It is often commented on that a husband and wife bear a remarkable likeness.
It seems provable that people do become like those with whom they associate.
They took knowledge of certain apostles, in the book of Acts, that they had been
with Jesus. The psalmist said in Psalm 73:28,
But it is good for me to draw near to God; ...
(NKJV).
This drawing near to God is the secret of becoming like God in goodness and love
and compassion for others. Seeing that it is so good for us to draw near to God,
let us do so more and more by reading the Scriptures, by prayer and meditation,
and this will result in a Christlike life. (DG)
Incarnation - that’s a big word. It ought to be, because it cloaks a big
thought. Incarnation means literally, made into flesh
. To Christians
its full meaning is this: - God came down from the heights of heaven and became
man like us, in order that He might overcome our sins for us. This is a time of
remembrance of God’s greater answer to man’s very great need. In the
immortal words of John 1:14 it is wonderfully put,
And the Word, Christ, became flesh (human, incarnate) and
tabernacled - fixed His tent of flesh, lived a while, among us, and we actually saw
His glory.
(Amplified Version). Thank God for the incarnation.
(DG)
The well-known hymn O love that will not let me go,
was written by
George Matheson after he lost his eyesight. It has been commented,
We wonder whether he would have ever written such a wonderful hymn had he
continued to enjoy his sight.
Whatever the answer to that may be, we do
know that many who have clung to Christ in the time of sorrow and affliction
have turned their time of suffering into a source of rich blessing. Paul knew
what it was to suffer greatly for Christ, and he wrote by inspiration
2 Corinthians 4:17, For our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory.
(KJV). (DG)
A very telling statement was made to someone, that has a much wider application.
It was What you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you are saying
. And
it is just as true that What you are saying does not carry any weight at
all unless it fits with your life.
The witness of our life adding weight
to our words is borne out in the exhortation of 1 Peter
3:15 But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy (and
acknowledge Him) as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defence to any one
who asks you to account for the hope that is in you ...
(Amplified Version).
In this world of woe men are dying for news of peace and hope. They will never
get it from their newspapers or radios, or television sets. Let us see that
there is nothing to hinder them seeing and hearing it from us.
(DG)
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT, is a sign with which we are all familiar. It means
that the same old premises are still there, but there’s a new boss. That is
the very secret of a Christian life. Everything about life is beyond us -
we have proved to be bad managers. Instead of allowing God to control our
life, Isaiah 53:6 ... we
have turned every one to his own way ...
(KJV). Recognising this, the
Christian is someone who has handed everything over to Christ, that He can
manage his affairs. Once, he was, according to
Romans 6:17, ... the servant
of sin ...
(KJV). Now he is under new management; he has submitted to
Christ and serves Him. Commit all to Christ - let Him manage your life.
(DG)
The benediction of Moses is very beautiful and full of meaning for us.
Take the phrase in Numbers 6:25,
The Lord make His face shine upon you ...
(NKJV).
What a rich blessing in anyone’s life! Matthew Henry
comments, it is alluding to the shining of the sun upon the earth to enlighten
and comfort it and to renew the face of it. The Lord love thee, and cause
thee to know that He loves thee. We cannot but be happy if we have God’s
love; and we cannot but be easy if we know that we have it.
The life then,
that knows this sweet benediction as a definite experience, is enriched indeed.
May you live today in the warm consciousness that God loves you.
(DG)
I like the story of the boy who, on returning home from a service with
his mother, on reaching the garden gate, hung back. A few minutes later his
mother happened to look from her bedroom window. There was her small son kneeling
in the garden. Later that night as she tucked him up in bed she asked why
he had been kneeling in the garden. Oh
, he replied, I just wanted to give
God a change.
Surprised, his mother asked for an explanation. The boy said,
Well, in the service the minister was praying, telling God to do this and
do that, bless somebody, forgive somebody else, and I thought God must be
tired of being bossed so much, so I went into the garden and said, ‘God,
if there’s anything you would like to say to me, I am ready to
listen.’
In Revelation 2:7, the risen
Lord says, He who has an ear, let him hear ...
(NKJV).
(DG)
The Apostle James speaks of bridling the tongue. A bridle, according to
the dictionary, is a curb, a check, a restraining rein put in the mouth of
an animal to restrain and guide it. We are intended, then, so to speak that
the aim and direction of our conversation will always be good, and in such
personal restraint that the trend of our personal life and living will be
in accord with the Word of God. Careless speech, thoughtless speech, malicious
speech make wounds deeper than any knife or physical blow. Let us strive after
perfection. James 3:2 says,
... If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect
man, able also to bridle the whole body ...
(KJV).
(DG)
In a world which is torn and troubled and shaken by wars and riots, we
need the truth of God’s sovereignty. But to dwell upon God as all-powerful
is not enough. We must realise, in a personal way, God as our salvation.
Isaiah 12:2 declares,
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not
be afraid: ...
(KJV). God is willing to be the Saviour of nations -
but individuals can know now, by trusting in God, a salvation from all the
fears of this present time, and a removal of all the consequences of sin.
This trust which experiences God’s salvation, and that removes fear is a
casting of oneself on the promise of God. (DG)
It is said of Moses in Hebrews 11:27 that
... he endured, as seeing him who is invisible ...
(KJV). He did not flinch although the king lost his temper. He took no notice
of the visible king because he saw the invisible King. If you would endure in
spite of life’s hard way, follow the advice of the writer of the song,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things
of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.
Keep your eyes on the Lord, and not on the things around. Look to the eternal,
not the temporal. (DG)
One of the most common failings is that of judging others. We need to remember
the warning of Matthew 7:1
Judge not, that you be not
judged ...
(KJV). When you are through sizing up the other fellow,
it is a good thing to step back from yourself and see how you look. Then add 50
per cent to your estimate of your neighbour for virtues which you cannot see,
and subtract about 50 per cent from yourself for faults which you have missed in your
inventory, and you will have a pretty accurate result. Life will be more
pleasant today for you and for others if you obey Christ.
(DG)
When Nehemiah had completed the restoration of the ruined walls of Jerusalem,
he called the people together for the reading of God’s Word and feasting.
He did not hide from them that although the wall was completed there were
still dangers, but he encouraged them with these words in
Nehemiah 8:10. ... The joy of
the Lord is your strength.
(KJV). Happiness can be acquired; joy is a gift;
joy is the fruit of faith and trust. In spite of the circumstance this joy remains,
because it is joy in the unchanging Lord. Put your confidence in God today and you
will know the joy of the Lord
as your strength. (DG)
As lighthouses are placed on a dangerous coast to warn vessels of their
peril and to save them from shipwreck, so the light of a Christian in a dark
world is to save people from the perils of life. The Christian is also meant
to be a light that reveals Christ as the Saviour. John the Baptist was. He
pointed to Christ, in the words of John 1:29,
... Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!
(NKJV). He not only showed the world its evil conditions, but
uplifted Christ as a Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost all who come
unto God by Him. May we be privileged to be a light to men and women today.
(DG)
It may help you to understand God’s dealings with you if you remember
Hebrews 12:6, For whom
the Lord loves He chastens ...
and that this chastening is an evidence
of sonship. I came across the following enlightening paragraph. Eagles
put thorns in their nests and cover them with down; when the young eagle
is large enough to fly, the old birds put the down out and leave the thorns
naked. The young bird cannot stay in the nest, but climbs to the edge, and
then the old bird pushes it over, and it instinctively spreads its wings.
So our Heavenly Father uncovers the thorns that we may wing our way to
something better. (DG)
R. A. Torrey said, The one thing above all else that God
desires of men is worship. God desires obedience of men, He desires service,
He desires prayer, He desires praise and thanksgiving, but His supreme desire
from men is worship.
He is seeking worshippers
(John 4:23). It has been said that We
are saved that we might serve.
This is true, but still more profoundly true
is it that we are saved that we may worship. The whole work of redemption
finds its culmination and completion in a body of men and women being found
and fitted to worship God. (DG)
Greeks came to Christ’s disciples and said, according to
John 12:21,
... Sir, we wish to see Jesus ...
(NKJV). And that is
exactly what men of the world request of God’s people today. The following
lines have been a challenge to me:
I’d rather see a sermon, than hear one any day;
I’d rather one would walk with me, than merely tell the way.
The eye is a better pupil and more willing than the ear;
Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear.
I soon can learn to do it if you let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, while your tongue too fast may run.
All travellers will witness that the best of guides today,
Is not the one who tells you, but the one who shows the way.
May Christ be seen of men, in you and me. (DG)
Standing at a bank counter, awaiting attention, a Christian engaged in
conversation with a friend began to write on a blotter. In large letters he
wrote PRAY THROUGH
. Later, he learned from his friend that a business man
soon after came into the bank. He had grown discouraged with business trouble.
His eye caught the printed words on the blotter, PRAY THROUGH
, and he
exclaimed, That is the very message I need. I will pray through. I have
tried to worry through in my own strength, and have merely mentioned my troubles
to God. I am going to pray the situation through until I get light.
James 5:16 states, ... The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
(NKJV).
(DG)
The daily need of all believers is given in
Hebrews 10:36 ...
ye have need of patience ...
(KJV). The patience referred to is a quiet
waiting upon God, a stillness of spirit and heart. Thank God, this is possible.
As the hymn- writer puts it, There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God.
We are living in an age of rush and bustle - of
restlessness. It is good for us to remember always that the secret of strength
and victory is found in patiently waiting upon God in the secret place of prayer.
Renew your strength today by quietly and patiently waiting on God.
(DG)
We are told in 1 John 4:18, that
... love casts out fear, ...
(NKJV). What a snare
to usefulness fear is! But those who have a loving trust in their
heavenly Father have no room in their hearts for fear. The truth has been
put very well by Sidney E. Cox who wrote:
Never fear, never fear, never fear, Your heavenly Father watches o’er you.
Never fear, never fear, never fear, His hand will clear the way before you.
He’s a pillar of cloud by day, And a pillar of fire by night,
Never fear, never fear, never fear, Thou art precious in His sight. (DG)
God is the source of true happiness. David testified in
Psalm 4:7, You have put
gladness in my heart,...
(NKJV). This is a remarkable testimony when the
circumstances are remembered. At this time David is fleeing from Absalom, his
son, who had rebelled against him. What is more, David declares his joy at
this time to be greater than that experienced by man at the time of harvest.
His secret was that this joy was given him by God, and it was not dependent
upon any circumstance. It was derived from the fact of the Lord’s abiding
presence with him. The Lord will give you this happiness in all life’s trying
times if you put your confidence in Him. (DG)
It is of indescribable comfort to the follower of Christ, that Jesus knows - especially in times when he is misunderstood and misrepresented. An unknown author wrote: -
When I’m beaten in the fight, Jesus knows,
Why my day has turned to night, Jesus knows.
When life seems all in vain,
‘Tis Jesus bids me start again,
He turns my losses into gain - Jesus knows.
The psalmist asked, in Psalm 42:5,
Why are you cast down, O my soul? ...
(NKJV). How
much more we can be lifted up and strengthened because Jesus knows!
(DG)
So often we hear the expression from the non-christan What’s there to
live for?
The world does not seem to make sense to them. The Christian who
rejoices in God’s Word, sees God’s plan being unfolded. It has been truly
said: The Bible is the key to history, and the key to what is going on in
the world today.
The Bible outlines God’s programme in all its major details.
2 Peter 1:19 warns us that we do well to
take heed
. Yes! Life makes sense to those who know
Christ as Saviour and Lord, and the events of today cause the believer to
rejoice in the sure Word of Prophecy
being unfolded. There is light for
you in God’s Word. (DG)
Ambition is a necessary requirement of life! There is no advancement through
drifting. Eleanor Doan related that After a junior High School
class toured the White House, the teacher asked each student to write
impressions of the visit. One wrote ‘I was especially glad to have the opportunity
to visit my future home.’
We may not be as ambitious as that, but Paul exhorts
us to an ambition within the reach of us all, in
1 Thessalonians 4:11. Amplified Version,
Make it your ambition and definitely endeavour to live quietly
and peacefully, to mind your own affairs and to work with your own hands.
God has given each of His children a job to do. Let us seek to work quietly
and peacefully for God. (DG)
When the going is pretty rough and rather hectic and life seems far from
easy, there is a very helpful verse in
Isaiah 40:29, He giveth
power to the faint; and to them that have no might, He increaseth strength.
(KJV). To read those words believingly brings an immediate uplift and renewal
of strength. Let those who are fainting beneath the load of trouble and disappointment
turn to God in prayer and receive new energy and strength. Seek the Lord and
His strength; seek His face continually. (DG)
There are so many needy people around us. God would have us work in co-operation
with Him to meet those needs. Dr. Campbell Morgan wrote: - Let
us remember that God’s call comes to us most often and most continuously
through the needs of men. Every burden we help to bear will prove us in
partnership with Him who is ever calling men to roll their burdens on Him.
Let us be responsive to the needs of others and obey the Word of God for us
in Galatians 6:2, Bear
one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
(NKJV).
(DG)
The Lord made a wonderful promise to His disciples in
Matthew 28:20, Amplified Version,
Lo, I am with you all the days,
perpetually, uniformly and on every occasion - to the (very) close and
consummation of the age.
All the days
- There is not one
day of absence. The blessing of the Lord’s presence is to be day after day
after day. Our Lord is with us in our daily situation, whether we are aware
of the fact or not. The Lord walked with the Emmaus disciples and they knew
it not while their eyes were holden. How thankful the child of God should be,
that his Lord’s presence is an assured reality. (DG)
When, like Paul in Galatians 2:20, we can say,
... but Christ lives in me; ...
(NKJV), we have a tremendous
capacity for living. I. R. Miller wrote, Scientists tell of certain
birds which, in their wild state, do not sing, but which have in their throats
fine muscles, showing that if they had grown up in a favourable environment
they might have been good singers. There is no one who has not more life muscles
than he has learned to use. We have capacities for obedience, for service, for
beautiful living, for usefulness, which lie undeveloped in us.
The man in
whom Christ lives, develops these abilities to the full. Can you say, Christ
lives in me
? (DG)
Jesus said in John 15:9,
As the Father loved Me, I also have
loved you; abide in My love.
(NKJV). If there is one Christian attribute
more needed than any other, it is LOVE. Love is needed in the home, where
we so often are inclined to act unlovingly. Love is needed at work, where
the pressures of life are great, and love is also needed in every other sphere
of life. Let us continue in Christ’s love, and let His love continue in and
through us, to others, remembering that love never fails.
(DG)
A man took his typewriter to be repaired. It’s one of the keys
, he said.
Before the repairer had taken the cover off he remarked, It will be the letter
‘I’. I’ve seen this machine before.
And so it was that, after
examination, the letter ‘I’ proved to be the culprit. It is also true that
the letter ‘I’ causes so much of the trouble which affects the world
today! It makes so much difference to the life when men decide, like Paul in
Galatians 2:20, that it will be no longer ‘I’
but ‘Christ’. (DG)
Hugh Redwood tells how he came upon the meaning of
Psalm 59:10. He was away from home and certain
important matters awaited decisions. Seizing a fleeting opportunity for rest,
he went up to his room. There, in his need, he found a Bible lying on a table,
open at Psalm 59. My God of mercy shall come to meet me; ...
(NKJV), and to make sure that the rich meaning should not be missed, pencilled
in the margin by verse ten was a literal modern translation, My God, in His
loving kindness, shall meet me at every corner.
What a promise for you and
for me! (DG)
It is a wise thing, for believers to leave matters, in which they are wrongly
judged, to the Lord. In Mary of Bethany’s case, when she lavished her love
upon Christ in a practical way by pouring the ointment of spikenard upon
Him, Judas criticised - but Christ defended, saying, in
John 12:7, ...
Let her alone; ...
(NKJV). The Lord is
able to vindicate His own. It is usually the hypocrites who do the criticising.
Those who really know and are serving the Lord know only too well the difficulty
of the path themselves to want to find fault in others. Let us see that our
motive for service is right, then leave all with the Lord, Who judges
righteously, that He may vindicate us. (DG)
How costly was the ministry of Christ! There was nothing of cold duty about
His work. Christ is seen in the gospels as one impelled by compassion for
the needy. He made other men’s sorrows His own sorrow; other men’s
agony His own agony; other men’s sin and shame His sin and shame. He could
not look on other men’s pain, or death, or sin, without heart-ache. In
John 11:33 we read, ...
when Jesus saw her weeping, ... He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
(NKJV). Christ has not changed. He does care and feel for you. May we show this
same Christlike feeling for others. (DG)
A woman, tired and discouraged, flung herself into a chair and said, Everything
looks dark, dark.
Her little niece standing nearby said, Why don’t you turn
your face to the light, Auntie?
Those words became a message from God to
that struggling woman, and she turned her weary eyes to Christ, Who, according
to John 1:9, is the ... true
Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
(NKJV). We used to
sing in our Young Peoples’ services, when I was young: -
We walk in the light, the beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright.
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world. (DG)
Promises are so easy to make, and so often it seems they are so easy to
break. It is a grand thing when our loved ones and friends can always rely
on what we say, and know that we will keep our word. So much heart-ache and
sorrow has been caused through broken promises. A Christian is expected by
God to be a man of his word. Jesus, in Matthew 5:37,
teaches us, But let your ‘Yes’
be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ ...
(NKJV). We will not be reliable in the great things, if we are not reliable in small
things. Today, let us not make a promise which we cannot fulfil, and seek to bring
confidence and comfort to others by keeping our promises. (DG)
The simple ordinary things that people experience can instruct in secrets
of a victorious Christian life. Let me give you an example through an incident
I read: - It was night: the telephone kiosk was dark. The man fumbling in
the darkness did not know how to call his friend. Someone passing said, ‘Go
in and shut the door, and the light will come on.’
What wonderful advice.
If we will shut ourselves in the place of prayer we shall have light too!
According to Matthew 6:6 ...
your Father who sees in secret will reward you
openly.
(NKJV).
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged -
Take it to the Lord in prayer. (DG)
... it was heard
says
Mark 2:1, that He was in the
house.
(NKJV). It cannot possibly be kept quiet when Jesus gets into
any house. Those neighbours will soon know He is there! There is such a change
in the atmosphere, which betrays that wonderful presence. There is also such
a change in the conversation, because the members of such a household cannot
help talking about their wonderful guest. So in spite of themselves the family,
in whose house Jesus is, will disclose the secret, because the fragrance of
His presence cannot remain undetected. (DG)
There is a story told about a sun dial that was being erected in some gardens
which had been made in the heart of London. It was decided to write a motto
on the top for all to see. A boy was sent to the local library to ask for
a suitable inscription. He received no answer when he knocked at the library
office door, so he turned the handle and ventured inside and found the librarian
asleep. The boy shouted in the librarian’s ear, Please, sir, I’ve
come for the motto for the sundial.
The man awoke with a start, glared fiercely at
the boy and shouted, Begone about your business.
Thank you sir,
replied
the boy, and went off to deliver the motto, which was in due course written
upon the sundial. Christ, even as a boy of twelve, was occupied with the
Father’s business. When Mary found Him in the Temple talking with the doctors
He said, in Luke 2:49, ...
Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s
business?
(NKJV). May the same urgency move us today to begone
about our business
for God. (DG)
Some people work the hard way. They work under a constant strain, terribly
aware of all their responsibilities. As a result, half their energy is lost
through worrying. Then, when they feel they are losing their grip, they think
what they need is a change of job. This may be so for some, but generally
what is needed is a change of self. To such a person Christ said, in
Luke 10:41,42,
41... Martha,
Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42
But one thing is needed, ...
(NKJV). The one thing needed
is
to spend time waiting upon the Master - He will then impart His strength, and His
help will make work easy. (DG)
It is easy to be shocked by the failure of others, forgetting that we too
can fall. The story of Peter teaches us the danger of falling. The Lord revealed
to Peter that he would deny Him. Luke 22:31-34.
But He also told Peter that He would pray for him, ...
that your faith should not fail ...
(NKJV). This prayer for Peter is an example of Christ’s present intercession
for His people as their great High Priest in heaven. He ever
liveth to make intercession for us.
Let us remember our weakness and, should
we fail, remember Christ’s prayer for us that our faith fail not.
(DG)
Matthew tells us that the two Marys found the tomb of Jesus empty. The
only answer for the empty tomb is that Jesus rose from the dead, and forsook
it! The angelic announcement is to that effect in
Matthew 28:6. He is not
here; for He is risen, as He said. ...
(NKJV). In human courts of law
seven is the greatest number of witnesses ever required - but Christ was seen
after His resurrection on at least ten different occasions and by at least 515
witnesses. (Read 1 Corinthians 15:4-6). So
many witnesses could not have been deceived! Let us rejoice that Christ is ALIVE
and AVAILABLE. (DG)
The Christian rejoices in the truth that he has a good God, and God expects
every Christian to do all the good he can. John Wesley wrote, Do
all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all
the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long
as ever you can,
Paul, in Galatians 6:10,
said, ... let us do good to all, especially to those who are
of the household of faith.
(NKJV). (DG)
The farmer with parched and dry land does not grumble about the clouds
overhead because he knows that We cannot have the refreshing showers on the
earth without a clouded heaven above.
Yet too often the child of God complains
about the clouded heaven. Psalm 78:23 informs the
child of God, Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And
opened the doors of heaven,
(NKJV). Though God did this the psalmist says
in the previous verse, ... they did not believe in God, And
did not trust in His salvation
. (NKJV). The clouds in the life of the one
trusting God can be the times of refreshing. Thank God for clouds.
(DG)
Just as a tree is known for its fruit, books are known for their effect
upon the mind. Regarding God’s book, the Bible, David in
Psalm 19:7 said, The
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord
is sure, making wise the simple.
(NKJV). God’s Word has transforming
power. It is not what is said about God’s Word that converts the soul. It
is God’s Word alone that changes men. Having converted the soul, the Bible
imparts wisdom even to the simple, enabling them to live God-glorifying lives.
Love and read God’s Word. You can depend upon it and receive the benefits,
spiritual and physical, which it imparts. (DG)
It has been said that a house may be dark, but it is not the fault of
the sun. A soul may be dark, but it is not because the light of the world
does not shed forth its beams abroad.
...
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.
,
John 8:12 (NKJV). Also in
1 John 1:7 we read that
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, ...
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
(NKJV).
Walking in the light with Christ brings us into fellowship with the
Father. Choose to walk in the bright path of fellowship with God.
(DG)
Two young boys were playing nicely together when something went wrong,
and the one, seeking to hurt the other, said, Your Mummy is not your
Mummy - you are adopted.
But little Tommy replied, Yes, I know
I’m adopted. My Mummy chose me; your Mummy had to take what came.
The believer who is rejoicing in his position in Christ never ceases
to wonder that he is an adopted son of God.
Romans 8:15 states, For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.
(NKJV).
Further, John 1:12 tells us,
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
(NKJV).
(DG)
When Jesus Christ was unusually busy He withdrew into a solitary place
to pray. R. A. Torrey said, Some men are so busy that they
find no time to pray. Apparently the busier Christ’s life was the more He
prayed. Sometimes He had no time to eat; Mark 3:20. Sometimes He had not
time for needed rest and sleep; Mark 6:31, 33, 46. But He always took time
to pray.
Let us make sure that prayer is given priority over all else
in our lives. It is not possible to claim to be Christlike, that is,
Christian, unless prayer is a first in our lives. (DG)
There is a story told of an air pilot who recognised the sound of a rat
somewhere in the cockpit. He did not spend time searching; he just went up
higher where there was no air for the rat to breathe. When we go higher in
the things of Christ many an old, sinful habit dies. We read of Christ, in
Luke 9:28, that He went
... up on the mountain to pray.
(NKJV). When we are
willing to go higher up the mount of prayer we will know victory over those
things which hamper our progress in the Christian life. You can know a
victorious Christian life by going higher. (DG)
Away in the far North, on the brow of a hill covered with snow and illuminated
by the light of the Polar star, a member of an arctic expedition lies buried.
A large stone covers the dead, and on a copper tablet at the head of the grave
this text is inscribed. ... Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.
Psalm 51:7 (NKJV). There
,
comments Robert Lee, amidst the eternal snows, man’s passionate
longing for purity finds a voice.
Only our Saviour, God, can cleanse us from
all impurities that mar our full enjoyment of life now, and He can make us whiter
than snow, fitting us to dwell with Him forever. That God-given desire for a pure
walk with Him will be satisfied. (DG)
I was intrigued with the story of an offended maker of an amazingly intricate
mechanical man, who angrily stopped the actions of his robot by a spoken command.
Skilled mechanics tried, but failed to re-activate the marvellous robot,
which had been programmed to respond to its maker’s voice. Later, the calmed
maker returned and voiced a simple command. Instantly the inner workings
of the robot resumed their normal actions. Do remember that you are the
Lord’s creation and, being made for God, you are built to respond to His
voice. Psalm 29:4 tells us, The
voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
(NKJV). Listen to that voice in the scriptures today. You will hear a word of
health and deliverance. (DG)
God promised Abram, in Genesis 12:2, that
He would bless him, and make him a blessing. Now, to be made a blessing does
not necessarily involve our doing great things. Sometimes we can be made a
blessing by just listening. A friend of mine was drinking tea at a counter
in a large store. He noticed an old man sitting next to him just staring in
a vacant sort of way. My friend asked him if he came often to that store,
and in exchange got that man’s life story. He was in his seventies, lived
alone, and spent several hours of each lonely day in that store to pass away
time. He ended his story with, thank you for listening to me
. My friend
left him, feeling that he had been made a blessing by just listening. In
listening with compassion and concern we can show Christ to needy people
and be a blessing. (DG)
Man is more than body - he is spirit, soul and body.
It is essential
to feed the body if we would be physically fit. But if the whole man is to
be fed and satisfied we must also have spiritual food. Christ is the food
for the soul. He said, in John 6:51,
I am the living bread which
came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
...
(NKJV). Christ the Bread of heaven is the life-giving and the life-sustaining
one. Just as Mephibosheth was asked by David to eat bread continually at the
royal table, Christ, the greater David, invites us to continually feed on
Him our Living Bread. (DG)
A happy home is one of the greatest blessings of life. The psalmist proclaimed
a lovely truth when he said in Psalm 68:6,
God sets the solitary in families;
(NKJV). I like
the story of the little boy and his sister who were staying with their parents
at a hotel until a house was found. A kind old lady said to Johnny, I am
sorry you do not have a home.
Johnny quickly replied, Oh, we have a
home; we just don’t have a house to put it in.
The parents of those
children certainly had the key to a real home. With Jesus in the family, it
is a happy home. May the joy of Christ fill your home today.
(DG)