My Soul Thirsteth for God

The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draught, and as you impart, you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. Every revelation of God to the soul increases the capacity to know and to love.—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 20.

The cry of Christ to the thirsty soul is still going forth, and it appeals to us with even greater power than to those who heard it in the temple on that last day of the feast. The fountain is open for all. The weary and exhausted ones are offered the refreshing draught of eternal life.—The Desire of Ages, 454.

The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the result of labored argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means; they are gained in the audience chamber with God, when with earnest, agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power.

True faith and true prayer—how strong they are! They are as two arms by which the human suppliant lays hold upon the power of Infinite Love. Faith is trusting in God,—believing that He loves us, and knows what is for our best good. Thus, instead of our own way, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership, and accepts its blessing. Truth, uprightness, purity, are pointed out as secrets of life’s success. It is faith that puts us in possession of these.—Gospel Workers, 259.
With God at Dawn p. 204
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Larry, Mike’s dad, who is having knee replacement surgery this morning. Rose
—-Please pray for Ron as he is driving a long way today and the truck he is driving is acting up. He’s been trying be get his boss to fix it but so far it hasn’t been fixed. Rose
—-Please pray for my sister, judith. She is having problems with her sciatic nerve and is in a lot of pain. Jean
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Dear Friends,

Ronnie Jay and I have always enjoyed collecting rocks. On the many hikes we have taken in our lives, we have always stuffed our pockets full of rocks that looked pretty to us. Most of them were worthless, but we liked them. It didn’t matter to us if we didn’t know the name of many of them, we have kept them for years. Before we moved to Kansas Ronnie Jay and I had many more beautiful rocks that we could enjoy collecting.
When Ronnie Jay was twelve or thirteen, he went with some friends on a hike. As they were climbing on some small cliffs, he found a rock that he thought was a frilly, black, fossil of a fern. He was very happy to have found it. When he showed it to my friend Darlene, she smiled and explained that it was not a fern a fern at all. It was a dendritic mineral crystal that is fern-like in its growth. This type of mineral is formed when water rich in manganese flow along the naturally occurring faults and fissures in certain types of rock. It was very pretty, but that did not change the fact that it was not what it appeared to be.

So it is in the Christian life. There are many who look like Christians, act like Christians, and talk like Christians, but their heart is far from our Wonderful Saviour. Jesus, with sadness in His voice, said; “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matt 15:8

“The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matt 13:24-30

How often we are like those servants. We might think we can tell who the tares are and who is the wheat, but only God really knows. Jesus tells us, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” Matt 7:1 Again He explains, “Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 How many times we judge according to the appearance but later find that we were so wrong. We do not know the heart. We do not know the background of that person. But God takes these things into account when He judges. “The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.” Ps 87:6

Paul writes, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” Rom 2:2-11

May we be careful not to judge one another’s motives for only God knows what is in the heart. (1 Sam 16:7) May we make “our calling and election sure” this day. May we lead others to our Righteous Judge, our Saviour is my prayer.

Rose