“A faithful man shall abound with blessings.”
(Proverbs 28:20)
The Blessings That Remain
There are loved ones who are missing from the fireside and the feast;
There are faces that have vanished, there are voices that have ceased;
But we know they passed forever from our mortal grief and pain,
And we thank Thee, O our Father, for the blessings that remain.
Thanksgiving, oh, thanksgiving that their love once blessed us here,
That so long they walked beside us sharing ever smile and tear;
For the joy the past has brought us but can never take away,
For the sweet and gracious memories growing dearer every day,
For the faith that keeps us patient looking at the things unseen,
Knowing Spring shall follow Winter and the earth again be green,
For the hope of that glad meeting far from mortal grief and pain—
We thank Thee, O our Father—for the blessings that remain.
For the love that still is left us, for the friends who hold us dear,
For the lives that yet may need us for their guidance and their cheer,
For the work that waits our doing, for the help we can bestow,
For the care that watches o'er us whereso’er our steps may go,
For the simple joys of living, for the sunshine and the breeze,
For the beauty of the flowers and the laden orchard trees,
For the night and for the starlight, for the rainbow and the rain—
Thanksgiving, O our Father, for the blessings that remain.
(Annie Johnson Flint)
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June 11
“. . . whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctfieth the gold?”
(Matthew 23:17)
A tourist bought an inexpensive amber necklace in a secondhand shop in Paris.
He became curious when he had to pay heavy customs in New York. He
went to a jeweller to have it appraised and was offered $25,000.
A second Jeweller offered $35,000. When he asked why it was so valuable,
the jeweller put it under a magnifying glass. The tourist read,
“From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine.”
It was the name of Napoleon that made the necklace so valuable.
The application should be clear. In ourselves we are nothing and can do nothing.
It is our association with the Lord and with His service that sets us apart in a special way.
As someone has said, “Your connection with Calvary is the most wonderful thing about you.”
You may have an unusually brilliant mind. That is something to be thankful for. But remember this.
It is only as that mind is used for the Lord Jesus Christ that it ever reaches
its highest destiny. It is Christ that sanctifies your intellect.
You may have talents for which the world is willing to pay a high price. You may even think that
the Church is too insignificant for them. But it is the Church that sanctifies your talents,
and not your talents that sanctify the Church.
You may have bundles of money. You can hoard it, spend it on self-indulgence, or use it for the Kingdom. The greatest use to which it can be put is to spend it in furthering the cause of Christ. It is the Kingdom that sanctifies your wealth, not vice versa.
("Truth to live by, one day at a time" - With thanks to Dan Hopkins)
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June 12
"Let us lay aside every weight . . .
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
(Hebrews 12:1)
A contestant entering a race on a hot summer day with a woollen coat,
work boots and a backpack would never win. These burdens
need to be removed if there is to be any chance at success.
This image of a weighed down runner is presented here as a lesson for the Christian life.
We cannot have success if we are burdened down spiritually.
Excess weight is anything that hinders our faith.
The Christian life is a race that requires discipline and endurance and weights like laziness,
bitterness, fearfulness or other habitual sins will ruin the race for us.
By the Spirit, each of us know what weight needs to be removed in our life.
Will you lay it aside?
(Robert Gentile)
Poor is my best, and small: how could I dare divide?
Surely my Lord shall have it all, He shall not be denied.
(F. R. Havergal)
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June 13
THE CROWNING DAY
"The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne,
and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their
crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy.”
(Revelation 4:10-11)
One year at a Bible school graduation, they sang the hymn “Is it the Crowning Day?”
Unfortunately, a typing error was made in preparing the program and the hymn appeared
as “Is it the crowing Day?” Isn’t it great to know that when we adoringly
bow before the Lord in that day of glory there will be no crowing?
Christ will fill our gaze; His praises shall fill our lips; His worthiness shall fill our hearts.
We will cast our crowns before Him, realizing that whatever service was done for
Him upon earth was done through His grace and strength alone.
And yet the Word of God does set before us various crowns to be given to the saints: The
incorruptible crown—1 Corinthians 9:24-27, The crown of joy—1 Thessalonians 2:19,
The crown of righteousness—2 Timothy 4:8, The crown of life—James 1:12,
The crown of glory—1 Peter 5:4.
Let’s set our hearts upon gaining these crowns that we may cast them at His
blessed feet. And let ’s forget about doing any crowing now.
We certainly won’t do any crowing then!
(The Lord is Near - Grant W. Steidl)
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June 14
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling . . . according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
(2 Timothy 1:9)
Most gifts we receive from others are given to us during our lifetime.
But the greatest gift ever offered to us was given to us in Christ before the world began.
That glorious fact speaks to us of the greatness of the gift and the love and commitment of the Giver. There is nothing we could do to earn or deserve it because the gift
was given before we were even born.
Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.
(Ken Gross)
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul;
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me,
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
(S. & B. Sykes)
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June 15
“. . . be pitiful, be courteous . . .”
(1 Peter 3:8)
The verse above, enjoins the apostle who seemingly had to learn it the hard way. Our Lord was very pitiful, and always courteous. There is the thought of offence latent “Pitiful,” “courteous”, in each of these words.
Pitiful is that condition of soul that considers the weakness, the infirmity, or ignorance of the offender, and thus does not take offence. This was always true of our Lord. There was compassion and mercy always in His heart. He considered the burden of others.
The story is told of Napoleon walking with a lady along a path that became so narrow that the lady had to walk ahead with the Emperor behind. Approaching them was a workman with a heavy load on his back.
The lady kept to the path so the burdened workman would have to step aside.
Napoleon gently took the lady by the shoulders and caused her to leave
the path so the man with the load could continue on the walk.
Speaking to the lady, Napoleon said, “Madame, consider the burden.”
(Our Lord Jesus Christ - The Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake)
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June 16
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
(1 Peter 1:7)
Genuine faith in Christ weathers the storms of life,
for it is grounded in an eternal Saviour.
Our great High Priest has said,
“I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:32).
This faith is displayed in prison cells, cancer wards, and impoverished houses.
It moves great obstacles and yet trusts not human power or wisdom.
The fire only purges the dross, proving that the life our Lord offers, transcends
every trial and lasts eternally. Thankfully, difficult times
reveal God’s glorious riches in His saints.
(K. R. Keyser)
O God, we come with singing, because Thy great High Priest;
Our names to Thee is bringing, nor e’er forgets the least.
(M. B. Peters)
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June 17
A Closer Walk With God
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”
(Philippians 3:8)
- We never get on in divine things unless we are content to let self go.
Any way or purpose in connection with ourselves is
only a barrier to divine blessing.
- It is a positive barrier to blessing to trust to experience in the past.
- Christ is made unto us wisdom. . . .
We have to travel through this word—wisdom we need;
well, I thank God we shall never lack it. Christ is our wisdom. . . .
Whatever the case, there is unfailing wisdom for you in Christ at God’s right hand.
- If you are not a missionary of divine blessing, there must be
something between your soul and God.
(E. P. Corrin)
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June 18
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification . . .”
(1 Thessalonians 4:3)
People sometimes say they have committed a sin so bad
that they cannot bring it to God, or that He cannot forgive and forget.
But there is no sin too great to bring
to Jesus. Those who come to Him, He will never cast out.
The first step is to come to
Jesus and to turn away from sin, in His strength.
Then we shall be cleansed and sanctified.
(This Day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)
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June 19
NOT PROMISED BUT GIVEN
“The good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”
(John 10:11)
Oh, wonderful gift! not promised, but given; not to friends, but to enemies.
Given without condition, without reserve, without return.
Himself unknown and unloved, His gift unsought and unasked, He gave His life for thee;
a more than royal bounty—the greatest gift that Deity could devise.
Oh, grandeur of love! "I lay down My life for the sheep!"
And we for whom He gave it held back, and hesitated to give our lives, not even for Him
(He has not asked us to do that), but to Him!
But that is past, and He has tenderly pardoned the unloving, ungrateful reserve,
and has graciously accepted the poor little fleeting breath and
speck of dust which was all we had to offer.
And now His precious death and His glorious life are all "for thee.”
(Opened Treasures)
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June 20
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? . . . And the woman said . . . ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, least ye die. And the serpent said, ye shall not surely die. . . ."
(Genesis 3:1-4)
It is of the utmost importance to see that what really stamps man’s character and condition is his ignorance or knowledge of God. This it is that marks his character here, and fixes his destiny hereafter.
Is he evil in his thoughts, evil in his words, evil in his actions,—
it is all the result of his being ignorant of God.
it is all the result of his being ignorant of God.
On the other hand, is he pure in thought, holy in conversation, gracious in action,—
it is but the practical result of his knowledge of God.
So also as to the future.
To know God, is the solid ground of endless bliss—everlasting glory:
to know Him not, is "everlasting destruction.”
Thus the knowledge of God is everything.
It quickens the soul, purifies the heart, tranquilizes the
conscience, elevates the affections, sanctifies the entire character and conduct.
Need we wonder, therefore, that Satan’s grand design was to rob the creature of the true knowledge of the only true God? He misrepresented the blessed God: he said He was not kind. This was the secret spring of all the mischief. It matters not what shape sin has since taken—it matters not through what channel it has flowed, under what head it has ranged itself, or in what garb it has clothed itself; it is all to be traced to this one thing, namely, ignorance of God.
(C. H. Mackintosh - Genesis)
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June 21
“Through faith he [Moses] kept the passover.”
(Hebrews 11:28)
- "By faith he kept the passover,”— not “they.” It was between God and the mediator (Hebrews 11:28).
All the work of our salvation was done between God and Christ: we had no part in it.
- I must have directly the sense of the Lord’s mind and word, for what I do.
- We get light in seeing a thing in relation with Christ,—what suits Him.
- It needs known responsibility, according to His revelation of Himself, to walk “before God”:
but communion, to walk with God.
- All our paths, devious as they may be, have not turned aside His love.
(Hunt’s Sayings)
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June 22
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
(Matthew 11:29)
It is one thing to own Christ as the One who can give rest, and another thing to walk with Christ under the yoke, so that we find rest ourselves when all is against us; to walk with Him in everything, saying, I have got nothing to do, save to please my Master; and I have to walk so that, whatever turns up, I can say,”I thank Thee, O Father.”
This is not the case with us. We have ways and plans of our own, and we
don’t like Christ to pass us through them under His yoke.
He would have His light so to shine in us as to bring out all that is in us,
and that we should so walk according to the light
that the world should reject us even as it rejected Him.
that the world should reject us even as it rejected Him.
The more closely I am bound up with Him, the more I shall feel the contrast between His ways and my own. If I am under His yoke, do you suppose He will allow self-will— “I like, and I don’t like”?
If Christ has given me rest, and yoked me up with Himself,
He does not let me go my own way, but His way.
(G. V. Wigram - Gleanings)
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June 23
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