Shirlee Abbott

Beyond Boundaries – Spurgeon

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Follow my blog for a few weeks, and you’ll meet up with Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). He preached to 10,000,000 people in his lifetime. Count me in, too.

Let’s ponder his insights yet again, this time on God’s blessings beyond our imagination (Ephesians 3:20):

“Our unbelief is a great impoverishment to us . . . we have to thank God that He is not bounded by our narrow faith, but even goes beyond what we believe concerning Him!“
Paul’s Doxology, 11/1/1875

Thank you, God, for being more than enough, for overflowing my boundaries!

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It Would Have Been Enough

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

If God just let us live out our years in the wonderful world he created and did not also grant us eternal life, it would have been enough.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

If I knew only this world, I would be unable to to ask or think about the hereafter. Exceedingly abundantly, indeed.

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More Than Enough

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Do you want more?

More money
More sleep
More time
More wisdom

There is a part of the Passover Seder ritual called “Dayenu” – meaning it would have been enough (as in, “Had He brought us out of Egypt but not judged them, it would have been enough for us”).

I am writing this on Easter evening, thinking dayenu:

Had Christ died for our sins to save us from hell, it would have been enough.
But he also gave us eternal life with Him in heaven—more than enough.

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In Memory, Not Fear

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Sometimes I hesitate to be public about my faith.

May I live every day in memory of Good Friday,
in memory of Easter morning.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

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Fearful? Faithful!

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

“Fear imprisons, faith liberates;
fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
fear disheartens, faith encourages;
fear sickens, faith heals;
fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable.“
From Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

Today we recall how Jesus was arrested and his disciples were fearful. The resurrection transformed their fear into faith.

Fear not; have faith!

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My Foolish Fear

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

I hate it when people make fun of others.

I hate it when others to make fun of me. I admit it. I’m afraid of ridicule.

Christ loved those who made fun of him. He wasn’t afraid to intercede for those who ridiculed him.

Luke 23:34 (NIV)
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Father, forgive me for caving into my fear of ridicule instead of standing up for my faith. And forgive my prayerlessness. I know better.

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Change Your Fear of Change

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Hebrews 4:15 (NASB)
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.

You’ve heard the joke about how many [fill in the blank]s it takes to change a light bulb. “Change!” says a voice of panic. “Did somebody say change?”

Consider the change our Lord accepted–from heaven’s glories to manger, cross and tomb.

I’m thinking Christ can sympathize with whatever change is in my future.

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Into Your Fears

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

What worries you most?

Failure
Betrayal and abandonment
Ridicule
Pain and death

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. This is Holy Week, a time set apart to ponder and celebrate the last week of Christ’s earthly life. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he rode into our biggest fears.

“Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.”
Henry H. Milman, 1827

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Prepared to Forgive

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

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Prepared to Come as You Are

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Shirlee Abbott

Luke 1:17 (NIV)
. . . turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

How to prepare is the question. Spurgeon offered this answer back in 1887:

“. . . to get men to come to Jesus just as they are, is not an easy thing. To get them to give up the idea of preparing, to get them prepared to come without preparing, to get them ready to come just as they are, this is the hardest part of our work.“

Prepare to come just as you are.

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