To many, Jesus Christ is only a grand subject for a painting, a heroic theme for a pen, a beautiful form for a statue, and a thought for a song; but to those who have heard His voice, who have felt His pardon, who have received His benediction, He is music, warmth, light, joy, hope and salvation, a Friend who never forsakes, who lifts us when others try to push us down. We cannot wear Him out; we pile on Him all our griefs and troubles. He is always ready to lift us; He addresses us with the same love; He beams upon us with the same smile; He pities us with the same compassion.

There is no name like His. It is more inspiring than Caesar’s, more musical than Beethoven’s, more patient than Lincoln’s. The name of Jesus throbs with all life, weeps with all pathos, groans with all pains, stoops with all love. Its breath is laden with perfume.

Who like Jesus can pity a homeless orphan? Who like Jesus can welcome a prodigal back home? Who like Jesus can make a drunkard sober? Who like Jesus can illuminate a cemetery plowed with graves? Who like Jesus can make a queen unto God out of a lost woman of the street? Who like Jesus can catch the tears of human sorrow in His bowl?

There is no metaphor with which to truly express Jesus. He is not like the bursting forth of an orchestra; that is too loud and it may be out of tune. He is not like the sea when lashed into a rage by a storm; that is too boisterous. He is not like a mountain wreathed in lightning, canopied with snow; that is too solitary and remote.

He is the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, a gale of spices from heaven.(Author Unknown)

Dear friend, be encouraged today. Walk with the Lord and He will sustain you in every possible situation. He never slumbers or sleeps. He is always alert, aware of your need, and able to help. If He can create and control the sun. moon, and stars He can take care of you. If He cares for the sparrow that falls, He cares much more for His children. The strength of our source assures us that no problem is too big for God. Focus more on the mighty power of God and you will fret less about the magnitude of your problem! –H. D. S., 7/27/09

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord– Psalm 27:14

When the little boy started squirming during church his mother gave him a pencil and pad of paper to keep him busy and quiet. A short time later he handed her a note saying,”How much longer?” The mother wrote,”A few minutes”. The lad responded,”How long is a few minutes?”Maybe five more”, his mother wrote back. Then she noticed that he got quiet and she was proud he was behaving– until she noticed him holding a sign in front of him that said,”How much longer Pastor?” But, truth be known, that little lad isn’t the only one who is impatient. We all seem to have a problem in this area and it can be serious. This subject is addressed in the daily devotional “A Good Thing” like this:

“The reason that we many times do not see or feel the Lord is that we are not waiting on the Lord. We are still on our own timetable and we are still running madly ahead of God and hoping He will catch up to our plans. But that is not how God works. He doesn’t change just because we are fickle and He does not hurry just because we are impatient.

Believer, I do not doubt that your trial is real, that your burden is heavy, or that your discouragement is deep. But put your eyes upon this promise, wrap your mind around this word: when we wait courageously on the Lord, He will strengthen our hearts. God is never late and He is never insufficient.

What will the future bring? Wait on the Lord. When will this sorrow end? Wait on the Lord. How can I survive this ordeal? Wait on the Lord. How should I handle this decision? Wait on the Lord. The answer echoes through the tunnel of time and from the soundboard of millions of satisfied saints. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

The trial may not go away tomorrow, but neither will the strength that God has promised to give you. The pain may not diminish, but neither will His grace.”

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace– Ephesians 4:3
I get tired of trying to explain why so-and-so dropped out of church when I don’t know— they don’t have the common courtesy to contact the pastor and explain their actions. But you can bet they will howl like a hound hit with a rock if he doesn’t show up to coddle them. I’ve discovered that most people is a situation like that aren’t looking for a solution–they just want to vent. If they really cared about solving “the problem” they would be seeking a solution instead of rudely withdrawing themselves from the church. Maintaining unity in the church takes work. Merely complaining about the faults of others is not a solution. Here’s some good advice from the daily devotion “A Good Thing”:

“Embedded in the word endeavor is the idea of effort, struggle, taking pains to reach a specific goal. For the church of Jesus Christ to succeed and be a witness in the world for good, it is necessary that we strive, to the point of exhaustion, for peace and unity within the body. We are never to give up this noble goal.

Too often we are ready at the smallest provocation to give up, or to beat up, on another member of the church. We take offense and so we give offense. But that is not the way followers of Christ—Who was slapped, beaten, scourged, and killed without ever striking back—are to behave ourselves.

Through the strength of the Spirit of Christ, which is in each of His children and which empowers the church as a whole, we know that we can overcome any obstacle, forgive any offense, release any grudge, and love any sinner. It is this Spirit-led, Spirit-induced unity—not the false unity of spiritual compromise or false pretenses—that we are to labor for with supernatural determination and exertion.

So, who do you need to forgive right now? What effort do you need to make towards reconciliation with a brother or sister? Do it now for Christ’s sake.”