All my information about quicksand comes from watching old western movies years ago, but if I remember, the more you struggle to get out, the faster you will sink.
Imagine the patience and fortitude it would take to remain completely still while waiting for a friend to fetch a rope or tree limb to pull you to safety. Any struggle whatsoever would send you deeper into the sand.
There is one thing you can do, however. You can call out to your friend and tell him your troubles. You can tell him your fears and urge him to quickly bring relief.
Suddenly, you feel the rope in your hand, and the steady pull to safety. The only feeling better than that is the placing of your feet back on solid ground. Next is the gasp of relief and a shout of thanks to your friend!
How many times have I struggled through a situation, and emerged bruised and battered. I might even say: “Boy that was a lucky break!”
But wait. Have I been patient? Have I cried out to the Lord for rescue? Have I praised him with a song of praise? Have I encouraged others to put their trust in the Lord as Psalm 40 admonishes us?
Dear Lord, I’ve failed to be patient and pray for help so many times. In your mercy, teach me to trust you more, that you might be glorified. Put a new song in my mouth, that I might sing your praises. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 40 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersCongress wants to START down the same old worn out and ineffective path again. During Rogers day, in the aftermath of WWI, diplomats had numerous conferences on disarmament. Funny thing was that they could never agree on what battleships to scrap, or weapons to destroy. Rogers attended a number of these conferences for the humor value, and sent his dispatches back to the U.S. newspapers.
If you are a nation intent on peaceful coexistence, you would like to at least have a good defense. If you are an aggressor, you’re not going to give up anything, so what good does it do to try to define what weapons can be used, or not used?
Today, the diplomats have put together another grand masterpiece of useless agreements on weapons restrictions and reductions. The danger today is that we’re the only ones that seem to take it seriously, to the point of dangerously weakening our defensive systems.
Can you imagine one of those diplomats coming face-to-face with some thug on a Washington, DC side-street? The diplomat confidently points out that he has disarmed according to the treaty, and that the thug’s gun is not to spec, and that he is not wearing the proper uniform. The thug then confidently pulls back the trigger and says: “Your money or your life!”
Image Information: Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso. This rope loop is called the big crinoline and the size of the loop, plus the fact that he is on a running horse shows Rogers’ expert skill.
The image was taken directly from photographs at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Today’s quote from Charles Spurgeon captures the hopes and prayers of christian parents everywhere. “Is there a Church in this house?” If there was one gift to leave with a son or daughter, it would be a strong vibrant faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Just like the goose in the picture watches over its goslings, so the parents watch over the spiritual welfare of their children.
Have you strayed from the faith? You’ve probably seen the heartbreak in your parents eyes. Perhaps they’ve pleaded with you to return. Is it pride that keeps you away? Are your sins unforgivable? Is the pain too deep? Did the church’s practices turn you away?
There are so many stories in the Bible of redemption and returning to God. The Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11 is one that most of us are familiar with. In verse 17 it says that the son “came to himself,” and made a decision to return back to his father and confess his sin. All the time that the son was away, the father was watching for his return.
Is there a Church in this house? This special covenant family is not without aid from God. Prayers are not in vain! The Holy Spirit works in hearts with powerful effect, building, restoring and redeeming.
Dear Lord, Let there be a Church in my house. I need Your help to be a godly parent, son or daughter. Let Jesus be in my heart and let the Holy Spirit work in my life and in my family. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
We don’t think much about the importance of rivers today, as we drive comfortably across bridges in air conditioned cars sipping from a bottle of clean water. To folks in the 19th century and earlier, rivers were their source of life-giving water.
To have convenient access to a clean, clear, abundant supply of river water was a great blessing to ancient people. The psalmist tells us that in heaven there will be a “river whose streams will make glad the city of God.”
As a fallen person in a fallen world, I don’t deserve such a blessing as a place beside life-giving waters. I will never find such a place under my own strength or efforts. What can I do?
It is God’s undeserved saving grace through the work and sacrifice of his son Jesus that makes such blessings possible. Come to the river and enjoy the blessings of the water.
Dear Lord, I am thirsty for your water. I need your grace. Lead me, Jesus, to the river that gives life, both in this world and in heaven. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 46 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Floods can do a great deal of damage. Most recently we’ve prayed for our friends in Queensland. Over the past few years we’ve seen the devastation from tsunamis, hurricane Katrina and other flood disasters around the world. In the image, we can see the power of the flowing water as it sweeps down the mountainside. Nothing can stand in its way.
In order to avoid flooding in many areas, dams are build to control the flow of water during the flood season. In Spurgeon’s quote, the “sluice-gates” are used to control the flow of water. The power of the water is held back against the gate.
As Spurgeon says, so many times I am careless and lacking in prayer, and as a result, those flood waters pour over me. The waters are swift, and the destruction is terrible.
But there is help! With God’s help, the gate can be closed, debris can be cleared away and the garden replanted.
Dear Lord, Thank you for so many mercies, as I am careless and lacking in prayer. Help me to turn again to you. Help me to better tend the “fair garden of the heart.” Let it produce praise and thanksgiving for your great salvation. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Years ago, when I was a teenager, I had no interest in God. I certainly didn’t want to follow Him or be accountable for the wrongdoing and sin in my life. I was in a downward spiral toward destruction. In this Psalm, it says God will destroy the wicked, but I am so thankful for God’s mercy. I think of Romans 5:8 where it says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Now that I have the benefit of God’s mercy and grace, I have a desire to love and serve the Lord. I have the opportunity to cry out to Him for my needs and praise him for answered prayer.
Dear Lord, If I am numbered among the wicked, as the Psalmist says, show me your mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. Rescue me and give me the desire to follow you that I may come to praise you with my whole heart. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 145 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
How hard is it to seek God? How hard is it to praise God? It takes some effort, but that effort is pleasing to God. Plus, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Anyone can seek God. No matter the situation. Start by prayer, reading the Scriptures, look for Christian fellowship, listen to the preaching of God’s word and other activities that will encourage you in your faith. As you seek the Lord, you will want to praise Him for the grace He has given you.
When I exercise, even these old, tired muscles of mine get stronger. However, the exercise must be regular, and it must challenge the muscles to grow. Allowing my faith to grow is similar, and the result is a healthy, strong and vibrant faith.
According to the psalm, the results are significant: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,” and “The poor will eat and be satisfied.” As I get stronger, I can encourage my family to get stronger, and together we can encourage other families, and so on, God helping us along the way.
Have you never sought God before. Then let’s pray together.
Dear Lord, Help me to seek you, that I might praise you for your saving grace, through Jesus. No matter what my sin, it can be forgiven. I want to believe, Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 22 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Day to day, I tend to think of myself as eternal. When I go to sleep, I believe that I will wake to another day, and another, and another. When I look around, I expect the buildings and landscape to be the same day to day, year to year. Certainly, the stars in this beautiful NASA image will remain forever.
Then there are those circumstances that remind me of the transitory nature of life. Things change – a friend passes away, a landmark building is demolished, or we move to a new house.
In Psalm 102, the Psalmist comments on the eternal nature of God. I love the imagery of the Psalms. Those “eternal” stars, the heavens, will “wear out like a garment.” It took me four years to wear out a pair of tennis shoes, but stars take a bit longer.
Dear Lord, You are eternal, I am not. This body will wear out. Lord I want to be with you when that happens. Jesus makes that possible – let me come to know him now. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 102 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
![If we dare not lean our heads upon his bosom with John, yet if we can venture in the press behind him, and touch the hem of his garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. E2-14</p> <p>[bosom – The chest or breast of a human being.]](https://systemsofmerritt.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/spur016i.jpg "Spurgeon Daily Quote")
Are we timid about our relationship to the Lord, or do we dare approach him as a close trusted friend? This Spurgeon quote refers to two passages from the Bible.
The first passage is from John 13:25, John’s account of the “last supper.” Meals during those ancient days were an intimate family affair. Without modern furniture, it was common to comfortably recline upon the floor around the prepared meal. The participants would be physically close as they reach for the food in front of them, engaging in casual conversation.
The closest I can come to imagining such closeness and conversation today, would be to picture two young children laying comfortably together in a field of grass, gazing up at the clouds or stars. As close friends, they are free to speak their minds without fear of criticism.
The second passage is from Mark 5:27. The passage talks about a woman with a long-term health problem who approaches Jesus by making her way through a large crowd of people (“press” of people as Spurgeon says). She manages to get close enough to touch Jesus’ clothes, and is healed. Even with all the people crowded around him, Jesus knew she had touched him. He individually called her out of the crowd and said to her: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace…”
According to Spurgeon, whether we are an intimate friend of the Savior, or timidly approach him in fear and trembling, he knows us! He loves us! He saves us from our sins!
Dear Lord, Even if I come to you with timid trembling hesitation, help me grow in confidence as you turn and look at me, and encourage me with the words: “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Until I started looking through the Navy archives, I didn’t realize that burials at sea are routinely done to honor shipmates’ final requests. This image is unique in that a son has the opportunity to honor his own father, as he carries on a proud military tradition. You can see both pain and pride in this sailor’s face.
You may not be able to see it at the bottom of the picture, but the sailor is holding a flag. It is a symbol of the sacrifice and love of country, presented to the family. Passing this heritage from father to son is an act of valor, made up of simple, every day prayers and actions.
Psalm 39:12 came to mind as I thought about this moment in the sailors life. We are sojourner’s moving though life, walking with our God. We pray for peace during the tough times, but have cause to smile as we ponder God’s grace and mercy toward us.
Dear Lord, Hear my prayer, and give ear to my cry. Hold not your peace at my tears! I need your mercy and forgiveness every day so that I may smile again. Amen.
Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
Image info: PACIFIC OCEAN (June 9, 2009) Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Noel Myers holds a photo of his father, Edmond McKinley Myers Jr., and a flag moments after a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Commanding Officer Capt. K.J. Norton presented the Flag to Myers. Ronald Reagan is underway on a routine deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Oliver Cole/Released)
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 39 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Folks, you just gotta love Will Rogers! Here’s a classic quote about war and the Federal Reserve from 1929 that still rings true today.
The Federal Reserve (The Fed) is responsible for conducting the nation’s monetary policy to help maintain employment, keep prices stable, and keep interest rates relatively low. The poor folks running The Fed have their hands full, with the prices of corn, grits and gas going up, unemployment going up, and who knows what’s going to happen with inflation and interest rates.
The Fed has to react to an administrations that is trying to run the economy by stimulatin’, regulatin’, legislatin’, and bloviatin’. Businesses don’t know where the administration will strike next.
They tried to stimulate the economy with “shovel-ready jobs,” but the president just admitted that they weren’t quite as “shovel-ready as we expected.” The EPA is going bonkers with new regulations to eliminate the threat of “global warming” by shutting down the coal and oil industry. Congress passed unconstitutional health care legislation which threatens to destroy the best health care system in the world. The bloviator-in-chief keeps proclaiming “recovery” while the vice-bloviator famously proclaimed: “Just because the stimulus was a monumental failure, doesn’t mean it’s not working.”
And what about war, or wars? This gets a bit confusing these days. Depending on how you define “hostilities” we might be in two, three or four wars. Our Nobel-Peace-Prize-Winner-in-Chief wants us to refrain from “torturing” captured enemy terrorists with water-boarding, but putting a bullet in the brain of a Osama bin Laden is ok. What’s a business to do? If you manufacture water-boards, you are going out of business, but if you make bullets you will survive.
Will Rogers is right, again! Businesses are on a wild roller coaster ride, just tryin’ to stay on the tracks. They’re watching The Fed closely and hoping we don’t get into yet another war, or even another “hostility.”
In this image, Will Rogers is holding his son and spinning his lasso at the same time.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
There are scientists that dedicate their entire lives to the study of the stars. The complexity is so vast that we routinely see news articles about new discoveries that baffle scientists. Some of these scientists that are baffled by the wonders of the heavens hold to a belief that all of these wonders are somehow created by random chance.
I was talking to a friend of mine last week who said that after pondering the wonders of the universe over a number of years, he eventually came to faith in God. Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens speak to us. They tell us of the glory of God.
The picture of the stars in this NASA image shows a beauty of the heavens. If we could magnify our telescopes a million times more we would continue to see the beauty and glory of the work of God’s hands in the sky. May it draw us to God, and faith in his son, Jesus!
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 67 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
What’s hip, what’s hot, what ain’t I got? If it’s a cool electronic gadget or faster computer, I want it! I used to lust after an iPhone 4, until I got one recently. Now I want an iPad. After that who knows. Just give me the latest thing on the market.
Modern marketing is not built on contentment! The reason is that our fallen nature is prone to envy and greed. It can never be satisfied. We always want more, more, MORE!
When I consider what Christ has done for me, however, I realize there is nothing more to be desired. His work is complete. I can rest, contented in his love. As a result, I should be content with God’s purpose for me and where he has placed me, along with what possessions has blessed me with. If I can love my neighbor, as Christ loves me, there will be no envy.
Charles H. Spurgeon (pictured with this quote), 1834-1892, was the foremost preacher of the 19th century. His many sermons, devotions, and books bring a unique, inspiring, and spiritual significance to biblical truth. What is most surprising is that Spurgeon had no formal theological training. Even so, he became widely recognized for his insight and prowess in biblical teaching.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
As I read through the Psalms, it always amazes me how instinctive it is for the Psalmist to passionately set his thoughts and prayers upon God, no matter what the circumstances. My instinct is to try to figure out how to deal with the situation first, then ask God for help.
The Psalmist says: “I remembered you, O God.” Remembering comes from several places. The most important is God’s word. As we read, study and meditate on God’s word, it becomes part of us, part of our memories. This helps us to respond to situations from God’s perspective.
Remembering also comes from recalling how God has worked in our life, and the lives of others. For that we can continually praise Him, especially for salvation through Jesus, God’s son!
Dear Lord, Help me to grow in grace each day. Let my instinct be to turn to you for help in every situation, and let your praise be on my lips for all you have done for me. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 77 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersWill RogersHow come we’re in such an economic mess with a “sea of [government] economists” and a Treasury Secretary who runs the IRS, but can’t get his own taxes right? These guys just stimulated the economy into oblivion, and now are printing money and raising taxes to make up the difference. Every market that …
Do you remember Marley from the movie “A Christmas Carol?” He was weighted down forever with terrible chains, forged during his life by his sins. In this Spurgeon quote, we find another type of chain. This chain is made of God’s blessings, linked together in your life. This chain is light and uplifting, as you …
Will RogersMost of us “little fellows,” as Will Rogers says, get along just fine. We struggle from time-to-time with job loss, keeping food on the table, and other hardships, but overall, we are confident that we can make a better life and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures. We assume that the government will be …
A group of students from Taylor University were in Egypt for the spring semester, but their stay was cut short by the recent unrest. One of the young ladies is a friend of our family, and we followed the situation closely. We prayed for her safety as Americans were evacuated from Cairo, and the group …
Will RogersThe diplomats sure have been busy lately. From Will Rogers’ quote, I can only assume that if diplomats are busy there are two possibilities. First is the possibility of war, revolution or some other sort of geopolitical instability. I remember that prior to the Second Gulf War, the entire UN got into the act …
Today’s quote from Charles Spurgeon captures the hopes and prayers of christian parents everywhere. “Is there a Church in this house?” If there was one gift to leave with a son or daughter, it would be a strong vibrant faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Just like the goose in the picture watches over its …
Will RogersSpend, spend, spend! Promise, promise, promise! So here we are now. The money is spent and the promises are all broken. Last election, a whole bunch of legislators went down appropriating and are now looking for employment, just as Will Rogers said in his quote from 1932. The only thing stimulated by the all …
Some people are under the impression that it is possible to be fully sanctified this side of heaven. Is it really possible to be without sin in our daily lives here on earth? Perhaps when I am older I could isolate myself from the cares of this world. I could live without sin and temptation …
Will RogersFrom this quote, do you get the feeling that Will Rogers wasn’t too keen on the game of golf? I think it was too slow of a game for Will. As you look at the pictures in the Will Rogers blog posts, you will notice that Will is always active. In the picture on …
As we grow older we are constantly adding to our resume. Employers, degrees, accomplishments, publications begin to add line after line. For many of us, such things are a source of pride, but how did we get to where we are? The truth is that each of us is blessed with talents and skills that …
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