Gems from November 21- 25, 2024

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.  And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord.   1 Kings 17:14-16

Three hundred children were dressed and seated for breakfast, and a prayer of thanks was offered for the food.  But there was no food!

Situations like this were not unusual for orphanage director and missionary George Mueller (1805-1898).  Here was yet another opportunity to see how God would provide.  Within minutes of Mueller's prayer, a baker who couldn't sleep the night before showed up at the door.  Sensing that the orphanage could use bread, he had made three batches.  Not long afterward, the town milkman appeared.  His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage.  Not wanting the milk to spoil, he offered it to Mueller.

It's normal to experience bouts of worry, anxiety, and self-pity when we lack resources essential to our well-being--food, shelter, health, finances, friendships. 1 Kings 17:8-16 reminds us that God's help can come through unexpected sources like a needy widow.  "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug." (v.12).

Earlier it was ravens that provided for Elijah (vv.4-6).  Concerns for our needs to be met can send us searching in many directions.  A clear vision of God as the Provider who has promised to supply our needs can be liberating.   Before we seek solutions, may we be careful to seek Him first.  Doing so can save us time, energy, and frustration.  (Arthur Jackson)

N. J.Hiebert - 9768
"Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2020) Grand rapids, MI  Reprinted permission.)

November 21

O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river.     Isaiah 48:18

It is difficult to remain calm while the world is filled with violence and senseless crime.  But Frances Ridley Havergal, a devout Bible scholar as well as a poet, drew upon two passages from the prophet Isaiah to give fresh understanding to Christian peace in difficult circumstances.

More than once in Isaiah God promises "peace like a river."  And in Isaiah 26:3 the prophet says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.    These verses have served as the basis of many hymns over the last two centuries, but none is as picturesque as this one.

In one of her last letters, Havergal wrote to another hymn-writer who had also written about peace.  Quoting the verse, "We have peace with God" (Romans 5:1), she added, "It is yours already, purchased for you, made for you, sealed for you, pledged to you--by the word of the Father and the precious blood of Jesus."  It is not only peace that God promises, but perfect peace--perfected, completed in Christ.  

Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace, over all victorious  in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller ev'ry day, perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand, never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care, not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Ev'ry joy or trial falleth from above, traced upon our dial by the sun of love; we may
Trust Him fully all for us to do--they who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

CHORUS:  Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest--
Finding as He promised perfect peace and rest.  Frances R. Havergal  (1836-1879)

N.J. Hiebert - 9769

November 22

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.   Matthew 7:20

The fruit of the Bible is good and only good.  Millions of lives can can testify to the truth of this.   A striking example of good and bad fruit is seen in the following incident.  

An uncle and nephew were travelling with a large sum of money over a wild and very thinly populated prairie land of America.  Nightfall came on, and the travellers had to look for a shelter.  They discovered a log cabin, and knocked at the door.  An old man with long shaggy beard and unkept appearance answered their call.  They asked for accommodation, which was willingly offered.  They were shown into a room where they could sleep on the floor.

It was arranged that the uncle should lie down to rest, and the nephew should sit up with loaded revolver to make sure that their treasure was safe.  Presently the uncle saw the nephew preparing to sleep.  He reminded him of the vigil he had promised to keep.  The nephew replied, "There is no need to sit up with loaded revolver.  We are perfectly safe here.  I looked through the keyhole to see what the old man was doing.  I saw him take a Bible down from the shelf, and read a chapter to his wife.  I then heard him pray for the blessing of God to rest on the travellers under his roof."

I ask, would the sight of a pack of cards, a whisky bottle and a handy revolver, have produced the confidence and sense of security that the sight of the open Bible and bended knee did?  This incident was told me when quite young, and made a great impression on my mind.  Whenever a life is moulded by the Word of God you get purity, honesty, truthfulness, goodness, kindness.  Wherever its teaching and influences are refused you get evil of every kind abounding.

Surely the Bible stands its own test triumphantly, "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).  Why I Believe the Bible- A. J. Pollock

N.J. Hiebert - 9770

November 23

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  (John 14:1,27).

A soldier had returned home from the war and was telling about the grace of God which was with him.  "A short time before I was wounded, I was invited by the officers of the regiment to a supper given in honour of a soldier who had been through all the war, and had done many brave deeds, but had received no reward for them.  After the supper was over, one of the officers said to him, "You have been through a lot, and you have not told us a single incident.  Now tell us what you consider the most wonderful thing you have experienced in it."

He waited a moment, then replied, "I was walking near my trench one day, when I saw a young soldier lying on the ground intently reading a book.  I went up to him and asked him what he was reading.  He told me it was the Bible.  Now I had read the Bible for many years and it never did me any good.  But this soldier said to me, "listen to what I'm reading, "Let not your heart be troubled . . .In my Father's house are many mansions: . . . I go to prepare a place for you."  He read on to the end of the chapter."

"Oh, I have read that chapter many times!  It never did me any good; give it up, man, give it up."  He looked up at me and said, "If you knew what the Bible is to me you'd never ask me to give it up," and, as he spoke, the light on his face was so bright, I never saw anything like it -- it fairly dazzled me.  I could not look at it, so I turned and walked away.

Soon after a bomb fell near the place where we had been, and when the dust had cleared away I thought I'd go and see if that young soldier was safe.  I found him fatally wounded, but I saw his Bible sticking out of his breast pocket, and here it is" he said, holding it up.  "I say the most wonderful thing I have experienced during the war was the light on that young soldier's face, and more than that, I can now say that his Saviour is my Saviour too!"  Selected

N.J. Hiebert - 9771

November 24

Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.  Psalm 37:1

Do not get into a perilous heat about things.  If ever heat were justified, it was surely justified in the circumstances outlined in the Psalm.

Evil-doers were moving about clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day.  "Workers of iniquity" (Psam 5:5) were climbing into the supreme places of power, and were tyrannizing their less fortunate brethren.  Sinful men and women were stalking through the land in the pride of life and basking in the light and comfort of great prosperity, and good men were becoming heated and fretful. 

"Fret not thyself."  Do not get unduly heated!  Keep cool!  Even in a good cause, fretfulness is not a wise help-meet.  Fretting only heats the bearings; it does not generate the steam.  It is no help to a train for the axel to get hot; their heat is only a hinderance.  When the axels get heated, it is because of unnecessary friction; dry surfaces are grinding together, which ought to be kept in smooth co-operation by a delicate cushion of oil.

And is it not a suggestive fact that this word "fret" is closely akin to the word "friction," and is an indication of absence of the anointing oil of the grace of God?

In fretfulness, a little bit of grit gets into the bearings--some slight disappointment, some ingratitude, some discourtesy--and the smooth working of the life is checked.  Friction begets heat; and with the heat, most dangerous conditions are created.

Do not let your bearings get hot.  Let the oil of the Lord keep you cool, less by reason of an unholy heat you be reckoned among the evil-doers.   
The Silver Lining.

N.J. Hiebert - 9772

November 25

November 26

Gems from November 11- 20, 2024

November 11

Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.  Colossians 1:11

Years ago my work took me to the woods in the North of Canada, far from any Christian services.  One Sunday morning I was reading the first chapter of Colossians.  I got as far as the eleventh verse, and I read: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory . . ." and I stopped there, somewhat overwhelmed by the stupendous display of mighty power. 

And as I stopped, I dreamed of the great deeds I would some day do for the Lord, with all this mighty power on which I might so freely draw; what crowds might be converted; how the heathen might be won for Christ!

Then I decided to finish the verse: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy."  It was a bit of a shock, for in those days I had never thought very much of endurance, or patience either, as it is put in our English Bible.

But God's thoughts are not our thoughts; and God knows the true worth of Endurance, and just the power that is needed for it, especially when "longsuffering", or "suffering-for-a-long-time", is connected with it; and the whole is done not with a spirit of being sorry for ourselves, but, "with joy."  You will find you do indeed need to be "strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory", if you are to have "all endurance and longsuffering with joy."

We never, never can do it in our own strength, but Thanks be to God, He does not ask us to use our own strength, and He offers us all this vast store of power on which to freely draw, with unlimited demands, and all for the sake of endurance: "Endurance and longsuffering with joy".  It is not easy, but, Thank the Lord, He can do it for us; He can work it in us.    G. C. Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 9759

November 12

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? . . . And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. (Mark 15:33-37)

At the sixth hour--this answers to our twelve noon--the sun was, as it were, blotted out of the heaven.  From the time that the darkness overspread the scene no sound escaped the lips of Jesus, according to the record, until the three hours were drawing to a close; and then, we are told in  two other gospels, He cried out in agony, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"  In those first three hours of darkness He was suffering at the hands of man: He endured without a murmur all the shame and ignominy that man could heap upon Him.

But during the last three hours of darkness He was suffering at the hand of God--the God Who made His soul an offering for sin.  There He drank the bitter cup of judgment, that our sins had filled--the cup from which He shrank in Gethsemane, which if we had to drink could not be exhausted throughout eternity.  God "hath made Him to be made sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"  2 Corinthians 5:21.

It was God as Judge Who was there dealing with His holy Son on our behalf as Christ took the sinner's place.  At the last "Jesus said it is finished: and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost!"  (John 19:30).

"It is Finished!"  That was His cry of triumph.  He had finished the work the Father gave Him to do.  He had glorified God to the full in the place where He had been so terribly dishonoured, and now because of that finished work God can "be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3:26)   Luke - H. A. Ironside

N.J. Hiebert - 9760

November 13

I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Acts 27:25

I went to America some years ago with the captain of a ship, who was a very devoted Christian.  When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life.  We had George Mueller of Bristol on board.  I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. 

George Mueller came to me, "Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon." "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way.  I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years.  Let's go down into the chart-room and pray." 

I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can this man have come from?  I never heard of such a thing as this.  "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?"  "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life." 

He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray.  "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about."

I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King.  Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone."  I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement.   Selected

"If our love were, but more simple, we should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine, in the sweetness of our Lord.

N.J. Hiebert - 9761

November 14

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.  Genesis 45:1

Joseph must make "himself known" (verse 1).  Nothing less will satisfy his heart; nothing less will give rest to their hearts.  And this is still the way of the loving Saviour with the anxious sinner.  Nothing will roll away the burden of guilt but the discovery that all is fully known and fully forgiven, by the One against whom we have sinned.

The knowledge of our hearts, however necessary, will bring no rest to the soul.  We mourn over the past, and weary  ourselves with our sins, but no discovery of evil in our hearts, no repentance, however real, no sorrow for our sin, however sincere, will bring comfort to the soul.

For rest and peace Jesus must make Himself known.  Then we discover with great delight that His heart is full of grace for man that is full of sin. That, with the full knowledge of all our sins, there is nothing but love in His heart towards us.  

Then we can rest, but we rest in what He is and not in anything we find in ourselves.  For such discoveries of His heart we must be alone with Him.  Even so Joseph, before he could make himself known, has to say, "Cause every man to go out from me" (verse1). 

Wonderful moment in the history of our souls when all men fade from view and we see "no man anymore, save Jesus only" (Mark 9:8); when alone with Him in the consciousness of our sinfulness, we discover that He knows us through and through, and yet knowing us, He loves us.  Joseph - Hamilton Smith

N.J. Hiebert - 9762

November 15

ROYAL BOUNTY

And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty.  

1 Kings 10:13

Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.  Psalm 104:28

According to Thine own heart, hast Thou, done all this greatness.  

1 Chronicles 17:19

His hand, HIs heart, and His word--what an immeasurable measure of His bounty!  The great hand that holds the ocean in its hollow is opened to satisfy our desire, and to go beyond that exceeding abundantly, giving us according to the heart that so loved the world, and according to the word which is so deep and full that all the saints that ever drew their hope and joy from it cannot fathom its ever up-springing fountain. 

Perhaps nobody knows the Bible well enough to know the full significance of saying, "be it unto me according to Thy word"; Luke 1:38 how much less can we imagine what shall be the yet unrevealed royal bounty according to His heart of infinite love and hand of infinite power.  "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."  (John 13:7)  "And ye shall . . .  be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you." (Joel 2:26).

Great our need, but greater far, is our Father's loving power;
He upholds each mighty star, He unfolds each tiny flower.
He who numbers every hair, earnest of His faithful care,
Gave His Son for us to die; God shall all your need supply.
Opened Treasures - Frances Ridley Havergal.

N.J. Hiebert - 9763

November 16

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.   Hebrews 2:3

In the mercy of the Lord He still holds open the opportunity to accept His offer of salvation.  It is available at this moment but may not be tomorrow, for we have only this moment to hold in our hands.  By accepting God's free gift of salvation (eternal life) the individual can rest knowing there is no more trying to gain God's favour by good works. Never again wondering if they will be in heaven, but being assured that when death comes, even though their body will go to dust, their spirit will be forever with the Lord Jesus Christ.

He offers that blessed salvation in time but never in eternity.  Wise is the individual who can face death knowing they will be at home with the Lord.  Their ears will never hear the cries of the doomed in a ceaseless eternity of darkness where there is no hope, no light at the end of that tunnel, for that tunnel will never end.    Rowan Jennings

There's a line that is drawn by rejecting our Lord, where the call of His Spirit is lost,
And you hurry along with the pleasure-mad throng - have you counted, have you counted the cost?

You may barter your hope of eternity's morn for a moment of joy at the most,
For the glitter of sin and the things it will win - have you counted, have you counted the cost?

While the door of His mercy is opened to you, ere the depth of His love you exhaust,
Won't you come and be healed, won't you whisper, I yield - I have counted, I have counted the cost.

Chorus:  Have you counted the cost, if your soul should be lost, tho' you gain the whole world for your own?
Even now it may be that the line you have crossed, have you counted, have you counted the cost?   Arthur J. Hodge  

N.J. Hiebert - 9764

November 17

Ye know not what shall be on the morrow.   James 4:14

We are living in the period of time (referred to as the Day of Grace) between the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ to heaven (Luke 24:51), and His return to the clouds to call His redeemed company up to join Him in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  The Bible does not indicate how long that period of time will be. No detail about the "Day of Grace" has been disclosed, except to say that it is the time of harvest, when everyone who trusts in Jesus and His completed work of salvation is urged to engage in gathering in the lost perishing sinners.  Happily, we who believe are not given this task without abundant support. 

The Hoy Spirit, has come and lives within the heart of every believer. He leads to souls that are ready to receive the message of the gospel and then, unlocks the heart to receive it.

But time is passing by.  The world situation doesn't get any better.  There is no utopia in view, and there seems to be no limit to the depths of sin being exposed every day.  It seems evident to anyone who has looked carefully into the Scriptures, that the second coming of Christ must be right at the doorstep.  That makes the message we carry all the more urgent.  God is certainly plowing the ground; that is, adjusting conditions so that men's hearts are failing them for fear, making them more open to the good news from above.

It is remarkable that a short message posted here on the internet can be almost instantly read by someone in India or Australia.  Such is our shrunken world.    
Lorne Perry

Time is gliding swiftly by; death and judgment both draw nigh. 
To the arms of Jesus fly - Be in time!  Oh! I pray you count the cost,
Ere the fatal line be crossed, and your Christless soul be lost - Be in Time   

N.J. Hiebert - 9765

November 18

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  Philippians 4:6 

Though we are to pray for all saints, yet some call for a more special remembrance at our hands: for instance, those that are near to us by bond of nature as well as of grace.  "A brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord."  (Philemon 16).

You are to pray particularly for those that are in distress: whoever you forget, remember these: this is a fit season for love.  A friend for adversity is as proper as fire for a winter's day: Job's friends chose the right time to visit him, but took not the right course of improving their visit.  Had they spent their time in praying for him which they did in hot disputes with him, they had profited him, and pleased God more.

That cloth which an incompetent worker thinks is too little for a garment, a good worker can make one out of it, and leave some for another  use also. Oh, there is a great deal of art in cutting out time with little loss.  Some look upon every minute of time spent in prayer, is lost in the shop. 

Does the husbandman mow the less for sharpening his scythe?  Does a blessing before a meal spoil the dinner?  No, nor does prayer hinder the Christian either in his employments or enjoyments, but expedites the one, and sanctifies the other.  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).

"No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly."    Psalms 84:11
The Christian in Complete Armour - William Gurnall 1617-1679

N.J. Hiebert - 9766

November 19

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He (Jesus) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.  Luke 24:27.

The Lord Jesus' earthly life began in a manger and ended on the cross, and along the way He had not where to lay His head. 

Jesus dying on the cross for the vilest, meets the wants and burdens of the vilest.  If their sins are a burden to them they may see Christ bearing them, and they may be free and have peace. The more we see the value of the cross the more precious will Christ be to us.  If Jesus sees perfection in us we need nothing more. 

Jesus crucified was more than King--He was Saviour. The poor malefactor was a testimony to it, and the joy and consolation of the Lord's heart--the first fruits of the love which had placed them side by side, where, if the poor thief bore the fruit of his sins from man, the Lord of glory at His side was bearing the fruit of them from God. 

Through a work unknown to man save by faith, the sins of His companion were forever put away.  They no longer existed. Their remembrance was only of the grace which had taken them away, and which had forever cleansed his soul from them, making him that moment as fit to enter paradise as Christ Himself, his companion there!  

Come now, and view the manger, the Lord of glory see,
A houseless, homeless Stranger, in this poor world for thee. 

Oh, strange, yet fit beginning of all that life of woe,
In which Thy grace was winning poor man His God to know.

Blessed Babe! who lowly liest in manger-cradle there;
Descended from the highest, our sorrows all to share.  J. N. Darby

N.J. Hiebert - 9767

November 20

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.  And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord.     1 Kings 17:14-16

Three hundred children were dressed and seated for breakfast, and a prayer of thanks was offered for the food.  But there was no food!

Situations like this were not unusual for orphanage director and missionary George Mueller (1805-1898).  Here was yet another opportunity to see how God would provide.  Within minutes of Mueller's prayer, a baker who couldn't sleep the night before showed up at the door.  Sensing that the orphanage could use bread, he had made three batches.  Not long afterward, the town milkman appeared.  His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage.  Not wanting the milk to spoil, he offered it to Mueller.

It's normal to experience bouts of worry, anxiety, and self-pity when we lack resources essential to our well-being--food, shelter, health, finances, friendships. 1 Kings 17:8-16 reminds us that God's help can come through unexpected sources like a needy widow.  "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug." (v.12).

Earlier it was ravens that provided for Elijah (vv.4-6).  Concerns for our needs to be met can send us searching in many directions.  A clear vision of God as the Provider who has promised to supply our needs can be liberating.   Before we seek solutions, may we be careful to seek Him first.  Doing so can save us time, energy, and frustration.  (Arthur Jackson)

N. J.Hiebert - 9768
"Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2020) Grand rapids, MI  Reprinted permission.)

November 21

O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river.     Isaiah 48:18

It is difficult to remain calm while the world is filled with violence and senseless crime.  But Frances Ridley Havergal, a devout Bible scholar as well as a poet, drew upon two passages from the prophet Isaiah to give fresh understanding to Christian peace in difficult circumstances.

More than once in Isaiah God promises "peace like a river."  And in Isaiah 26:3 the prophet says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.    These verses have served as the basis of many hymns over the last two centuries, but none is as picturesque as this one.

In one of her last letters, Havergal wrote to another hymn-writer who had also written about peace.  Quoting the verse, "We have peace with God" (Romans 5:1), she added, "It is yours already, purchased for you, made for you, sealed for you, pledged to you--by the word of the Father and the precious blood of Jesus."  It is not only peace that God promises, but perfect peace--perfected, completed in Christ.  

Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace, over all victorious  in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller ev'ry day, perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand, never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care, not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Ev'ry joy or trial falleth from above, traced upon our dial by the sun of love; we may
Trust Him fully all for us to do--they who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

CHORUS:  Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest--
Finding as He promised perfect peace and rest.  Frances R. Havergal  (1836-1879)

N.J. Hiebert - 9769

November 22

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.   Matthew 7:20

The fruit of the Bible is good and only good.  Millions of lives can can testify to the truth of this.   A striking example of good and bad fruit is seen in the following incident.  

An uncle and nephew were travelling with a large sum of money over a wild and very thinly populated prairie land of America.  Nightfall came on, and the travellers had to look for a shelter.  They discovered a log cabin, and knocked at the door.  An old man with long shaggy beard and unkept appearance answered their call.  They asked for accommodation, which was willingly offered.  They were shown into a room where they could sleep on the floor.

It was arranged that the uncle should lie down to rest, and the nephew should sit up with loaded revolver to make sure that their treasure was safe.  Presently the uncle saw the nephew preparing to sleep.  He reminded him of the vigil he had promised to keep.  The nephew replied, "There is no need to sit up with loaded revolver.  We are perfectly safe here.  I looked through the keyhole to see what the old man was doing.  I saw him take a Bible down from the shelf, and read a chapter to his wife.  I then heard him pray for the blessing of God to rest on the travellers under his roof."

I ask, would the sight of a pack of cards, a whisky bottle and a handy revolver, have produced the confidence and sense of security that the sight of the open Bible and bended knee did?  This incident was told me when quite young, and made a great impression on my mind.  Whenever a life is moulded by the Word of God you get purity, honesty, truthfulness, goodness, kindness.  Wherever its teaching and influences are refused you get evil of every kind abounding.

Surely the Bible stands its own test triumphantly, "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).  Why I Believe the Bible- A. J. Pollock

N.J. Hiebert - 9770

November 23

Gems from November 1- 10, 2024

Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.  Psalm 28:9

Save . . . bless . . .  feed . . . lift up . . . 

What an inclusive prayer!  nothing is left out.  The word that speaks to me specially is "feed".

I do not think there is anything from the beginning of our Christian life to the end, that is so keenly attacked as our quiet with God, for it is in quietness that we are fed.  Sometimes it is not possible to get long uninterrupted quiet, but even if it be only ten minutes, "hem it with quietness."

Enclose it in quietness; do not spend the time in thinking how little time you have.  Be quiet.  If you are interrupted, as soon as the interruption ceases, sink back into quietness again without fuss or worry of spirit.  Those who know this secret and practise it, are lifted up.  They go out from that time with their Lord, be it long or short, so refreshed, so peaceful, that wherever they go they unconsciously say to others, who are perhaps cast down and weary, There is a lifting up.     Amy Carmichael

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.

Chorus:
And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever has ever known.

He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody  that He gave to me within my heart is ringing. C. Austin Miles

N. J. Hiebert - 9748

November 1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in His law doth he meditate day and night.  Psalm 1:1-2.

People get salvation mostly through single verses of the Bible.  How many have found peace through that precious verse "For God so loved the world . . ." John 3:16.  I thank God, we do not have to be scholars to be saved; we do not even have to know where to find a single verse in the word of God.  The simplest truth as to Christ, the Saviour of the lost, is the means of our salvation.  Do I know I am a lost sinner? that I have sinned and come short of the glory of God?  Can I say "Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned?" Psalm 51:4 Then it is my privilege to hearken to that other word, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world," John 1:29 and to know that God's love is commended to us in that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"  Romans 5:8.

But we do not want to remain ignorant.  God saves us to be sharers in His thoughts.  That is why we ought to covet to understand His Word.  We are so intensely selfish naturally that we cheat ourselves as most selfish people do.  We are so selfish that unless we think a certain portion of God's word is going to minister to our comfort, or specially suits  our case, there is no good in it for us, and therefore we fail to be in harmony with the thoughts of God.  As a result we live a poor low life that is exposed to the temptations of the enemy.

Why is it that Satan has such power over the people of God. It is because they neglect the Word of God.  And so you and I may have two or three verses that apply to the Christian walk, or to restoration and communion  and a few more that apply to our dealings with the world, and we think we have enough to live by: but we are not in communion with God.  There is only one way to be in communion with God and that is through His precious Word.  That is the importance of taking up in an orderly way and unfolding some of the perfections of God's blessed Word.  Genesis to Revelation -  S.Ridout 

N.J. Hiebert - 9749

November 2

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23:6

There are two things which characterize a man of the world, namely, his home and his business.  But the order is, from his home to his business; and if his home be a happy one, he carries the fragrance of it with him to his business.  Exactly so is it with the Christian; his "home" is in Heaven, his business is to work for Christ on earth.

We once heard a preacher say of Dr. Bonar that, as one beheld him in the pulpit, and heard him preach, the impression created was that the Doctor had just come from the presence of God for a few minutes to deliver a message, and that he intended to go back there immediately after he had delivered it.  The time is approaching, however, when we shall go "no more out", which, by the way, is one of the many differences between Eden and Heaven--the final Home of the redeemed.  The former had a way out, but not a way in; the latter has a way in, but happily has no way out.

Fellow-pilgrim to the realms of endless glory, let us look upwards and onwards--"The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8 Let us lay aside every weight; let us forget those things which are behind--the weaknesses and the waverings, the failures and the follies; and "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1 "looking for that blessèd hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13 
The Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson.

N.J. Hiebert - 9750

November 3

"And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which called thee by thy name am . . . God . . ."  Isaiah 45:3 

One of the first questions that came to my mind after the black curtain of blindness fell over my eyes was: "What can the Lord do with a blind man?"  For long ago I had given myself to the service of the Lord, and had undergone long years of training for my work as a minister.  I tried every known means to halt the degeneration of the eye tissue, but all to no avail. 

The thing that I had dreaded did happen; and the day came when I had to admit that I could no longer see and the doctor pronounced me totally and permanently blind. 

That was a dark day, and a darker than the mantel that covered my eyes was the mental and spiritual blackout that overwhelmed my mind and soul. 

I wrestled in prayer and meditation and I found a new sense of peace and power.  I tried often during my sleepless hours to repeat portions from the Scriptures, and I leaned how to pray as I had never prayed before.  The time came when I no longer dreaded wakefulness, for I found rest and peace and confidence through communion with God as I lay upon my bed. Thus I came to discover the treasures of darkness.  

I determined to make the most of each day and fill it full of courage and cheerfulness.  I realized that others who had to live with me had a right to be happy and I must not rob them of their happiness, simply because I was afflicted.  Neither should the fact that I had a handicap serve to rob me of my happiness nor keep me from finding help and strength and faith to carry on.

I have no time to be sorry for myself.  I do not feel that the days of my usefulness are over, but I have the hope that my best days are yet ahead of me.  I live in the darkness, but I do not live alone.


There walks One with me Who is able to make even the darkness light about me, and by the light of His presence I have discovered the unsearchable riches of Christ, the treasures of darkness and it is God my Maker Who giveth me songs in the night. (Job 35:10)   (Traveling Toward Sunrise)    

N.J. Hiebert - 9751

November 4

Behold your God!  Isaiah 40:9

He became the Son of Man that we might become the sons of God.  Here is a Man that was born in an obscure village, child of a peasant woman.  He had neither wealth nor influence, neither training nor education; yet in infancy He startled a king; in boyhood He puzzled the doctors.  In manhood He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services. 

All the libraries of the world could not hold the books that could be written about Him.  He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme of more songs than all song-writers combined.  He never founded a college, yet all the colleges together cannot boast of as many students as He. "He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." 2 Corinthians 8:9.  How poor?  Ask Mary!  Ask the Wise Men!  He slept in another's manger.  He cruised the lake in another's boat.  He rode on another man's donkey.  He was buried in another man's tomb.  

While still a young Man the tide of popular opinion turned against Him.  His friends ran away from Him. One of them denied Him; another betrayed Him and turned Him over to His enemies.  He went through the mockery of a trial.  He was nailed upon the Cross between two thieves.  His executioners gambled for His coat. Yet, all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man as powerfully as has this one solitary life!  Great men have come and gone, yet He lives on!  Death could not destroy Him!  The grave could not hold Him! 

 "Behold, the world is gone after Him!"   John 12:19   Let us also go." John 11:16.   'If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee."  1 Chronicles 28:9     FIND HIM!  Springs in the Valley

N.J. Hiebert - 9752

November 5

I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen.  Revelation 1:18

The taunts and jeers of our Lord's enemies while He hung forsaken on that middle cross, showed that they were completely satisfied that this was to Him the end of His words and His works.  More absolute helplessness they could not conceive. 

Without a friend to espouse His cause; without a follower bold enough to fight for Him; and without an acquaintance loyal enough to acknowledge His Name in the hour of His rejection--it looked like the most heart-rending defeat any leader could possibly suffer. 

But instead of defeat, the death of Christ was the grandest and most complete victory ever won.  Evidences of that triumph began to follow each other in rapid succession.  Even before He died, supernatural darkness spread over the land.  Then when the Saviour cried aloud, "It is finished," the earth quaked and the rocks rent like an old garment when it is torn by a mighty hand.

Then Joseph and Nicodemus came and gave Him the burial of a king.  With all their hate and exasperation, the priests and elders of the Jews were not able to hinder the loving service to Him of these two Sanhedrin counsellors.  

The death of the Lord Jesus was a glorious victory.   He "spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."  Colossians 2:15
A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake

By weakness and defeat, He won the meed and crown;
Trod all our foes beneath His feet by being trodden down.
Whitlock Gandy

N.J. Hiebert - 9753

November 6

THE TIDE IS SURE TO WIN

The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.  Isaiah 11:9

I walked the ocean beach today and watched the advance and retreat of the waves, surging forward, then receding, but steadily gaining ground.  I remembered the poem with its lines:

The wave may be defeated 
But the tide is sure to win.

If we are a part of the purpose of God in the gospel, we may advance and recede, our wave may be defeated, but we are part of a movement that must prevail.

Better fail in a cause that will one day succeed than succeed in a cause that will one day fail!    All the Days - Vance Havner

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing;
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work his woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate--
On earth is not his equal. 

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were  not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask Who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He!
Lord Sabaoth is His name, from age to age the same:
And He must win the battle.  Martin Luther

N.J. Hiebert - 9754

November 7

"Whatsoever things are pure . . ."  Philippians 4:8

Our school motto was: "Beati Mundo Corde:" the Latin for, "Blessed are the pure in heart." It would be hard to find a more suitable, or a more beautiful motto for a boys' school.  How did we measure up to it, bearing in mind that purity begins with our thoughts?  How do we today measure up to it, when we think of it in this way?  

As we look around on all the filth about us in this filthy world, through which we must pass, we might be utterly discouraged, and say that God had set before us an impossible standard, that He does not expect us to meet.  Let not such a thought find lodgement with us. 

In the days of old there were various creatures which the people of Israel might not eat, for they were unclean: there were others that were clean.  There were two marks by which a clean fish was known: it must have both fins and scales.  The fins let it swim against the stream.  There is a spot on the Columbia River where you may stand and watch the great fish leap up rapids, several feet high.  Similarly God has provided a power whereby you and I may "swim against the stream."

But there are times when a fish must swim through filthy water: and to protect it, God has given it scales: which are "shut up together with a close seal.  One is so near another, that no air can come between them."  (Job 41:15-17).  And, fitted with this armour, the fish can pass in safety through the filth. 

So God has provided away a way for His Own to pass unscathed through all the filth around us: as well as the power to swim against the stream.  Let us never lower God's standard to meet our weakness: but rather let us press on, with our eyes fixed on the Goal: our Lord Himself.  Thank God, we have the Spirit to oppose the flesh; and are not called to fight the battle in our own strength.   Sacrifices of Joy - G. Christopher Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 9755

November 8

And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon . . . but Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Jesus of her.  And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. Mark 1:29-31

As Jesus accompanied Peter and Andrew to their home, He found that one in the family circle was in special need of sympathy and help.  The mother in-law of Peter, as the graphic words of Mark declare, lay prostrate, burning with fever.  Even among the close followers of Christ there are heavy hearts to be relieved and there are fevered spirits to be healed.

Possibly this restless sufferer in the house of Peter may symbolize the distress of anxiety, of worry, of fear, of longing, of temper, or of haste.  Whether in the crowed synagogue or in the quiet of the home, Jesus is ready and able to heal.  It was His sympathy, His compassion, His love, which moved Him as "He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up."

The touch of His hand, in the act of healing, is more than once recorded by Mark.  It adds vividness to the picture, and it contains for us a message of tenderness, the sympathy, the nearness, of Christ.  It was moreover a touch of power; He "lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them."  The cure was therefore instantaneous and compete.  The touch had communicated strength; it had evidently awakened or developed faith in the sufferer; surely the healing it brought aroused gratitude and love.

"She ministered unto them"; and many homes are waiting today for the more patient, humble, faithful ministry of those whose restless, fevered spirits have been given quiet and healing by the Lord.
Gospel of Mark - Charles Erdman

N.J. Hiebert - 9756

November 9

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?  2 Kings 4:2

A creditor was about to enslave this widow's sons for default on a debt.  Elisha asked two question. First, "What shall I do for Thee?" And secondly "What hast thou in the house?"

We learn from this that God is wiling to help us in our extremities, but that we must also be prepared to be part of the solution.  

To feed a multitude, the Lord took the little that was available, five loaves and two small fish.  Only then did He feed thousands.

At the grave of Lazarus the Lord said "Take ye away the stone" (John 11:39).  Only then did He call "Lazarus come forth"  (John 11:43). 

As we pray, let us keep in mind, that while God is willing to respond, He also expects us to do our part.  W. H. Burnette

Press onward, press onward, 
And trusting the Lord, 
Remember the promise proclaimed in His word;
He guideth the footsteps, directeth the way
Of all who confess Him, believe and obey. 

Press onward, press onward,
Your courage renew;
The prize is before you, the crown is in view;
His love is so boundless, He'll never say nay 
To those who confess Him, believe and obey.  Fanny Crosby

N.J. Hiebert - 9757

November 10

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

The one "broken" to the Master's yoke is the one who at last has stepped into stride with God.  He acknowledges that Christ is in control.  He accepts the load laid on him as matched to his strength.  He admits that all is well and finds ease and rest therein.  

The Master stated without hesitation that it was these who would inherit the earth.(Matthew 5:5).  Of course most of us do not really believe this.  Everything in our civilized culture cries out against such a concept.  We who have been totally conditioned by our sophisticated Western society are sure that to be big, bold, brash and brazen is still best.  We insist that one must simply get ahead on his own by grim determination and fierce fighting.

It is the meek person who finds that faith in God begins to flourish in his/her life.  The self-made, self-sufficient individual sees no need to trust another, let alone Christ, as his Master. 

But men and women broken to serve Christ come quickly to the place where they must trust Him for guidance and supervision and the supply of all their needs.  

It is no longer a case of carrying on in one's own way.  It is not a matter of doing ones own thing.  It is not a question of realizing only one's own ambitions.  Instead, life is seen from God's perspective.  And to achieve the grand purposes of God, simple trust and quiet faith are needed.  These He bestows in ample abundance upon the meek.  And great results take place. 
W. Phillip Keller 

N.J. Hiebert - 9758

November 11

Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.  Colossians 1:11

Years ago my work took me to the woods in the North of Canada, far from any Christian services.  One Sunday morning I was reading the first chapter of Colossians.  I got as far as the eleventh verse, and I read: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory . . ." and I stopped there, somewhat overwhelmed by the stupendous display of mighty power. 

And as I stopped, I dreamed of the great deeds I would some day do for the Lord, with all this mighty power on which I might so freely draw; what crowds might be converted; how the heathen might be won for Christ!

Then I decided to finish the verse: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy."  It was a bit of a shock, for in those days I had never thought very much of endurance, or patience either, as it is put in our English Bible.

But God's thoughts are not our thoughts; and God knows the true worth of Endurance, and just the power that is needed for it, especially when "longsuffering", or "suffering-for-a-long-time", is connected with it; and the whole is done not with a spirit of being sorry for ourselves, but, "with joy."  You will find you do indeed need to be "strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory", if you are to have "all endurance and longsuffering with joy."

We never, never can do it in our own strength, but Thanks be to God, He does not ask us to use our own strength, and He offers us all this vast store of power on which to freely draw, with unlimited demands, and all for the sake of endurance: "Endurance and longsuffering with joy".  It is not easy, but, Thank the Lord, He can do it for us; He can work it in us.    G. C. Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 9759

November 12

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? . . . And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. (Mark 15:33-37)

At the sixth hour--this answers to our twelve noon--the sun was, as it were, blotted out of the heaven.  From the time that the darkness overspread the scene no sound escaped the lips of Jesus, according to the record, until the three hours were drawing to a close; and then, we are told in  two other gospels, He cried out in agony, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"  In those first three hours of darkness He was suffering at the hands of man: He endured without a murmur all the shame and ignominy that man could heap upon Him.

But during the last three hours of darkness He was suffering at the hand of God--the God Who made His soul an offering for sin.  There He drank the bitter cup of judgment, that our sins had filled--the cup from which He shrank in Gethsemane, which if we had to drink could not be exhausted throughout eternity.  God "hath made Him to be made sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"  2 Corinthians 5:21.

It was God as Judge Who was there dealing with His holy Son on our behalf as Christ took the sinner's place.  At the last "Jesus said it is finished: and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost!"  (John 19:30).

"It is Finished!"  That was His cry of triumph.  He had finished the work the Father gave Him to do.  He had glorified God to the full in the place where He had been so terribly dishonoured, and now because of that finished work God can "be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3:26)   Luke - H. A. Ironside

N.J. Hiebert - 9760

November 13

I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Acts 27:25

I went to America some years ago with the captain of a ship, who was a very devoted Christian.  When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life.  We had George Mueller of Bristol on board.  I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. 

George Mueller came to me, "Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon." "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way.  I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years.  Let's go down into the chart-room and pray." 

I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can this man have come from?  I never heard of such a thing as this.  "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?"  "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life." 

He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray.  "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about."

I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King.  Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone."  I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement.   Selected

"If our love were, but more simple, we should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine, in the sweetness of our Lord.

N.J. Hiebert - 9761

November 14