Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

All Because of The Comforter…

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 “Saved alone. What shall I do?” ~ Anna Spafford

Horatio and Anna Spafford had the “perfect” life in the late 1860’s. Living in a northern Chicago suburb they were blessed with five children, Annie, Maggie, Bessie, Tanetta and Horatio, Jr.

Horatio had a very successful law practice and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. And at that time he and Anna were devout in their Christian faith. The well-known evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, was a good friend of theirs and visited in their home frequently.

In 1870 their faith began to be tested. Their son, Horatio Jr. died of scarlet fever. Shortly after that in October, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire broke out and Horatio, a wealthy man who had almost all of his investments in real estate by the Lake Michigan shore, lost nearly everything.

By 1873, Anna Spafford was not feeling well. Horatio thought that a trip to Europe would help put the loss of their son and the tragic fire behind them and help Anna recover. They would set sail on the French steamer Ville du Havre to Europe with their four daughters. Spafford also planned to use this trip to help Evangelists Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey in revivals they were having in England.

The day the Spafford family was to set sail for Europe, Horatio had a business emergency arise and, not wanting to disappoint the family, decided to send Anna and the girls on ahead. He planned to follow on another ship in a few days.

On November 22, 1873 the Ville du Havre was struck by the Lockhearn, a British iron sailing ship. It sank in twelve minutes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. With 307 passengers and crew members on board only 81 survived the tragedy.

Sadly, all four of Spafford’s daughters drowned in the disaster but his wife survived. She sent a wire to her husband that said, “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Spafford quickly boarded a boat to meet Anna in England and it was on his way there that he penned the lyrics to the song, “It Is Well With My Soul”. Philip Bliss later added the music to this beautiful hymn we love today.

Saved Alone

The majority of us cannot fathom a catastrophe and heartbreak of the magnitude that the Spafford’s had to endure. It is unthinkable to lose one child let alone all of your children. Yet in times of deepest despair, where else would we turn but to the Giver of life?

Even when there is no answer, no reason for the grief, we turn to the One who gives comfort, who provides relief when no one else can.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

He is our stronghold, our peace, our rock! When Jesus ascended into heaven He promised we would not be left comfortless.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:16-18.

So what did He do? He told the disciples to “…wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; be ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”  Acts 1:4,5.

So they did! They waited in that Upper Room just like He said, and good ole’ Peter started preaching.  “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2-4.

That Comforter is Christ in US, the Hope of Glory! If you have been filled with His Spirit then you have the Comforter living in you, living, breathing, working inside of you! You whisper His name, He is there!

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Nahum 1:7 ESV.

It’s not something you have to work for, something you have to conjure up or pray through to. He is there. Always. You can pull Him up like a blanket and feel secure, warm and comforted in His love.

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22,23.

What do you need from the Comforter today? Is it well with your soul? Is there peace in your heart? If not, seek Him! Follow His Word. If you need direction please feel free to email me at ynannette@gmail.com, I would be happy to pray with you and help you in your journey to know Him.

Blessings friends…all because of The Comforter.

 

 

Present…

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5-minute-friday-1It’s Five Minute Friday again! Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
Go.

Present.

 

From the Beginning.

To the Very End.

Everything In-Between.

Present.

He is all of those things to me. When I find myself living in the “what-if’s” of life, the uncertainties and the scary unknowns, one thing I can depend upon is the Present.

He has never left me. Does He answer all of my prayers? Not to my wishes, no.

According to His plan, yes.

You see, He sees the bigger picture, behind the curtain where I cannot go, yet, it is not for me to know, it is only for me to trust.

We live in the Present, but He sees the Past, the Present, and the Future. He knows what is for my good and what will be best for me. I can only see the NOW!

So He is here. In our Present. And when I doubt, when I wonder, when I struggle, I even question!

Yes, it’s okay to question. He answers with His gentle Word. It’s all in there, waiting for me to open and find it. He will whisper to me in our private time together, or through another sweet voice,  “My child, I am here, do not worry, everything is in control. Just let me take care of it.”

And He will, in His time. For His time is not our time, His ways are not our ways. And it is good like that. I keep leaning on Him, learning that even in the trial it is for my good, not that He brought it upon me, oh no! But that He will take it and make it into something profitable for me!

So what do you need to trust Him for today? What uncertainty and scary unknown are you facing? I promise He will never leave you nor forsake you, He will carry you through your difficulty, whatever it may be.

And even though it may seem as if He is not answering your prayer the way YOU think it should be answered…remember the curtain…

Remember the Present.

Stop.

 

Until the Danger Passes By…

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“Our calamities are matters of time, but our safety is a matter of eternity.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon 

Poor David the Shepherd boy is running for his life…again. King Saul is chasing him…again. This time he has found a cave in which to hide. But the cave is not his refuge.

“For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune ‘Do Not Destroy!’ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.” Psalm 57:1 NLT.

The metaphor of “hiding in the shadow of your wings” was common in the Old and New Testament. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Exodus 19:4 KJV.

Wings were used as a symbol of protection and deliverance, David knew what he was speaking of and he said he would do it continually!

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:4

“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” Psalm 63:7.

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible explains, “A metaphor taken from the brood of a hen taking shelter under her wings when they see a bird of prey; and there they continue to hide themselves till their enemy disappears. In a storm, or tempest of rain, the mother covers them with her wings to afford them shelter and defense. This the psalmist has particularly in view, as the following words show: ‘Until these calamities be overpast.’”

David trusted the Lord with his very life. He had been in these situations before, he knew where to turn!

Before he was able to kill the mighty giant of a man, Goliath, he was stopped in his tracks by a lion and a bear. “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.”1 Samuel 17:34.

He goes on to tell Saul that the experience of killing the lion and the bear had prepared him for his altercation with Goliath. “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” 1 Samuel 17:35-37.

He had confidence. He had faith. He had seen what God could do with his own eyes and experienced it for himself. That small test, it might not have seemed small at the time, prepared David for his greatest hour of victory!

George Mueller said it best, “The only way to know strong faith is to endure great trials.  I have learned my faith by standing firm through severe testings.”

What do you need refuge from today?

What trial are you facing that seems too big to handle?

David found the answer and you can too!

He found shelter under the Shadow of the Almighty.

Find your shelter with the Almighty…until the danger passes by…

Psalm 57-1