if

I want to be known as the doer of
       something that has proved the
       right thing,
  or as the one who suggested that it
      should be done,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

                                         Amy Carmichael

Candles in the Dark

Just finished another great book by Amy Carmichael. This one is broken into six short sections from letters she wrote to friends. Letters of hope and encouragement.

I thought I'd share bits and pieces from each chapter that encouraged me.

Hope they encourage you as well.

1. Discipleship

To a young worker:

"The fight to which we have been called is not an easy fight. we are touching the very center of the devil's power and kingdom, and he hates us intensely and fights hard against us. We have no chance at all of winning in this fight unless we are disciplined soldiers, utterly out-and-out and uncompromising, and men and women of prayer.

So first, give much time to quietness. We have to get our help for the most part direct from our God. We are here to help, not to be helped, and we must each one of us learn to walk with God alone and feed on His word so as to be nourished. Don't only read and pray; listen. And don't evade the slightest whisper of guidance that comes. God make you very sensitive, and very obedient."

2. Life and Work

The individual touch:

"Yesterday I read and read Luke 4:40. It was as if I had never seen it before. Those crowds - hot, sticky, clamorous, tiresome probably; but He did not see them as crowds. He laid His hands on every one of them - every one of them.

It's the individual touch that tells. He doesn't love in the mass, but in ones."

'When the sun was setting the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.'  Luke 4:40

To one facing an 'impossible' task:

"When the Lord leads He always strengthens."

His way is perfect:

"It doesn't much matter what happens to us. The one thing that matters is how we meet what happens...He is leading us through and on, and as for God, His way is perfect."

3. Pain and Suffering

In His care:

"Trials are not 'chastisement.' No earthly father goes on chastising a loving child. That is a common thought about suffering, but I am quite sure it is a wrong thought. Paul's sufferings were not that, nor are yours. They are battle wounds. They are signs of high confidence - honors. The Father holds his children very close to His heart when they are going through such rough places as this.

'Thy care hath preserved my spirit' - a lovely Revised Version Margin which helped me a few days ago - is my word for you (Job 10:12). Think of it; all day long you are being cared for, you are in His care."

The way to God's Best:

"...the depression that follows pain He understands too. 'My soul clings to the dust': no truer words were ever written. Sometimes just to know one is understood helps."

Fear not:

"Is there anything too kind for Him to do? No, there is nothing too kind for Him to do. So none of us needs fear for our dear ones. He who was so near to me then is as near to them, always."

4. Tests and Trails

Find harbor:

"...we are not meant to live in a perpetual stormy sea. we are meant to pass through and find harbor and so be at peace. Then we are free from occupation with ourselves and our storms - free to help others.

I want to live in the light of the thought of His coming, His triumph - the end of this present darkness, the glory of His seen Presence. This bathes the present in radiance. You won't be sorry then that you trusted when you couldn't see, when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared and no small tempest lay on you (Acts 27:20)."

5. Joy and Satisfaction

Unshadowed joy:

"I was reading Isaiah 43, and in verse 24 I saw myself: ' ...you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.' 

And then for the first time I noticed that there is no space between verse 24 and verse 25, 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.'

Who but our Father would forgive like that?"

Joys are on their way:

"Joys are always on their way to us. They are always traveling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming."

"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

6. Love and Trust

The heavenly river:

"Yes, love is a glorious thing, new every morning. There is nothing to fear if there is love."

'Lord, do Thou turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience. And let my obedience be without interruption.' (Saint Augustine)

And on the last page of this book it shares some of Amy's last beautiful words she wrote down. It says here:

"As Amy's life drew to a close, writing of any kind became impossible. Her last letter, undated, was written in pencial in large, sprawling letters which straggled across the page:

"Precious child...if so dear to me, what to Him?"  Amma

Buy it HERE on Amazon

if

the care of a soul (or a community)
         be entrusted to me,
and I consent to subject it to
         weakening influences,
    because the voice of the world-
         my immediate Christian world-
         fills my ears,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

                                     Amy Carmichael

Don't Believe...

"Don't believe, the bridge from you to me
Could somehow ever be washed away.
Don't give in.
Don't start listening to voices
Whispering things I'd never say. 

There is nothing you could do to make me turn my back on you."
                                               
                                                           Lyrics from 'Find your Way'  by the Afters.

Sometimes it's easy to start listening to voices that aren't from God or listening to things He never said.

My daughter and I were talking about how people can get led away from God through man-made ideas and thoughts. Ideas and thoughts that stray from the truth and make you question what you believe. And how important it is to be discerning and keep focused on what God has said in His Word.

His truth never falters, never wavers and never changes. When He says He loves you, He loves you. When he says He'll never leave you, He'll never leave you.

What He said thousands of years ago, He is saying today.

I love Abraham's example . He never forgot what God promised him. He was fully convinced God would come through.

In Romans Paul talks about this:

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 

And therefore 'it was accounted to him for righteousness.'

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. 

It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification."   Romans 4:20-25

Everything God has spoken in His Word is true and we can trust Him on it.

You can take Him at His Word. Believe in Him  : )

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths"   Proverbs 3:5-6 

Here's the whole beautiful song 'Find your Way'

if

I do not give a friend 'the benefit of
          the doubt,'
     but put the worst construction
         instead of the best on what is
         said or done,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

                                      Amy Carmichael

The Fairest Beauty

Thoughts from my daughter...

Awhile back I read Melanie Dickerson's book, 'The Healer's Apprentice' and was really impressed. I've since bought her other two fairytale books and given them to my 16 year old daughter.

She loved 'The Healer's Apprentice' and recently finished 'The Fairest Beauty.'

I've asked her to share about it as a guest blogger today.

So here are Rachel's thoughts on 'The Fairest Beauty'...

Why thank you, Mom. I really did like this book. I’ve always been obsessed with fairy tales so this book was pretty great to read. The characters are really likeable and Gabe, the male lead, is very studly, which didn’t hurt. : )

The book is based on the story of Snow White, so that pretty much sums up what the storyline is about. It’s definitely my favorite rendition of Snow White though, and it’s given me a love for the character; even the Disney version (whom I’d never cared for before).

Sophie’s faith was very inspiring and because I loved her character so much, she made me want to be more like her in that sense. So that was pretty rad. For example, the Queen would often tell Sophie lies about how wicked she was, but because of Sophie’s faith in Christ, she knew that wasn’t true. Though later on, it did taunt her. But she’s only human, right? 

There were a few times when I threw the book down in anguish of my boring life because Sophie and Gabe were just so cute together. Like...shfsfhgkfjhgdsghsh!  

Overall it was just really great and I'd recommend it to all you lovers of fairy tales.

Buy it HERE on Amazon

if

the praise of man elates me and his

        blame depresses me;
if I cannot rest under misunderstanding
        without defending myself;
if I love to be loved more than to
         love,
   to be served more than to serve,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

                                     Amy Carmichael