“See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”
(Ephesians 5:15)
“Circumspectly” means “looking all around,” like one who is walking in a very dangerous place. There are pitfalls on this side, quagmires on that side, traps and snares all about.
And so this person as he walks is constantly observing where he should next place his feet.
That is a circumspect walk, a walk looking all around.
Christian, your path leads you through a world of sin, a world of folly,
a world where you are exposed to all kinds of temptations and unholy influences.
Snares and traps abound for your unwary feet. Therefore, walk circumspectly,
be careful where you put down your feet, be careful as to the company
you keep, be careful as to your behaviour in any company, so that
there be that which will bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Walk not as fools, not as simple ones, not as those who are still darkness,
but walk as wise men—made wise by the wisdom of God.
(H. A. Ironside)
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June 22
“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
“Doing good” for you may mean the pouring out of the wealth of a sympathetic spirit, the imparting of encouraging words to the downcast and the sorrowing, the pouring forth of the sunshine that radiates from a heart in the enjoyment of the smile of God.
You are indeed a profitable Christian if everyone is glad to see you coming, if eyes light up at your approach, especially if little children love to be with you and are sorry when you must go.
You are a profitable Christian if you are making happy those whom Christ came to make happy— particularly the poor, the sick, the lonely, the sorrowing, the sinful, the oppressed.
These six classes of people were closest to the heart of Jesus, because their need was the greatest; and He is best pleased when they are closest to the hearts of His disciples.
Care for these and your lives will exhibit the pure gold of the kingdom of heaven.
(Heaven’s Cure for Earth’s Care - George Henderson)
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June 23
“If any man . . . open the door, I will come in.”
(Revelation 3:20)
The Heavenly Guest
If you open the door and let Christ in He will come as a courteous guest;
He will take the space that you give Him and will leave you all the rest;
If you crowd Him out of your of your largest largest room and give him a corner small,
If you scarcely remember that He is there and speak of Him not at all.
Ah, then He may grieve when He sees your mind by the cares of the world possessed,
When your feet have strayed and your soul is faint and your heart by grief opprest;
But He cannot comfort and lift and guide and help as He longs to do—
Where He sits apart in your House of Life—for you have not asked Him to.
Oh, make him the Master of all you have, the Lord of your heart and soul,
Yield all yourself for His dwelling-place and let Him take the whole;
He will do with you, He will work for you, He will reign in your life alone,
And you’ll find the blessing you have missed and the joys you have never known.
(Annie Johnson Flint’s Best Loved Poems)
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June 24
“For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth proving what
is acceptable unto the Lord.”
(Ephesians 5:9-10)
- We are apt to regard the fruits of the Spirit in us
rather than the work of Christ for us, as the foundation of peace.
- The Holy Ghost is the only gatherer;
Christ Himself is the only object to which we are gathered;
and our assembly, when thus convened, is to be characterized by holiness,
so that the Lord our God can only gather to Christ.
He cannot gather to a system, a name, a doctrine, or an ordinance.
He gathers to a Person, and that Person
is a glorified Christ in heaven.
(Food for the Desert)
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June 25
“When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:29-30)
Peter had a little faith in the midst of his doubts, says Bunyan;
and so with crying and coming he was brought to Christ.
But here you see that sight was a hinderance; the waves were none of his business
when once he had set out; all Peter had any concern with, was the pathway of
light that came gleaming across the darkness from where Christ stood.
If it was tenfold Egypt beyond that, Peter
had no call to look and see.
When the Lord shall call to you over the waters, “come,” step gladly forth.
Look not for a moment away from Him.
Not by measuring the waves can you prevail; not by gauging the wind will you
grow strong; to scan the danger may be to fall before it; to pause at
the difficulties, is to have them break above your head.
Lift up your eyes unto the hills, and go forward—there is no other way.
“Dost thou fear to launch away?
Faith lets go to swim!
Never will He let thee go;
’Tis by trusting thou shalt know fellowship with Him.”
(Streams in the Desert - Vol. One)
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June 26
“The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.”
(Psalm 25:9)
One who truly wants to change for the better does not take offence when reminded of failure.
He does not argue, complain, lose his temper or resort to excuses.
Rather, he accepts responsibility and is grateful for the help in facing what he despises.
True repentance (there is no other kind) makes him humble.
Humility makes him grateful.
It is commonly held that a strong will aids in the development of a strong character.
In reality, an unbroken will impedes growth.
An active will is not teachable.
If we do not hear, we can not believe.
If we do not believe, we can not understand, and we remain in the dark.
(Nuggets of Truth - John Kaiser)
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June 27
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God.”
(Ephesians 5:20)
No matter what the source of the evil, if you are in God and surrounded by Him as by an atmosphere, all evil has to pass through Him before it comes to you.
Therefore you can thank God for everything that comes, not for the sin of it, but for what God will bring out of it and through it.
May God make our lives thanksgiving and perpetual praise, then He will make everything a blessing.
We once saw a man draw some black dots. We looked and could make nothing of them but an irregular assemblage of black dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and we saw these black dots were musical notes.
On sounding them we were singing,
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below.”
There are many black dots and black spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come into our lives, and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines He wants, and separate this from that, and put in the rests at the proper places; out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work! (C.H.P.)
“Would we know that the major chords were sweet, if there were no minor key? Would the painter’s work be fair to our eyes, without shade on land or sea?
Would we know the meaning of happiness, would we feel that the day was bright, If we'd never know what it was to grieve, nor gazed on the dark of night?”
Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties. (C. H. Spurgeon)
When the musician presses the black keys on the great organ, the music is as sweet as when he touches the white ones, but to get the capacity of the instrument he must touch them all. (Selected)
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June 28
“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”
(Ephesians 5:2)
“A sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).
There are a number of sacrifices mentioned in the Scriptures besides those appointed through Moses:
sacrifices which we can now offer: In Romans 12:1 our body is spoken of as a “living sacrifice,” and this sacrifice is also said to be ‘acceptable to God.’
In Hebrews 13:15 we are exhorted to offer “the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”
Then in the next verse we are told not to forget to offer the sacrifice of
“doing good and having fellowship, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”.
This is exactly the sacrifice the Philippians had offered, and it is described in almost the same words:
“God is well pleased” “Well pleasing to God”.
These three sacrifices are are ones that almost all can offer, if they do not “forget.”
Even a Christian child can offer its body; and its praise, the fruit of its lips; and most children
have as much money as the poor widow who offered the two mites, and found
it more acceptable to God than all the great offerings of the rich.
(G. Christopher Willis)
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June 29
“O Lord God . . . I pray Thee, send me good speed this day.”
(Genesis 24:12)
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth
what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."
(Matthew 6:7-8)
Our Lord told His disciples that there was no need for many words when they prayed.
A brief prayer goes straight to the heart of God.
Abraham’s servant teaches us a prayer we can pray at all times,
however pressed for time we may be.
It covers everything.
“O Lord God, send me good speed this day.”
Give me success today, in my prayer life, in my
work, in what I think and say and do, in what I am.
It is a telegram prayer. Let us use it at moments of sudden need.
We know it will be answered, for “our Father knows”
our needs long before we ask Him.
(Amy Carmichael)
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June 30
"If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he
put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:10, 12)
A word is such a potent thing;
A careless word may break a heart;
A bitter word may burn and sting;
A word can rip a home apart —
And yet a word can comfort bring;
So, Lord of words, please grant to me
The speech that spreads tranquility.
(Anon)
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