If this is cheating, forgive me. But I must share with you some devotionals that have spoken so strongly to my spirit I’ve felt I must pass them on to you, my friends. For the point of this blog isn’t to give you my wisdom through my own carefully constructed prose. My heart’s desire is to draw us closer to the Lover of our Souls that we would know Him better.
A phone call this week reminded me of a devotional book I put away when Christy died. It is entitled, Springs in the Valley, and it is a compilation of devotionals written by many authors by a woman named Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. The voice of love on the other end of the telephone cable restored my desire to pick this book up yet again. As I began to read this morning, I knew I must share these words with you for it concerns the heart’s desire to see Jesus. I pray your spirits experience the heavenly gravitational pull these words inspired within me.
January 17- from Springs in the Valley
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw…the Lord. (Isa. 6:1).
“We have to get our eyes off others before we can have the full vision of Jesus. Moses and Elijah had to pass to make possible the vision of Jesus only. In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah says, I saw the Lord. His eyes and hopes had been upon the mighty and victorious earthly leader, and with his death all these hopes had sunk in despair. But the stars come out when the lights of earth fade. It was then Isaiah’s true vision and life began.
It is not enough to see Jesus along with other things and persons. What we need is to have Him fill all our vision, all our sky, all our heart, all our plans, and all our future. What he wants from us is “first love,” that is, the supreme place; and He cannot really be anything to us satisfactorily until He is everything. He is able to fill every capacity of our being and without displacing any rightful affection or occupation yet so blend with all, so control all, so become the very essence of all for ‘the love of Christ constrains me,’ shuts me up and in from everything else as a pent-up torrent in its narrow course, to live not unto myself but ‘unto Him that loved me, and gave Himself for me.’
Holy Spirit, bring us our transfiguration, take us apart to our Mount of vision, let Moses and Elijah pass, and let us see no man save Jesus only.”
~from ECHOES OF A NEW CREATION
It is unclear to me if any of this writing is from Mrs. Cowman’s personal pen, yet I must believe that though she shared many excerpts from other authors, much of what is written also comes from her heart. Thank you Mrs. Charles E. Cowman for putting your words and these works together so many years ago. They are still inspiring and drawing us to Jesus. It just goes to show us my friends…you never know how God will use you. May we keep our eyes upon Him! He is faithful. I pray He fills your sky.
Much love, andy
