And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. Job 11:17
I suppose nobody ever naturally did like the idea of getting older, after he had at least left school. There is a sense of oppression and depression about it. The irresistible, inevitable onward march of moments and years without the possibility of one instant's pause--a march that even while on the uphill side of life is leading to the downhill side--casts an autumn-like shadow over many a spring-birthday. But surely the Bible gives us the bright side of everything.
In this case it gives three bright sides of a fact which, without it, could not help being gloomy. First, it opens the sure prospect of increasing brightness to those who have begun to walk in the light. Even if the sun of our life has reached the apparent zenith and we have known a very noonday of mental and spiritual being, it is no poetic western shadows that are to lengthen upon our way but "our age is to be clearer than the noonday."
The second bright side is increasing fruitfulness. Do not let us confuse between works and fruit. Even when we come to the days when "the strong men shall bow themselves," (Ecclesiastes 12:3) there may be more pleasant fruits for our Master, riper, fuller, and sweeter than ever before. For "they shall still bring forth fruit in old age." The third bright side is the brightest of all, "even to your old age, I am He" . . . "even to hoar hairs will I carry you." For we shall always be His little children and doubtless He will always be our Father. The rush of years cannot touch this.
Edges of His Way -- Amy Carmichael
Come nearer, Sun of Righteousness! that we, whose swift short hours of day so swiftly run,
So overflowed with love and light may be, so lost in glory of the nearing Sun,
That not our light, but Thine, the world may see, new praise to Thee through our poor lives be won. - Frances Ridley Havergal.
N.J. Hiebert - 9939
In this case it gives three bright sides of a fact which, without it, could not help being gloomy. First, it opens the sure prospect of increasing brightness to those who have begun to walk in the light. Even if the sun of our life has reached the apparent zenith and we have known a very noonday of mental and spiritual being, it is no poetic western shadows that are to lengthen upon our way but "our age is to be clearer than the noonday."
The second bright side is increasing fruitfulness. Do not let us confuse between works and fruit. Even when we come to the days when "the strong men shall bow themselves," (Ecclesiastes 12:3) there may be more pleasant fruits for our Master, riper, fuller, and sweeter than ever before. For "they shall still bring forth fruit in old age." The third bright side is the brightest of all, "even to your old age, I am He" . . . "even to hoar hairs will I carry you." For we shall always be His little children and doubtless He will always be our Father. The rush of years cannot touch this.
Edges of His Way -- Amy Carmichael
Come nearer, Sun of Righteousness! that we, whose swift short hours of day so swiftly run,
So overflowed with love and light may be, so lost in glory of the nearing Sun,
That not our light, but Thine, the world may see, new praise to Thee through our poor lives be won. - Frances Ridley Havergal.
N.J. Hiebert - 9939
May 11
Lord, increase our faith. Luke 17:5
Faith is not clinging - it is letting go.
A traveller upon a lonely road was attacked by bandits who robbed him of all he had. They then led him into the depths of the forest. There in the darkness they tied a rope to the limb of a great tree, and bade him catch hold of the end of it, swinging him out into the darkness of surrounding space, they told him he was hanging over the brink of a giddy precipice. The moment he let go he would be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. And then they left him. His soul was filled with horror at the awful doom impending.
He clutched despairingly the end of the swaying rope. But each dreadful moment only made his fate more sure. His strength steadily failed. At last he could hold on no longer. The end had come. His clenched fingers relaxed their convulsive grip.
He fell - six inches, to the solid earth at his feet! It was only a ruse of the robbers to gain time in escaping. And when he let go it was not to death, but to the safety which had been waiting him through all his time of terror.
Clutching will not save anyone from his hopelessness. It is only Satan's trick to keep you from being afforded security and peace in the solid promises of God. And all the while you are swinging over the supposed precipice of fear and mistrust. Let go! It is God's plan that you fall - not to defeat, but into His arms, the solid rock.
As soon as you recognize your sheer helplessness and your failing strength, you let go; and falling upon Him, your fear goes, your mistrust goes, and the blessed assurance comes forever. For He - not your clinging but - "He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Streams in the Desert
N.J. Hiebert - 9940
Faith is not clinging - it is letting go.
A traveller upon a lonely road was attacked by bandits who robbed him of all he had. They then led him into the depths of the forest. There in the darkness they tied a rope to the limb of a great tree, and bade him catch hold of the end of it, swinging him out into the darkness of surrounding space, they told him he was hanging over the brink of a giddy precipice. The moment he let go he would be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. And then they left him. His soul was filled with horror at the awful doom impending.
He clutched despairingly the end of the swaying rope. But each dreadful moment only made his fate more sure. His strength steadily failed. At last he could hold on no longer. The end had come. His clenched fingers relaxed their convulsive grip.
He fell - six inches, to the solid earth at his feet! It was only a ruse of the robbers to gain time in escaping. And when he let go it was not to death, but to the safety which had been waiting him through all his time of terror.
Clutching will not save anyone from his hopelessness. It is only Satan's trick to keep you from being afforded security and peace in the solid promises of God. And all the while you are swinging over the supposed precipice of fear and mistrust. Let go! It is God's plan that you fall - not to defeat, but into His arms, the solid rock.
As soon as you recognize your sheer helplessness and your failing strength, you let go; and falling upon Him, your fear goes, your mistrust goes, and the blessed assurance comes forever. For He - not your clinging but - "He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Streams in the Desert
N.J. Hiebert - 9940
May 12
He restoreth my soul. Psalm 23:3
There is a scene in the life of the apostle Peter which beautifully illustrates this. The sifting process of which our Lord had warned him, but to which he paid little attention, had been carried out; and as a result Peter had denied his Master with oaths and curses. One can imagine the remorse which would fill his mind when he realized what he had done: the tendency would be to throw up utterly his new discipleship.
And here we would point out the meaning of a scripture, which is frequently misquoted. Our Lord had said, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," not "that thou mayest fail not." The failure was evidently the only method by which Peter could be robbed of his self-confidence. But the danger was that, having fallen, he would give way to despair, and it was to obviate this that our Lord's intercession was exercised on his behalf.
Well, just at the time of Peter's great denial, "the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, 'before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice' And Peter went out out and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:61,62). "Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him . . . and when he thought thereon, he wept" (Mark 14:72).
That word penetrated Peter's soul, broke up the fountains of his heart, and drew forth floods of penitential tears. When he meant his best he found out what a wicked heart he had; and when he did his worst he found out what a blessed heart Christ had. How often in times of soul declension do we experience equally tender treatment from our gracious God!
Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson
N.J. Hiebert - 9941
There is a scene in the life of the apostle Peter which beautifully illustrates this. The sifting process of which our Lord had warned him, but to which he paid little attention, had been carried out; and as a result Peter had denied his Master with oaths and curses. One can imagine the remorse which would fill his mind when he realized what he had done: the tendency would be to throw up utterly his new discipleship.
And here we would point out the meaning of a scripture, which is frequently misquoted. Our Lord had said, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," not "that thou mayest fail not." The failure was evidently the only method by which Peter could be robbed of his self-confidence. But the danger was that, having fallen, he would give way to despair, and it was to obviate this that our Lord's intercession was exercised on his behalf.
Well, just at the time of Peter's great denial, "the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, 'before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice' And Peter went out out and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:61,62). "Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him . . . and when he thought thereon, he wept" (Mark 14:72).
That word penetrated Peter's soul, broke up the fountains of his heart, and drew forth floods of penitential tears. When he meant his best he found out what a wicked heart he had; and when he did his worst he found out what a blessed heart Christ had. How often in times of soul declension do we experience equally tender treatment from our gracious God!
Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson
N.J. Hiebert - 9941
May 13
My heart is inditing (welling forth with) a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made (composed) touching the king. Psalm 45:1
This is worship. Notice its focus: not so much what He has done, but what He is--His intrinsic worth. Are we able to enter into this kind of appreciation of Him? Listen again to that divine acclamation, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
This was true before the Lord Jesus had done anything that man could see. It was true before His incarnation. Throughout eternity past all God's delights were centered in the Son. To illustrate further, let us consider another portion--Psalm 95:
"O come, let us sing unto the Lord:
Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
And make a joyful noise unto Him with Psalms."
Why?
"For the Lord is a great God,"
"O come, let us worship and bow down:"
Why?
"For He is our God."
Worship is not a product of the mind or will, but the gushings forth of the soul that has been set in awe by the presence and knowledge of Him Who is worshipped. It is the irrepressible response of the heart brought into an awareness of His matchless worth and incomparable. H. B. Duncanson
Worship, honour, praise, and glory, would we render unto Thee;
Heights unsearched and depths unfathomed in Thy wondrous love we see.
All Thy glory shines transcendent in the Person of the Son,
Jesus Christ, Thy Well-Beloved, Who redemption's glory won. E. H. Chater
N.J. Hiebert - 9942
This is worship. Notice its focus: not so much what He has done, but what He is--His intrinsic worth. Are we able to enter into this kind of appreciation of Him? Listen again to that divine acclamation, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
This was true before the Lord Jesus had done anything that man could see. It was true before His incarnation. Throughout eternity past all God's delights were centered in the Son. To illustrate further, let us consider another portion--Psalm 95:
"O come, let us sing unto the Lord:
Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
And make a joyful noise unto Him with Psalms."
Why?
"For the Lord is a great God,"
"O come, let us worship and bow down:"
Why?
"For He is our God."
Worship is not a product of the mind or will, but the gushings forth of the soul that has been set in awe by the presence and knowledge of Him Who is worshipped. It is the irrepressible response of the heart brought into an awareness of His matchless worth and incomparable. H. B. Duncanson
Worship, honour, praise, and glory, would we render unto Thee;
Heights unsearched and depths unfathomed in Thy wondrous love we see.
All Thy glory shines transcendent in the Person of the Son,
Jesus Christ, Thy Well-Beloved, Who redemption's glory won. E. H. Chater
N.J. Hiebert - 9942
May 14
May 15
