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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781624168437 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Barbour Publishing, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| Sales rank: | 742,748 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
FRANCES J. ROBERTS (1918–2009) is best known for her classic devotional Come Away My Beloved. She founded The King's Press in 1964, where she authored and published Come Away and eight other books, selling over 1.5 million copies in 30 years. After graduating from Moody Bible Institute in 1938, Roberts served as Florida’s state director for Child Evangelism Fellowship, writing the popular “Wordless Book Song” during her tenure there. An accomplished musician with eighty-eight published hymns, Roberts also taught at a Spanish mission school and worked as a professional accompanist, performing at various churches.
Read an Excerpt
On The Highroad Of Surrender
By Frances J. Roberts Barbour Publishing, Inc. Copyright © 1973 Frances J. Roberts
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-58660-730-2
Chapter One Today
Today I'll trust Thee, Father God. Thy hand may hold the chastening rod, But I will love Thee nonetheless, As when in pleasure Thou dost bless.
Today I'll walk with head held high, Nor ask to know the reason why Heart doth break and winds are chill- Still I pray to do Thy will.
Today, Your gift of love and grace, Let me but look upon Thy face; Strength of my life, my keeping power, Be near me in the testing hour.
Today I dedicate to Thee; Thy purpose, Lord, fulfill in me, That I may say when comes the night: "This is the path of peace and light." FJR
Praise Transforms
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Rejoice in the Lord always, for as you rejoice and give thanks, you release heaven's treasures and shower upon your head the blessings of a delighted Father. Nothing so thoroughly delights the Father's heart as the praises of His children.
For praise exercises the heart toward gratitude, and gratitude nurtures contentment, and you may know for a certainty that no fruit ever appears on the tree of discontent.
So praise, My children, and never cease in your praising, for in the midst of it I will manifest Myself, and you will understand that when I demand of you your praises it is for your highest good.
Out of praises come courage, faith, strength, optimism, clarity, and peace. Out of praises come health and happiness and the soul satisfaction men seek in the world and do not find.
Praise will transform the humblest dwelling to a hallowed haven. It will light the countenance and make the plainest face beautiful. It is impossible for the man who has learned unceasing praise to be a failure. God's blessing attends his path, and God's Spirit rules his heart. He is eternally at peace with both God and man.
Identity
Out of much tribulation I bring forth a people for the glory of My Name. I am shaping you in the furnace of affliction that I may set My seal upon you and display in you My own identity. I desire that you be one with Me in all I have purposed, and as I move in the earth today to redeem the lost and deliver the captives, you are moving with Me whenever your soul and spirit are yielded to Me as an open channel of prayer in the Spirit.
My heart is grieved when those who profess to be My children neglect their intercessory prayer life. They do despite to the spirit of grace by thus neglecting their responsibility toward others. Can a man love God while ignoring the need of his brother? Truly, I say to you, if you confess your love to Me, I test that profession by the degree of genuine concern you exhibit toward others. "If a man love God, let him love his brother also," states the Scripture.
Let your compassion be measured by no lesser standard than the love of Christ for your own soul. Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the hypocrite, you shall not enter in, even as he shall not enter in. 1 John 4:19-21
Rejoice Always
Knowing that I love you at ALL times will bring comfort in the hours when you need it most. Be obedient to My command that you rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. It is because I must become your one true source of life and joy that I allow the difficult circumstances to come. In them I test your love for Me. It is not a time for you to test My love for you! My love for you is constant and is not to be reckoned by your own happiness or unhappiness. I send all in love. If you have unhappiness, it is because of your own wrong reactions.
Learn to react rightly, and properly discern My intention. Never blame Me for your misery, for it is not from My hand. Psalm 34:1
The Language of Love
Be silent, My child, and when you speak, let it be your heart that calls My name. Many have My name upon their lips but their hearts are a hollow shell. Love is not in a mouth that is full, but in an overflowing heart.
It is with the HEART man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses unto salvation (Romans 10:10). No mouth shall testify of salvation and speak the truth until first the heart has believed unto righteousness.
I listen for the words of your heart. I understand the language of love. He who speaks only with his mouth speaks a language that in heaven is an unknown tongue.
Even so, My child, when you listen for My voice, listen with your HEART. The ear listens with curiosity, but the heart listens with obedience. Be that one who listens with the heart. Be that one who is tuned to the Father's will and understands the language of heaven.
You may miss all that man is saying and still be wise if you converse with Me, for I am the source of all wisdom, and nothing is hidden from My eyes. Proverbs 4:23
Hearing and Doing
Listen intently for My voice, for you cannot obey Me unless you first HEAR me. However, your ability to hear is sharpened by your desire to be obedient. The functioning of the ear and of the hand are inseparable in the Spirit. They always operate in conjunction with each other. He who HEARS must be also he who DOES what he has heard. Until then, he will not be given a further word.
I am not hiding Myself from the man who does not hear Me.... He has cut himself off by self-will and rebellion. James 1:22
The Spiritual House
Over many obstacles I move in the lives of My children, bringing to pass the full fruition of My plans for each one. Each life is like the building of a house. Much labor is required in preparing the foundation. The most beautiful home will not endure if the foundation is crooked or weak. I build slowly and carefully, and you need patience, for years may pass before the superstructure of your spiritual house begins to take shape.
The swiftness with which I build is determined by your reception of truth. Truth assimilated generates creativity. Obedience practiced generates productivity. Therefore, a teachable spirit and determined desire to do My will hasten the outworking of My purposes in you. 1 Corinthians 3:9-17
Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
My people shall not languish in weakness, for I will be their strength. They shall not faint by the way, for by My hand will I uphold all them that trust Me.
No evil force can hold back My Spirit, but I will bless and will thrust forth into ministry those who are prepared. Those who are not yet ready, I am purging and chastening so that when they go out it will be in the full provision of My power, and miracles and wonders will manifest as My Word is preached.
Believe Me and trust Me. You need not plot and scheme and plan. All is done already in My eternal now. You will see the fulfillment as you stand firm, not wavering and not striving, for to doubt and to strive is to detain the Spirit. He needs not your help-only your submission. Give it willingly and gladly, yes, give it quickly, for the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and you hinder the Spirit when these are not ruling your heart. Romans 14:17-18
Eradicate Duplicity
No true word of prophecy from Me shall be without confirmation. I will make My message very clear to the honest heart. Man would be furthered more in his spiritual life if he spent more time praying that duplicity be eradicated from his heart than by praying to have more truth revealed to him. In most cases, men have already a knowledge of more truth than they are practicing. To add more is of questionable value. To seek further truth before surrendering to the light already received is to invite destruction. 1 John 1:6-10
The Inner Ear
My commandments are very precious to those who are desirous of doing My will. Those who truly wish to please Me do not seek ways to rationalize and bypass My laws.
My Spirit within a man will cause Him to long with earnestness to do all I require of him. This very action of seeking to walk in obedience to the laws of the Spirit opens the inner ear to hear My voice, and all who hear with the inner ear shall comprehend in the Spirit, and truth shall be revealed beyond the surface meaning of the words. Lamentations 3:24-26
Harmony with the Message
I have many glorious things to reveal to you, but you must pay the price of treasuring, reverencing, and living in harmony with the message. Truth is always straightforward, and so also must be the one who receives it, or if he is not already, he must be willing to be made so.
Man cannot perfect his own righteousness. I must do it for him, but I need his consent. I need his desire to be made holy. Surely I will answer when he calls, and I will work in patience and in gentleness, but I will not stop until the perfecting process is finished. Psalm 119:32
Angels Assist You
O My child, do not weep. I am doing a beautiful work. Stress and pressure and pain are often the path to victory and understanding. Penitence is a mother to purity, and contrition a father to total consecration.
I am in the midst, and I am a strong deliverer. You need not be concerned. You must not be sad. Courage is the greatest contribution you can make at this point. To be strong now will make the path of recovery easier. Faith is an essential ingredient in every solution ... often it is the solution itself.
Never underestimate the power of FAITH. Faith is your ability to bring Divine Action to bear upon any given situation. Hold fast. Trust. Unseen angels assist you. Doors are opening to let you pass into safety.
Pour all the intensity of your soul into serving Me, and you will receive great consolation. It is My way provided for your solace and preservation. I will bring you other mercies as I see you have need.
Be strong! I will measure the trials according to your strength and My mercy, but I expect you to stand true. No one can do this FOR you.
It is your supreme hour of destiny. Throw your whole being into winning. Psalm 30
A Merry Heart
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22
To mourn adversity multiplies the misfortune. It is not hypocrisy to rejoice in distress: It is obedience; for, says the Scripture, "Rejoice in the Lord always"; and again, I say, "Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Remember My prophet Habakkuk, who said, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places" (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
Nothing is gained, but much is lost by bitterness of spirit in the day of trouble. You may not be able to escape calamity, but you should even more avoid a doleful countenance because it denotes a tempest in the heart and turbulence of mind and reveals rebellion against the hand of God as it shapes destiny.
Go not in the company of those who magnify evil. Fascination with darkness can be broken by "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). To Him ought all men look in the hour of desolation. In Him dwelleth only that which is of the light. Peace, joy, and hope are His mantle, and holiness emanates from His presence.
When you are baptized into His Spirit, evil loses its power to destroy you, darkness is dispelled, and the broken spirit healed. Joy is a balm that soothes the soul and lifts the burden from the grieving heart. Joy will be your saving grace, and praise, your meat and drink. Only a joyful heart can worship Me in a way pleasing in My sight.
To weep and mourn is needless waste. Psalm 71:13-14
The Law of Plenty
As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 2 Corinthians 6:10
Yes, My child, it matters not how little you have of the treasures of the world, for if you are blessed with the bounty of My grace, you shall be always a giver. There is no want for him who is My follower. There is no lack for him who has found that he can buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). He has found the law of plenty who has found Me as his source. He shall find abundance crowding his pathway as the blossoms of wildflowers crowd a hillside in springtime.
No good thing will I withhold from him who walks uprightly (Psalm 84:11). I will give to him good measure, heaped up, shaken together, and running over. I will make him a fruitful branch and a tree whose branches hang over the wall. His abundance cannot be contained. He is not only full but filling others. In drought he shall be fed, and in famine he shall not be hungry. He shall walk in dry places and be refreshed, yea, in stony places and be sustained.
I will love the man who seeks Me, and I will be to him a never ending stream of abundance and he shall never say to another, "Give," but to many shall he say, "Receive." Psalm 78:15
Remove the Barriers
My children, over many barriers I call to you. Man has erected walls that separate between brothers, but you, My people, have allowed many walls to separate yourselves from the full revelation of My glory.
I do not withhold Myself by choice, but you prevent Me from fellowshipping with you. Curtains of doubt, fear, timidity, unrepentance, and many others hide My face from you so that you cannot know Me.
I plead with you, yes, I cry out to you that before it is too late you will turn to Me with no devices of self-defense, and then can I open My heart to you and pour out My blessings. Romans 10:21
Continual Praise
You will find courage in the hour of calamity if you have disciplined your spirit to rest always in the Lord and to praise continually regardless of circumstances. Any lesser plane of thinking is not only disquieting to the soul but will also open the door to a host of sins. Anger, resentment, petulance, bitterness-none of which can live in an atmosphere of praise-will thrive if the eyes of the soul are diverted to the natural situation and are not fixed on Christ. He deliberately rewards them that adore Him with mercies denied the self-concerned.
Relinquishment of burdens and fears begins where adoration and worship of God becomes the occupation of the soul. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
The Power of Holiness
The devil, My child, does not seek to destroy the vile man so much as the holy one. The reprobate is not threatening the kingdom of darkness, he is part of it. All hell trembles when God's prophet takes command in the Name of Jesus over evil powers. This is the man who is hated by the adversary. This is he whom the devil desires to silence. His righteousness has made him a target for the fiery darts of the wicked one. But, lo, I say to you, though all hell should rise against him, I will give My servant power to stand, and he shall know in the very midst of the onslaught that his own soul is being preserved by the very power of holiness within him, which is My own Spirit, and which is the true objective of the enemy.
For truly this power of holiness, this devastating force with which he is able to move against evil and by which he is given power to deliver other men from satanic attack, is My own Holy Spirit dwelling in his temple, giving to him a ministry of deliverance, and resisting evil forces which rise against his own soul.
Is it not written that "He who is with you is GREATER than he who is in the world"? The more My Holy Spirit reigns within, the more intensified becomes the conflict. Fear nothing except the treachery of your own heart that would tell you that in your own strength you can be victorious. The Lord Jesus Christ, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit, HE ALONE is able to keep you from falling and present you blameless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24
The Secret Place
Many struggles lie in your path, My child, and many dangerous places. You will spare your soul by refusing to countenance evil, and by constantly being reminded that there is a power always working for your protection.
There is always a place of freedom from all evil. It is the abiding in the Secret Place. It is the Ninety-first Psalm. It is what the Psalmist was sharing of his own discovery. In moments of calamity and great danger, he knew a place of perfect peace and complete safety: It was in the heart of God and in his own inner identification with the infinite spirit of holiness.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from On The Highroad Of Surrender by Frances J. Roberts Copyright © 1973 by Frances J. Roberts. Excerpted by permission.
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