February 20
"I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which
is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”
(Philippians 1:23-24)
How often we are apt to think, to depart and be with Christ will be to escape the
trials and anxieties and perplexities and reproach of this wilderness path:
and so we think it is better to depart: but such a thought never
crossed the mind of the Apostle: the attraction, on the
one hand, was CHRIST: and nothing else.
On the other hand, there was the need of the saints.
Nor was it in any way that he put the saints
before Christ: but it was for Christ’s sake
he would care for Christ’s flock.
You will notice the Apostle does not say he had a desire
“to die,” but to depart and be with Christ.
(G. Christopher Willis)
N.J. Hiebert - 6536
February 21
“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the
king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of
the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
(Daniel 1:8)
The only way to go on with God is by being faithful in little things.
He who honours the Lord by conscientious adherence to His Word in
what some would call minor details is likely to be exercised about greater things.
I have heard Christians refer to certain precepts in the Scriptures as non-essentials.
But we may rest assured there are no non-essentials in our Bibles.
“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth,
purified seven times.”
(Psalm 12:6)
When people talk of non-essentials in regard to anything concerning which God has revealed His
mind, it is well to ask, “Essential or non-essential to what?”
If it is be a question of the soul’s salvation, undoubtedly the one great essential is faith in His blessed
Son, whose finished work alone avails to put away sin and procure peace with God.
But if it be a question of what is essential to the enjoyment of communion with God - essential
to obtaining the Lord’s approval at the judgment-seat of Christ—then it is well to remember
that in everything the believer is sanctified to the obedience of Christ.
And it is here that we should seek to imitate Daniel, who had “purposed in his heart”
that he would not defile himself.
(H.A. Ironside)
N.J. Hiebert - 6537
February 22
“The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16)
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
(1 Corinthians 15:55)
“Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
(Revelation 22:20-21)
The Lord Himself shall come, and shout a quickening word;
Thousands shall answer from the tomb: "Forever with the Lord!"
Then, as we upward fly, that resurrection-word
shall be our shout of victory: "Forever with the Lord!”
(Montgomery)
N.J. Hiebert - 6538
February 23
My Portion!
“Thou art my portion, O Lord!”
(Psalm 119:57)
Many people are proud of their possessions, and boast of their wealth; yet their possessions are very limited,
and their wealth has wings and may flee away at any time!
A Christian may not be proud--but he has great reason to be thankful.
He can look over the whole earth, and say, "My wealth exceeds all this!"
He can look up and gaze on the starry heavens and say, "My property exceeds this vast expanse!"
He may try to conceive of the greatness and glory of the created universe, and then say, "I claim more than all this!"
Looking up to the Author, Owner, and Disposer of all worlds--he can say, “Thou art my portion, O Lord!"
What a privilege! A portion--and such a portion.
God Himself in all His greatness, and in all His goodness.
God with all He is, and all He has--is my portion!
What kind of a portion is this? It is immense, for it comprehends all.
All the attributes of the Divine nature, are for us.
All the perfections of God's character, are on our side.
All the productions of the divine power, are for our good.
Therefore the apostle says, "All things are yours!"
Nothing good is withheld from us!
(Gleams of Grace - 1860)
N.J. Hiebert - 6539
February 24
“And Enoch walked with God.”
(Genesis 5:22)
"The Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him,
I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai];
walk before Me."
(Genesis 17:1)
Walk with God; walk before God; walk in fellowship with God.
It is that ordinary every day walk which will be attacked.
And yet we need never crash.
We have two glorious words with which to confront the adversary: But God.
We are all weakness
“My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart" (Psalm 73:26).
Before the command was given to Abram he was told that wonderful name of the Lord.
I am El Shaddai, the Almighty God, the God who is enough.
He is our eternal strength, and with Him we can
walk this day and every day of our lives.
(Amy Carmichael)
N.J. Hiebert - 6540
February 25
“Unite my heart to fear Thy name, I will praise Thee,
O Lord my God, with all my heart.”
(Psalm 86:11-12)
It is not to the one who works most, nor to the one who reads most,
that the Lord confides His mind, but to the one who loves
Him most (as Mary Magdalene).
It is only near Himself that the human mind is so in abeyance
that His mind is in the ascendant.
(Footprints for Pilgrims)
N.J. Hiebert - 6541
February 26
“One thing have I desired . . . to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to enquire in His temple.”
(Psalm 27:4)
- We are not to rejoice so much in the deliverances when they come as in the One who delivers us.
- The deeper the sense of the state from which we have been delivered the more absorbingly intense our affection for the Deliverer.
- Intellectual conviction is always powerless, it occupies itself with the truth, and never leads to Christ Himself.
- A heart possessed of Christ is fortified against the most seductive allurements of the world.
- The state of our souls may be discerned by the effect produced upon us by the name of Jesus.
- Christ Himself is to be our great example of faith, of a life of dependence upon God.
If the holiest man that ever lived were to fill our vision it would only hinder and not help us.
(Edward Dennett 1831-1914)
N.J. Hiebert - 6542
February 27
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.”
(1 John 3:1)
Shall we, can we, reserve any corner of our hearts from Him?
His love for thee: not a passive, possible love but outflowing, yes
outpouring of the real, glowing, personal love of His mighty and tender heart.
Love, not as an attribute, a quality, a latent force but an acting, moving, reaching, touching, and grasping power. Love, not a cold, beautiful, far-off star but a sunshine that comes and enfolds us, making us warm and glad and strong and bright and fruitful.
His love! What manner of love is it? What should be quoted to prove or describe it?
First the whole Bible with its mysteries and marvels of redemption, then
the whole book of Providence and the whole volume of creation.
Then add to these the unknown records of eternity past and the unknown glories of eternity to come, and then let the immeasurable quotation be sung by angels and archangel, and all the company of heaven, with all the harps of God, and still that love will be untold, still it will be
“the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.”
(Ephesians 3:19)
(Francis Ridley Havergal)
N.J. Hiebert - 6543
February 28
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
(James 1:17)
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . .”
(Revelation 21:1)
And the 'new heaven’ and the ‘new earth’ will but take up the
same tale of various but exhaustless goodness.
We need only the happy faith which realizes it all to the soul.
“Our Father’s house! no more our souls
At fearful distance bow;
We enter in by Jesu’s blood,
With happy boldness now.
“Our Father! thought had never dreamed
That love like Thine could be—
Mysterious love which brings us thus
So very near to Thee.”
(The Son of God - J.G. Bellett)
N.J. Hiebert - 6544
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