The oriental shepherd always walked ahead of his sheep. He was always out in front. Any attack upon the sheep had to take him into account first. Now God is out in front. He is in our tomorrows, and it is tomorrow that fills people with fear. Yet God is already there. All the tomorrows of our life have to pass through Him before they can get to us.- F.B. Meyer

God is in every tomorrow,
Therefore I live for today,
Certain of finding at sunrise,
Guidance and strength for my way;
Power for each moment of weakness,
Hope for each moment of pain,
Comfort for every sorrow,
Sunshine and joy after rain.

My Mom

I have missed my mom more in the last few weeks than I have in years. Oh, I miss her. There are times I lament over the fact that I never really knew her. I didn't know her favorite color, or even her eye color for that matter. I have very few pictures of her. I miss that my children have never had a grandmother that picked them up from school, stayed with them when they were sick, took them out and bought them an ice cream. I was 9 when Mom died and I missed a lot of mothering but my kids have never had a doting grandmother.

I question God, why couldn't things be different? Sorrow truly overwhelms me right now. I am desperately sad. But even in this sadness, I know...surely...I know...God has bigger things in store for what is causing me to miss my mom. I can hardly handle the situation. God has and is stripping away many things not of Him. I don't like WHO I am and how I behave because of this situation. It's like everything has turned me upside down and inside out.

I am the type I avoid whatever the situation is causing me so much inner chaos. This particular situation I do not speak of unless I have to. I am filled with such despair over it that I will not even put it out publicly what is going on. It's not a bad thing. To some it's wonderful. To me...I am horrified of the great change coming. And yes, it is coming. To some it's so silly how I am reacting. I know that I am not allowing Jesus to live in and through me.

I miss my mom. Why couldn't my mom and dad have a long married life together? Why couldn't we be celebrating their 40th anniversary this year instead of the 31st anniversary of her death? Why?

I am stronger than this because I have true Strength inside of me. I know I am letting my feelings and emotions overwhelm me. I know I am not fixing my eyes on Jesus but on the circumstance. I know all of that. But right now, I just WANT to mourn and miss my mom and what could have been.

January 10th- Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Paul and his companions...[were] kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. (Acts 16:16)

It is interesting to study the way God extended His guidance to these early messengers of the Cross. It consisted mainly in prohibiting their movement when they attempted to take a course other than the right one. When they wanted to turn to the left, toward Asia, He stopped them. When they sought to turn to the right, toward Bithynia in Asia Minor, He stopped them again. In his later years, Paul would do some of his greatest work in that very region, yet now the door was closed before him by the Holy Spirit. The time was not yet ripe for the attack of these apparently impregnable bastions of the kingdom of Satan. Apollos needed to go there first to lay the groundwork. Paul and Barnabas were needed more urgently elsewhere and required further training before undertaking this responsible task.

Beloved, whenever you are in doubt as to which way to turn, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, asking Him to shut every door but the right one. Say to Him, "Blessed Spirit, I give to You the entire responsibility of closing every road and stopping every step that is not of God. Let me hear Your voice behind me whenever I 'turn aside to the right or to the left' [Deut. 5:32]."

In the meantime, continue along the path you have already been traveling. Persist in your calling until you are clearly told to do something else. O traveler, the Spirit of Jesus is waiting to be to you what He was to Paul. Just be careful to obey even the smallest nudging or warning. Then after you have prayed the prayer of faith and there are no apparent hindrances, go forward with a confident heart. Do not be surprised if your answer comes in doors closing before you. But when doors are shut to the right and to the left, an open road is sure to lead to Troas. Luke waits for you there, and visions will point the way to where vast opportunities remain open, and faithful friends are waiting. from Paul, by F.B. Meyer

Is there some problem in your life to solve,
Some passage seeming full of mystery?
God knows, who brings the hidden things to light.
He keeps the key.

Is there some door closed by the Father's hand
Which widely opened you had hoped to see?
Trust God and wait- for when He shuts the door
He keeps the key.

Is there some earnest prayer unanswered yet,
or answered NOT as you had thought 'twould be?
God will make clear His purposes by and by.
He keeps the key.

Have patience with your God, your patient God,
All wise, all knowing, no long lingerer He,
And of the door of all your future life,
He keeps the key.

Unfailing comfort, sweet and blessed rest.
To know of EVERY door He keeps the key.
That He at last when just HE sees is best,
Will give it THEE.

Anonymous

The "Exchanged" Life

Association of Exchanged Life Ministries
Promoting awareness of the Believer’s Liberated Life in Christ

Did you realize that the "Exchanged Life"...
• is not a new teaching.
• is not sinless perfection.
• is not a life of passivity.
• is not a self-help teaching.
• is not an undisciplined life.
• is not a second work of grace.
• is not a counseling technique.
• is not an improved "old man."
• is not in any way deifying man.
• is not instant change in behavior.
• is not a formula for self to imitate Christ.
• is not peace through changed circumstances.
• is not dying to self (wiping out our personality).
• is not a guarantee that circumstances will improve.
• is not overlooking or approving sinful behavior (promoting license).
• is not a guarantee that emotions will line up consistently with truth.

Entire surrender to Jesus is the secret of perfect rest. Giving up one's whole life to Him, for Him alone to rule and order it; submitting to be led and taught, to learn of Him; abiding in Him, to be and do only what He wills- these are the conditions of discipleship without which there can be no thought of maintaining the rest that was bestowed on first coming to Christ. The rest is in Christ and not something He gives apart from Himself, and so it is only in having Him that the rest can really be kept and enjoyed.-

Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ

January 2nd- Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Ezekiel 41:7 (New American Standard Bible)

7 The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the temple went upward by stages on all sides of the temple, therefore the width of the temple increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the second story.

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 Savior'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 shadows all have flown;
Still upward till in Heaven you wake,
And stand before the throne.


We should never be content to rest in the mists of the valley when the Mount Tabor awaits us. How pure is the dew of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the food and drink of those who dwell above, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem! Many saints are content to live like people in coal mines, who never see the sun. Tears sadden their faces when they could be anointed with heavenly oil. Ia m convinced that many believers suffer in a dungeon when they could walk on a palace roof, viewing the lush landscape and Lebanon. Wake up, believers, from your lowly condition! Throw away your laziness, sluggishness, coldness, or whatever is interfering with your pure love of Christ. Make Him the Source, the Center, and the One who encompasses every delight of your soul. Refuse to be satisfied any longer with your meager accomplishments. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, and a fuller life. Upward to heaven! Nearer to God!- Charles H. Spurgeon

I want to scale the utmost heights,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, till heaven I've found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground!

Not many of us are living our best. We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and ruggedness discourage us, so we stay in the mist of the valleys and never learn the mystery of the hills. We do not know what is lost by our self-indulgence, what glory awaits if we only have the courage to climb, or what blessings we will find if we will only ascend the mountains of God! J.R.M.

Too low they build who build beneath the stars.

January 1st- Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Deuteronomy 11:11-12 (New American Standard Bible)

11"But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven,

12 a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.

Today we stand at the threshold of the unknown. Before us lies a new year, and we are going forward to take possession of it. Who knows what we will find? What new experiences or changes will come our way? What new needs will arise? In spite of the uncertainty before us, we have a cheerful and comforting message from our heavenly Father: "The LORD your God cares for [it]; the eyes of the LORD...are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."

The Lord is to be our Source of supply. In Him are springs, fountains, and streams that will never be cut off or run dry. To those who are anxious comes the gracious promise of our heavenly Father: If He is the Source of our mercies, mercy will never fail us. No heat or drought can dry the "river whose streams make glad the city of God" (Ps. 46:4).

Yet the land we are to possess is a land of valleys and hills. It is not flat or downhill. If life were always smooth and level, the boring sameness would weigh us down. We need the valleys and the hills. The hills collect the rain for hundreds of fruitful valleys. And so it is with us! It is the difficulty encountered on the hills that drives us to the throne of grace and brings the showers of blessings. Yes, it is the hills, the cold and seemingly barren hills of life that we question and complain about, that brings the showers. How many people have perished in the wilderness valley, buried under its golden sand, who would have thrived in the hills? And how many would have been killed the cold, destroyed or swept desolate of their fruitfulness by the wind, if not for the hills- stern, hard, rugged, and so steep to climb? God's hills are a gracious protection for His people against their foes!

We cannot see what loss, sorrow, and trials are accomplishing. We need only to trust. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way. It will be a good and blessed year!

He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.

He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o'er clouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.
Nicholas Ludwig Zinzendorf



I would like to add that although, yes, there are hills, valley, mountains that ARE in our life we do not have to let our soul get caught up in them. In other words, EXTERNALLY these things may be happening to us, INTERNALLY we rest, trust and abide in Christ. These valleys and hills will not shake Jesus nor those that rest in Him. We do not live in or under our circumstances but ABOVE then where Christ is.- SE