When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2
God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us for we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction, doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 10122
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us for we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction, doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 10122
November 10
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also. John 14:3
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 10123
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 10123
November 11
And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. . . . And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:25,33.
It was more than human--God caused a witness of that hour that stood out from all before and after. There was darkness; the very world felt it. So here, the insensibility of men, the revilings and scoffings from chief priests down to thieves, against the Son of God, were answered on God's part by the veiling of all nature in presence of the death of Him Who created all; there was darkness over the whole land. Above, below, what a scene!
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark15:34) It was no exhaustion of nature. Jesus did not die because He could not live, as all others do. He had still the full energy of life. He died not only in atonement, but to take His life again. How else could He have proved the superiority of His life to death, if He had not died? Still less could He have delivered us. "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10)
But more than that. His living again, His raising Himself from the grave, His taking life again, proved that He had conquered death, to which He had so entirely submitted for God's glory. He was put to death. By wicked hands He was crucified and slain; yet it was also entirely voluntary. In every other person death is involuntary. So absolutely is Jesus above mere nature whether in birth or in death, or all through. Exposition on the Gospel of Mark - William Kelly.
N.J. Hiebert - 10124
It was more than human--God caused a witness of that hour that stood out from all before and after. There was darkness; the very world felt it. So here, the insensibility of men, the revilings and scoffings from chief priests down to thieves, against the Son of God, were answered on God's part by the veiling of all nature in presence of the death of Him Who created all; there was darkness over the whole land. Above, below, what a scene!
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark15:34) It was no exhaustion of nature. Jesus did not die because He could not live, as all others do. He had still the full energy of life. He died not only in atonement, but to take His life again. How else could He have proved the superiority of His life to death, if He had not died? Still less could He have delivered us. "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10)
But more than that. His living again, His raising Himself from the grave, His taking life again, proved that He had conquered death, to which He had so entirely submitted for God's glory. He was put to death. By wicked hands He was crucified and slain; yet it was also entirely voluntary. In every other person death is involuntary. So absolutely is Jesus above mere nature whether in birth or in death, or all through. Exposition on the Gospel of Mark - William Kelly.
N.J. Hiebert - 10124
November 12
"A certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment . . . and she felt in her body that she was healed . . ." Mark 5:25-29.
The condition of the woman is hopeless. Surely no physician of that day and place could save her wasting life; but she had heard of the power of Jesus, and secretly watching for an opportunity, she "came in the crowd behind, and touched His garment." Her faith is imperfect; she seems to think that the power of Jesus is magical and mechanical, and that there is no need of His knowing her or of His thinking of her, that she need make no request for help or express gratitude for relief.
Her faith is imperfect, but it is sincere; and Jesus makes an immediate response to her timid touch, "and straightway...she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague." Possibly the most reassuring feature of the story is just here. Our Lord does not wait until we have a perfect knowledge of Him or His way of working; when we feel our helplessness and come to Him for healing He never withholds His help.
Jesus, however, always desires to perfect the faith of those who trust Him. His healing results ever in a fuller knowledge and in a deepening love. Thus He shows this woman that her cure is due to no mere involuntary out-flow of divine grace, and that the full blessing of faith results only when a believer openly confesses Jesus as the Saviour. He perceives the touch of her trembling fingers; He distinguishes it from the press of the jostling crowd; He recognizes it as a mute appeal for help; He gives the relief which the suppliant craves, and then, for the sake of the woman who has already perceived His divine power, now realizes His divine knowledge, and as she comes and acknowledges her trust and her cure, she learns His divine love, for she hears Him say, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." (Mark 5:34) She found a new assurance of His saving power and that rest of soul which issues from accepting His gracious word, "Go in Peace." Mark - C. R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 10125
The condition of the woman is hopeless. Surely no physician of that day and place could save her wasting life; but she had heard of the power of Jesus, and secretly watching for an opportunity, she "came in the crowd behind, and touched His garment." Her faith is imperfect; she seems to think that the power of Jesus is magical and mechanical, and that there is no need of His knowing her or of His thinking of her, that she need make no request for help or express gratitude for relief.
Her faith is imperfect, but it is sincere; and Jesus makes an immediate response to her timid touch, "and straightway...she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague." Possibly the most reassuring feature of the story is just here. Our Lord does not wait until we have a perfect knowledge of Him or His way of working; when we feel our helplessness and come to Him for healing He never withholds His help.
Jesus, however, always desires to perfect the faith of those who trust Him. His healing results ever in a fuller knowledge and in a deepening love. Thus He shows this woman that her cure is due to no mere involuntary out-flow of divine grace, and that the full blessing of faith results only when a believer openly confesses Jesus as the Saviour. He perceives the touch of her trembling fingers; He distinguishes it from the press of the jostling crowd; He recognizes it as a mute appeal for help; He gives the relief which the suppliant craves, and then, for the sake of the woman who has already perceived His divine power, now realizes His divine knowledge, and as she comes and acknowledges her trust and her cure, she learns His divine love, for she hears Him say, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." (Mark 5:34) She found a new assurance of His saving power and that rest of soul which issues from accepting His gracious word, "Go in Peace." Mark - C. R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 10125
November 13
Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant (Simeon) depart in peace, according to Thy Word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. (Luke 2:29-30)
When Simeon was worshiping in the temple and Mary and Joseph entered with the little Baby, Simeon said, "there is the salvation of God," and he hastened to the Baby and took Him in his arms and he said ". . . mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."
God's salvation is in a Person, and that Person His own blessed Son. To receive Him is to be saved. To receive Him is to have life eternal. "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37) Thank God for such an assurance as that! God will never be defeated. His purpose will never fail of accomplishment. All that the Father giveth to Jesus shall come to Him.
You say you do not believe in election or predestination. Then you will have to tear a number of pages out of your Bible, for there are many of them which magnify God's sovereign electing grace. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29).
Someone once said, that, "the 'whosoever wills' are the elect and the 'whosoever won'ts,' the non-elect." You cannot get around it. But we must not overlook our personal responsibility, (Note John 6:37). Let no man say, "Well I am afraid I am not elected, and will not be saved." The question is, Are you willing to come to Jesus? He will in no wise cast out. Whoever you are today, if you will come to Him, He will take you in. You do not have to settle any question of predestination before you come to Jesus. And when you come He receives you, and having come, you may know that you are one whom the Father gave to the Lord Jesus Christ. Gospel of John - H. A. Ironside
N.J. Hiebert - 10126
When Simeon was worshiping in the temple and Mary and Joseph entered with the little Baby, Simeon said, "there is the salvation of God," and he hastened to the Baby and took Him in his arms and he said ". . . mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."
God's salvation is in a Person, and that Person His own blessed Son. To receive Him is to be saved. To receive Him is to have life eternal. "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37) Thank God for such an assurance as that! God will never be defeated. His purpose will never fail of accomplishment. All that the Father giveth to Jesus shall come to Him.
You say you do not believe in election or predestination. Then you will have to tear a number of pages out of your Bible, for there are many of them which magnify God's sovereign electing grace. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29).
Someone once said, that, "the 'whosoever wills' are the elect and the 'whosoever won'ts,' the non-elect." You cannot get around it. But we must not overlook our personal responsibility, (Note John 6:37). Let no man say, "Well I am afraid I am not elected, and will not be saved." The question is, Are you willing to come to Jesus? He will in no wise cast out. Whoever you are today, if you will come to Him, He will take you in. You do not have to settle any question of predestination before you come to Jesus. And when you come He receives you, and having come, you may know that you are one whom the Father gave to the Lord Jesus Christ. Gospel of John - H. A. Ironside
N.J. Hiebert - 10126
November 14
I came to them . . . I sat where they sat. Ezekiel 3:15
We rightly marvel at Hudson Taylor, who forsook the comforts of British Shanghai to live in the poverty and hardship of the Chinese section. And yet who could deny the effectiveness of his following the prophet Ezekiel's example?
If this sort of work seems at times distasteful, then we need only remind ourselves of the Saviour, who left His wondrous palaces for our worldly pollutions, that He might sit where we sit, and acquaint Himself with our griefs and sorrows.
Ultimately He made them His own and bore them to Calvary in an astonishing act of grace. Can we not humble ourselves and bear this wondrous message to the places where the lost sit? Choice Gleanings - Rick Morse
There is a stream of precious blood which flowed from Jesu's veins;
And sinners washed in that blest flood lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that Saviour in His day;
And by that blood, tho' vile as he, our sins are washed away.
Blest Lamb of God, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow'r,
Till every ransomed saint of God be saved to sin no more.
E'er since, by faith, we saw the stream Thy wounds supplied for sin,
Redeeming love has been our theme, our joy and peace has been.
Soon in a nobler, sweeter song, we'll sing Thy pow'r to save;
No more with lisping, stammering tongue, but conquerors o'er the grave. W. Cowper
N.J. Hiebert - 10127
We rightly marvel at Hudson Taylor, who forsook the comforts of British Shanghai to live in the poverty and hardship of the Chinese section. And yet who could deny the effectiveness of his following the prophet Ezekiel's example?
If this sort of work seems at times distasteful, then we need only remind ourselves of the Saviour, who left His wondrous palaces for our worldly pollutions, that He might sit where we sit, and acquaint Himself with our griefs and sorrows.
Ultimately He made them His own and bore them to Calvary in an astonishing act of grace. Can we not humble ourselves and bear this wondrous message to the places where the lost sit? Choice Gleanings - Rick Morse
There is a stream of precious blood which flowed from Jesu's veins;
And sinners washed in that blest flood lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that Saviour in His day;
And by that blood, tho' vile as he, our sins are washed away.
Blest Lamb of God, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow'r,
Till every ransomed saint of God be saved to sin no more.
E'er since, by faith, we saw the stream Thy wounds supplied for sin,
Redeeming love has been our theme, our joy and peace has been.
Soon in a nobler, sweeter song, we'll sing Thy pow'r to save;
No more with lisping, stammering tongue, but conquerors o'er the grave. W. Cowper
N.J. Hiebert - 10127
November 15
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made know unto God. Philippians 4:6
Prayer and thanksgiving. Prayer is a means to dispose the heart to praise. When David begins a psalm with prayer, he commonly ends it with praise. That Spirit which leads a soul out of itself to God for supply, will direct it to the same God with His praise. We do not borrow money of one man and return it to another.
If God hath been thy strength, surely thou wilt make Him thy song. The thief comes not to thank a man for what he steals out fo his yard. Mercies ill got are commonly as ill spent, because they are not sanctified, and so become fuel to feed lusts.
As a necessary ingredient in all our prayers: Let your requests be made known with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). This spice must be in all our offerings. He that prays for a mercy he wants, and is not thankful for mercies received, may seem mindful of himself, but is forgetful of God, and so takes the right course to shut his prayers out of doors. God will not put His mercies into a torn purse; and such is is an unthankful heart.
Daniel, when in the very shadow of death, the plot being laid to take away his life, prayed three times a day, and gave thanks before his God (Daniel 6:10). To have heard him pray in that great strait would not have afforded so much matter for wonder; but to have his heart in tune for giving thanks in such a sad hour was admirable.
Prayer and Trial. When prayer cannot prevail to keep a temporal mercy alive, yet it will have a powerful influence to keep thy heart alive when that dies. O, it is sad, when a man's estate and comfort are buried in the same grave together. None will bear the loss of an enjoyment so patiently, as he that was exercised in prayer while he had it. The more David prayed for his child while alive, the fewer tears he shed for it when dead. William Gurnall - 1617-1679
N.J. Hiebert - 10128
Prayer and thanksgiving. Prayer is a means to dispose the heart to praise. When David begins a psalm with prayer, he commonly ends it with praise. That Spirit which leads a soul out of itself to God for supply, will direct it to the same God with His praise. We do not borrow money of one man and return it to another.
If God hath been thy strength, surely thou wilt make Him thy song. The thief comes not to thank a man for what he steals out fo his yard. Mercies ill got are commonly as ill spent, because they are not sanctified, and so become fuel to feed lusts.
As a necessary ingredient in all our prayers: Let your requests be made known with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). This spice must be in all our offerings. He that prays for a mercy he wants, and is not thankful for mercies received, may seem mindful of himself, but is forgetful of God, and so takes the right course to shut his prayers out of doors. God will not put His mercies into a torn purse; and such is is an unthankful heart.
Daniel, when in the very shadow of death, the plot being laid to take away his life, prayed three times a day, and gave thanks before his God (Daniel 6:10). To have heard him pray in that great strait would not have afforded so much matter for wonder; but to have his heart in tune for giving thanks in such a sad hour was admirable.
Prayer and Trial. When prayer cannot prevail to keep a temporal mercy alive, yet it will have a powerful influence to keep thy heart alive when that dies. O, it is sad, when a man's estate and comfort are buried in the same grave together. None will bear the loss of an enjoyment so patiently, as he that was exercised in prayer while he had it. The more David prayed for his child while alive, the fewer tears he shed for it when dead. William Gurnall - 1617-1679
N.J. Hiebert - 10128
November 16
There be . . . things which are little upon the earth, but . . . Proverbs 30:24
Someone once complained, "What I say or do doesn't matter. My influence is like a drop in the bucket!" "Ah, but a drop can be very important," said another.
"It all depends on what it is made of, and what's already in the bucket. One little drop of water falling into a container of acid may cause an explosion. One drop of germ culture introduced into a container of milk can make the liquid dangerous to drink; while one drop of cleansing disinfectant can neutralize a whole pail full of contaminated water".
Yes, even a "drop in a bucket" can make a tremendous difference. Our influence is greater than we suspect. In fact, those whom the world considers "insignificant" are probably the ones whose lives are making the greatest impact for eternity! Anon, Adapted
"Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness."
Psalm 65:11
N.J. Hiebert - 10129
Someone once complained, "What I say or do doesn't matter. My influence is like a drop in the bucket!" "Ah, but a drop can be very important," said another.
"It all depends on what it is made of, and what's already in the bucket. One little drop of water falling into a container of acid may cause an explosion. One drop of germ culture introduced into a container of milk can make the liquid dangerous to drink; while one drop of cleansing disinfectant can neutralize a whole pail full of contaminated water".
Yes, even a "drop in a bucket" can make a tremendous difference. Our influence is greater than we suspect. In fact, those whom the world considers "insignificant" are probably the ones whose lives are making the greatest impact for eternity! Anon, Adapted
"Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness."
Psalm 65:11
N.J. Hiebert - 10129
November 17
November 18
