For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17
The sorrows of earth will become the gems of glory. Every suffering that Christian martyrs ever bore, every sorrow rightly felt by saints of God, under the hand of their Father, is helping to produce those precious jewels that shall ere long flash in the light of the Lord God Almighty.
If we have to shed tears now, there is a time coming when thy will all be wiped away. (Revelation 7:17) It is said that God will do this. Will you have any to be removed by such a hand? Do not think it hard that you have to shed them now. Think of what it will be for God to wipe them away!
An aged Christian once wrote: "If I had not been called to pass through this trouble, and shed these tears, I should have missed the softness of the hand that wiped them away."
God has numbered the hairs of our head, (Luke 12:7) and He, and no other, will wipe away our tears. Oh, the gladness of that moment! For when God has wiped them away, they will never come again! Our sins are gone for ever, because He has put them away; and our tears will go too, some day, for the same reason, never to return. Need we then be careful and troubled about many things when there is a God Who bids us cast our care upon Him, and tells us that He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
There is a time coming when every riddle will be solved, when infidelity shall for ever be a nightmare of the past, and faith shall reach its pinnacle of triumph; when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord and become one vast temple to His praise; and then the one universal note of adoring worship upon every lip will surely be this: "AS for God His way is perfect." (Psalm 18:30)
Angels in White - Russell Elliott
N.J.Hiebert - 9098
January 21
If a man desire the office of a bishop, (overseer) he desireth a good work...he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach...not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil..." 1 Timothy 3:1,6,7
It is one thing to be a child of God; it is quite another to be a servant of Christ. I may love my child very much, yet, if I set him to work in my garden, he may do more harm than good. Why? Is it because he is not a dear child? No; but because he is not a practiced servant. This make all the difference. Relationship and office are distinct things.
Not one of the Queen's children is at present capable of being her prime minister. It is not that all God's children have not something to do, something to suffer, something to learn. Undoubtedly they have; yet it ever holds good, that public service and private discipline are intimately connected in the ways of God.
One who comes forward much in public will need that chastened spirit, that matured judgment, that subdued and mortified mind, that broken will, that mellow tone, which are the sure and beautiful result of God's secret discipline; and it will generally be found that those who take a prominent place without more or less of the above moral qualifications, will sooner or later break down.
Lord Jesus, keep Thy feeble servants very near unto Thine own most blessed Person, and in the hollow of Thine hand! C. H. Mackintosh
N.J.Hiebert - 9099
It is one thing to be a child of God; it is quite another to be a servant of Christ. I may love my child very much, yet, if I set him to work in my garden, he may do more harm than good. Why? Is it because he is not a dear child? No; but because he is not a practiced servant. This make all the difference. Relationship and office are distinct things.
Not one of the Queen's children is at present capable of being her prime minister. It is not that all God's children have not something to do, something to suffer, something to learn. Undoubtedly they have; yet it ever holds good, that public service and private discipline are intimately connected in the ways of God.
One who comes forward much in public will need that chastened spirit, that matured judgment, that subdued and mortified mind, that broken will, that mellow tone, which are the sure and beautiful result of God's secret discipline; and it will generally be found that those who take a prominent place without more or less of the above moral qualifications, will sooner or later break down.
Lord Jesus, keep Thy feeble servants very near unto Thine own most blessed Person, and in the hollow of Thine hand! C. H. Mackintosh
N.J.Hiebert - 9099
January 22
"IN THE POTTER'S HANDS"
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?
Romans 9:20
When sorrows deep, and burdens, mount.
And tears well up as from a fount,
My child's heart is wont to say
"Wherein has Thou Thy love displayed?"
Thy rod I feel, the pressure builds,
My Potter's hand its strength doth wield,
And I, an unformed lump of clay,
Ask "Why hast Thou formed me this way?"
My Father's heart, how must it ache,
When I His love and grace mistake,
For vengeance or a pleasure vain,
When He doth keenly feel my pain?
How dare I reason--feeble mind!
Or doubt the plan, wise and Divine,
Which, using pressure, fire or flood,
Would form a vessel honouring God?
Bob Short, 2002
N.J.Hiebert - 9100
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?
Romans 9:20
When sorrows deep, and burdens, mount.
And tears well up as from a fount,
My child's heart is wont to say
"Wherein has Thou Thy love displayed?"
Thy rod I feel, the pressure builds,
My Potter's hand its strength doth wield,
And I, an unformed lump of clay,
Ask "Why hast Thou formed me this way?"
My Father's heart, how must it ache,
When I His love and grace mistake,
For vengeance or a pleasure vain,
When He doth keenly feel my pain?
How dare I reason--feeble mind!
Or doubt the plan, wise and Divine,
Which, using pressure, fire or flood,
Would form a vessel honouring God?
Bob Short, 2002
N.J.Hiebert - 9100
January 23
Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7
Do you know the blessed power and comfort of these wonderful promises? Notice how often the word shall is repeated. What certainty we have here! His promises are sure! Let us lay hold on them by faith. Have your needs ever been greater? So many are unemployed. There is so much turmoil and evil in the world. And there is the ever-present danger of our getting out of communion with the Lord. Surely we need, therefore, to avail ourselves of these precious promises: Ask, Seek, Knock, and ye shall....
Ask: this is the easiest to do. Nothing is too insignificant for Him. Stop in the midst of the rush of life, stop long enough to ask. You cannot weary God by asking, but we do weary Him when we fail to ask. (Isaiah 7:10-13). He desires and delights to bless. "Ye have not because ye ask not.." He tells us.
Seek: your Father delights to have you take Him at His word. As you ask and receive, your faith will increase. You will be stirred to greater energy. You will go out and seek, and in seeking you shall find. It requires more effort to seek than to ask.
Seek to be used in blessing to others. Ours is not to be a selfish life. He gives to us that we might share our gifts with others. In seeking the blessing of others we will find a sweeter, deeper joy filling our souls. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Knock: and it shall be opened to you. Asking and seeking has now brought you to Him, for He opens to your knock and He will sup with you and you with Him. Again; Ask-- which you may do from where you are--you shall receive. Seek--for which you must go out--you shall find. Knock--you have been brought closer to God--and it shall be opened to you. A richer experience will be yours. P. E. Hall
N.J.Hiebert - 9101
Do you know the blessed power and comfort of these wonderful promises? Notice how often the word shall is repeated. What certainty we have here! His promises are sure! Let us lay hold on them by faith. Have your needs ever been greater? So many are unemployed. There is so much turmoil and evil in the world. And there is the ever-present danger of our getting out of communion with the Lord. Surely we need, therefore, to avail ourselves of these precious promises: Ask, Seek, Knock, and ye shall....
Ask: this is the easiest to do. Nothing is too insignificant for Him. Stop in the midst of the rush of life, stop long enough to ask. You cannot weary God by asking, but we do weary Him when we fail to ask. (Isaiah 7:10-13). He desires and delights to bless. "Ye have not because ye ask not.." He tells us.
Seek: your Father delights to have you take Him at His word. As you ask and receive, your faith will increase. You will be stirred to greater energy. You will go out and seek, and in seeking you shall find. It requires more effort to seek than to ask.
Seek to be used in blessing to others. Ours is not to be a selfish life. He gives to us that we might share our gifts with others. In seeking the blessing of others we will find a sweeter, deeper joy filling our souls. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Knock: and it shall be opened to you. Asking and seeking has now brought you to Him, for He opens to your knock and He will sup with you and you with Him. Again; Ask-- which you may do from where you are--you shall receive. Seek--for which you must go out--you shall find. Knock--you have been brought closer to God--and it shall be opened to you. A richer experience will be yours. P. E. Hall
N.J.Hiebert - 9101
January 24
ABOUNDING PROVISION
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
These words (I SHALL NOT WANT) are as firmly linked to the clause (The Lord is my Shepherd) which precedes them, as consequence is to cause. With the Shepherd leading on in front of him, and "goodness and mercy", like two faithful sheep-dogs, following hard behind him, David was as certain that he would not want anything here, as he was that he would dwell in the house of the Lord hereafter (compare John 10:4; Psalm 23:1and 6).
Now, if for the moment we regard Psalm 23 as a sweet-toned instrument, and faith as the hand which plays upon it, we shall find that it yields to that touch, music of the most exquisite sweetness. What is it that "I shall not want?" The hand of faith runs over the key-board and brings out twelve distinct notes. Listen to them:
- I shall not want Rest, for He maketh me to lie down.
- I shall not want Refreshment, for He leads me by still waters.
- I shall not want Preservation, for He restoreth my soul.
- I shall not want Guidance, for He leadeth me.
- I shall not want Peace, for I will fear no evil.
- I shall not want Companionship, for Thou art with me.
- I shall not want Comfort, for Thy rod and staff comfort me.
- I shall not want Sustenance, for Thou preparest a table.
- I shall not want Joy, for Thou anointest my head.
- I shall not want Anything, for my cup runneth over.
- I shall not want Happiness now, for goodness and mercy follow me.
- I shall not want Glory hereafter, for I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson
N.J. Hiebert - 9102
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
These words (I SHALL NOT WANT) are as firmly linked to the clause (The Lord is my Shepherd) which precedes them, as consequence is to cause. With the Shepherd leading on in front of him, and "goodness and mercy", like two faithful sheep-dogs, following hard behind him, David was as certain that he would not want anything here, as he was that he would dwell in the house of the Lord hereafter (compare John 10:4; Psalm 23:1and 6).
Now, if for the moment we regard Psalm 23 as a sweet-toned instrument, and faith as the hand which plays upon it, we shall find that it yields to that touch, music of the most exquisite sweetness. What is it that "I shall not want?" The hand of faith runs over the key-board and brings out twelve distinct notes. Listen to them:
- I shall not want Rest, for He maketh me to lie down.
- I shall not want Refreshment, for He leads me by still waters.
- I shall not want Preservation, for He restoreth my soul.
- I shall not want Guidance, for He leadeth me.
- I shall not want Peace, for I will fear no evil.
- I shall not want Companionship, for Thou art with me.
- I shall not want Comfort, for Thy rod and staff comfort me.
- I shall not want Sustenance, for Thou preparest a table.
- I shall not want Joy, for Thou anointest my head.
- I shall not want Anything, for my cup runneth over.
- I shall not want Happiness now, for goodness and mercy follow me.
- I shall not want Glory hereafter, for I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson
N.J. Hiebert - 9102
January 25
So we laboured in the work . . . from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Nehemiah 4:21
Not "so we loitered" or "talked." They had said, "Let us rise up and build." If a man did not work hard, he was singled our as unusual. "So built we the wall." (v.6).
Among the list of honourable names in chapter 3 there is a little sentence that I am sure the men in question would like to take out of the Bible. But they cannot. They are forever held up to derision and shame. They lost their chance, the great chance of their lives; it never came again. "They put not their necks to the work of their Lord." (3:5).
How glad all the other builders must have been when the wall was joined together; each set of people had done their bit faithfully, "for the people had a mind to work." (4:6). And how astonished they would be to hear that their names were written in a book that would be treasured to the end of time.
A greater than Nehemiah commissions His builders today. He notices whether we labour or loiter. He is pleased when we work faithfully. Let us please Him today. This day will never come again.
Thou Givest They Gather - Amy Carmichael
N.J.Hiebert - 9103
Not "so we loitered" or "talked." They had said, "Let us rise up and build." If a man did not work hard, he was singled our as unusual. "So built we the wall." (v.6).
Among the list of honourable names in chapter 3 there is a little sentence that I am sure the men in question would like to take out of the Bible. But they cannot. They are forever held up to derision and shame. They lost their chance, the great chance of their lives; it never came again. "They put not their necks to the work of their Lord." (3:5).
How glad all the other builders must have been when the wall was joined together; each set of people had done their bit faithfully, "for the people had a mind to work." (4:6). And how astonished they would be to hear that their names were written in a book that would be treasured to the end of time.
A greater than Nehemiah commissions His builders today. He notices whether we labour or loiter. He is pleased when we work faithfully. Let us please Him today. This day will never come again.
Thou Givest They Gather - Amy Carmichael
N.J.Hiebert - 9103
January 26
THINGS SEEN AT THE CROSS
He that spared not His own Son. Romans 8:32
The Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself and became Man. He took the lowest place. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. What must this have been for the Lord! What must it have been for the Lord when Judas betrayed him with a kiss! (Matthew 26:49) What must it have been for Him to have soldiers spit in His face, to be scourged by them, and to become the object of their rude mockery and scorn!
Yet more, how must it have affected Him to have to carry our sins, to be made sin for us, and then to be judged by a holy God who could not tolerate any sin! Under these circumstances He was surrounded by the world in its various aspects, an object of its mockery and scorn, with the full force of evil rushing upon Him.
Hear Him crying out in the Psalms, looking for pity and finding none, calling to God, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34) In these very moments, while suffering unspeakably in obedience to God, He perfectly revealed God, glorifying God to the utmost. God's righteousness was seen when He struck His Son, bringing judgment over Him when He was carrying my sins. God's holiness was seen when the Lord cried, "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" Greater yet, there it was gloriously revealed that "God is love"! (1 John 4:8).
There we see a God who was giving His only begotten Son into death; yes, a God who personally was judging His Son to save guilty lost sinners from that judgment! Never did God look upon His Son with more delight then during these very moments when He had to hide His face from Him because He was bearing my judgment. What must it have been for God to forsake His Son when He was hanging alone upon the cross, surrounded by His enemies. H. L. Heijkoop
N.J.Hiebert - 9104
He that spared not His own Son. Romans 8:32
The Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself and became Man. He took the lowest place. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. What must this have been for the Lord! What must it have been for the Lord when Judas betrayed him with a kiss! (Matthew 26:49) What must it have been for Him to have soldiers spit in His face, to be scourged by them, and to become the object of their rude mockery and scorn!
Yet more, how must it have affected Him to have to carry our sins, to be made sin for us, and then to be judged by a holy God who could not tolerate any sin! Under these circumstances He was surrounded by the world in its various aspects, an object of its mockery and scorn, with the full force of evil rushing upon Him.
Hear Him crying out in the Psalms, looking for pity and finding none, calling to God, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34) In these very moments, while suffering unspeakably in obedience to God, He perfectly revealed God, glorifying God to the utmost. God's righteousness was seen when He struck His Son, bringing judgment over Him when He was carrying my sins. God's holiness was seen when the Lord cried, "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" Greater yet, there it was gloriously revealed that "God is love"! (1 John 4:8).
There we see a God who was giving His only begotten Son into death; yes, a God who personally was judging His Son to save guilty lost sinners from that judgment! Never did God look upon His Son with more delight then during these very moments when He had to hide His face from Him because He was bearing my judgment. What must it have been for God to forsake His Son when He was hanging alone upon the cross, surrounded by His enemies. H. L. Heijkoop
N.J.Hiebert - 9104
January 27
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:4,5
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:3
I remember reading a story about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found an old canvas bag filled with a quantity of hardened clay balls. It appeared that someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't appear to have any value, but they intrigued the man and so he took the bag with him.
As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would occasionally throw one of the clay balls as far into the ocean as he was able. He thought little of this activity until he accidentally dropped one of the balls on a rock, cracking open the dry, clay.
The man was startled to find inside what appeared to be a beautiful gemstone. He excitedly broke open the remaining clay balls finding a similar gem in each. A jeweller confirmed the value of the gems he had found. The 20 or so clay balls he still had when finding the the hidden treasure were worth hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. But he had been walking on the beach a long time. Sadly, he estimated that he had thrown some 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure far out into the ocean waves. He realized that his careless actions caused him to throw away a small fortune into the ocean depths.
Must we not admit that too often it is so with us as well when reading the precious Word of God? In Psalms 19:7-11, 'six precious jewels' of the Lord are recorded for our blessing: His law, testimony, statues, commandments, fear and judgments. We learn their value in "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold...and in of keeping them there is great reward." (vv 10,11)
How can we claim and keep these precious jewels for ourselves apart from diligently reading and meditating on God's Word? Perhaps, at times, we allow the vast oceans of this world's pleasures and occupations to dull our appreciation of the precious treasures of God's Word. How many true riches that our Father would delight to have us enjoy, are thoughtlessly cast away!
The Christian Shepherd - February 2007
N.J. Hiebert - 9105
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:3
I remember reading a story about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found an old canvas bag filled with a quantity of hardened clay balls. It appeared that someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't appear to have any value, but they intrigued the man and so he took the bag with him.
As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would occasionally throw one of the clay balls as far into the ocean as he was able. He thought little of this activity until he accidentally dropped one of the balls on a rock, cracking open the dry, clay.
The man was startled to find inside what appeared to be a beautiful gemstone. He excitedly broke open the remaining clay balls finding a similar gem in each. A jeweller confirmed the value of the gems he had found. The 20 or so clay balls he still had when finding the the hidden treasure were worth hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. But he had been walking on the beach a long time. Sadly, he estimated that he had thrown some 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure far out into the ocean waves. He realized that his careless actions caused him to throw away a small fortune into the ocean depths.
Must we not admit that too often it is so with us as well when reading the precious Word of God? In Psalms 19:7-11, 'six precious jewels' of the Lord are recorded for our blessing: His law, testimony, statues, commandments, fear and judgments. We learn their value in "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold...and in of keeping them there is great reward." (vv 10,11)
How can we claim and keep these precious jewels for ourselves apart from diligently reading and meditating on God's Word? Perhaps, at times, we allow the vast oceans of this world's pleasures and occupations to dull our appreciation of the precious treasures of God's Word. How many true riches that our Father would delight to have us enjoy, are thoughtlessly cast away!
The Christian Shepherd - February 2007
N.J. Hiebert - 9105
January 28
Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Psalm 25:4
If every matter I am uncertain about were worked out like a mathematical problem and handed to me in a dream, I would walk by sight instead of faith.
If I were suddenly changed into a full-grown Christian character, I would not remain so. For the very struggle and persistence of striving after goodness through the years is what knits together the integrity of a sturdy soul. So now I trust and obey. I do not ask for sign or fleece (Judges 6:37-40) for answers to my problems.
Yet "His grace is sufficient for me," (2 Corinthians 12:5) and as I travel along, the way grows clear and looking back shows me that Wisdom greater than my own has had in mind the journey. I do not know or understand much in the universe around me; only the present I see and both ends fade out of my sight. But I know the threads come from somewhere and go somewhere and that God holds them in His hand.
Help me to obey. and to live my life according to the light I have today. I may learn more tomorrow. But if I did my best according to His light I shall not grieve. Trust and do good. There is enough packed in those four words to keep every moment filled with thought and action.
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." (Psalm 37:3) In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner
Trust and obey for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey J. H. Sammis
N.J.Hiebert - 9106
If every matter I am uncertain about were worked out like a mathematical problem and handed to me in a dream, I would walk by sight instead of faith.
If I were suddenly changed into a full-grown Christian character, I would not remain so. For the very struggle and persistence of striving after goodness through the years is what knits together the integrity of a sturdy soul. So now I trust and obey. I do not ask for sign or fleece (Judges 6:37-40) for answers to my problems.
Yet "His grace is sufficient for me," (2 Corinthians 12:5) and as I travel along, the way grows clear and looking back shows me that Wisdom greater than my own has had in mind the journey. I do not know or understand much in the universe around me; only the present I see and both ends fade out of my sight. But I know the threads come from somewhere and go somewhere and that God holds them in His hand.
Help me to obey. and to live my life according to the light I have today. I may learn more tomorrow. But if I did my best according to His light I shall not grieve. Trust and do good. There is enough packed in those four words to keep every moment filled with thought and action.
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." (Psalm 37:3) In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner
Trust and obey for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey J. H. Sammis
N.J.Hiebert - 9106
January 29
". . . pray for them which despitefully use you . . ." Matthew 5:44
It is so easy to become jealous, to believe false rumours, to form unfair opinions, and to say harsh things about our neighbours and associates. People are so prone to answer such attacks in a like manner.
On one occasion Francis Asbury received an abusive anonymous letter. In his journal he wrote as follows: "I came from my knees to receive the letter, and having read it, I returned whence I came." How can I live this day so that people will say as they said in the early period of the church, "Behold, how the Christians love one another!"
IF I WERE YOU
It is easy to say the quick, sharp word
That will hurt him through and through--
The friend you have always held so dear--
But I wouldn't, if I were you.
It is easy to spread an idle tale
That perhaps may not be true,
And give it wings like the thistledown,
But I wouldn't, if I were you.
To words once spoken, if harsh, unkind,
You must ever bid adieu,
And though you may speak them if you will,
Yet I wouldn't, if I were you.
Florence Jones Hadley
Drop the subject when you cannot agree; there is no need to be bitter because you know you are right. Leave it all quietly with Him!
N.J.Hiebert - 9107
It is so easy to become jealous, to believe false rumours, to form unfair opinions, and to say harsh things about our neighbours and associates. People are so prone to answer such attacks in a like manner.
On one occasion Francis Asbury received an abusive anonymous letter. In his journal he wrote as follows: "I came from my knees to receive the letter, and having read it, I returned whence I came." How can I live this day so that people will say as they said in the early period of the church, "Behold, how the Christians love one another!"
IF I WERE YOU
It is easy to say the quick, sharp word
That will hurt him through and through--
The friend you have always held so dear--
But I wouldn't, if I were you.
It is easy to spread an idle tale
That perhaps may not be true,
And give it wings like the thistledown,
But I wouldn't, if I were you.
To words once spoken, if harsh, unkind,
You must ever bid adieu,
And though you may speak them if you will,
Yet I wouldn't, if I were you.
Florence Jones Hadley
Drop the subject when you cannot agree; there is no need to be bitter because you know you are right. Leave it all quietly with Him!
N.J.Hiebert - 9107
January 30
Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.
Psalm 119:11
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
Where-with-all shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. Psalm 119:9
How can youth keep its way shining through a dark world? How can you reach the goal--CHRIST? By taking heed thereto, by stepping carefully and guiding your life by what your soul is learning of God in the text of Holy Scripture.
By keeping company with Christ as your best Friend--never ceasing until you are on such terms with Him that you talk to Him more intimately than to wife or child, lover or friend, and He talks with you.
That does not only mean you have a Bible in your pocket--thank God if you have--but it means that you have Christ in your heart.
Harold St. John - A Portrait by His daughter Patricia
N.J.Hiebert - 9108
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
Where-with-all shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. Psalm 119:9
How can youth keep its way shining through a dark world? How can you reach the goal--CHRIST? By taking heed thereto, by stepping carefully and guiding your life by what your soul is learning of God in the text of Holy Scripture.
By keeping company with Christ as your best Friend--never ceasing until you are on such terms with Him that you talk to Him more intimately than to wife or child, lover or friend, and He talks with you.
That does not only mean you have a Bible in your pocket--thank God if you have--but it means that you have Christ in your heart.
Harold St. John - A Portrait by His daughter Patricia
N.J.Hiebert - 9108
January 31
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. John 11:5
Jesus does not want all His loved ones to be of one mould or colour. He does not seek uniformity. He will not remove our individuality; He only seeks to glorify it. He loved "Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus."
"Jesus loved Martha." Martha is our Biblical example of a practical woman; "Martha served". In that place is enshrined her character. "And her sister." Mary was contemplative, spending long hours in deep communion with the Lord.
We need the Marys as well as the Marthas--the deep contemplative souls, whose spirits shed a fragrant restfulness over the hard and busy streets. We need the souls who sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His word, and then interpret the sweet gospel to a tired and weary world.
"And Lazarus." what do we know about him? Nothing! Lazarus seems to have been undistinguished and commonplace. Yet Jesus loved him. What a huge multitude come under the category of "nobodies"! Their names are on the register of births, and on the register of deaths, and the space between is a great obscurity.
Thank God for the common place people! They turn our houses into homes; they make life restful and sweet. Jesus loves the common place. Here then is a great, comforting thought: we are all loved-- the brilliant and the commonplace, the dreamy and the practical.
Loved! then the way will not be drear, for One we know is ever near,
Proving it to our hearts so clear that we are loved.
Loved when we sing the glad new song to Christ, for whom we've waited long,
With all the happy ransomed throng--for ever loved.
"Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." J. H. Howett
N.J.Hiebert - 9109
Jesus does not want all His loved ones to be of one mould or colour. He does not seek uniformity. He will not remove our individuality; He only seeks to glorify it. He loved "Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus."
"Jesus loved Martha." Martha is our Biblical example of a practical woman; "Martha served". In that place is enshrined her character. "And her sister." Mary was contemplative, spending long hours in deep communion with the Lord.
We need the Marys as well as the Marthas--the deep contemplative souls, whose spirits shed a fragrant restfulness over the hard and busy streets. We need the souls who sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His word, and then interpret the sweet gospel to a tired and weary world.
"And Lazarus." what do we know about him? Nothing! Lazarus seems to have been undistinguished and commonplace. Yet Jesus loved him. What a huge multitude come under the category of "nobodies"! Their names are on the register of births, and on the register of deaths, and the space between is a great obscurity.
Thank God for the common place people! They turn our houses into homes; they make life restful and sweet. Jesus loves the common place. Here then is a great, comforting thought: we are all loved-- the brilliant and the commonplace, the dreamy and the practical.
Loved! then the way will not be drear, for One we know is ever near,
Proving it to our hearts so clear that we are loved.
Loved when we sing the glad new song to Christ, for whom we've waited long,
With all the happy ransomed throng--for ever loved.
"Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." J. H. Howett
N.J.Hiebert - 9109
February 1
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. . . . God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."
1 Corinthians 10:12,13
What we have to do, whether to Christians, to backsliders, or to sinners, is to maintain the attitude of God towards each of these classes.
He never gives up one of His own, nor diminishes His love, though He does change His manner. As someone has said, we do not cease to love, but we do not caress a naughty child.
The perfection of the christian life is absolute trust in God. All roads lead to this, and the one who reaches it in any measure will never be confounded.
Waiting before the Lord is the sure means of qualification for obedience to His bidding. The fear of God can lift the feeblest and humblest above the fear of man.
Sympathy is the rarest of all ministries, as it is also the sweetest; it makes no show in the world, but it leaves its mark. In praying for the sick I once heard a brother use this expression: "May those who are too weak to pray be able to lean."
Until the soul is at peace and in liberty divine things cannot be communicated. We get rest by a revelation of the Father's love through Christ. . . . There is no pillow like love, and we have the Lord's perfect love to rest upon. E. Dennett
N.J.Hiebert - 9110
What we have to do, whether to Christians, to backsliders, or to sinners, is to maintain the attitude of God towards each of these classes.
He never gives up one of His own, nor diminishes His love, though He does change His manner. As someone has said, we do not cease to love, but we do not caress a naughty child.
The perfection of the christian life is absolute trust in God. All roads lead to this, and the one who reaches it in any measure will never be confounded.
Waiting before the Lord is the sure means of qualification for obedience to His bidding. The fear of God can lift the feeblest and humblest above the fear of man.
Sympathy is the rarest of all ministries, as it is also the sweetest; it makes no show in the world, but it leaves its mark. In praying for the sick I once heard a brother use this expression: "May those who are too weak to pray be able to lean."
Until the soul is at peace and in liberty divine things cannot be communicated. We get rest by a revelation of the Father's love through Christ. . . . There is no pillow like love, and we have the Lord's perfect love to rest upon. E. Dennett
N.J.Hiebert - 9110
February 2
Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him. 1 Corinthians 16:2
Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose the first day of the week for us to lay aside something? Was it for convenience's sake? Was it because then we could just remember how our income was during the past week and give in relation to that?
The first day of the week, Sunday, or the Lord's Day, is the day when the Lord rose from the dead. The disciples were together that day and the Lord revealed Himself to them. A week later, again on the first day of the week, the disciples being together, again the Lord revealed Himself to them.
It became the practise that the believers met together on the first day of the week, and on that day they remembered the Lord in partaking of the bread and wine in memory of their Lord, and we continue this still today.
As we take the bread and eat of it, we remember the death of the Lord on the cross, His body given as a sacrifice; and as we drink from the cup, we remember that God's holiness and righteousness have been satisfied in the matter of sin because the Lord shed His blood, gave His life, and died in our place.
We remember, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
As we reflect on His riches and HIs poverty and His great sacrifice, should this not affect our hearts in relation to what we give Him in our offering every first day of the week? Considering Him, our giving will not be a mechanical percentage, it will not be an obligatory custom of putting some money in the collection, but it will be an offering of gratitude, a sweet-smelling savour to God, an act of worship. A. Blok.
N.J.Hiebert - 9111
Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose the first day of the week for us to lay aside something? Was it for convenience's sake? Was it because then we could just remember how our income was during the past week and give in relation to that?
The first day of the week, Sunday, or the Lord's Day, is the day when the Lord rose from the dead. The disciples were together that day and the Lord revealed Himself to them. A week later, again on the first day of the week, the disciples being together, again the Lord revealed Himself to them.
It became the practise that the believers met together on the first day of the week, and on that day they remembered the Lord in partaking of the bread and wine in memory of their Lord, and we continue this still today.
As we take the bread and eat of it, we remember the death of the Lord on the cross, His body given as a sacrifice; and as we drink from the cup, we remember that God's holiness and righteousness have been satisfied in the matter of sin because the Lord shed His blood, gave His life, and died in our place.
We remember, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
As we reflect on His riches and HIs poverty and His great sacrifice, should this not affect our hearts in relation to what we give Him in our offering every first day of the week? Considering Him, our giving will not be a mechanical percentage, it will not be an obligatory custom of putting some money in the collection, but it will be an offering of gratitude, a sweet-smelling savour to God, an act of worship. A. Blok.
N.J.Hiebert - 9111
February 3
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35
Bibles are more plentiful today than they ever have been. The words of the Lord Jesus are better known and loved by a greater multitude today than ever before in the history of the world. The Gospels have been handed down by the noblest of earth, through rivers of blood, at the cost of liberty and life, in the history of every nation in Christendom.
Christians have fought by weakness, enemies as diverse as Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the people of Israel, and have always been victorious. The enemy, the devil, in one age, has prepared his weapons in the monasteries of superstition; in another he has conducted his warfare from the colleges of infidelity; but whether Greek or Jew, ignorant or intellectual, every weapon has failed.
Passed away! What has passed away? The kings of earth have passed away. The cruelty of the Inquisition and the scoffings of Voltaire have passed away. Whatever opposition may arise to God and His Word shall surely pass away: for the Son of Man who was the Son of God, said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."
Let the ages answer. Let history come with the officers to the seat of power and learning. With one voice all will say, "Never man spake like this Man." (John 7:46). The Words of the Lord Jesus were often promises as well as declarations. They were promises that could be tested; promises that have been tested, thousands and thousands of times. Whoever found fault with Matthew 11:28? "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake
N.J.Hiebert - 9112
Bibles are more plentiful today than they ever have been. The words of the Lord Jesus are better known and loved by a greater multitude today than ever before in the history of the world. The Gospels have been handed down by the noblest of earth, through rivers of blood, at the cost of liberty and life, in the history of every nation in Christendom.
Christians have fought by weakness, enemies as diverse as Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the people of Israel, and have always been victorious. The enemy, the devil, in one age, has prepared his weapons in the monasteries of superstition; in another he has conducted his warfare from the colleges of infidelity; but whether Greek or Jew, ignorant or intellectual, every weapon has failed.
Passed away! What has passed away? The kings of earth have passed away. The cruelty of the Inquisition and the scoffings of Voltaire have passed away. Whatever opposition may arise to God and His Word shall surely pass away: for the Son of Man who was the Son of God, said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."
Let the ages answer. Let history come with the officers to the seat of power and learning. With one voice all will say, "Never man spake like this Man." (John 7:46). The Words of the Lord Jesus were often promises as well as declarations. They were promises that could be tested; promises that have been tested, thousands and thousands of times. Whoever found fault with Matthew 11:28? "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake
N.J.Hiebert - 9112
February 4
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