Streams in the Desert.

Natalie Grace, my senior bestfriend at sonora and church gave me this devotional book called Streams in the Desert. I've only read 30 pages of it so far, but of the 30 pages i've read i've found all of things i've liked in it. & i thought i'd share it with you. :)
page. 18; The beginning of anxiety is the end of fath, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.
You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives us His promises in a quiet hour, seals our covenants with great and gracious words, and then steps back, waiting to see how much we believe. He then allows the tempter to come, and the ensuing test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. THis is when faith wins its crown. This is the time to look up through the storm, and among the trembling, frightened sailors declare, "I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me" (Acts 27:25).
page 20; GOd does not open paths for us before we come to them, or provide help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are at our point of need, God's hand is outstretched.

When you pass through the waters
Deep the ways may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself has said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
When you come to the waters
You will not go down, but THROUGH.
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,
bitter anguish, fiercest pain,
rolling surges of temptation
sweeping over heart and brain-
they will never overflow us
For we know His word is true;
ALl His waves and all HIs billows
He will lead us safely THROUGH.
Threatening breakers of destruction.
Doubt's insidious undertow,
WIll not sink us, will not drag us
out to ocean depths of woe;
for His promise will sustain us,
Praise the Lord, Whose WOrd is true!
He will not go down, or under,
for He says, "You will pass THROUGH."

page 22;

Others may do greater work,

But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God's family
Can do it as well as you.

page 25; Beloved, whenever you are in doubt as to which way to turn, submit your judgement absolutely to the Spirit of God, asking Him to shut every door but the right one. Say to Him, "Blessed spirit, I give to you the entire responsibility of closing every road and stopping every step that is not of God. Let me hear your voice behind me whenever I turn aside to the right or to the left [Deut. 5:32].

page 30 and 31; Our spiritual conflicts are among our most wonderful blessings.

It is commonly thought that a protected and easy life is the best way to live. Yet the lives of all of all the noblest and strongest people prove exactly the opposite and that the endurance of hardship is the making of the person. It is the factor that distinguishes between merely existing and living a vigorous life. Hardship builds character.