Gems from November 1- 10, 2016

November 1

“The prayer of the upright is His delight.”

(Proverbs 15:8)

It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they may be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they be; 

nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be;

nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; 

nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be—

which God cares for.

Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much.

There is nothing that makes us love someone as praying for him,

 and when you can do this sincerely for anyone, you have fitted your 

soul for the performance of everything that is kind and civil toward him.

Be daily on your knees in a solemn, deliberate performance of this devotion, praying for others in such form, with such length, importunity and earnestness 

as you use for yourself; and you will find all little, ill-natured passions 

die away, your heart will grow great and generous.

(William Law)

The prayers of godly men and women can accomplish 

more that all the military forces in the world.

“Prayer-craft is greater than aircraft!"

(Streams in the Desert)

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November 2

“But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.”

(John 21:4)

This must have been an amazing morning for those 

tired, cold and weary disciples.

They toiled all night for fish to feed their hunger, to no avail.

Trusting in their own efforts and expertise as fishermen they came up with nothing.

But Jesus stood on the shore!  

What they needed, the Lord provided in the way He alone could.

The Creator of the universe had the fish ready on the fire.

He is still the same today—able to provide in unique 

ways to those who trust Him alone for their needs. 

(Jim Paul)

Every need He is supplying, plenteous grace He bestows;

Every day my way gets brighter, the longer I serve Him;

The sweeter He grows!

(Bill Gaither)

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November 3

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

(Philippians 4:6)

Neglect of Prayer

When King Saul had given over inquiring after God, we hear him knocking 

at the devil’s door, and asking counsel of a witch.

Take heed of living near the tempter!

If Satan might have his wish, surely it would be this, 

that the creature might live prayerless.

Satan cannot but deny that great wonders have been wrought by prayer.

As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down.

Satan’s stratagems against prayer are three.

First, If he can, he will keep you from prayer.

If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt you in prayer.

And thirdly, if that plot does not work, he will labour to hinder the success of your prayer.

(The Christian in Complete Armour - William Gurnall - 1617 -1679)

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November 4

“There was also a strife among them, which of 

them should be accounted the greatest.”

(Luke 22:24)

One of the saddest things in all the life of Jesus Christ was the fact that just before His 

crucifixion, His disciples should have been striving to see who should be the greatest.

It was His last night on earth, and they never saw Him so sorrowful before.

He knew Judas was going to sell Him for thirty pieces of silver.

He knew that Peter would deny Him.

And yet in addition to this, when going into the very shadow of the cross, 

there arose this strife as to who should be the greatest.

He took a towel and girded Himself like a slave, and He took a 

basin of water and stooped and washed their feet.

That was another object lesson of humility.

He said, “Ye call me Master and Lord,

and ye say well.”

(John 13:13)

If you want to be great in My kingdom, be servant of all.

If you serve, you shall be great.

(D. L. Moody)

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November 5

“A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.”

(Song of Solomon 4:12)

“This people have I formed for Myself.”

(Isaiah 43:21)

You have not given “all” to Jesus while you are not quite ready to be “only” for Him.

And it is no use to talk about “ever” while we have not settled the “only” and the “all.”

You cannot be "for Him" in the full and blessed sense, 

while you are partly “for” anything or anyone else.

For “the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself.”

You see, the “for Himself” hinges upon the “set apart.” 

There is no consecration without separation.

If you are mourning over want of realized consecration,

will you look humbly and sincerely into this point?

“A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse,” saith the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Set apart for Jesus!  Is not this enough,

Though the desert prospect open wild and rough?

Set apart for His delight,

Chosen for His holy pleasure,

Sealed to be His special treasure!

Could we choose a nobler joy? -

And would we if we might?

(Opened Treasures - Francis Ridley Havergal)

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November 6

"And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?”

(Genesis 3:9)

God misses His child.

That hour of fellowship was much to Adam, 

and it was more to God.  God’s love craves fellowship.

How sad when that beautiful fellowship was broken by sin and disobedience .

God sought His child.

He did not wait till Adam found his way 

back to  His side, but He hastened in search of him. 

God knew the answer to the question, “Where art thou?”

but Adam didn’t understand that he was lost, condemned and

ready to die—just as many today don't realize it.

Still the good Shepherd is seeking lost sheep to 

bring them home to the eternal fold.

Have you come to Him?

(Milton Haack)

Seeking the lost, yes, kindly entreating,

Wanderers on the mountain astray;

Come unto Me, His message repeating, 

Words of the Master speaking today. 

(William A. Ogden)

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November 7

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of 

God which He hath testified of His Son. He that  believeth on the Son 

of God hath the witness in himself.”

(1 John 5:9-10)

That which makes heaven to be a heaven to the saint is just this—

that he finds the same Christ in heaven that he has in his  

own soul; and all the subtleties of infidelity cannot 

touch the soul that possesses Christ thus within.

No reasoning of an infidel can shake my confidence if I am happy 

in Christ; for if a man came to tell me there was no 

Christ, when my soul was happy in Him,

I should not believe him.

(J. N. Darby)

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November 8

“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) 

He alone had the secret of rest, and if there was that divine inexhaustible fulness in Him,

all the divine glory being in Him, and we having it revealed to us (for He says, 

“he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father“), 

to whom could He not, and to whom would He not give rest?

It is not the question, how much you have to bear, but of the Lord’s eye upon individuals.

When He looks on any one, even if it be a little child who does not yet feel 

its burden, He sees it and knows all that is connected with conflict. 

He sees a burden within each—sees everything that is against us.

 I may be like a ship wrecked between two seas; well, He says, 

“Come unto Me and I will give you rest.” 

How can you get away from that word?  Is anything beyond His 

power?  It is just there that we get the very essence of the gospel.  He

goes on: “Take my yoke upon you, learn of Me, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

How was it that Christ found such perfect rest in the midst of all that was against Him?  

Ever quiet and at home in the midst of it all: and He says, “Learn of Me." 

   (Gleanings - G. V. Wigram)

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November 9

"I am my Beloved's--and my Beloved is mine!”

 (Song of Solomon 6:3)

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the Father's beloved Son--He is the believer's beloved Saviour. 

Jesus is the object of a Christian's adoring love--as well as of his hearty trust. 

He loves Him--because He laid down His life to redeem him.

 He also loves Him for what He is in Himself. 

He loves Him for His personal glories, and for the excellence of His character:

"All human beauties--all Divine,

 In His Beloved meet and shine!"

He is to him the chief among ten thousand, and "altogether lovely.” 

What especially affords him satisfaction, is that he can claim Christ as his own—

and that Christ also claims him as His own! His joy is supreme, 

when with assurance he can say, "I am my Beloved's--and He is mine!"

Every believer who heartily receives Christ as his Saviour, his Substitute,

 and as his Lord and Master, and who unreservedly yields himself to Him—is 

warranted to claim Christ as His own, and to know also that he is Christ's.

"Oh! I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine!

 He brings a poor vile sinner, into His “house of wine”!

(“Every Day” Author Unknown, 1872)

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November 10

“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud,

thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee."   

(Isaiah 44:22)

“Who is God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by transgression . . .

He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.  

He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will 

subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins

into the depth of the sea."

(Micah 7:18-19)

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

(Hebrews 10:17)

  

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

(1 John 1:7)

From these words which tell of the consciousness of shortcomings in the past,

and of absolute uncertainty regarding the future, we turn to the joy 

and confidence that characterize the Word of the Lord.

There I find the revelation of One Who cancels the past with its failure and

shortcoming, and gives us assuring words.

As regards the future, we possess a threefold assurance:

(a) We know that we have eternal life- 

“. . . that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

(b) We know where we are going-

“We have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1).

(c) We know what we are going to be like.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, 

when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

(In Pastures Green - George Henderson)

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November 11

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.”

(Romans 4:20)

FAITH DOES NOT nervously go over the same committal again and again.

Faith goes on from there ruggedly believing that what God has promised He will perform.

Abraham did not even consider what were really impossibilities.

He considered God, not circumstances.

So did Hannah when “she went her way and her countenance was no more sad.” 

So did Paul in the storm at sea, when he said, “I believe God.”

It is a mark of unbelief, not of faith, when we uneasily look around  

us and keep reminding God that we are depending on Him.

 

We are trusting Him more when, instead of constantly reminding Him, we move on 

to do the next thing and the next, counting it all as good as done.

A father would be grieved if his child kept on asking, 

“Are you sure you will take care of me?”

A trusting child goes on about other things and wastes no time trying to trust its father.

You are not really trusting until you quit trying.

The more you examine your faith, the sicklier it will be.

Don’t look at your faith.  Look at Jesus!

(Day by Day - Vance Havner)

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November 12