August 20
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul.”
(1 Peter 2:11)
The truth needs not man: man needs the truth.
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Sweeping away snow is long work; if the sun is well up,
it is gone. A night covers the earth a foot deep—
what millions of men could not do, a day takes
it all away if God’s warmth comes in.
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Do not be afraid of . . . consequences.
If we do right God will take care of them.
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I cannot do the work I did, but I have His work to do
as long as He gives it to me.
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We should like to go always with a full, favourable wind,
but this does not make a good sailor.
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Not a single thing in which we have served Christ shall be
forgotten . . . all shall come out that is real, and
what is real is Christ in us, and this only.
(Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest - JND)
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August 21
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
(Titus 2:13)
“Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second
time without sin unto salvation.”
(Hebrews 9:28)
Lamb of God! when Thou in glory shalt to this sad earth return,
All Thy foes shall quake before thee, all who now despise Thee mourn;
Then shall we at Thine appearing with Thee in Thy kingdom reign;
Thine the praise and Thine the glory, Lamb of God, for sinners slain.
(J. G. Deck)
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August 22
DOING BUSINESS WITH CHRIST: PILATE
“What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?"
(Matthew 27:22)
Pilate had to do business with Jesus, and so must we all.
We cannot wash our hands of the whole business any more than could he.
We cannot leave Christ alone.
The question is not, “What will you do with Jesus?”
but "What are you doing with Him now?” We are for or against,
we gather with Him or we scatter abroad.
Pilate faced the alternatives of cynicism: “What is truth?”; criminality: “Barabbas or Jesus?; Caesar: “If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar’s friend.”
The question is always "Christ or. . . .
This unbelieving world, whether it choose the cynic, the criminal, or Caesar,
must do something with Christ. He is inescapable.
And men must settle with Christ, not
with a church or a preacher.
Let us never obscure the issue: what are you doing with Jesus the Christ?
(Vance Havner)
“He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that beliveth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
(John 3:18)
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August 23
“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
(Romans 4:7-8)
“. . . Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption:
for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.”
(Isaiah 38:17)
“. . . Son be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
(Matthew 9:2)
At all times, forgiveness of sins was known with all the certainty which the Word of God could give. Any one of the cases adduced above is sufficient to overthrow the teaching of those who assert that no one can know that his sins are forgiven.
If I find from Scripture that any one ever knew this marvellous precious blessing, that is quite enough for me. Now, when I open my Bible, I find persons, who had been guilty of all manner of sins, brought to the knowledge of forgiveness; and I therefore argue that it is possible for the very vilest sinner to know now, with Divine certainty, that his sins are forgiven.
Was it presumption in Abraham, in David, in Hezekiah, in the palsied man, and in numbers besides, to believe in the forgiveness of sins? Would it have been a sign of humility and true piety in them to doubt? It will, perhaps, be argued that these were all special and extraordinary cases. Well, it matters not, so far as our present question is concerned, whether they were ordinary or extraordinary.
One thing is plain, they completely disprove the assertion that no one can know that his sins are forgiven. The Word of God teaches me that numbers, subject to like passions, like infirmities, like failures, and like sins as the writer and reader, were brought to know and rejoice in the full forgiveness of sins, and hence those who maintain that no one can be sure on this momentous question, have no Scriptural foundation for their opinion.
(C.H. Mackintosh)
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August 24
MAKE ME A BLESSING
“By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted:
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”
(Proverbs 11:11)
Nothing is lost that is done for the Lord, let it be ever so small;
The smile of the Saviour approves of the deed as though it were greatest of all.
(Unknown)
We are of little value to our Lord if we do not produce fruit for Him. In fact, the command of Scripture is to bear “much fruit.” Regardless of the task to which God calls us, whether it be great or small, it will receive His promised blessing when we do it faithfully and with sincere motives.
The Scriptures also teach that our deeds of compassion and mercy must be done with cheerfulness, never simply out of duty (Romans 12:8). “It is not fitting when one is in God’s service to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.”
Representing Christ and serving others must become a normal, happy lifestyle as we
“carry the sunshine where darkness is rife.”
(Kenneth W. Osbeck)
Out of the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad;
carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, making the sorrowing glad.
Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, tell of His pow’r to forgive;
others will trust Him if only you prove, true ev’ry moment you live.
Give as ’twas given to you in your need, love as the Master loved you;
be to the helpless a helper indeed, unto your mission be true.
Chorus: Make me a blessing, make me a blessing! Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour, I pray; make me a blessing to someone today.
(Ira B. Wilson)
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August 25
FIGHTING AGAINST GOD
“There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.”
(Genesis 32:24)
When God came into Jacob’s life, Jacob wrestled with him, just as we so often do.
There is no doubt that Jacob had gone aside to meet with God for he was a frightened man.
Word had reached him that Esau was on the road ahead waiting for him, so
Jacob wanted to meet God to ask Him to deal with Esau.
He found to his dismay that God wanted to deal with him.
So Jacob wrestled with God.
The struggle lasted the whole night through, but it ended at last.
In our lives we sometimes want God to deal with someone else while all the time God wants to deal with us!
We don’t like this and so we struggle with God and fight against Him.
Our struggles can last much longer than Jacob’s.
He struggled for a whole night; We can sometimes struggle
not for hours, but for days or months or years.
Are we fighting against God?
(George Duncan)
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August 26
“It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.”
(John 19:30)
In the Greek language that is only one word instead of three. We say, “It is finished.”
He cried “Finished!”
That means that the work that saves was completed; it means that the work whereby men and women may be cleansed from their sins and may stand justified from every charge before a holy God, had been fully done, and upon the basis of that finished work God can now be just and the Justifier of him that believes in Jesus.
A dear saint was dying, and somebody stood over him and asked, “Is it well?”
He looked up and replied with a smile. “Yes, ‘It is finished."
Upon that I can hang my whole eternity.”
Do you realize the blessedness of that? “It is finished.”
You cannot add anything to a finished work.
It is not a question of Christ having done His part and now you must do your part in order to put away sin: but the blessed truth is that Christ has forever put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and God wants us to receive the testimony of that, to believe it, and to give God the glory for it.
The moment we do believe, all the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is put down over against our sin and our iniquity, and we are justified freely by His grace.
(H. A. Ironside)
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August 27
LOVE DISCERNING AND REMEMBERING
“Joseph saw his brethren and he knew them . . .
Joseph’s brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. . .
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them . . .”
(Genesis 42:6-9)
Love is quick to discern. Multitudes from surrounding nations were driven by need to the feet of Joseph, but directly these ten men (Joseph’s brothers) appear before him love discerns that they are his brethren, and we read, “Joseph saw his brethren.”
For twenty year he had not seen them, but with love’s quick perception he sees in those ten needy men the brethren from whom he had so long been parted. And love “knew them.” "Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not” (Genesis 42:8).
Love knew their past history and the present need that brought them to his feet. Love knew, because love "remembered” the dreams of the past, the anger and scorn with which they had been received by the brethren, the treatment they had meted out to him, all is remembered but remembered by one that loves them, for, as Joseph speaks with them, “He turned himself about.”
Time will come when all the pent-up affections of Joseph will flow out without restraint as he weeps before them, but ere that moment comes he has other work to do. Love will set itself to work to win their hearts and set them in perfect ease in the presence of the one against whom they had so greatly sinned.
To reach this end love will find a way whereby, in righteousness, every stain on the past can be wiped away,so that with every question entirely settled nothing will remain to hinder its outflow between Joseph and his brethren.
(Hamilton Smith)
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August 28
“Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth
greatly in His commandments. He shall not be afraid of evil
tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”
(Psalm 112:1,7)
We find both the means and the result of the keeping in the 112th Psalm: “his heart is fixed.”
Whose heart? An angel’s? A saint's in glory? No. Simply the heart of a man that
feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in His commandments.
Therefore yours and mine, as God would have them be; just the normal idea of a God-fearing heart, nothing extremely and hopelessly beyond attainment.
“Fixed.” How does that tally with the deceitfulness and waywardness and fickleness about which
we really talk as if it we were rather proud of them than utterly ashamed of them?
“His heart is fixed (established), he shall not be afraid.” Is not that enough? What is,
if such plain and yet divine words are not? Well the Gracious One bears
with us and gives line upon line to His poor little children.
And so He says, “The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” And again, “Thy thought shall be established." And again,"Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusted in Thee.”
(Kept for the Master’s Use - Frances Ridley Havergal)
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August 29
“Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”
(Psalm 31:20)
"Why are ye troubled?” (Luke 24:30) Is it the strife of tongues? Have friends turned into foes?
Have the nearest forsaken? What comfort may be derived from some of the Psalms in these situations!
What a promise is contained in Psalm 31:20. Again, in Psalm 27, the Psalmist refers to enemies coming upon him, to a host encamping against him, and to war, but his confidence is unshaken, and he says,“My heart shall not fear.” And the reason is because he is continually living in the presence of God, and desires only one thing, to behold the beauty of the Lord and dwell in His house. “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall he hide me.”
Yes, in "all strife and strait” we may trust God for help; even though we may have to feel the deepest distress of all: “When my father and my mother forsake me.” Will God fail us then?
No. “Then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10).
Are you troubled because people have failed you, or turned out differently from what you expected? Christ says, “Handle me and see” (Luke 24:39). He will never give way beneath your touch. He will never fail you. The more you handle Him the more you will discover His worth.
Those words of old John Newton may well become a prayer upon many a lip to-day:
Quiet, Lord, my froward heart; make me teachable and mild,
Upright, simple, free from art; make me as a little child—
From distrust and envy free, pleased with all that pleases Thee.
What Thou shalt to-day provide, let me as a child receive,
What to-morrow may betide, calmly to Thy wisdom leave;
’Tis enough that Thou wilt care—why should I the burden bear?
As a little child relies, on a care beyond his own,
Knows he’s neither strong not wise, fears to stir a step alone—
Let me thus with Thee abide, as my Father, Guard, and Guide.
(Angels in White - Russell Elliot)
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August 30
"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make
coats of skins, and clothed them.”
(Genesis 3:21)
My young grandsons enjoy dressing themselves.
Sometimes they pull their shirts on backwards and often the younger one puts his shoes on the wrong feet. I usually don’t have the heart to tell them; besides, I find their innocence endearing.
I love seeing the world through their eyes. To them, everything is an adventure, whether walking the length of a fallen tree, spying a turtle sunning itself on a log, or excitedly watching a fire truck roar by.
But I know that even my little grandsons are not truly innocent. They can make up a dozen excuses about why they can’t stay in their beds at night and are quick to yank a wanted toy from the other.
Yet I love them dearly.
I picture Adam and Eve, God’s first people, as being in someways like my grandchildren. Everything they saw in the garden must have been a a marvel as they walked with God. But one day they willfully disobeyed.
They ate of the one tree they were forbidden to eat (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6). And that disobedience immediately led to lies and blame shifting. (Genesis 3:8-13).
Still, God loved and cared for them. He sacrificed animals in order to clothe them (v. 21)—and later He provided a way of salvation for all sinners through the sacrifice of His Son “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16). He loves us that much.
(A. Kieda)
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Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2018) Grand Rapids, MI - Reprinted permission
August 31
“Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me,
all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law
since the death of thine husband.”
(Ruth 2:11)
There is no record that Ruth had said a word concerning her treatment of Naomi,
but to her great surprise Boaz knew.
Our heavenly Boaz misses nothing. He not only observes but
rewards—sometimes in this life,
but always in the next.
Ours will be an even richer experience than that of a Moabitess
marrying a Jewish prince.
(Brian Russell)
With eternity’s values in view, Lord, with eternity’s values in view;
May I do each day’s work for Jesus, with eternity"s values in view.
(Alfred B. Smith)
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September 1
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