wrapper after the contents inside have been consumed.  Sadly, this leaves behind major scars that take many years to heal.  The decisions we make early in our adult life will reap many consequences.  

Many parents may claim that their child would never take part in such questionable or promiscuous behavior.  I have often heard parents make the comment, “You choose your battles.”  In other words, they often let the behavior go unaddressed out of fear that they might be pushing their child away, but how does this passivity allow the parent to challenge their child to walk in the fear of the Lord?  

God has been so merciful to give me parents who loved me enough to correct me when I was not living in a manner that reflected a life of  holiness.  I may have resented their discipline at the time, but I can now say I am extremely thankful.  If you are a parent, one day your child may thank you for challenging them in love and by God’s grace, that child will take delight in being obedient.  Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

May this be a challenge to all of us!  Let us pray for the young people of our day as well as the parents who are raising them.

~Reading List~

Here are some great books that have been a wonderful blessing to me.  I think these are excellent books for both teens and young adults.

Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

Books by Joshua Harris:

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

When Boy Meets Girl

Not Even a Hint

Of Knights and Fair Maidens by Jeff and Danielle Myers

Books by Eric & Leslie Ludy:

When God Writes Your Love Story

When Dreams Come True

Every Young Woman’s Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World by Shannon Ethridge, Stephen Arteburn

There is also a book like this for young men...

Every Young Man’s Battle: Strategies for Victory in the real world of Sexual Temptation by Fred Stoeker, Stephen Arteburn, and Mike Yorkey

Let us not grow weary of doing good...

There are so many times in this life where we become wounded by another person's words or actions.  As a nurse, I experience this frequently.  I believe the Lord called me to be a nurse for several reasons, but I believe one of the biggest reasons is for the purpose of my own sanctification.  There have been very difficult encounters with patients since I have been working in a hospital.  These situations have been extremely difficult to swallow at times...people being rude, angry, stressed, and hateful.  It seems as if the nurse is the only one for them to take their frustration out on.  I recently faced a patient encounter like this.  It was very hurtful and at times even made me angry.  I kept thinking to myself, "Why am I being treated like this?  I don’t deserve this.  I am only trying to help this patient and do what I know is best for their health and well-being, so why is this person choosing to act so ugly towards me?"  As I drove home after my long 12 hour shift ended, I began to feel the tears start to flow as I was reminded of my glorious Savior who once endured the cruelty and hate of those who had him crucified.  If anyone didn’t deserve to be mistreated, it was Christ.   At that thought, John 15:18 came to my mind.  "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it has hated you.”  With that reminder, I am able to see that there is nothing that can be done to me that could ever be as awful as what He endured.  He bore the greatest reproach on my behalf.

As His follower, I am to remember that I have been placed in such a position in order to serve Him by serving others, to be His hands and feet, and to grow more and more in His grace.  Even though at times, I may become greatly distressed, I am to think upon the One who has gone before me.  May I remember to always count my blessings, even when my heart feels trampled upon by the world around me.  Pray for me as I continue to be a light in this dark world and also that my love would grow deeper in serving the sick and the broken. 

I hope this also encourages you to forgive those who may say and do hurtful things towards you.  Remember that those who live a life in obedience to Christ will one day receive a crown of glory.  It may be a hard and lonely life, but a blessed one indeed.



"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my slavation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken."
 Psalm 62:1-2



I was able to hear these beautiful words to this song on my way home from the hospital after that trying shift.  These are great words to remember when we become weary in this race of life.

“When the Saints” By Sara Groves

Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I can’t let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but I think of all who've gone before them and lived the faithful life
their courage compels me

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary at the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying mans side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down that door

I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them

Reverse Thinking

I posted this video a few weeks ago on my facebook page, but I thought it would be great to re-post on here.  This video helps display the major difference that takes place in the lives of those who come to trust in Him.  This is also an excellent tool is sharing the gospel with those who deny that there is only one true God.


Enjoy :-)

Bearing Fruit

We live in the midst of a fruitless generation where many people believe that all you have to do in order to be a Christian is to go to church, walk down an aisle to say a simple prayer, or by just trying to be a “good person.”  But where is the genuine repentance?  Scripture tells us that Christians will be recognized by their fruit (Matthew 7:16).  Those who have truly received the gift of salvation have come to Christ by faith and repentance and will surely bear fruit.

After becoming a Christian, many may think that it all just stops there, but they soon come to realize…the journey has only begun.  The day-to-day struggle in pursuing a life of holiness can sometimes feel overwhelming.  As we look to Him, who graciously called us to be holy,  we will find the many promises he has provided for us in His word.  Let us take this journey together as we seek to bear fruit and live each day hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Scriptures for further study:

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” – Matthew 3:8

“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruit.” – Matthew 7: 16-20 (emphasis added)

“Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to one another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.” – Romans 7:4 (emphasis added)

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” – John 15:16

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 4:22-23