Gems from December 2003

December 1st

"Looking unto Jesus." (Hebrews 12:2)

" 'Unto Jesus' and not at our sins, neither at the source from which they come (Matthew 15:19) nor the chastisement which they deserve. Let us look at ourselves, only to recognize how much need we have of looking to Him; and looking to Him, certainly not as if we were sinless; but on the contrary, because we are sinners, measuring the very greatness of the offence by the greatness of the sacrifice which has atoned for it and of the grace which pardons it. 

'For one look that we turn on ourselves', said an eminent servant of God (McCheyne) 'let us turn ten upon Jesus'. - 'If it is very sure' said Vinet, 'that one will not lose sight of his wretched state by looking at Jesus Christ crucified - because this wretched state is, as it were, graven upon the cross - it is also very sure that in looking at one's wretchedness one can lose sight of Jesus Christ; because the cross is not naturally graven upon the image of one's wretchedness'. 

And he adds 'Look at yourselves, but only in the presence of the cross, only through Jesus Christ'. Looking at the sin only gives death; looking at Jesus gives life. That which healed the Israelite in the wilderness was not considering his wounds, but raising his eyes to the serpent of brass. (Numbers 21:9)" (Translated from the French by Theodore Monod by Helen Willis)

N.J. Hiebert # 1720

December 2nd

"I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

"In the Old Testament, the lamb died for the shepherd - Genesis 4; in the New Testament the Shepherd died for the lambs. Of the salvation which that death procured, there are seven particulars in verse 9:


The Simplicity of it - 'I am the door'.
The Exclusiveness of it - 'By Me'.
The Universality of it - 'if any man'.
The Condition of it - 'enter in'.
The Certainty of it - 'he shall be saved'.
The Freedom of it - 'and shall go in and out'.
The Provision of it - 'and find pasture'.

"The discourse also speaks of the guidance that comes from His perfect leadership: 'When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him' (verse 4). A sheep has no homing instincts as other animals have. Open a gate and it will wander away, but will not return. It can be guided, therefore, only as it follows the shepherd." 
(Henry Durbanville - Present Comfort and Future Glory)

N.J. Hiebert # 1721

December 3rd

"If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14)

"Asking in the name of Christ is more than having a title through His name; it is, indeed, to appear before God with all the value and authority of that name. If, for example, I go to a bank and present a check, I ask for the value of the check in the name of him by whom it is drawn. So when I appear before God in the name of Christ, I present my supplications in all the value of that name to God. Hence it is that our Lord says, 'If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it,' because, indeed, it is the joy of the heart of God to grant every request that is so preferred. The promise is absolute, without any limitation; for the simple reason that nothing could be asked in the name of Christ which was not in accordance with the will of God. For we could not use His name for any request which was not begotten in our hearts by His own Spirit." (Edward Dennett - Twelve Letters to Young Believers)

N.J. Hiebert # 1722

December 4th

"The prayer of faith shall save the sick" (James 5:15).
"Abraham...against hope believed in hope" (Romans 4:18)

" What is the 'prayer of faith' that guarantees results? It is that prayer when we absolutely know the will of God. We are assured that 'if we ask anything according to His will' He will hear us and grant our request. However, in life there is not always a clear 'Thus saith the Lord.' We may not know God's will. So we pray the prayer of hope. We do as Abraham, and mingle our faith and our hope. We thoroughly believe that God is able to do what we need, we hope we are asking in His will. He will not fail us. (J. Boyd Nicholson)

N.J. Hiebert # 1723

December 5th

"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour" (Acts 3:1).

"How precious! The two men who went to the empty tomb together (John 20:40), now go up to the temple together. Although they were diverse in nature, they were united in purpose and in prayer. Every spiritual expedition to win souls for Christ must have prayer as its motivation. Note that it was the ninth hour, the hour when the Saviour triumphed over the evil one and gave the victory cry, 'It is finished!' How fitting that at that very hour, precious fruit of that finished work came to the Lord - a man was healed and souls were won to the Saviour." (Neil Dougal)

N.J. Hiebert # 1724

"The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." (Psalm 68:1)

"Some years ago while riding happily in my car on a sparsely traveled road, it suddenly slowed down, sputtered a moment, and with a final gasp, gave up the ghost - dead. There I was, miles away from a garage with only a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. And what I know about the mechanics of a car you can put in your eye. I remembered seeing others lift the hood of the car, so that seemed the proper thing to do. I had heard people say that the motor was missing. So I looked to see if the motor was still there - it was! Everything looked in order but - no life. Then a friend came along. He jiggled the carburetor and said, 'Plenty of gas.' He placed the screwdriver across a wire and said, 'Aha no juice,' and soon he came upon the culprit which caused all the trouble - a loose connection. One little bolt or screw or whatever it was had come loose and even the motor was dead. A twist with the pliers and zingo - off I went.
 
"Now herein lies a great lesson. All the hundreds of parts in an auto have their place of importance. To stop the car you need not have a 'missing motor,' or take out the battery, or smash the radiator, or let all the air out of the tires. One tiny short circuit is enough.

"We (all the redeemed ones) are members of the Body of Christ. Some are prominent members in the public eye, others are obscure, but all are important. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) Failure to do your part may hinder the whole body from its proper functioning. Your failure to pray will result in loss of power. Your failure to support the Gospel may cause the curtailment of the work of evangelism. Your little, if neglected, may be the last straw in precipitatating much harm.

"Today, do your part - it is not the prominence of your part - but faithfulness which counts." (Selected)

N.J. Hiebert # 1725

December 6th

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)

"The frightful guilt was altogether ours. The atoning sacrifice was altogether His. It was His love that led Him to accept this liability and to discharge it in His death. No mind can conceive or language describe what this entailed. Our feeble, finite minds come to the Word of God and with the Spirit's help we get some understanding of the price He paid for our justification. But God alone knew what was done when Jesus died. May we take what small appreciation we have and in love lay it at His feet today." (Drew Craig)

Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my Lord shouldest die for me. (Charles Wesley)

N.J. Hiebert # 1726

December 7th

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28 -30)

"There are, we may say, three rests spoken of in Scripture; first, the rest which, as sinners, we find in the accomplished work of Christ; second, the present rest, which, as saints, we find in being entirely subject to the will of God. This is opposed to restlessness. Thirdly, the rest that remains for the people of God." (C.H. Mackintosh)

N.J. Hiebert # 1727

December 8th

"And when he (Rehoboam) humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well." (2 Chronicles 12:12)

"Few things, perhaps - and this is exactly what this term give us to understand - but in the final analysis, something that God could acknowledge. Final judgment was deferred because of these few favorable little things that were pleasing to God. Let us apply ourselves, each one individually, to maintain these good things before Him. 

May those around us notice some measure of fear in the presence of His holiness, some measure of activity in His service. We may be sure that He will take it into account and that as long a sit continues He will not remove the lamp from its place." (H.L. Rossier - Meditations on 2 Chronicles)

N.J. Hiebert # 1728

December 9th

"He ... wondered that there was no intercessor." (Isaiah 59:16)

"Here is a striking statement: 'God wondered!' He wondered that, with all of His exceeding love and care over Israel, there was no one to intercede for His people. Does He not wonder today? God has put the mighty lever of prayer in the hands of His saints. The storm of wrath is gathering. His servants struggle at the oars against the towering waves. Pray! Pray! Use your time in prayer. God will honor faith and reward the importunate saint.

"In the same good, old-fashioned way,
His power is just the same today,
So why not labor, watch and pray? (Martin Luther)

N.J. Hiebert # 1729

December 10th

"He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy." (Job 37:13)

"When Sir James Thornhill was painting the inside of the cupola of St. Paul's, he stepped back one day to see the effect of his work, and came, without observing it, so near the edge of the scaffolding that another step or two would have proved his death. A friend who was there, and saw the danger, rushed forward, and snatching the brush rubbed it over the painting. Sir James, in a rage, sprang forward to save his work, and received the explanation, 'Sir, by spoiling the painting, I have saved the life of the painter.' Similarly the Lord, in His wisdom, often suddenly mars the pride of our glory; but who that sees the mercy He has in view, would not praise Him for His goodness?" (H. McD.)

N.J. Hiebert # 1730

December 11th

"... there was no profit under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
"... whosoever drinketh of the water that I (Jesus) shall give him shall never thirst." (John 4:14)

"What a difference between 'no profit under the sun' and 'never thirst'! - a difference entirely due simply to coming to Him - Jesus. Not a coming once and then departing form Him once more to try again the muddy, stagnant pools of this world: no, but to pitch our tents by the palm-trees and the springing wells of Christ's presence, and so to drink and drink and drink again of Him, the rock that follows His people. 

But is this possible? Is this not mere imaginative ecstasy, while practically such a state is not possible? No, indeed; for see that man, with all the same hungry longings of Solomon or any other child of Adam; having no wealth, outcast, and a wanderer without a home, but who has found something that has enabled him to say, 'I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere, and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me.' (Philippians 4:11-13)

"What, then, is the necessary logical deduction from two such pictures but this: The Lord Jesus infinitely surpasses all the world in filling the hungry heart of man." (F.C. Jennings - Meditations on Ecclesiastes)

N.J. Hiebert # 1731

December 12th

"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint."  (Luke 18:1)

"That word 'to faint' is en-kakein, formed from the word Kakos, 'cowardly.' But from 'cowardly' it came to mean anything that was 'bad, mean, base,' for to the Greeks cowardice was all that. The first part pf the word, en, means 'in.' The whole word taken together we may say means literally, 'Give in to evil.' We find it translated by such words as 'faint', 'lose heart', 'be discouraged', 'turn coward.'


"The evil about us is so strong, the battle is so fierce, and the result seems so hopeless, the sides appear so unequal; that, as we pray, we are tempted to say in our hearts, if not with our lips, It is hopeless, it is no use praying any more for that person: I'll give up. No! the Lord says, No! Do not give in! Do not lose heart! Do not be discouraged! Do not turn coward! In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.


"We are really on the winning side. The Lord is still on the throne. He still sitteth on the waterfloods, and the Lord on high is still greater than the noise of many waters, yea than the mighty waves of the sea. (Psalm 93:4) So, Cheer up! Take courage! Pray on! Pray always! and never turn coward, never give up." (G.C. Willis - Hid Treasures)

N.J. Hiebert # 1732

December 13th

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
(Revelation 2:4)

"The silence of Scripture often discloses sadness, as in the case of Ephesus. But the feelings of the Spirit of God cannot be restrained. In faithfulness, He lays His finger on the sore spot. In remonstrance, all the more powerful because of its restraint and brevity, He says, 'Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.'

"The touching proof and appeal of the Lord speaks to our hearts that He values our love, and it is in the healthful exercise of this bond that we are kept. May this have a special voice to each one of us at this present time." (A.J.P.)

N.J. Hiebert # 1733

December 14th

"My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king ..." (Psalm 45:1)

"The margin shows the meaning of inditing to be boiling, or bubbling up. I fear we are not often n this state. It is a great thing to have the heart boiling up with love to Christ. Instead of this, we are often at the freezing point -- very far from the boiling point in the measure of our devotedness to Christ. What the 'good matter' is, the verse explains: 'I speak of the things which I have made touching the King'; that is, what I know of Him -- not what I have received from Him, but what He is to me. It is the place His blessed Person has in my soul." (W.T.P. Wolston)

N.J. Hiebert # 1734

December 15th

"Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." (Psalm 62:8)

"God always desires us to trust in Him, and He is at all times worthy of out trust. Let us trust Him, and we shall conquer our fears; patiently endure our trials; successfully pursue our work; rise above our cares, and overcome our foes."That we may trust Him, He has revealed His character, pledged His word, told us that He will not be wroth with us, and assured us that He is unchangeable." (Christian Truth - Vol. 20 - 1967)

N.J. Hiebert # 1735

December 16th

"For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36,37)

"There is nothing which the men of this world dread more than solitude and reflection. They would rather be overpressed with engagements than have leisure for thought. The conscience, ill at ease, will at such times lift up its voice; but its warning voice must be hushed by that convenient word duty, and its honest speech is soon and willingly forgotten. Sins - many sins - are there, and the thought of God as the judge of sin is dreadful. The condition of the soul is such that it cannot bear the light, therefore darkness is loved. The activities of this present life are sought and welcomed, that the crushing weight of reflection may be escaped. The pleasures of the world, too, in due time and place, serve a similar purpose.

"Thus every care is taken that solitude may be avoided, and that there may be no opportunity for calm and serious reflection. The solemn and eternal realities of the soul have no portion of thought or time allowed them; the higher, nobler, and better part of man is totally neglected, and left uncared for, and unprovided for, notwithstanding its deep, pressing and eternal need."
(Andrew Miller - Song of Solomon)

N.J. Hiebert # 1736

December 17th

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

"Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewa on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the west.


"Mackenzie's earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set our in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn't empty into the Pacific but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the 'River of Disappointment.'


"Many people are following religions that will lead to ultimate disappointment. Because they are not based on Christ, they are false and will not lead to heaven. Only Jesus, the eternal Son of God, can take us to the waters of eternal life.

"We must not be fooled by those who teach another way to God. And we must help others to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is man's only hope. By trusting Him as our Savior, we will not end up on a 'River of Disappointment.' " - D.C.E.


There is no other name on earth
By whom salvation's given
Save Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
God's precious gift from heaven. - Stairs

Religion may inform and reform, but only Christ can transform.
(Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (July 1990), Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission.)

N.J. Hiebert # 1737

December 18th

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." (Romans 13:1)

"God has placed and preserved the Bible in this world to maintain His own authority in it, and wherever it has gone, and wherever any nation has owned it as the Word of the living God, there has been blessing and prosperity; but when the Scriptures are overthrown infidelity sets in, and revolution follows.

"The overthrowing, therefore, of the Divine authority of the Scriptures is nothing more nor less than the overthrowing of the AUTHORITY OF GOD in this world, and the next thing to the overthrowing of GOD'S AUTHORITY is the overthrowing the authority of 'the powers that be which are ordained of God.' Lawlessness gets the upper hand. (W.M. Sibthorpe - The Ways of God With Man)

N.J. Hiebert # 1738

December 19th

"For whether we live, we live unto the Lord." (Romans 14:8)
"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men." (2 Corinthians 3:2)

"Of the popular nineteenth-century Scottish preacher and author, William Arnot, it was said, 'His preaching is good. His writing is better. His living is best of all.' What about you and me? Many of us talk a good Christian life. But is our living for Christ, observed by the people around us, 'best of all'? " (W. Ross Rainey)Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do,
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free -
This is the pathway of blessing for me. (Thomas O. Chisholm)

N.J. Hiebert # 1739

December 20th

" For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

"We should ever remember that Christianity is not a set of opinions, a system of dogmas, or a number of views; it is pre-eminently a living reality - a personal, practical, powerful thing, telling itself out in all the scenes and circumstances of daily life, shedding its hallowed influence over the entire character and course, and imparting its heavenly tone to every relationship which one may be called of God to fill.

"There may be clear views, correct notions, sound principles, without any fellowship with Jesus; but our orthodox creed without Christ will prove a cold, barren, dead thing." (Taken from - Food For the Desert)

N.J. Hiebert # 1740

December 21st

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest is charity (love)."
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

" 'Faith, hope, charity,' or love, are not put accidentally here. They are the three things that are characteristic of the christian state now, 'putting on the breastplate of faith and charity [the same word]; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.' (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Some ten times in the New Testament faith, hope, and love are put together. They are positive elements, faith and hope referring to the present state I am in, an charity (love) to the present and eternal state. Faith lays hold of an object, and hope desires it. The word 'charity' is an ecclesiastical word. 

Love is really what God is. He that dwells in love dwells in God, and this never fails. When we possess a thing, we have done with faith and hopes as to it: they have passed into positive fruition, as we say. There will be love in heaven, but we shall not have faith there, because there will be sight; and we shall not have hope there, because we have got possession. 'Now abideth' shows the three as present things, but LOVE never fails." (J.N. Darby)

N.J. Hiebert # 1741

December 22nd

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest is charity (love)."
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

" 'Faith, hope, charity,' or love, are not put accidentally here. They are the three things that are characteristic of the christian state now, 'putting on the breastplate of faith and charity [the same word]; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.' (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Some ten times in the New Testament faith, hope, and love are put together. They are positive elements, faith and hope referring to the present state I am in, an charity (love) to the present and eternal state. Faith lays hold of an object, and hope desires it.

The word 'charity' is an ecclesiastical word. Love is really what God is. He that dwells in love dwells in God, and this never fails. When we possess a thing, we have done with faith and hopes as to it: they have passed into positive fruition, as we say. There will be love in heaven, but we shall not have faith there, because there will be sight; and we shall not have hope there, because we have got possession. 'Now abideth' shows the three as present things, but LOVE never fails." (J.N. Darby)

N.J. Hiebert # 1742

December 23rd

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them."
(1 Timothy 4:15)

" 'Meditation,' says William Bridge, 'is the exercise of a man's soul whereby, calling to remembrance what he does already know, he further thinks on it, and debates on it within himself for his own profit and benefit'."It is illustrated in the answer of the young lady who was once asked to explain what was meant by 'devotional reading'. She replied: 'Yesterday morning I received a letter from one to whom I have given my heart, and devoted my life. I freely confess to you that I have read that letter five times - not because I did not understand it at the first reading, nor because I expected to commend myself to the author by frequent reading of his epistle. It was not with me a question of duty, but simply one of pleasure. I read it because I am devoted to the one who wrote it. To read the Bible with the same motive, is to read it devotionally.' " (George Henderson - In Pastures Green)

N.J. Hiebert # 1743

December 24th

"... they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped HIM: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto HIM gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11) 
"And being found in fashion as a man, HE humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
(Philippians 2:8)

"The blessed Lord, when He was upon the cross, had nothing. He had not where to lay His head; even His very garments were taken from Him. He was buried in a grave which belonged not to Him or to His family. On earth He was poor to the very last; none so absolutely poor as He. He rose again, and then declared that all power is given unto Him by the Father in heaven and in earth. He has appointed Him the 'heir of all things.' As man, He is to inherit all things; as Jesus, God and man in one person. All angels, all human beings upon the earth, all powers in the universe, when asked, 'Who is Lord of all?' will answer, 'Jesus, the Son of Mary.' Our poor earth, Bethlehem-Ephratah, little amidst the thousands of this world, has been chosen that out of us should come He who is the heir of all things." (Adolph Saphir)

N.J. Hiebert # 1744

December 25th

"Let us now go even into Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." 
(Luke 2:15)

"In their artless way, they acted upon what was made known to them, upon the report of the angels; and when they had proved its truth, they spread the news. They were anticipating thus far the way of grace. Tidings of such great goodness and joy could not be, ought not to be, confined to the breasts of those to whom it was first communicated. They made it known wherever they could.


" 'But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.' A deeper feeling, no doubt, wrought in her mind. The time was not come for the propagation of the Gospel which was in store: the basis for it was not even laid. But she who must needs have been intimately interested in the wonders that surrounded her - she weighed all, and treasured it all up in her heart. The shepherds, too, simple men, favoured as they had been of God, returned, glorifying and praising Him 'for all things that they had heard and seen, as it had been said to them.' " (William Kelly - Exposition of the Gospel of Luke)

N.J. Hiebert # 1745

December 26th

"We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
(Acts 4:20)

"When God condescends to speak, His claims are supreme, paramount to every consideration, whatever may be the consequences entailed. This principle was recognized by the builders of a later day, Peter and John, who, when forbidden to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, replied, 'Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:19, 20.) In truth, faith links itself with God Himself, with His objects and His power, and can thus peacefully leave every other question with Him." 
(Edward Dennett - Ezra)

N.J. Hiebert # 1746

December 27th

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: But a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)

" Nothing breaks the system like gloom and melancholy. When the heart is filled with joy, the whole being is refreshed thereby. The merriment of the Christian is far more real than the mere frivolity of the worldling. He is able in all circumstances to rejoice in the Lord, and thus be lifted above what would depress and weigh down the soul. Then, in place of manifesting his happiness in the empty ways of the world, he can sing and make melody in his heart unto the source and object of his gladness. 'Is any merry? let him sing psalm's" (James 5:13).

The man of the world has to resort to various expedients to relieve his uneasiness and rouse his spirits. Hence his eager participation in all kinds of diversions; the object of which is to enable him, for the time being, to forget. On the contrary, it is when the child of God remembers his place and portion in Christ that his joy overflows." (H.A. Ironside - Proverbs)

N.J. Hiebert # 1747

December 28th

"I John... was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 1:9)

"Most persons around us now have no objection to the outward forms of religion, and will allow you to hold what doctrines you please, provided you keep them to yourself; but the unrenewed mind still kicks against faithful testimony in life and word to the infinite and glorious perfections of the person, work, offices, fitness, and fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If Christians now bore distinctly 'the testimony of Jesus Christ,' we may be sure that it would still be offensive to many; for the offence of the cross has not ceased." (H.H. Snell - Streams of Refreshing)

N.J. Hiebert # 1748

December 29th

"Be careful (anxious) about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)

"He would have us, in the intimacy of His love, to be without reserve before Him - all told out, nothing kept back. Our danger never lies in telling Him too much, but just in the opposite direction. ... He loves to hear the cry of His children, for He well knows that it is the expression of their confidence in Him. It may be, as it often is, a foolish cry, but still it is the cry of His own children, and He never wearies of listening to it." (J.N. Darby)

N.J. Hiebert # 1749

December 30th

"Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee." (Psalm 76:10)

"It is wonderful to hear those who love the Lord Jesus speak well of Him. But listen to the remarkable insights that even the Lord's enemies revealed concerning Him. Caiaphas explained, 'It is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people.' Pilate declared, 'I find no fault in Him,' and exhorted the crowd to 'Behold the Man!' The chief priests reasoned, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save.' The thief on the cross discerned, ' This man hath done nothing amiss.' And the Roman centurion concluded, 'Truly, this was the Son of God.' On the subject of Christ, even His enemies acknowledged His greatness. May we do the same." (Rex Trogdon)

N.J. Hiebert # 1750

December 31st

"But grow (present imperative) in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

"For years it has been known that human knowledge is increasing at a phenomenal rate. From 4000 BC to Christ's birth, it is estimated that it doubled once. In our generation, human knowledge is doubling in less than two years. What about our growth in our Lord's grace (the exercise of spiritual graces) and knowledge (the knowledge of Christ through the Word)? A new year starts tomorrow, How much have we grown in the past year?" (W. Ross Rainey)

MORE ABOUT JESUS WOULD I KNOW,
MORE OF HIS GRACE TO OTHERS SHOW,
MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE,
MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME.

(Eliza E. Hewitt)

N.J. Hiebert # 1751