At times we feel like giving up and saying, "what’s the use?"
We feel we’ve disappointed God, at least that’s our excuse.
God’s love for us will never change, for the bible tells us so.
Rather than saying "I give up," it’s to God that we should go.

We need to humbly kneel to God, and pour out all our sorrow.
Tell Him of our aching heart, and ask His help to face tomorrow.
Tell Him our feelings of loneliness, and the failures we have seen.
Tell Him of our struggles and fears, and confess we feel unclean.

We, as Christians, are not exempt from the sins of daily living.
So we need to talk with God in prayer, for He always is forgiving.
He knows each sin that we commit, but He’ll never hide His face.
He loves us and He’ll welcome us back to His throne of grace.

If from our heart, we truly repent, God will instantly forgive.
He knows that in this sinful world, a godly life is hard to live.
By nature we are sinful people, and daily battles we’ll always face.
That’s why God in His infinite mercy sent His Son to take our place.

Jesus suffered and died on Calvary's cross, to give the gift of grace.
He paid the ultimate price ~ He bore the sins of the human race.
With God's mercy and love, Christians can face what comes each day.
Sins committed have been "paid," for those who have chosen His way.

by Emily McAdams

There's no worry in my heart about tomorrow.
Because I know that in Heaven there's no sorrow!
Some folks might worry, but to me there'll be no surprise.
I know when my body lies in death - I will arise!

Yes, I will arise and go to Jesus above.
For He's the Keeper of my soul and my Love.
Just as I breathe my very last breath.
My soul will arise - when my eyes close in death!

He is my Victory, bought on Calvary's tree.
He gave His life so I could be free.
I gave Him my life and He lives in my heart.
All I could give Him, but it was a start!

But, Oh, what a purchase I made for my soul!
To live in God's presence. This is my goal.
Thanking my Jesus, forever and ever!
There's plenty of time, for separation is never!

So I know part of what the future holds.
For my Bible tells me of God's plan for souls.
How, after death, and because of God's love.
I WILL ARISE - and go to Jesus above!

 Dot Wilson

Brokenness: The Principle

READ | John 12:24-25

Brokenness hurts, and most of us would rather live without any seasons of pain. Yet during such times, the Lord often does His greatest work in our lives, reshaping and realigning us for His divine purposes.

Jesus beautifully explains the principle of brokenness in John 12:24-25, where He compares our life to a single grain of wheat. If we hold a kernel in our hands, nothing will happen. If we carefully place it in a jar or on a shelf for safekeeping, it will just sit there indefinitely. In its safety, the grain will essentially be useless.

However, if that kernel is placed in the soil where its protective layer is stripped away, something amazing happens. Before long, a little sprout will emerge from the earth and start to grow into something different, useful, and beautiful. Moreover, that new stalk will produce more grains that can be planted, and the stalks they produce will do the same. It’s an amazing cycle of life, wherein a single kernel can lead to countless stalks of wheat. But it has to start with the brokenness of one grain.

Jesus did not just speak this example; He lived it. By sacrificing Himself, He was broken and placed in the ground. From that brokenness came new life for us all. From that one “grain,�?countless new believers, each with a new life, have sprung forth.

Are you feeling broken today? If so, remember the principle of the broken grain. God has certainly not abandoned you; instead, He may be leading you into a season of radical new growth.

Charles Stanley