Never flinch. My standard-bearers must you ever be. Bear your standard high.
Life has its dangers and difficulties, but real as these seem, the moment you see in them a power of evil which will in response to your faith be forced to work in some way for your good, in that moment of recognition evil and danger cease to have any power over you.
This is a wonderful truth. Believe it. Rejoice in it.
You have to hush the heart and bid all your senses be still before you can be attuned to receive Heaven’s music.
Your five senses are your means of communication with the material world, the links between your real Spirit-Life and the material manifestations around you, but you must sever all connection with them, when you wish to hold Spirit-communication. They will hinder, not help.
See the good in everybody. Love the good in them. See your unworthiness compared with their worth. Love, laugh, make the world, your little world, happy.
As the ripples caused by a flung stone stir the surface of a whole pond, so your joy-making shall spread in ever-widening circles, beyond all your knowledge, all anticipation. Joy in Me. Such Joy is eternal.
Centuries after, it is still bearing Joy’s precious fruit.
“These things have I spoken unto you,
that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full.”
– John 15:11
Do not judge of another’s capacity by your own.
If the burden another bears presses too heavily, what matter that you could bear that load lightly?
You must learn of Me to judge of the sorrow or strain of another, not with a feeling of superiority, but with one of humble thankfulness.
Would not your burdens have seemed light to Me? But insofar as they pressed heavily upon you so did I judge of them.
That which tore your heart may seem light to another.
Truly I said — Judge not. Only to God can the heart of man be made plain.
Seek My Presence, not only that you may understand Me, but that you may gain the insight to understand more clearly My other children.
Nothing is small to God. In His sight a sparrow is of greater value than a palace, one kindly word of more importance than a statesman’s speech.
It is the Life in all that has value, and the quality of the life that determines the value. I came to give Eternal Life.
“And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed…they took up
of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had
eaten were about four thousand.” – Mark 8:7-9
Eternal Life gives a youthful resiliency.
Think of My parable of the wine-skins. Those who merely worship Me as a creed are like unto old wine-skins.
They cannot accept new truth, new life. It would destroy, not increase their faith.
Those who have My Gift of Eternal, youth-giving Life have the ever-expanding, revitalizing, joy-quality of that Life.
The new wine poured so freely into new bottles. That bracing wine sustains the many who receive it.
The Joy of the Spring shall be yours in full measure. Revel in the earth’s joy. Do not you think that Nature is weary, too, of her long months of travail? There will come back a wonderful joy, if you share in her joy now.
Nature is the embodied Spirit of My Thoughts of beauty for this world. Treat her as such – as truly My servant and messenger, as any saint who has ever lived. To realize this will bring to you both new life-joy. Share her joys and travails, and great blessings will be yours.
This is all-important, because it is not only believing certain things about Me that helps and heals, but knowing Me, sensing My Presence in a flower, My message in its beauty and perfume.
You can truly live a life not of earth – a heaven-life here and now. Joy – Joy – Joy.
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of
birds is come, and the voice of the turtle
is heard in our land.” – Song of Solomon 2:12
As one in a storm needs to dwell in quiet thought upon the firmness of the foundation of his home, so you need in dangers and difficulties of whatever kind to withdraw, and in quiet assurance dwell upon that foundation upon which the house of your life and character is built.
Rest your thoughts on this, on Me. Do not dwell on the channels through which My Help may be directed to you. To do so is indeed to feel at the mercy of wind and the weather. You can draw no strength from such.
No, a sense of security can only come from relying on Me, the All-powerful, the Unchanging.
Security engenders Strength, then Peace, then Joy.
“Other foundations can no man lay.”
Many there are who think that I test and train and bend to My Will. I, who bade the disciples take up the cross, I loved to prepare a feast for them by the lakeside – a little glad surprise, not a necessity, as the feeding of the multitude may have seemed. I loved to give the wine-gift at the marriage feast.
As you love to plan surprises for those who understand, and joy in them, so with Me. I love to plan them for those who see My Love and tender Joy in them.
Dear to the heart of My Father are those who see not only My tears, the tears of a Savior, but the smile, the joy-smile of a friend.
“Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure
in the prosperity of his servant.” – Psalm 35:27
As the circle of your life widens you will feel ever more and more the need of Me. The need indeed to draw from My unfailing resources to gain the help and wisdom required to deal with these new contacts.
Do not refuse them, only let nothing idle or of little worth engross your attention.
As your circle is enlarged, your means to deal with it adequately must grow too.
This is My desire. Ever walk with Me. Learn of Me. Witness for Me, Glorify Me.
Work for Me, with Me, through Me. All work to last must be done in My Spirit. How silently My Spirit works. How gently and gradually souls are led into My Kingdom.
Love and Laughter form the plough that prepares the ground for the seed. Remember this. If the ground is hard, seed will not grow there.
Prepare the ground, and prepare it as I say.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,
saith the Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6
