Divine Sugar Sticks for June 2002

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Saturday, June 29, 2002

“He Increaseth Strength,” Isaiah 40:29

Youths become faint and weary, and utterly fail, but waiting upon the unwearied Lord, strength is renewed (or exchanged) until the strengthened ones have power to mount up with wings of eagles, to run and not be weary, and to walk and not be faint.

There is a thought here, however, we must not lose sight of. It is “to them who have no might” He increases strength.

If mighty in our own estimation, then God has no strength for us. Can it be that we are too big for God to help?

Puffed up with pride over our personal talents and capabilities, there is not the feeling of helplessness driving us to our knees for heavenly strength and Grace.

Paul could confess, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” What a paradox! Weak yet strong. And yet, is it not true that if we provide the weakness, the Lord will provide the strength. And strength ever increasing as fuller needs arise?

When there is need of much strength, “the Strong One” is near.

“They Go Forth From Strength to Strength,” Psalm 84:7

Literally, from troop to troop – alluding to the temple journey three times a year. When travelers had overtaken one troop, they ambitiously strove to overtake another troop.

Amid all difficulties or opposition we must persevere. The valley of tears must be fashioned into a well of blessing. Adversities must be made as stepping stones to higher heights.

The motto of the Royal Air Force of England in WWII was “through difficulties to the stars.”

It may not be easy to climb to God by the path of pain, yet such a heavenly ascent can be ours. Are we going from the strength of yesterday to the greater strength of today? Has the Grace we experienced in past trials girded us with the grim determination to endure the fierce test just around the corner?

As soldiers, the Lord’s people are called upon to endure hardness. If our trials are met halfway, or in the spirit of complaint, we will murmur more tomorrow. But rejoicing in tribulation, we make it a servant to minister to us.

“I Will Strengthen Them in the Lord,” Zechariah 10:12

God is revealed as the unfailing Source of strength. Apart from Him, Paul tells us that we are “without strength,” Rom 5:6.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ, however, we are mantled with strength and can do all things, because He is within to strengthen us.

Are we strong in the Lord and in the power of His might? As it takes a living fish to go against the stream, do we resist the strong currents of the world?

Others around who are dead in sin have no power of resistance. They easily drift with the stream of worldliness. But if Christ’s, then we dare not be weak and impotent when sin’s seductive charms are presented.

Strengthened in and by the Lord, we meet the tempter and triumph gloriously over him.

Zechariah goes on to say when the Divine strength is continuously appropriated, Grace is ours “to walk up and down in His name.”

Strength means liberty. We can walk up and down the lanes of earth, going and doing, not where and when we like, for such liberty would become license. But our liberty is in His name, which means it bears the fragrance of His character.

“Strengthened in the Inner Man,” Ephesians 3:16

In the Colossian letter, Paul asked that the saints might be “strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.”

Sufficiency of strength can be expected from One who has unlimited power, both in the heavens and on the earth. But what do we know about the inner hidden reservoir of strength?

It is affirmed that deep down below the angry, troubled surface of the sea there is a peace pocket. Above there may be raging storms, tempest-driven waves, and cross currents of every kind. But below is an undisturbed calm which nothing above can affect. Now is this true of ourselves as Christians?

Have we the consciousness that the strong Son of God is within, empowering us to stand firm against the turbulent forces of sin and hell?

What we are able to do depends upon what we have within. If the outer man is to be brave, courageous, victorious, then the inner man must be dominated by the man Christ Jesus.

“Say to Them That Are of a Fearful Heart, be Strong and Fear Not,” Isaiah 35:4

Ministers of the Gospel are here directed to strengthen and comfort the saints.

Think of the disturbed feelings we would have if we knew that our town was about to be overrun with brutal forces of terrorists, who have no regard for the sanctities and decencies of life. To know that loved ones are about to be slain and our women raped and our houses destroyed. That would produce terrible fear.

And yet, what a baptism of misery multitudes have had. Look at the fear-stricken countenances of people in the Middle East. It is encouraging to have the antidote to fear.

What is it? Why the judgment of God upon all the awful, inhuman crimes of rulers who are determined to transform the whole world into a camp of slaves.

Vengeance will come, the retribution of God. He will come and deliver you.

“The Lord Will Strengthen Him Upon the Bed of Languishing,” Psalm 41:3

The open battle may have more notice and glory about it than a hidden bed of sickness. But surely it is harder to fight on our back than on the battlefield.

Courage for Christ is commendable, as with a healthy body we serve the Lord Jesus Christ, in the street, in the factory, or in the office.

But to be bright, hopeful, and blissfully submissive to the Lord when the body is riddled with pain or disease is not easy. There may not be much glamour about a sick bed, yet so often the Lord enables His suffering saint so to triumph over physical ailments as to fashion their bed into a pulpit from which His Grace is magnified.

Can it be that you are upon a bed of languishing?

How active for Christ you used to be. What strength He vouchsafed toward you as you witnessed for Him!

Well, your ministry has not yet ended. Its aspect has changed. Now we must make our suffering serve Him, for this altered ministry He waits to strengthen us.

The Secret of Strength

When we come to many of the Promises of God, we find ourselves embarrassed with spiritual riches. This is true when dealing with Promises regarding strength and power.

There are over 700 references to this possession. In fact, in many cases the same original term is used of both words.

Power, for example, Rom 1:16, is the same word given as strength in 2 Cor 12:9, “DUNAMIS.”

It would take a very large volume to elucidate and expound all references dealing with the power of God, the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of angels, of believers under God, and of satanic forces.

Thursday, June 27, 2002

“As Thy Days, so Shall Thy Strength be,” Deuteronomy 33:25

Like those whom Moses led, we too are pilgrims traveling through a dreary wilderness to our promised land. The Promise given to the Israelites is good for our souls, too.

Our days may require patience, guidance, great strength, but the Lord offers Himself as our all sufficiency.

As we think of personal trials and anticipate the future, sometimes we are apt to give way to despondency and doubt. But God is near, who has promised us inward satisfaction and outward preservation.

Therefore “let us be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” He has promised us strength no matter what kind of day we face, strength to encounter the tempest when it rages, strength to breast the foaming surges, strength to grapple when the last enemy meets us. Strength will be given when it is needed.

“No Power, Help Us, O Lord Our God, for we Rest on Thee,” 2 Chronicles 14:11

What a plea and Promise for us to claim and make our own!

“Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help.” Simple faith becomes fearless as it sees the invisible God at hand to help. How helpless big battalions are when He manifests His strength!

Our victory rests not in the arms of flesh or the resources of man, but in the Lord’s readiness to interpose for our deliverance. His arm is never shortened that He cannot save.

“The People That do Know Their God Shall be Strong and do Exploits,” Daniel 11:32

How lacking we are in valor and vigor of the saints of old. As Christians, we need more iron in our blood, more courage in our faith, more of the bracing worth of godliness, and more purpose in prayer and service.

An old song of the Ashanti warriors as they rushed into battle was, “If I go forward, I die. If I go backward, I die. Better to go forward and die.”

Daniel and his friends were valiant for God. Their adversaries were powerful, but the Lord enabled His servants to be strong and defiant.

If only we could catch something of their heroic spirit and think of a world of enemies as only a drop in the basket of Him who nerves us for the conflict.

“He who comes forth fresh from beholding the face of God will never fear the face of men.”

“Let the Weak Say I am Strong,” Joel 3:10

The strength that the Christian receives is not self begotten, but Divinely imparted to be displayed in the sorest trials. Abraham was never so weak, yet so strong as when offering up his beloved Isaac on the mount.

Martyrs, as they face terrible deaths, felt their entire weakness, yet prayed for and received strength to depart victoriously.

How the Lord magnifies His Grace in giving power to the faint, and increases the strength of the weak.

Milton asks, “Shall I abuse this consecrated gift of strength?”

Samson was guilty of such abuse and abusing his consecrated gift of strength, he lost it.

“But the hair on Samson’s head grew back again.”

“The Lord JEHOVAH is my Strength,” Isaiah 12:2

As we pray for strength, what really happens is the fuller possession of our impotent life by the Lord, whose very name means, “the Strong One.”

Mighty as He is, He yet stoops to our weakness and clothes us with His omnipotent self. Further it is blessed to realize that all He is, in Himself, is at the disposal of the humblest believer.

The gospel of “the personal pronoun” is a sadly neglected gospel.

“The Lord JEHOVAH is my strength.” Is He your strength?

Simple and weak and unnoticed as we may be, do we constantly appropriate all we have in the Lord Jesus Christ for our very own needs?

If the Grace of appropriation is ours and daily we lay hold upon Him who is the unfailing Reservoir of Strength, then we likewise know what it is to have Him as our song, and likewise our salvation.

Why the Lord is the Trinity in Himself–strength, song, salvation.

Wednesday, June 26, 2002

Power and Strength Passages

“The Lord Will Give Strength Unto His People,” Psalm 29:11

All that God has promised He will perform. But the Promises that become a reality to the Christian are those that are believed and received personally.

Have you experienced how strong God is to support you in every trial?

His strength is ever sufficient, suitable to your circumstances and needs. The saints in every age have found God to be a Truth-telling and Promise-performing God.

And in this age He pledges Himself to be your strength. As His strength is appropriated, Grace is given to fight courageously, pray fervently, praise daily, and believe confidently.

“Give me Thy strength, O God of power.”

“I Will Go in the Strength of the Lord God,” Psalm 71:16, 2 Chronicles 20:20

We can go anywhere when girded with Divine strength. Of ourselves we are weak, and the more conscious we are of our utter weakness, the better, for then God is able to display His power. Apart from Him we have no strength against our foes, no wisdom, no might to encounter difficulties.

But in Him our strength is as the strength of ten, if our minds are pure. All necessary power has been promised us. As we appropriate it by faith, we go forth to prove that He is faithful who promised.

Relying upon His veracity, we are sure of help and victory.

Let us never be guilty of limiting Him. Psa 78:41.

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

“Put Thou My Tears in Thy Bottle,” Psalm 56:8

There are three thoughts that seem to emerge from what the Bible has to say about sorrows.

1. The first encouraging truth is that because we belong to the Lord, His loving heart is touched with our grief.
   
   “In all our affliction He was afflicted.”
   
   He is ever near to console and relieve. “In sorrow He is our Comfort.” When the tempest of sorrow seems to sweep everything before it, we have a safe hiding place in Him who offers Himself as a Covert. Isa 32:2.
   

“A Man of Sorrows and Acquainted With Grief”

2. The second comforting thought is that in all our sorrows, we have a Friend who experienced sorrows no others have.
   
   The Lord Jesus Christ became a Man of Sorrows and carried our sorrows, Isa 53:3, 4.
   
   Do not His sorrows and tears make Him of great value as One who is compassionate with our sorrow-stricken souls?
   

Sorrow

3. Then there is the glorious Promise that all our sorrow is to be turned to joy.
   
   “Refrain thine eyes from tears,” Jer 31:16.
   
   “Hold not Thy peace at my tears,” Psa 39:12.
   
   “My tears have been my meat day and night,” Psa 42:3, 38:6.
   
   “She hath washed My feet with tears,” Luke 7:44.
   
   “Serving the Lord with many tears,” Acts 19:30, 31.
   
   “He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears,” Heb 5:7.

As Christians, we should never cease to thank the Lord because our sorrows and tears are not the sorrows and tears of those without hope.

While not immune from sorrow, we do not sorrow as others which have no hope. 1 Thes 4:13.

“The Days of Thy Mourning Shall be Ended,” Isaiah 9:20

“The Lord will wipe away tears from off our faces,” Isa 25:8, Rev 7:7, 21:4. No more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death.

How precious have these Promises proved to pilgrims in the valley of tears. Sin, sickness, separation have added their quota to our mournful experience. One tear is scarce dried when another is ready to flow. But the future is bright with the promise and the prospect of dry tears for ever.

“For no eyes are wet with tears in summerland.”

Sinning, sighing, and sorrow are to cease. Our weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come in that glorious morning.

The Lord shall wipe away all tears. None else but our Lord of love can bid our weeping and sorrow cease.

Tears are only for earth. There is no crying in Heaven. As we await the loving ministry of the Divine Handkerchief, may the apostolic ministry be ours.

Monday, June 24, 2002

“The Lord is Faithful...Keep You From Evil,” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

The Lord is able to establish us. And faithful to His Promise, He will keep us from known evil if ours is the thirst for holiness.

Often He is not able to keep us from some phase of evil simply because we desire it. If we hate what He hates, then He will keep us from it.

“Sin Shall Not Have Dominion Over You,” Romans 6:14

Paul describes sin as a sovereign and it will reign over us if we give it any sympathy. How comforting is the Promise and provision Paul speaks of as a Christian.

Sin may wound you, but cannot establish sovereignty over you as you obey Him who is able to make you more than a conqueror.

“Thou Lord Art Good and Ready to Forgive,” Psalm 86:5

If we have sinned, what a gracious Promise this is to claim. Although a saint, the psalmist cried unto the Lord and was heard. Because of confession, he experienced the Grace and liberality of God.

How we should strive to have short accounts to settle. Confession is a daily duty. Short reckonings make long friends.

Sorrows!

A comforting thought is that in all our sorrows, we have a Friend who experienced sorrows no others ever have.

The Lord Jesus Christ “became a Man of sorrows and carried our sorrows.” Isa 53:3, 4; Lam 1:12.

He wept. John 11:35, Luke 19:41, Heb 5:7.

Do not His sorrows and tears make Him of great value as a Sympathizer for our sorrow-stricken souls?

“Sorrow is Turned Into Joy Before Him,” Job 41:22, 42:12

Here is a glorious Promise that all our sorrows are to be turned to joy. If not here, then hereafter. “No more sorrow.”

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.

“They That Sow in Tears Shall Reap in Joy,” Psalm 126:5, Job 35:10, Psalm 35:5, 42:7, 8

For tears, triumph.
For grief, gladness.
For sorrows, songs.

Such is the Promise for those whose eyes are wet with silver tears.

If our sorrow becomes a window bringing to us a clearer vision of our glorious Lord, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifying our grief, then all we endure will bring us a harvest of joy.

Sunday, June 23, 2002

“The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth,” 1 Timothy 3:15

At the moment of salvation you are placed into the universal church of the Living God. This is not a local church. You can’t get thrown out of this church, but you can get thrown out of a local church. I have. This is an invisible church.

Now, there are various ways in which the invisible church of the Living God is described in Scripture. When you review them, you will find security and encouragement and confidence.

Can you name the 23 descriptions of the living invisible church?

The Invisible Church

1. The body of Christ, Eph 1:22, 23, Col 1:24.
2. The bride of Christ, Eph 5:31-33, 2 Cor 11:2,3, Rev 19:7, 21:9, 22:17.
3. The house of Christ, Heb 3:6.
4. The house of God, 1 Tim 3:15, Heb 13:21.
5. The habitation of God, Eph 2:19-22, 1 Pet 2:4, 5.
6. The temple of God, 1 Cor 3:16, 17.
7. The temple of the living God, 2 Cor 6:16.
8. God’s building, 1 Cor 3:9.
9. God’s husbandry, 1 Cor 3:9.
10. God’s heritage, 1 Pet 5:3.
11. The church of God, Acts 20:28.
12. The church of the Living God, 1 Tim 3:15.
13. The church of the First Born, Heb 12:23.
14. The flock of God, 1 Pet 5:2.
15. A spiritual house, 1 Pet 2:5.
16. The pillar and ground of Truth, 1 Tim 3:15.
17. The family in Heaven and earth, Eph 3:15.
18. A mystery, Eph 3:9, 5:32, Col 1:25, 26.
19. The light of the world, Matt 5:14.
20. The golden candlestick, Rev 1:20.
21. The salt of the earth, Matt 5:13.
22. One bread, 1 Cor 10:17.
23. An elect race, royal priesthood, holy nation, 1 Pet 2:9.

As God’s church, she has her eternal origin in Him, redeemed by His Son.

Because the church originated in Him and is the building He is rearing, she is dependent upon Him for provision, which is expressed in her being His field.

He it is who cultivates her and augments her fertility. She is His dearest treasure, the apple of His eye, and His choice gift in the world.

Saturday, June 22, 2002

“Son, Go Work Today in My Vineyard,” Matthew 21:28-41

Many of the Lord’s servants have a larger part of the vineyard to care for than others, and theirs is a greater responsibility.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

But whether our sphere is conspicuous or obscure makes little difference. What the Lord of the harvest expects is the very best from us wherever in His providence we have been placed.

At the Judgment Seat it will be the quality of service, not its quantity that will bring the promised reward, Rev 2:10.

Is Your Place a Small Place?

Tend it with care,
He set you there.

Is your place a large place?
Guard it with care,
He set you there.

Whatever your place, it is
Not yours alone, but His
Who set you there.

“Do the Work of an Evangelist”

The primary object in all service for the Lord is the winning of others who know Him not.

The salvation of lost souls is the fruit He expects, and has promised us all necessary wisdom and patience for.

There is, of course, fruit unto holiness without which we cannot win the lost.

“They That Watch for Your Souls,” Hebrews 13:7, 17

Among the admonitions of this chapter, none are so forcible as the one found in the above verses, pertaining particularly to pastors.

Can we, as pastors, say we are watching for the souls of others, guarding the souls of others, as overseers and bishops of the soul?

Do we watch over them tenderly until they are established in the faith and spiritually self sustaining?

“Is Your Soul in My Soul’s Stead?” Job 16:4

Obadiah counseled Edom to remember the days when she stood on the other side. Once a captive and a foreigner, Edom was bidden to have sympathy for those whose distress was similar to that which she herself had experienced.

As a saved soul, do you remember the day you stood on the other side? The other side of the tracks?

Never forget the pit from which you have digged. Think of yourself as a sinner and the misery before the Lord Jesus Christ met you and transformed your life. And then never rest until you have the joy of bringing others a similar joy of sins forgiven.

“The Redemption of Their Soul is Precious, and it Ceaseth For Ever,” Psalm 49:8

To redeem the souls of men, God emptied Heaven of the best He could find. In the sacrifice of His Son, the Father went to the limit for a prodigal race.

Calvary likewise represents the value God places upon the soul of man. The gain of the whole world is reckoned poor exchange for a soul.

But what is it that gives the soul its preciousness? Is it not the fact that it is of Divine creation and is destined to live for ever?

And further, such was the stupendous sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that the redemption of souls has ceased for ever. Once for all, and for all, the Lord Jesus Christ died for sin. And now, all that a sinner can do is to accept by faith a completed redemption on his behalf.

“The Soul That Sinneth, it Shall Die,” Ezekiel 18:20

Personal accountability is among the ethical instructions set forth by Ezekiel. Eternal death is for the sinner’s own sin, and not another’s. Ezek 31:29-30.

Because all have sinned, all must suffer the second death, unless they rest in the death, the Saviour died for sinners. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

This, of course, does not mean cessation of being, or annihilation, because the soul is indestructible. Death means separation of the soul from the body.

In spiritual and eternal death, it is the separation of the soul from God, now and throughout eternity.

And surely the rescue of souls from such a death is a strong enough incentive for service.

“We Believe in the Saving of the Soul,” Hebrews 10:39

Are we among the number who believe that souls can be saved? At times, we hear some degenerates referred to as being beyond redemption.

But surely this is not true! No matter how hard and godless a man may be, while there is life, there is hope.

To claim that a Gospel-hardened soul is hopeless to win is to limit the power of God.

We are encouraged, then, to labor on, even for the very worst, because all the time that the door of mercy stands ajar, the vilest sinner may come in. Paul the chiefest of all sinners...

“Save a Soul and Hide a Multitude of Sins,” James 5:20

A strong motive in evangelism is the fact stressed by James. Namely, the rescue of the soul from spiritual and eternal death, and the blotting out of the past sins as such a one converted to God.

What an incentive this is! When we think of those conspicuously evil, and who, because of the multitude of their sins, have a terrible eternity awaiting them. Do we not find ourselves laboring unceasingly to bring the sinners to the covering Cross?

Solomon reminds us that “love covereth all sin.” May greater Grace be ours to love the lost out of their sins, and lead them to cast a guilty past forever in the crimson stream.

Promises Connected With Deliverance From One’s Own Sin

If he says he has no sin, he deceives himself, but nobody else, 1 John 1:8.

Paul addressed himself to the Corinthians when he wrote the above. It was Plato who said, “That the unexamined life was not worth having.”

The self examination of the Bible is no morbid introspection. Such an action is necessary to discover whether we are growing or declining, whether we have harbored sin to confess, and whether we are being enlightened as to sin’s nature and subtle workings.

While we are to examine ourselves carefully, deliberately, and prayerfully, we must realize that God Himself is the Searcher of the heart (Psa 139:1, 23, 24) and there is no need to be afraid of the revelation. For what the light reveals the Cross can cleanse.

“He Shall Save His People From Their Sins,” Matthew 1:21

Our great comfort is that our Lord has made full provision for sins of commission and omission, for unknown as well as known sins.

That there are sins of ignorance and the Promise for such is clearly stated.

Because of our ignorance, we are not fully aware of our sins of ignorance. Yet each of us has many such sins. What we may not deem as sin today will, with fuller light tomorrow, be seen as alien to God’s will.

But the Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious atonement provided pardon from all sin and in this fact we rejoice.

“If We Sin, We Have...” 1 John 2:1

“If we sin.” “If” is a third class condition, which means maybe we will and maybe we won’t. But John’s “if” is of rich encouragement and good cheer. Because... “We have an Advocate.”

How sadly disappointing the best of us are to God. Sin is forever casting its shadow over our pathway, but the Promise is that day by day our Intercessor makes no pause.

Pleading the merits of His own righteousness and efficacious blood, our desperate case is relieved and all our necessity met. How blessed we are to have such a Paraclete in Heaven. He is our Mediator. Gal 3:20, John 14:6, Eph 2:18, 1 Tim 2:15.

“He Has Saved His People From Their Sins,” Matthew 1:21

Note the phrase, “His people.” True, He came to save the lost, 1 Tim 1:15, but Paul also tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour “specially of those who believe,” 1 Tim 4:10.

So He is a Saviour of saints as well as sinners. And saints have many sins to be saved from.

We are encouraged by the Promise that, having delivered us from the guilt of our sins when we first believed, He is able to deliver us from the government of sin as we keep on believing.

Friday, June 21, 2002

“Return Unto Thy Rest, O My Soul,” Psalm 116:7

“My peace I give unto you,” John 14:27

He who is our Peace makes possible every blessing of peace for those who are at peace with God. The sweetness of this peace was made possible by the shedding of our Saviour’s blood, which is “the way of peace,” Rom 3:17.

Such peace is not only reconciliation to God, but tranquility and comfort of mind. As we confide in His Promises and walk in His precepts, undisturbed peace is maintained.

“From this day will I bless you,” Haggai 2:19. What day is this? The day we identify ourselves with God’s will and determine to abide in Him will be the day His peace will begin to flow as a river, Prov 16:7.

Is this not a promise to claim as each day begins? As we begin and continue the day with Him, He will bless us with peace, contentment, and prosperity.

As we seek to live each day in unbroken fellowship with the Lord, we come to experience that prayer is the peace of our souls, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest.

Prayer is the issue of a quick mind, of untroubled thoughts, and it is the daughter of love, and the sister of meekness. Such a constant attitude leads us to feel within us, a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.

Satisfaction

“He is well paid that is well satisfied,” we are reminded in The Merchant of Venice.

The Bible promises the Christian complete satisfaction, a satisfaction without alloy. “To satiate” means to be fully satisfied.

In the Lord we have an unfailing Source of satisfaction. In the pleasures and pursuits of this world there may be temporary satisfaction for the Godless, but no lasting life and joy.

“I Will Awake with Thy Likeness,” Psalm 17:15

The Christian’s pure and abiding satisfaction springs from his salvation. And the consummation of his enjoyment will come when, at his resurrection, he awakes in His Lord’s likeness. Psa 17:15.

How true it is “that none but Christ can satisfy.”

Thou dost satisfy abundantly
Each longing of my soul.

Since I know Thee as my Saviour,
Whose Cross has made me whole.

Thou madest me drink deeply,
Of Thyself, Thou Living Spring.

To Thee, through endless ages
My thanksgiving will I bring.

All our springs are in Him.

Saved to Serve

How resplendent the Bible is with Promises of strength and rewards for service.

“Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard,” Jeremiah 12:10

Are we among the number cultivating “the vineyard of the Lord of hosts,” Isa 5:7?

We could fill pages with references taken up with God’s servants and the service they can render Him.

The question is, are we serving Him in a way that pleases Him, and serving to the limit of our capacity?

Though serving Him faithfully, we may not see immediate results of our labor, but we have this Promise: “After many days our scattered bread will be found,” Ecc 11:1.

As the Husbandman, God has planted us in His vineyards and expects us to be fruitful.

When the Lord of the vineyard returns, will He receive of the fruit of His vineyard?

Saved to Serve!

What each of us must realize is that when God graciously saved us and made us His own, that He endowed us with gifts to be used in His service, and likewise promised rewards if these gifts were fully and rightfully employed, Rom 12:6-8, Eph 4:7-13.

The quality of talents may vary, Matt 25:15-28, Luke 19:12-19, but whether we have a single talent or many, what we have must be on the altar for God and used to the limit for His glory.

The boy had little to give to the Lord Jesus Christ, only five small loaves and two fishes. But all he had was fully surrendered and the Lord multiplied and used the gift.

Thursday, June 20, 2002

“Esteeming the Reproach of Christ, Greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt,” Hebrews 11:26

In some unrevealed way, Moses, like Abraham, must have rejoiced to see Christ’s day.

Looking down the vista of the ages, the deliverer of Israel endured reproach as he saw Him who is invisible.

And what a choice Moses made. Refusing all the pomp and privileges of the palace, he surrendered his claim as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter and identified himself with the afflicted people of God. Had he maintained his royal estate, the riches of Egypt would have come his way.

But rich in prospect, Moses felt that the reproach of God’s people outweighed any riches he might possess.

In modern times too many professing Christians esteem the treasures of greater riches than the reproach of the Lord Jesus Christ. With their eyes on the muckrake, they fail to see the crown of God above their heads.

“My Heart Shall Not Reproach Me as Long as I Live,” Job 27:6

Because sin is a reproach to any people, especially the Lord’s people, Prov 14:31, every Christian should strive to emulate the vow of Job.

Condemnation in abundance will come to us from a world that is blind to spiritual values. What we must guard against is that of having a heart, a mind, censuring us for our worldly ways.

If our heart condemn us not, then we can look a hostile world in the face and bear its reproach courageously. As long as we live as unto the Lord we have nothing to fear.

“When He Giveth Quietness, Who Then Can Make Trouble,” Job 34:29

The Bible offers us an imposing number of precious Promises linked to “rest,” “quietness,” “stillness,” “peace,” “repose,” and “serenity.”

The supernatural virtue indicated by such is the only perfect antidote to all our anxiety, despondency, and dismay. God Himself is presented as our Fount of spiritual serenity.

Shakespeare said, “Our foster nurse of nature is repose.”

God-Given Serenity!

How practical the Bible is when it tells us that if a man will not work he shall not eat.

“There is Sorrow on the Sea it Cannot be Quiet,” Jerermiah 49:23

But there is One who can quiet the august sea because He made it and it obeys its Creator.

The Lord Jesus Christ’s miraculous power to calm troubled waters extends to the spiritual realm. Amid all that tends to disturb and upset the mind of the Christian, the Lord Jesus Christ is near to command all that would annoy His peace to be still.

Tennyson said as he plucked a daisy from the lawn, “All that the sun is to that flower giving it life and strength and beauty and fragrance, the Lord Jesus Christ is to me.”

“His Soul Shall Dwell at Ease,” Psalm 25:13

Here is another aspect of the repose of all the regenerate should realize.

Shelley has told us that, “Kings are like stars. They rise, they set. They have the worship of the world, but no repose.”

How different it is with ourselves as “kings and priests unto God.” We do not covet the worship of the world, yet amid all the trials and tribulations of the world we have a spiritual repose nothing can destroy.

“We dwell at ease,” meaning that we are free from slavish fears, from corroding cares, from all fret and worry. Ours is a state of blissful contentment and solid peace.

With God as our Portion, and His eternal covenant as our stay, His precious Promises as our security, His glorious atonement as our plea, His complete salvation as our shield, His unceasing advocacy as our guarantee, His home as our final abode, what else can we do but dwell at ease. Because He is the Storehouse of every blessing, all fears are silenced, unbelieving doubts are contracted, and the Lord is exalted in our lives.

“They Shall Not Satisfy Their Soul,” Ezekiel 7:17, Micah 6:14

Here is a telling illustration.

There is said to be a strange plant in South America which finds a moist place, sends its roots down, and becomes green for a little while, until the place becomes dry, when it draws itself out and rolls itself up and is blown along by the wind until it comes to another moist place, where it repeats the same process.

On and on the plant goes, stopping where it finds a little water until the spot is dry, then in the end, after all its wanderings, it is nothing but a bundle of dry roots and leaves.

It is the same of those who only drink of the world’s springs. They drink and thirst again and go on from spring to spring, blown by the wind of passion and desire, and at last their souls are nothing but bundles of unsatisfied desires and burning thirsts. We must find something better than this or perish for ever.

Wednesday, June 19, 2002

Thought for the Day!

Each person gets a glimpse of the Eternal at least once in a lifetime.

Some may call it God consciousness and others may call it the point of Gospel hearing. But it my just be the reflection that “The Lord has set eternity in our minds.”

The Heartless Lack of Remembrance is Described as Being Grievous Both to God and Man

It was lack of remembrance that made hell more terrible for the rich man, “Son remember,” Luke 16:25.

The Bible Provides Us with Sweet Instances of Human Remembrances Found Principally in Paul’s Writings

He never seemed to forget his friends.

“Remember the Lord,” Nehemiah 4:14

Whatever, or whoever, we forget, may we be found always remembering our Lord Who never forgets us.

We must have Him in our minds at all times because He is the Source of our supply and the only Proper Object of faith and worship.

“Remember the Lord,” Nehemiah 4:14

The ways by which we can remember our Lord.

1. Remember the Promises He has made.
2. The deliverances He has wrought.
3. The blessings He has conferred.
4. The invitations He has given.
5. The relations He now fills.
6. Remember Him in calamity, to trust Him.
7. In prosperity to praise Him.
8. In danger to call upon Him.
9. In difficulty to expect His interference.
10. Remember to obey His commandments.
11. To attend to His exhortations.
12. To keep His company.
13. To seek His blessings.
14. To aim at His glory in all we do.
15. Remember Him, for it is our duty.
16. Remember Him, for it is our privilege.
17. Remember Him, in order to strengthen our faith.
18. As an antidote for our fears.
19. As a source of encouragement for our souls.
20. As a preventative to sin.
21. Remember that He is holy, just, and good, and He will be glorified in all that draw near to Him.
    

“He Shall Send From Heaven and Save Me From the Reproach of Him That Would Swallow Me Up. Selah,” Psalm 57:3

The title of this Psalm informs us that when David wrote it, he was fleeing from Saul and was obliged to hide in a cave. It must have been humiliating for such a noble soul as David to be hunted as a fugitive.

But his faith in God’s protection was strong. If necessary, He would send from Heaven and deliver His servant. No wonder David shouted “Selah,” a word meaning, “think of that,” usually occurring either before or after some glorious truth the writer has uttered. This exclamatory term draws attention to the utterance in question.

And to the mind of David, whom Saul derided, it was something to think about that the Lord would deliver him out of the jaws of those who waited to swallow him up.

Is your soul among lions? Because of your allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, are you the object of scorn? Well, leave God to deal with those who reproach you. Psa 144:5, 7.

A Prophetic Reproach!

“Reproach hath broken my heart,” Psalm 69:20

The way in which this Psalm is used in the New Testament proves it to be prophetic of the Lord Jesus Christ’s humiliation and rejection, and that His sensitive soul was ultimately crushed by the shame He endured is evident in His cry of desolation.

Full of heaviness, the Lord Jesus Christ looked for some with passion, but there was none. Calling upon God to draw nigh and deliver Him from the reproach and dishonor of His adversaries, He yet knew that the waterflood would overflow Him.

Thus, at Calvary, the loving, holy, and kind heart of the Lord Jesus Christ broke. He was saved in His reproach, but not from it. Willingly He bore the terrible load of scorn and shame that His very despisers might have a way to Heaven.

Diligently the Lord Jesus Christ had kept the Divine Testimonies, yet reproach and contempt were not removed from Him, Psa 119:22. He died, even as He lived, the Object of derision.

“The Reproaches of Them That Reproached Thee Fell on Me,” Romans 15:3

In quoting “the reproach Psalm,” Paul links the believer to the self abnegation the Lord Jesus Christ practiced.

Had He wished, the Lord Jesus Christ could have saved Himself a good deal of the derision that came His way, but silently He bore it all.

And as He is, so are we in this world. The offense of His Cross has not ceased. True discipleship involves going to Him without the camp bearing His reproach. Heb 13:13.

Do we endure shame for our Saviour’s sake? Because of our allegiance to Him? Are we ostracized by religious, carnal friends? Count it a privilege to be identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in His rejection.

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

“No Weapon Formed Against Thee Will Prosper,” Isaiah 54:17

What a blessed Promise this is to cling to when the sharp weapons of slander, falsehood, insinuation, ridicule, and hatred are formed against us.

God knows how to blunt the instruments of the wicked and stop the mouth of liars.

Our heavenly Defense is ever near to deliver.

Think of These Promises!

He never forsakes His saints when persecuted. 
“Persecuted but not forsaken,” 2 Cor 4:9.

He is able to deliver out of persecution.
Dan 3:25, 29; 1 Cor 1:10; 2 Tim 3:11.

He assures us of the reward of blessedness if persecuted.
Matt 5:10, Luke 6:22.

The way of the world is to praise dead saints and persecute living ones.

We have the consolation of knowing that as living saints we are not alone. In the furnace of affliction is “Another” whose Grace alone can make saints fearless, and His form is like the Son of God. Dan 3:25.

“I Will Remember My Covenant Which is Between Me and You,” Genesis 9:15, 16; Psalm 105:8; Luke 1:72

Divine remembrance

When “remember” is used by God, it is only in a metaphorical sense, because God never forgets. He condescendedly uses language to assure our finite minds that He ever has His own before Him.

When you group the Divine remembrances together, they speak for themselves.

Human Remembrances

Many are the Biblical exhortations urging us to remember all that God has accomplished for us and of the promised blessing of such remembrance.

Who loves well is slow to forget. The deeper and the more intense our love for the Lord, the more we are conscience of His Grace. Memory is kept alert by God the Holy Spirit, who never fails to stir up remembrance of Divine Promises and requests.

It is interesting to note that two Psalms, 38 and 70, bear the title, “A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance.” The Psalms, therefore, reveal the import of such a unique “dedication.”

Night and day there were those aspects of Divine Grace which David did not want to forget.

Human Remembrances

Monday, June 17, 2002

“The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and the Ground of truth,” 1 Timothy 3:15

Specific Promises of Protection and Provision for the Living Church of God.

1. She was promised by God in eternity past. Eph 1:22.
   
2. She exists to display the wisdom of God. Eph 3:10.
   
3. She manifests the glory of God. Eph 3:21.
   
4. She was promised by the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt 16:18, Psa 118:23.
   
5. The cement that binds believers together in their fellowship of the Church is the greatest of all graces, love. Eph 4:16, John 15:12.
   
6. She was promised Christ as her Head. Eph 1:22, 4:15, 5:23.
   
7. She has Promises attendant upon the observation of ordinances. Matt 28:19-20, Luke 22:19-20, Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 10:16, 11:13, 12:13.
   
8. She can appropriate promised gifts. Eph 4:4-11.
   
9. She is promised completeness in her Head. Col 2:10.
   
10. She has her Lord’s promised love. Eph 5:25.
    
11. She has His promised care. Eph 5:29, 1 Pet 5:2, 7.
    
12. She has His promised protection and preservation. Matt 16:18.
    
13. She has His promised presence. Matt 18:20, Rev 1:13.
    
14. She is promised addition to her numbers. Acts 2:44, Acts 2:47, 4:5.
    
15. She is promised a spiritual unity. John 17:21-22, 1 Cor 10:17, 1 Cor 12:12-31, Gal 3:28, Eph 4:3-4.
    
16. She is promised union and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 2:13, 18; 1 John 1:3, John 17:24.
    
17. She is promised punishment for those who defile her. 1 Cor 3:17.
    
18. She is promised a glorious consummation. Eph 5:27, Rev 21:3, 9, Rev 4:1, 1 Thes 4:13-18.
    

Thought for the Day!

I have reached my 80th birthday and I am “giving God time” to fulfill a Promise in my life of “bearing fruit in an old age.”

Thursday, June 13, 2002

“It is Not in Man That Walketh to Direct His Steps,” Jeremiah 10:23

How necessary it is to trust the Guide with the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly about present matters and future decisions, and then joyfully following Him wherever He may lead.

If this is our unvarying attitude, then we shall prove that “The path of the just is a shining light,” Prov 4:18.

There may be occasions because of our finite understanding Divine leadings seem so contrary to reason. The Israelites thought it strange that the roundabout route was the quickest way to reach the promised land.

“God Led Them Not Through the Land of the Philistines, Although That Was Near; But God Led the People About Through the Wilderness of the Red Sea,” Exodus 13:17, 18, Deuteronomy 32:10

Had Israel tried to go through the land of the Philistines, as an unarmed people, they would have been completely discouraged, so it was quicker to skip the short cut and take the long way around.

Our Heavenly Guide knows best. He always knows best.

“The Lord Alone Did Lead Them,” Deuteronomy 32:12, Nehemiah 9:19

Here we have a clear expression of the idea of Divine leadership.

But rest and guidance are also involved in such a gracious Promise. In the cloud for a covering and a fire to give light, at night we have the further provision of shelter and illumination.

Light in the night is something from, yet in addition to, the light of guidance. The Lord does not leave His people in gloom and distress. He is a light to them amid darkness.

“Lead Me, O Lord, in Thy Righteousness Because of Mine Enemies,” Psalm 5:6, 23:2, 25:2, 70:20

Amid all the wonders and glories of Heaven, our Heavenly Guide will still have the full control of us. For the blessed Promise is that He will not only protect and provide, but “He shall lead them into living fountains of waters,” Rev 7:17.

What a contrast He is to those He described as, “blind leaders of the blind,” Matt 15:14, Acts 1:16, Rom 2:19.

Wednesday, June 12, 2002

“Lacketh Ye Anything,” Luke 22:35

If there is constant thanksgiving for what the Lord has bestowed, doubt never lurks in the mind regarding God’s ability to undertake for us.

Thanksgiving has a way of feeding faith. “In everything give thanks.” The Promise is that they who seek Him and bless Him shall not want any good thing.

He knows all about our needs and remembers His Promises, and is always at hand to undertake.

“Thou Shall See Greater Things Than These,” John 1:50

Here we have the Promise of an ever-expanding experience of God’s power. No matter how great the things we have seen, greater manifestation of Divine provision is ahead.

Greater heights of fellowship and deeper depths of experience await us. The best is yet to be.

The Divine law of growth.

“Bless the Lads...Let Them Grow into a Multitude in the Midst of the Earth,” Genesis 48:16

The Promise given by Jacob to Joseph concerning the progeny of his two sons can be used spiritually.

Are there, as a part of our growth, others who through us come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour?

“Groweth Unto a Holy Temple in the Lord,” Ephesians 2:21

Are we growing Christians?

As the days and the years go by, do we find ourselves as Christians having a deeper love for the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do we have an ever-increasing desire to live the Christian way of life?

Do we, as Christians, have a greater passion for the souls of others, and a cleaner separation from the entanglements of this world system?

All promised Grace and power are at our disposal for the increase of our spirituality, to be ever pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, June 11, 2002

What to be Thankful for!

“Every Creature of God is Good, if it be Received With Thanksgiving,” 1 Timothy 4:4

Gratitude produces contentment in all conditions and places a bridle on one’s desires. It checks gloom, destroys envy, and returns with blessings in the head of the thankful one.

We taste the sweetness of any Divine mercy twice over when we are sincerely grateful for it.

“Oh That Men Would Praise the Lord for His Goodness,” Psalm 107:31

With amazing regularity God meets the need of all. Provisions are poured down, but praises seldom rise.

Men fail to think of what they owe, and therefore forget to thank. The common ordinary blessings of life are received as a matter of course.

Mercies, spiritual and material, come our way, but the Hand that provided them is forgotten.

The poet speaks about the winter wind as being kinder than man’s ingratitude. But if man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, what must God’s feelings be like when He blesses so much and is blessed so little?

His compassions, which fail not and are new every morning, are of greater worth when, in receiving them, we instinctively and immediately say, “Thank you, Father.”

Like an earthly parent, God too loves grateful children.

“I Will Declare What He Hath Done for My Soul,” Psalm 66:16

Think of what He has done for your soul! It was He who saw you lost and helpless and in His love and Grace provided a way of deliverance.

It was our sinful condition that brought our Saviour from above to die on Calvary.

By His blood, sweat, and tears, He only saved your soul. He has made it safe forever. And day by day, as we realize that the responsibility of our saved life is upon His shoulders, He meets our every need.

We may not be able to reason and debate, we may have little skill in logic and apologetics, our words may be destitute of the orator’s passion, poetry, and color. But at least we can say, “Come and ye shall see; Come and you will find for yourself how good He is.”

“Neither Were Thankful,” Romans 1:21

Heathenism, with its absence of the clear knowledge of God, is destitute of thankfulness. The heathen have no songs of praise. We have multitudes all around us who know not God. Or, if they do profess a knowledge of Him, glorify Him not as God, and who consequently seldom pause to praise the Giver of all.

Such gratitude arises from a Spirit-filled life and expresses itself as psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody. However the vast majority of church-going people know little of this outburst of praise.

Thanks are seldom expressed for food, raiment, health, and other common mercies without which they could not live. There is not that thanksgiving leading to thanks-living. The soul is empty of that gratitude for spiritual and secular blessings which ever results in a life of complete surrender to the Lord.

Let us shun the company of the thankless. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift,” 2 Cor 9:11-15.

Monday, June 10, 2002

God’s Word is Like Himself!

God the Son is Likewise Good!

God the Holy Spirit is Also Described as Good!

How full of promise are all these manifestations of Deity. We were created and redeemed that we might possess and exhibit such Divine goodness.

Run your eye over the hundreds of references where “goodness” is related to the Christian and you will be deeply impressed with your high and holy calling.

“Be Ye Followers of That Which is Good,” 1 Peter 3:13, Romans 13:3

If the good Lord has the full control of your life and mine, that goodness becomes both a possession and an expression.

Sunday, June 9, 2002

Friendship!

We often think of Abraham as one of the most privileged men in the Bible because of his friendship with the Eternal.

Friendship!

Moses was another who experienced similar, intimate, friendship, for it is said of him that, “The Lord spake unto Moses face-to-face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,” Exodus 33:11.

But the patriarchs are not alone in such a blessed, heavenly friendship. Did not the Lord Jesus Christ describe those who love and trust Him as His friends?

But this promised exalted friendship carries the condition of obedience to our heavenly Friend’s wishes and commands.

“The Rich Have Many Friends,” Proverbs 14:20, 19:4

These so-called friends often vanish with the riches, as the prodigal discovered when all was spent and not one companion in his riotous living days was at hand to give him a meal.

A friend like this is like having a body without a soul–quoted from an old Italian proverb.

“Faithful Are the Wounds of a Friend,” Proverbs 27:6

Now He offers Himself not only to sinners as a Saviour, but as a Friend to those who are saved by Grace.

He is the Friend who loves us at all times, and who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 17:17, 18:24.

Is it not condescending of Him to allow us to call Him “Friend?” May we understand increasingly all that is implied in this covenant eternal friendship with Him. Such a privileged friendship should purify life and nerve us to the best and noblest service.

Forgiveness!

1. God is the God of forgiveness.

2. God alone is able to forgive.

3. God forgives sins through the Cross.

4. God says we are blessed if forgiven.

5. God commands the forgiven to forgive.

Saturday, June 8, 2002

“I Will Pull Down my Barns and Build Greater...I Will Say to my Soul, Soul, Thou Hast Much Goods Laid up for Many Years; Take Thine Ease, Eat, Drink, and be Merry,” Luke 12:16-32

Avarice–the spur of industry. It was avarice that spurred on the farmer in this verse.

Because the farmer allowed himself to work so industriously merely to lay up more treasures for himself, and failed to be rich toward the Lord, the very night of his boast was the night of his sudden death.

If, through our diligence, we are blessed with an increase of goods, we must not forget the Blesser’s share of glory and gain.

Refuge, High Tower, Fortress, Hiding Place, Rock, Covert, Eagles Wings, Etc.

Here we have the Lord’s coverage and protection of His own described in so many interesting ways.

It would seem as if He catalogs the range of suitable metaphors to reveal His ability and willingness to shelter and preserve those who are covered with His wings.

Scores of Promises are connected with Him with the list listed above. It would take more space that this email would allow to fully quote all the passages dealing with these most profitable metaphors.

We must be convinced that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ Someone whose omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience makes possible the most perfect protection for the weakest believer. Make each Promise of Divine preservation your very own.

“God is Our Refuge and Strength,” Psalm 46:1

“I flee to Thee to hide me,” Psa 143:9.

The provision of a refuge implies several things.

1. First there is the presence of danger. A Christian is ever in danger from sin, self, and Satan.
   
2. Then there is fear. Often one pursued is afraid. But for those who have the Lord as a Refuge, all fears are groundless.
   
3. Then a refuge suggests foresight. God knows all about distant storms and provides Himself a covert accordingly.

On our part, seeking the Refuge speaks of prudence. We hide in Him before the storm breaks.

From God’s side, the provision of a refuge reveals His laudable concern for our safety and our comfort. How privileged we are to have God as our Eternal Refuge.

Galatians 5:22, “The Fruit of the Spirit is Faith,” Literally “Faithfulness”

Happily we are not left to ourselves to produce this faithfulness. God commands and commends. What He commands, He supplies.

“The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.” We do not and cannot produce it. We only bear it. As we constantly walk in the Spirit, He makes possible the loyalty and fidelity that is pleasing to our faithful God and that brings to us at the end of the day the promised reward.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Friday, June 7, 2002

We Are to Delight in His Word!

We Are to Delight in His Day!

We are to delight in His provisions.

The One who delighted all my undelighted hours. No one, and nothing can delight all our undelighted hours like the Lord, Who is the Blessed Object of our delight, and whose Promises and provisions constantly delight our souls.

The Lord Jesus Christ as the Example of the Reward of Diligence

The Lord Jesus Christ will always remain as the most outstanding Example of the quality of diligence in the Bible.

When but 12 years of age, He knew what He was in the world for. “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49. Note: Not His mother’s business as some would have us believe.

Diligence!

Unwearyingly Jesus Christ gave Himself to His God-given task. And setting His face steadfastly toward Jerusalem, He diligently pursued His purpose until on the Cross He shouted in triumph, “It is finished.”

A fervent and diligent man is prepared for all things. The man, Christ Jesus, most fervent and diligent, was certainly prepared to face satanic and human endeavors to thwart His Divine mission.

The Bible Has a Great Deal to Say About Diligence and of Promised Blessings Associated With It

It is evident from the following exhortations and examples.

Diligence!

The Promises just listed for diligence show that whether our business is spiritual or secular, or both, we should be found putting our very best into what our hands have to do.

God places no Promises on indolence. Diligence makes an expert workman. A diligence inspired of God enables one to achieve the best. Their industry becomes the parent of success.

Thursday, June 6, 2002

Mid-East Crisis–Part Two

Why such antagonism to the Jews?

Humanly speaking, why should such a small nation with a people so few in number, who wish only to be left in peace, cause such animosity among her neighbors as well as create such sensational controversy among the nations of the world?

One reason comes from the natural realm. Abraham is the father both of the Jewish race through Isaac, and of the Arab race through Ishmael. His progeny through Ishmael are the traditional enemies of the Jew, Gen 16:11, 12.

The principle still exists that “Hagar’s son,” the son of Sarah’s slave girl, always persecutes “the son of the freeborn,” Sarah’s son Isaac, who was born by a miracle of God’s Grace. Gal 4:23, 29, cf 2 Tim 3:12.

The enmity between the two peoples is illustrated by the Arab claim to the territory given by God to the descendents of Isaac’s line.

Second reason to follow.

Why Such Antagonism Toward the Jews?

The second reason for animosity toward the Jews comes from the spiritual realm.

The angelic conflict, that unseen warfare that continues between God and Satan, involves Israel as a focal point.

Although the Arabs may find it expedient to pen their names to any number of peace pacts with the Jews, like the devil who sponsors anti-Semitism, they will only depart “unto an opportune time,” Luke 4:13b, to await a more favorable advantage for attack.

The Jews know this and maintain constant vigilance.

What the Lord Does Not Delight in–False Objects of Delight

Have You Ever Thought of Gathering Together God’s Delights?

That is, those objects that please and satisfy the Lord

He delights in His beloved Son.

Between the Father and the Son There Has Ever Existed That Pure Delight Possible Only to Deity

The Father always found delight in His Son, and the Son ever delights in the Father.

The Lord Delights in His People

Can it be true that such poor, unworthy creatures as we are can be the object of God’s delight? “Yes,” the humblest believer can say, “through Grace I am the Lord’s delight, the object of His highest love, the subject of His sweetest thoughts, and His portion forevermore.”

What a blessed Promise and incomparable privilege is ours. The infinite God fixed upon us from eternity past and then sent His Son, the Supreme Object of His delight to die for our sins.

A verse may find Him where a sermon flies
And turns delight into a sacrifice.

God Delights in His People and in a Very Real Way God Turned His Delight Into a Sacrifice on Our Behalf

He Delights in the Prayers of His People

He Delights in His Mercy Toward Us

Pursuing this aspect of meditation further we discover that we are commanded to delight ourselves in the Lord. So we have a kind of mutual delight society. If we do delight ourselves in the Lord, we have the Promise that He will give us the desire of our hearts, Psa 37:4.

Wednesday, June 5, 2002

“Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me All the Days of My Life,” Psalm 23:6

David, in this shepherd Psalm of his, did not say that the goodness and the mercy of the Divine Shepherd would follow us some of the days of our life, but through all of them. And “all” means all.”

These two guards, goodness and mercy, “the Shepherd’s faithful sheep dogs,” are our portion on dark and difficult days of our life, as well as on those days when all goes well and are lives are serene and joyful.

Goodness is ever present to supply our every need.
Mercy to forgive us if we sin against His goodness.

“Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me All the Days of My Life”

May Grace be ours then to live each day appropriating the Shepherd’s promised provision and protection, claiming daily strength for daily needs.

But, while we seek to live each day as it comes, we must not forget that all our days are links in an endless chain. Each day receives an inheritance from yesterday and at its close, passes it down to the day which comes after.

In countless ways yesterday’s life and today’s are intertangled. Each day is but a little section of a great web containing one figure of the pattern, the warp running through all the days and years. A life is a serial story opening with infancy, closing with our departure, and each day is a little chapter in the story.

“The Lord Shall Cover Him All the Day Long,” Deuteronomy 33:12

What a precious Promise this is to rest on each day. And all the days of our life! Why should we charge our souls with daily worry when we have such a “Divine covering?”

“The shoulders” represent strength to bear or carry. To be borne then upon the shoulders of the Eternal means that He is our support and strength as day follows day.

“All the day long” it does not matter how long the day or days may be. We rejoice in the Promise that we are beneath the canopy of Divine love.

“Is Not it Good if Peace and Truth be in my Days?” 2 Kings 20:19

Thou my daily task shall give,
Day by day to Thee we live.
So shall added years fulfill,
Not my own, but my Father’s will.

The Secret of Antagonism Behind the Mid-East Crisis

There are three categories of hostility toward Israel today.

1. The first is opposition to Israel as a nation, her foreign policy, or to Zionism as a political and religious ideology.
   
2. The second category is a normal prejudice which is often directed against those of another tribe or another race or another faith or from another place.
   This second category includes the attitudes which majorities sometimes adapt toward minorities.
   
3. The third category of enmity portrays the Jew as the root of virtually all evil in the world, engaged in an eternal and universal conspiracy to infiltrate, corrupt, and ultimately rule the gentile world. The third category includes the desire of anti-Semitism to castigate, eliminate, and finally to physically exterminate the Jew.
   

Tuesday, June 4, 2002

June 6, 1944 is D-Day!

D-Day is one of the greatest of all military victories our country has ever experienced and probably will go unnoticed.

58 years ago I landed on Omaha Beach and many young men never lived to get off the beach.

It would be a good time to put the Cross back on the graves of those who died serving our country. They have crosses on the memorial sights for our heroes in England and France, but they removed them from our grave sights in our country. It is time to put them back. If you fight for your country and die for your country you should be able to display your faith.

“In Holiness and Righteousness Before Him All the Days of Our Life,” Luke 1:75

To many of the Promises related to the phrase “all the days,” we could add the many associated with “that day,” “days to come,” “in the days,” “my days,” etc. The reader will find it most profitable to look at the Promises connected with these particular “days.”

Whether our days are to be few or many, if we belong to Him Who is the “Ancient of days,” we have the assurance that each day and all the days, He will provide Himself to be our satisfying, daily portion.

“As Thy Days so Shall Thy Strength be,” Deuteronomy 33:25

We cannot tell what is possibly before us. It is so true that we do not know what a day may be bringing forth. We are not omniscient and therefore cannot read the future.

But to the Lord nothing is hid, and our tomorrows are known to Him. His Promise is that strength will be portioned to the needs and the trials each day may bring.

“As thy days,” implying that no matter what kind of days they may be, the Lord will be at hand to give when we want, as we want, and all we want.

“As Thy Days, so Shall Thy Strength be,” Deuteronomy 33:25

The Promise given to Moses was plain and positive, and the Lord will not fail in its fulfillment on our behalf.

It is useless to dwell on possible painful apprehensions of the future, or to anticipate coming sorrows. Be of good cheer. Promised strength will come with tomorrow’s trials. Where exigency arises, the Everlasting Arms will be around us to support us.

Day by day the Promise reads,
Daily strength for daily needs.
Casting foreboding fears away,
Take the manna of today.

“Be Not Anxious for the Morrow, For the Morrow Will be Anxious for Itself,” Matthew 6:34

Don’t worry at all then about tomorrow. Tomorrow can take care of itself. One day’s troubles are enough for one day. The method of living which our Lord here is emphasizing is that of facing each day as it comes.

We are not to grieve over yesterday’s failures, if forgiveness has been sought for them, or to be guilty of any anxiety or corroding care over tomorrow’s responsibilities.

The Lord Jesus Christ is urging us to fence off each day by itself, with its own duties, needs, and trials. And live life to its full as each day comes around. Live one day at a time!

Do today’s duty, fight today’s temptation, and do not weaken and distract yourself by looking forward to things which you cannot see, and could not understand if you saw them.

Monday, June 3, 2002

“His Brethren Were Content,” Genesis 37:27

The contentment realized by the cruel brothers of Joseph meant that his precious young life was spared a horrible end. Judah’s plea to sell Joseph rather than slay him satisfied a jealous feeling. But such a contentment as Joseph’s brothers experienced was false and fickle.

The cries and moans of the lad, as in anguish of soul he pleaded for mercy, was ever in their ears and haunted them through the days. Jealousy, deceit, and cruelty can never produce tree-abiding contentment. When spite had been meted out upon someone, we may say it is sweet. It is often likewise satanic.

“Would to God We Had Been Content,” Joshua 7:7

Constant discontent on the part of the Israelites earned them the displeasure and judgment of God.

How the people murmured during the wilderness journey. The journey over, Joshua at Ai suffered a humiliating defeat. But his wail of discontentment was unjustified. Israel had sinned, and they suffered. There is, of course, such a thing as a holy discontent which all of us must cultivate.

“Pilate, Willing to Content the People...Delivered Jesus,” Mark 15:15

Had Pilate acted the other way and released the Lord Jesus Christ, he would have gone down in history as a courageous man. He was guilty, however, of placing position and prestige before conscience. His better nature, as well as his better half, told him that Jesus Christ was innocent. But the crowd clamored for His death. So, what could he do?

Many a preacher has succumbed to Pilate’s temptation. Willing to content the worldly-minded around them, they have soft pedaled. Accommodating themselves to popular demand because they are anxious to receive a good living, preachers have been guilty of silence in the sterner side of the Gospel.

But one called of God, who is desirous of inheriting the Promises, must be willing to content the heart of the One sending him no matter what discontent or displeasure his faithful witness may produce.

“Goodness With Contentment is Great Gain,” 1 Timothy 6:6

The contentment that God blesses is not a self-manufactured one. It springs from a right relationship with Him, who is “the secret Source of every precious thing.” It is not a question of trying to be content under all circumstances, but a willingness to abide in the will of God that produces the coveted Grace we are considering. Truly, this godly contentment is great gain! There is a personal gain.

In a discontented world, the power is ours to exhibit a poise, a confidence, a tranquility commendable to our Christian profession. Then there is the great gain in influence. Tempted to fuss, fume, and worry, our God-given calm, even when we do suffer, brings those around whose minds are like a troubled sea, to a new understanding of the marvelous Grace of our Lord, Who gains in honor and praise as the result of our contentment.

“Godliness With Contentment is Great Gain,” 1 Timothy 6:6

If discontent sits heavy on your soul, look up to God and seek the calm and confident trust He can instill.

He is all-loving and all-wise, and because you are His, He knows all about your lot or state and is able to cause all things to work together for your good.

Do not despise “the little maid content spinning at your door.” Welcome her, and she will bless you.

God Has Promised Strength for the Day,
Rest for the labor, Light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing compassion, undying love.

In a year there are not only 365 days, but there are all kinds of days and the Promise is that no matter what kind of day follows day, “as our day, so shall our strength be.”

All the Days of My Life!

Sunday, June 2, 2002

False Objects of Confidence Are Judged

There is no need to linger over these passages. They speak for themselves. Men and material things fail, and therefore we dare not rely wholly upon them.

The promise of defeat and loss accompanies any false confidence, Prov 21:22.

Confidence–for Our Encouragement–the Basis of Unshaken Confidence is Given

The Bible clearly teaches that full confidence in God never passes unrewarded. Isaiah would have us know that whatever our lot may be, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength,” Isa 30:15.

Contentment!

The Bible is indispensable in that it not only Promises such measureless content, but reveals the secret of it. Such contentment is beneficial spiritually, mentally, and physically. Many physical ailments, like ulcers, would disappear if only people were more content.

Is not “worry” a form of discontent? Contentment also affects our mental outlook. It produces a peace, serenity, and satisfaction of mind so necessary to health.

Spiritually contentment enables a Christian to rest in the all-sufficiency of God and is a virtue recommending the Gospel to those who are plagued with discontented souls.

Contentment is the True Philosopher’s Stone

How illuminating these passages on contentment are, especially when they are studied in the light of their context.

Contentment must be allied with “godliness” as Paul reminded Timothy.

Saturday, June 1, 2002

“Comfort One Another With These Words,” 1 Thessalonians 4:18

What words? Well, we must read the narrative to find out the significance of this climatic exhortation. These articulate messengers of comfort were words of hope.

Loved ones had died and lonely hearts were anxious as to the whereabouts of, and union with, their dead. Would they rise again? Did the future offer any certainty of renewed fellowship?

In answer to these questions, Paul unfolded the Truth of Christ’s return. Our holy dead are happy with the Lord Jesus Christ. At His coming the bodies laid away are to rise again. Living saints are to be changed. The dead will be raised. And both caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Thus the rapture is a comforting hope. In this valley of tears there are multitudes of grief-stricken souls who wait to be comforted with these words.

God pity the pulpit or Christian guilty of a sinful silence when it comes to the Lord’s return. It is the message that this weary world needs.

“The Lord Hath Comforted His People and Will Have Mercy Upon His Afflicted,” Isaiah 49:13

This Word of Promise that the Lord will have mercy upon His afflicted, has a whole peal of bells connected with it. Hear their music. Sing, be joyful, break forth into singing.

As we think of all the comforts of God, we have something to sing about. Why should we sigh and sulk as we sometimes do, when we have such a God of comfort? And all the comforts of God?

As those redeemed by the sacrifice of His Son, God means for us to be singing people. Happy because of His unfailing love and Grace. Let us therefore rejoice and again I say rejoice.

“Blessed Are They That Mourn For They Shall be Comforted,” Matthew 5:4

All the “blesseds” of the Bible can be treated as Promises, and here is one of them. Whatever future application this Promise may have, the Christian can claim it now. Here our Lord unites mourning and comfort. It does not matter what the reason of your present mourning may be, whether it be over personal sins and sorrows, or the shortcomings of others. The Lord is at hand to ease the aching soul, to dry the tears, and to sanctify the grief.

In King Richard II, Shakespeare has the couplet, “comfort’s in Heaven and we are on earth, where nothing lives but crosses, care, and grief.”

It is certainly true that we live in a world of sin, sighs, and sobs. But it is not altogether true to say that our comfort is in Heaven. The Comforter is here with us here on earth. He is within us as the unfailing Source of comfort.

“I Will Allure Her and Speak Comfortably Unto Her,” Hosea 2:14

Satan may desire to have us, but the Lord’s desire is ever towards us. How He tries to match the subtle allurements of Satan with the powerful allurements of His Grace and goodness.

He here Promises to draw us apart to some separated place where He can commune with us and assure us of all He is in Himself. And of all He can be to us. This is also a Promise which experience alone can explain.

In the desert of affliction “He speaks to our heart,” which is the original of “speak comfortably.”

Comforted of God, it is our responsibility to emulate the Divine mission and seek to comfort others. If His comforts delight our soul, Psa 94:19, then may our ministry of comfort delight many a downcast soul.

Consolation!

There can be added to the Promises of comfort those relation to consolation, which implies the same virtue. Generally consolation signifies:

1. Spiritual joy
   “Be satisfied with the breast of her consolation,” Isa 66:11.
   
2. Christ and all His benefits
   “Waiting for the Consolation of Israel,” Luke 2:25.
   “Are the consolations of God small with thee?” Job 15:11, 21:2.
   “The cup of consolation to drink,” Jer 16:7.
   “Ye have received your consolation,” Luke 6:24.
   “Barnabas, the son of consolation,” Acts 4:36.
   “They rejoiced for the consolation,” Acts 15:31.
   “The God of consolation,” Rom 15:5.
   “Our consolation aboundeth in Christ,” 2 Cor 1:2, 6, 7.
   “The consolation wherewith He hath comforted you,” 2 Cor 7:7, Philemon 7.
   “If there be any consolation in Christ,” Phil 2:1.
   “Everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace,” 2 Thes 1:16.
   “A strong consolation,” Heb 6:18.
   

Check back tomorrow for more Divine Sugar Sticks!

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