The Squirrels

The squirrels came to play

Among the tall sweet gum trees today.

A few found the mulberry tree

With its red mulberries,

And soon they were filling

Their mouths with mulberries.

They left the mulberry trees to play chase

In the sweet gum trees.

Soon others came to join the race,

As they jumped from tree to tree.

Sometimes the limb a squirrel was on

Would nearly touch the ground,

What a site to behold, as these little squirrels

Played their game of chase.

It was hard to tell who won the race.

Later in the day the squirrels were on the ground

And ran around hunting for winter pecans

They had hid in the ground.

When they got the pecan in their teeth

They ran up a tree,

Sometimes when they got the pecan they hid behind the tree.

Night time came and I thought of the squirrels in their beds,

And how God had provided food for them to be fed.

I say my prayers thanking God for the squirrels He made

For us to enjoy

And all his creation that gives us so much joy.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

MY RESTING PLACE

Jesus is my resting place,

He is my good shepherd that leads me to my resting place,

He is my shepherd that makes me lie down in green pastures,

He comforts me with his rod and staff and protects me in the pastures.

He leads me where the still waters flow—

He is so kind and gentle I know,

Because He speaks to me in a kind, gentle voice—

That I would know even if I got lost.

When I grow weary I can lean on him,

He never forsakes me even whe I’m not thinking of him.

Jesus sticketh closer than a brother,

The Bible tells me Jesus is my elder brother

The Bible tells me that I am a joint heir with him

when I get born again.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

August 2, 2010 – According to the Bible, assurance of salvation rests on four unshakable pillars.

Some time ago, on a flight to Oregon, I sat next to a woman who asked where I was going. “Sisters, Oregon,” I answered. “Do you know where it is?”

Assuring me that she did, the woman asked, “What’s your business there?”

After I said I was writing a book about how we can be sure we are going to heaven, she marveled, “You mean you can know that you are going to heaven?”

Realizing God had opened a door for me to tell her about Christ, I reinforced that we can know for certain our eternal destiny, saying, “We can afford to be wrong about going to Sisters, Oregon, but not about going to heaven.”

How Can We Be Sure?

The truth is, we can be sure about where we will spend eternity. We can know with certainty that when we die, we will go to heaven. But how can we be sure? Many people struggle with the certainty of their salvation, especially new believers.

How can we know where we stand with God? The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars:

Pillar #1

God Cannot Lie!

First, assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture. Throughout the New Testament, we read God’s promises to save all who will believe upon His Son. The Bible says, “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”(1) This is a promise! All who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ may have the firm confidence of salvation based upon the infallibility of God’s Word.

Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”(2) If you come to Jesus with genuine repentance and faith, He promises that He will save you. We can know Jesus has received us because, quite simply, He said so! When the Bible speaks, God speaks. And what God said, He will surely do. He will save all who call upon Jesus Christ. You have His word on it.

Pillar #2

Jesus Paid It All

Second, assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He bore our iniquities, enduring God’s wrath, and cried out, “It is finished!”(3) By this, He meant that the full atonement for all our sins-past, present and future-has been made. His work of redemption now completed, our entire sin debt is paid in full.

Just as salvation comes from believing in Christ alone, so does assurance. As we trust in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. No matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater still. The Bible says, “Come now, and let us reason together. … Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”(4)

Pillar #3

The Great Convincer

Third, assurance comes through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A divinely produced gift, assurance is bestowed by God’s Spirit to all true believers. It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. In actuality, no preacher, evangelist, parent or friend can give us assurance. Neither can we work it up within ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can give us the absolute certainty of our eternal salvation.

The Bible says, “We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.”(5) … “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”(6) … “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”(7) This means, the Holy Spirit who convicted, called and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ. It is the Spirit’s inward witness that persuades us of the genuineness of our salvation.

Pillar #4

New Life in Christ

Fourth, assurance comes through the evidence of a changed life. Ultimately, assurance is confirmed within us as we see God conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. All who have been born again will see clear evidences of a new life in Christ. While we will never become perfect in this life, we will, nevertheless, experience a changed life. It is this inward transformation that provides strong confirmation of our salvation.

The book of First John details what are the vital signs of our new life in Christ. The Apostle John writes, “We know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”(8) In other words, we may be certain that we know Christ as we see within us a desired and willing obedience to God’s Word. Likewise, John writes, other vital signs will follow: Love for other people,(9) love for God,(10) refusing the world,(11) understanding biblical truth,(12) righteous behavior,(13) opposition from the world(14) and answered prayer.(15) As we see this spiritual fruit produced in our lives, we may be confident that Christ lives within us.

Here are the four sturdy pillars on which the assurance of our salvation rests. Giving “full assurance of hope”(16) regarding our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, these pillars provide unshakable confidence of eternal life.

As I told the woman on the plane, we can be wrong about earthly directions but not about our eternal destiny. In our salvation we must be sure. Assurance of salvation is God’s blessed gift for all who believe: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.”(17)

Be absolutely sure!

(1) Romans 10:13, NASB. (2) John 6:37, NASB. (3) John 19:30, NASB. (4) Isaiah 1:18, NASB. (5) 1 John 3:24, NASB. (6) 1 John 4:13, NASB. (7) Romans 8:16, NASB. (8) 1 John 2:3, NASB. (9) 1 John 2:9-11. (10) 1 John 2:12-14. (11) 1 John 2:15-17. (12) 1 John 2:20-27. (13) 1 John 3:4-6. (14) 1 John 3:13. (15) 1 John 3:22-24. (16) Hebrews 6:11, NASB. (17) 1 John 5:13, NASB. Bible verses marked NASB are taken by permission from the New American Standard Bible, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California

There are times in our life when we don’t always see the value of a person until we take time to go deeper and view them beyond face value. This also pertains to how we value our own self. But God already knows our worth and puts a high value on our soul. Isn’t it reassuring to know that we are a continued work in progress as God is never finished with us?To reinforce the power of God’s renewal and restoration, click here to watch Inspired Faith’s newest inspirational movie. You’ll find the combination of the words, imagery, and music to be a source of encouragement in your life as well as others. So be sure to share this with your family and friends or anyone you know who could use a reminder…

Be Inspired and Inspire Others

A DAY AT THE BEACH

I see tiny bubbles and small creatures in the foam.

There are sea shells and a sand dollar in the white foam.

I pick up the sand dollar and open the center to see

Three little white doves that fall out into my hand–

The sea gulls fly over my head and circle around

While others lite on the ground.

I settle back in my chair to relax and watch

The sea birds dive into the ocean to hunt for prey

And I thank the Lord for the beauty of this day.

I look across the large expanse of the ocean

And see big ships far out on the ocean–

I sit listening to the roar of the ocean–

That almost puts me to sleep.

In all this beauty I feel such peace.

In front of me are children at play in the ocean

And on the sand,

Some are building sand castles with daddy’s helping hand.

I turn my head to see the sea oats blowing in the breeze

Across the dunes of white sand.

Evening approaches and cool breezes blow accross my face.

The breeze brings in salt air I can taste.

The smell of seafood cooking lures me away,

Soon I sit in the seafood restaurant as the day wanes away,

I bow my head over my food and thank the Lord for a Blessed day!

by Dorothy T. Donaldson

BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies came today flittering here and there

The place they came from we know not where

We love the colors of  yellow, orange and blue

That the butterflies wear.

They came near to sit on a flower

to drink of its sweet perfume.

Soon the butterfly bush is full of butterflies

We wonder if they will have enough room.

Watching the lovely sight of them flittering here and there,

Made me completely forget I had a care.

One came near and smelled my hair.

I tried to catch him as he flew by

I couldn’t catch him even with my best try.

This was such a perfect day

With blue skies and lovely butterflies.

At sunset the butterflies flew away,

I said my prayers thanking God

For the butterflies and another perfect day.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

TO: God.Com

Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I’m lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
And safe from harm
For they’re so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don’t mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it’s unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That’s filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits ‘send’.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer

Sent up to GOD.Com

Amen

Beautiful Days

Each day is very beautiful,

I know this to be true.

No matter where we are in life,

Beauty is there, too.

The sun that rises in the sky

Is always beautiful to see,

And how gorgeous is another’s smile

That is meant for you and me.

Music, paintings, buildings, too,

The flowers in a vase,

There is so much in our world

That shows God’s beauty and His grace.

HEARTGIFTS

It’s not the things that can be bought

That are life’s richest treasure,

It’s just the little “ heartgifts”

That money cannot measure . . .

A cheerful smile, a friendly word,

A sympathetic nod

Are priceless little treasures

From the storehouse of our God. . .

They are the things that can’t be bought

With silver or with gold,

For thoughtfulness and kindness

And love are never sold . . .

They are priceless little things in life

For which no one can pay,

And the giver finds rich recompense

In Giving Them Away.

HELEN STEINER RICE

_{LITTLE THINGS}

_{He doesn’t find contentment}

_{Who seeks the wealth of kings}

_{For the greatest happiness of all}

_{Is found in little things…}

_{Little things like kittens’ fur}

_{And bread right from the oven}

_{Or little pups with big brown eyes,}

_{Or children who need lovin’}

_{Or cozy spots on rainy days}

_{Or helping someone out}

_{Or sitting down and wondering}

_{What life is all about…}

_{A perfect rose – all fresh with dew,}

_{The first spring daffodil –}

_{Yes little things sure mean a lot}

_{And guess they always will.}

_{But it seems the very nicest}

_{Of all the little things}

_{Is our special kind of friendship}

_{And the happiness it brings.}

OUR CROSS BECOMES A CROWN

We all have days that are dismal and dreary

And we feel sort of blue and lonely and weary,

But we have to admit that life is worth living

And God gives us reasons for daily thanksgiving…

For each trial we suffer and every shed tear

Just gives us new strength to persevere

As we climb steep hills along life’s way

That lead us at last to that wonderful day

Where the cross we have carried becomes a crown

And at last we can lay our burden down!