July 20
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalm 46:10)
It is difficult to be still. When we are under pressure, worried or irritated
we want to be getting on with things.
We may wonder why God does not move faster.
He often takes His time and in these circumstances we must learn to wait quietly and patiently.
His way is best, and His timing is best too.
We must learn to trust in Him whose way is perfect and having
committed the problem to Him, to be still and allow Him to move at the right time.
To do otherwise is perhaps to delay or jeopardize His plan.
He is on our side and He will bring us through in His own good time.
(Roy Hill)
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side, bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide, in every change, He faithful will remain.
(Kathrina von Schlegal)
N.J. Hiebert - 7149
July 21
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
(1 Timothy 6:6)
Oh! to walk humbly with our God!
to be content with His will, to be satisfied to fill a very humble niche,
and to do the most unpretending work! This is true dignity, and true happiness.
If we are to be governed by the rule of God’s kingdom, we
shall find that the only way to get up is to go down.
Nothing is more sad than to witness a
pushing, bustling, forward, self-confident spirit and style in
those who profess to be followers of Him who was meek and lowly in heart.
(Food for the Desert)
N.J. Hiebert - 7150
July 22
The Unclean Birds
“The screech-owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow:
There shall the vultures also be gathered every one with her mate.”
(Isaiah 34:14-15)
‘EACH one her mate!’ Alas, it is too true,
Each sin allowed within the heart to rest
Brings its companion-sin, and thus with new
And yet more foul pollution fills the breast.
Nor is there any end: for constantly
(As owls their loathsome broods industrious rear)
Sin hatches sin, a a hateful progeny,
Increasing day by day and year by year.
(Bells and Pomegranates - J.M.S.Tait)
The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
(1 John 1:7)
N.J. Hiebert - 7155
July 23
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)
Imagine a father who often travels and works long hours while at home. He seldom sees his ten-year-old son. But the boy’s birthday is coming so the father leaves a note: “Will be in Far East on your birthday, but back Saturday with gift.”What would you like—video game, bike, stereo?
Circle the one you want.”
The father can afford about anything the boy could ever want.
Late that night, the dad sees what his son has circled—“Saturday.”
The boy could have chosen any plaything he wanted, but most of all he wanted to know his father.
That’s the heart of this familiar song . “Just a closer walk with Thee,” that’s all we ask.
As Paul said, “I count all thing but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
We don’t have an “absentee” heavenly Father. He is there for us and will grant this request.
He is happy to walk with us, to share our burdens, to guide us safely to the shore of His kingdom.
Just a Closer Walk with Thee.
I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares, if I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er, time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er to Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Chorus: Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily, walking close to Thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
(Author unknown)
N.J. Hiebert - 7156
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
(Philippians 2:3-4)
"What is the difference between lowliness (or, lowly-mindedness) and meekness?”
Lowly-mindedness will never give offence.
Meekness will never take offence.
Oh, that we each had more of these two qualities!
How much strife and contention would be avoided!
(G. Christopher Willis)
N.J. Hiebert - 7157
July 25
“His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”
(Psalm 112:7)
In heavenly Love abiding, no change my heart shall fear,
And safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?
(A. Waring)
His way is ever perfect, and it only needs that, with the knowledge of His love, we
should repose in Him with unshaken confidence in all circumstances.
It is ever a fatal mistake when we measure the difficulties of service by what we are.
The question is what God is; and the difficulties that appear as mountains,
looming through the mists of our unbelief, are nothing to Him
but the occasion for the display of
His omnipotent power.
Faith deals with things not seen, and hence seldom agrees with the conclusions
that are drawn from providential events and circumstances.
(Edward Dennett)
N.J. Hiebert - 7158
July 26
“I will take my rest, and I will consider my dwelling place.”
(Isaiah 18:4)
Jesus beheld His disciples toiling at the oars through the stormy night;
and watched though unseen, the successive steps of the anguish of
Bethany, when Lazarus slowly passed through the stages
of mortal sickness, until he succumbed and
was borne to the rocky tomb.
But He was only waiting the moment when He could interpose most effectually. Is He still to Thee? He is not unobservant; He is beholding all things; He has His finger on thy pulse, keenly sensitive to all its fluctuations.
He will come to save thee when the precise moment has arrived.
Whatever His questions or His reticences, we may be absolutely sure of an unperplexed and undismayed Saviour.
(Streams in the Desert)
N.J. Hiebert - 7159
July 27
“. . . who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:16)
“. . . our sufficiency is of God”. (2 Corinthians 3:5)
It is not my ability, but my response to His ability, that counts.
It is not what happens to me that matters, but what I do with what happens to me.
(This day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)
N.J. Hiebert - 7160
July 28
“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David,
and the bright and morning star.”
(Revelation 22:16)
The Lord knows what the hearts of His people want here—
it is Himself, His own blessed person.
Ah! is the Lord Jesus looked for by us as the bright and morning star?
It is not the glory, but Himself that is set forth.
“I am the bright and morning star;” and, oh, it is Himself that I want.
What would glory be to me without my Lord?
(G. V. Wigram)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When all my labours and trials are o’er, and I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore will through the ages be glory for me.
When by the gift of His infinite grace I am accorded in heaven a place.
Just to be there and to look on His face will through the ages be glory for me.
Chorus:
O that will be glory for me . . . when by His grace I shall look on His face.
That will be glory, be glory for me!
(Charles H. Gabriel - 1900)
N. J Hiebert - 7161
July 29
“And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full
assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful but followers
of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(Hebrews 6:11-12)
Why are men dull and heavy in the service of God?
Truly because their hopes are so. Hopeless and lifeless go together.
No wonder the work goes hardly off hand, when men have no hope to be well paid for their labour.
He that thinks he works for a song, will not sing at his work—I mean forward it.
The best customer is sure to be served best and first; and him we count the best customer
whom we we hope will be the best paymaster. If God be thought so, we will leave all to do His business.
Nothing better to clear the soul of sloth and listlessness of spirit in the service of God than hope well improved and strengthened. It is the very physic which the apostles prescribe for this disease - "that ye be not slothful."
(The Christian in Complete Armour - William Gurnall - 1617 - 1679)
N.J. Hiebert - 7162
July 30
"A man who hath friends must (first) show himself friendly.”
(Proverbs 18:24)
I began fellowshipping in a local assembly and felt that everyone was
friendly to one another, but not to me.
Reading in the Proverbs, I discovered it is my responsibility to
demonstrate a friendly manner first.
How? Not by comments that may be insincere,
but through praying, serving and caring for others.
When I did this, I began to form friendships that have lasted over the years.
(Bob Cretney)
Others, Lord yes others, let this my motto be.
Help me to live for others, that I might live like Thee.
(Charles D. Meigs)
N. J. Hiebert - 7163
July 31
"Jonah . . . arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
(Jonah 1:1-2)
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”
(Jonah 3:1-2)
The message is a little more peremptory, without the explanation of the reason for the warning, as given at first. The prophet had shown himself unworthy of that intimacy of communion that the first command contained.
The first message told of God’s “ways” and gave the reason for His “acts”. The second time, there was no such explanation given, and simple, implicit obedience is what is called for. This was right.
It was in simple, implicit obedience that the prophet had failed: and the second opportunity offered to him is a test of whether he would obey, without being told the reason.
How important for us are the last words of that first verse: "Preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”
How often those of us who preach are tempted to preach what we like. Perhaps the Lord
has in the past blessed certain subjects, and we like to preach from these,
instead of listening to hear what He may bid us preach.
There are those who have certain subjects that they use over and over again: it saves that exercise of soul, perhaps, that new subjects would require. There are others who make it a boast that they never preach the same sermon twice.
How different from Jonah, who only had one sermon, and preached it over and over again for days on end.
“The preaching that I bid thee” sums it all up for every preacher today. May the Lord give us that quiet, hearing ear that is ready listening for His bidding as to the subject, as well as His bidding as to the place!
(G. C. Willis)
N.J. Hiebert - 7164
August 1
August 1
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