Teach Me ...

 

 

"Teach me to treat all that comes to me with peace of soul and with firm

conviction that Your will governs all."

 

~Elisabeth Elliott~

Don't Forfeit Your Peace

"It would not be possible to exaggerate the importance hymns and spiritual songs have played in my spiritual growth. One of the latter, familiar to most of you, has this line: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer" (Joseph Scriven). Prayerlessness is one of many ways by which we can easily forfeit the peace God wants us to have. I've been thinking of some other ways. Here's a sampling:


1. Resent God's ways.
2. Worry as much as possible.
3. Pray only about thing you can't manage by yourself.
4. Refuse to accept what God gives.
5. Look for peace elsewhere than in Him.
6. Try to rule your own life.
7. Doubt God's word.
8. Carry all your cares.

If you'd rather not forfeit your peace, here are eight ways to find it (antidotes to the above eight):

1. "Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165 KJV)
"Circumstances are the expression of God's will," wrote Bishop Handley Moule.

2. "Don't worry about anything whatever" (Philippians 4:6, PHILLIPS).

3. "In everything make your requests known to God in prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Then the peace of God ... will guard your hearts" (Philippians 4:6,7 NEB).

4. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me ... and you will find rest (Matthew 11:29, NIV).

5. "Peace is My parting gift to you, My own peace, such as the world cannot give" (John 14:27, NEB).

6. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart" (Colossians 3:15, NIV).

7. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing" (Romans 15:13, KJV).

8. "Cast all your cares on Him for you are His charge" (I Peter 5:7, NEB).

"Grant, O Lord my God, that I may never fall away in success or in failure; that I may not be prideful in prosperity not dejected in adversity. Let me rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May I strive to please no one or feat to displease anyone except Yourself. May I seek always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May I shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may I delight in any work I do for Your and tire of any rest that is apart from You. My God, let me direct my heart towards You, and in my failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment."  St. Thomas Aquinas

by Elisabeth Elliot

Do The Next Thing

A poem quoted by Elisabeth Elliot

Do The Next Thing

"At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.

And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
like a low inspiration, 'Do the next thing.'

Many a questioning, many a fear,
many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer,
do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
leave all resultings, do the next thing.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
working or suffering be thy demeanor,
in His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm.
Do the next thing."

Author Unknown