Worth Repeating - The Red Seas of Life

Some years back we heard a sermon on the subject of the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. I couldn’t help thinking of these two poems, which I love, and which have been a comfort and encouragement to me. May God bless them to you as well.
[First published here in 2012. Edited 2025.]

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The Red Sea
by Martha Snell Nicholson

When the Children of Israel crossed the sea,
It comforts my heart to know
That there must have been timorous ones
Who faltered and feared to go;

Feared the ribbon of road which stretched
Ahead like a narrow track,
With the waves piled high on either side,
And nothing to hold them back­

Nothing to hold them back but a Hand
They could neither see nor feel;
Their God seemed distant and far away,
And only the peril real.

Yet the fearful ones were as safe as the brave,
For the mercy of God is wide.
Craven, and fearless, He led them all
Dry shod to the other side.

And I think of the needless terror and pain
We bring, to our own Red Sea.
Strengthen Thy timorous ones, dear Lord,
And help us to trust in Thee!

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

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One thought that crossed my mind was how we sometimes make mud puddles into Red Seas. Life surely brings us the apparently impassible seas that require a miracle from our Lord to get us through. But, to be honest there are times when it isn’t a Red Sea at all, but we imagine it is.  I have a natural tendency toward this myself, and I know at least some of you do as well. Regardless of how big the “sea” really is, what a mercy it is from God that He is not limited by our timidity or lack of imagination! 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

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A Red Sea Place
by Annie Johnson Flint

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul "Go on."

And His hand will lead you through - clear through -
Ere the watery walls roll down,
No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,
No mightiest sea can drown;
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break,
But over their bed you shall walk dryshod
In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, ‘neath the lifted cloud,
You shall see but the Lord alone,
When He leads you on from the place of the sea,
To a land that you have not known;
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,
You shall no more be afraid;
You shall sing His praise in a better place,
A place that His hand has made.

Psalm 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

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Oh, how frightening it is to the flesh to be in a place where “There is no way out, there is no way back, There is no other way but through..” How we tend to chafe and struggle and doubt, even after we’ve seen the mighty power of God over and over, as the Israelites had in Egypt. Would to God our response could always be the response of Moses. Exodus 14:13-14  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

It is so hard to stand still and hold our peace when we think we are about to be destroyed and we imagine God isn’t paying attention. Remember the disciples in the boat when Jesus was sleeping and the storm of wind came up? Luke 8:23-24  But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. These men had also witnessed the power of God to perform miracles, and yet they thought that their ship was going to sink and they were going to perish when the Son of God was with them! How silly! Yet, how like us. How like me!

What can we do? 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Philippians 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

1 Peter 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Evening Song - He Giveth More Grace

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

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He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

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.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

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 Flint

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Evening Song - Nothing but Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain...

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Evening Song - Saved by Grace (Someday the Silver Cord Will Break)

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

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Evening Song - Nothing but Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

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Evening Song - Nothing but Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Titus 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

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Evening Song - Nothing But Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 

Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

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Evening Song - Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

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Letters to My Friend - Strength In Trials

I have written another letter, this one again about my mother. I hope it is a help to you. I apologize that I didn't get this up on Sunday. This past weekend was a difficult one for a couple of reasons.

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Dear Friend,

Well, here we are in the midst of the COVID 19 crisis. Regardless of your opinion on the subject, it's impossible to deny that there is a crisis in many countries because of it. I've seen so many things - good, bad, and indifferent - written and posted about it. People encouraging others in many ways. Churches stepping up and doing things new and strange to them, but which obviously needed to be done because...well, here we are, and God is forcing us to do them. People lamenting the loneliness, the stress, the cabin fever (as we call it in some parts). People trying hard to follow guidelines, people half-heartedly obeying the rules, and people cavalierly doing as they jolly well please. People sick and some dying. Questions, questions, questions. Very few answers that seem to be absolutely unquestionable truth. So much to say. So much to complain about. Some with much to do. Some with nothing to do. All can pray, if we will. And we can read God's word.

So many things I could write about. But something is pressing upon my mind that at first might seem unrelated.

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Thoughts from the Past – But They Are so Wicked! How Can They Be Saved?

Jan. 11, 2006 [edited]
But They Are So Wicked!

Last fall I was visiting a neighbor of ours who was concerned because a relative of hers was about to die and she was not confident of his salvation. He had made a profession of salvation in his youth, but he never lived like a saved man. I mentioned the verse ...by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:20 She agreed, but pointed out that the Bible also says that some will be saved yet as by fire. (1 Corinthains 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.)

I think that sometimes we are too quick to judge someone's salvation. We see some things or hear some things and we assume, "That person can't be saved."

In my evening Bible reading I recently came across this passage, which caused me to stop and think:
Psalm 78:34-39 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. 37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

This Psalm recounts God's dealings with Israel. First of all, we see that God did chasten them. Hebrews 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. So, we know that if a professing Christian is never chastened they are not truly God's child.

But, notice that even though they returned to God for a time, Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. Also, ...their heart was not right with him...
When we see a professing Christian living like the devil or totally engrossed in the traditions of man or cares of this life, we are sometimes inclined to think, "How can they be saved?" Yet here we see under the Old Testament covenant that God chastened His children, yes, and they returned to Him; but they then proceeded to lie to Him, and their heart was not right with Him! Could this not happen under the New Testament covenant as well?

In these days of jackboot preachers, compromisers, those sunken in defeat, and other assorted doubtful characters who profess Christ, we can easily tend to question other's salvation. After all, how many have proven to be liars and flatters to God (saying they put Him first in their lives, when it's plain to see they have not). To assume that they are unsaved because they receive no more immediate punishment may not be appropriate. Asaph tells us that God was full of compassion. He forgave and destroyed not. He turned away His anger. He remembered they were but flesh (Ps. 103:13-17).

If God, in His great mercy, does not see fit to give these people the chastisement we think they deserve, that does not mean they are not saved. Yes, they will have chastening, as Hebrews tells us, but they may not get what we think "they have coming." The Lord has the right to decide to turn away His full wrath. We would all be in trouble if God stirred up all of His wrath, for none of us deserve anything good (Isa. 64:6).

Psalm 78 continues, 40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Far from justifying their waywardness and lies, the Lord is provoked and grieved by them. Still, they may actually be His children. But, how sad in the final analyses - they tempted God (to show His holiness) and limited Him! By following man's traditions, by abusing the saints, by walking disorderly, by disobeying His word (and so many other things) these people limit God from what He could have done - for them, for their children, and for others. If you stop and ponder that you will be able to think of a lot of ways that works itself out.

In the end, we must let God be God. If He chooses to show compassion to sinners, who are we to question Him? And, where would we ourselves be without His mercy? While we may be forced to mark and avoid some believers according to New Testament teaching (Rom. 16:17-18, 1 Cor. 5:11-13), it still behooves us to remember Paul's comment in Galatians 2:6 ...(whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:)... In some cases we really cannot know if a person is saved till we get to heaven. Yes, there are many who are not truly saved, but after all - we look on the outward appearance, only God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). 1 Kings 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) [Emphasis added.]

I am reminded of a small incident from my dad's youth. He was complaining to an older brother in the Lord about some lady missionary whom he had seen really misbehaving. The man called him up short with this comment: "Just imagine what she would like if she wasn't saved!" Hm.....food for thought.

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First published here Nov. 2012.

Evening Song - What Grace Is This?

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Evening Song - His Grace Reaches Me

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Thoughts from the Past -- Sins of the Youth

Oct. 27, 2006 Sins of the Youth Edited 2012 and '18. 
Jeremiah 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

I came across this passage not long ago and was struck by a couple of different things in it. namely, the the progression of it and how that brings us to bemoan the sins of our youth.

We are born wanting our own way. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way... Isaiah 53:6 Our parents start training us, hopefully from an early age, that we cannot have our own way in all things. We are unaccustomed to this yoke and chastisement. We have to be turned into an orderly and appropriate way. Eventually, many of us come to see how things we thought we wanted in our youth or thought we just "had to have" were not good for us or would have had very unpleasant results. Too often we learn by personal experience.

In a way, the same thing happens spiritually when we are saved. The Lord chastises us to bring us into ways that are right and pleasing to Him (Heb. 12). At first we are very happy to be saved, but as the Lord grows us we begin to experience things that we are unaccustomed to it at first.  Christ Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30), but we still sometimes resist it. We are turned into His paths and ways and are instructed by the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:13) (which is through the word of God, by the way, John 17:17). Through this we repent and turn from our foolish habits and sins.

But, we come to a point where we are ashamed of the sins of our youth. For the Christian there are often things that we are greatly ashamed of, or even confounded by from the sins of our youth. Some things may never be erased from our minds in this life.  Some things cannot be retrieved and we must take responsibility for them or deal with the scars for the rest of our lives.

David prayed, Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Psalm 25:6-7

David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), and yet he had sins of his youth which reproached him. His desire was that God would not remember those sins and that He would instead remember him in His mercy for His goodness' sake. Sweet and precious thought for us, for none of us are better than David. Yet, we too can pray this of God, and we can do so through Jesus Christ!

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

(Also see the article: Forgiven.)

The New Prayer - Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

The New Prayer

Long have I prayed this prayer to Thee -
According to my need, give me
A little strength from day to day,
A little light along the way,
A little trust when fears are nigh,
A little peace when waves run high,
And with Thy love and joy fill up
The blessing in my little cup.

So have I prayed for long, but now -
According to Thy grace, give Thou!
Of my small measure take no heed,
Above, around my puny need
Pour out the treasures of Thy good,
Let Thy great goodness, like a flood,
My meager life fill and o'erflow
Till I unto Thy gifts shall grow,
Give joy exceeding all I sought,
And love beyond mine utmost thought;
Thy riches for my poverty,
According to Thy grace, give me.

Annie Johnson Flint

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

Show No Mercy, Give No Quarter?

I posted this link here several years ago, but it seems like a good time to repost it due to all the merciless judgment and lack of compassion we are seeing of late.



James 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

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Some years ago a pastor my dad met told him that he thought a lot of pastors had the philosophy, "Do Satan no harm." We agreed in many cases and remembered that quote. However, in doing Satan no harm, or perhaps we should say in pretending to do Satan harm, too many pastors and Christians in general resort to harming the believers or the sinners they deal with.

Our natural response, if not too weak, is inclined to be too hard. We forget that ...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 We are often inclined to count the person as the enemy, and in giving Satan no mercy nor quarter, our human tendency is to react upon the person in giving them no mercy nor quarter either. It is this forgetfulness and merciless attitude that eventually leads some to extremes like the Thompson brothers who beat a Mexican boy nearly to death in Austin, Tx.; and the infamous godhatesfags.com and Westboro “church”, that encourages wild rage against many sinners for whom Christ died…

Continue reading.

Evening Song - Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Not Works - A Poem by William Cowper

Not Works
by William Cowper

Grace, triumphant in the throne,
Scorns a rival, reigns alone;
Come and bow beneath her sway;
Cast your idol works away!

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - Marvelous Grace (Grace Greater than Our Sin)

Romans 5:20-21  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thoughts from the Past – Meant to Be Different

This post was originally published on my former blog at The Home Maker's Corner.  I first posted it here in September 2011.  I have made some edits and modifications to it at various times.
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I was pleased to find this post among my old blog entries because this subject has been a burden to me lately.  I have been hurt in my heart to see and hear how women in the Lord’s church are being pushed around by ideologies that require us to all be the same  in order to “please God” as “excellent wives.”  The unfortunates who don’t fit in the categories that have been prescribed are being stepped on and left in the dust by those who are allegedly “good, obedient Titus 2 women.”  Too many of the "spiritual" crowd cry “Grace, grace” yet there is no grace for those who don’t fit – those with few or no children, the single ladies who are out of their father’s home, the women who have to work of necessity, the women who don’t have men to stand up for them and protect them, and sometimes even the women who weren’t raised in a godly home (and are thus made to feel deficient in spite of being complete in Christ, Col. 2:10).  Think what variety and pleasure we would miss if every flower were a rose – or a skunk cabbage.  Or what if all fruit were apples, or all grass was crabgrass or pampas?  Our God loves variety, and He loves it in His children as well as His other creations!

We are meant to be different, dear sister in Christ!

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Aug. 30, 2007

Meant to Be Different

Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

It's a common problem in the Lord's church for people to be pressured to be or do everything the same. If you want to be "spiritual" or "right with God", you must do or be a certain way. The impression is given that all who "are surrendered" (not a biblical expression) will - go on visitation, teach Sunday School, street preach, participate in faith promise, "go to the altar" regularly, help with the bus ministry, ____________, ________________, _______________ (you fill in the blanks), etc.

Or how about this list of "necessities" to "please God": home school your kids, have lots of children, keep your house in perfect order, bake your own bread, wear only skirts, eat organic, etc.  This problem applies in many areas, you see!

Look at what the above verse says, though, Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us... God intends for us to have different gifts. He doesn't want us all to be the same or do the same work. And, He gives grace according to the work that He intends us to do, not for things He doesn't intend for us to do.

1Corinthians 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

God created the human body with many different functions and abilities. Each is different and special in it's own way, but it is also necessary for those parts to do the job they are created to do. Physically disabled people may train some part of the body to do some other function than normal, such as working with the feet when the hands are missing or breathing with the neck muscles when the breathing muscles are paralyzed, but we marvel at those as a phenomenon and not as "normal" in the sense of what the typical human does. They can survive that way, but we know that was not the original intent for those parts of the body.

How is it then that people in the body of Christ - as it is so correctly called - will try to force others, and themselves, to all do the same job? Why do we imagine that if we can't do what someone else does that we are somehow deficient? This is not God's plan. It is not the mind of Christ.

We are one body but we are supposed to have different gifts. God intentionally gives grace according to the work we are to do. If we try to force our way into some other work, is it so amazing that we don't accomplish the same things that someone else may in that same area? We weren't meant to do that, nor were we "graced for that work", if you will.

Let us be content with the ministries and abilities that God has given and strive to serve Him in those, regardless of what others say or imply. Let us be faithful where God has put us in the body and not feel diminished because we can't do what someone else does. God makes no mistakes. He wants us different for His glory, for His work and according to His wise and perfect plan.

2Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Evening Song – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Zechariah 13:1  In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

Revelation 1:5-6  …Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.