Power On The Shoulders Of Weakness Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 49:5 2 Samuel 22:32-36 1 Chronicles 16:11 1 Chronicles 29:12 Psalms 28:7-8 Psalms 29:11 Psalms 84:5-7 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 Psalms 18:1 03.31.17

POWER ON THE SHOULDERS OF WEAKNESS

BREAD

10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“And my God has been my strength.”   Isaiah 49:5 (NIV)

32 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? 33 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.   2 Samuel 22:32-36 (NIV)

11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.   1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)

12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  1 Chronicles 29:12 (NIV)

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people.  Psalms 28:7-8 (NIV)

11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.  Psalms 29:11 (NIV)

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.  Psalms 84:5-7 (NIV)

7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)

8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NIV)

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.  Psalms 18:1 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Though assaults be many, and my enemies mighty, if God strengthen me, I have enough to comfort me; for the greater my enemy, the more glorious my victory; and the more glorious my victory, the more triumphant my glory.”  K.H. Von Bogatzky

“Despair whispers, ‘Lie down and die; give it all up.’... But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you, you cannot follow it if you are a child of God. His divine fiat has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. What if for a while thou art called to stand still; yet this is but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due time.”  Charles H. Spurgeon  

“Fight the good fight with all thy might; Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right.”   John Samuel Bewley Monsell

“When a man has not strength, if he leans on God, he becomes powerful.”   D.L. Moody

“When God is our strength, it is strength indeed; when our strength is our own, it is only weakness.”   St. Augustine

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness.  When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, ‘I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory’, defeat is not far distant.  God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength.  He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for ‘it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts’.  They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace.  Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service.  That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own.  The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love.  God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out the granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat……Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.”   C. H. Spurgeon

  

“Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be, keeping him unspotted from the world. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”    Book of Common Prayer   by Thomas Cranmer

“When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun.  His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.  His pow’r has no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!”   Annie Johnson

“Cheered by the presence of God, I will do at each moment, without anxiety, according to the strength which He shall give me, the work that His Providence assigns me.  I will leave the rest without concern; it is not my affair.  I ought to consider the duty to which I am called each day, as the work that God has given me to do, and to apply myself to it in a manner worthy of His glory, that is to say, in exactness and peace.”  Fenelon  

“Give me all needed strength of body, wisdom of mind, grace of soul to do this Thy so great work.”   Hudson Taylor

“No one overcomes the corruptions of his heart except by the enabling strength of the Spirit of God.”   Jerry Bridges

“Take heed that you do not glory in your graces, but let all your glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for this is the only way you can be kept from falling.  Pray more often.  Spend longer periods of time in holy adoration.  Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly.  Watch your lives more carefully.  Live nearer to God.  Take the best examples for your pattern.  Let your conversation emit the fragrance of heaven.  Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for the souls of others.  So live that others may recognize that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him…On, Christian, with care and caution!  On, with holy fear and trembling!  On, with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, and let your constant petition be, ‘Sustain me according to your promise.’  He, and He alone, is able ‘to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy.’”  Charles H. Spurgeon 

 

“There is in Him an all-sufficiency of grace and strength; all our springs are in Him, and all our streams are from Him.”   Matthew Henry

“Strengthen me Lord according to Your glorious might.  Give me great endurance and patience and joy so that I may walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel.  May I please You in all that I say and do.  You alone are faithful to keep me from falling and to equip me for this so great an endeavor.  May I, through Your great power, leave the aroma of sweet Jesus in my every encounter that I may change my sphere by bringing Your Presence to every circumstance You present me with today.  Always for your glory alone and my good.”  BHY

HEART SAVOR

• ·       God desires for me to go from strength to strength through His power in all circumstances of life – relying upon Him.  He alone quips me to stand.
• ·       His power is made perfect in my weakness.
• ·       I need not fear not be dismayed.  I am held by Omnipotence.

   

Greatness Is About Serving Greatly Matthew 20:25-28 Mark 9:35 John 13:3-5 Ephesians 6:7-8 1 Peter 4:7-10 Luke 6:38 Luke 16:13 Luke 18:14 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 03.29.17

GREATNESS IS ABOUT SERVING GREATLY

BREAD

25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”  Mark 9:35 (NIV)

3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.   John 13:3-5 (NIV)

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.   Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV)

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.   1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)

38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”   Luke 6:38 (NIV)

13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”   Luke 16:13 (NIV)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”   Luke 18:14 (NIV)

9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”   1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve.”    Oswald Chambers

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness.  When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, ‘I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory’, defeat is not far distant.  God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength.  He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for ‘it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts’.  They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace.  Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service.  That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own.  The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love.  God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out the granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat……Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.”   C. H. Spurgeon  

“To love God, to serve Him because we love Him, is…our highest happiness…Love makes all labor light.  We serve with enthusiasm where we love with sincerity.”   Hannah More

“From God, great and small, rich and poor, draw living water from a living spring, and those who serve Him freely and gladly will receive grace answering to grace.”  Thomas a Kempis

“There is no broadminded approach when it comes to entering into the life that God has for you. God doesn't present you with a variety of doors to consider. He doesn't say, 'Go ahead and pick the door that looks best to you, and after you decide, I will support your decision and bless all that you do.' It is true that God does have a plan and a purpose for your life, but it can only be entered into through one door. Jesus Christ is that door. There is no other entrance. There is only one Gospel to believe; only one Truth to embrace; only one Shepherd to follow; only one Savior to trust; only one Lord to serve; only one Master to obey.”  Roy Lessin

“What ultimately keeps our motives biblically prioritized and holy before God is the profound conviction that obeying God will merit us nothing.  This is why Jesus tells us that, when we have done all that we should do, we are still unprofitable servants.  Jesus does not nullify the value of duty in order to dissuade us from serving God, but to keep is from depending on duty to gain God’s acceptance.  When we understand that our works in themselves earn us no merit with God, then the only reason to do those works is love for Him.  Thus we learn to serve God not for personal gain but for His glory-not for love of self but for love of the Savior.”  Bryan Chapell

“God doesn’t call you to a convenient life — He calls you to an important life. A life of importance isn’t found in a life of convenience.  A life of importance sees the importance of giving your life away — to the hidden and the unpopular and the children and the forgotten and knowing this will be remember by God.”   Ann Voskamp

“Service to God is as uniquely differing among believers as our fingerprints.  God has specifically designed good works for each life that we may walk in them through His power and for His glory and our good.  These works encompass all areas from peeling potatoes to running a country to changing a diaper to caring for the elderly to holding a door – it matters not what the task is but that we are faithful to walk in it.  We cannot do all things for all people.  Jesus Himself did not feed every hungry soul nor heal every hurting one as He walked this dusty earth.  We are all limited by our physical bodies yet through His power we are all equipped to do what we are called to do and the body of Christ suffers –as well as we ourselves – when we remain unfaithful to the task.  God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply and it equates to the abundant life which Jesus came to give us.  Don’t be misled, service out of love for God is that component which makes for greatness in a life because the God’s Word attests to that.”   BHY 

HEART SAVOR

• ·       A great life is made up of serving greatly – whatever that serving may be – through His power for His glory for our good.  Serving is not to be done out of compulsion or guilt or to earn favor from the Lord, its motivation is love for the Master trusting He has my best interest at heart.
• ·       Jesus came to serve and His followers are to do likewise.
• ·       It is God who lifts up and gives greatness to a life.

    

Tarry In His Presence Psalms 16:11 Psalms 37:7 Psalms 46:10 Psalms 100:3-4 Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 Isaiah 37:14-20 Mark 14:32-42 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Psalms 16:11 03.27.17

TARRY IN HIS PRESENCE

BREAD

11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.   Psalms 16:11 (NIV)

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.   Psalms 37:7 (NIV)

10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.   Psalms 100:3-4 (NIV)

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.  2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.   Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (NIV)

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 “O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 18 It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”   Isaiah 37:14-20 (NIV)

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”   Mark 14:32-42 (NIV)

17 pray continually.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.   Psalms 16:11 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.”  Alexander Maclaren

“It is utterly impossible for any one to indulge in a boastful, pretentious, self-confident spirit, if ever he has really measured himself in the presence of God.  To be much alone with God is the sovereign remedy for pride and self-complacency.  May we know the reality of this in the secret of our own souls.  May the good Lord keep us truly humble, in all our ways, simply leaning on Himself and his grace…”  C H Macintosh

“The reason we do not go to the throne of grace regularly is because we do not comprehend the promise of the awesome power that is reserved for those who tarry in His presence. We do not understand the abundance of grace that can be poured upon us from the throne of grace when we approach Him in confidence.”   Michael Youssef

“More spiritual progress can be made in one short moment of speechless silence in the awesome presence of God than in years of mere study.”   A.W. Tozer

“Take heed that you do not glory in your graces, but let all your glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for this is the only way you can be kept from falling.  Pray more often.  Spend longer periods of time in holy adoration.  Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly.  Watch your lives more carefully.  Live nearer to God.  Take the best examples for your pattern.  Let your conversation emit the fragrance of heaven.  Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for the souls of others.  So live that others may recognize that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him…On, Christian, with care and caution!  On, with holy fear and trembling!  On, with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, and let your constant petition be, ‘Sustain me according to your promise.’  He, and He alone, is able ‘to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy.’”  Charles H. Spurgeon  

“What can be deeper than His Presence and constant care?  In a world in which multitudes feel isolated and alienated, we have the permanent companionship of the most loving and powerful Being in the universe.  Nothing could be more important and life shaping than that.  Whatever difficulty we go through, He nevertheless holds us by the hand.”   Chris Tiegreen

“Prayer is not so much a formula as it is a friendship – rote as it is relational.  Prayer is a 24/7 access to ‘Abba’ (Daddy) Father Who loves us with an everlasting love as well as rejoices over us with singing.  Further, He ‘brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing.’  He is all love and all ability – all achieving power – nothing is too hard for Him.  Prayer is coming into His Presence with singing and into His courts with praise.  It is listening with Faith for His ‘still, small voice’ as well as pouring out our hearts in trust resting our heads gently ‘between His shoulders’.  It is knowing His answer always has our best interest at heart because He loves us.  It is an unspeakably high gift from the Creator to the created.  Prayers moves the hand and heart of God.  BHY

“The prayer of the feeblest saint on earth who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan.  The very powers of darkness are paralysed by prayer; no spiritualistic séance can succeed in the presence of a humble praying saint.  No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think in prayer.”  Oswald Chambers

 

“The presence of God in the darkness of our trials is a small foretaste of the presence of God that we will know in the eternal light of his glory. It is in the absence of God's gifts that I learn the Giver himself is the greatest gift of all.”   Betsy Childs Howard

“Abide with me:  fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.  When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.  Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.  Change and decay in all around I see.  O Lord who changes not, abide with me.  I need your presence every passing hour.  What but your grace can foil the tempter’s power?  Who like yourself my guide and strength can be?  Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.  I fear no foe with you at hand to bless, though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness.  Where is death’s sting?  Where grave, your victory?  I triumph still, if you abide with me.   Hold now your Word before my closing eyes.  Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.  Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”    Henry Francis Lyte 

HEART SAVOR

• ·       I am the loser if I do not take time to tarry in His Presence.  Amazingly, it is His desire to meet with me at all times on all days.  He is never too busy for me.
• ·       In Him is all achieving power and abundant love and joy.  I am welcome to come into His presence with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.  I am never to take that lightly.
• ·       In His presence is great joy. 

Ordinary Obedience Is Extraordinary Isaiah 1:17-20 Deuteronomy 6:2-3 1 Samuel 15:22 1 Kings 2:2-3 Luke 2:51-52 Philippians 2:5-11 John 14:23-24 1 Peter 1:13-16 Micah 6:8 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 03.22.17

ORDINARY OBEDIENCE IS EXTRAORDINARY

BREAD

17 Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.   Isaiah 1:17-20 (NIV)

3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.  Deuteronomy 6:2-3 (NIV)

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”   1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”   1 Kings 2:2-3 (NIV)

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.   Luke 2:51-52 (NIV)

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)

23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”  John 14:23-24 (NIV)

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”   1 Peter 1:13-16 (NIV)

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.   Micah 6:8 (NIV)

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Though salvation is not by the works of the law, yet the blessings which are promised to obedience are not denied to the faithful servants of God.  The curses our Lord took away when He was made a curse for us, but no clause of blessing has been abrogated.  We are to note and listen to the revealed will of the Lord, giving our attention not to portions of it but to ‘all these words.’  There must be no picking and choosing but an impartial respect to all that God has commanded.  This is the road of blessedness for the Father and for His children.  The Lord’s blessing is upon His chosen to the third and fourth generation.  If they walk uprightly before Him, He will make all men know that they are a seed which the Lord has blessed.”   Charles H. Spurgeon 

“Obedience is God’s love language.”  Donna Evans

“Faithfulness rarely feels heroic; it feels much more like showing up and hanging in. It is a matter of going to our cell, whatever form that might take, and letting it teach us what it will. Availing himself (Brother Lawrence) to consistent faithfulness yielded the blessing of both proficiency and presence—the presence of God—right there in midst of the monotony of dirty pots and pans.”   Margaret Guenther

“Obedience means marching right on whether we feel like it or not.”   D. L. Moody

“Why in the world disdain the small? It’s always the smallest strokes that add up to the greatest masterpieces. Because the thing really is: Do we ever really know which mark we make — that will matter the most? The extraordinary things happen nowhere else but in the everyday and today can always be the beginning:  That card you signed and sealed and put in the mail, the way you smiled and nodded to the white-crowned woman bent over the still-green bananas, the way you dug around in the dirt and left that seed or that gift of the knees and that prayer whispered for a stranger or that glass of water you handed to someone and winked because you just knew — You’ve got to remember: we don’t know when and how we are leaving the greatest marks on the world. It all matters.  Believe it: Every tremor of kindness might erupt in a miracle on the other side of the world.”   Ann Voskamp

“Our significance isn’t found in fame or fortune, but in knowing that we have been links in God’s chain.  Our faithfulness to Him, even in obscurity, will yield results that can only be calculated in eternity…..Our only duty in life is to be faithful to all the work the Lord assigns.”   Robert J. Morgan

“What will you do in these days of mundane faithfulness?”   Martin Luther

“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”   John W. Gardner

“Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.”   A.W. Tozer

“Faithfulness stands at the heart of who God is and what He wants to do in and through us. It is rooted in commitment and trust. Trust is produced when we make a promise and then keep it, when we make a commitment and then honor it, and when we say something and mean it. Consistency, reliability, and proven track records are all aspects of faithfulness. Faithfulness means giving your best to any effort you undertake, whether it is a task or a relationship.”   Michael Youssef

“A life well lived is simply a life filled with continual ordinary obedience in doing the next right thing particularly when no one sees, when no one is watching.  No fireworks go off, no horns blow, no grand applause from an adoring audience.  It is living the one life we have been given for an audience of the One Who gave it to us, for His pleasure for our good.  Being a follower of sweet Jesus will always boil down to a matter of our faithful ordinary obedience. And will always lead to a life well lived.”  BHY

“Love for God and obedience to God are so completely involved in each other that any one of them implies the other too.”   F. F. Bruce

“Every revelation of God is a demand, and the way to knowledge of God is by obedience.”
 William Temple

“One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having His peace and assurance in your heart; it is obedience.”   Eric Liddell

“Habits are to the soul what veins are to the blood. The very course of our life depends on them. Random acts of greatness pale in comparison to habitual acts of faithfulness.”   Ann Voskamp

“Sometimes, heroism isn’t very glamorous.”   Kelly Flanagan 

“We're pilgrims on the journey - Of the narrow road - And those who've gone before us line the way - Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary - Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace - Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses - Let us run the race not only for the prize - But as those who've gone before us - Let us leave to those behind us - The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives - After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone - And our children sift through all we've left behind - May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover - Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find - Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful - May the fire of our devotion light their way - May the footprints that we leave - Lead them to believe - And the lives we live inspire them to obey - Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”   Steve Green

HEART SAVOR

·       God desires my ordinary obedience through His extraordinary power.

·       Ordinary obedience comes without great fanfare yet it is priceless.

·       Little steps in obedience culminates in a great life without regrets.