“dear Lord it is thine.”

Hence forth Thy will is my only law, my humble heart Thy shrine.
Barely I went forth to conquer, ready to die for His sake.
No sacrifice that He could ask seemed too great for me to make,
And the more I learned of His wonderful love, the dearer my Lord became,
Till I thought I could follow His pathway through any loss or shame.

But he led me by pleasant waters, where the sky was clear and bright,
And fed me in sweet green pastures and sheltered me at night.
Like a lamb I was shielded, protected. I knew no pain or fear,
Why should I shrink or falter when the tender Shepherd was near?
I had nothing that I could give in return, nothing to sacrifice.

Then I found in my pathway a jewel bright and fair,
In facets threw back the sunlight in beauty beyond compare.
I took that lovely, precious gem and hid it in my breast.
It kindled a fire that seared my heart. My spirit could not rest.
I feasted upon its beauty. I watched its glory shine,
Rejoicing in the wonderful thought that this beautiful gem was mine.

Then something dimmed its luster. It gave me grief and pain.
I brushed and polished my treasure but it would not shine again.
Then I heard the Savior whisper, “Can you give this treasure to me?”
But I said “It has no beauty now. It is dark and lifeless you see.”
I thought about my early vows, all, all I would give to Him.
Could it be that the cloud that had come between was making my jewel dim?

Could I lay at His feet a treasure whose beauty had faded away?
A jewel devoid of luster, all colorless and gray?

I laid my gift on the altar, I felt alone and bereft
Such a small and worthless offering, how could my Lord accept.

But the clouds rolled back and the sun shone out.

My jewel sprang to life;
There on the altar it blazed and burned, a thing with beauty rife.

My dear Lord smiled upon me and my heart was glad and free;

The jewel my heart had treasured so had never belonged to me.

He had tested my love, I had almost failed; I wanted that jewel so.

And the spin it cost me to see it fade, only the Lord can know;

I had treasured it still when its beauty was gone and fondled it to my breast;

But not till my Lord had accepted it could my weary heart find rest.

There is not grief so bitter that His love cannot share.
There is no trial of faith so great that His hand is not there.
He guarded me from the snare prepared to tangle my erring feet.
He shielded me from my own desire and tempered the cruel heat.
The fire that burned in my aching heart did but consume’ the dross;

For the soul that is really committed to Him can never suffer loss.

by L.K. Poole

“1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1).

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

SACRIFICING WITH CHRIST

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6).

May we encourage all who suffer with Christ in any measure to bear it with the same humility, benevolence and fortitude that characterized him under the most crucial tests of endurance.

Our Beloved Jesus knew that he was in an unfriendly world bound by sin and largely under the dominion of the prince of darkness.

Therefore he expected reproaches, taunts and persecutions, all of which he endured patiently while his great loving heart, almost unmindful of its own sufferings, was full of pity and of loving concern for others. May we like our Master, suffer with Christ, meekly bearing reproach and trusting to heaven’s vindication of us in due time.

“If, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God; for even hereunto were ye called. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:20-23).

“Consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest we be wearied and faint in our minds” (Hebrews 12:3).

It is a privilege to prove our devotion to the Lord by enduring hardness in his service as
good soldiers of the Cross of Christ.

Let us keep melodies of joy in our hearts as we walk along the narrow way, pressing onward and upward fellow pilgrims of the Cross of Christ, putting righteous effort into all we do “all for Jesus all for Jesus” as diligent stewards, to bring our Heavenly Father, Jehovah, all praise and glory and honor forevermore!

Here are 3 songs for your consideration, to build faith and strengthen our hope in Christ as by God’s grace we are transformed moment by moment, experience by experience into the character likeness of God’s dear Son and our Redeemer—Christ Jesus.

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