Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the later day upon the earth. Job 19:23-25
Monuments of stone will wear away and their inscriptions perish. The words of Christ spoken and written in the Scriptures, are not only remembered on earth, they are forever settled in heaven. There the beauty of those precious words will never wear away.
They had a way of preserving fruit a hundred years ago that I understand is now lost. I have seen a dish of oranges and apples that look as lovely as though freshly plucked from the trees. That fruit was seventy-five years old. It looked nice but it was as hard as rock. It was only good to look at; it could not be eaten.
This is like the preserved words of ancient men; the volumes look nice on library shelves, but not one in a hundred would take the trouble to read them, or to listen to them being read. Their power and life are gone.
The ancient writings are mostly heavy, dead, and uninteresting; but the souls of men still feed on the words of Christ today as they did a thousand years ago. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63) In this His words are different; they are fresh and satisfying, like fruit from our orchards in the summertime. Truly, "Never man spake like this Man." (John 7:46)
A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake.
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January 11
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
I've seen the face of Jesus...it was a wondrous sight! Oh, glorious face of beauty, Oh gentle touch of care; If here it is so blessed, what will it be up there? W. Spencer Walton
In our fast-paced daily life, how easy it is to get caught up in the "things of earth" so that eternal values become blurred and almost forgotten. As we conclude the first month's journey through this new year, we need today's hymn to remind us that we must continue to make Christ the central core of our lives--to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness--if we are to be victorious believers.
In 1918, Helen Howarth Lemmel (1864-1961) the author and composer of this hymn, was given a tract by a missionary friend. As she read it, Helen's attention was focused on this line: "So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face, and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness." She wrote the following hymn the same week. Kenneth W. Osbeck
O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Saviour, and life more abundant and free!
Thru death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there;
over us sin no more hath dominion--for more than conq'rors we are!
His word shall not fail you--He promised; believe Him, and all will be well:
then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!
Chorus: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
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January 12
CURE FOR SELF-PITY
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. Psalms 103:13,14.
Self-pity can become a ruinous habit. We weaken our powers feeling sorry for ourselves and defeat ourselves in advance before the battle begins. We do not know all the facts anyway and may be lamenting something that may be God's providence working things out for our good, as they always do to them that love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
He knows our frame and He expects from us only what His grace will enable us to do. Do not count on yourself and then you will not be disappointed. Count on God and again you will not be disappointed!
Our Father pities His children. Let Him do it--don't pity yourself.
All the days - Vance Havner
Our times are in Thy hand, Father, we wish them there;
Our life, our soul, our all, we leave entirely to Thy care.
Our times are in Thy hand, whatever they may be,
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem to Thee.
Our times are in Thy hand, why should we doubt or fear?
A Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear.
(W. F. Lloyd - 1835)
N.J. Hiebert - 10186
January 13
When Jesus...went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where there was a garden, into which He entered, and His disciples. ...and, Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place...having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons." John 18:1-3.
The Lord comes forth to the band of cruel officers and soldiers, as they were, with this word, "Whom seek ye?"--thus addressing them, as in the repose of heaven, which was His. And He comes forth in the power of heaven, as well as in its repose--for on His afterwards saying to them, "I Am He," they go backward, and fall to the ground. No man could take His life from Him.
He has even to show them their prey; for all their torches and lanterns would not otherwise have discovered Him to them. Every stage in the way was His own. He laid down His life of Himself. They that would eat up His flesh must stumble and fall. They that desired His hurt must be turned back, and put to confusion. The fire was ready to consume this captain and his fifty.
(See 2 Kings 1:9-16)
Had the Son of God pleased, there, on the ground, the enemy would still have lain. He had come, however, not to destroy men's lives, but to save; and therefore He would lay down His own. (J. G. Bellett - The Evangelist)
His be "the Victor's name," who fought the fight alone;
Triumphant saints no honour claim, His conquest was their own.
"By weakness and defeat, He won the meed and crown;
Trod all our foes beneath His feet by being trodden down.
Bless, bless the conqueror slain, slain in His victory;
Who lived, who died, who lives again--for thee, His church, for thee!
(Whitlock Gandy)
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January 14
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed...there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine...and, behold, seven other kine came after them out of the river, ill favoured and lean fleshed...And the ill favoured and lean fleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. And Joseph answered Pharaoh...Genesis 41:1-4,16-44
This dream is God's plan for the future government of the world. Not by parliaments, or cabinets, nor by counsellors and ministers, will God govern, but by "a Man discreet and wise" set over all. And all will be brought under His sway either by the day of grace or in the day of judgment -- the years of plenty or the years of famine. For over two thousand years God has been meeting man's deepest need according to the riches of His grace, and many have thus been brought under the sway of Christ by confessing Him as Lord to His glory and their blessing. But the world at large that has neglected God's grace and rejected the claims of Christ will be brought to bow in the day of judgment that will follow the years of grace. "For when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9).
All being good in the eyes of Pharaoh, he proceeds to carry out the God given counsels of Joseph. Thus it came to pass that the man "that was separate from his brethren" (Genesis 49:26) is exalted to a place of supremacy "over all the land of Egypt." The rejection by his brothers, the humiliation he had borne, the lowly positions he had filled, and the sufferings he has endured, all led to the place of exaltation, and have an answer in the varied glories that fall to him as lord of all.
Moreover, if the days of his sorrows were a foreshadowing of the yet deeper sufferings and rejection of Christ, so too the supremacy of Joseph foreshadows the still greater glories of Christ as the the exalted Man. In story after story of great saints of old the Spirit of God delights to anticipate the supremacy of Christ; by glowing Psalms and thrilling prophecies His exaltation is foretold, and when at last -- His sufferings all fulfilled -- He is glorified at God's right hand, with yet greater delight the Holy Spirit takes the things of Christ and unfolds before us His varied glories as the One exalted over all. Hamilton Smith
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January 15
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29
All the gifts that a man has will never enable him to drink deep of this cup for Christ; such is the pride of man's heart, he had rather suffer any way than this, rather from himself, and for himself, than from Christ, or for Christ.
Most men are more tender of their skin than of their conscience, and had rather the gospel had provided armour to defend their bodies from death and danger, than their souls from sin and Satan. All the pieces are to defend the Christian from sin: (Ephesians 6:12-17) none to secure him from suffering.
Here is the true reason why so few come at the beat of Christ's drum to His standard, and so many of those few that have enlisted themselves by an external profession under Him, within a while drop away, and leave His colours; it is suffering work they are sick of.
Sufferings for the gospel are no matter of shame. Paul does not blush to tell, it is for the gospel he is in bonds. The shame belonged to them that put on the chain, not to him that wore it. "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf" (1 Peter 4:16)
The apostles rejoiced that "They were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41). Shall the wicked glory in their shame, and you be ashamed of your glory?
Heaven is but little worth if you have not a heart to despise a little shame, and bear a few taunts from profane people for your hope of it. A martyr, when asked how he came to prison, he showed his Bible, and said, "This brought me here". The Chrisitian in Complete Armour - Willaim Gurnall (1617-1679)
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January 16
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day long; but the righteous giveth and spareth not. Proverbs 21:25,26
Like a drone in the hive, the slothful man covets the fruits of labour but detests the work which produces them. He is occupied with himself, full of desire, but opposed to effort. Selfishness is his strongest characteristic.
The righteous man is a producer. He loves to acquire, but only in order that he may "provide things honest in the sight of all men," (Romans 12:17) properly meeting the need of those dependent upon him, and having plenty to give to any who are in need.
In this he is an imitator of God "who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not." (James 1:5)
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January 17
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. John 15:4
The rest is in Christ, and not something He gives apart from Himself, and so it is only in having Him that the rest can really be kept and enjoyed.
It is because so many a young believer fails to lay hold of this truth that the rest so speedily passes away. With some it is that they really did not know; they were never taught how Jesus claims the undivided allegiance of the whole heart and life; how there is not a spot in the whole of life over which He does not wish to reign; how in the very least things His disciple must only seek to please Him.
They did not know how entire the consecration was that Jesus claimed. With others, who had some idea of what a very holy life a Christian ought to lead, the mistake was a different one: they could not believe such a life to be a possible attainment. Taking, and bearing, and never for a moment laying aside the yoke of Jesus, appeared to them to require such a strain of effort, and such an amount of goodness as to be altogether beyond their reach.
The very idea of always, all the day, abiding in Jesus, was too high,--something they might attain to after life of holiness and growth, but certainly not what a feeble beginner was to start with. They did not know how, when Jesus said, "My yoke is easy," He spoke the truth; how just the yoke gives the rest, because the moment the soul yields itself to obey, the Lord Himself gives the strength and joy to do it.
These two, consecration and faith, are the essential elements of the Christian life--the giving up all to Jesus, the receiving all from Jesus. They are implied in each other; they are united in one word--surrender. A full surrender is to obey as well as to trust, to trust as well as to obey. Abide in Christ - Andrew Murray
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January 18
