Lilies of the Field

September 2013
ISSUE # 27
Lilies of the Field
“Consider the lilies, how they grow. . .”
Hello!
To the right of this column you will see an
advertisement for the book ‘God’s Recipe for
Happiness.’ Earlier this month I sent out an
email recommending this devotional book. I
am still recommending it, and so thought
that I’d keep the ad there, to remind you all
about it. 
This month’s newsletter is the same as usual
except for one little tweak. Merlyn Ralph’s
testimony, the last segment, was too long to
fit into a month’s newsletter, so we’re going to
salvation like we normally have, but an
amazing testimony of trust in God,
which I daresay will have many in tears.
Please read it!
~
~
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spread it out over 2 months. Last month I
implored you to read the Hymn story. This
month, I ask specially that you read Merlyn’s
testimony. This isn’t her testimony of
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law,
happy is he.” Psalms 29:18
Contents
Prayer Points – Pg. 3
Devotions – Pg. 4-5
The Bookshelf – Pg. 6
The Psalmist – Pg. 6
With a Song in my Heart
– Pg. 7
Hymn Stories! – Pg. 7
Missionaries – Pg. 8
My Testimony – Pg. 9-10
“I believe that in each generation
Find that Reference!
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall
your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask Him?”
August’s reference is found in
1 Corinthians 2:5
God has called enough men and
women to evangelize all the yet
unreached tribes of the earth. It is
not God who does not call. It is
man who will not respond!”
― Isobel Kuhn
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
Prayer
Requests!
* Janet, Kaitlin, Winnie, and Julia –
salvation
* Malcolm Brebner – salvation.
* Vani - Indian lady seeking the
Lord.
* Kerri Smith – salvation
* Sean and Lara - salvation
* Unsaved friends at our
workplaces.
* Greg Shaw – heart condition
* Mr. Crowe – maintained good
health
* Shirley Brown - cancer
* Lydia Meldrum – health
* Bob Buster – health
* Bob Hawke – health
* Robin Hawke - health
* Alex Holowatay – health
* Meldrum Family – wisdom and
guidance for decisions
* Spiritual growth and renewal in
this generation.
* A worldwide revival this year.
We sometimes fear to bring our
troubles to God, because they
must seem small to Him who
sitteth on the circle of the earth.
But if they are large enough to
vex and endanger our welfare,
they are large enough to touch
His heart of love.
R.A. Torrey
“In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”
Proverbs 12:28
Devotional
Lessons from a Day-care/ Lesson 4
The Fundamentals of Sand – Castle Building
Linet Binstead
During my time working at a daycare, I can
confidently say that I have built my share of sandcastles! As soon as you make one, it gets knocked
over, (whether accidently or on purpose is always
debatable!), and then you are once again asked,
begged or told to build another one! So, I think
that I can safely say that I have the whole 'sandcastle making' method down pat! I've also had
time to consider the similarities with sand-castles
and our lives! Here, I’m going to share with you
the building blocks for making a good strong
sand-castle! And maybe, you may get some hints
on how to build other good, strong things! : )
Things you'll need for building a successful
sand-castle:
* A bucket
* A shovel
* Wet and dry sand
* Lots of little helpers!!
Things you'll need for building a successful
Christian life!
* A bucket called 'A Willing Heart.'
* A shovel labeled 'Prayer.'
* Wet sand with names like, 'Faith,' 'Hope,' 'Love,'
'Kindness,' ' Humbleness. . .'
* You only ever need one building contractor
for this kind of building, and that is our Lord
Jesus.
Method:
1. Get your bucket. Make sure it's empty of dead
leaves and insects that the kids have collected
from the day before.
Ensure that your heart is empty of worldly things
that you have collected over the years. Jesus washes
out our heart when we are saved, and all the filth is
wiped away, but it doesn't take us long to start
collecting things again, so make sure that it's ready to
start over.
2. Grab your shovel! Fill up your bucket with wet
sand; this is essential to the strength of the building.
Use dry sand, and it will cause the whole structure to
come tumbling down, because it will have a poor
foundation! Make sure that the wet sand over-laps the
top, and then with the flat edge of the shovel, firmly
pat the sand down, so that it's level with the rim of the
bucket.
Start praying! Fill your heart with as many good
things that can fit in there, and even then, keep going!
Read your Bible daily, study and memorize. Talk to
God continually and surround yourself with good
influences. Just like the wet sand, it is essential that
you fill your heart with good things. Dry sand and bad
influences will cause our foundation to be weak. When
pressure is put on it, it won't hold, and it will come
crashing down. Be careful what you put in your
‘bucket.’ Keep the good things in your heart; fill it
right up to the top.
3. Clear a smooth space for your building site. Make
sure it is clear of rocks or anything that may cause
your castle to be unsteady when tipped onto it.
Build your life on Christ! This is the construction site
that God has planned for you. There will never be any
obstacles that need to be removed on this building
site. Also, make sure that you're where God wants you
to be! It makes such a huge difference! There is no
peace like that peace that comes from knowing that
you're where God wants you to be, when God wants
you to be, doing what God wants you to do! If there is
anything in your life that shouldn't be there, that may
The wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the
rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock, and the house on the rock stayed
firm. – children’s chorus
cause your foundations to be unsteady, get rid of them.
God doesn't want them in our lives. Or, if those rocks
are affecting another's Christian walk, we need to get
rid of them too. We don't want to be causing others
foundations to be weak.
4. Holding your bucket firmly by the sides, tip it over
onto its top, on your flat surface. Hold it there for a
few seconds, while your little 'helpers' whack it
severely with shovels on the bottom of the bucket,
which should now be facing up. (Note: Whacking your
bucket severely has not been proven to be essential to
this process!) Gently lift the bucket up, revealing what
should be a strong, even, well-shaped sand-castle.
(There may be several faults in your sand-castle. I am
very rarely able to create one where feathers, rocks,
sticks or toys have not been hidden in the bucket while
my back was turned!! Don't stress. They're there now,
and you can't get them out without destroying the
whole castle.) Decorate as desired!
Now that your heart is built on Christ, your foundation
is strong. Yes, there will undoubtedly be some dead
leaves, and a few rocks in your structure, but this is to
be expected. Through these imperfections, God will
reveal His own strength, and you will find that truly,
where you are weak, there He is strong. Perhaps,
those faults are what are going to make us beautiful
later on in life, and they are going to be used to bring
glory to our Maker. Paul had a 'thorn in the flesh,'
which he saw as an obstacle; an imperfection. But God
chose not to take it away; rather Paul learnt to glory
in his infirmities. Leah was 'tender-eyed,' which
probably means that she had eye problems. This was a
trial for her and caused her to become second-best
after her sister, in her husband's eyes. But through her
came 10 of the tribes of Israel! I'm not saying that we
don't have to fight with sin in our lives! Definitely not!
By all means, fight again sin and temptation, but
things that are in our lives that aren't sins, things that
are just 'there,' don't try to remove them. If our Maker
wants them out, He'll take them out. If we try, we'll just
weaken or destroy the whole structure. Our Saviour is
decorating us the way that He wants to: Molding us,
shaping us, adding a little more of something and
taking things out. It's a never-ending job. But, He
enjoys it, and one day, the work will all be worth it
when we are made in His likeness.
Note: Don't get discouraged if your castle doesn't
work the first time. Numerous times your castle will
get kicked, sat on, buried, run over, or simply didn't
work. You'll have to fight back tears, keep your
temper under control, have patience, and say, 'That's
ok. We'll try another one.' Keep practicing, and one
day, you'll create a perfect little sand-castle.
'He's still working on me!' is the line of a song that
my mum sings whenever the moment takes her. It's
true. We may get discouraged with our life, but our
Maker can see it all, and He's not finished building,
or decorating yet. Countless times we feel as though
all the fight has been knocked out of us, or just as
though we've been 'sat on.' Well, God doesn't despair.
Through all our trials, tantrums and tears, He keeps
working; Working to perform the perfect structure;
Working to create the perfect 'castle.'
On Christ the Solid Rock I
stand, all other ground is
sinking sand; all other ground
is sinking sand.
The Bookshelf
Book – Created For Work
Author – Bob Schultz
This is the second book is a series of 4 books for
boys that Bob Schultz has written. Last month we
covered his first book, ‘Created for Work.’ This is
his second.
Like last month, I’m going to exhort you not be
put off by the fact that it seems to be written for
the male gender and that the front cover says,
‘Practical Insights for Young Men!’ Men weren’t
the only ones that were created for work.
Like I said last month in our review, Bob Schultz
gives many lessons that can be applied to girls
and ladies as well. Here is an excerpt from
Chapter 1.
‘God didn’t have to put intricate designs on the
wings of moths and butterflies. He could have made
them all gray. He didn’t have to paint a frog’s eyes
gold. He could have made them all black. God adds
distinct and beautiful touches to each thing He
makes.
His energy and creativity are without measure.
They overflow into everything He does. Drudgery
and bare minimums have no part in His work.
Whatever He makes is not only useful, but also
beautiful and fascinating. Some things He makes
are very simple. Yet even their simplicity is a work
of art.
God puts His heart into His work. He doesn’t finish
things just to get them over with. He commands us
to do the same, “And whatsoever ye do, do it
heartily. . .”’
The Psalmist
Psalm 52
1. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The
goodness of God endureth continually.
2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working
deceitfully.
3. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to
speak righteousness. Selah.
4. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee
away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee
out of the land of the living. Selah.
6. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at
him:
7. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but
trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened
himself in his wickedness.
8. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust
in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I
will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
‘It is better to trust in work than money; God
never buys anything and is forever at work!’
George MacDonald
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10: 11
With A Song in My
Heart
How Great Thou Art!
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When thru the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in –
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of
acclamation,
And take me Home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Hymn Stories
How Great Thou Art!
- Carl Boberg
- Stuart Hine
One of the most well-known of modern hymns is
‘How Great Thou Art.’ The original text of this
hymn was written by Carl Boberg, a Swedish
pastor, in 1885. Returning home from a meeting,
Boberg was caught in a tremendous
thunderstorm with awesome lightning flashes,
booming thunder, and heavy winds.
Following the storm, the sun reappeared, along
with a rainbow and the joyful singing of the birds.
This atmosphere and experience led to Boberg’s
writing of the lyrics for a hymn entitled ‘O Store
Gud’ (O Great God).
The Swedish text was translated into German,
and in 1925 E. Gustav Johnson wrote the first
English translation. In 1927 the German text was
translated into Russian, and a Ukrainian
congregation sang it to their English missionaries,
Mr and Mrs Stuart K. Hine, who were working in
the area that is now western Ukraine and part of
Romania.
Although each of the translations added
something to the original lyrics, it was Mr Hine
who was responsible for the final form of the
lyrics. As he lived and worked in the Carpathian
Mountains, Hine was often awe-struck by their
beauty and majesty, which filled him with
reverence for the Creator. Hine used both the
German translation of Boberg’s poem and his
own feelings to write the polished verses we
know today as the thrilling hymn ‘How Great
Thou Art.’
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”
Mark 11:22
MISSIONARIES
The Buster’s in Tonga
Bob and Sela Buster and their three sons, Mark,
Jeremy, and Jacob are serving the Lord on Eua
Island, Tonga.
Mr. Buster has been having some serious and
ongoing health problems and has had to return to
Australia several times for tests. Since his last
trip to Brisbane, he has been trialing some new
medication. He recently fell off a 5’ ladder while
doing some work at home and broke three ribs.
The boys are busy in many areas of ministry and
when their dad is away, they keep the church and
Prayer Points:
outreach running. Mark continues as a diving
* For healing for Mr. Buster’s broken
ribs
instructor and hopes to get his diving masters
* For his new medication to improve his
health
ministry work when his dad isn’t there. Jeremy
* For the boys, particularly Mark, as
they fill in for their dad while he is sick
* That the Lord will continue to give
them wisdom and guidance
* That there would be opportunities to
witness and people would be saved
* Health and safety
certificate and, as the oldest, carries most of the
left his job at the small store, which he was
helping to run, in order to assist Mr. Buster at the
home property. Jacob is doing well with his
schooling and is all up to date with it, which he is
very pleased about.
My Testimony
Merlyn Ralph
February 8 dawned as a beautiful, sunny day of
promise. I thought of David's words, "This is the day
that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in
it." And I was glad in it.
Breakfast over, I said goodbye to my husband,
Ronnie and my two sons, Wayne, 13 and Ryan, 12
with a kiss and the words, "Have a lovely day.” Little
did I know that Ryan would never come home again,
but rather that he had a date to keep with his Saviour.
That afternoon I had a women’s Bible study at a
friend’s house in Robertsham. We spoke about
suffering. One of the ladies, Jackie, told us how she
had ‘discovered’ Philippians 1:29, ‘For unto you it is
given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
him, but also so suffer for his sake;’ Jackie knows
what it means to suffer, and so does another of the
group, Heather. Only a week before, Heather’s son
Sean, was shot in the head by a pellet gun. By God’s
grace alone the pellet entered between the eye and
the bridge of the nose, missing the optic nerve by a
fraction, and coming to rest just short of the brain. It
is still there, but harmless. A miracle. Somehow each
of the ladies at the Bible study was bearing a burden,
except me. I mentioned this to them. Sure, I had little
problems, but I had never really suffered.
As we prayed for each other and prepared to leave,
the wind came up and there was a tremendous crack
of lightning that started everyone. Had I ears to hear,
perhaps I would have heard the voice of Jesus saying,
"Ryan, come home". Perhaps I would have seen an
angel flying swiftly to the cricket field at Forest Hill
Primary School, swoop down and scoop my beautiful
boy into his arms, turn and speed back through space,
and present his bewildered charge to his Heavenly
Father. But I knew nothing of this as I travelled
home. No hint even as I passed an ambulance with its
siren going. As I always do, I sent a quick prayer up
for the patient, little knowing that it was carrying the
body of my son.
4:30 PM. I was at home preparing dinner. Ron
arrived home in a friend’s car. "Something’s up,” I
thought. When I said, "Hi love,” he didn’t answer.
He could not. How do you tell your wife that your
child is dead? No hysterics. Tears flowed, but no
hysterics. Then I said something which was strange
to me. I kept on saying, "Praise God. Thank you,
Jesus". You see, in that instant I understood. So
many things had happened in the previous weeks,
but now the jigsaw fell into place. It was as though
God Himself was in that room with us. He took a
cloak and put in on me, and IT FITTED
PERFECTLY. In the midst of my pain and shock, I
knew it was right, perfectly, wonderfully right. So
my spirit could rejoice and praise God. Make no
mistake; Christianity is not an anesthetic. We felt
the crushing grief and pain that is physical. For
weeks my heart felt as though it was being torn in
half. If I had not known Jesus as my personal
Saviour I don’t know how I could have gone
through this. But He was alongside me all the time.
He put His wonderful arms around me and wept
with me. The pain is still there, but then so is Jesus.
I clearly recall what happened about two weeks
before Ryan died. One morning I went into the boy’s
room and sat on one of the beds and chatted to
them. Ryan told Wayne and me that he had dreamed
of Jesus. This is what he told us: "Mom, I saw Jesus
last night, twice. He was sitting at the end of my bed
and He was calling me. I didn’t hear him but He
beckoned me. I sat up in my bed and looked at Jesus.
He had short hair and His lips were moving. I fell
asleep but woke up again and sat up. This time He
was sitting by the dressing table. He spoke to me
but I didn’t hear the words though I knew He was
calling me." At the time I was not convinced that it
was Jesus he had seen, although Ryan had no doubt
that it was. I remembered the injunction in Scripture
to "test the spirits, whether they are of God". I told
Ryan that if it occurred again to ask this person in
whose name he came. About a week later Ryan came
into the kitchen while I was cooking dinner. He said,
"I’m going home soon, Mom". I asked, "What do
you mean? To heaven?" "Yes,” he said, and walked
out. A few days later, he closeted himself in the
garage and made me a little wooden ‘surprise.’ He
had been taught at school how to use a fretsaw and
was very proud of his newly learned skill. He had
shaped a piece of wood and sanded it. He was so
happy as he told me to close my eyes and hold out
my hands. As I looked at it, and remembered his
words, "I’m going home soon, mom", so I asked him
to write something on it for me. He wrote: "To
Mom, from Ryan. 30th January 1978."
I will always treasure this little piece of wood. I find
it so strange that I never really took Ryan seriously.
I should have. There were so many pointers. God
seemed to be telling me, preparing me in so many
ways for what was to come. It was almost as if there
was a count-down starting two weeks before his
death. But even long before that God began to
prepare me. Three years ago, Ryan got desperately
ill while on holiday in the Eastern Transvaal. A few
days before Christmas, he was admitted to the Sabie
hospital. Ronnie had to take someone we had with us
back to Johannesburg and I had to remain alone in
Sabie with Ryan. It was a time of real testing for me.
It seemed as though God wanted me alone. There
was something He wanted sorted out, and that was
my hold on my family. I loved them possessively and
held onto them tightly. I learned to a slight degree
what Abraham must have felt when God told him to
offer up Isaac, because that is what He did to me.
There was a strong possibility that Ryan would die
and I knew it. There in my hotel room, on my knees
I surrendered Ryan to God, to do with as He saw fit,
even if it meant death. And while I was at it I let go
of Ronnie and Wayne as well. That was the most
difficult thing I have ever done, but what a relief.
They were now God’s responsibility, not mine. He
was to keep them, protect them and guide them. Now
I could relax and enjoy my family without panicking
every time they were out of my sight. Ryan
recovered without the doctors ever finding out what
was wrong with him. I know that he was healed by
God because he had not yet completed his task here
on earth.
Two months before Ryan’s death, while at a Bible
study, I had a very strong feeling that something was
going to happen to me. I told the ladies and asked
them to pray for protection for me, which they did.
I drove home very carefully, thinking that it might
be a car accident. Nothing happened and the feeling
passed. During the two weeks prior to Ryan’s death
I found myself getting very anxious every time he
went out on his bike, and I would pray earnestly
until he got back. Although I never consciously
thought about Ryan’s dream and what he said about
going home, subconsciously I was troubled. Ronnie
experienced the same feeling. During this time my
walk with the Lord deepened to an extent that I
have not experienced before nor since. Again and
again I was challenged on my commitment to Him,
and my willingness to suffer for His sake. Time and
time again, my daily Bible reading would say things
like "Are you willing to be poured out like water for
My sake,” "Are you willing to lose everything for
Me?" and every day I would say "Yes Lord, no
matter what the cost.” I know I could never have
said and meant these words if it were not for the
indwelling Holy Spirit and the communion I had
with my Father at the time. The words weren’t
wrung from me, they poured forth from a heart
filled with the love of Jesus, a love which He put
there in the first place. The day before Ryan’s death
I told Ronnie that I could not see how Ryan would
cope at high school the next year. He just didn’t
seem to have the ability to grasp the work at school.
I felt very discouraged as I looked into the years
ahead because all I could see for him was frustration
and hardship in a very demanding world. I felt so
desperately sorry for him. Ronnie’s words to me
were prophetic. "Merlyn, don’t worry, God has a
plan for Ryan’s life."
After dinner that night we had our usual time of
Bible reading and prayer. Wayne chose Proverbs
27:1 which says "Boast not thyself or to morrow; for
thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." To
illustrate this reading I told the boys of a Christian
child who was struck by lightning at Living Waters,
a Christian camp, some years ago. Ryan asked if
God had sent the lightning, and I replied that He
had. I explained that the Bible says that God directs
the path of lightning. I know that God put these
words in my mouth, for that is exactly how Ryan
died the next day. He was struck with lightning
while playing cricket.
To be continued in the following edition.
We pray that the newsletter is encouraging you in your Christian walk and
that you may be growing in grace, and abounding in the knowledge of God.
God bless,
Linet 
Editor
Open for Submissions!
Linet Binstead
Have something uplifting and Godly to share in
Lilies of the Field? Contact me! We’re on the
lookout for:
Contributors
-
Katherine Shaw, Merlyn Ralph
~
We hope that Lilies of the Field has been an
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Testimonies (share what God’s done and
what He’s doing in your life)
Short stories or brief articles or poems
(make sure they reflect Christ!)
Prayer requests (for yourself or others, feel
free to share)
Book Reviews (tell us about Christian books
you believe others would spiritually benefit
from!)
Life Verse (share a verse Christ has laid on
your heart, what it is and what it means to
you)
Photos! (to be made into posters) 
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