The things we can do for ourselves, we ought to do without holdin’ out a tin cup.”
              –Elmer Kelton  (The Time It Never Rained)

    “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is make perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
              –2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
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Is Christ all-sufficient?  I wonder as we hear so many whine and cry for attention and for people to put a dime, oops I mean a twenty dollar bill in their cup.  They don’t even want to hear the sound of the coin ringing in the cup; they just want.  People want grades, they want free tuition, they want pay without work, they want a new car, new house, new boat, they want, want, want.
    Terry Tuley, in his book, has a piece written by a wounded Confederate soldier after a battle.  It does not say what battle, and it isn’t politically correct in our modern and enlightened age (new term for revisionist stupidity) to speak of the Confederacy, but here it is.  Take it to heart and see if Christ is sufficient.

         I asked God for strength that I might achieve,
         I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
         I asked for health that I might do great things,
         I was given infirmity that I might do better things,
         I asked for riches that I might be happy,
         I was given poverty that I might be wise.
         I asked for power that I might have the praise of men,
         I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
         I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,
         I was given life that I might enjoy all things,
         I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I had hoped for.
         Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
         I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

We are to grow in grace.  That means there is a process, because it is a growth.  Things do not always happen the way we want or plan.  Our dreams may turn out to be a nightmare.  We often ask our heavenly Father for things that are not to our spiritual benefit in the largest scope of things.  Ah, but God in His wonderful, marvelous, gracious wisdom imparts to us what we need.
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  General Jose de Urrea defeats a small band of Texans at the Battle of San Patricio.

A man has to make his try, and when that didn’t work he had to try something else.  Try and keep trying.  Endure, and try again.”
              –Elmer Kelton  (The Time It Never Rained)

    “Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
              –Romans 13:11 (HCSB)
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One of the most important things we can do is be honest before the Lord.  Why people try to hide things from the Lord is beyond me.  There is that one luminous word–omniscience.  God knows everything.  A sinner might even try to use it for an excuse.  “Well, the Lord knows my heart,” he might say.  That is surely true, even the things hidden in the heart.  Even when the heart doesn’t even know itself.
This week we take a look at the first part of Psalm 17 (HCSB).

         1  Lord, hear a just cause; pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer—from lips free of deceit.
         2  Let my vindication come from You, for You see what is right.
         3  You have tested my heart; You have examined me at night.  You have tried me and found nothing evil; I have determined that my mouth will not sin.
         4  Concerning what people do:  by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
         5  My steps are on Your paths; my feet have not slipped.
         6  I call on You, God, because You will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.
         7  Display the wonders of Your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against Your right hand.
         8  Protect me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

We worry about things that we cannot see; about those who reside over the mountain and we hear they are coming to get us.  David proclaims that God is our protector.  If so, why don’t we let Him protect us?  W. Graham Scroggie said, “He who is heard, held, and hidden by the Lord need not fear the fiercest foe.”  Worry, worry, worry, and what does it get us?  Ulcers, high blood pressure, fitful nights with poor sleep, unrest, unsettlement.
    I remember back in the winter of 1971.  I was recently married and two things loomed ahead of me going into 1972:  graduation and the draft.  Vietnam was still raging in 1972, the last large year, of course we did’t know it at the time.  Annie and I talked and I went down and enlisted in the Air Force in February of that year and would be heading to basic training right after graduation.  I had been taught that I could trust in the Lord to take care of me.  If He couldn’t take care of me in Vietnam, He couldn’t take care of me crossing the street in the good ol’ USA.
    It is important, however, that we stay on His paths.  That we walk according to His will.  He will not slumber and He will order our steps.  God desires one thing from us–total commitment.  He does not expect perfection for He knows our heart, and our inclination, but He does want obedience to His Word.  I did not have to have a tour of duty in Vietnam, I was fortunate, but it was all in God’s hands.

              “Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth;
               Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
               Hast thou not seen how thy desire e’er have been
               Granted in what he ordaineth?”
                         –Joachim Neander
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  Fannin, commander at Goliad, receives Travis’ plea for help.

He seemed fitted for this task, and his motive had the strength of love and passion and the sanction of right.”
              –Zane Grey  (Nevada)

    “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.”
             –Philippians 2:5 (HCSB)
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What does the day hold for you?  Many people will be rejoicing in the TGIF.  But there are so many instances in Scripture that shows that every day we should be thanking God.  We get stuck in the rut of humanity and think we have to gripe at the weather, and get the “Monday Blues” or the “TGIFs”.  Few honor the Sabbath any more, and I don’t mean Saturday.  I mean, one day, set aside to honor and meditate on the Lord.
    I came across a letter written by Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson to his wife.  It reveals much of the man, oh, Lord forbid “toxic masculinity,” and of how all of us should see life.

         “Monday morning.  This is a beautiful and lovely morning–beautiful emblem of the morning of eternity in heaven.  I greatly enjoy it after our cold, chilly weather, which has made me feel doubtful of my capacity, humanly speaking, to endure the campaign, should we remain long in tents.  But God, our God, does and will do, all things well; and if it is His pleasure that I should remain in the field, He will give me the ability to endure the fatigues…”

Here we see Stonewall Jackson thanking God for the beautiful day.  However, he puts in, no matter the condition the Lord does all things well.  Who are we then to reject what the Lord allows to come our way?
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It is fitting that a few words from the “Father of our Country” be given in recognition of his birthday.  Words to ponder and live by.  He was a man who thought much about dignity and doing things proper.  He was a courageous and aggressive leader, but one with complete self-control.

         “Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.”

Now how true is that!  We live in a day where people do not understand moral duty.  I read where Gen. Grant was very concerned that moral ethics was not being taught in the schools.  When people do not have a proper moral life their happiness is only superfluous.

         “Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.”

         “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.”

Hmmm, take a ponder on those in this modern day, and in your life.  Maybe it is time for us to realize that God is in control and we need to thank Him for whatever comes our way.  Be happy, for this is the day the Lord has given you.

Once a fellow started crying about his hurts he would never quit.  This is a rough country.  Nobody wants to hear about your feelings.”
              –Ernest Haycox  (Free Grass)

    “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
              –Philippians 3:10 (HCSB)
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    I saw an interview with a person the other day and she was saying that the only real truth is what you feel.  Feelings are truth, not logic or reason.  It must be remembered that one of the things that separates man from animals is the God-given ability of man’s rationality (even if many times he is as irrational as the woman who said that the only truth is what she felt).  How strange it is that in today’s modern and enlightened society do we every find someone who is a rational, reasonable person.  People tend to focus on impractical things today.  I like what Francis de Sales wrote,

         We are critical of our neighbor for little faults while overlooking greater faults of our own.  We want to buy cheap and sell high.  We want justice for others and mercy for ourselves.  We think our ideas are worth attention but place little value on the ideas of others.  We are controlled by our own taste and denigrate the taste of others.  We prefer to be around good-looking and well-dressed people.  We favor the rich over the poor.  We make a big fuss over some act of charity we perform and complain that we, in turn, are neglected.  We use two different scales.  With one that is rigged in our favor we weigh our own behavior.  With the other we weigh our neighbors’ behavior and find it lacking.

    One of the important things to remember is that we are to serve God where we are and with what abilities we have.  For instance, it would be absurd for someone who is in bedrest with a communicable disease to get up and go visit a sick person or do heavy labor.  We often desire to serve God one way, but in reality He wants you to serve Him in another capacity.  I remember someone saying that where God speaks of “vessels of honor” that they planned on being a beautiful vase (v-ah-se).  However, God plans for you do be a very serviceable pot.
    If you are chosen, be thankful.  Do not resent where God has placed you and do not begin to murmur over little cuts and scraps.  People soon get tired of your thankless complaining and then where is your testimony?  Don’t whimper and cry, get up and if a bandage is needed, get one and then get back to your duties.
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This Day in the Texas Revolution:  Santa Anna arrives at the Medina River.