August 31
“Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me,
all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law
since the death of thine husband.”
(Ruth 2:11)
There is no record that Ruth had said a word concerning her treatment of Naomi,
but to her great surprise Boaz knew.
Our heavenly Boaz misses nothing. He not only observes but
rewards—sometimes in this life,
but always in the next.
Ours will be an even richer experience than that of a Moabitess
marrying a Jewish prince.
(Brian Russell)
With eternity’s values in view, Lord, with eternity’s values in view;
May I do each day’s work for Jesus, with eternity"s values in view.
(Alfred B. Smith)
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September 1
“If ye shall ask . . . I will do.”
(John 14:14)
Who is it here who offers to do for us if we will only ask? It is God Himself!
It is the mightiest doer in the universe who says
”I will do, if you ask.”
Think a moment who it is that promises: the God who holds the sea in the hollow of His hand; the God who swings this ponderous globe of earth in its orbit; the God who marshals the stars and guides the planets in their blazing paths with undeviating accuracy; the heaven-creating, devil-conquering, dead-raising God.
It is this very God who says: “If ye ask, I will do!”
Unrivalled wisdom, boundless skill, limitless power, infinite resources are His.
Wouldest thou not rather call forth Mine omnipotent doing by thine asking, if to this I have called thee, than even to be busy with thine own doing?
(James H. McConkey)
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September 2
SALVATION
“For by grace are ye saved through faith . . . it is the gift of God.”
(Ephesians 2:8)
The word “salvation” is used in the New Testament in three senses.
(a) It is used to describe our deliverance from the penalty of sin, which is spoken of as an accomplished fact. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
(b) It is used to describe our emancipation from the tyranny of sin, which it speaks of as going on now - “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
(Philippians 2:12-13).
(c) It is used to indicate what will take place when our Lord shall return to remove us from this world, when salvation will be complete.
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Romans 13:11).
It is the last-named sense of the word that the apostle has in mind when he says: “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” The words for these three aspects of salvation are:
Justification, which is something which we possess; “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Sanctification, which is something that we experience. “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
Glorification, which is something that we anticipate.
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
(The Wonderfull Word)
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September 3
“He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”
(Psalm 103:14)
He knoweth the need of my life for shelter and raiment and food;
In each trifling care of the day the word of His promise is good;
He knoweth my thought from afar, the wish that I never have told,
And every unspoken desire His wisdom doth grant or withhold.
He knoweth me—yet He can love, can wait with love’s patience divine,
My stubborn and arrogant heart its will to His own to resign;
He knoweth my frame is but dust; He knoweth how much it can bear;
I rest in that knowledge supreme; I trust in His power and care.
(Flint’s Best-Loved Poems)
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“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
(Romans 11:29)
God never repents of His call or His gift; and hence, though an unbelieving generation should murmur and rebel ten thousand times over, He will make good all that He has promised.
Everything goes to pieces in man’s hands, but God in Christ remains.
Let man be set up in business again and again, under the most favourable circumstances, and he is sure to become a bankrupt, but God has set up Christ in resurrection, and all who believe in Him are placed on a new footing altogether, they are taken into partnership with the risen and glorified Head, and there they stand forever.
(Food for the desert)
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September 5
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
Set a high value upon the Word of God. All that is necessary to make you wise to salvation is there—and there alone.
In this precious Book, you may find . . . a direction for every doubt, a solution of every difficulty, and a promise suited to every circumstance you can be in.
There you may be informed of your disease caused by sin—and the remedy provided by grace.
In the Scriptures, you may be instructed to know . . . yourselves, Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, the wonders of redeeming love, the glories of the Redeemer’s person, the happiness of the redeemed people, the power of faith, and the beauty of holiness.
All are here fully and clearly represented.
(John Newton - R.L. thanks)
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September 6
“When I consider Thy heavens, the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars,
which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
and the Son of Man, that Thou visitest him?
(Psalm 8:3-4)
This text was placed on the moon by the first U.S. astronauts.
One of them, Jim Irwin, gave his testimony later at a
little church in Florida where He had been saved.
He was a man of small stature and very humble spirit.
Irwin’s words were to this affect:
“More wonderful than me going to the moon for my country was
God’s Son coming to the earth for me.”
(E. MacLelland)
Was it for me, for me alone, the Saviour left His glorious throne;
The dazzling splendours of the sky, was it for me He came to die?
(J.M. White)
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September 7
WINGS
“O that I had wings like a dove; then would I fly away and be at rest.”
(Psalm 55:6)
“They that wait upon the Lord . . . shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
(Isaiah 40:31)
I fain would fly and leave my cares behind,
But how or where to flee I cannot find.
Seems then a voice to say — ’Tis better so:
Learn thou to soar and leave thy cares below!”
(Bells & Pomegranates - James M. S. Tait)
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“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger;
and He that believeth on Me shall never thirst . . . All that the Father giveth Me
shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of Him that sent me.”
(John 6:35-38)
CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT (1789-1871) seemed to have everything going for her as a young woman.
She was gifted as a portrait artist and also as a writer of humorous verse.
Then in her early thirties she suffered a serious illness that left her weak and depressed.
During her illness a minister, Dr. Caesar Malan of Switzerland, came to visit her.
Noticing her depression, he asked if she had peace with God. She resented
the question and said she did not want to talk about it.
But a few days later she went to apologize to Dr. Malan. She said that she wanted to clean up some
things in her life before becoming a Christian. Malan looked at her and answered,
“Come just as you are.” That was enough for Charlotte Elliott,
and she yielded herself to the Lord that day.
Fourteen years later, remembering those words spoken to her by Caesar Malan in Brighton, England,
she wrote this simple hymn that has been used to touch the hearts of millions who
have also responded to Christ’s invitation to come just as they are.
Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, tho’ tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings within, and fears without, O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind, sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God I come! I come!
(First 4 of 7 verses)
(Compiled & Edited by R. K. Brown & M. R. Norton)
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September 9
“Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying;
who can hear it? It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
(John 6:60,63)
“Today there is such a deluge of words written to be read that if the citizens of North America
had to read all that the papers printed, they would have time for nothing else.
All the minutes of all the hours would not suffice to devour a tenth of this refuse that is being dumped in the language of our people. Words pour out daily like water when a dam gives way.
This is the generation of words. Words over the air the people cannot listen to;
words in the newspapers that the people cannot read.
These words are like the insects of the summer time; or the passing bloom on the flowers of the field; they die as soon as they live.
Hero lovers use all the arts of their training to embalm the words of their admired heroes;
but a year or two suffices to leave these words buried in the oblivion of a forgotten past.
But not the words of Christ. His words are still:
“More to be desired . . . than gold; yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honey comb”
(Psalm 19:10).
(Our Lord Jesus Christ a Plant of Renown - L. Sheldrake)
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September 10
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 2:5)
Let us remember:
"We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
We are to "learn of Me [Christ]" (Matthew 11:29).
We “have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
We are to "follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Christ is to "dwell in your hearts” (Ephesians 3:17).
(Christopher Willis)
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September 11
"Simeon . . . was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. . . . Then took he Him up in His arms, and blessed God, and said . . . mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people."
(Luke 2:25-31)
“Anna . . . departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day . . . gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”
(Luke 2:36-38)
God’s provision for collective failure is individual faithfulness.
Consider what was the spiritual, moral and political state of Israel when Christ was born.
But Simeon and Anna had remained faithful; and they were privileged to see the Lord Jesus Christ
and to witness for Him. Their individual faithfulness resulted in joyful joint witness for Him.
(Morsels for Meditation - John Kaiser)
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