Many men and women of God have followed Christ under the most difficult of circumstances. One such saint was Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian minister who experienced imprisonment and torture for his faith. Confined for fourteen years, he used each day as an opportunity to draw closer to his Savior, encourage his fellow prisoners and witness to his captors.
The apostle Paul, while in a Roman prison, wrote a letter of thanks and encouragement to the Philippian church. Following his example, they were to live out their salvation without complaint or argument. Whatever their situation or need, there was nothing greater than to be in Christ, sharing both His power and His suffering. “I pray your love may abound…you may be pure and blameless…and filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus.” Phil. 1:9-11 Jesus must always be preached and we must be filled with His righteousness.
How are you using the time God has given you? Are these days of boredom or are you meditating on His word, communing with Him in prayer, and reaching out to others with encouragement and testimony? “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Ps. 118
Study His word. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Choose a Psalm to rewrite into your own words. Write your own psalm. Write your testimony. Document everything you have to be thankful for. Begin a journal of praise and prayer. May this become a precious time when you draw closer to the Lord, becoming more like Him in every way. “O to be like Thee. blessed Redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer. Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures. Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.” T. O. Chisholm
The following is an autobiographical, acrostic psalm, in which each line begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
My Psalm
All of my life I will praise the LORD.
Because of His faithful love to me I will worship Him forever.
Could I recall all of His mercies on my behalf?
Does a man remember each breath he took?
Even if I were to count them, my days would not be enough to record them all.
For His mercies are without number, and the fullness of His ways beyond knowing.
God had a plan for me; surely before I was born He laid a path for me.
He gave a boy the faith to believe: There is a God and Jesus is His Son.
It was as a young man however, that He made me aware that I did not know Him.
Just believing was not enough; that He existed was only the beginning.
Knowing Him as my Lord and Savior, my Father and my Friend,
Letting Him live His life through me so that others might know Him. This is His delight.
My soul could not find rest until I knew the truth, until I could truly know Him.
Night and day I searched His word. I tried this way and that as some said “go here” or “go there.”
O God, you created me to want you; you made me hunger for the truth.
“Please make your way known to me,” I cried. “There must be one way. I want to walk in it.”
Quietly you said, “Follow me.” Gently you began to lead me. Patiently you began to direct my path.
Religion, you said, is to know You and to follow You.
So for twenty years you taught me, you corrected me, you were patient with me, you loved me and you filled me. Time and again you filled me.
Then one day you called me. That was the day you chose for me. Before, you said “come,” now you said “go.”
Upon my head you poured your oil, upon my shoulders you placed your hands; in my heart and on my tongue you are placing your Word.
Vast is the responsibility that lies with the servant of God! Vast is the authority given the responsible servant of God!
Wait upon the Lord until the desire of His heart becomes the desire of your heart.
eXcept your labor is for Him and because of Him, it will not please Him.
Youth has its strength and old age its wisdom, but one thing never changes;
Zealous for the LORD are His people, those who know Him as He wants to be known.
The apostle Paul, while in a Roman prison, wrote a letter of thanks and encouragement to the Philippian church. Following his example, they were to live out their salvation without complaint or argument. Whatever their situation or need, there was nothing greater than to be in Christ, sharing both His power and His suffering. “I pray your love may abound…you may be pure and blameless…and filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus.” Phil. 1:9-11 Jesus must always be preached and we must be filled with His righteousness.
How are you using the time God has given you? Are these days of boredom or are you meditating on His word, communing with Him in prayer, and reaching out to others with encouragement and testimony? “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Ps. 118
Study His word. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Choose a Psalm to rewrite into your own words. Write your own psalm. Write your testimony. Document everything you have to be thankful for. Begin a journal of praise and prayer. May this become a precious time when you draw closer to the Lord, becoming more like Him in every way. “O to be like Thee. blessed Redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer. Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures. Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.” T. O. Chisholm
The following is an autobiographical, acrostic psalm, in which each line begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
My Psalm
All of my life I will praise the LORD.
Because of His faithful love to me I will worship Him forever.
Could I recall all of His mercies on my behalf?
Does a man remember each breath he took?
Even if I were to count them, my days would not be enough to record them all.
For His mercies are without number, and the fullness of His ways beyond knowing.
God had a plan for me; surely before I was born He laid a path for me.
He gave a boy the faith to believe: There is a God and Jesus is His Son.
It was as a young man however, that He made me aware that I did not know Him.
Just believing was not enough; that He existed was only the beginning.
Knowing Him as my Lord and Savior, my Father and my Friend,
Letting Him live His life through me so that others might know Him. This is His delight.
My soul could not find rest until I knew the truth, until I could truly know Him.
Night and day I searched His word. I tried this way and that as some said “go here” or “go there.”
O God, you created me to want you; you made me hunger for the truth.
“Please make your way known to me,” I cried. “There must be one way. I want to walk in it.”
Quietly you said, “Follow me.” Gently you began to lead me. Patiently you began to direct my path.
Religion, you said, is to know You and to follow You.
So for twenty years you taught me, you corrected me, you were patient with me, you loved me and you filled me. Time and again you filled me.
Then one day you called me. That was the day you chose for me. Before, you said “come,” now you said “go.”
Upon my head you poured your oil, upon my shoulders you placed your hands; in my heart and on my tongue you are placing your Word.
Vast is the responsibility that lies with the servant of God! Vast is the authority given the responsible servant of God!
Wait upon the Lord until the desire of His heart becomes the desire of your heart.
eXcept your labor is for Him and because of Him, it will not please Him.
Youth has its strength and old age its wisdom, but one thing never changes;
Zealous for the LORD are His people, those who know Him as He wants to be known.
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