Gems from May 10- 21, 2017

"So will I also be for thee.”

(Hosea 3:3)

CHRIST FOR US

The typical promise, “Thou shalt abide for me many days,” is indeed a marvel of love.

For it is given to the most undeserving, described under the strongest 

possible figure of utter worthlessness and treacherousness—

the woman beloved, yet an adulteress.

The depth of the abyss shows the length of the line that has fathomed it, 

yet only the length of the line reveals the real depth of the abyss.

The sin shows the love and love reveals the sin.

The Bible has few words more touching though seldom quoted 

than those just preceding this wonderful promise:

“The love of the Lord towards the children of Israel, who

look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.” 

(Hosea 3:1).

Put that into the personal application which no doubt underlies it and say, “The love of the Lord towards me, who have looked away from Him, with wandering, faithless eyes to other helps and hopes and have loved earthly joys and sought earthly gratifications—the love of the Lord towards even me.” 

And then hear him saying in the next verse, “So I bought her to me”, 

 stooping to do that in his unspeakable condescension 

of love, not with the typical silver and barley, 

but with the precious blood of Christ.

  

Then having thus loved us and rescued us and bought us with a price indeed he says, still under the same figure, “Thou shalt abide for me many days.”

(Kept for the Master’s Use - Frances Ridley Havergal)

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May 10

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my 

fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”

(Psalm 91:2) 

“I will put My trust in Him” (Hebrews 2:13), 

may be said to have been the language of the life of Jesus.

But His faith was gold, pure gold, nothing but gold.

When tried by the furnace, it comes out the same

mass as it had gone in, for there was no dross.

Saints have commonly to be set to rights by the furnace.

Some impatience or selfishness or murmur has to be 

reduced or silenced, as in Psalm 73 and 77.

Job was overcome: trouble touched him, and he fainted, 

though often he had strengthened the weak

hands, and upheld by his word them that were falling. 

"The stoutest are struck off their legs,” as an old writer says.

Peter sleeps in the garden, and in the judgment hall 

tells lies, and swears to them; but there has been 

One in whom the furnace, heated seven times 

proved to be precious beyond expression.

(The Son of God - J.G. Bellett)

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May 11

“Hast thou not known? mast thou not heard, that the everlasting God,

the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not,

neither is weary? there is no searching of 

His understanding.” (Isaiah 40:28)

“I know that Thou canst do everything,

and that no thought can be withholder from Thee.”

(Job 42:2)

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;

His power ha son boundary known unto keen;

For our of His infinite riches in Jesus, 

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

(Annie Johnson Flint)

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May 12

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness 

of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

(Ephesians 1:7)

We have been redeemed through Christ’s blood, and our sins 

forgiven according to the riches of His grace.

The riches of His grace meets all our need as sinners; 

the glory of His grace meets the good pleasure of God to bless us as saints.

A rich man could bless a beggar out of the abundance of His riches, 

and this would be great grace; but if the rich man went further, and brought  

the poor man into his house and gave him the place of a son, it would not 

only be grace to the poor man, but to the honour and glory of the rich man.

The riches of grace met the prodigal’s need and clothed him with a robe from the father’s house: the glory of grace gave him the place of a son in the house.  The glory of God’s grace has made believers sons, not servants. 

(Hamilton Smith)

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May 13

The Other Four

“Five smooth stones out of the brook.”

(1 Samuel 17:40)

Young David chose five smooth stones from the brook.

To slay Goliath just one stone he took.

So he who seemed so ill-equipped before,

Has weapons now enough, and four times more.

Thus is it ever; God’s resources still

Surpass the needs of all who wait His will.

Nor when His last proud foe is overthrown,

Will half His strength exhaustless yet be known. 

(Bells & Pomegranates - James M. S. Tait)

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May 14

“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: 

for I am God, and there is none else.”

(Isaiah 45:22)

Such was the precious lesson which Nicodemus was called to learn—such the reply to his “how?” 

If a man begins to reason about the new birth, he must be confounded; but if he believes in Jesus, he is born again.

Man’s reason can never understand the new birth; but the Word of God produces it.

Many are astray as to this.  They are occupied with the process of regeneration, instead of the Word which regenerates.  Thus are they perplexed and confounded.

They are looking at self, instead of at Christ; and as there is an inseparable connection between the object at which we look and the effect of looking at it, we can easily see what must be the effect of looking in upon oneself.

What would an Israelite have gained by looking at his wound?  NOTHING.

What did he gain by looking a the serpent?  HEALTH.

What does a sinner gain by looking at himself?  NOTHING.

What does he gain by looking at Jesus?  “EVERLASTING LIFE.” 

(C.H. Mackintosh)

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May 15

“When saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?

And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I

say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto 

one of the least of these my brethren, 

ye have done it unto Me.”

(Matthew 25:39-40)  

A practical measure of our true love for Christ is the kindness we continue to show to the least attractive of His elect.

This is the more challenging when we consider that we do not know for sure who is not one of His elect.  (Matthew 25:40)

A practical measure of our likeness to Him is our demonstrated willingness not only to bear with the faults of others but also to accept, without murmuring, the unjust implication of guilt and the application of consequences for the failures and faults of others as well.

(Nuggets of Truth - John Kaiser)

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May 16

“And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour:

and He saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

But they cried out, away with Him, 

away with Him, Crucify Him."

(John 19:14-15) 

In mockery the soldiers gave Him the trappings of a king.

For a royal sceptre, they gave Him a reed; a blood stained, purple robe as

a kingly garment; for a diadem, a crown of thorns and for His throne, a cross!

Kneeling down in front of Him, the Creator of the universe, they mocked Him,

taunting Him as King of the Jews.

In a coming day those same soldiers, along with all the rest 

of creation will bow their knees again, but this time to 

acknowledge Him as King of kings 

and Lord of Lords.

Let us freely do so today.

(Drew Craig)

The head that once was crowned with thorns, is crowned with glory now;

A royal diadem adorns the mighty victor’s brow.

(Thomas Kelly)

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May 17

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: 

yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,

yet now henceforth know we Him no more."

(2 Corinthians 5:16)

A great hinderance to Christians can be that they trust in orthodoxy

and the sufficiency of their religious knowledge.

When they sin and fail, they say, 

“if only we could be more earnest, more faithful.”

The disciples needed not to be more earnest and faithful in using 

the privilege of having such a Master.

More and more strenuous efforts would only have led to more and more bitter failures.

They had to die to their old way of knowing Christ and receive the gift 

of an entirely new way of fellowship with Him.

(This Day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)

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May 18

“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits;

afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming."

(1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

First-fruits of Thy new creation, faithful, holy, may we be,

Joyful in Thy full salvation, more and more conformed to Thee!

Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

Then to worship and adore Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise!

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May 19

“And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.”

(Genesis 46:29)

In order to reach Joseph, Israel had to take his journey.

He had to leave the scene of all his natural affections.  And so with 

ourselves, if we are to reach Christ where He is, we must forget the things that are behind.

Thus Israel comes into the new land—the land of Goshen, and there meets with his son Joseph, and Joseph “presented himself unto him”.

If on the one hand Israel longs for the company of his son, Joseph on his side is delighted to present himself to Israel.

Are we set for the company of Christ, we shall find that Christ is delighted to reveal Himself to us.

Do we seek like the two disciples of John 1 to know Christ in His own dwelling,

we shall be welcomed by the gracious words of the Lord,

“Come and see” (John 1:38-39).

(Hamilton Smith)

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May 20

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulteress, or even as this Publican.”

(Luke 18:11)

Compare not thyself with those that have less than thyself,

but look on those that have far exceeded thee:

to look on our inferiors occasions pride.  

“I am not as this Publican, ”saith the Pharisee; 

but looking on others more eminent than ourselves 

will both preserve humility, and be a spur to diligence.

(William Gurnall - 1617-1679)

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May 21

“There is no difference: for ALL have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God.”

(Romans 3:22-23)

That is one of the hardest truths man has to learn.

We are apt to think that we are just a little better than our neighbours,

and if we find they are a little better than us, we go to work and try to pull them down to our level.

If you want to find out who and what man is, go to the third chapter of Romans, 

and there the whole story is told.

“There are none righteous, no, not one.”

“All have sinned and come short.”

All!  Some men like to have their lives written before they die.

If you would like to read your biography, turn to this chapter, and you will find it already written.

(D. L. Moody)

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May 22