The Things I Fail to Understand

These lyrics came to mind early this morning as I lay in bed after a very hectic day, thinking about God's faithfulness. I trust that the Lord will use this brief poem to encourage you!

Songs in the Night - He Bore My Sin

 

What a Powerful Verse!

 

Lines from the Hymnbook

This song, Now I Belong To Jesus, has been running through my mind during the day and night for the last few days:

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Chorus:

Now I belong to Jesus,

Belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

- Norman J. Clayton

A Strong Hold

Sometimes it feels like our grip is slipping but...
God's grip is eternal, strong and true.
TRUST HIM!

 

My Security

 

Oh Lord of the Oceans

An incredible prayer from one of my favourite books...The Valley of Vision. PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS.

OH LORD OF THE OCEANS,

My little bark sails on a restless sea,

Grant that Jesus may sit at the helm and steer me safely;

Suffer no adverse currents to divert my heavenward course;

Let not my faith be wrecked amid storms and shoals;

Bring me to harbour with flying pennants, hull unbreached, cargo unspoiled.

I ask great things,

expect great things,

shall receive great things.

I venture on thee wholly, fully,

my wind, sunshine, anchor, defence.

The voyage is long, the waves high, the storms pitiless,

but my helm is held steady,

thy Word secures safe passage,

thy grace wafts me onward,

my haven is guaranteed.

This day will bring me nearer home,

Grant me holy consistency in every transaction,

my peace flowing like a running tide,

my righteousness as every chasing wave.

Help me to live circumspectly, with skill to convert every care into prayer,

Halo my path with gentleness and love,

smooth every asperity of temper;

let me not forget how easy it is to occasion grief;

may I strive to bind up every wound,

and pour oil on all troubled waters.

May the world this day be happier and better because I live.

Let my mast before me be the Saviour’s cross,

and every oncoming wave the fountain in his side.

Help me, protect me in the moving sea

until I reach the shore of unceasing praise.

The Valley of Vision...Puritan Prayers and Devotions p.202-3

Banner of Truth Publishing

God's Will is Unspeakably Beyond My Notions

 Elisabeth Elliot always writes and speaks 

in a way that touches my heart.

An Undisputable Fact

Over my 77 years I have experienced this same truth...GOD DOES PROVIDE FOR OUR EVERY NEED! - David

Looking Back...with Gratitude

Lingering Lyrics

One of life's many blessings, that I'm so grateful for, is the fact that the lyrics of many old hymns are stored in my mind and I can recall them when needed.

Often I find myself quoting these lyrics in my mind or...vocally. When I get up in the middle of the night there are often hymn or gospel song lyrics going through my mind. As I said above, this is such a blessing that I thank God for. Often they are lyrics that I haven't read, heard or sung for many years.

Lately the lyrics of the chorus of the song "Why?" written by a man who I knew and loved, John M. Moore, were such a blessing.

"All my iniquities on him were laid;

He nailed them all to the tree.

Jesus, the debt of my sin fully paid,

He paid the ransom for me."

The truth that Jesus was my Substitute, my Sin-Bearer and my Saviour when he bore my sins (which were many) on the cross at Calvary thrills my heart.

My Advocate, My Provider and My Testimony

                    I'm so grateful for God's provision for my every need!                  

Even in our Tangled Lives...God Is There!

 

God Really Does Care

 

The Safest Place

 There is rest in the safe place...in the shadow of the Almighty!  Run there for shelter!

Tangled Woods

 My friend posted this photo on her Facebook page and I wrote the poem.  Regardless of our circumstances...God is there with us.

The True Garrison of our Hearts - The Peace of God

I've always been encouraged and strengthened by the use of the word "garrison" that Weymouth used. - David

"And then the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7 - Weymouth Translation of the New Testament

The word keep there is much stronger in the original; it actually means to garrison, to mount a guard over.  “And the peace of God shall be a garrison, a guard, over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  How deeply we need this garrison of the peace of God!  Some troubling thought comes up… but no, the guards refuse to give it access into the mind; some anxious concern tries to force entry into the heart but the garrison bars it. - taken from the web site - amendingfeast.org

Have Piano...Will Travel

As a young man I bought my first piano from Warne’s Music Store in my hometown, Peterborough, Ontario. It wasn’t much to look at but…I loved the tone so I paid for the ol’ clunker and had it delivered to our home.

Over ten years later I moved it to the Christian Book Store I owned so our customers could sit down with a music book and “try out” a song or two. I’d often sit down myself when the store was quiet and play a few hymns. In 1987 I moved to Toronto and left Ol’ Clunker behind. It was hard to say goodbye because we had collaborated on a few songs I had written and it was a sad day when we parted.

My memory is fuzzy regarding the next chapter, or verse, of the story but Ol’ Clunker and I were reunited in Toronto where I had moved to take a position at The Peoples Church. Through our daughter, we heard that a Polish family had a child who wanted to take piano lessons so we “lent” the piano to them. Again, it was a sad moment when I said “goodbye”. Later, the family moved out of town and they asked if I wanted my cherished friend back. I quickly and gladly said “yes” although my wife wasn’t anxious to welcome ol’ clunker back into our home. It wasn’t the finest looking piece of furniture I must admit.

I reluctantly donated “her”…not my wife…to The Peoples Church. and they hid it away in one of the Peoples Christian School classrooms. I was pleased to have her close by if I needed “her”.

One New Year’s Eve, the church had invited the Blackwood Brothers Quartet to sing at the Watchnight Service as we welcomed in the New Year. A banquet preceded the concert and the dinner was served in the school gymnasium…attached to the church sanctuary. Little did I know that the Blackwood Brothers would sing a couple of songs in the gym, following the banquet, before everyone moved into the sanctuary for the service.

Some of the church staff, in all probability Ken and Stan, wheeled Ol’ Clunker into to gym and my heart skipped a beat. “Oh boy”, I thought, “is she even in tune?”

As the Blackwoods played and sang “Precious Memories” I sat there enthralled, recalling the well-traveled pilgrimage that my piano had undertaken and the precious memories that came to mind as I listened to the group I had enjoyed since I was a “little kid.”

 

The Pilgrim Scribe's Journey

 

The Pilgrim Scribe’s Journey

When I began to write about my journey,

Discerning not the path that I would take;

With pages blank and pen in hand not knowing

The choices and mistakes that I would make.

Each day would be for me a brand new story,

With lines oft’ times too hard for me to share;

But at the end of ev’ry day…assurance,

And knowing that my God was always there.

The trials and pains endured along life’s pathway,

Can fade as I recall the lessons learned;

I often write of times that I have wandered,

And when the voice of God at times I’d spurned.

An old and noble scribe once wisely offered,

“A few bad chapters will not close the book”;

They’re never meant to say your story’s over,

But only trace the path your journey took.

So as you turn another page, dear pilgrim,

And wonder how the tale will finally end;

Remember that the God who walks beside you,

When asked, will peace and comfort always send.

May others read your story and be able

To learn from all the trials that you’ve been through;

And know the Author of your great salvation,

The Faithful One, who’s always good and true.

David Fisher – September 29th, 2015

Revised – January 11, 2022

Blazing Skies and God's Glory

Thank you, Ted Barrett, for the amazing photo and thank you, Phil Foster, for challenging me to write a poem to accompany this photo. Thank you, Father, for inspiring me to write. This is real collaboration!

 

Fear Not...

WARNING...Foggy Road Ahead

Thank you, Phil Foster, for the amazing photo...and thank you, sovereign God, for you protection as we travel and unknown path. 

The Best is Yet To Come

 

The Master of the Sea

 He's the King of kings and Lord of lords, our Saviour, Redeemer and Friend...worthy of our praise and adoration.  May He still the storms in our hearts and lives for His eternal glory...and our good!

Big Sea, Small Boat...but a Great, Big GOD

 When I read Tim Challies' blog this morning, as I do every day, one of the graphics on his site depicted a ship at sea. In the picture/photo, the ocean is so expansive and the ship seems so small by comparison. When I saw the picture I recalled a quote that I hadn't heard for many years so I went to Google to check it out. Apparently the quote was inscribed or carved on a block of wood that sat on John. F. Kennedy's desk.

There's also a poem that I found. I'll quote the poem and the brief story about JFK's desk.

Our lives can appear to be so small and insignificant but in God's eyes...we are very special. So valuable to Him that He gave His Son to redeem us and give wonderful peace and eternal life. - David

"This Old Breton prayer was inscribed on a block of wood on the desk of President John F. Kennedy. Admiral Hyman Rickover would give it to new submarine captains and also presented one to the President. Kennedy loved the quote and used it in his dedication of the East Coast Memorial to the Missing at Sea on May 23, 1963. He always kept it on his desk in the Oval Office and it is now in the JFK Presidential Museum and Library."

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Thy sea, O God, so great,

My boat so small.

It cannot be that any happy fate

Will me befall

Save as Thy goodness opens paths for me

Through the consuming vastness of the sea.

Thy winds, O God, so strong,

So slight my sail.

How could I curb and bit them on the long

And saltry trail,

Unless Thy love were mightier than the wrath

Of all the tempests that beset my path?

Thy world, O God, so fierce,

And I so frail.

Yet, though its arrows threaten oft to pierce

My fragile mail,

Cities of refuge rise where dangers cease,

Sweet silences abound, and all is peace.

- Winfred Ernest Garrison

Check out Tim Challies' blog at www.challies.com

The Eternal God...Our Source of Strength

 If only I could remember this.

Thank you, Father, for quietly

leading us back to You as we

walk this pilgrim pathway!

Don't Stop Praying...the Blessing Will Be There

Be persistent in your prayer...

and the blessing will be there. 

The Misty Flats - Revisited

Recently I created and posted this graphic with a quote by John Oxenham that I discovered as a young man while reading Isobel Kuhn's incredible autobiography, By Searching. I've never forgotten this quote and when I saw my friend Mark Price's photo, I asked for his permission to use it as the background for Oxenham's words. Thank you, Mark!

Summer by the River

 

JESUS...Victor...NOT Victim

If anyone could feel like a "victim" it would be Joni Eareckson Tada. An athletic teenager, Tada broke her neck in a diving accident when she was 17. Her spinal cord was severed, and she became paralyzed from the shoulders down. She has limited arm motion, but can't use her hands or her legs.

Her writing and speaking engagements have brought hope and encouragement to untold numbers of people.

On this Easter weekend we thank God, the Father, that His beloved Son, Jesus, conquered sin, death, and the grave when He rose triumphantly and lives forever as our Advocate and High Priest.

God Will NEVER Fail You

Wise words from a man who trusted God completely, George Muller. Even though we fail the Lord...He will NEVER fail us.  He is worthy of our trust!
 

He Will Never Forget You

 

Jesus is more...

Square Quotes

I've been visiting and enjoying Tim Challies' blog for many years and I've often used the quotes he includes at the bottom of his posts. The quotes and the graphics are excellent.

On Tim's blog www.challies.com he posted the following, today:

"Several years ago Jules Koblun and I began to create graphics together. I would find an inspirational quote and she would use her graphic design skills to set it atop an image. Over the years we’ve created nearly 1500 of these quote graphics, covering a wide range of topics. I expect you’ve seen them embedded in the daily A La Carte posts and shared through social media.

Over the years I’ve had many requests for the definitive collection, so have finally assembled all these graphics at a new site, SquareQuotes.church. There you can find quote graphics by categories, keywords, or search. Once you’ve found them you can browse them, download them, or order prints on paper, canvas, or even metal. I’ve ordered several of these myself and can attest that the production quality is top-notch. If you’re after a quote on just about any topic relevant to Christians, I expect you’ll find something there! (Note: any costs are for printing only; I do not earn any profit from these graphics.)"

David's note: Check out these amazing quotes at this site: www.SquareQuotes.church

Evening Thoughts...

 

Suffering

 “I have often longed to save those whom I love from the strain and stress of suffering, but I never could; and today I have read these words in Coneybeare’s translation of Romans 5: 3-5.

 ‘We know that by suffering is wrought steadfastness, and steadfastness is the proof of soundness, and proof gives rise to hope; and our hope cannot shame us in the day of trial; because the love of God is shed forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.’

Suffering, steadfastness, soundness, hope, love – what great words these are and how arresting is the order in which they are set.  We may not change the order.  Eternal Love set them in that order and Eternal Love will justify that order if only we go on in peace and are never offended in Him.”

Taken from Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael - copyright 1985 Dohnavur Fellowship

August 19^th devotional

Timeless Quote

This is one of my all-time favourite quotes by a man who met a martyr's death in the jungles of Ecuador.  Such profound truth!

On a Path I Never Would've Chosen

PLEASE click here for an excellent article by Madelyn Canada.  It will encourage you.  I guarantee that!

Whispering or Shouting

David W. Fisher

June 1st, 2020

God Moves in a Mysterious Way - Powerful Lyrics

Over the years I've heard literally hundreds of people quote the first line of William Cowper's ageless hymn. We really need to "hear him out" and see what else he had to say. Cowper (1731-1800) was a Christian hymn writer and poet who battled severe depression, attempted suicide numerous times and spent time in insane asylums as they used to be called. John Newton, the converted slave ship captain, (Amazing Grace) befriended Cowper and walked with him through his darkest days/years.

These lyrics are powerful. I've read them repeatedly over the years. I'm reminded that God has a plan and even though we often can't understand why He does what He does in our lives...He is working things out for our good and His glory.

GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm

Deep in unsearchable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works HIs sovereign will

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

Quiet Reflections at the Keyboard

The following lyrics came to me recently after playing the keyboard in the basement for about half an hour.  It had been a stressful day. I turned off the keyboard, turned out the light and this is what came to me:

The music had stopped
And the lights had gone out
Yet I lingered long after the song:
In the stillness I heard
God's encouraging word
"I've been with you all the day long."

The sweet voice of the Master had calmed me
My day had been fraught with despair:
As I sat there in deep contemplation
I knew that the Lord had been there.

May 6th, 2020

David W. Fisher

I've Learned...by Andy Rooney

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Rooney has passed away but used to be on CBS's 60 Minutes TV show.

Take two minutes to read these sayings and be sure to read all the way to the bottom:

I've learned....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned ....
That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day

I've learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in any other way.

I've learned....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....
That life is like a roll of toilet paper.The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned....
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned....
That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....
That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned....
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, you're hooked for life.

I've learned...
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned....
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

To all of you....
Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.

It's National Friendship Week.  Show your friends how much you care.

Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you.  If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

Life's Stormy Sea

Life's stormy seas can threaten to take us under but the Master of the seas, Jesus Christ our Lord, rescues us and calls us His own.  Hallelujah...what a Saviour!

Written by David Fisher on February 26th, 2020

 as a winter storm approached.

Life Is Not Fair

Another powerful quote posted by Toby Mac - #SPEAKLIFE

This is SO true!  God is faithful, always has been, 

always will be!  We can count on this truth!

Sometimes Peace Requires us to be Quiet

Toby Mac has posted some very profound truths/memes since the tragic passing of his son...in the prime of his life.

I must confess...it is difficult to remain quiet...even when (you know) you're right.

I'm working on it!