Tiny tokens

From Frances Ridley Havergal's volume Under His Shadow, here is verse 2 of her poem "Tiny Tokens":

The memory of a kindly word
For long gone by,
The fragrance of a fading flower
Sent lovingly,
The gleaming of a sudden smile
Or sudden tear,
The warmer pressure of the hand,
The tone of cheer,
The hush that means "I cannot speak,
But I have heard!"
The note that only bears a verse
From God's own word: —
Such tiny things we hardly count
As ministry;
The givers deeming they have shown
Scant sympathy;
But, when the heart is overwrought,
Oh who can tell
The power of such tiny things
To make it well!

Real to my experience

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:26-31

I think it's amazing how real the Scriptures are to our experience as a Christian. We do get our focus messed up; we do complain and think God doesn't notice our struggles; we do forget about his great power; we do get weary.

How thankful I am that God has a word for me during such times! He reminds me in Isaiah 40 of his intimate care and power over even the farthest star; he reminds me that the power of the everlasting God is an incomparable power that knows no bounds; he reminds me that he understands me better than anyone; he reminds me that he can sustain and strengthen the weary and the weak like me; he reminds me that in hoping in the Lord my strength will be renewed.

It might not be easy to apprehend this truth sometimes but what a help it is to have such words in Scripture and realize how well God knows his people. As Psalm 103:13-14 says, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (KJV).

Why Lord?

Live By The Truth: But Why Lord?

Check out this very helpful exposition of 2 Corinthians 1 and how to deal with some of the why's in our lives...