“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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September 12
“I pray . . . that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
(John 17:15)
“Unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
(Jude 24-25)
Jesus, strength of our salvation, none can pluck us from Thy hand;
In the hour of dark temptation, kept by Thee we safely stand.
Though by enemies surrounded, Onward still our steps we wend;
All our foes shall be confounded, safely come our journey’s end.
(The Christian Daily Calendar)
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September 13
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9)
The path of strength . . . is the being made sensible of our own weakness,
so that divine strength, which will never be a supplement of flesh’s strength, may come in.
That self should feel self nothing . . . is a most divine work.
Where shall we find strength for practical separation to God, unless in God Himself? . . .
Our helplessness is our resource.
We find that God Himself must come in because we can do nothing.
We need God’s power to be little.
(Footprints for Pilgrims - J.N.D.)
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September 14
First, Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”
Then Jesus declares, “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am know of Mine.”
You see two sides of truth here.
As the Good Shepherd He went to Calvary’s cross and there laid down His life. There He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and with His stripes we are healed.
Oh, that wonderful Shepherd!
“O thou great all-gracious Shepherd, shedding for us Thy life’s blood,
Unto shame and death delivered, all to bring us nigh to God.”
Because, you see, there was no other way. In Gethsemane He prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.” That is, “If it is possible to save sinners by any other means than by My drinking of the cup of judgment, then make it manifest.” But there was no other way, and so the Good Shepherd went out to die.
But He who died lives again.
He lives in glory, and He is the Good Shepherd still.
He is called elsewhere the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd.
“Our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep . . . make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever,”
But this Great Shepherd is the Good Shepherd still, and He knows His sheep, and He says,
“I am known of Mine.”
(H. A. Ironside)
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September 15
“And He saw them toiling in rowing.”
(Mark 6:48)
Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do.
Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never
overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children.
When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done.
The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully,
by faith, that He more than fills our life.
A man who had learned this secret once said:
"I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again.
I have taken for my motto, ’Not overwork, but overflow‘; and already it has made all the difference in my life."
There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible.
It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always.
(Sunday School Times)
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September 16
“I (Paul) verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”
(Acts 26:9-11)
- A good conscience does not in the least say that there may not be evil ways in me.
“Lead me,” and “Hold me,” is the language of faith.
“Partakers of His holiness,” means, the thoughts of God realized in us.
- I could not number the sand; but the sand is not infinite—and His thoughts are.
- His Hand has got hold of me,—even in the exercises.
- It is those who come to the Son, who received what is of the Son, and in the Son.
(Hunt’s Sayings by K. M. Hammond)
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September 17
“ . . . The Lord that delivered me . . . He will deliver me. . . . “
(1 Samuel 17:37)
David had conquered fear.
That is why he could say that no man’s heart need fail him because of Goliath.
There was no panic; there was no feverish and wasteful excitement;
there was no shouting to keep the spirits up.
There was perfect calm.
For a child of God, fear is a conquered enemy.
The power of the Holy Spirit gives us victory over fear.
After Pentecost we all stand on victory ground.
(This Day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)
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September 18
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
(Revelation 22:20)
There is exquisite beauty in His word, “Surely I come quickly,” being thus immediately taken up by the Spirit and the Bride, and answered in language known to faith (Revelation 22:17).
Often the very duties of the servant may be allowed to interfere with the bright burning of this hope in a heart where yet it is burning. It ever burns brightly in the heart of Christ: and as soon as the last members of His body are gathered in, that promise will be fulfilled.
If the light only burns with a flickering gleam in my heart, there is ever, in all brightness, in His, the thought of coming quickly.
The heart of the individual believer gets its power in the hope of His coming being ever present. We have to judge our ways, our whole course, in the light of it.
This (Revelation 22:17) is the only passage in which the Spirit is presented with the bride—very touching it is connected with wilderness circumstances; the Spirit in that character speaking thus: saying, “Come!”
What has the bride to do with the wilderness,
save as Rebecca passing through it?
(Gleanings - G. V. Wigram)
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September 19
SIN AND GUILT
“The way of transgressors is hard.”
(Proverbs 13:15)
The terror of sin.
A soul in a state of sin may possess much, but enjoys nothing.
One thought of its state of enmity to God, would drop bitterness into every cup.
(William Gurnall 1617-1679)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)
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September 20
“And God saw their (Nineveh) works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.”
(Jonah 3:10)
"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord . . . I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1-3)
This is the only request in Jonah’s prayer, a request that he might die. Why? Because he could not have his own way. Self-will and disappointment made him long to give up his honourable position as prophet and servant of Jehovah, a witness to Him, even in a foreign land; and escape all his troubles in death.
It was very wrong and very cowardly—just the kind of thing we do. When things go all wrong, and we do not get our own way, and are disappointed and discouraged; then we sigh, and hope that the Lord may soon come and take us away to heaven.
The writer has to confess that he has done just the same thing as Jonah, and very possibly the reader is little better. If we allow it, how the sword of the Spirit cuts us, and how truly it is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
(G. C. Willis - Lessons From Jonah the Prophet)
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September 21
FAITHFUL IN THE LEAST
“Faithful in that which is least. . . .”
(Luke 16:10)
If we have been faithful in the little situation that seemed insignificant,
we are in line for something better.
It is easy to withhold our best from what looks unworthy of all-out effort and save our best for the big day.
But when is the big day?
It may be that on that dull drear mission, when we seemed to be wasting our time,
God did something more important than we ever dreamed.
Count not that day lost when we did our best under
most discouraging circumstances.
The deed takes its value from the spirit in which we did it.
He that is faithful over a few things shall be made ruler over many things.
(All the Days - Vance Havner)
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