Dec 17, 2025 – Ifs and Whys
Power – Joyce writes, “God doesn’t want us to be angry with ourselves because we have weaknesses. When we stop worrying and cast our cares upon Him (see 1 Peter 5:7), His strength will begin to flow through us and change us…. If the good work God is doing in you will continue throughout your life here on earth, then why be frustrated with all the changes that need to be made?… You can enter His rest concerning what remains to be done in your personality, character, and life. Study God’s Word, trust Him, and thank Him daily that He is working in you.”
Prevail 351 – 3 John 1:2 – “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” Larson writes, “If you’ve read my book Fully Alive, you’ve heard me say that what happens in our soul happens in our cells. We will not flourish in mind, body, and spirit if we’re out of whack in even one of those areas. Thankfully, Jesus stands before us with tender eyes and a kind heart and asks, ‘Do you want to be well?’ If we answer yes, He will lead us into truth that sets us free. True flourishing comes when we care for our health, guard our mind, and feed our spirit on the things of God. He’s wired us to thrive. Some of our wholeness we’ll not know until we see Jesus, but far too many Christians settle for far less than they should because they don’t want to make the necessary changes. Listen for Jesus’ kind voice today and do what He says. He’ll teach you how to flourish.”
JC – “As you rest quietly in My Presence, My Light within you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is simply the prelude to being filled with My fullness…. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere…you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have become your companions…. The perfect end to such a day is a doxology of gratitude.”
There have been quite a few shocking tragedies just within the last few days and not just the frightening mass murders, but also the attacks within families. None of us on the outside looking in will ever fully know the ifs and whys of these situations, but Streams today makes me wonder if faith had been lacking, or perhaps lapsed and ignored, in most every situation. Certainly, I’ve heard of folks who have tried to “pray away” certain ailments, conditions, and situations only to continue facing them (Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7 comes to mind with his “thorn in the flesh”). I don’t fully know God’s reasoning for allowing things in our lives, but there is certainly enough written and studied about this that points to Him wanting our weaknesses to draw us to Him as He continues to grow and change us. I think it may be our desire for control and self-sufficiency that draws us away from the safety of His covering.
Streams – Cowman quotes John Wesley in 1771 as he tells how, “…God gave me a clearer view than I had ever seen before of the way to obtain holiness – namely by faith in the Son of God.” She then shares the thoughts of George Fox, “I knew Jesus, and He was very precious to me, but I found something deep within me that would not stay pleasant, patient, and kind. I did what I could to keep those traits suppressed, but they were still there. Finally I sought Jesus for help, and when I gave Him my will, He came into my heart and removed everything that would not stay pleasant, patient, and kind and then He shut the door.”
Cowman lets three others tell of their experiences with God: Lady Huntingdon, “I am in awe, standing amazed that He has conquered everything within me, through His love.” Bishop Hamline, “This hand of power continued to work without and within me, and wherever it moved, it seemed to leave the glorious influence of the Savior’s image.” And, Jonathan Edwards, “In other words, holiness makes the soul like a field or garden of God….”
Utmost – I sometimes (many times) have to reread Chambers’ passages in order to fully take in the power and potential of what he is trying to convey. Don’t let his 1920s wording lead you into skimming what you are about to read which seems to answer, at least in part, my earlier ifs and whys. Maybe even ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you to hear the message: “The Gospel of God creates a sense of need of the Gospel. Paul says – ‘If our gospel be hid, it is hid’ – to those who are blackguards? No, ‘to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.’ The majority of people have their morality well within their own grasp, they have no sense of need of the gospel. It is God who creates the need of which no human being is conscious until He manifests Himself. Jesus said – ‘Ask, and it shall be given you,’ but God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He withholds, but that that is the way He has constituted things on the basis of redemption. By means of our asking, God gets processes into work whereby He creates the thing that is not in existence until we do ask…. We preach our own experiences and people are interested, but no sense of need is awakened. If Jesus Christ is lifted up, the Spirit of God will create a conscious need of Him.”
JA – “SING FOR JOY TO ME, your Strength. Christmas music is one of the best blessings of the season, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything. You can sing the carols at church or in the privacy of your home – or even in your car…. Singing from your heart increases both your Joy and your energy. It also blesses Me.” Interestingly, I just read a small blurb, in the 12/1/25 issue of Woman’s World, how singing helps us “feel calmer & more at ease in minutes.” Ann Green writes, “In a British study of women aged 55 and over, investigators found that singing noticeably increased participants levels of endocannabinoids, including anandamide – aka the ‘bliss molecule.’ The researchers explained that singing triggers a rush of these feel-good chemicals along with ‘helper’ molecules that keep them circulating in your system, The result: your good mood sticks around significantly longer.”
Young continues speaking in God’s voice, “I created you to glorify Me and enjoy Me forever. So, it’s not surprising that you feel more fully alive when you glorify Me through song.”
Psalm 5:11 – “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”
