"BUT IF NOT . . ."
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:17,18 .
THE HEBREW CHILDREN did not doubt that God could save them from the furnace, but if He did not they would be faithful, anyway. It is well to be prepared for the "if nots." God is always able, but sometimes it is not His will to deliver us from the fiery furnace. But He will save us in the furnace. He does not always spare us trouble, but He does succour us in trouble.
If you are facing a furnace, make provision for the "if not." If you are not healed, if the dear one is taken, if that friend fails you, be faithful, anyway. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15)
If things do not turn out the way you had hoped and prayed they would, do not bow to Nebuchadnezzar's image of doubt or fear or discouragement. That is what the devil wants, as when he put Job in his furnace.
"God can do it, but if He doesn't, He is still my God. I will bow to no idol." . . . Blessed are the saints of the If Nots! Day by Day - Vance Havner
N.J. Hiebert - 8650
October 31
THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE ANXIOUS
Casting all your care (anxiety) upon Him; for He careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
The Lord Jesus once spoke of the "cares of this life" (Luke 8:14.) He knew all about them, and how very real they are. One great object of His coming into the world was to teach men how to get free from those cares. He taught them by precept and example to trust God.
What are some of the "cares of this life?" There is, first of all, the care connected with its maintenance. How to make both ends meet, we may depend upon it, presses very heavily upon not a few. The husband does not know, perhaps, how long he may keep his situation. His health is failing, his income barely sufficient, and with a growing family expenses necessarily increase. Or, worse still, he is actually out of work.
Take another case. There is a widow with a number of young children dependent upon her. Work is uncertain, at the best hard, and the entire responsibility depends upon her. Is it possible under such circumstances to be free from care? We answer with unhesitating certainty, Yes. God has given us an object-lesson as to this which is before our eyes every day. Christ drew our attention to it. The birds have neither storehouse nor barn, yet they sing as blithely as if all the world were theirs. How are thy fed? "God feedeth them" (Luke 12:24) is the divine explanation.
The prayer the Lord taught His disciples is in harmony with this: "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) If the kind of life indicated here is accepted it is possible to be free from care even in the poorest circumstances.
Angels in White - Russell Elliott
N.J. Hiebert - 8651
Casting all your care (anxiety) upon Him; for He careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
The Lord Jesus once spoke of the "cares of this life" (Luke 8:14.) He knew all about them, and how very real they are. One great object of His coming into the world was to teach men how to get free from those cares. He taught them by precept and example to trust God.
What are some of the "cares of this life?" There is, first of all, the care connected with its maintenance. How to make both ends meet, we may depend upon it, presses very heavily upon not a few. The husband does not know, perhaps, how long he may keep his situation. His health is failing, his income barely sufficient, and with a growing family expenses necessarily increase. Or, worse still, he is actually out of work.
Take another case. There is a widow with a number of young children dependent upon her. Work is uncertain, at the best hard, and the entire responsibility depends upon her. Is it possible under such circumstances to be free from care? We answer with unhesitating certainty, Yes. God has given us an object-lesson as to this which is before our eyes every day. Christ drew our attention to it. The birds have neither storehouse nor barn, yet they sing as blithely as if all the world were theirs. How are thy fed? "God feedeth them" (Luke 12:24) is the divine explanation.
The prayer the Lord taught His disciples is in harmony with this: "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) If the kind of life indicated here is accepted it is possible to be free from care even in the poorest circumstances.
Angels in White - Russell Elliott
N.J. Hiebert - 8651
November 1
ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED
"He hath made us accepted in the Beloved". Ephesians 1:6
Years ago I was preaching in the small town of Roosevelt, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River. I was the guest of friends who were sheep-raisers. It was lambing time and every morning we went out to see the lambs--hundreds of them--playing about on the green.
One morning I was startled to see an old ewe go loping across the road, followed by the strangest looking lamb I had ever seen. It apparently had six legs, and the last two were hanging helplessly as though paralyzed, and the skin seemed to be partially torn from its body in a way that made me feel the poor little creature must be suffering terribly. But when one of the herders caught the lamb and brought it over to me, the mystery was explained.
That lamb did not really belong originally to that ewe. She had a lamb which was bitten by a rattlesnake and died. This lamb that I saw was an orphan and needed a mother's care. But at first the bereft ewe refused to have anything to do with it. She sniffed at it when it was brought to her, then pushed it away, saying as plainly as a sheep could say it, "That is not our family odour!" So the herders skinned the lamb that had died and very carefully drew the fleece over the living lamb. This left the hind-leg coverings dragging loose. Thus covered, the lamb was brought again to the ewe. She smelled it once more and this time seemed thoroughly satisfied and adopted it as her own.
It seemed to me to be a beautiful picture of the grace of God to sinners. We are all outcasts and have no claim upon His love. But God's own Son, the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the World," has died for us and now we who believe are dressed up in the fleece of the Lamb who died. Thus, God has accepted us in Him, and "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." We are as dear to the heart of the Father as His own holy, spotless Son. H. A. Ironside
So nigh, so very nigh to God, I cannot nearer be;
For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He.
So dear, so very dear to God, more dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son, such is His love to me. C. Paget
N.J. Hiebert - 8652
"He hath made us accepted in the Beloved". Ephesians 1:6
Years ago I was preaching in the small town of Roosevelt, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River. I was the guest of friends who were sheep-raisers. It was lambing time and every morning we went out to see the lambs--hundreds of them--playing about on the green.
One morning I was startled to see an old ewe go loping across the road, followed by the strangest looking lamb I had ever seen. It apparently had six legs, and the last two were hanging helplessly as though paralyzed, and the skin seemed to be partially torn from its body in a way that made me feel the poor little creature must be suffering terribly. But when one of the herders caught the lamb and brought it over to me, the mystery was explained.
That lamb did not really belong originally to that ewe. She had a lamb which was bitten by a rattlesnake and died. This lamb that I saw was an orphan and needed a mother's care. But at first the bereft ewe refused to have anything to do with it. She sniffed at it when it was brought to her, then pushed it away, saying as plainly as a sheep could say it, "That is not our family odour!" So the herders skinned the lamb that had died and very carefully drew the fleece over the living lamb. This left the hind-leg coverings dragging loose. Thus covered, the lamb was brought again to the ewe. She smelled it once more and this time seemed thoroughly satisfied and adopted it as her own.
It seemed to me to be a beautiful picture of the grace of God to sinners. We are all outcasts and have no claim upon His love. But God's own Son, the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the World," has died for us and now we who believe are dressed up in the fleece of the Lamb who died. Thus, God has accepted us in Him, and "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." We are as dear to the heart of the Father as His own holy, spotless Son. H. A. Ironside
So nigh, so very nigh to God, I cannot nearer be;
For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He.
So dear, so very dear to God, more dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son, such is His love to me. C. Paget
N.J. Hiebert - 8652
November 2
". . . whither the head looked they followed" Ezekiel 10:11
This simple phrase gives us a principle that should be our guide as believers in the Lord Jesus, our Head. Our natural tendency is to follow our own reasoning power, which we know from experience often gets us into trouble.
Ezekiel at the time was describing what He saw in a vision from God. In this case the followers were cherubim (powerful angelic beings), but the principle needs to be our pattern too. The wisdom, strength and courage to do so will be readily provided by God, to the extent we are willing to take advantage of it.
In Psalm 23:2, we are given the promise that the Shepherd "leadeth me beside the still waters." Why would the sheep ever want anything else? We understand that sheep will only lap from calm water, such as a pond or quiet stream. Sheep are usually not smart enough to find still water in a dry country, and nor are we.
We certainly know how spiritually dry the world around us has become, and need to quietly and submissively follow the Leader, who always knows what we need (not necessarily all we want!). The disciples learned that lesson when they were instructed by the Lord: "there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in" (Luke 22:10). It was very unusual for a man to be fetching water, so he stood out from all the people passing in the busy street. The man is a picture of the Holy Spirit who will always lead us to Jesus.
". . .they turned not as they went" (Ezekiel 10:11) This important phrase makes a point about the straightforward, unswerving submission to the Lord's leadership. We don't need to search very far to understand what Satan sets before us in order to turn us to the right hand or the left. He is always opposed to the Lord Jesus and wants to spoil or diminish our enjoyment of all we possess in Christ. If there is going to be personal communion with others of "like precious faith", it must be on the basis of our own intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour. "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalm 34:3) Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8653
This simple phrase gives us a principle that should be our guide as believers in the Lord Jesus, our Head. Our natural tendency is to follow our own reasoning power, which we know from experience often gets us into trouble.
Ezekiel at the time was describing what He saw in a vision from God. In this case the followers were cherubim (powerful angelic beings), but the principle needs to be our pattern too. The wisdom, strength and courage to do so will be readily provided by God, to the extent we are willing to take advantage of it.
In Psalm 23:2, we are given the promise that the Shepherd "leadeth me beside the still waters." Why would the sheep ever want anything else? We understand that sheep will only lap from calm water, such as a pond or quiet stream. Sheep are usually not smart enough to find still water in a dry country, and nor are we.
We certainly know how spiritually dry the world around us has become, and need to quietly and submissively follow the Leader, who always knows what we need (not necessarily all we want!). The disciples learned that lesson when they were instructed by the Lord: "there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in" (Luke 22:10). It was very unusual for a man to be fetching water, so he stood out from all the people passing in the busy street. The man is a picture of the Holy Spirit who will always lead us to Jesus.
". . .they turned not as they went" (Ezekiel 10:11) This important phrase makes a point about the straightforward, unswerving submission to the Lord's leadership. We don't need to search very far to understand what Satan sets before us in order to turn us to the right hand or the left. He is always opposed to the Lord Jesus and wants to spoil or diminish our enjoyment of all we possess in Christ. If there is going to be personal communion with others of "like precious faith", it must be on the basis of our own intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour. "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalm 34:3) Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8653
November 3
WHAT IS IN THINE HAND?
And the Lord said unto him, what is that in thine hand? Exodus 4:2
What hast thou in thy hand woman? "One handful" more;
Go feed the prophet, and 'twill last till famine days are o'er. 1 Kings 17:12
What hast thou in thy hand, Widow? "A pot of oil";
Go pour it out and find a store of rich and priceless spoil. 2 Kings 4:2
What hast thou in thy hand, Mary? Some "perfume rare";
Pour it upon His head; 'twill flow in fragrance every where. Matthew 26:7
And Rahab, what hast thou? "a cord of scarlet hue";
Hang it in faith, gather your kin--God's blessings rest on you. Joshua 2:21
And, Dorcas, what hast thou? "a needle and some thread"; Acts 9:36-42
Give them to God, they'll bless the poor, and bring thee from the dead.
What hast thou in thy hand, Widow? "Two mites"--no more;
Give them to God, and they shall grow to be a mighty store. Luke 21:1-4
What hast thou in thy hand, Mother "a baby's hand;"
Train it for Him, so shall thy life bear fruit in every land. Exodus 2:9
N.J. Hiebert - 8654
And the Lord said unto him, what is that in thine hand? Exodus 4:2
What hast thou in thy hand woman? "One handful" more;
Go feed the prophet, and 'twill last till famine days are o'er. 1 Kings 17:12
What hast thou in thy hand, Widow? "A pot of oil";
Go pour it out and find a store of rich and priceless spoil. 2 Kings 4:2
What hast thou in thy hand, Mary? Some "perfume rare";
Pour it upon His head; 'twill flow in fragrance every where. Matthew 26:7
And Rahab, what hast thou? "a cord of scarlet hue";
Hang it in faith, gather your kin--God's blessings rest on you. Joshua 2:21
And, Dorcas, what hast thou? "a needle and some thread"; Acts 9:36-42
Give them to God, they'll bless the poor, and bring thee from the dead.
What hast thou in thy hand, Widow? "Two mites"--no more;
Give them to God, and they shall grow to be a mighty store. Luke 21:1-4
What hast thou in thy hand, Mother "a baby's hand;"
Train it for Him, so shall thy life bear fruit in every land. Exodus 2:9
N.J. Hiebert - 8654
November 4
Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. John 12: 27-28
Soon after speaking this way, the Lord Jesus told His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). Why should He say His own soul was troubled and urge His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled? The answer is simply that they had no right reason for being troubled, but He had reason such as no one else could ever have for being troubled to the depths of His soul.
The hour to which all history had looked forward was about to come, and the Son of God knew it well. He was destined to bear unparalleled suffering and anguish on Calvary's cross. It would mean the unutterable agony of being forsaken by God and made a curse on account of our sins.
No suffering in all history could compare with that which He must endure in being made an offering for sin. The very prospect troubled His soul and caused Him to question: Should He pray to the Father to save Him from that hour?
However, in calm dignity of purpose the Lord adds, "But for this cause came I unto this hour." He will not turn to one side or the other but go forward to meet that ordeal of excruciating anguish, taking the load of our sins upon Himself, and fully atoning for sins that were not His own. Therefore, because of His being troubled, not only in anticipating the cross, but more greatly still in bearing it, He can well tell us not to be troubled. He had borne the trouble for us.
More than this: He says, "Father, glorify Thy name." Through that wonderful sacrifice, the Father's name has been glorified for eternity. The Lord is Near
N.J. Hiebert - 8655
Soon after speaking this way, the Lord Jesus told His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). Why should He say His own soul was troubled and urge His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled? The answer is simply that they had no right reason for being troubled, but He had reason such as no one else could ever have for being troubled to the depths of His soul.
The hour to which all history had looked forward was about to come, and the Son of God knew it well. He was destined to bear unparalleled suffering and anguish on Calvary's cross. It would mean the unutterable agony of being forsaken by God and made a curse on account of our sins.
No suffering in all history could compare with that which He must endure in being made an offering for sin. The very prospect troubled His soul and caused Him to question: Should He pray to the Father to save Him from that hour?
However, in calm dignity of purpose the Lord adds, "But for this cause came I unto this hour." He will not turn to one side or the other but go forward to meet that ordeal of excruciating anguish, taking the load of our sins upon Himself, and fully atoning for sins that were not His own. Therefore, because of His being troubled, not only in anticipating the cross, but more greatly still in bearing it, He can well tell us not to be troubled. He had borne the trouble for us.
More than this: He says, "Father, glorify Thy name." Through that wonderful sacrifice, the Father's name has been glorified for eternity. The Lord is Near
N.J. Hiebert - 8655
November 5
David went on going and growing, and the Lord . . . was with him.
2 Samuel 5:10 (Margin).
When a believer stops going he ceases growing also. There must be obedience to the truth of God, a "going" on in the ways that be in Christ, as they are learned from His Word.
No shirking of the cross that obedience often brings with it, but steady "going and growing" steadily and constantly. They are the happy saints who thus go on growing, and they are fruitful ones too.
They are not toppled over with every wind, for they grow like the cedar in Lebanon, striking down their roots deeper every year, and flourish like the palm tree, evergreen, amid burning deserts. (Choice Gleaning Calendar - J.Ritchie)
The cedar boughs once touched the grass; but every year they grew
A little farther from the ground and nearer to the blue.
So live that you may each year be, while time glides swiftly by,
A little farther from the the earth, and nearer to the sky.
N.J. Hiebert - 8656
2 Samuel 5:10 (Margin).
When a believer stops going he ceases growing also. There must be obedience to the truth of God, a "going" on in the ways that be in Christ, as they are learned from His Word.
No shirking of the cross that obedience often brings with it, but steady "going and growing" steadily and constantly. They are the happy saints who thus go on growing, and they are fruitful ones too.
They are not toppled over with every wind, for they grow like the cedar in Lebanon, striking down their roots deeper every year, and flourish like the palm tree, evergreen, amid burning deserts. (Choice Gleaning Calendar - J.Ritchie)
The cedar boughs once touched the grass; but every year they grew
A little farther from the ground and nearer to the blue.
So live that you may each year be, while time glides swiftly by,
A little farther from the the earth, and nearer to the sky.
N.J. Hiebert - 8656
November 6
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
The Lord Jesus arises from His throne, He descends from heaven, He gives the word Himself, the voice of the archangel passes it on, and the trumpet gives a well-know sound. The imagery is military. As well-trained troops know the orders of their commander by the sound of the trumpet, so will the army of the Lord answer instantly to His call. All the dead in Christ shall rise, and all the living saints shall be changed; and they shall enter into the cloud, and be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall they ever be with the Lord.
This is the first resurrection, the rapture of the saints. Before a seal of judgment is broken, or another trumpet is blown, or a vial poured out, the saints are all gone--gone to glory, gone to be with the Lord forever! What a thought! What an event! Not a particle of the redeemed dust of God's children left in the grave; and not a believer left on the face of the whole earth! All caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and to be conducted by Him to the Father's house of many mansions.
But, who can think, who can speak, of the happy reunions on that morning of cloudless joy? Doubtless the Person of the Lord will fix every eye, and ravish every heart; still there will be the distinct recognition of those who, though long parted from us here, have never lost their place in our hearts. And as all will perfectly bear the image of the Lord, we can never lose sight of Him. Though everyone will have his own identity and his own special joy, yet all will be like the Lord, and the joy of each will be the common joy of all. But chiefest of all our joys that morning, and from which all other joy shall flow, will be to see His face, and behold His glory; or, as John says, and sums up all blessedness in two expressions: "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2) Andrew Miller
N.J. Hiebert - 8657
The Lord Jesus arises from His throne, He descends from heaven, He gives the word Himself, the voice of the archangel passes it on, and the trumpet gives a well-know sound. The imagery is military. As well-trained troops know the orders of their commander by the sound of the trumpet, so will the army of the Lord answer instantly to His call. All the dead in Christ shall rise, and all the living saints shall be changed; and they shall enter into the cloud, and be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall they ever be with the Lord.
This is the first resurrection, the rapture of the saints. Before a seal of judgment is broken, or another trumpet is blown, or a vial poured out, the saints are all gone--gone to glory, gone to be with the Lord forever! What a thought! What an event! Not a particle of the redeemed dust of God's children left in the grave; and not a believer left on the face of the whole earth! All caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and to be conducted by Him to the Father's house of many mansions.
But, who can think, who can speak, of the happy reunions on that morning of cloudless joy? Doubtless the Person of the Lord will fix every eye, and ravish every heart; still there will be the distinct recognition of those who, though long parted from us here, have never lost their place in our hearts. And as all will perfectly bear the image of the Lord, we can never lose sight of Him. Though everyone will have his own identity and his own special joy, yet all will be like the Lord, and the joy of each will be the common joy of all. But chiefest of all our joys that morning, and from which all other joy shall flow, will be to see His face, and behold His glory; or, as John says, and sums up all blessedness in two expressions: "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2) Andrew Miller
N.J. Hiebert - 8657
November 7
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.
"YES, LORD" are two words found only once in the Bible: "And she answered and said unto Him, Yes, Lord: . . . (Mark 7:28) But they were the key to blessing for a person who needed help that only the Lord Jesus Christ could give.
These words are still the key which will open the door to good things in our lives. When we submit our wills to the will of God, we have started in the right direction. God has spoken to us in His Word, the Bible. He loves us and wants us to have His best.
He sent His Son into our world to die as a sacrifice for us on Calvary's cross. God raised Him from among the dead and has taken Him back to heaven and placed Him on His throne of grace and power. Jesus lives today. He is LORD. Submit yourself to Him by faith right now.
YES, LORD is the key!
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
(Romans 10:9) J-O-Y Gospel Distributors
N.J. Hiebert - 8658
"YES, LORD" are two words found only once in the Bible: "And she answered and said unto Him, Yes, Lord: . . . (Mark 7:28) But they were the key to blessing for a person who needed help that only the Lord Jesus Christ could give.
These words are still the key which will open the door to good things in our lives. When we submit our wills to the will of God, we have started in the right direction. God has spoken to us in His Word, the Bible. He loves us and wants us to have His best.
He sent His Son into our world to die as a sacrifice for us on Calvary's cross. God raised Him from among the dead and has taken Him back to heaven and placed Him on His throne of grace and power. Jesus lives today. He is LORD. Submit yourself to Him by faith right now.
YES, LORD is the key!
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
(Romans 10:9) J-O-Y Gospel Distributors
N.J. Hiebert - 8658
November 8
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Proverbs 16:3
"Father, where shall I work today?"
And my love flowed warm and free;
Then He pointed to me a tiny spot,
And said, "Tend that for Me";
I answered quickly, "No, not that;
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
Not that little place for me!"
And the word He spoke, it was not stern:
He answered me tenderly,
"Ah, labourer search that heart of yours:
Are you working for them or Me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee."
If labour flows from a loving heart,
It matters not the pay-
And if I work but one short hour
Or bear the heat of the day;
The Master is just and ever-wise;
He gives His rewards with grace;
The first is last; the last is first;
No room for pride of place;
I ask Him, "Where and how to serve?"
He knows just where I should be;
If I wish His mind in doing His work,
I'll find it on bended knee. Selected
N.J. Hiebert - 8659
"Father, where shall I work today?"
And my love flowed warm and free;
Then He pointed to me a tiny spot,
And said, "Tend that for Me";
I answered quickly, "No, not that;
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
Not that little place for me!"
And the word He spoke, it was not stern:
He answered me tenderly,
"Ah, labourer search that heart of yours:
Are you working for them or Me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee."
If labour flows from a loving heart,
It matters not the pay-
And if I work but one short hour
Or bear the heat of the day;
The Master is just and ever-wise;
He gives His rewards with grace;
The first is last; the last is first;
No room for pride of place;
I ask Him, "Where and how to serve?"
He knows just where I should be;
If I wish His mind in doing His work,
I'll find it on bended knee. Selected
N.J. Hiebert - 8659
November 9
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2
God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall 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,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 8660
God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall 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,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 8660
November 10
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also. John 14:3
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 8661
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 8661
November 11
November 12
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