July 1
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. Exodus 13:21
What is of importance to notice here is that the people of Israel were divinely guided on their march. He who selected their path guided them in it, went before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, in all their wanderings. These gracious symbols of His presence He never took from them as long as they were in the wilderness.
This is only an illustration of the truth, that the Lord is ever the guide of His people. He who leads them out of Egypt may ever be seen before them in the path on which they have entered. He never says, "Go"; but His word is always, "Follow Me." He Himself is the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).
It is quite true that we have not the visible guidance which the children of Israel enjoyed; but it is no less discernible and certain to the spiritual eye. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). It is interesting to remark that there was no such guidance in Egypt or in the land.
This brings out the important truth, that it is only in the wilderness that the indication of a way is needed. And there it is in His tenderness and mercy that the Lord leads His own, showing them the way in which they should walk, where they should rest, and when they should march, leaving nothing to them, but Himself undertaking all for them, only requiring that their eyes should be kept fixed on their Guide. Happy are the people who are thus led, and who are made willing to follow, who by grace are enabled to say, "Only Thou our Leader be, and we still will follow Thee." Edward Dennett
N.J. Hiebert - 8894
What is of importance to notice here is that the people of Israel were divinely guided on their march. He who selected their path guided them in it, went before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, in all their wanderings. These gracious symbols of His presence He never took from them as long as they were in the wilderness.
This is only an illustration of the truth, that the Lord is ever the guide of His people. He who leads them out of Egypt may ever be seen before them in the path on which they have entered. He never says, "Go"; but His word is always, "Follow Me." He Himself is the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).
It is quite true that we have not the visible guidance which the children of Israel enjoyed; but it is no less discernible and certain to the spiritual eye. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). It is interesting to remark that there was no such guidance in Egypt or in the land.
This brings out the important truth, that it is only in the wilderness that the indication of a way is needed. And there it is in His tenderness and mercy that the Lord leads His own, showing them the way in which they should walk, where they should rest, and when they should march, leaving nothing to them, but Himself undertaking all for them, only requiring that their eyes should be kept fixed on their Guide. Happy are the people who are thus led, and who are made willing to follow, who by grace are enabled to say, "Only Thou our Leader be, and we still will follow Thee." Edward Dennett
N.J. Hiebert - 8894
July 2
My times are in Thy hands. Psalm 31:15 - Rejoice, with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be kindly affectioned one to another...in honour preferring one another. Romans12: 10,15 - Look not ever man on his own things [interests] but every man also on the things [interests] of others. Philippians 2:4
Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me,
And the changes that are sure to come I do not fear to see;
But I ask Thee for a patient mind, intent on pleasing Thee.
I ask Thee for a thoughtful love, through constant watching, wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles, and wipe the weeping eyes;
A heart at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathize.
I ask Thee for the daily strength to none that ask denied,
A mind to blend with outward life while keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space if Thou be glorified.
In service which Thy love appoints there are no bonds for me;
My inmost heart is taught the truth that makes Thy children free:
A life of self renouncing love is one of liberty.
Wherever in the world I am, in whatsoever estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts to keep and cultivate;
And a work of lowly love to do for the Lord on whom I wait.
So I ask Thee for daily strength to none that ask denied,
And a mind to blend with outward life while keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space if Thou be glorified.
There are briars besetting every path that call for patient care;
There is a cross in every lot, and an earnest need for prayer;
But a lowly heart that leans on Thee is happy anywhere. Anna Waring 1823-1910
N.J. Hiebert - 8895
Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me,
And the changes that are sure to come I do not fear to see;
But I ask Thee for a patient mind, intent on pleasing Thee.
I ask Thee for a thoughtful love, through constant watching, wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles, and wipe the weeping eyes;
A heart at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathize.
I ask Thee for the daily strength to none that ask denied,
A mind to blend with outward life while keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space if Thou be glorified.
In service which Thy love appoints there are no bonds for me;
My inmost heart is taught the truth that makes Thy children free:
A life of self renouncing love is one of liberty.
Wherever in the world I am, in whatsoever estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts to keep and cultivate;
And a work of lowly love to do for the Lord on whom I wait.
So I ask Thee for daily strength to none that ask denied,
And a mind to blend with outward life while keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space if Thou be glorified.
There are briars besetting every path that call for patient care;
There is a cross in every lot, and an earnest need for prayer;
But a lowly heart that leans on Thee is happy anywhere. Anna Waring 1823-1910
N.J. Hiebert - 8895
July 3
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart. Deuteronomy 8:2
The wilderness life tends to bring out a great deal of the evil that is in our hearts. We begin our Christian careers with the joy of deliverance, but it is as we go on from stage to stage of our desert course that we become acquainted with self. But we are not to suppose that as we grow in self-knowledge our joy must decline. Quite the opposite! For then our joy would depend on ignorance of self, whereas it really depends on our Knowledge of God.
As the believer goes onward, he learns that sin is a reality; that divine grace is a reality; that salvation is a reality--a deep, personal reality; and that the advocacy of Christ is a reality. In a word, he learns the depth, the fullness, the power, the application of God's gracious resources. As Moses said to Israel (vv.3-4), "He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger [not that you might be driven to despair, but that he might feed] thee with the manna...thy raiment waxed (grew) not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years."
"Thou shalt remember!" What a touching and beautiful appeal! Remember forty years of evidence of what was in the heart of God toward His redeemed people whom He clothed, fed, and cared for in a vast and howling wilderness. What a noble and soul-satisfying display of the fullness of divine resources!
How is it possible that, with the history of Israel's desert wandering lying open before us, we could ever harbour a single doubt or fear! Oh! that our hearts may be more completely emptied of self and more completely filled with Christ. This alone brings true holiness and true happiness. C. H. Mackintosh
N.J. Hiebert - 8896
The wilderness life tends to bring out a great deal of the evil that is in our hearts. We begin our Christian careers with the joy of deliverance, but it is as we go on from stage to stage of our desert course that we become acquainted with self. But we are not to suppose that as we grow in self-knowledge our joy must decline. Quite the opposite! For then our joy would depend on ignorance of self, whereas it really depends on our Knowledge of God.
As the believer goes onward, he learns that sin is a reality; that divine grace is a reality; that salvation is a reality--a deep, personal reality; and that the advocacy of Christ is a reality. In a word, he learns the depth, the fullness, the power, the application of God's gracious resources. As Moses said to Israel (vv.3-4), "He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger [not that you might be driven to despair, but that he might feed] thee with the manna...thy raiment waxed (grew) not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years."
"Thou shalt remember!" What a touching and beautiful appeal! Remember forty years of evidence of what was in the heart of God toward His redeemed people whom He clothed, fed, and cared for in a vast and howling wilderness. What a noble and soul-satisfying display of the fullness of divine resources!
How is it possible that, with the history of Israel's desert wandering lying open before us, we could ever harbour a single doubt or fear! Oh! that our hearts may be more completely emptied of self and more completely filled with Christ. This alone brings true holiness and true happiness. C. H. Mackintosh
N.J. Hiebert - 8896
July 4
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli...the Lord called Samuel (v.4)...the Lord called yet again, Samuel (v.6)...Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him (v.7)...the Lord called Samuel again the third time (v.8)...Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth...(v.9).
In chapter 1, Eli lacked discernment; in chapter 2, he lacked the moral courage to separate himself from evil; here, his eyes are dim and he cannot see, nevertheless the lamp of God had not yet gone out--a striking image of his moral condition. And what is more, this leader of the simple proves himself to be dull of understanding. It is not until the third call that "Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy." Yes, "dull of hearing": that is exactly what he had become.
Samuel was simply ignorant, which is a thousand times better. When there is godliness, God remedies ignorance. If the new born babe desires "the pure milk of the word," he will not be refused. Here on earth we know only in part and we will never know otherwise than only in part. That we are not responsible for; but it is a question of growth: "that by it ye may grow" (1 Peter 2:2), and our responsibility is to seek, to this end, spiritual food.
Here we find a feature of Eli's spiritual weakening: "For the iniquity which he hath known, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not" (v13). Eli knew the evil, and he had authority to repress it in his sons, but he did not use it. What profit was it to him that this authority had been entrusted to him by God? How often the spiritual weakening of the head of a family stems from his slackness when he should have maintained order and discipline in the sphere where his authority was meant to function? This is a great cause of ruin, like Lot, Eli was "distressed with abandoned conversation [manner of life] of the godless." but like him, he displayed a sad forgetfulness of what was due to the Lord's holiness. 1 Samuel - H. L. Rossier
N.J. Hiebert - 8897
In chapter 1, Eli lacked discernment; in chapter 2, he lacked the moral courage to separate himself from evil; here, his eyes are dim and he cannot see, nevertheless the lamp of God had not yet gone out--a striking image of his moral condition. And what is more, this leader of the simple proves himself to be dull of understanding. It is not until the third call that "Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy." Yes, "dull of hearing": that is exactly what he had become.
Samuel was simply ignorant, which is a thousand times better. When there is godliness, God remedies ignorance. If the new born babe desires "the pure milk of the word," he will not be refused. Here on earth we know only in part and we will never know otherwise than only in part. That we are not responsible for; but it is a question of growth: "that by it ye may grow" (1 Peter 2:2), and our responsibility is to seek, to this end, spiritual food.
Here we find a feature of Eli's spiritual weakening: "For the iniquity which he hath known, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not" (v13). Eli knew the evil, and he had authority to repress it in his sons, but he did not use it. What profit was it to him that this authority had been entrusted to him by God? How often the spiritual weakening of the head of a family stems from his slackness when he should have maintained order and discipline in the sphere where his authority was meant to function? This is a great cause of ruin, like Lot, Eli was "distressed with abandoned conversation [manner of life] of the godless." but like him, he displayed a sad forgetfulness of what was due to the Lord's holiness. 1 Samuel - H. L. Rossier
N.J. Hiebert - 8897
July 5
THE REJECTED ONE WILL GOVERN THE EARTH
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh...God hath showed Pharaoh what He is about to do. Genesis 41:25
The wise men of Egypt doubtless had their theories as to the future of Egypt, and shaped their policies and made their plans in accordance with their own ideas--even as today the leaders, of this world, whether political, religious, intellectual, capitalist, or labour, have their various theories of future government of the world.
But there is one thing in common--all the theories of men leave God out of God's world. Men will not own God as "the God of heaven and earth." God is welcome to heaven, about which man knows nothing and cares less, but as for earth, the center of all man's affections, it must be governed according to man's ideal which enthrones the will of man as supreme to the total exclusion of God.
Nevertheless, God has His plans for the future government of the world, and of these plans He has not left us in ignorance. In Pharaoh's day, He showed Pharaoh by a dream what He was about to do. In our day He has shown us still more plainly by direct revelation what He is about to do. God was going to govern Egypt by one who had been rejected by his brethren, cast out, and forgotten by the world. And God has disclosed to us that according to His good pleasure He has purposed to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth (Ephesians 1:10).
The One, who, when He entered the world, found "no room" even in a wayside inn, who, as He passed through it, was "a stranger in the land" and a "wayfaring man" with not where to lay His head, who when He went out of the world was nailed to a cross between two thieves, is the One of whom God has decreed, "The government shall be upon His shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6).
Hamilton Smith
N.J. Hiebert - 8898
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh...God hath showed Pharaoh what He is about to do. Genesis 41:25
The wise men of Egypt doubtless had their theories as to the future of Egypt, and shaped their policies and made their plans in accordance with their own ideas--even as today the leaders, of this world, whether political, religious, intellectual, capitalist, or labour, have their various theories of future government of the world.
But there is one thing in common--all the theories of men leave God out of God's world. Men will not own God as "the God of heaven and earth." God is welcome to heaven, about which man knows nothing and cares less, but as for earth, the center of all man's affections, it must be governed according to man's ideal which enthrones the will of man as supreme to the total exclusion of God.
Nevertheless, God has His plans for the future government of the world, and of these plans He has not left us in ignorance. In Pharaoh's day, He showed Pharaoh by a dream what He was about to do. In our day He has shown us still more plainly by direct revelation what He is about to do. God was going to govern Egypt by one who had been rejected by his brethren, cast out, and forgotten by the world. And God has disclosed to us that according to His good pleasure He has purposed to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth (Ephesians 1:10).
The One, who, when He entered the world, found "no room" even in a wayside inn, who, as He passed through it, was "a stranger in the land" and a "wayfaring man" with not where to lay His head, who when He went out of the world was nailed to a cross between two thieves, is the One of whom God has decreed, "The government shall be upon His shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6).
Hamilton Smith
N.J. Hiebert - 8898
July 6
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you. 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 14:1-3
Louisa and her husband were relaxing with their four-year old daughter on Long Island beach when they heard a desperate child's cry. A boy was drowning, and Louisa's husband tried to rescue him. In the process, the boy pulled Mr. Stead under water, and both drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched.
Louisa Stead was left with no means of support except the Lord. She and her daughter experienced dire poverty. One morning, when she had neither funds nor food for the day, she opened the front door and found that someone had left food and money on her doorstep. That day she wrote this hymn.
Sometimes we voice platitudes about our Christianity--glibly quoting Scripture and singing songs about trusting Jesus. For Stead, there was nothing glib or superficial about it. Her hymn remains a timeless reminder and comfort to all believers who have experienced this same truth: "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; how I've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more."
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word,
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know "Thus saith the Lord."
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood,
Just in simple faith to plunge me 'neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease.
Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace.
I'm so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
And I know that He is with me, will be with me to the end.
REFRAIN: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more! Louisa Stead 1850-1917)
N.J. Hiebert - 8899
Louisa and her husband were relaxing with their four-year old daughter on Long Island beach when they heard a desperate child's cry. A boy was drowning, and Louisa's husband tried to rescue him. In the process, the boy pulled Mr. Stead under water, and both drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched.
Louisa Stead was left with no means of support except the Lord. She and her daughter experienced dire poverty. One morning, when she had neither funds nor food for the day, she opened the front door and found that someone had left food and money on her doorstep. That day she wrote this hymn.
Sometimes we voice platitudes about our Christianity--glibly quoting Scripture and singing songs about trusting Jesus. For Stead, there was nothing glib or superficial about it. Her hymn remains a timeless reminder and comfort to all believers who have experienced this same truth: "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; how I've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more."
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word,
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know "Thus saith the Lord."
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood,
Just in simple faith to plunge me 'neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease.
Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace.
I'm so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
And I know that He is with me, will be with me to the end.
REFRAIN: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more! Louisa Stead 1850-1917)
N.J. Hiebert - 8899
July 7
The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm. Nahum 1:3
The fiercest wind that may blow on me is held in the hollow of His hand. Behind what seems cruel chance, there is the love so wise and wisdom so loving of our God.
If God can send a storm through space; and dot with trees the mountain's face.
If He the sparrow's course can trace, what can He do for you?
If God can hang the stars on high, can paint the clouds that drift on by,
Can send the sun across the sky, what can He do for you?
If God can send us sunny days, and nature from her slumber raise
Till song birds lift their notes of praise, what can He do for you?
If God can do these many things, can count each little bird that sings,
Control the universe that swings, what can He do for you?
If God can bring sweet peace to me and to my soul bring liberty.
By Christ Who hung upon the tree, this He can do for you. G. E. Wagoner
God's eye has never yet become dimmed with age; His ear has never yet become dulled with the years; His arms have never yet been wanting in strength, nor have His footsteps ever faltered. He is not changed; He is still the same immortal, immutable, invincible God, from all the ages. He makes a commitment of Himself to me. What a gift, what an offering, what a measureless, boundless condescension of the infinite God to give Himself. (Unknown)
N.J. Hiebert - 8900
The fiercest wind that may blow on me is held in the hollow of His hand. Behind what seems cruel chance, there is the love so wise and wisdom so loving of our God.
If God can send a storm through space; and dot with trees the mountain's face.
If He the sparrow's course can trace, what can He do for you?
If God can hang the stars on high, can paint the clouds that drift on by,
Can send the sun across the sky, what can He do for you?
If God can send us sunny days, and nature from her slumber raise
Till song birds lift their notes of praise, what can He do for you?
If God can do these many things, can count each little bird that sings,
Control the universe that swings, what can He do for you?
If God can bring sweet peace to me and to my soul bring liberty.
By Christ Who hung upon the tree, this He can do for you. G. E. Wagoner
God's eye has never yet become dimmed with age; His ear has never yet become dulled with the years; His arms have never yet been wanting in strength, nor have His footsteps ever faltered. He is not changed; He is still the same immortal, immutable, invincible God, from all the ages. He makes a commitment of Himself to me. What a gift, what an offering, what a measureless, boundless condescension of the infinite God to give Himself. (Unknown)
N.J. Hiebert - 8900
July 8
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
We are to teach and counsel (and at times even admonish) one another using Scriptures. More of us need to get involved in such counselling! But there are three important instructions that Scripture imposes on us before we run around telling others what the Bible says they should not do:
1. "Let the Word...dwell in you richly." We cannot use the Bible very effectively to help a fellow believer if we do not know what it says! If we are honest, we must admit that reading a brief devotional "thought for the day" or quickly scanning a few Christian self-help or how-to books cannot really qualify us as people in whom the Word dwells richly.
2. We must "counsel ourselves" before we try to counsel others! Remember that our Lord Jesus said that we should remove the beam (log) from our own eye first--before we try to take the mote (speck) out of our brother's eye (see Matthew 7:3-5).
3. Love must accompany our counsel and advice given from God's word.
Verse 16 also indicates that we are to relate to one another with singing, not to use our talents for the Lord (we may not be able to sing well) but rather to sing together because of our unity and love for one another in the Lord. It is hard for us to stay uptight with other Christians when we sing together. Singing spiritual songs together tends to remove hostilities--especially when we sing with "grace in our hearts to the Lord."
Did you ever try to tear down a fellow-believer immediately after singing together "How Great Thou Art!"?
D. R. Reid - The Lord is Near 1995
N.J. Hiebert - 8901
We are to teach and counsel (and at times even admonish) one another using Scriptures. More of us need to get involved in such counselling! But there are three important instructions that Scripture imposes on us before we run around telling others what the Bible says they should not do:
1. "Let the Word...dwell in you richly." We cannot use the Bible very effectively to help a fellow believer if we do not know what it says! If we are honest, we must admit that reading a brief devotional "thought for the day" or quickly scanning a few Christian self-help or how-to books cannot really qualify us as people in whom the Word dwells richly.
2. We must "counsel ourselves" before we try to counsel others! Remember that our Lord Jesus said that we should remove the beam (log) from our own eye first--before we try to take the mote (speck) out of our brother's eye (see Matthew 7:3-5).
3. Love must accompany our counsel and advice given from God's word.
Verse 16 also indicates that we are to relate to one another with singing, not to use our talents for the Lord (we may not be able to sing well) but rather to sing together because of our unity and love for one another in the Lord. It is hard for us to stay uptight with other Christians when we sing together. Singing spiritual songs together tends to remove hostilities--especially when we sing with "grace in our hearts to the Lord."
Did you ever try to tear down a fellow-believer immediately after singing together "How Great Thou Art!"?
D. R. Reid - The Lord is Near 1995
N.J. Hiebert - 8901
July 9
Jesus answered and said unto him, (Judas, not Iscariot) if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23
A true life of praise to God implies three important things:
(1) I acknowledge He is God, very God, and that He arranges all my affairs with only my best interests in mind because He loves me. This applies even when things appear to my view to be amiss.
(2) I accept everything that happens along life's path as His provision. This is the path of peace. I do not fight life, trying to change everything or everyone. They, instead, are accepted and allowed to modify and mature me.
(3) I approve of what God has done and how He does it. This sets His Spirit free to do abundantly more than I can ever hope or imagine. I praise Him that it is He who is at work in me both to will and to do His good pleasure.(Ephesians 3:16-21; Philippians 2:12-15). This is to walk with God in peace, power, and praise. Songs of My Soul - W. Phillip Keller
The path that I have trod has brought me nearer God, though oft it led through sorrows gates --Though not the way I'd choose, in my way I might lose the joy that yet for me awaits.
The cross that I must bear, if His "well done" I'd share, is not the cross that I would take; But since on me 'tis laid, by grace I'm not afraid, for He a way will surely make.
Submission to the will of Him who guides me still, is surety of His love revealed; My soul shall rise above this world in which we move; I conquer only where I yield.
Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go, for who am I that I should choose my way?
The Lord shall choose for me, 'tis better far, I know, so let Him bid me go or stay. C. Miles
N.J. Hiebert - 8902
A true life of praise to God implies three important things:
(1) I acknowledge He is God, very God, and that He arranges all my affairs with only my best interests in mind because He loves me. This applies even when things appear to my view to be amiss.
(2) I accept everything that happens along life's path as His provision. This is the path of peace. I do not fight life, trying to change everything or everyone. They, instead, are accepted and allowed to modify and mature me.
(3) I approve of what God has done and how He does it. This sets His Spirit free to do abundantly more than I can ever hope or imagine. I praise Him that it is He who is at work in me both to will and to do His good pleasure.(Ephesians 3:16-21; Philippians 2:12-15). This is to walk with God in peace, power, and praise. Songs of My Soul - W. Phillip Keller
The path that I have trod has brought me nearer God, though oft it led through sorrows gates --Though not the way I'd choose, in my way I might lose the joy that yet for me awaits.
The cross that I must bear, if His "well done" I'd share, is not the cross that I would take; But since on me 'tis laid, by grace I'm not afraid, for He a way will surely make.
Submission to the will of Him who guides me still, is surety of His love revealed; My soul shall rise above this world in which we move; I conquer only where I yield.
Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go, for who am I that I should choose my way?
The Lord shall choose for me, 'tis better far, I know, so let Him bid me go or stay. C. Miles
N.J. Hiebert - 8902
July 10
But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand." Isaiah 64:8
The Potter has the power, the knowledge and the skill,
To fashion every vessel, according to His will.
The pattern and the purpose, of every vessel planned,
Its usefulness and beauty are in the potter's hand.
The clay makes no decision, has no will of its own,
But yielded to the potter, His pattern is made known.
And thus the Master Potter, our service has outlined;
He asks us to be yielded unto His Will and Mind.
His purpose to acknowledge, to listen to His voice,
To let Him plan our pathway, according to His choice.
A vessel marred and broken, we may not understand,
But all can be committed unto the Potter's hand.
Our Father's way is perfect, His thought toward us is love;
He's fashioning and molding, for life with Him above.
To trust the Heavenly Potter, and let Him mold the clay,
Brings joy, and peace, and blessing, and happiness alway. Anon
N.J. Hiebert - 8903
The Potter has the power, the knowledge and the skill,
To fashion every vessel, according to His will.
The pattern and the purpose, of every vessel planned,
Its usefulness and beauty are in the potter's hand.
The clay makes no decision, has no will of its own,
But yielded to the potter, His pattern is made known.
And thus the Master Potter, our service has outlined;
He asks us to be yielded unto His Will and Mind.
His purpose to acknowledge, to listen to His voice,
To let Him plan our pathway, according to His choice.
A vessel marred and broken, we may not understand,
But all can be committed unto the Potter's hand.
Our Father's way is perfect, His thought toward us is love;
He's fashioning and molding, for life with Him above.
To trust the Heavenly Potter, and let Him mold the clay,
Brings joy, and peace, and blessing, and happiness alway. Anon
N.J. Hiebert - 8903
July 11
There was given to me (Paul) a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan. 2 Corinthians 12:7
The Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power. Job 1:12. [Satan said] Put forth Thine hand now (v.2:5). And the Lord said unto Satan, behold he is in thine hand. (v.2:6) So Satan . . . smote Job (v.2:7). When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (v.23:10)
Father, if Thou be willing . . . nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. (Luke 22:42) This is your hour, and the power of darkness. (v.22:53).
As a child I puzzled over the fact that though all Christian people spoke of pain as sent from God, they did all that in them lay to avoid it, or if it came, to get rid of it. Doctors who helped them to do so were prayed for as very special servants of God. And yet they were working against the very thing that God had sent.
It was very puzzling, and I can remember the delight of finding the words, "An enemy hath done this (Matthew 13:28), and feeling that they must apply to all that hurt and wounded either spirit or body. And yet there was a mystery somewhere. And it was not explained.
I think now that it never will be explained until we stand in the light of God; but these words from Paul and Job and our Lord's own prayer help us to understand. All pain, all ill, is a messenger from Satan, and yet the thorn was a gift. The Spirit of God takes care to let us know that it was Satan's hand, not the Father's, that hurt Job. And yet the cruel hand was turned into a crucible, and the fire refined the gold. The power of darkness crucified the Lord of glory. But Love won on Calvary. Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael.
N.J. Hiebert - 8904
The Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power. Job 1:12. [Satan said] Put forth Thine hand now (v.2:5). And the Lord said unto Satan, behold he is in thine hand. (v.2:6) So Satan . . . smote Job (v.2:7). When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (v.23:10)
Father, if Thou be willing . . . nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. (Luke 22:42) This is your hour, and the power of darkness. (v.22:53).
As a child I puzzled over the fact that though all Christian people spoke of pain as sent from God, they did all that in them lay to avoid it, or if it came, to get rid of it. Doctors who helped them to do so were prayed for as very special servants of God. And yet they were working against the very thing that God had sent.
It was very puzzling, and I can remember the delight of finding the words, "An enemy hath done this (Matthew 13:28), and feeling that they must apply to all that hurt and wounded either spirit or body. And yet there was a mystery somewhere. And it was not explained.
I think now that it never will be explained until we stand in the light of God; but these words from Paul and Job and our Lord's own prayer help us to understand. All pain, all ill, is a messenger from Satan, and yet the thorn was a gift. The Spirit of God takes care to let us know that it was Satan's hand, not the Father's, that hurt Job. And yet the cruel hand was turned into a crucible, and the fire refined the gold. The power of darkness crucified the Lord of glory. But Love won on Calvary. Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael.
N.J. Hiebert - 8904
July 12
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Jeremiah 18:2
Many times in our lives events and circumstances that seem particularly hard or discouraging are allowed by our wise and loving Father. No doubt each have at times wondered how it is that divine love could order such painful trials and testings--what possible purpose could be served by such difficulties and sorrows? Broken dreams, broken hearts, failure as husbands and wives, as parents, as children, as brethren in Christ--Oh! how despondent thoughts flood in at these times!
Perhaps one has longed to serve the Lord Jesus effectively--desiring that this life would count for something and that there might be the joy of receiving His approval in that coming day of glory. Then the dark, menacing clouds of doubt because of past all too frequent and miserable failures loom on the horizon and once again the storm of discouragement breaks on you. Then come the flood of questions: "How could He ever use me after how badly I have failed Him? He can't trust me to do anything for Him again so why not just give up."
Maybe you're seeking to serve the Lord, feeling very clear that He has led you into a particular ministry, only to find such a host of trials and pressures that it now seems you must surely have missed His mind about entering that service.
At these moments it seems almost impossible to be able to say in that confidence of faith: "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Beset with the howling winds of discouragement, we can easily fail to hear His tender and comforting words; "I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isaiah 41:13). If we visit the Potter's House there we will watch Him at work, seeking to learn how it is that a lump of sticky, apparently useless mud is turned into a beautiful, valuable piece of pottery--a vessel, meet for the Master's use (2 Timothy 2:21). In The Potter's Hands - D. Nicolet
N.J. Hiebert - 8905
Many times in our lives events and circumstances that seem particularly hard or discouraging are allowed by our wise and loving Father. No doubt each have at times wondered how it is that divine love could order such painful trials and testings--what possible purpose could be served by such difficulties and sorrows? Broken dreams, broken hearts, failure as husbands and wives, as parents, as children, as brethren in Christ--Oh! how despondent thoughts flood in at these times!
Perhaps one has longed to serve the Lord Jesus effectively--desiring that this life would count for something and that there might be the joy of receiving His approval in that coming day of glory. Then the dark, menacing clouds of doubt because of past all too frequent and miserable failures loom on the horizon and once again the storm of discouragement breaks on you. Then come the flood of questions: "How could He ever use me after how badly I have failed Him? He can't trust me to do anything for Him again so why not just give up."
Maybe you're seeking to serve the Lord, feeling very clear that He has led you into a particular ministry, only to find such a host of trials and pressures that it now seems you must surely have missed His mind about entering that service.
At these moments it seems almost impossible to be able to say in that confidence of faith: "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Beset with the howling winds of discouragement, we can easily fail to hear His tender and comforting words; "I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isaiah 41:13). If we visit the Potter's House there we will watch Him at work, seeking to learn how it is that a lump of sticky, apparently useless mud is turned into a beautiful, valuable piece of pottery--a vessel, meet for the Master's use (2 Timothy 2:21). In The Potter's Hands - D. Nicolet
N.J. Hiebert - 8905
July 13
The times of the Gentiles. Luke 21:24
Daniel chapter 2 is the story of a crisis in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but upon waking, he could not remember what the dream had been. He then made completely unreasonable demands on his wise men. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed, and also its meaning. He told them that failure would incur death, but that success would bring gifts, rewards and great honour. Not unexpectedly, his wise men said, "There is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Daniel 2:11)
Subsequent to this confession of failure, the king gave the order to execute all of the wise men, and of course this included Daniel and his friends. On the surface of things, this was a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Daniel and his friends were at risk, but what followed shows how we can use times of crisis to advantage, and find opportunities to glorify God. Daniel and his friends took up the challenge of the king since they knew "the God, whose dwelling was not with flesh." They were confident that God could reveal the thing to them, thus saving their lives, and the lives of the wise men of Babylon.
How do we view the crises that arise in our lives? Too often crises propel us into uncontrolled panic. "He that believeth shall not make haste" (panic) (Isiah 28:16). Daniel believed that God was sovereign, and that this crisis was a time of opportunity rather than a disaster, and he did not panic. Daniel believed that God could over-rule the insanity of an unreasonable yet powerful king, bringing deliverance to them, and glory to God.
Similarly, our world today seems to be spinning out of control, and the prediction of Scripture of "men's hearts failing them for fear" (Luke 21:26) is evident all around. How do we rest in the confidence that our God is sovereign, and that these crises could induce a period of unprecedented opportunity to present the gospel as the only answer to man's fundamental need? As men see their whole material world collapsing, may we be like Daniel, bringing words of confidence and assurance that God can be trusted to deliver the one who trusts in Him. Daniel - Willian Burnett
N.J. Hiebert - 8906
Daniel chapter 2 is the story of a crisis in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but upon waking, he could not remember what the dream had been. He then made completely unreasonable demands on his wise men. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed, and also its meaning. He told them that failure would incur death, but that success would bring gifts, rewards and great honour. Not unexpectedly, his wise men said, "There is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Daniel 2:11)
Subsequent to this confession of failure, the king gave the order to execute all of the wise men, and of course this included Daniel and his friends. On the surface of things, this was a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Daniel and his friends were at risk, but what followed shows how we can use times of crisis to advantage, and find opportunities to glorify God. Daniel and his friends took up the challenge of the king since they knew "the God, whose dwelling was not with flesh." They were confident that God could reveal the thing to them, thus saving their lives, and the lives of the wise men of Babylon.
How do we view the crises that arise in our lives? Too often crises propel us into uncontrolled panic. "He that believeth shall not make haste" (panic) (Isiah 28:16). Daniel believed that God was sovereign, and that this crisis was a time of opportunity rather than a disaster, and he did not panic. Daniel believed that God could over-rule the insanity of an unreasonable yet powerful king, bringing deliverance to them, and glory to God.
Similarly, our world today seems to be spinning out of control, and the prediction of Scripture of "men's hearts failing them for fear" (Luke 21:26) is evident all around. How do we rest in the confidence that our God is sovereign, and that these crises could induce a period of unprecedented opportunity to present the gospel as the only answer to man's fundamental need? As men see their whole material world collapsing, may we be like Daniel, bringing words of confidence and assurance that God can be trusted to deliver the one who trusts in Him. Daniel - Willian Burnett
N.J. Hiebert - 8906
July 14
