SarahCity

Still upward be your onward course; For this I pray today. Still upward as the years go by, And seasons pass away. Still upward in this coming year; Your path is all untried. Still upward may you journey on, Close by your Saviour's side. Still upward although sorrow come; And trials crush your heart. Still upward may they draw your soul, With Christ to walk apart. Still upward till the day shall break; And shadwos all have flown. Still upward till in Heaven you wake, And stand before the throne. I want to scale the utmost height, And catch a gleam of glory bright. But still I'll pray, till heaven I've found, Lord, lead me on to higher ground.

I believe that this verse is as much a divine command as "You shall not steal". But what does it mean to fret? One person once defined it as that which makes a person rough on the surface, causing him to rub and wear himself and others away. Isn't it true that an irritable, irrational, and critical person not only wears himself out but is also very draining and tiring to others? When we worry and fret, we are a constant annoyance. This psalm not only says. "Do not fret because of evil men" but leaves no room for fretting whatsoever. It is very harmful, and God does not want us to hurt ourselves or others. Any physician can tell you that a fit of anger is more harmful to your system than a fever and that a disposition of continual fretting is not conducive to a healthy body. The next step down from fretting is being quick-tempered, and that amounts to anger. May we set it aside once and for all and simply be obedient to the command "Do not fret"...

When I think of Paul, I tend to think of a sturdy rock. He was a man who is neither swayed nor deterred from the course at hand. I see him needing no one other than Christ Himself. Or so it seems. The truth is Paul needed the encouragement of other believers. He longed for the words of fellow Christians to cheer him on while spreading the gospel. Ponder those words he penned to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 7:5-7. What was Paul feeling at this time? Conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside. Yes, that mighty man of God who said."I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13) also struggled with fear, discouragement, and inner turmoil. Paul was a strong man and yet he still needed the words of fellow believers to encourage him to press on. Here are some words a friend would love to hear : You bring out the best in me. You are an inspiration to me. I love to hear how God is working in your life. I'd like your opinion and pr...

A little mother, leading a baby girl about four years of age boarded a street car.... She sat down and took her daughter upon her lap. Beside her sat a woman who held a lovely bouquet of roses; and attracted by the sweet face of the child with the big blue eyes, the woman took one flower from the bouquet and offered it to the little tot. "Here is a rose for you, darling," she said. The child looked strangely at her and then drew back. Puzzled, the woman repeated her offer, and this time touched the child's hand with the petals of the rose. The child seemed frightened, for in confusion she quickly reached up and touched her mother's face to attract her attention. The mother turned to the kindly woman beside her and spoke just four words. Upon her careworn face there was a sweetly sad little smile that told an eloquently tragic tale of a mother heart. "My darling is blind." Blind! Oh yes, physical blindness arouses the emotion of pity in the hearts of all...

It is not so hard to give as it is to have to receive. To be obliged to take a gift makes us agree with the words of the Lord Jesus when He said."It is more blessed to give than to receive." Then we see that it is harder to take gracefully the kindness of our friends. But when we must receive, then that is the will of God for us, and just then more beneficial to us than giving. We must be willing, not only to serve, but to be served; not only to bear others' burdens, but to let others bear ours; not only to minister to the sick, but to be simply and thankfully ministered unto; not only give, but to receive. It is sometimes the will of God that we should let others do the will of God, and ourselves be the occasions instead of the authors of kindness. How can there be any giving, any serving, if there be no receiving? Someone must receive if another is to give. We give joy to the giver when we become the grateful receiver. Thus, as paradoxical as it may seem, in receiv...

Revelations 15:3 Sometimes people wonder why prayers are not answered promptly, or why the reply is not what they expected. The following story will help them to understand. Three large trees in a forest prayed that they might choose what they would be converted into when they were felled. One prayed to be made into a beautiful palace; the second, to be a large ship to sail the seven seas; the third to stay in the forest and always point toward God. One day the woodman came and chopped down the first tree, but instead of a palace, it was made into a common stable, wherein was born the fairest Babe in all creation. The second tree was made into a small ship that was launched on the Sea of Galilee, on the deck of which stood a tall young man who told the multitudes:"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly." The third tree was made into a cross, and to it men nailed that young man, the loveliest personality that ever walked the earth. Ever s...