Change of Platform!

Hi Friends!

I have decided to move my blog to a different platform. You can find it now at https://youaremyforeverhome.wordpress.com/.

Thank you for the follows, the likes, the comments. I write in order to process my life and share that processing with you because I have seen God's mysterious way of growing me and others through this openness. May He continue to do just that!

In His Arms,
Claire

Adopted to Forgive

I sat down on the couch this morning, thinking of the Good Friday service last night and of Jesus' sacrifice for me, and these words came to my pen (well, from fingertips to phone). I'd say it's fitting as I wrestle with how the empty cross and the empty grave that we celebrate tomorrow come to bear in my own struggles.


Somehow the ones most hard to deal with 
Are still ones for whom you gave Your life
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted
These are they for whom You died?
I too, have spat on You and traded
Precious love for almost anything
And still I find my heart too jaded
To surrender my hurt and crown You my King

Would it have been different if I had witnessed
The blood You shed poured out for me?
No, I too, am much like Judas
Who is offered the Truth and chooses deceit
How can I, now, look upon a sibling*
For whom You loved and gave Your Son?
And say, "I don't want the family I was given
I'd much rather live without what You have won."

I used to watch those slaves in Egypt
And think they'd never get over that they were free
But when they got into the desert
They forgot the LORD who promised to lead
Now, I too, find myself not really knowing 
How to live in the freedom that You gave
Egypt was the only life I've been used to
How does a free man not live as a slave?

How does a free man accept his freedom
Bought for him with the Life-filled blood?
Accept that fact that he's been forgiven
And extend that grace to his Father's sons?
How does a warrior accept this "peace" thing--
Embrace the family that he's been bought in?
How can he lay down his weapons
If he doesn't remember he's been adopted?


It is for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1



*Brother/sister in Christ

Wounded Healer

My lips sing, “Jesus, there’s no one like you,”

But I don’t feel it in my heart

Right now, You feel far from me

And what I know I need is all that You are

How can I see Your sufficiency?

If there is something else in Your place on the throne?

And how can I live to praise You before I die

If the weeds You are killing are attached to my soul?

I have no choice but to sing in the fire

And though the song seem to labor every breath

The One I behold is worth every flaming trial

Because He has shown me Love with His own precious death

So let me sing as the flames rise higher

Let me not lose my strength as the Enemy’s arrows come

I know that my Father is not like the Liar

He’s keeping His promise to make me like His Son

Oh, let that be enough for me!

Even as the flames burn away the things I love

When all that’s left are burning coals

And the dross has flown to the dust

Will You make beauty from these ashes?

Will Your hands be enough to restore?

My life is lived in Your wounds, Your lashes

Heal me, also, Risen King, Reigning Lord

Triumphant

Though we mourn now and it looks like we're not strong
We're still running with the One whose been the Victor all along
He is carrying us because we can't see through these tears
So we'll still make it to the finish because He'll trample all our fears
What the Devil meant for evil, He meant it for good
That we might trust in Him who holds our heart
And know that He has fully understood.
To him is where I belong; this world has nothing I desire
So though I waste away, I will not be burned
Even though I walk through fire
Because He is with me and within me
I have this treasure, though I be a jar of clay
I may be crushed, but nothing can break me
Because He that is in me is stronger than anything I face!
It is only in that strength that I can look at you and say I'm strong
Because without Him, I'd be in the depths of the sea
But instead, I am kneeling at His throne
He invites me, "Come with boldness," and so I come
My hope is in Him and I see He's holding
The final victory over death He's already won
So where, oh Death, is your victory?
Where, oh grave, is your sting?
For a billion years ahead we'll see
That Jesus will be shown the Triumphant King.


*Inspired by: "Sweet Victory" by Trip Lee, and... 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
   he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
   and gently lead the mother sheep. 

Isaiah 40:11

Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. Genesis 50:20

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested^* as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2

For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10

Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

...but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

In whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Ephesians 3:12

And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3

 ‘Where, O death, is your victory?
   Where, O death, is your sting?’ 1 Corinthians 15:55

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Revelation 21:5

Where You Find Me

Engage. Engage in this war, He says

Though it's anything but easy and it doesn't make sense

Though it's the last thing you want when you've seen so much mess

The war is where you find Me

Engage. The battle's not done, but I know the end

The war has been won, and you are the Victor's friend

The struggle will soon become where your joy extends

The struggle is where you find Me

Engage. Don't be paralyzed by how you're performing

As you follow Me, you'll see the crown I'm rewarding

Is not based on what you do but what's been done for you

Your weaknesses are where you find Me

Engage, knowing Mine is to lead and yours to surrender

You cannot fight with your King's army when your heart is with the captor

Surrender your desires that you may know the sufficiency of the Victor

And with empty, raised hands, you will find Me

Engage. Engage in this war, He says

The battle won't be easy and My strategy may not make sense

But if you trust the One who defeated death with death

The war is where you will find Me

Broken Cup

The lies have starved me

I've been consuming them

But they leave holes that only truth can fill

No longer do I ask for what

I want 'cause that's a lie too, but I ask

To fill me with Your will

I've been in this desert so long

The rocks the Liar said would be good for food I've tasted.

But they made me hungrier

I forget why I'm here; I'm wasting

Away and the only thing that can save me now

Is Your Truth coming down from Heaven

Don't tempt me with the rocks that I can turn into false bread

All these false fillers are my broken cysterns

I've tried drinking outta them

But it just ain't working

Like the Liar I wanted to think it worked too

Not rejecting 'em 'cause I'm blinded

Nah, my eyes are open and all that I can do is 

Hunger and thirst to taste Him

The true Manna that comes from heaven 

That no container preserves but dependence

Every day I open empty hands and ask my Love to fill 'em up

I put myself under His ocean; all I have is a little clay cup

He is my all around me though the dryness of the desert is still real

I'm in an oasis of His grace 

Where only broken cups can heal

Only He could show me that I'm broken

Only He could show me how to be filled 

For every broken cistern I've tasted that promises more if I go back to it

To every broken cistern, I've tasted better waters

I ask for faith to help my unbelief

And I swim out even farther, so thankful to be a broken cup 

Because the cracks are where he overflows

Until you realize you are a broken cup

This ocean of grace you cannot know

* Some things God brought to mind in the writing of this were the song, "Clear The Stage" by Jimmy Needham, Genesis 22 where Abraham surrendered what he loved most with knife in hand, and Luke 4 where Jesus refused to eat anything but the Truth and the Truth alone. 

Shadows of the Dawn

My absolute favorite thing on this Minnesota winter morning was to get up early, before the sun rose and seek the Son's face. As the morning light slowly came out of the shadows, my thoughts and prayers also came out of the darkness and rose to heaven because He came down to meet me in my desperation in his life-giving Word before I even knew what to pray. Then, I saw the sun! Oh, joy of all dark winter days -- the sun!!! I rose from my comfortable perch to raise the shades of the east-facing living room in which I sat. As I opened the blinds, joy rushed in my heart as I hurriedly raised the shades all the way to the top. I did this with one window and then the next, and then the next, and then the next. The sunlight, now unhindered, flooded the place with warmth and light and I soaked in it, thinking, "Let me let Your light and warmth flood my heart and melt the darkness away each morning as I do with Your wonderful sun!"

It reminded me of this song that so fits the sorrows in the desert valley that I find myself in. Read it over and over. The truths hidden in the soil of these lyrics are far more vast than you could mine in one reading.

A world away and still not far Like fabric woven into ours The dawn, it shot out through the night

And day is coming soon
The kingdom of the Morning Star Can pierce a cold and stony heart It's grace went through me like a sword And came out like a song Now I'm just waiting for the day In the shadows of the dawn But I won't wait, resting my bones I'll take these foolishness roads of grace And run toward the dawn And when I rise and dawn turns to day I'll shine as bright as the sun And these roads that I've run, will be wise It's veiled and stands behind the shroud The final day when trumpets sound Sometimes I glimpse into the fog And listen for the song Til then I'm waiting for the day In the shadows of the dawn But I won't wait, resting my bones I'll take these foolishness roads of grace And run toward the dawn And when I rise and dawn turns to day I'll shine as bright as the sun And these roads that I've run... No I won't wait, resting my bones I'll take these foolishness roads of grace And run toward the dawn And when I rise and dawn turns to day I'll shine as bright as the sun And these roads that I've run, will be wise

I'm just waiting for the Day

In the shadows of the dawn

The Day, the Day, the Day in the shadows

Of the dawn

This song is mine as I raise the shades to let the light flood into my home in the mornings, and this song is mine as I sit in the darkness each morning, asking the Light to come and flood the temple of my heart as I prepare for the Day of the LORD in the shadows of its Dawn.

You Have Me

Well, Father, I guess Your will was for me to leave... and leave altogether.

I just came back from a meeting with the Dean of Women at Bethlehem College & Seminary. She told me that her and Kirsten, my counselor, and the leadership at the school think it would be best for me not to stay enrolled in the intensive in Ireland.

The reasons for this being: 1) There is no female leader going on the trip, so I will not have support if I go and have a crisis (in light of the recent crises); 2) If what I have been dealing with emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally continues on the trip it would be emotionally taxing, not only for me, but for the team as it is an intensive class and it will be 'go' time for the whole trip. 3) Ireland, for centuries, has been riddled with spiritual warfare to extensive levels and it did not feel right to them to send me on this trip knowing my encounters with spiritual powers and the uncertainty of what going on the trip would entail spiritually. 4) And most of all, she said that my suicidal thoughts and the voices I have been hearing from the Enemy would be reason alone for me not going. The overall sense I got is that she is trying to protect not only me from what could happen, but my teammates... I can see the wisdom in this, but it is hard to grasp.

I did feel before this, for some reason, a lack of peace about going, but the good seemed to outweigh the bad, in my mind of going. So I didn't think much of it. If she and my counselor and the leadership of the school are on the same page about this, then maybe that uncertain gut feeling was something from God.

But I am confused that their gut feeling and my dad's gut feeling do not match... What does this mean?

Did I hear God wrong about coming to this school in the first place? I think that is more likely than multiple people with good relationships with God hearing wrong about this decision now. God, what are you doing? What are You up to? What should I expect? Where will these next few months take me?

How do I to process this. I am not sure what to write until the words appear on the page. Father... what am I to do?

I walked away from the meeting, narrating my life out loud. Confusing times call for desperate measures. " 'I'm not a BCS student anymore...' She said as she walked away, a lighter load on her back as she did not carry her old friend, the backpack. Her heart was also lighter from relief. And yet, there was a vague vexing feeling in the core of her very being. 'God, I don't know how to make sense of this other than that You may be stripping the last form of identity I have away from me.' Her load was light, but it would seem, it was lighter than she bargained for. 'God?' she prayed. 'If you are taking away my identity, what else do I have?' A voice within her soul said, 'You have me, dear one.'"

Was this not something that would be like God? If He called her away from her other classes in order to lead her farther out into the desert so that she may sacrifice her idols, would it not make sense that He may take the last part of her identity in her school away too?

He is doing something, and because He is good and it is impossible for Him to be otherwise, what He is doing is good. He does not require sacrifice without giving more of Himself in return.

Process

January 29, 2018______________________________________________

Big decisions. Do I go or do I stay? Which would give me more of you, Jesus?

I came to this school to get more of you. Shall I leave this semester or for good to have more still? Your plans are not making sense. How am I to read all of this? 

As I was flipping through the Bible today, I came across many Scriptures that had been underlined. The first I came across made me cry. Psalm 42 was reading me. I was looking into the mirror and seeing myself. God was putting words on my deepest feelings. 

"When can I go and meet with God?" Had I not been feeling that for the past few days? Unlike any other time, I think in my life, I am just so overwhelmed with a hunger for truth, a hunger to know Him, really know Him. I am hungry -- insatiably. And yet, when I meet Him in the morning, I feel my hour and 20 minutes is taken up getting warmed up. I want to have more than that every day. I want to really dig deeper in His word. I want to learn how to dig deeper in His word. I want someone to teach me. I want to spend my days sitting in His presence and drinking Him in. I don't know how to think about this, but I feel that even my Bible school is distracting me from Him, taking me away from His presence. My heart is not in my work -- I feel I leave my heart at His feet when I walk out the door to go to class.

I realize that He says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). But how -- someone tell me how -- am I supposed to work with all my heart at something I have little desire to do? How do I know whether the lack of desire is my sinful nature or if it is God telling my soul that I truly need more of directly Him? When a person is sick, they don't ask someone else to go to the doctor for them. No, that would be absurd. They go themselves. What if I would get most direct healing from sitting at His feet for hours a day in His Word, prayer, and placing myself under the faucet of truth in sermons and articles that would speak truth to my situation directly? Then, what if I had an outlet of work or volunteer in which I had contact with non-believers that I could pour this love out onto? Then, in the coming semesters, I would be able to sustain these relationships I had started building so that my bubble was not all Bethlehem.  Hmm.

God, what is the answer? 

What is stopping you from choosing dropping, right now? Good question. I think part of it is the uncertainty of implications for schooling in the next year, unwanted delay, and not knowing whether it is me escaping. This can be solved by hammering out the details with Travis and asking God if the delay is necessary to be patient through. I know the reason I don't want the delay is because it will mean that much farther from going overseas or figuring out what that looks like, and that much farther from settling down with a husband... not that there is anyone on the horizon now other than Wishful Thinking, and not that God couldn't bring someone along before then. But also, I don't know what His plan is as far as time line or whether I should even get married... also the fact that my dad is not convinced yet is huge. If he has a reason for not being convinced, there may be validity in it. Or is it just that I haven't explained myself well?

Apply: Talk to Travis & ask God to search my heart and de-weed it of escapism that is not escaping into Him & wait for Kirsten and Barb to talk to my dad.

What is stopping you from choosing staying in the school as is? Why not just stay and stick it out? Hm, another good question. You're good at this. I think what is stopping me is that if there is a way to get unstuck while I am investing so much time in school, I haven't found it yet. I am SO hungry for the Word, I don't want to leave His presence in the mornings. In fact, I am scared to. I am scared to go to class. He always helps me, but I always feel so far from Him in class, especially Missions. I feel I cannot breathe easy again until after I am out and can be with God. Almost like the classroom is devoid of Him, a cage in which I cannot feel His presence. 

Why is that?... That troubles me and yet I don't know how to find answers. Maybe time would help and someone exploring it with me? I have not asked anyone because as soon as I am done with class I escape to my house, away from that feeling of far-ness from my God, away from that dreaded place that I must go back to in a few days. And yet it is not nearly as dreaded as it was last semester. Is it getting better? Or will it get worse...? 

Either way, I am SO hungry for Truth, like I have been starved all semester. I want to read the Bible. I want someone to teach me how to read by reading it with me. I'm tired of being given fish that others catch but when it comes to me fishing for myself, I don't always know if I'm doing it right. I want a mentor who will spend intentional time each week to disciple me in reading and finding other truth for my heart's problems and knowing how to discern how God wants me to heal.

Another reason I would rather not stay is honestly, the presentations. I have 6 this semester, and I am quite terrified of them. I realize I am more terrified than I should be. While I don't want to make a decision out of fear, I also wonder whether it might be worth spending intentional time digging into this and seeing where my view of myself in God's eyes has gone seriously wrong and why presenting in front of others is the absolute last thing I want to do this semester, even though I had 4 presentations last semester and it seemed to help me get over my fear. I feel more afraid this time. Is this a fear I should push through or dig underneath so that it is easier to push through later? 

February 1___________________________________

In the past few days, I have to admit that I have felt a strong call in my very soul. I think what I'm sensing is a call to be with Him more. It is very strong and I am beginning to feel that God is calling me away form the busy everyday life to come away with him on a three-day trip in the wilderness in order to sacrifice my idols. I feel that it is mine to say to my school, "Stay here while I and my idols go over there. I will worship and then I will come back to you, alone."

Or it is like 2 Chronicles 15:8. "...he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple." Only this is me. "And she took courage. She removed the detestable idols from the land of her heart, from the deepest corners that the LORD had captured in the darkness. She repaired the altar of the LORD that was once on the forefront of the temple of her mind." 

I feel Jesus calling me, almost as strongly as I felt Him calling me to this school, I feel him calling me away... for a time. 

Yesterday, in chapel, Dr. DeRouchie said a few words that really caught my attention. He was taking about the fear of the Lord and what gets in the way. But as he said four sentences in particular, I felt God gently saying, "You should write this down. This is for you." I quickly wrote it down. DeRouchie said, "Feel your dependence on God, your neediness, and run to it. This is for your good that it may go well with you in the future. This is about love. This is because He loves you." I had asked Him to speak to me through chapel, and I felt that He had. If He wanted me to run toward my dependence on Him and not away from it, what did that mean for the rest of my life? What would running toward that dependence look like? I didn't know, but I felt Him calling me. 

Exodus 34:14 says, "For you will worship no other God; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." If He is jealous for His children, will he not do anything it takes to tear down the idols in their hearts and lead them to seeing that He is not in His rightful place on the throne of their hearts? I believe that's what this is about. It is about love. He is doing this because He loves me. It may not come at an opportune time, humanly speaking, but does His discipline ever? Maybe a better question... does my sin ever? 

What will embracing my dependence on Him look like? I have been thinking about this for the past few days. I feel He has given me some ideas. 

1) He has put in me a deep hunger, beyond any I remember having before, to read His Word, for the first time with enlightened eyes that see Him as worthy of my life. I want to do this with a mentor who can answer any questions I have and teach me how to fish so that I can read the Bible better on my own.

2) Along with this, He reminded me that the Bible Project has videos about each of the books in the Bible that I can watch to gain more of an understanding for each of them. Maybe watching them all for a flyover would be helpful before I dive into each one more deeply. 

3) The author of one of my Missions books said, "Experience without reflection is not necessarily educational." This leads me to believe that making it a point to journal intentionally and much in this season as I reflect on what God has done in my life at BCS so far, and is doing in this season now will be helpful and life-giving. A lot of my life has not made sense lately. I know God is a purpose-Giver, and I want to find out what his purposes are. 

4) I want to specifically address in prayer and journaling questions that will help me in life after this season of reflection such as, "Why do I not feel God's presence in class? Is it because He is calling me away from this school? Is it my own sin? Is it something else?"  "How has my past relationship gotten his place back so high on the throne of my heart? What will it take for me to surrender him fully?" "What does it look like to fear the LORD, really fear Him?"

5) I want to establish healthy social patterns. I want to be more intentional about friendships, re-starting the prayer group I was part of last semester, re-starting the weekly singing times with my friend, re-starting a regular study night or at least once a week where I know I will study with people and I can look forward to it, and at least once a week where I will just intentionally have fun and let myself wonder at life. 

6) Apply for the Nurture program -- finally! And begin to intentionally read the books they assign. This is all on my own time, so I can take time and soak it all in!

7) Seek counsel on the Degree Completion Program, whether that would be a better fit, whether I should complete my time in my program first and go on to Master's, or if God has another plan... and pray... what does God want me to do?

8) Seek counsel and pray about whether to join Sam Choi's church... Set up meeting with Sam and his wife? Find out about how I can join their Sunday night intentional groups to see what their vision for their church is like.

I think God has been breaking me down in the past year and a half at BCS. And now I feel a strong call. He wants to bind me back up. He has been continually ripping away my idols from my hands, relationships I put too much hope in, the life of a friend, my grandpa... to show me the weakness and frailness and uncertainty of life; the hope I put into a past relationship, the longing I had to be loved by someone else in the emptiness I felt after him. He has been showing me the emptiness of my broken cisterns in the desert and has been leading me to His oasis that never runs dry, that I may learn again to treasure Him and how much He loves me. 

"Therefore I am not going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of [Trouble] a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. 'In that day,' declares the LORD, 'I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked." Hosea 2:14-17 

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal is; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:1-3 

I have been in the desert so long. I have been fighting heavy war with the Enemy for so long... I'm tired. My Savior says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He promises rest for my weary soul. Whenever I think of school, I realize that, more than anything, in this season, instead of the education pointing me to God, I actually feel it is distracting me from Him. Why? I need to find out. I want to weed out anything that is distracting me. If I am hungry, I MUST run after Him, while the Spirit yet speaks! Far be it from me to quench Him till I can hear Him no longer... even if that means putting on pause what I felt He called me to do to begin with... 

God, I don't know what you are doing. I don't know what to think. I don't know what I will do after the summer. I just know that BCS is not what I expected, that I am hungry for more of YOU, for more classes where I am taught to read the Bible and open it more in class apart from devotionals. I came for the foundation under my feet so that when I go through hard times, what I learn about God in class will actually strengthen me instead of be an extra burden. Maybe You are calling me away, to get Your perspective on it all to prepare me for a change in direction. But even if it is simply to heal me and give me more of You, I want to trust you know what You're doing. 

I will follow. I will walk by faith. Just hold my hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Ljl32SqRc "Throne Room"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeXtXYantIc "Linger" 

Though Hope Appear Faceless

There is a deep darkness in my soul
Present when outer darkness falls
The clouds sometimes hide in the light
But just when I believe all is alright
The demons show their faces

There is a war waging for my soul
I feel its heat strongly and yet I am cold
What is the anger inside of me
That threatens the very hope I breathe?
When will Hope cease to be faceless??

There is a Love that will not let me go
Though often I feel naught of what I know
"Do not throw away your confidence,"
He calls. "You are growing in my likeness."
He who now tarries does not cower at this darkness

There is a Love who will not let me go
Who is stronger than the darkness of my soul
Who holds me fast though all Hell break loose
Who, in the face of death, said, "I do."
Press on, dear heart, till you see Jesus!

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:35-39