C.T. Studd penned:
Only one life, the still voice, gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, and to God’s holy will to cleave.
Give me Father, a purpose deep, in joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true whate’er the strife, pleasing Thee in my daily life.
Oh let my love with fervour burn, and from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne.
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Time! Plans, Hopes, Dreams, Ambitions, Ideas, we can become preoccupied, short-sighted, yet I am reminded that to-day is but a fleeting moment and nothing I have is lasting except my relationship with my Lord. James 4: 7 NKJV ‘Therefore submit to God‘. These weeks, months as I have been ‘By the Brook’ I have gleaned so much from my ‘alone time with the Lord’. Seeking, submitting to His purpose, knowing that He will direct and I must walk knowing a higher hand is tightly grasped in mine, directing each step of this unique and personal journey. This life offers no permanent residence, my home is in heaven. I find myself beyond words as I ‘Behold the Man’.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee, With sweetness fills my breast. Yes, I have had to ‘Come Apart and Rest’ where the sweetness and fragrance of the Myrtle Tree has been my portion. A beautiful evergreen reaching 30ft noted for its fragrant leaves and scented white flowers. Yet it must be cut and shaped to carry the load for a specific time and season.
There are no accidents in God’s plans; they span millenniums, events, situations. Nothing or no one is ever out of His control. God’s hand, seen and unseen ruleth over all; we need never be anxious.
Yes, I am in pensive mood this evening. Five words keep running through my mind. ‘FOR THIS CHILD I PRAYED’. I have just completed proof reading my husband’s Autobiography, outlining his fifty years of ministry in the Lord’s Work (24 September, 1966). The book is a reflection of the great work the Lord wrought in a heart, a walk, a life dedicated to Him. Jean (nee Wilkinson) Moore prayed twenty years for a son, Hamilton 3rd arrived on 12 September, 1945 and like the handmaiden Hannah of old she gave him back to the Lord.
As I read the pages, I find a man who has a heart for the hurting, a compassion for the distressed and a hunger to bring the hope of Christ to the lost. His heart has been steadfast, unmoved throughout these fifty years from the vision God gave him, never wavering, faltering. His desire, his intention is to continue as long as God gives him breath to press on. His kindness and solid faith is unwavering which as a wife I find inspiring and count it a privilege to walk by his side.
A short ‘blog’ this time, I have missed ‘talking’ to you, sharing with you and wish to extend my heartfelt thanks for your words of strength and encouragement, your love and friendship in the many cards, messages, telephone calls and genuine kindnesses. I end with the words of one of old – ‘In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comfort delights my soul’.
You are loved and precious. Thank You
Shirley, 07 June 2016.