"Continue To Work Out Your Salvation With Fear And Trembling!"

We must struggle long and hard!

(J.R. Miller, "The Glory of the Commonplace")

"So here I am today, eighty-five years old!
I am still as strong today as the day Moses
sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out
to battle now as I was then!" Joshua 14:11

It is refreshing to find Caleb so heroic 

at eighty-five. Most old people ask 

for easy places--

but Caleb had a young man's heart. 

He did not seek easy things. He asked 

for a mountain which giants still held, 

saying that he would drive them out.

In the same way, it develops our own 

virtues and graces to have to fight 

to get possession of our inheritance.

GOD puts the gold deep down
among the rocks, that we must dig
and search for it if we would get it.

HE gives a man a farm--

but the farm has to be cleared 

and cultivated before it is ready 

to yield its harvest.

HE gives a young man a fine education--

but the young man must study hard
to get it.

HE gives a young girl splendid 

musical talent, and to get it developed 

into its possibilities, she has to spend 

months and years in weary practice.

GOD gives us great grace, holiness, 

meekness, patience, and likeness
to CHRIST; but we must struggle 
long and hard with our old nature
to obtain these gifts.

"Continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling!" Philippians 2:12 

  ~  ~  ~  ~

GraceGems have published J.R. Miller's very helpful two page article,
"Learning How to be Thoughtful"