August 2009

This has been an incredibly busy summer. We had 8 house guests for the 2 weeks of BTI and feel so blessed to be able to provide a place for friends/family to come to. BTI culminating with Heritage Day was a BIG blessing. Since that weekend of June 13, we attended 5 State/Regional Conventions and one Family Camp in 6 weeks time. There were numerous things to attend to here at home between all those activities. Thank God for HIS strength and the health He's blessed us with. We know we have no strength or health of our own--it's all due to Him. Now we're in the mad dash to get everything ready for the Assembly. Considering the viciousness of the attacks from the enemy, I'd say this is going to be another outstanding Assembly. Like the old song says, "The greater the battle, the sweeter the victory." Amen! This ought to be one sweet victory!!!

I'd like to share my devotion from a few days ago. It was a particular blessing. It comes from Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles Cowman:

"If God has called you to be really like Christ, He may draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you such demands of obedience that He will not allow you to follow other Christians and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

"Other Christians, who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it: and if you attempt it you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

"Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their success, of their writing, but the Holy
Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it He will lead you into some deep mortification, that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

"Others will be allowed to succeed in making money...but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, and that is a helpless dependence on Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

"The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory.

"He will let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him, and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing.

"The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you...rebuking you for little words and feelings, or for wasting time.

"God is an infinite Sovereign: He has a right to do as He pleases with His own.

"Settle it forever, then, that you are to deal directly with the Lord Jesus--that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways that He does not deal with others.

"Then, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

"Others may. You can not!"