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Today's Devotional:
Do you feel like you have no reason to go on? Like there is no purpose for getting up in the morning? Then join us on Thursdays in September for REASONS TO GO ON, a mini-series. You can find already published parts to this series at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder11/reasons_to_go_on.htm
REASONS TO GET GO ON, Part 1: Consider Naomi


With so much happening in the world of late, with tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, flooding, and hurricanes, to say nothing of the poor economy and high unemployment rates, it is, indeed, a dark time in many of our lives.

But maybe our own challenges aren't so global in nature. Maybe it is more personal: The loss of a job or the death of a loved one. Or perhaps it's a bad medical diagnosis. Whatever it is, we are left in the clutches of the disaster, and suddenly we find ourselves asking, "Why should I go on? All is lost. Why should I even get up in the morning?"

This 5 part series will be addressing this question, and my hope and prayer is that throughout this series, you, too, will regain your reason to go on!

Today's devotional will take us to the book of Ruth, to a woman named Naomi, a woman who truly had no reason to get up in the morning.

First of all, she had been forced to flee her home with her husband and two sons due to a dire famine in the land:



"Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons … and they went to the country of Moab and remained there." (Ruth 1:1-3 NKJV)

But while in Moab, her husband died! "Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons." (Ruth 1:3-4 NKJV)

This, of course, left Naomi a widow, and the plight of widows in the Old Testament was appalling. In fact, they were considered among the lowest classes in ancient Israel. The Old Testament recognized no inheritance rights to them, and as a result, widows were among the most vulnerable of the Jewish population. The male relatives who inherited all of her deceased husband's estate were supposed to provide for her, however there was no way of ensuring that this provision was carried out! They truly lived at the mercy of others.*

But Naomi's problems went even deeper than being a simple widow. She was a widow outside of her homeland. Thus any possible provision was back in Israel!



Naomi did have two male children, and I'm sure she counted her blessings every day for them. But they, too, died: "Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband." (Ruth 1:5 NKJV)

Now Naomi truly has nothing. No husband or sons to provide for her, no inheritance, far from home.

Do you still wonder if Naomi had reason to get up in the morning?



Consider the words she spoke when she decided to return to Israel: "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" (Ruth 1:20-21 NKJV)

No, Naomi, or Mara as she is now called, didn't see she had any reason whatsoever to go on.

But the story doesn't end here. You see, one of Naomi's daughters-in-law, Ruth, returns to Israel with Naomi. She marries Boaz, Naomi's kinsman, and her future, and the future of Naomi are now secure. And then Ruth bears Boaz a son: "And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." (Ruth 4:17).



These circumstances seemed good to Naomi. She must have felt that her life had turned around, for not only was her provision secured, but she also had been given a male heir to carry on the name of her husband. In fact, it was said to her, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!" (Ruth 4:14 NKJV)

But the glory of the story went beyond even this. Obed was the grandfather to King David, and ultimately, an ancestor of Jesus Himself.

Friends, if Naomi hadn't passed through those hard times, Ruth would never have come to Israel. She would never have married Boaz, and David's grandfather would never have been conceived! God was able to bring something beautiful out of all the trouble Naomi was forced to go through!

So what was Naomi's reason to go on?

Simply this: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Eccl 3:11 NKJV)

What can we learn from this story?



Without our hard times, God can't work the miracles He needs to work in this world! We can't see the "end" of our circumstances, but our job is to believe in the creator God and put our faith in Him, ever knowing that no matter what it is that we face, He will make something beautiful out of it! That, friends, is our reason to go on!

Join us next Thursday for REASONS TO GO ON, Part 2: Consider Sarah

In His love,

Lyn

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Today's Devotional:
THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 5: The Crown of Righteousness


Finally, in our series on our Meditations on the Heavenly crowns, we shall reflect on the Final Crown, around which I need to forewarn, at this stage is a ring of intrigue The Crown of Righteousness.

"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (II Tim 4:8)



Now this is quite amazing. If all the Crowns-about which, we reflected so far- have been given for some ACTION, this Crown is being reserved only for EXPECTATION. Boy, even those keenly anticipating the Lord's return would land a prize! There are two dimensions of thought on this subject.



Firstly, those who are really in right earnest looking for the RETURN OF THE REDEEMMER would not be passive but passionate. As such they would be on the move alerting many about the imminent coming of the eminent KING, thereby winning souls for the Kingdom (to them would belong the Incorruptible crown besides the Crowns of rejoicing).



Secondly, there may be some who are eagerly awaiting the Lord's return but are handicapped at once coming under the category of those "who can only stand and wait and YET SERVE" (thanks John Milton) like Apostle Paul. His movements restricted by imprisonment, he kept sending epistles to Churches which he otherwise would have visited. Ditto some bed-ridden patients, eagerly awaiting the Rapture who also serve with their passionate intercessory prayer ministry.



The active/passive acts of service emanating from the heart of eager expectation of the ethereal would receive reward by way of Crowns of Righteousness. For those conversant with the account of Father of faith being considered righteous for a passive act of merely believing (Genesis 15:6), the thought of a Crown of Righteousness being given to even those who only "eagerly await His return" would be in perfect harmony with the Scripture.



So finally, keeping in focus all the 5 types of Crowns awaiting us, I intend to conclude with a small poem…



Dear Christian friend, keep at your faithful work, From taking challenges for the Lord, never shirk, Magnificent crowns await as you travel Heavenward So for the Lord be always inspired to put your best foot forward.

Suresh Manoharan

http://www.jandsmministries.com

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Today's Devotional:
RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU
"Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

I prayed to the Lord, “deliver me from the snare of the fowler, from Satan and his angels!” I was under attack! How dare he come near me! (Funny how we get so self righteous and blame Satan for our problems that, quite frankly, arise solely from our pride and our flesh!) I prayed, Lord, give me the victory; help me to overcome! Yesterday I did not overcome. She yelled at me, I said something ugly back. Before the end of the day we were alone in the office and God wrung an apology out of me, and I say wrung, because I DID NOT want to do it, but I literally felt like Jeremiah when he said that if he did not speak the words were like fire shut up in his bones. I had to get it out and did feel better after for a couple of reasons. Anyway, that certainly WAS NOT success in any way, shape or form and certainly WAS NOT a witness to these people that I have been praying for daily.

This morning in my prayer time I was apologizing to God for my behavior and praying that I would do better today. Yesterday I tried a lot of "self talk" and trying in my own strength, which I know NOT to do, but sometimes cannot find my way out of it. The Holy Spirit led me to commit to God that I WOULD submit to His will in this thing. Right before I left for work I read a bit in a book that I have been slowly working on. The passage contained a quote from Oswald Chambers’s book, “My Utmost for His Highest,” for September 30. It is titled “The Commission of the Call.”*

“We make calls out of our own spiritual consecration, but when we get right with God He brushes all these aside, and rivets us with a pain that is terrific to one thing we never dreamed of, and for one radiant flashing moment we see what He is after, and we say – ‘Here am I, send me.’ This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the crushers, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.

“I wonder what kind of finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped? You are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you, the wine would have been remarkably bitter. To be a sacramental personality means that the elements of the natural life are presenced by God as they are broken providentially in His service. We have to be adjusted into God before we can be broken bread in His hands. Keep right with God and let Him do what He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children” (http://www.myutmost.org/09/0930.html).

God is like that, what can I say? His timing is perfect; His ways are sure. I bowed my head and said, Lord, I will submit to Your will today. If this is the way You choose to humble me, so that my pride can be broken so that You can use me more, I WILL submit to it. I will humble myself to You Lord so that I might become more like Jesus, meek and mild. At once a weight lifted off my shoulders and I felt the strength to do what I must come upon me. Once I realized that He is the One that requires I submit, not to other people, but to Him alone, the rest...was easy. His yoke is easy and His burden is light and when I took it instead of my own, the way was plain and victory was so easy, unlike before.

So, dear ones, submit yourself to God. Resist the devil and he WILL flee from you. God bless. Thank you for your patience lending me your attention so kindly. I love you all. And remember, VICTORY IS OURS if we submit ourselves to the One Who judges rightly.

Yours in love and in Christ,

Sonya Richards

Welcome to the Nugget
The Crown of Glory



The Crown of Life


Today's Devotional:
THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 4: The Crowns of Glory and Life


In our series of meditation on the Crowns, today let's focus on two types of Crowns, beginning with the Crown of glory… The Crown of Glory

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." (I Peter 5:4)



Where evangelism ends, pastoral work commences. If through an evangelistic ministry God operates as an obstetrician, then through the Pastoral Ministry He serves as a Pediatrician. The souls won over to the Lord by an Apostle/evangelist need to be nurtured by the Pastor. While an Apostle/Evangelist would constantly be on the move (Acts 8:39-40), a Pastor is invariably a stationery, local overseer (Acts 14:23) vested with the responsibility of building up the new Christians in faith in order they blossom into profitable servants for the Lord themselves. This is not to say that an Apostle/Evangelist would not spend any time in personal counselling as a Pastor patiently does or that a Pastor would never go an extra-mile in winning the souls for the Lord, like an earnest evangelist does. It is just that that their Divine calling is well-defined and majority of their time/effort is directed towards achieving the purpose of their call.



Since a Pastor works amongst mostly believers, one doesn't see normally public manifestation of "signs and wonders" in His Ministry, which is conspicuous by its presence in an evangelistic Ministry amongst unbelievers (I Cor 14:22), but the Lord would give a Pastor a heart of a good shepherd to lead lovingly the flock by example besides anointing him with His power to be a wonderful expositor of the Bible bringing forth profound truths, thereof. Even Christian history bears witness to this truth. Going by Biblical definition of the word Apostle (2 Cor 12:12), even great servants of God of past like say C.H. Spurgeon, Pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle Church, London or Pastor Rick Warren (of the present generation) of Saddleback Church, California may not fit into the category of Apostles whose Ministry, I repeat, is distinguished by "Signs and wonders", but can anybody deny ("one can do so only at the risk of blaspheming the Holy Spirit" Matt 12:32) the "power" in the Ministry of teaching of these two Pastors, whereby building up their flock wondrously in Word and Spirit!



The Crown of Glory, reserved for Pastors is their exclusive treasure, which the Lord would not give to any other category of Christians and why not? These souls would diligently labour for the Lord far removed from public spotlight, which nine times out of ten would be upon charismatic Apostles (not their fault at all, I ought to add here).



The Crown of Life

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev 2:10)



For those who lay their lives at the altar for their Master's sake, enduring everything unto the end, including the temptations (James 1:12) to deny relationship with Him, Crowns of life await. Simply put, only the Christian martyrs are entitled to the Crowns of life. Again, this is an exclusive crown for an exclusive lot.



It is said, one is ready to live for Christ, only when one is ready to die for Him. Speaking about a martyr's reward can anybody forget the insightful, creative dying declaration of that great Christian martyr Jim Elliot "He is no fool, of who gives up what he cannot keep (physical life) to gain what he cannot lose". Oh to die as a martyr for the Lord!


Suresh Manoharan
http://www.jandsmministries.com

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Trail up Mt. Roberts Cross

Today's Devotional:
This is the final lesson from MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 8: The Conclusion: The Cross on Mt. Roberts

Four summers ago, my family and I had the privilege of visiting Alaska. We had a lovely trip, only slightly "dampened" by the fact that it rained the entire time we were in this amazing state.

While visiting Juneau, the capital of Alaska, we had the opportunity to climb Mt. Roberts, a peak of 3,819 feet. A tramway took us up to the 1,760 foot mark, but from there, we set out on a 3 mile footpath to the summit.

What we had begun to call "the Alaskan drizzle" was with us, and we hadn't gone far before this, plus the shifting fog, began making our steps treacherous. After slipping and sliding for about 2 miles, the trail became partially covered by large patches of snow. Another half a mile and it became composed of steep granite. The rock would have been slippery even on a dry day, and with our ever-present drizzle, the stone might as well have been a hockey rink!

We forged ahead anyway for a few hundred feet, but then we finally woke up to the fact that if we ever made it UP this trail, we would likely not make it DOWN safely.

It was a hard decision, but with just another half mile to go, we turned back.

My boys, 12 and 14 at the time, were not exactly in agreement with our plan. In fact, they became very frustrated. Frustrated at the rain, frustrated at the slippery granite, and mostly, frustrated at their parents.

On our way back down the mountain, we took a well-frequented side trail a short distance from the main track. It led a few hundred feet to a rocky ledge, and on this ledge stood … a cross!

Now you would expect a cross, perhaps, on the TOP of Mt. Roberts, but isn't it interesting that this one appeared just BEFORE the trail became unbearable!

Friends, I'd like to propose that this cross, situated three quarters of the way up Mt. Roberts, serves as a reminder to all of us that we don't climb alone! The trails that life dictates don't always end in a mountain top experience, and sometimes life pours on so many negative circumstances that the climb becomes impossible. But through it all, Jesus is there. He can help us over the impassable parts of the trail. He can create new and improved trails. He can hold our hands and comfort us when we don't attain the mountain top experiences we anticipated attaining.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in a valley of life? Do we follow the example of my boys and get frustrated? Do we get mad at the circumstances? Do we lash out at those who are around us? Do we become angry at God?

Or do we take a moment to contemplate the cross of Jesus Christ?



Prayerfully consider the following text: "Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother …" (Ps. 131:1-2)

Friends, like a babe in his mother's arms, let's stop worrying about the things that are too big for us! Let's simply surrender to God's will, even when we can't see the outcome! In the midst of all of our problems, let's simply relax in God, ever remembering the Power of the Cross!

This brings us to the conclusion of the MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES series. In this series we've explored the following ideas:

1. The true beauty of God's power is only visible from the valley itself (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 2);

2. The abundant life promised by Jesus doesn't always mean a "mountain top experience". Sometimes it includes valleys (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 3);

3. God's ways of dealing with our problems are not always OUR ways, but in the end, we still end up on top of the "mountain" (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 4);

4. When we trust Jesus, we will receive the help we need to get through our valley experiences, and in the process, we will build faith and be stripped of our sin (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 5);

5. Sometimes God's plan is different from ours, but it is always the best (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 6);

6. The way to start climbing OUT of the valley lies in the word "humility" - We need to humble ourselves before God, seek His face, and turn from our sin (MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 7);

7. And finally, today we've learned that instead of letting our valley experiences make us frustrated or angry, we should spend time contemplating the cross of Jesus. Let's rest in Jesus' arms and let Him worry about the hows, the whens, and the wheres!

Let's stop wishing away our valleys, friends! Instead, let's sit back and prepare ourselves to enjoy the climb!

My hope and prayer is that the real-life climbing experiences that I have been privileged to experience will help you as you go over the troubled trails of life that we each must follow. If you have missed any of the MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES series, you can find it published online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm.

In His love,

Lyn

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
DROUGHT SURVIVAL

"This is what the LORD says…… 'blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.'" Jeremiah 17:5-8



In our back yard, there is a spot where red and pink Pentas are planted. These flowers are hardy, and do well in our tropical heat. They are colorful, and are butterfly attractors as well.

Flash floods occasionally soak the Pentas. These plants are resilient, however, and after the soggy, drippy leaves dry out, the flowers bloom brilliantly.

More of a problem than too much water, is too little water. We might go for days, or weeks with no rain; sometimes with scorching sun beating down. They can look kind of pitiful, definitely dried up, with the flowers faded, or gone entirely. Yet these plants always bounce back. A bit of rain, a little shade, and they are good to go again.

Some plants are created to withstand drought. Are we? In the first book of songs, in the Bible, this very thing is addressed. The amplilfied version says it this way: Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, following their advice, their plans and purposes, .. but his delight and desire are in the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God; he habitually meditates, ponders and studies by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity. (Ps 1:1-3)

We may not be as naturally sturdy as Pentas. Yet if we stay near the River of God, and are continually soaked and watered in His Word, we will not only be able to just make it through droughts, we will flourish in spite of them.

That’s good news.

Inspirational messages by Sally I. Kennedy



Sally I. Kennedy, ©2011 http://www.sallyikennedy.com

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LESSONS FROM PETS

Did you know that there are hundreds of lessons to be learned through nature? To learn how pets have been able to teach their owners about God, go to: www.scripturalnuggets.org/Topics/lessons_from_pets.htm

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In His love,

Lyn Chaffart

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 3: The Crown of Rejoicing
"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" (I Thess 2:19 NKJV)



People we win for the Lord would constitute our Crown of rejoicing. While an ethereal visit to Heaven -a la Apostle Paul (II Cor 12:1-4)-may help us better understand this subject, at this stage, if the truth that evangelism is of two types-Mass and Personal-grips us, then a blessed realization would also dawn upon us that all those who would lay their hands on the Incorruptible crown by virtue of their disciplined lives in the matters of worship, fellowship and courtship (personal evangelism), would also go on to bag the Crown of rejoicing. It is given to those who win "souls" to the Lord. And mind you, those who are entailed to the Incorruptible crown have no doubt also already fared outstandingly on soul-winning matters!



At the supernatural level, as directly relaying the Gospel to a sinner in an ethereal manner through a direct Divine-human "one on one" communication mode would deprive a sinner of taking the leap of faith, which is oh-so-necessary in the matter of Salvation (believing/acting without seeing with a naked eye is FAITH-Heb 11:1), the Master depends on His stewards who are "enjoying Him" to be carriers of the Gospel to the sin-infested World.



Oh yes, only once in this age of human history, after the end of the Grace dispensation (during the second phase of 7-year terrible tribulation to be more precise), would an angel be used to convey the Eternal Gospel (Rev 14:6)!



On the subject of personal evangelism, which everyone can participate in, (unlike Mass evangelism, that requires anointed Apostles and Evangelist to undertake the work), it needs to be reiterated here "if Worship puts you on fire and Church Fellowship fuels the fire, then by personal evangelism one would pass on "LOVE FOR THE LORD" fire to the unbelievers". Yes, it is this speaking with love about the Lord in the marketplace that would attract the unbelievers to Him, rather than evangelism done as a matter of duty.



An insightful one-liner in this context sums it up aptly "Work done for the Lord with a worshipping heart is a delight, while the same done as a duty is a drag".



When it comes to personal evangelism, it would serve us well to remember ONE cardinal truth. The truth is that since Gospel sharing on a personal basis can be done broadly amongst only two "difficult" groups (I would come to that point shortly), nothing, absolutely nothing can ever be accomplished without His power. It needs no reiteration that if to us belongs the responsibility of sharing the Gospel (I Cor 15:1-4 defines the Gospel oh-so-lucidly), that to the Holy Spirit belongs the role of touching the needy one's heart. The "needy" one is everyone living without the Saviour. Oh, the biggest sin is not transgressing any of the ten commandments, but living life on one's own terms, keeping the Creator of every cell and every drop of blood in our bodies at an arm's length! Talk of a tenant living as though the house is his, to the utter dismay of the Landlord (Psalm 24:1 Job 41:11)!



Now coming to the two "difficult" categories of people to whom we can possibly reach by way of personal evangelism, an exercise which needs "investment of time". If in the first category belong those whom we meet regularly (our co-students, office colleagues, family members etc), the second category are those whom we may meet only once in a while (our seat mate on a plane, long-journey bus/rail passengers etc). If influencing the former needs us to not only speak, but also live our faith, day in and day out, which can be accomplished only by His strength (John 15:4), then the latter would need to see the urgency in our demeanor and earnestness of the message in the few hours we may be with them (a la Phillip - Acts 8:26-39), which too can be accomplished only by His power. Oh how true the words of our Lord "…for without Me, you cannot do anything" (John 15:5).



Mass evangelism (a public manifestation of God's power) as opposed to personal evangelism (SILENT manifestation of God's power) would entail operation of Apostolic gifts (2 Cor 12:12/Acts 19:11-12) too. At all times during Mass evangelism (organized by way of massive public meetings) "signs and wonders" would carry the day for God's servants. Apostles and Evangelists (Eph 4:11-12) are especially anointed by the Almighty to do several astonishing miracles whereby public attention is drawn to them and then eventually to the all powerful One, who is the source behind all the miraculous works. Needy public (mostly facing health problems) are drawn to them as iron filings to a magnet. Once delivered from physical distress say life-threatening diseases like cancer, what other choice is left to the "delivered lot" and their family members who are personal witness to a stupendous miracle then to accept the "Omnipotent Deliverer" into their hearts!



While on the subject of Apostles (the highest in the ranks of Christian Ministerial hierarchy-1 Cor 12:28) mightily used by the good Lord, it needs to be noted that the good Lord in His sovereign wisdom, places at times "some thorn in the flesh" (read some secret physical or emotional infirmity) of the wonders-working Apostles, lest they get puffed up with pride (2 Cor 12:1-10)! Strong as is their relationship with the Almighty, they accept "these thorns in the flesh" get on with it HUMBLY!



Amazing thing about the Lord's amazing grace is that both personal evangelists (read lay Christians) and mighty, full-time Apostles would be entitled to the CROWNS OF REJOICING, though it needs to be remembered Apostles and Evangelists would get more of them as they would be winning more souls en masse.



A personal evangelist or a mighty apostle, let's be earnest fishers of men! Caught any "fish" of late, pal?



Please join us next Tuesday for THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 4: The Crown of Glory.



Suresh Manoharan
http://www.jandsmministries.com

Welcome to the Nugget
The REAL Trail

and the OTHER one...


Today's Devotional:
Why does God allow the valleys in our lives? Why can't He just work a miracle and make it so we live in the "highs", on the mountain tops? Join us on Saturdays as we "hike" some of my favourite mountains to find the answers. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions of MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 7: The Puget Sound Trail

Last week, in MOUNT TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 6, we saw that sometimes God's plan is different from ours, but it is always the best one out there. But isn't there an easy way to get out of this valley of problems?

Four summers ago my family had the privilege of visiting our good friends who were living in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. We decided as a group to do some hiking, and after carefully choosing a trail that would accommodate our varying abilities, we set out.

I'm sorry to say, I can't remember the name of the mountain we climbed. All I remember is that it was a lovely, forested climb over a well-marked trail, and from the top, we had a lovely view of Seattle and of the Olympic Mountains.

It would have been a perfect hike, except …

There were seven of us hiking that day, and as so often happens, we soon split off into three smaller groups: My husband and youngest son were the first in line, next came the two teenagers, and my friend and I, along with her 3 year-old, brought up the rear. It wasn't long before the shortest legs became tired, and the rear group soon lost sight of the ones in front. We weren't worried, however. There was only one way up and down this mountain and the trail was well-marked. We would eventually find them.

But we didn't. When the "slow" group arrived at the summit, my husband and son were nowhere to be found.

The day was already waning, and our only hope was to get down the mountain as quickly as possible and find the place where they had gotten off the trail. Only one problem: The 3-year-old's energy was all used up. She would not be "hurrying" off any mountain!

We sent the teens ahead to scout out the trail, instructing them to stop every mile or so, or at any possible fork in the trail, and wait for us, while my friend and I took turns carrying the child. It wasn't until we were nearly at the parking lot before we finally heard the shouting of the two teens: "We found them!"

Shortly after leaving the car, my husband and youngest son had come to a fork in the trail, and instead of looking for the trail indicator, they had simply taken the trail that seemed the most logical to them. Needless to say, their trail did NOT take them to the mountain summit. Neither did it lead them through a beautiful-forested trail! (see the pictures above)

Why didn't these two make it to the summit? Because they didn't seek the "right" way. Instead they trusted their own understanding, and it led them astray.

Life is so much like this. We find ourselves in bad situations, we carefully examine the options, and then we take the path that seems the most logical.

But we fail. Oh, God! Isn't there ANY way out?



I found the answer this morning: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10 NKJV)

In other words, we have to stop trying to do the climb ourselves! We must stop working out our own solutions! Our must simply do as this verse suggests: Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, for when we do, He will lift us up!

But how do we humble ourselves before God?

The answer can be found in another familiar Bible text: "…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chron 7:14-15 NKJV)



Basically, the secret to getting out of the valley, to achieving humility, is outlined in three simple steps:

1. The prayer of humility. More often than not, we give God a list of what we'd like Him to do. But this is not an attitude of humility. Instead, let's use prayer to give God the problem, to ask Him to take care of it according to His will, and then to help us be happy with the outcome.

2. Seeking God's face. This is simply a reference to learning to see things from God's perspective, a reference to seeking His will above all else.

3. Turning away from wickedness. This may refer to pet sins and to searching our souls for hidden sin. But I believe it also refers to something far more subtle: When we desire for our will to be done in a situation, then we are in essence saying, "God, since I know more about this situation than You do, here is what I'd like You to do!" There is nothing more presumptuous! This is also a sin that we must turn from!

In summary then, the secret in getting out of the valley lies in handing God the problem in prayer and asking that His will be done above our own. It lies in seeking to know God's heart in the matter and even if we don't see the solution, trusting that He does. And finally, it means turning away from our sin and our prideful self-flaunting.

And that's the secret for getting through our valley experiences.

Join us next week for the conclusion of this series: MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 8: The Cross and Mt. Roberts.



In His love,
Lyn

Welcome to the

Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THE BLOOD DRIVE

I gave blood again the other day. It was such a delightful experience. I arrived early to beat the crowds but found that several other early birds had gotten there even before me. We all smiled about it and waited patiently while the Red Cross finished setting up the equipment in the basement of the local church where the blood drive was being held.



Even though we weren’t getting paid and had to give up part of our afternoon we were all still happy to be there. There was a spirit of joy, caring, and community among us all. The donors, Red Cross workers, and local volunteers all felt it. We shared stories, talked about our families, and feasted on the delicious food that the volunteers had brought in. We joked and laughed and enjoyed just being together for awhile. We felt the peace that came from doing good, saving lives, and making the world a better place. We felt the oneness that always comes when people join together in loving service to others.



Even though I knew I had to leave soon to pick up my kids from school a part of me wanted to stay. It was one of those times when Earth was a bit closer to Heaven.

I only wish that everyone everywhere could know in their hearts the simple truth that was so clear during the blood drive: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35). If they did then this world wouldn’t be far from paradise. It truly is in helping others that we help ourselves. The love we give and the joy we share circle the world and always find their way back into our hearts. Albert Schweitzer once said, "One thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve."

Never be afraid then to give, to help, to love, and to serve. We are all One in this world. We are all Children of the same Loving God. The same blood runs through all our veins. May we always give it in joy, and may we always serve each other in happiness.



By: Joseph J. Mazzella

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 2: The Incorruptible Crown


"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." (I Cor 9:24-25 KJV)



Take out discipline from an athlete's life and he becomes, as it were, a "toothless tiger". By the same yardstick, take out spiritual discipline from a Christian's life, and he becomes a Popeye without a dose of spinach, falling flat at the feet of an adversary (Eph 6:12), much stronger than Bluto.



In the above verses, Apostle Paul alludes to the athletic events in the games which were celebrated every fifth year on the isthmus, or narrow neck of land, which joins the Peloponnesus, or Morea, to the main land; and were thence termed the Isthmian Games. The events were running, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus or quoits, to the three first of these the apostle especially eludes, the truth thereof, would not elude any wise child of God.



What, then, is strict Christian spiritual discipline? Simply put, it would mean prioritizing life activities in a manner which would not LEAVE OUT at any time any of the following:

a) Worship -personal (which includes Bible reading) and family prayer time,

b) Church fellowship (partaking in week day activities of the Church besides Sunday Worship) and

c) Courtship- courting souls for the Lord (read personal evangelism)



Yes, in a competitive World on the run, there is no denying the fact that to be spiritually shipshape, constantly exercising yourself with Worship, fellowship and courtship activities, is TOUGH. That is why DISCIPLINE is required in these matters. It follows as day follows night that those faring excellently on Worship would fare well on the other two as well. For everything stands and falls on Worship, which is an extension of the love we have for the Lord. Here is a poetic rendition of an athlete's discipline required to bag the Prize.



"A youth who hopes the Olympic prize to gain, All arts must try, and every toil sustain; Th' extremes of heat and cold must often prove; And shun the weakening joys of wine and love."



The crown won by the victor in the Olympian games was made of the wild olive; in the Pythian games of laurel; in the Nemean games of parsley; and in the Isthmian games of the pine. These were all corruptible, for they began to wither as soon as they were separated from the trees, or plucked out of the earth. In stark contrast to these, for ALL CHRISTIANS exercising spiritual discipline, the INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN would be given.



While in the Isthmian games, only one received the prize, though all ran; in the race of Christian life, the good news with a "Capital G" is ALL WHO EXERCISE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE WOULD INHERIT THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN. Pray tell me mate, how is your prayer life and also how are you faring on "fellowship" and "Courtship" fronts?



Please join us next Tuesday for THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 3: The Crown of Rejoicing

Suresh Manoharan

Welcome to the

Nugget


Cloud covered Mt. Cook in the background


Today's Devotional:
Why does God allow the valleys in our lives? Why can't He just work a miracle and make it so we live in the "highs", on the mountain tops? Join us on Saturdays as we "hike" some of my favourite mountains to find the answers. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions of MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm
MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 6: The Mount Whitney Disappointment



"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28 NKJV)


As a child, I always wanted to climb Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States. And growing up in Southern California and being part of a youth group that loved to backpack, it seemed to me that my dream was attainable.

And then it happened: I was about 10 or 11 at the time, and our youth leader was planning a 4 day climb. The goal? The peak of Mt. Whitney! At last my dream would be realized!

My hopes were crushed, however, by my parents: "You are too young to go on this trip!"

What???? Too young? My brother was going, and he was only 16 months older than me!

The argument didn't fly with my parents. "He's also a boy. There won't be any girls on this trip. No, you can't go!"

I argued, I cried, I did everything I knew to do to bend my parents, but they wouldn't budge, and I was forced to stand by and watch my brother set out to fulfill MY dream!

I haven't yet been given another opportunity to climb Mt. Whitney, but I have to say that my parents were actually very giving when it came to permission to climb. I was a literal mountain goat, and other than this one time, they never tried to hold me back. In my childhood, I climbed Mt. Baldy, Mt. Baden Powell, Mt. San Jacinto, and many, many others whose names I don't even remember. They allowed me to go to summer camp for two weeks at a time, where I was able to climb mountains to my heart's content, and the Mt. Whitney trip was the ONLY backpacking trip attempted by our youth that I wasn't allowed to participate in.

Were my parents "depriving" me when they told me I couldn't climb Mt. Whitney?

Not at all. They were simply protecting me. I didn't see it at the time, because to me they were just being mean and unfair. But I see it now. Would something terrible have happened on that trip? I don't know. But they felt that the odds of that happening were a bit higher than some of the many trips they allowed me to go on, and they weren't ready to expose their only daughter to such a risk. In the end, they didn't allow me to climb Mt. Whitney because they loved and cared for me.

We, as humans, often know just what it is that we need to have a Mountain Top experience. If we're in the valley of financial difficulties, we "need" to have a raise or a promotion. Or maybe what we "need" is a job. If our "valley" is chronic illness, we are sure that we "need" to be healed. If our "valley" is family problems, then of course what we "need" is for our spouse to return. Or maybe we "need" our teenage children to get better grades, or we "need" our in-laws to move to a different continent!

But do we truly know what we "need"? As a child, I was sure I "needed" to climb Mt. Whitney, and when it didn't happen, I was angry at my parents. But I didn't "need" to climb Mt. Whitney. I grew up just as balanced and sane without it, and in the process I got to experience numerous other wonderful climbs.

The point is, we are not all knowing, but God is. We don't always understand why He allows us to remain in our valleys, but we can be sure of one thing: He LOVES us more than we can even comprehend. He LOVES us with a pure, unselfish love, one that sent Jesus to the cross so that a personal relationship with Him could be possible!

Last Christmas I had the opportunity to take a helicopter to the top of Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. Imagine my disappointment when the mountain was too covered in cloud and the winds too strong for the chopper to fly! But God opened other doors of opportunity. As a result of missing this trip, I was able to take a helicopter out to White Island, an active volcano, and there experience a trip of a lifetime. I don't regret not being able to touch the peak of Mt. Cook. The experience that this loss gave me allowed me to do something else that was on my "dream" list, and I thank God for the cloud and the wind that cloaked Mt. Cook.

Friends, let's stop wishing things were different. Instead, let's understand that even if we don't get to climb the "mountain" we have chosen to climb, it's because God has something BETTER in store for us!

But wait. Isn't there anything we can do to get ourselves OUT of the valley? Join us next week for MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 7: Somewhere in the Puget Sound

In His love, Lyn

Welcome to the

Nugget


Today's Devotional:
DUTY OF CARE

Australian Magpies are user-friendly birds. They are people birds, that is, they make friends easily and because they live in families, you can have a resident family of Magpies for years on end. They will come for scraps of food and will learn to take them from your hand and may even walk happily into your home.

They teach us about peaceful, orderly lives by sharing drinking water and food with others who happen along – Parrots, Sparrows, Wagtails. There are no cultural barriers. They have certain rights and privileges belonging to who they are and as adults they live in harmony with others.

But it is a very different story when they must guard their young and vulnerable. When they have nesting mothers or fledglings, they will fiercely protect their territory and their rights from intruders.

They will launch off into space to attack a potential enemy even while it is still well outside their territory. Hawks and Eagles, their own kind and even we, who have given them bread and water, have no exemption.

Magpies have what we call a ‘duty of care’ for those under their protection. They see their young and vulnerable as worth protecting.

Perhaps the creatures of nature teach us about defending principles and preventing the young and vulnerable from being destroyed.

Perhaps they teach that Jesus is nurturing a way of belief and we need to consider the same ‘duty of care’ towards our young and vulnerable.

Jesus suggested even the ‘kingdoms of this world’ have a duty of care for the defenceless when He said ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest …’ John 13:36.

As servants, let us keep Jesus free to nurture the beliefs of our young and vulnerable.

Elizabeth Price

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 1:

Introduction



Story time, folks! But this is no run of the mill bed time story to lull you to sleep, instead it is a true account guaranteed to stir one's soul. While many in North America, may have heard it already, it still brings tears to the eye every single time it is retold/heard.



In the late 19th century, it was very nasty and stormy one night as heavy rains lashed a small hotel in Philadelphia. An elderly man and woman approached the registration desk. Their question was, "Do you have room for us tonight?" Then with a slight pause, the woman briefly explained, "We have been to some of the larger hotels, and they are all full."



The clerk namely George C.Boldt explained that there were several conventions in town at the time, and indeed no rooms were available anywhere in Philadelphia that particular night. He also pointed out to them that all of the rooms in his hotel were full as well. But the clerk went on, "I wouldn't feel right about turning you out on such a nasty night. Would you be willing to sleep in my personal room?"



The couple was taken back at the generous offer and didn't know how to respond. The young man insisted that he would be able to get along just fine if only they would use his room. The next day as the elderly couple was checking out, the man told the young clerk, "You are the kind of man who should be the manager of the best hotel in the country. Maybe someday I'll build one for you." They all smiled at the little joke, and then the clerk helped them carry their bags out to the street to load into their car.



Two years later, the clerk received a letter from the old man. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident, but the letter recalled that night and his kindness. The letter also included a round trip ticket to New York City with the request that he come to be their guest for a visit.



When the young clerk reached New York City, there to meet him was the elderly couple. The old man drove him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street and pointed to a beautiful new building. It was like a palace of reddish stone with turrets and watchtowers like a castle.



The older man said, "That is the hotel I have built for you to manage." "You must be joking," the young man said. He couldn't believe what he heard. The old man said, "I am not joking." And simply stood there and smiled. The young man asked, "Who are you that you can do this?"



Talk of Boldt receiving a bolt from the blue...a pleasant one though... The old man, in all humility and poise, replied "William Waldorf Astor". One of the richest man in the world during his time.



This was the Original Waldorf-Astoria of New York City, the hotel made just to return a 'kindness' given.

And here he was, Mr. George C. Boldt,( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Boldt ) the young clerk with a big heart, and he went on to become the proprietor of that historic hotel. And now dear friends, if a good, aristocratic man would keep up his word when it came to rewarding a kind act, would not the Almighty, oh-so-rich God, who always fulfils His promises (Joshua 21:45), keep-up His word in the matter of giving crowns to His faithful ones'? So in the Scriptures, how many types of crowns do we see reserved for his diligent servants, and what are they? In the Scriptures, we see 5 types of crowns.

1. The Incorruptible Crown

2. The Crown of rejoicing

3. The Crown of glory

4. The Crown of life

5. The Crown of righteousness



While some crowns would be rewarded exclusively to some categories of Christians, there are some Crowns which do not entail any special eligibility rules; as such any Christian can aspire for the same. In a series form, I intend to take the readership on a "flight of meditation" over the next few weeks. So fasten your seat belts… Let us reflect on them one by one...


Join us next week for THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 2: The Incorruptible Crown.


Suresh Manoharan
http://www.jandsmministries.com

Last week, in MOUTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 4, we discovered that God can and will get us through our troubled times, but it won't always happen in the way we think it will. Nonetheless, if we put our hope in Him, it will be well worth the trip!

But wait. Why do we have to go through those valleys, anyway? Wouldn't my walk with God be just as rich, if not richer, if I never had to go through the problems? If I could live on the mountain top?

Two summers ago my family and I had the privilege of visiting Zermatt in Switzerland, home of the world-famous Matterhorn. We were only there for three days, and with none of us being experienced mountain climbers, there was no way we would ever be able to actually climb this famous peak. Or any of the other high peaks around us either, for that matter! Instead we caught a ride on Europe's highest cable car to its highest viewing station, at the peak of the Little Matterhorn. From here we had a glorious view of the Swiss, Italian and French Alps, and especially of the world-famous Matterhorn.

The cable car drops passengers off in a tunnel that has been drilled through the Little Matterhorn, and tourists are invited to walk through this tunnel to a point about mid-way, where there is an elevator that takes you to a spot near the peak. From here there is a short flight of stairs to a viewing platform built on the actual summit of the mountain.

Imagine our surprise, as we climbed up to that windy viewing platform, to find a cross mounted at the Little Matterhorn's extreme peak!

Friends, I believe that this cross, at the peak of the Little Matterhorn in Switzerland, provides the answer to our questions today.

You see, there would never be a "Mountain Top" experience in our lives if it hadn't been for Jesus. If He had never come and died on that cruel cross for our sins, if He had never paved the way for our Salvation, there wouldn't be any hope at all of a better tomorrow.

Thinking a bit farther, this cross also reminds us that the roads we travel while we are in the valleys of our lives are there because there is sin in the world. They are caused by the poor, sinful choices that are made by ourselves and by others. They aren't God's will. They aren't God's engineering. They are a result of sin.

When Jesus came to this world, He brought with Him the answer to sin. Those who believe in Him have redemption, the forgiveness of sin: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16); and "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7-8 NKJV)

When we've given our hearts to Jesus, we have all of God's power at our disposal: "that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power … And He put all things under His feet ..." (Eph 1:18-20, 23a NKJV)



Now the power spoken of by Paul is the powerful text isn't necessarily power that will keep us OUT OF the valleys. Rather, it is the power of God to get us THROUGH them. In some cases, this power will resolve the valleys. In others, it will help us have the faith we need to come through them. Friends, it is in these valleys of our lives that we can grow to know God more, that we can fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus, that our faith can blossom.

The cross at the top of the Little Matterhorn also reminds us that while we are in the valleys of our lives, we can learn some valuable lessons, lessons that will perhaps help us to avoid future valleys caused by our own poor choices. You see, God has much a richer life for each of us, but in order for us to attain it, we have to be stripped of our sinful nature.

The Bible refers to this as "dross", the byproduct of the refining of silver: "Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry." (Prov 25:4 NKJV). There is only one way to remove the dross from silver, and that is through the refiner's fire.

Another illustration common in the Bible is that of pottery. God is the master potter's hand, and He is trying to shape us into the vessels we were created to be. But when a vessel is "marred", God has to mould it and make it, and this remoulding and remaking requires crushing and pinching and spinning and cutting: "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make." (Jer 18:4 NKJV)



This doesn't sound like fun, folks! But it is necessary. I would like to suggest that although the valleys of our lives aren't God's will, He uses these times to mould and make us into something beautiful. He uses the "refiner's fire" of the troubles we find ourselves in to teach us valuable lessons, to bring us face to face with our sins and to strip us of them.

Why?

Because we will never truly have a real "Mountain Top" experience without this important process! The way to true happiness - not the happiness defined by this world, but TRUE happiness - lies in being right with Jesus Christ. It lies in being free of the "dross" of sin so that we can be free to live the way He would have us to live. It lies in having a rock-hard faith in the One who gave His all for us.

The secret to a true "Mountain Top" is found at the top of the Little Matterhorn. It lies in the Cross!

Friends, let's stop wishing away our valleys. Instead, let's start looking to Jesus within them, for it is in the valleys that He shines the brightest. When we do, we will receive the help we need to get through them, and in the process, we will build faith and be stripped of our sin. And only then can we experience a TRUE Mountain Top experience!

Join us next week for MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 6: The Mount Whitney Disappointment.

In His love,

Lyn

Welcome to the

Nugget


Today's Devotional:
OF THERMOMETER AND THERMOSTAT

Every summer the temperatures soar. With mercury on the rise, oh how our tongues crave for that cool “elixir of life” (read water)! Also how we wish controlling the temperature is well within our realm! That brings me to the topic about two “heat-related” instruments…thermometer and thermostat. For the uninitiated, if the former merely “registers” the temperature, the latter “regulates” it. To further substantiate…while the thermometer reading changes depending on the temperature around it, thermostat rather being influenced by the temperature around it, changes the same for good.

Coming to the spiritual realm, there are only two types of believers’. If “thermometer” Christians are influenced by outward circumstances and pressures they bring in their wake to conform, the “thermostat “ believers rather than going with the ungodly majority, stand-up and change the world around them for good.

Continuing with the “heat” subject, what about three young, committed Jews –Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3)? They did not bend to Royal pressure to worship a pagan idol, yes, even the threat of being thrown alive into the fiery furnace, did not wither their spiritual resolve? The result of their holy defiance and their eventual miraculous deliverance from the searing furnace? The “villain” in the whole story -King Nebuchadnezzar- is transformed for good, so much so He passes a royal edict that that true, living God of the Jews has to be revered all through out his vast empire (Daniel 3:28-29). So the essence of this story…despite being in fiery furnace, these men were NOT “thermometers” but “thermostats” bringing about a beneficial “temperature change” in the lives of King Nebuchadnezzar and many in His realm. Pray tell me dear reader, are you a “thermometer” Christian or a “thermostat” one?

Prayer: Father in heaven, empower your child to be a positive influence in this World, rather than being influenced by it. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Suresh Manoharan

Hyderabad-India
www.jandsmministries.com

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES, Part 3: Three of the Best

Moses had one of the toughest lives in the Bible. Born into slavery, under death sentence at birth and again in his maturity, leading a rebellious nation out of an evil regime; and finally dying in sight of the land he would hand over to his people.

Educated to the highest degree in the palace of the king, he then became a shepherd in Midian, a foreign country. Called by the I AM at the burning bush, he further shepherded the Lord’s people for forty years in the wilderness.

He literally gave his life for a nation of thankless, murmuring people who often wanted him gone. Yet, at one time after his people committed dreadful idolatry, he said to God if you won’t forgive them, then destroy me along with them.

He took responsibility for their sins and was prepared to die with them. So God said ‘I will not blot you from my book but a day will come when I shall punish the people for their sins.’

He died at the age of 120 years – the same amount of time Noah preached about the coming flood – on a lonely mountain and was buried in an obscure grave.

After his death on Mount Pisgah, the archangel of heaven disputed with Satan over his body and won, Jude 9. Moses was resurrected and taken to heaven, he and Elijah appearing to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Like Moses, Jesus also lived in the palace of the King and left it to go into a rebellious nation to restore people to God. His life as a babe was under threat and he was forced to flee into Egypt, the land Moses was called out of to lead God’s people.

Then, like Moses, Jesus shepherded God’s people, leading them to a new life and he took responsibility for their sins. He died for them on a lonely hillside with just a few faithful followers and was quietly placed in a tomb.

Jesus, like Moses, arose from the dead, the ‘firstfruits of the harvest of the dead’ and was taken to heaven. Just as the Son was the only one of the Trinity to die, so Moses was the only one of the three humans in heaven, Enoch, Elijah and Moses, to die and be resurrected.

Moses lost his life because of the sins of his people, ‘they roused the Lord’s anger at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them,’ Psalm 106:32. Jesus was crucified as were the worst of sinners because the people shouted, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" John 19:15,16, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’

Good news comes in threes; Father, Creator and Holy Spirit; Enoch, Moses and Elijah, three of the best stories in the Bible.

Moses was man’s witness in heaven to the events that brought Jesus to earth to die for his people. And it was Jesus who said, ‘It was of me that he [Moses] wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how are you to believe what I say?’ John 5:46,47.

How indeed!

Elizabeth Price

Why does God allow the valleys in our lives? Why can't He just work a miracle and make it so we live in the "highs", on the mountain tops? Join us on Saturdays as we "hike" some of my favourite mountains to find the answers. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions of MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm
MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 4: Climbing Mt. Washington

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Eccl 3:11 NKJV)

Last week, in MOUTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 3, we discovered that when Jesus promises us abundant life, He isn't promising a life without trouble. Instead, He's promising us the full, rich life that comes from 100% reliance upon Him when we are in the "valleys" of our lives.

But there are those who seem to live in "Mountain top" experiences all the time. Why are they so "lucky", while we have to plod through all these problems?

This past summer I was given the opportunity of climbing Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington stands in the record books as being the highest peak in Eastern North America, and it also holds the records for having the most volatile weather patterns in the world.

Now there are many ways to climb Mt. Washington. There is actually a road that goes all the way to the summit. Naturally, you can also take one of the many foot paths, or if you are into adventure of a different type, you can take the cog train.

I wanted to take the foot path, and my husband, who is just starting to appreciate hiking, hadn't said "no". His response was, "I don't know if we'll have time." Our boys, now 15 & 17, were game for the climb, and we were all sure we could somehow find the required time.

But that was all before I sprained my ankle. Just 2 weeks prior to my anticipated hike, I fell while horseback riding, and when the time for the coveted climb arrived, and my ankle was still twice its normal size and I was still limping badly. There would be no climbing the footpaths of Mt. Washington for me!

Being the sensitive, wonderful man he is, my husband decided then and there that as a family, we would take the cog train to the top. I know that the boys, and maybe even he, were disappointed, but everyone put on a good face, and we had an enjoyable trip. The view from the top was just as spectacular as if we'd done it on foot, and the stunning scenery we had passed on our way up the train track was well worth the ride.

In all, it made me think: There is more than one way to reach the "mountain experiences" in our lives. There are some who inherit wealth. They don't have to do anything to have it. There are others that struggle along to attain in. Which one appreciates it more?

There are some who are naturally healthy. Never a sick day in their lives. And others do everything in their power to boost their immune systems and stay healthy. Which one appreciates good health the most?

Of course, we would all naturally choose the least painful way, the one that would just raise us to the top without us having to go through trouble. But things happen that are beyond our control. After all, I hadn't planned on spraining my ankle and ruining my hike, but when it happened anyway, I still made it to the top, and the view was just as special!

The same is true of our lives from a Spiritual perspective. Things happen in life that aren't necessarily God's will. They happen as a result of the choices that He allows us to freely make. For example, before going out riding that fateful day when I sprained my ankle, I had a feeling I shouldn't go. I realize now it was God's warning to me, but I chose to ignore it. My sprained ankle wasn't His will, it was a result of me not listening to His voice. It was my own choice.

Things happen to us in life! People make bad choices and these either hurt themselves or others or both. The only way for God to prevent these things from happening is to take away our power of choice, and this is something He isn't willing to do.

But the good news is, God is big enough to get us through these problems that arise. He is powerful enough to figure out ways to get us out of the "valleys" and on to our "mountain top" experiences, despite the problems! It may not be the way we would have chosen, but it gets us there nonetheless, and if we learn to let God ride us through our troubles, the trip will be thrilling of its own accord, and the view from the top will be just as beautiful! He truly makes all things beautiful, in His time!

But I still don't get it. Wouldn't my walk with God be just as rich, if not richer, if I never had to go through the problems? If I could just live on the mountain top?

Join us next week, for MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 5: The View From the Top of the Little Matterhorn.

In His love,

Lyn


Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals

Welcome to the

Nugget


Today's Devotional:
BROOM-SWEPT SKIES
"Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

We were gliding through the skies somewhere south of Atlanta. I was seated by a window, and with the morning’s clear visibilty the patchwork farmland below was an extraordinary sight.

Moisture formed on the wing's topside. As we slid through large, misty cloud puffs, a rainbow of colors appeared all across the silver wing.

We emerged with broom-swept skies all about us. I thought of an old dutch saying: if each person swept in front of his own front door the whole world would be clean.

We can’t change the world, in fact we can’t change much at all. Thinking we can is an illusion. The best we can do is to change ourselves, maybe an attitude adjustment, perhaps a change of heart and/or mindset. There’s an image on a shirt my daughter gave me, and underneath is the word ‘nice’. Bee nice. A good reminder; keep it simple and love and live and let live.

Jesus didn’t say to change the world; He did say to carry the Gospel, the Good News, beginning in Jerusalem (where we live; with our family), to Judea (the next circle of our influence, eg workplace) and etc etc…….concentrically. (Matthew 28:18-20).

All we can do is all we can do. But we can remember, “I am one. And Jesus and I are an overwhelming majority.” And those broom-swept skies are beautiful…….

Inspirational messages by Sally I. Kennedy Sally I. Kennedy, ©2011

http://www.sallyikennedy.com

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES, Part 2:

Wind and Fire


I always loved the story of Elijah. He was a strong, solitary figure, not given to socialising and not given to small talk.

When Elijah spoke, people listened. He said on one occasion, 'I swear by the life of the Lord the God of Israel, whose servant I am, that there will be neither dew nor rain these coming years unless I give the word.'

It was during that drought, a drought approved by Elijah, that the Lord directed him to live 'in the wadi of Kerith east of Jordan. You are to drink from the stream, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.'

When the stream dried up, the Lord sent him to board at the home of the widow of Zarephath. He miraculously gave flour and oil to the widow of Zarephath so that she and her son might always have food.

Later, the son fell ill and died and the widow turned on Elijah demanding, 'What made you interfere, you man of God? You came to bring my sins to light and cause my son's death!'

Then Elijah called on God, breathed deeply on the son three times and the Lord heard Elijah's request for the boy's life. The widow then believed in the Lord, saying, 'Now I know for certain that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord on your lips is truth.'

Elijah was like wind and fire, unexpected and unpredictable. God sent him to places he was not expected and he seemed to impact the land and its people wherever he went. Whole armies went to war against him and he seemed to simply vanish when they thought they had him.

One time he ran a forty-mile journey to meet with God and God sent windstorm, earthquake and a fire but it was in the 'still small voice' that God spoke with Elijah.

God told him to go back and anoint Elisha, so Elijah anointed his own successor. Fittingly, the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind in a 'chariot of fire and horses of fire'.

Three things impress me deeply. The first is the widow who said 'you came to bring my sins to light', the second is the 'still, small voice' and the third is the anointing.

Like the Holy Spirit, Elijah moved from place to place sometimes in storm and fire, sometimes quietly in the heart of the widow. Like the Holy Spirit, (John 16:8,9), he reproved, he brought sins to light, and he was the still small voice of conscience. Like the Holy Spirit, he anointed the one who would die in Israel as the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus, John 1:32.

Like Enoch, he did not experience death as did neither the Father or the Holy Spirit. They are human witnesses to the Father and the Spirit in heaven.

As Elijah was filled with the Holy Spirit, we also are to be filled, 'let the Holy Spirit fill you,' Ephesians 5:18.



Join us next Tuesday for THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES, Part 3: Three of the Best

By Just a Minute team writer Elizabeth Price.

Welcome to the Nugget


Today's Devotional:
Why does God allow the valleys in our lives? Why can't He just work a miracle and make it so we live in the "highs", on the mountain tops? Join us on Saturdays as we "hike" some of my favourite mountains to find the answers. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions of MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm
MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 3: From the Slopes of Gros Morn

"I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." (John 10:10 AMP)
Last week, in MOUTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 2, we discovered that it is in the "valleys" of life that we can best experience God's power. But didn't Jesus say that He came to bring us life abundant? How can all of these problems add up to an "abundant" life?
The summer of 2004 found my family on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland, preparing to climb Gros Morn. Our vacation agenda included hiking this 806 metre mountain, the highest peak in Eastern Canada, and there we were, at 2:00 in the afternoon, with about half a litre of water and a couple of oranges, setting out to fulfill our dream. Little did we know that it is an 18.3 km trek, and little did we know that hikers are advised to begin this climb in the morning to ensure adequate daylight, and to take plenty of food and water!
Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
We had hiked about 4 km when we came to a fork in the trail. To the right was a traditional path, winding around valleys and hills and meandering its way for five kilometers before reaching the summit. To the left, a rocky slope led straight up.
My husband, who had not yet developed his love of hiking, and our youngest son, who was only 9 at the time, made the wise choice at this point: They decided to return to the car and go for ice cream!
My older son, who, at age 11, was already a mountain goat at heart, turned pleading eyes in my direction. I instantly knew that he would not willingly return to the car.
Loath to break his heart, I stared at the two choices. The trail to the right didn't look that rough, and it was only five kilometers to the top. Maybe … But that also meant five kilometers back as well, plus the other four we had already hiked, a total of fourteen more kilometers. There's no way we could hike that far in the lingering hours of daylight!
Reluctantly my eyes went to the left. It would be a treacherous climb up all those loose rocks, but I could see the summit, and it wasn't that far away!
"We can do it, mom!" pleaded my son. "We'll be back long before dark!"
And so we set out, and after just a few moments of huffing and puffing, my son and I crawled (literally!) To the top of the rise . . . Only to find . . . Another path just as long, over just as loose of rock, and even steeper than before, to a ridge high above! The "summit" we had seen from the valley below wasn't the summit at all!
This pattern repeated itself several times, and it was nearly an hour later, about 5:00 p.m., when we finally attained the top of Gros Morn. We were exhausted, we had long ago used up our water, and the only quick way down was to sit on our bottoms and "slide" down those loose rocks. Not a very promising prospect!
Of course, there was always that other way, the little meandering trail that threaded its way down the mountain for five kilometers …
Needless to say, we took the "long way home", but we did it in record time. The entire hike took us only 5½ hours, and we were back at the car long before dark.
Abundant life. Does it mean a nice little well-manicured trail that wanders through quiet woods, beside a cool, calm spring?
Friends, I've been over plenty of trails like this, and often they do lead to beautiful places. But any time I've ever tried to attain a mountain peak, the trail, when it exists, is steep, rocky, slippery, and, often enough, dangerous!
Is it worth it?
All I can say is this: It isn't the view from the top of the mountain that I find exhilarating. It's the fact that I've overcome steep trails and slippery slopes! It's the fact that I've persevered over rock and crag! It's the thrill of the climb that makes the view from the top all the more precious!

It's the same in life. Abundant life doesn't mean a life without problems. Rather, the mountain top experiences are made all the more precious by the fact that we've had to overcome those problems! That we've had to rely on God to get us through the valleys! Only then can we truly appreciate our mountain tops!
Yes, Jesus did say He came to give us abundant life. But He didn't say that abundant life meant a life without problems. He simply said that it would be a full, overflowing life. Abundant life comes from relying on Jesus, not to take all of our problems away, but to carry us through them! Friends, with Jesus at our side, abundant life IS the climb!
So the next time we find ourselves in a "valley" experience, let's not wish away our problems. Instead, let's rely on Jesus to get us through. Then and only then will we experience true "abundance" in life, and only then will we fully appreciate the next mountain top!
Okay, that may be all fine and good. But really. Why do I have to spend most of my life in the valley? I mean, I don't think I've been on a mountain top yet! Why, why, WHY???
If you can relate, then join us next week for MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 4: Climbing Mt. Washington.
In His love,
Lyn

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THE PHOTO MOSAIC
"And the Lord said to Moses: 'You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them … And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.'" (Deut 31:16-18 NIV)
Sometimes I have to wonder about this story. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy God states over and over again that the people of Israel will fail Him. He even spends a good amount of time outlining what will happen to them when they do, and history records that this is exactly what happened! Time after time the people fell into idolatry, and in the end, the Kingdom of Israel was overtaken by the Assyrians, and the Kingdom of Israel was taking into captivity by the Babylonians.
So if God knew in advance, why did He continue to call Israel "His" people? Why didn't He just reject them? Why didn't He reject planet Earth? Why didn't He just "throw in the towel" so to speak and go off to a more worthy planet?
Friends, this story reveals two great truths about God:
First of all, God keeps His promises. God promised this land to His servant Abraham, and He keeps His Word! "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, 'To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates …'" (Gen 15:18-19 NIV)
Just as God didn't reject Israel there in the wilderness, He is going to keep His promises to us, as well!
The second great truth about God that is revealed here is this: God sees the depths of our hearts and He loves us the same! God knew Israel would fail Him, yet He loved them so much that He sent His only begotten Son to dwell among-them! What an honor!
Why did He do this?
I would like to propose that perhaps all of the bad choices made by the people throughout history may have actually contributed to the big picture!
Let me explain. My son recently put together a "photo mosaic" jigsaw puzzle. Each tiny piece was actually a picture in and of itself. Some were pictures of an eye, others were trees or buildings, etc. Some were pretty, some were not. But when all of those tiny images were put together, they made up a huge picture of a beautiful bald eagle.
I believe this is how God sees our world. Each of us is a tiny piece, and by only looking at the piece, we fail to see the "big picture". But when God looks at us, He knows where each pretty piece-and each ugly piece-needs to go in order for the end product to be beautiful! God sees the ugliness that dwells in the depths of our hearts, and He chooses to take that ugliness and work it into the "big picture" in a beautiful fashion!
Remember, the Bible tells us: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Eccl 3:11-12 NIV).
Does this mean that we don't need to worry about cleaning up the bad choices we make? No. We are urged time and time again to do just that. God knows that our bad choices will only lead us to unhappiness in the end, and that's not what He wants for us. What it DOES mean, is that despite the fact that He knows we will fall, He loves us the same, and He is willing to work something beautiful out of that ugliness!
And that's what He did with His special people. He took the ugliness of their bad choices, put it into His "photomosaic", and the beautiful big picture that resulted spells "Salvation!" For each and every person who has ever lived on this earth!
Halleluiah!
I don't know about you, but I take great consolation in God's "photomosaic" view of life. It comforts me to know that He sees the ugliness of my bad choices, yet He loves me the same! He never stops calling me, trying to pull me out of the mire of sin I have chosen, yet He loves me enough to keep trying. And even more special, He uses the ugliness of my piece to make His "big picture" into-Something beautiful!
In His love,
Lyn

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:
THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES, Part 1:
Leap


Good things come in threes and this is the first of three good news stories from the Bible.
Enoch lived through about nine generations, from Adam to his own son, Methuselah, and Methuselah’s son, Lamech.
He would have known Adam personally and would have understood from Adam about the Garden of Eden and how to care for the environment.
He would have known that the sacrifice of the lamb in the Garden was a symbol of a salvation to come. Indeed, he probably offered sacrifice himself as a sign of his belief that God would send a Saviour some day.
Through Adam and his descendants, Enoch knew God so well that God ‘took him.’ We do not get much detail from the stark statement except that ‘Enoch walked with God for three hundred years … and then was seen no more, because God had taken him away.’ (Genesis 5:21-24).
It takes a leap of faith to believe that God could take one human being direct into heaven, but it becomes more logical as we read further into Scripture.
God demands that there must be a witness to serious sin before any judicial act of punishment and God was about to pass terrible judgement on serious sin. As an act of grace, he allowed Enoch to be a witness to earth’s corruption and to understand the justice of the flood soon to be meted out.
Enoch was also a witness to God’s mercy in saving Noah and his family.
We learn from Hebrews that Enoch was given life with God on the same terms that everyone else will have life with God. It was life ‘through faith’.
Salvation came, and it still comes, through faith – faith to believe in the Saviour.
‘By faith, Enoch was taken up to another life without passing through death, he was not to be found, because God had taken him, and it is the testimony of Scripture that before he was taken he had pleased God.’ (Hebrews 11:5).
Enoch believed in the God of Adam and the God of Seth; in the coming of judgement; in the truth of God’s Word; in the Lamb who saves.
But ‘without faith it is impossible to please God’ so our faith must be the same as Enoch’s. It is that great leap of faith that takes us into the presence of God.
Join us next week for THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES, Part 2: Wind and Fire
Elizabeth Price

Welcome to the
Nugget

Watkins Glen, New York

Today's Devotional:
Why does God allow the valleys in our lives? Why can't He just work a miracle and make it so we live in the "highs", on the mountain tops? Join us on Saturdays as we "hike" some of my favourite mountains to find the answers. If you've missed any of this series, you can access previous editions of MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES online at www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder10/mountain_top_experiences.htm

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 2:
Ithaca is Gorges


Last week, in MOUTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 1, we asked a number of questions about God's love, and why bad things happen to God's people. This week we will look at the first of these questions: Can it be that it is especially in the "valleys" of our lives that we can most feel the power of God?
Ithaca is Gorges!
This is the slogan seen on many tourist paraphernalia in Ithaca, New York. Why? Because besides being home to world-renown Cornell University, Ithaca is famous for its many beautiful river gorges.
Situated in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Ithaca is built at the foot of Cayuga Lake, the largest of the long, narrow lakes that nestle in the valleys of rolling hills through the mid portion of western New York.
There are 11 lakes in the finger lake region: Seven known as the "Finger Lakes", and four known as the "Minor Finger Lakes". The lakes are linear in shape, running from north to south, and thanks to their somewhat parallel locations, they must have resembled the fingers of a large hand to the early mapmakers.
Cayuga Lake, on the southern end of which Ithaca is located, is the longest of the lakes, stretching 38.1 miles (61 kilometres) from end to end, but only 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) in width. Although Cayuga isn't the deepest of the Finger Lakes, at 435 feet (133 meters) it is 53 feet (16.2 metres) below sea level, and is considered among the deepest lakes in North America.
The southern ends of all of the Finger Lakes have high walls, cut by steep gorges, with the actual depth of the carved rock well over twice as deep as what the eye can see. It is estimated that there is as much as 1000 feet of glacial sediment in the deep rock trough below the lakebeds. The gorges and their abundant waterfalls at the southern ends of these beautiful lakes are breathtaking, to say the least. Some of the most famous of these, including Watkin's Glen, Buttermilk Falls, Taughannock Falls, Filmore Glen, and Enfield Gorge, are just a few of these beautiful sights, and with all of this splendour all around, Ithaca is really "gorgeous" - Or "Gorges", to coin the colloquial term!
Over the past four years, my family and I have had the privilege of exploring many of these gorges, glens, and waterfalls, and the Ithaca region has become one of our favourite camping haunts. We have hiked the glens themselves, walking right beside the streams and rivers that have cut the beautiful land formation, and we have also had the privilege of walking the rim trails: The trails that run the length of the gorges from the top.
We have literally experienced these natural phenomena in every possible way, and I can tell you from personal experience that the gorges are the most beautiful from the level of the river. It is here that you can best see the waterfalls and the whirlpools. It is here that you can truly appreciate the towering rock walls with their mosses and trees. It is here, beside the cutting rivers and the powerful waterfalls, that you can really appreciate God's power in nature. It is actually here, in the valleys, that you can truly appreciate the beauty of the top.
Friends, just like you can't fully appreciate the beauty of God's creative power through nature from the rims of the Finger Lakes' gorges, you also cannot fully appreciate God's power through our lives from the "high moments". If everything is going well, we, as humans, tend to forget about God's power. After all, if there are no problems in our lives, if everything is "Peachy", then there is nothing for God to fix!
God wants us to experience His power. He wants us to fully appreciate His love for us, and His ability to change situations and turn the tables of life, and as a result, He allows us to go through valleys.

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom 5:3-5 NKJV)
Please join us next week for MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 3: From the Slopes of Gros Morn.
In His love,
Lyn

Welcome to the Nugget

Today's Devotional:

THE OVERPASS


"Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Isa 64:8 NIV)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17-18 NIV)
One of the questions the continually haunts me as a growing Christian is why I still have this propensity to sin. I know God is working on me. He is continually revealing to me the places in my life that I have not yet yielded to Him. But sometimes, when I continually fall into the same temptations, I have to wonder: Is He getting anywhere? Am I just too stubborn to change? Am I the clay that can't be molded? Will the "new creation" that is supposedly me EVER be evident amidst all the "flesh" that continues to hang on?
And isn't it always easier to see the "lack of progress" in getting rid of the flesh in others than in ourselves? You know what I mean! You look at your born-again spouse, and all you see is the same faults you've seen ever since you said "I do", and you ask yourself, "Is he/she even allowing God to work in his/her life? Because I sure don't see any change!
There is an overpass under construction on the route I take to work every day, and as I passed under this new structure yesterday, I couldn't help thinking about how the simple intersection with a stop light had now changed!
But the change didn't happen all at once. There have been workmen on site, doing their various jobs, every day, but days and even weeks often pass without me noticing any change in the intersection. Then one day I passed the spot, and metal supports had suddenly appeared, as if overnight. More weeks then pass without any apparent progress, and suddenly, those metal supports become concrete supports, and there were ramps to the new overpass. Again, after weeks of seemingly no progress, an overpass suddenly appeared overhead!
After the structure appeared over the road however, the work again appeared to screech to a halt, and after several weeks of no apparent progress, I found myself wondering what those workmen could possibly be doing with their time all day …
The answer occurred to me this morning. There is much preparation that must take place before any major step can be completed on an overpass, and much of this preparation remains unseen to the general public. But as soon as the proper preparation is finished, visible change occurs. It is a slow process, but each step of the way, whether visible or not, is vitally important to the completion of the entire job.
This is how God molds and makes our lives. There are weeks and sometimes even months or years when it doesn't seem like God is progressing at all in making our new creations apparent. But He is. Behind the scenes He is at work, shaping us, molding us, making the proper preparations, and just like the building of the overpass is done in small increments, God is also working on us at just the rate that is right for us.
Will the work ever be done? Unlike the overpass, the answer is no, for there is none without sin. But the important thing is that more and more of the new creation slowly begins to show. So don't get discouraged when you or someone you know continually falls into the same sins. Instead rejoice, because behind the scenes God is busy at work reshaping you into that new creation!

P.S. That overpass is still unfinished, two years later. I hope God's work in me is a bit faster!
In His love,
Lyn

Welcome to the
Nugget


Today's Devotional:

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 1:
A View From the Top of Les Hautes Gorges de la Rivière Malbaie



Names of places in Quebec, the French province in Canada, are very descriptive. Or so we would learn, as we trudged to the top of Mont Erable (Mount Maple) in Le Parc National des Hautes Gorges de la Rivière Malbaie - Literally translater, "The National Park of the High Gorges of the Malbaie River".
But what was even more impressive than the name was the view from the top. From here we could look down into the Malbaie river gorge, 3000 feet (1000 metres) below. Absolutely stunning.
As I sat on a rock enjoying not only the view, but the chance to rest my legs that had just hiked 5.3 km straight up (or so it seemed), it occurred to me that I had seen this view before. Many times.
How could this be? I had never been to this part of Quebec before, and before today, I had never heard of this national park, let alone seen pictures from the summit of Mont Erable!
As I sat there, pondering all of this, I was suddenly overcome with the presence of God, and I knew: Yes, I had seen this view before. Many times. You see, when I am in a "valley" period of my life, when circumstances are less than favourable, when the problems seem to smother me and there is no hope in site, I have often cried out to God, and He has shown me exact same view from the top of Mont Erable! And then He has gone on to reassure me that though I might be in a "valley" of my life, He is there to sustain me, to bring me through, until the day when I would once again stand on the top!
And the best part is, He has done just that! Each and every time!
As I sat there praising God, it occurred to me that the view from the top of Mont Erable would be nothing if it weren't for the deep gorges. If not for the valleys below, I could just as well be looking out across a field. It is the deep valleys that make the beautiful view. It is the deep valleys that make for the exhilarating climb. It is the deep valleys that remind us of the beauty of the mountain top!
So often I have received emails from people who feel that God has abandoned them in a valley of their lives. I often hear: "I thought Christ came to give us abundant life, not this suffering and misery I've had all my life!" Another common one is, "If God is all powerful, then He must not care for me, because He isn't delivering me from my ______" The blank is usually filled in with illness, financial difficulties, family problems, etc.
It poses an interesting question, doesn't it? God IS all powerful, and He IS a God of love. So if He can do something about our suffering, why doesn't He do it?
But would we truly appreciate the "mountain top" experiences of our lives, if it weren't for the "valleys"? Wouldn't we come to take the wonderful things in our lives for granted, if we didn't see the high gorges of problems we've had to overcome?
I read an interesting text in the Bible recently:

"He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst." (Ps 104:10-11 NKJV)
Water is often used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit (See John 7:37-39). Can it be that the Psalmist, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us in this verse that it is in the valleys of our lives where the Holy Spirit can pour forth in all His power? And as a result, the earth is watered?
Can it be that it is especially in the "valleys" of our lives that we can feel the power of God the most?

Can it be that the "abundant life" Christ promises to believers doesn't mean a life without problems? Can it be that this life in abundance really refers to a life of experiencing the power of God working through our problems?
Can it be that "abundant life" refers to the joy, peace, and blessings we can find while in the "valleys" of life, if we put our hope in God and Him alone? If we let Him lead us through? If we keep our eyes fixed on Him?
Can it be that our walk with God can never be as deep if our lives are spent on the "mountain top"?
We will be exploring these ideas in a bit more depth over the next 7 Saturday Nuggets. Please join us next Saturday, for "MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES, Part 2: Ithaca is Gorges"
In His love,
Lyn