Powerful Witness

"Eighty and six years have I served Him and He hath done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" (Polycarp of Smyrna)

"How much each one of us can suffer depends on how much he is bound up with a cause, how dear this cause is to him, and how much it means for him...We have to prepare for suffering."

Excerpt from "The Triumphant Church"...compiled by The Voice of the Martyrs

What if God were to tell each one of us...in the various circumstances of our life..."My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Ex. 33:14)?

Will that assurance suffice for us? What if He never told us if the rest that is promised...is here and now...or in eternity? What if He told us that He will walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death...and that we will fear no evil...? Will His words bring comfort to our souls?

Joshua recorded the faithfulness of God ...

"The Lord gave them rest all around according to all that He had sworn to their fathers...not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass." (Joshua 21:44,45)

If God offered us nothing except Himself..."I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward" (Gen. 15:1)...would we stop rejoicing this side of eternity?

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls--yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

His Presence quiets us..."He will quiet you with His love" (Zephaniah 3:17)

Because of these truths...we continue to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God...in the circumstances of our lives.

Inner peace and joy

Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy lovingkindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness
Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise
And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." (Hebrews 4)