3 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
This seems to be a week for talking about Temptation & Discipline with a second reading on Temptation yesterday and today a second one on Discipline.
“Lovest thou Me?” is the poignant question Jesus asked Peter soon after His Resurrection. Ruth Tracy, this song’s author, seems to have felt the Lord was asking the same of her, and she was compelled to surrender everything in her life to Him. Note that she surrendered not only good “treasures”, but also her fear and weakness. Sometimes we hold onto our fear and other negative feelings because we are afraid, paradoxically, of letting go of something so familiar!
Ruth Tracy lived from 1870 to 1960 in England. She grew up in the Plymouth Brethren Church, but at the age of eighteen attended a Salvation Army meeting while visiting her cousin, and continued to do so after returning home. She soon began working at the Army’s International Headquarters and subsequently became an officer. She served in several corps appointments, followed by many years in the Editorial Department. Commissioner James Hay had encouraged her to write her first song for The War Cry and she eventually wrote over 100 songs for The Musical Salvationist and other publications.
Lord, Thou art questioning, “Lovest thou Me?” Yea, Lord, Thou knowest, my answer must be; But since love’s value is proved by love’s test, Jesus, I’ll give Thee the dearest and best.
CHORUS: All in my heart, Lord, Thou canst read; Master, Thou knowest I love Thee indeed. Ask what Thou wilt my devotion to test: I will surrender the dearest and best.
How couldst Thou smile on me if, in my heart, I were unwilling from treasures to part? Since my redemption cost Thee such a price, Utmost surrender alone will suffice.
Down at Thy feet all my fears I let go; Back on Thy strength all my weakness I throw; Lord, in my life Thou shalt have Thine own way; Speak but the word, and Thy child will obey.
Matthew 6:19-20 19″Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Unfortunately I cannot find he words for this wonderful old piece.

We can search as much as we want for earthly pleasures but we will never find them on earth. As the song tells us it is not until we have Jesus in our hearts that is when we find the ‘real’ treasure. I hope i picked the words of Chorus up correctly
Resting so sweetly in my Saviours head
He’s always near me, joys and griefs to share
He lifts me gently , gives me grace and power
Who in my victory , in my darkest hour
In the secret of Thy presence, Where the pure in heart may dwell, Are the springs of sacred service And a power that none can tell. There my love must bring its offering, There my heart must yield its praise, And the Lord will come, revealing All the secrets of His ways.
In the secret of Thy presence, In the hiding of Thy power, Let me love Thee, let me serve Thee, Every consecrated hour.
More than all my lips may utter, More than all I do or bring, Is the depth of my devotion To my Saviour, Lord and King. Nothing less will keep me tender; Nothing less will keep me true; Nothing less will keep the fragrance And the bloom on all I do!
Blessèd Lord, to see Thee truly, Then to tell as I have seen – This shall rule my life supremely; This shall be the sacred gleam. Sealed again is all the sealing, Pledged again my willing heart, First to know Thee, then to serve Thee, Then to see Thee as Thou art.
How we all need to spend time being quiet and still in the Lord’s presence! This beautiful devotional song was written in 1920 by Albert Orsborn, the Salvation Army’s “Poet General”. He had been asked to write a song for a series of officers’ councils, but only made a start after the first session! For such a prolific hymnwriter, apparently the task would not be difficult! Orsborn is quoted as saying: “At about 5:30 (in the morning) I awoke with a very real sense of a Presence quite near me. Then slowly, but easily, these verses and the chorus came into my mind. All I had to do was to catch the inspiration and write down the words…by candlelight.” The song was used that evening but not published until 1923.
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted,seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King,the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
Saviour while my heart is tender is one of the most beautiful songs i,ve heard. Played here by The international Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army pianist Richard Philips. It’s a song of re dedication or commitment. If I were to pick a favourite verse it would be hard, but I think my favourite would be Verse 1
(Redemption isn’t always easy when God is working on you to Conform you into his Son’s image , I’ve personally went through the wilderness with unseen things that were hindering my spiritual growth)
1 Samuel 16:7-But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
2Corinthians13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Christian Devotions, Health and General issues of the day 