Frances Ridely Havergal (1836-1879) has provided us with one of the classic hymns of Christian commitment. Known as the “consecration poet,” Havergal attempted to live a life fully consecrated to Christ and to those she saw in any physical or spiritual need.

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Hebrews 13:15 

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.

God put us here on the planet. Are we thankful? Do we consider Him? Are we accountable? What are we leaving behind? These are questions that demand an answer.

Give it some thought because Frances sure did.

Gary

I don’t know how many of you are exhausted from the struggles of life.  I do want you to know that the day is coming when a rest is in order that can’t be compared to any experience here on earth.

Revelation 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

It’s labor here, but it is rest there. Looking forward to it. Give it some thought.

Gary

Can you see a candle light at 15 to 30 miles? Glad you asked.

If it’s a very dark night and under perfect conditions, the human retina is capable of detecting single photons – although it doesn’t report the fact to the brain until about 6 to 8 photons have been detected over a short time. By the way, to us humans photons represent light.

Did you see Christ from a distance?

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

I remember when I saw Him from a great distance. However, now He is much closer.

Give it some consideration.

Gary

I was a seventeen-year-old traveling on a slippery road with my brother’s car. Suddenly, it seemed the car refused to respond to my control, left the road, went through the snowbank, and came to a stop. It just happened that a trucker came along, and with a chain, pulled the Bel Air back onto the highway. Now this trucker couldn’t wait to tell my brother what I had done. At that time, I wasn’t a believer.  Years later when I was in a position to help that trucker, I didn’t.  He just reaped what he had sown.

Galatians 6:7 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

2 Corinthians 9:6 

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Don’t be like that driver, some things should just be kept to yourself.

Give it some thought.

Gary

William Penn wrote: “I expect to pass through life but once.  If therefore there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do to any fellow-being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”  

Bill had that one nailed. If we are going to be of any value to our world, it is now and not tomorrow.

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Psalm 37:3 

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I was on a hardwood ridge, loading logs in subzero temperatures. Carefully, I placed an ice-covered log on the load, but it slid and went through my back glass, coming to rest on the dashboard. Like the saying, “Momma said there would be days like that.”

My point in this is to emphasize the uncertainty of the next step. Because of the many variables in life, we cannot always predict the outcome of our next move. Does the Bible address this phenomenon? Glad you asked.

James 4:13-15 

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Proverbs 27:1 

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Give it some consideration because life will throw stuff at you.

Gary

When is it proper to hate?

Proverbs 6:16-19 

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Psalm 97:10 

O you who love the Lord, hate evil! 

Psalm 119:163 

I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your law. 

Make sure when you hate, it is in keeping with God’s Word. Give it some thought.

Gary