Gems from July 11- 20, 2020

July 11

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.   Psalm 34:1

"I heard a joyous strain -
A lark on a leafless bough
Sat singing in the rain."

I heard him singing early in the morning.  It was hardly light!  I could not understand that song; it was fairly a lilt of joy.  It had been a portentous night for me, full of dreams that did disturb me .  Old things that I had hoped to forget, and new things that I had prayed could never come, trooped through my dreams like grinning little bare-faced imps.

Certainly I was in no humour to sing.  What could possess that fellow out yonder to be telling the whole township how joyous he was?  He was perched on the rail fence by the spring run.  He was drenched.  It had rained in the night and evidently he had been poorly housed.  I pitied him.

What comfort could he have had through the night bathed in the storm?  He never thought of comfort.  His song was not bought by any such duplicity.  It was in his heart.  Then I shook myself: The shame that a lark has finer poise than a man!  G. A. Leichliter

"Nothing can break you as long as you sing."

There is music in my soul today, a carol to my King;
And Jesus, listening, can hear the songs I cannot sing.

REFRAIN:
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine, when the peaceful, happy moments roll:
When Jesus shows His smiling face, there is sunshine in my soul.
E. E. Hewitt

N.J. Hiebert - 8174

July 12

Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.   
Genesis 15:1

CAN YOU COUNT THE STARS?

God brought Abram out  and said to him.  "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be."  Abram believed God; he did not ask: "How can it be? I am 85 years old and my wife is 75.  How can we have a son?"  Abram just simply believed God, so God counted it to him for righteousness.

How plain it is!  How easy it is!  Abram was not a righteous man himself.  Abram was a sinner like you and me.  But just because he believed God's word, God counted him righteous.  As if God said, "Abram, you are a sinner, but because you believe Me, I count you a righteous man."

God had not told him to act as a righteous man, nor to do something, or keep the commandments and the law, or to be a good man.  He just simply and plainly said that Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND GOD COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Romans 4:3).  God counts sinners righteous when they believe God's word, not because of works they may do.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

Do you want God to justify you or not?  Do believe God.  The Lord Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to justify us.  Only believe, accept this work for yourself, and you will be justified by God.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   (Romans 10:9)    Genesis  - G. C. Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 8175

July 13

THE RAM IN THE THICKET

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.   Genesis 22:13

The ram speaks of consecration; its horns speak of strength.  That ram caught in the thicket by its horns as seen by Abraham reminds us of the agonies and the sufferings of our blessed Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.  

The cross itself never could have killed our Lord, the blessed eternal Son.  Rather, He voluntarily laid down His life on the cross for us.  The actual intensity of conflict engaged by our Lord there in the garden is veiled and far beyond our feeble comprehension.  Similarly, our feeble minds cannot take in the severity of suffering in bearing our sins in His body on the tree.   

Knowing the imminent danger of being trapped by the thicket, and possibly devoured by predators, the ram, by instinct, desperately attempted to free its horns from the thicket, but to no avail.  The thicket, perhaps, reminds us of the cursed ground overgrown with thorns and thistles because of men's sins.

Thank God, only the horns were caught by the thicket, not the body of the ram, so that it remained spotless and without blemish, fit for the offering instead of Isaac.

Are not our hearts completely subdued as we contemplate the sufferings of our blessed Lord in the breaking of bread?  The Lord told the Jews of His time that "Your Father  Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and He saw it, and was glad.  (John 8:56). In beholding the ram caught in the thicket by his horns, Abraham saw the day of the Lord and he rejoiced." 
F. S. W.  

N.J. Hiebert - 8176    

July 14

And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent.  Exodus 4:10

They (hypocrites) think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not ye therefore like unto them.  Matthew 6:7-8

These are words of comfort for those whose chief work is prayer.  Prayer is greatly helped by loved companionship - "loved" because the least hurt to love wounds prayer.

When John wrote "Beloved let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God, he was leading on to that wonderful word about prayer, And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us". (1 John 4:7; 5:14).

Even the most alone of us is one of a wonderful Companionship.  The Spirit is making intercession, and Christ our Lord ever liveth to make intercession, so we are not alone even when we seem to be alone. (Romans 8:26  Hebrews 7:25).

We do not have to be eloquent.  We do not need to speak much.  We do not even need to know what we should pray for.  For His compassion matches our yearning - is ever taking our human frailty by the hand.  We are not even sure what requests should rightly be the object of our prayers; but His Spirit - His very Spirit - is pleading ever for us with signs such as no language can shape into words.  His Spirit intercedes for His own in just the way that God desires.  (Romans 8:26-27).
Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

N.J. Hiebert - 8177  

July 15

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
For every man shall bear his own burden.  Galatians  6:2,5 

I was standing by the side of the road with two heavy bags.  There were no buses and I was about a mile and a half from my destination, so I asked the Lord about the matter; and told him my position; and just as I was telling Him, a man drew up.  "Can I give you a lift?" he said. "Thank you", I said, and after I'd been in the car a few minutes, I said, "Do you know what I thought of as I got into this car?  It's a word in the Bible that says, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."  Do you know anything about that?

"Why do you say that word out of the Bible to me?  The last time I was in church sixteen years ago the minister preached on that text, and I have never darkened the door of a church since."  "Well," I said, "what was wrong with that Scripture?" "Oh, he read the beginning of some chapter, "bear ye one another's burdens" and then he read almost in the next verse, "Every man shall bear his own burdens." I asked the preacher what He meant by those verses, and he said he didn't know."

"Very well", I said, "there are two words for burdens.  The first  means a load under which a man is staggering.  It is a simple exhortation to kindness, to do as Christ did.  In the next verse "Burden" is a nautical word, the word sailors use; it's used of the cargo of a ship.  Now a ship's captain never wants anyone else to carry his cargo for he would lose all his profit. And that means that everyone must carry his own burden of responsibility."

"Is that really right?" he said.  We sat down for nearly and hour and I preached to him, Jesus.

It is extraordinary to see how grateful people are that someone takes an interest  in a stranger's soul.  Harold St. John       

N.J. Hiebert - 8178

July 16

Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him . . .   Philippians 2:5-9

There is too much paraded glory today. Too many men and women want to show themselves to the world.  For men to display their own glory is not glory (Proverbs 25:27).  Lovely grace hides its beauty that it may only be betrayed  by its fragrance.

Our Lord never sought a crowd.  Like charity, He vaunted not Himself.  (1 Corinthians 13:4).  Christ had no one campaign for Him.  There was no stage and no glamour.  Herod might have wondered if he had seen a miracle performed by Him.  But the way of God is not the way of man.

When God gave a manifestation of that which delighted His heart, it is pictured in the tabernacle as seen in the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The One who was crucified in weakness; the One who for us became poor; the One who never paraded His wisdom; the One who was forsaken; the One who bore the deepest shame and curse; the One who was hated without a cause, is the One who alone is worthy "to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Revelation 5:12).

The world showed its utter estrangement from God in that it never attributed any of these honours to Him.  The world today shows its besotted ignorance in that this covered glory of heaven's lovely Man is still detested and unknown.
A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake

N.J. Hiebert - 8179  

July 17

TRUSTING JESUS, THAT IS ALL

His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.  Psalm 112:7

We make faith more difficult than God ever made it.  We exercise faith a hundred times a day in just about everything we do, but when it comes to believing God, we make a mighty mystery out of it and fence it about with difficulties that make it well-nigh impossible.  Sure, it is the gift of God, but it comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  God says it and we simply take Him at His Word.  If it were as complicated as we have made it to be, most poor souls would never make it.

Indeed, it is the simple heart that grasps it while scholars miss it.  God has kept it from the wise and prudent and revealed it unto babes.  Just trusting Jesus that is all.  Unless we become as little children and stop being theologians who sometimes see it last, we shall never have fixed hearts like the Psalmist wrote about but only feverish heads. All the Days - Vance Havner

Simply trusting every day,  trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly doth His Spirit shine into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall; trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear; praying if the path be drear;
If in danger, for Him call; Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last, trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall: Trusting Jesus, that is all.

CHORUS: Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him what e'er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all.  E. Page

N.J. Hiebert - 8180

July 18

LOVE  MISUNDERSTOOD

All these things are against me."  Genesis 42:36
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

Jacob is not guilty, like his sons, but his feeble faith can see no trace of the hand of God in all these circumstances.  As he hears the story of his sons' experiences he can only say, "All these things are against me." How different the language of faith which can say, "All things work together for good to them that love God."

The very things that to sight and nature were against him were the very means that God was taking for his blessing.  "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away."  These are the things that were for him.  Joseph lost to his father, rejected and sold, imprisoned and exalted, Simeon held in bondage, Benjamin taken from his father, were all stages in the pathway to blessing, and means  used by God to restore Joseph to his father and to bring Jacob and his sons into richer blessing.

Yet Jacob is saying to his sons, "Then shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave."  At the very moment when Jacob could see nothing in the future but sorrow and the grave, God was about to bring him into joy and blessing.  Had Jacob been able to persist in his thoughts he would have thwarted God in His ways of blessings, for says Jacob, " My son shall not go down."

There is a need-be for each pain,
And He will one day make it plain
That  earthly loss is heavenly gain.
Joseph - Hamilton Smith

N.J. Hiebert - 8181

July 19

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.   Psalm 53:1

To be a fool is to be without common sense, without wisdom.  The wise man will contemplate creation and marvel.

He sees the way planet earth orbits the sun at just the right distance to sustain life.  He delights in the great seas and lakes without which no life would survive.

He is amazed at the countless species of plant and animal life.

He studies his own body and marvellous brain and stands in awe.

All of this proclaims a Creator, infinitely wise and powerful.  Only a fool will say that there is no God.  Do not be a fool.  Come to know God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Donald L. Norbie

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies,
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day,
The moon shines forth at His command and all the stars obey.
Isaac Watts

N.J. Hiebert - 8182 

July 20

HE  NEVER  FAILS

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.  Lamentations 3:22-24.

Where today there is turmoil, stress and darkness, tomorrow new fields of flowers will flourish on the slopes.

In the skies so laden with heavy overcast, so charged with clouds and wind-driven snow, birds will soar on wing against the sun in the spring.  For this, too, will pass.  The skies will be blue again.

All is change. Life is ever in flux. Nothing on earth remains constant.  But in splendour and wonder those of us who know Christ shout with glad affirmation, "O God, Thou changest not!"  Amid the chaos, in calm confidence we assert boldly, "Forever, O Lord, Thou art faithful."

Clouds come and go.  He remains constant.
Winds blow, storms subside.  He is ever by our side.
Out of it all, He alone brings comfort, consolation, and the great renewal which is such abundant compensation for all the crushing sorrow of our years - and the burning agony of our tears.

He, and He alone, makes all things new - both in this life and in the eternal life yet to come beyond the skies.  Bless His wondrous Name forever and forever!
Songs of My Soul - W. Phillip Keller

N.J. Hiebert - 8183 

July 21

Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Micah 7:19

When we were college boys, our old professor used to tell us of a spot in the sea off our western coast which was five miles deep.  Think of a solid mile of depth.  Then add another mile to that.  Then double this, and finally climax it with another mile on top of these four.  Five miles deep!

Into those almost fathomless deeps nothing which sinks ever comes back.  All is shrouded in dense and impenetrable darkness.  No eye can pierce into those black deeps of the ocean.  No ray of light illumines the darkness.  No message ever comes back from that which is swallowed up in this abyss.

And into such a gulf of oblivion has God cast all the sins of those who accept His Son as their sin-bearer.

In Christ His work of remission of sins is complete.  Not as into the shallow depths of the brook which murmurs through the field and valley where the eye can rest upon them and the heart grieve for them, has He cast them.

Nor does it please His heart of love, nor do honour to the riches of His grace that we should sorrow over them as though they were still upon our own hearts and staining our own innermost souls.
James H.McConkey

Gone, gone, gone, gone!  Yes my sins are gone.
Now my soul is free, and in my heart's a song;
Buried in the deepest sea, yes that's good enough for me;
I shall life eternally, praise God!  My sins are gone.
Helen Griggs 

N.J. Hiebert - 8184

July 22

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.  Ecclesiastes 11:3

Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky?  True, for awhile they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will be out again before long.  Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they will yield plentiful showers.

How can we have rain without clouds?  Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will.  They are the dark chariots of bright grace.  These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be happier for the shower.

Our God may drench us with grief but He will refresh us with mercy.  Our Lord's love-letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes.  His wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefits.  His rod blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits.

Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.

"O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet!  (Nahum 1:3)!"  How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day!  Love beholds Thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side.

The blue of heaven is larger than the clouds.
C.H. Spurgeon

N.J. Hiebert - 8185

July 23