From: herawati sie BEGINNING WITH HIM
A note from doug: >From time to time, at the beginning of the month, I like to send out a compilation message of various items I’ve accumulated over time. So, here goes… * * * GOOD MORNING When I say good morning I mean to say: G od O ffers us His O utstanding D evotion to M ake us O bedient & R eady for a N ew day with Him. I nspire others please, and N ever forget G od loves you! Regards, Herawati. =============================================== From: "Bayo Afolaranmi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dearly Beloved, 'TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS! "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed" (Psalm 22:1-5, NIV). The story of Louisa M. R. Stead (1850–1917) touched my heart the day I read it. She was relaxing with her husband and their four-year-old daughter on beach when they heard a desperate boy's cry. The boy was drowning, and Louisa's husband tried to rescue him. In the process, however, the boy pulled Mr. Stead under the water, and both drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched. Louisa Stead was left with no means of support except the Lord. She and her daughter experienced dire poverty. One morning, when she had neither funds nor food for the day, she opened the front door and found that someone had left food and money on her doorstep. That day she wrote the hymn, "TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS." Many people, including me, have trusted Jesus Christ in the time of needs, and He has proved Himself by miraculously meeting the needs. He never disappoints those who genuinely trust in Him. In spite of his predicament, the psalmist in Psalm 22 recounted how God has saved those that trusted in Him. No wonder, Louisa Stead could write, "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; how I've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more." Total trust in Jesus Christ will lead to the Lord's unfailing love (Psalm 32:10), perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3), blessings (Isaiah 57:13), happiness (Proverbs 16:20), joy in the Lord (Psalm 5:11; 33:21), fulfilment of godly desires (Psalm 37:5), deliverance from enemies (Psalm 37:40), safety in times of danger (Proverbs 30:25), stability (Psalm 125:1), prosperity (Proverbs 28:25), etc. What is your own predicament? Does it seem that God has forsaken you? Have you put your total trust in Jesus Christ? He will meet you at the point of your need. Trust Him! You also will sing like Louisa Stead, "TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS." In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). ============================================== From: Muliawan Sjarif Peace In God Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul. Like a weaned child with his mother . . . is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:2) A nursing baby is a picture of ultimate calm and quiet. He is the happiest baby in the world. There is no greater physical or emotional comfort for the child than when receiving nourishment from the mother. Why then does the psalmist use the analogy of a weaned child and not a child that has just nursed? This is where the beauty of this psalm lies. The psalmist likens the peace in his soul to that of a weaned child with his mother. When a child is weaned and able to calmly rest in the bosom of his mother, we have a picture of calm and quiet that transcends any earthly contentment. The bond between the child and the mother surpasses that of the physical and emotional satisfaction of nursing. The child's desire is the mother, not what she can offer him. His peace comes from being with the mother. There are two kinds of peace from closeness with God. One comes from being with God and drawing upon His providence, or having one's desires satisfied. Another kind comes from simply being with God. In our worship, are we like that of a nursing baby or that of a baby weaned? Do we draw close to God because we need to draw from Him that which satisfies our desires, or do we draw close to God because all that we want is Him and Him alone? Our souls can be still knowing that God is in charge and that He will not withhold anything good from us as long as He wills. But, a greater peace awaits us, the peace of not being in want of anything else, for God alone satisfies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Treat other people Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people.
