“There shall not any man be able to stand before Thee all the days
of thy life; as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee;
I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.”
(Joshua 1:5)
We may be called to traverse strange ways, but we shall always have our
Lord’s company, assistance and provision.
We need not covet money, for we shall always have our God, and He is better than gold;
His favour is better than fortune.
We must imitate Alpine climbers and keep strong hold of the guide
as we climb toward the top. Let us take short views.
If we look over precipices, we shall grow dizzy.
If we look too far ahead, we shall grow discouraged.
Let us rather put our weak hands into Christ’s strong loving
grasp, and all the time listen to His cheering words, “Fear not, only trust!”
(Theodore L. Cuyler)
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April 12
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
(Matthew 6:11)
THERE ARE SEVERAL ways to get a meal.
You can prepare it yourself. You can go down a cafeteria line and take what you wish.
You can sit in a restaurant and wait until it is brought to you.
We need not ask God to do for us those things we can do ourselves by His Spirit.
Other blessings are ours for the taking, any time, always available.
Some things we must ask for and wait until they come.
Some things are not provided because they are not good for us and God knows what is best for His children.
A man who waited in a restaurant for his breakfast finally went away
leaving on the table a note that read,
leaving on the table a note that read,
“Out for lunch”!
Some of us grow weary waiting.
We should distinguish between what we must wait for, what we may take,
and what we must provide for ourselves.
(Vance Havner)
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April 13
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.”
(John 3:16)
Sir Harry Lauder, the Scottish singer, told how, when he had just lost his only son in the first world war, a man came to him in New York, and told him of an experience he had just had.
In American towns any household that had given a son to the war was
entitled to place a star on the windowpane.
“A few nights before he came to see me,” says Sir Harry,
"this man was waking down a street in New York, accompanied by his wee boy.
The lad became very interested in the lighted windows of the houses, and clapped his
hands when he saw a star. As they passed house after house, he would say:
'Oh look, Daddy', there’s another house that has given a son to the war!
And there’s another. There’s one with two stars.
And look: there’s a house with no star at all.’
"At last they came to a break in the houses.
Through the gap could be seen the evening star,
shining brightly in the sky. The little fellow caught his
breath. ‘Oh look, Daddy, 'he cried:
'God must have given His
Son, for He has got a star in His window’.”
That illustrates the first word; and, as we think of it,
we can only say with wonder:
"Oh how great was the love that was shown to us, we can never tell why;
Not to angels but men, let us praise Him again, for the love that gave Jesus to die.”
(In Pastures Green)
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April 14
GOD’S WILL ENERGIZED BY LOVE
“Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(Romans 12:2)
The will of God which has seemed in old far-off days a stern and fateful power,
is only love energized; love saying, “I will.”
And when once we really grasp this (hardly so much by faith as by love itself), the will of God cannot be otherwise than acceptable, for it is no longer a question of trusting that somehow or other there is a hidden element of love in it, but of understanding that it is love; no more to be dissociated from it than the power of the sun’s rays can be dissociated from their light and warmth.
And love recognized must surely be love accepted and reciprocated.
So, as the fancied sternness of God’s will is lost in His love,
the stubbornness of our will becomes melted in
that love, and lost in our acceptance of it.
With quivering heart and trembling will the word hath passed thy lips,
Within the shadow, cold and still, of some fair joy’s eclipse.
“Thy will be done!” Thy God hath heard, and He will crown that faith-framed word.
Thy prayer shall be fulfilled: but how? His thoughts are not as thine;
While thou wouldest only weep and bow, He saith, “Arise and shine!”
Thy thoughts were all of grief and night, but His of boundless joy and light.
(Opened Treasures - Francis Ridley Havergal)
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April 15
Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
(Revelation 19:6)
The times are gloomy—but the Lord reigns! To Him I would refer everything in public or in private life. There is political discontent in some hearts, and in some places.
But I ought to be discontented with myself—that I am not filled with wonder and praise,
that things are so much better with us than we deserve!
The Lord's people, instead of amusing themselves with politics, may be stirred up to serve their country by prayer. If they sigh and mourn for the abominations in the midst of us, and stand in the breach to avert deserved judgments—then our peace and liberty may be yet prolonged. I rely more upon the prayers of God's people, than upon all our fleets and armies!
It is well both for ministers and private Christians to have as little to do with politics as possible.
Politics is a pit that will swallow up the life and spirit, if not the very form of the religion of
many professors. The Lord reigns, and every issue will be directed by
infinite wisdom and goodness, without our interference.
And can we wish them under better management?
From poison and politics--good Lord deliver me! A heart swallowed up in politics is as hurtful to the life of God in the soul—as poison is to the bodily frame!
(Letters of John Newton 1725-1807)
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April 16
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26
To lose your wealth is much,
To lose your health is more,
To lose your soul is such a loss
As no man can restore.
(Robert H. Smith)
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April 17
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and
to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High;
to show forth Thy loving-kindness in the
morning, and Thy faithfulness
every night.”
(Psalm 92:1-2)
Pray in the early morning for grace throughout the day;
We know not what temptations and trials may cross our way.
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April 18
Jesus' disciples came unto Him, and said, this is a desert place,
and now the time is far passed: send them away, that they may go into
the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for
they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.
(Mark 6:35-37)
Our Lord’s command must have astonished His disciples. They had nothing to share with others, and they knew not where or how to obtain it. It was His desire to exercise them as to the need of the people and their responsibility in regard to it, even as He would have us concerned today about the spiritual dearth all about us, and our responsibility to seek to do our part in meeting its demands.
We are all too apt to attempt to measure God’s ability to meet our need by that which our eyes behold, instead of remembering that we have to do with One who created a universe from nothing and sustains it by the Word of His power.
"How many loaves have ye? . . . five loaves and two fishes . . .” (Luke 5:13)
Little as it a was, Jesus Christ could use it in a large way. In our
emergencies we generally ask “Whence?” and “How?”
Forgetting that nothing is too hard for the Lord.
"He commanded them to make all to sit down. . . . by hundreds, and by fifties.”
Our Lord's command to make the men sit down was significant.
Seated on the ground all are practically on one common level.
Distinctions of stature disappear. It was the “no difference” doctrine acted out.
When the Lord Jesus broke the bread and gave to His disciples that they
might pass it on to the multitude, no one would be excusable if he went away hungry.
So today, as we offer the living Bread to hungry souls, none need go without eternal blessing.
(H. A. Ironside)
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April 19
But he (certain lawyer), wanting to justify himself,
said to Jesus, "and who is my neighbour?"
(Luke 10:29)
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
Jesus depicted a victim of vicious robbery, in serious trouble, and needing help.
Note the various responses of people who met him—responses which faithfully mirror our own.
To the thieves who robbed him he was a victim to exploit. They did not regard him as a person, but as a thing. To such people (most of whom are not literal thieves) other people exist only to satisfy their own whims and lusts.
They know all the angles about using other people, but know nothing of true friendship.
To the priest and the Levite who passed by on the other side, the needy neighbour was a nuisance to avoid. These men were experts on religion and ritual, but had no time
to get involved with the problems of others.
To the lawyer who originally asked the question, the victim presented an interesting case study.
His contemporary cousins form committees, hold seminars, and pass resolutions.
Meanwhile, on the Jericho road, the victim remains half-dead.
To the Good Samaritan a neighbour represented a person to love and help regardless of the cost.
He came to where the poor wretch was—beaten and bloody. He loved him, dressed his
wounds, and took him to a place where he could receive further care. He even
put him on his own donkey, which meant that he himself had to walk.
Jesus Christ is that Good Samaritan who came to where we were in desperate need and met that need. His purpose now is to fill the world with people like Himself. Are we among them?
(Grant Steidl)
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April 20
“To the praise of the glory of His grace,
wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved."
(Ephesians 1:6)
Christians stand in an incomparable position of favour
before God—“accepted in the beloved”.
The believer need not wonder whether or not he will be cast out of the Almighty’s sight,
for his acceptance is dependent on Christ’s position.
Since He is the One in whom is all the Father’s delight,
there is no question as to His standing in glory; it is unassailable.
His glorious grace has brought us into the most favoured position possible.
(Keith Keyser)
So near, so very near to God, I cannot nearer be;
For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He.
So dear, so very dear to God, more dear I cannot be,
The love wherewith He loves the Son: such is His love to me.
(C. Paget)
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April 21
“Be careful for nothing . . .”
(Philippians 4:6)
Do you cross rivers before you come to them, dread troubles that never come, expect evil from
the Lord instead of good? In other words is your soul full of unnecessary care?
For that is what the word “careful” means — unnecessary care.
“Do not worry” is a plain and simple command, but it is such a difficult one to follow.
Some one has given a few beneficial suggestions for the person who
feels defeated because of the common ailment of worry.
The anxious Christian hurts more than himself; hurts the faith of those who know Him and the good name of his Lord who has promised to supply all his needs. There is nothing we cannot pray about.
"But in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.”
What we can take to God we can trust to God. What we put our fidelity into,
He will perfect by His faithfulness. While we work for the best, He works the best for us.
We may not succeeds as we hoped; we may have discipline we little expected,
but the Father knows what His child needs.
What God has for us to do we can do, or to bear we can bear.
Is there not enough in His ocean to fill our pitcher?
With the need of every day will come His promised supply —
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
(Thoughts For Every-Day Living)
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