Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be? 2 Peter 3:11
Then whose shall those things be? Luke 12:20
We live in an age of “things”. We strive to obtain necessities and luxuries that will bring us personal comfort and assure compliments from our friends. Tragically, we can only be certain of two facts regarding “things”. We will leave them behind for others, and they will ultimately be dissolved. May the Lord help us to desire Himself, not “things”. Arnot P. McIntee
Is there a thing beneath the sun,
That strives with Thee, my heart to share?
O, tear it thence and reign alone,
The Lord of every object there. — Charles Wesley
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These words . . . shall be in thine heart . . . bind them for a sign upon thine
hand . . . as frontlets between thine eyes. Deuteronomy 6:6,8.
Israelites bound pouches containing specific portions of God’s Word to their foreheads and hands, literally indicating that His words of wisdom were at the forefront of every thought and that His words would strengthen their hands for the day’s labour.
Our mouth is not only for food, but for the spiritual nutrition of His sustaining Word.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
Bound to our fingers, His words help us manipulate life’s complexities. “Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” Proverbs 7:3 and at our feet they illuminate our walk. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
The Scriptures should be no empty word for us but our every life. “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify upon you. (Deuteronomy 32:46).” A daily read is a must!
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;
Let me more of Thy beauty see wonderful words of life,
Philip Bliss
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That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. Philippians 3:10
Hudson Taylor stopped at no sacrifice in following Christ. “Cross-loving men are needed,” he wrote in the midst of his labours in China, and if he could speak to us today would it not be to call us to the highest of all ambitions; “That I may know Him [the One we, too, supremely love], and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Can we not hear again the tones of His quiet voice as He says:
“There is a needs be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing in-and feeding upon the Word through which He reveals Himself to the waiting soul.”
It was not easy for Mr. Taylor, in his changeful life, to make time for prayer and Bible study, but he knew that it was vital. Well do the writers remember traveling with him month after month in Northern China, by cart and wheelbarrow, with the poorest of inns at night.
Often with only one large room for coolies and travellers alike, they would screen off a corner for their father and another for themselves, with curtains of some sort; and then, after sleep at last had brought a measure of quiet, they would hear a match struck and see the flicker of candlelight which told that Mr. Taylor, however weary, was pouring over the little Bible in two volumes always at hand. From two to four A. M. was the time he usually gave to prayer; the time when he could be most sure of being undisturbed to wait upon God. That flicker of candlelight has meant more to them than all they have read or heard on secret prayer; it meant reality, not preaching but practise.
The hardest part of a missionary career, Mr. Taylor found, is to maintain
regular, prayerful Bible study. “Satan will always find you something to
do,”he would say, “When you ought to be occupied about that, if it is only arranging a window blind. Take time. Give God time to reveal Himself to you. Take time to read His Word as in His presence, that from it you may know what He asks of you and what He promise you.” Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
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Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15
As I set traps for the little foxes, so now I have to judge in myself anything that would hinder fellowship with Him, that would hinder my spiritual growth.
What are the little foxes that spoil the vine? I can tell you a good many. There are the little foxes of vanity, of pride, of envy, of evil speaking, of impurity (I think this though is a wolf instead of a little fox).
Then there are the little foxes of carelessness, of neglect of the Bible, of neglect of prayer, of neglect of fellowship with the people of God. These are the things that spoil the vine, that hinder spiritual growth. Deal with them in the light of the cross of Christ; put them to death before they ruin your Christian experience, do not give them any place.
Song of Solomon - H. A. Ironside
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He Humbled Himself
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8
He that is down need fear no fall:
He that is low, no pride.
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
Pilgrim’s progress by J. Bunyan
Wouldst thou be great, then lowly serve;
Wouldest thou go up, go down;
But go as low as e’er you will,
The Highest has gone lower still.
Author Unknown
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Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1
Many can say with Job (chapter 5:7) that man is born unto trouble; for their passage through life is marked by a succession of happenings that have turned existence into one long-drawn-out catastrophe. They tread a path that is beset with difficulties; it is “through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God”.
To all believers, therefore, the words in the opening verses of John 14 come laden with comfort, with healing, and with uplifting power. They are words that have consoled the prisoner in his lonely dungeon, the slave in his little cabin, the pilgrim on his weary journey, the martyr marching to his painful death. For the heart trouble there is but one remedy, and and it is prescribed by the Good Physician.
“Let not your heart be troubled.”The italicized word includes the entire personality—intellect, emotion, and will. “Let not your heart be troubled.”The word means, to be agitated, to be disturbed, or thrown into confusion, as its use in John 5:7 indicates. To counteract the sorrows which were filling their hearts, the Master imparts to His disciples consolations appropriate to their griefs, and encouragements adapted to their fears. He claims their faith, strengthens their hope, and deepens their love. His Last Words - Henry Durbanville
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“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his cloths not be burned?”
Proverbs 6:27
It does not matter what the alliance, marriage or partnership is, if you cannot honestly take it to God in prayer, then you should have nothing whatever to do with it (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
“Oh,” some people say, “when you are in Rome, you must do as the Romans do.” Must you? If so do not go within a thousand miles of Rome. You will not enjoy heaven a bit less because you have not seen Rome. Keep clear!
Master, we would no longer be
At home in that which hated Thee;
But patient in Thy footsteps go,
Thy sorrow and Thy joy to know. — J.G. Deck
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Thus saith the Lord…This thing is from Me. 1 Kings 12:24 (PART 1)
Only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul, use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you, concerns Me too? For he that touches you touches the apple of Mine eye. (Zechariah 2:8).
“You are very precious in My sight.” (Isaiah 43:4) Therefore it is My special delight to educate you. I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood,” (Isaiah 59:19) that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.
Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? “This thing is from Me.” I am the God of circumstances, “You came not to this place by accident, it is the very place God meant for you.” Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.
Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? “This thing is from Me,” for I am your purse bearer and would have you draw from, and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless (Philippines 4:19). I would have you prove My promises. Let it not be said of you, “In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 1:32)
Are you passing through a night of sorrow? “This thing is from Me.” I am the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” I have let earthly comforts fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Has some friend disappointed you? One to whom you opened up your heart? “This thing is from Me.” I have allowed this disappointment to come, that you may learn that:
“The best friend to have is Jesus He will hear you when you call,
He will keep you lest you fall, the best friend to have is Jesus.”
Laura Snow
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He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Psalm 37:6 (PART 2)
I want to be your confidant. Has someone repeated things about you that are untrue? Leave them to Me, and draw closer unto Me, thy shelter, out of reach of “the strife of tongues,” for “I will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:6).
Have your plans been all upset? Are you bowed down and weary? This thing is from Me. You made your plans, then came asking Me to bless them, but I would have you let Me plan for you and then I take the responsibility, for “This thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus18:18). You are only an instrument, not an agent.
Have you longed to do some great work for Me, and instead been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days, and I want to teach you some of My deepest lessons. “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of prayer. Are you suddenly called upon to occupy a difficult and responsible position? Launch out on Me. I am trusting you with the ”possession of difficulties,” and “for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.” (Deuteronomy 15:10).
Let every circumstance as it arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your own weakness, be smoothed out. “This thing from Me.” Remember, interruptions are divine instructions. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. Laura Snow
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The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in. Psalm 121:8
Here is a promise-laden psalm to rest in when burdens grow heavy and life’s path becomes steep. When the weight of the load makes us unsteady, we need assurance that God has not given us more than we can carry, and that He will keep us from falling.
A beautiful picture of how we can face each day with confidence is illustrated in a camel’s day, which begins and ends in the kneeling position. At the end of the day it kneels before the master and has its burden lifted. Sunrise finds the camel again kneeling, and its master adjusts its measured load according to its ability for that day’s journey, whether through the desert or across the watered plains.
All of us bear some kind of burden (Galatians 6:5). It may be a bundle of small cares made up of everyday duties, but to one with a sensitive nature their combined weight sometimes seems unbearable. Some are burdened for the spiritual welfare of unsaved loved ones or those who are not living for Christ.
Then there are those labouring under the burden of disease, infirmity, weakness, or a handicap. Such weights can turn simple household duties into mountainous chores, and at times a day may stretch out before us as a steep and treacherous path.
Oh, what comfort and encouragement to know that the Lord “preserves our going out and our coming in”— and all our steps from sunrise to sunset. He will keep our feet from slipping and protect us along the way. D.J.D.
The Lord upholds the faltering step and makes the weak securely stand;
The burdened ones bowed down with grief are helped by His most gracious hand.
With God behind you and His arms beneath you,
you can face whatever lies ahead of you.
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And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him. Luke 23:33
What does Calvary mean to you? To the crowd on that day it was the place of crucifixion and the end (for so they thought) of the Lord.
To the believer, however, Calvary means so much more. It is the high point of love displayed by our Lord. For it was “at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.”
Tell me, what does Calvary mean to you today? John M. Clegg
Calvary! O Calvary! Mercy’s vast unfathomed sea,
Love, eternal love to me. Saviour, we adore Thee! S. Trevor Francis
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Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
At my father’s house in the country there is a little closet in the chimney corner where are kept the canes and walking-sticks of several generations. When my father and I are going out for a walk, we often go to the cane closet, and pick out our sticks to suit the occasion. In this I have frequently been reminded that the Word of God is a staff.
During the war, when the season of discouragement and pending danger was upon us, the verse, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord,” (Psalm 112:7), was a staff to walk with many dark days.
When death took away our child and left us almost heart-broken, I found another staff in the promise that “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
When in impaired health, I was exiled for a year, not knowing whether I should be permitted to return to my home and work again, I took with me this staff which never failed, “He knoweth the thoughts that He thinketh toward me, thoughts of peace and not of evil.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
In times of special danger or doubt when human judgment has seemed to be set at naught, I have found it easy to go forward with this staff “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
In emergencies, when there has seemed to be no adequate time for deliberation or for action, I have never found that this staff has failed me, “He that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) Benjamin Abbott
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The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
(John 1:17)
The law was truth, but it was truth without grace. This latter having come by Jesus Christ the believer is exhorted to be speaking the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) “Speaking the truth” is one word in the original and is a participle. Mr. J. N. Darby suggested coining a word to express it; “truthing.” It is not merely speaking the truth. It is being characterized by the truth; but all must be in love.
A hard and fast intolerant spirit that makes the truth like a series of legal enactments, and is censorious toward those who see not eye to eye with oneself; this is far removed from the Spirit of truth. Lovingkindness will commend the truth, when an acrimonious, judging spirit, will deter the timid from its reception.
They are to be bound about the neck, in this way displayed in the sight of man; and written upon the heart, thus finding favour with God. H.A. Ironside
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