Gems from March 11- 12, 2026

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Mark 16:15

Just after the end of WW II some dear Christians were preaching the gospel on the streets of downtown Ottawa, Canada.  A young man dressed in a military uniform stopped to listen.  After the preaching had ended, some spoke to him and found that he was a dear and warmhearted believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, just returned from combat in Europe.  He had served as a chaplain near the front lines, seeking to comfort soldiers brought in to the field hospital, who had been wounded in battle.

The army chaplain recounted a most heart warming incident that took place during heavy fighting.  He began by mentioning that before going into combat, he had been trained when dealing with wounded soldiers, to find out "what faith" each was of so that he could "more effectively" be a comfort to them.     

One night, at the height of the battle, a seriously wounded soldier was carried into the field hospital.  The chaplain immediately made his way to the young soldier's cot and leaning over, asked his standard question; "What church do you attend?"  There was silence for a moment and then a whispered response; "I'm of Paul's persuasion".

This puzzled the chaplain very much for he had never heard of such a church group before.  "This must be of some new denomination"  he thought to himself.  Turning to others in the ward, he asked if anyone there had ever heard of a church named "Paul's Persuasion" and if so, could they tell him anything about its beliefs.  But no one in the ward had ever heard of such a church.

Leaning back over the wounded soldier, he again asked him to try and describe the church or denomination to which he belonged.  In a weak but steady whisper the wounded young man replied: "...I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38,39).

May we too be thus "persuaded"--"...I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is abe to keep that which I have committed unto Him..." (2 Timothy 1:12).  The Christian Shepherd - 2005

N.J. Hiebert - 20244

March 11

A  MIND  AT  PERFECT  PEACE 

Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 

Are there any tyrants more harassing than our own thoughts?  Control of deeds and words seems a small thing in comparison; but have we not been apt to fancy that we really cannot help our thoughts?  Instead of our dominating them, they have dominated us; and we have not expected nor even thought it possible, to be set free from the manifold tyranny of vain thoughts, and still less of wandering thoughts.

Yet, all the time, here has been God's Word about this hopeless, helpless matter only where  has been our faith?  It is very strong language that the inspiring Spirit uses here--not "thoughts" in general but definitely, and with no room for distressing exceptions, "every thought."  Must it not be glorious rest to have every thought of day and night brought into sweet, quiet, complete captivity to Jesus, entirely "obedient to the faith," to His holy and loving influence, to His beautiful and perfect law?

We should not have dared to hope or dream of such a rest to our souls; we should not have guessed it included in that promise to those who take the yoke of Christ upon them; and if we could find one text stating that it was not any part of God's infinitely gracious purpose for us, we should only say, "Of course, for it stands to reason it could not be!"

Not yet thou knowest what I do within thine own weak breast
To mold thee to My image true, and fit thee for My rest.
But yield thee to My loving skill; the veiled work of grace,
From day to day progressing still, it is not thine to trace.
(Opened Treasures - Frances Ridley Havergal)

N.J. Hiebert - 20245

March 12

What shall I do to inherit eternal life?...Sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven."  Luke 18:18,23

In the cathedral at Freiburg there was a wonderful organ.  One day a man entered and asked the custodian if he might play upon the great instrument.  The old keeper finally granted permission, grudgingly.  The stranger sat down and slowly began to play.  The attention of the old sexton was arrested; he dropped into a seat and listened spellbound;  soon tears coursed down his wrinkled face.  He had never head such music before.

The stranger arose to go, and the custodian followed him silently to the door.  Finally he managed to ask, "Who are you?"  The visitor answered simply, "I am Mendelssohn."  And all that the old man could do was to throw up his hands and cry, "And to think I almost refused to let you play the organ!"  Every man is the custodian of the organ of his soul.  What pitiful discords we make when we try to play our own instruments unaided, try to live our own lives by our own strength.  Everywhere worn faces, weary hearts, broken spirits tell the story; the custodian cannot play his own organ.

But One who is greater than Mendelssohn asks to sit at the keyboard of your heart.  He will bring forth music from it that you never dreamed could be there--melody instead of melancholy, hallelujahs instead of heartaches.  Not only will it thrill you but others will be drawn to hear for they will perceive that you have quit playing and that the Master plays instead.
    Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
    Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; touched by a loving heart,
   Wakened by kindness, chords that are broken will vibrate once more.

Doubly true is that when His heart and hand take us in charge!  I think of the rich young man who came to Jesus.  What a magnificent keyboard of possibilities he carried!  But he chose to be his own musician and went away sorrowful "for he had great possessions."  But of what use is an organ if it cannot be played, and of what use is a life abounding in promise if we deny Him who alone can make anything of it? 

Jesus is passing by.  Through the ages He has been bringing heavenly harmony from even the most unsightly organs.  Who else could have made anything of Simon Peter?  What a harsh instrument was Saul of Tarsus!  Think of Augustine, the slave of lust; what an unpromising prospect was Moody, the shoe salesman; what melody could be expected of Gipsy Smith?

Mind you, we never were meant to be the organists of our souls.  We cannot play but we are the custodians; we can let Jesus play or refuse Him.  All the trouble in human lives begins when the custodian tries to be organist.  The playing is God's part; the permission is ours.  
In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner - August 23,1936   

N.J. Hiebert - 20246

March 13

And David rose up early in the morning...and went, as Jesse had commanded him... (1 Samuel 17:20) 

He comes into the camp, where his brothers accuse his confidence in God and his faith, of being pride and naughtiness of heart (v.28). We too can ever expect the same treatment ourselves in following the simple path of faith.  Our relatives can no more understand our motives than the Lord's brothers could understand His. 

David answers Eliab: "What have I now done?" "Was it not laid upon me"? (v.29).  What had he done to deserve being insulted?  Did he not have a reason for going down to his brothers, when the God of Israel was daily being insulted by the enemy?

David asks "what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel?" (v.26).  He learns that "the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel." (v.25). 

But it is not to obtain this reward that he enters the campaign; it is for God, for Israel's deliverance, to make the Lord known in all the earth, and that all the congregation should know how the Lord saves (vv.46-47).  Doubtless his victory gives him, like Christ, great riches, a bride, and the liberation of his father's house, but this the result rather than the purpose of his work. 

David announces to Saul what he is going to accomplish (v.32).  The king, who can think of nothing but human methods, wants to provide him with his own armour; but David cannot go with weapons belonging to the flesh, and he has never even tried them.  He wants no other weapons than those a shepherd uses to defend or regather his sheep.  As for us, the Word is that weapon that faith alone can use; it overthrows Satan.  Human labour can have no part in such a conflict.  (2 Samuel - H. L. Rossier)

N.J. Hiebert - 20247

March 14