Three parts to the title, and three parts to my first post:
1) Purposes - How fun is this little blog that my sweet wife has made? Her purposes for this blog are really fun I think, and so I wanted to let my own purposes be known to all who should stumble across our Hills. Plain and simple, my main purpose for this blog is that when you have had a rough day, you might be able to come here and read something that encourages your heart and lifts your spirit. It is my prayer that the consistent theme through all of my writings be a piece of my heart, vulnerable, encouraging, full of Christ, empty of religion, passionate, and pertinent to your life.
2) Wives - Wives? I really mean, my wife. I cannot help myself but use this opportunity to shamelessly tell the world of the gracious and wonderful wife that I have.
Prov 18:22
22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
Prov 19:14
14 House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord.
Prov 31:10
10 A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman — who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
I will not write here all of the virtues and excellent qualities of my wife. Rather, I will say this:
-I have found a good thing. I have obtained favor from the Lord. I have found something that my earthly father could never give - only the Lord. I have found a woman of more worth than rubies, more precious than jewels, and far more valuable than rubies or pearls.
Suffice it to say, there are struggles. We have arguments. We get upset at each other. However, let it also be said that there are victories, there is resolution, and there is mutual submission to one another in honor of our Messiah, Christ Jesus. Those are not cheap words, I assure you. That is the truth of our lives.
Now that I think of it, the best part is that, that this is available to all who will yield control of their life to Jesus. No life, love, or marriage is beyond Him.
3) Rivers - Today is September 6th. I have had in possession a book entitled My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers since I can remember. If memory serves, I stole it from my parent's rather sizable book collection when I was a Sophomore in college. It has followed me around in my book collection ever since. I have always wanted to read it, but have had a number of other books in front of it on the "must read" list.
It is a good-looking copy of the book. Leather bound with a nice, little ribbon place keeper thingy the likes of which you see in a Bible.
I have almost started to read the book a half dozen times in the last week, but this morning, the Lord brought it to my attention. I finally cracked it open, and to my surprise, it was set up in a daily reading sort of way. Each page had a date.
I flipped to September 6th.
(Gosh, I am so freaking long-winded when I am excited or passionate about something. God bless you for reading this far. I'm just about to get to the cool part.)
-PAUSE- it should be mentioned here, that last night, I had a rather emotional conversation last night with my wife about my life. I told her (at times through tears of desire) of how hard it was sometimes to know the desires and purpose that God has put in my heart (to accomplish things for Him), but to go to work and sit at my desk each day. To have such things stored in my heart and to wonder, "If He came back tomorrow, would I be judged as having been faithful to my life's call." I then relayed to her the fact that I have decided that He has my heart. He can do with me what He wills. I am His to change, His to command. I have to believe and trust in the fact that His timing is perfect. When He wants to move me into my life's dreams, He will. I have to trust that He who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to bring it to completion. -UNPAUSE-
I finish this first post with the page from Chambers' book for September 9th. As you read it, I hope that you will consider the sovereignty of God in this small situation. Think of all the things that had to happen today to happen in my life. I hope that Oswald will encourage you, and that you will be encouraged that Christ looks into the happenings of your life as much as my own. I am no more than anyone else. I'm just His kid. :)
The Far-Reaching Rivers of Life
"He who believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water"
(John 7:38)
(John 7:38)
A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water" will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "this is the work of God, that you believe..." (John 6:29). God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.
A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while it is blocked, yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, only later to emerge again even broader and greater than ever. Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into your life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty. The obstacle will be a matter of total indifference to the river that will flow steadily through you if you will simply remember to stay focused on the Source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ - not emotion nor experience - nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.
Think of the healing and far-reaching rivers developing and nourishing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you might, rushing rivers of blessing for others.
Signed,
Mr. Hill
...Father, this is my first post. I offer it to You. I ask that it would bring you glory, that it would bless You, and bless Your people. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen....
A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while it is blocked, yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, only later to emerge again even broader and greater than ever. Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into your life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty. The obstacle will be a matter of total indifference to the river that will flow steadily through you if you will simply remember to stay focused on the Source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ - not emotion nor experience - nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.
Think of the healing and far-reaching rivers developing and nourishing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you might, rushing rivers of blessing for others.
Signed,
Mr. Hill
...Father, this is my first post. I offer it to You. I ask that it would bring you glory, that it would bless You, and bless Your people. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen....
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