Gems from June 2010

June 1

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
(Matthew 5:16)

Jesus did not say "Shine your light" but "Let it shine." It will not be necessary to flare your goodness to attract attention. Some make a business of trying to be influential, but influence is a by-product, not a business. The fragrance of a flower is not its main business. To produce fruit, results, is your business; your fragrance, your influence, is incidental.

Speaking of business, what a difference there is between busyness men and businessmen! The former just do things the latter get things done. Is your work a business or just a busyness?

My Bible says: "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." Don't bother with the wind and clouds; stick to your farming. Spiritually speaking, don't bother with doubts, fears, appearances, uncertainties; live up to the best you know. Too many Christians watch the elements, looking for suitable intellectual states and pleasant emotional conditions, and there is no harvest. Ours is to trust and obey in season and out of season. There are no ideal farming years, but we usually have crops. Grow the best life you can with the soil you have and don't think too much about the weather. (Vance Havner - In Tune With Heaven - March 16, 1930)

N.J. Hiebert - 4086

June 2

"Let your moderation be be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand (is near)."
(Philippians 4:5)

- The man who walks in the Spirit will be filled with Christ; and, being filled with Him, he will not be occupied with suffering, but with Him for whom he suffers.

- One who comes forward much in public, will need that chastened spirit, that matured judgment, that subdued and mortified mind, that broken will, that mellow tone, which are the sure and beautiful result of God's secret discipline; and it will generally be found that those who take a prominent place without more or less of the above moral qualifications, will, sooner or later, break down.

- The only true place of dignity and power is the place of felt-weakness and dependence. (Food for the Desert)

N.J. Hiebert - 4087

June 3

The Christian Speech # 1

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
(Colossians 4:6)

Does not have to be taken with a grain of salt.

"Sound speech , that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (Titus 2:8)

Is not wild or careless

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."
(Ephesians 5:3,4)

Is not off-colour.

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
(Matthew 12:36,37)

Is not mere idle chatter.
(TCNL)

N.J. Hiebert - 4088

June 4

The Christian Speech # 2

"Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation."
(James 5:12, Matthew 5:33-37)

Is characterized by simple honesty

"Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
(Matthew 5:22)

Is not abusive.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice."
(Ephesians 4:31, Colossians 3:8)

Is pleasant and good-humoured.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed our of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
(Ephesians 4:29)

Is worth-while.

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."
(1 Timothy 5:13)

Includes no gossip.
(TCNL)

"Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Psalm 141:3)

N.J. Hiebert - 4089

June 5

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not know Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me."
(John 17:24,25)

- When speaking of Himself he says: "Father" (verses 1,5,21,24).
- When speaking of the disciples He says: "Holy Father" (verse 11).
- When speaking of the world he says: "Righteous Father" (verse 25).

Comparing the commendatory prayer which we have here attended - John 17, with the prayer in Gethsemane - Matthew 26; and the tranquil converse to which we have listened, with the terrible scenes which follow; we feel the marvel and the majesty of that self-suppression which has secured these hours of sacred calm for the words of foreseeing love; and again we own the truth of the opening words: "When Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart our of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, HE LOVED THEM UNO THE END." (His Last Words - Henry Durbanville)

N.J. Hiebert - 4090

June 6

"He did eat continually at the King's table."
(2 Samuel 9:13)
"And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life."
(2 Kings 25:30)

It is not occasional but continual feeding on Christ that really satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. "He did eat continually at the king's table." It is "he that cometh to Me" who "shall never hunger," not "he who did come." "To whom coming," always coming, never going away, because we "have tasted that the Lord is gracious," we shall be "built up." If we really are guests at the King's table in its fullest sense - if we are feeding upon Christ Himself, and not on any shadow of the true substance - we must be satisfied. Here is a strong, severe test. Christ must satisfy; then, if we are not satisfied, it must be because we are not feeding on Him wholly and only. The fault is not in the provision which is made - "For all that came unto King Solomon's table, they lacked nothing." (Opened Treasures - Francis Ridley Havergal)

N.J. Hiebert - 4091

June 7

"If any man sin , we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)

Why do I need an Advocate? Because I have a great adversary. An advocate is one who goes into court to represent you and to plead your case. You cannot do it yourself, but you go to your advocate, and he goes to plead your case against your adversary. So Satan is called in Revelation 12:10, the "acccuser of our brethren, which accused them before out God day and night." The very moment we sin the devil constitutes himself the prosecuting attorney in the high court of heaven.

You remember that time when you were guilty of that evil thing - you know the thing that you cannot forget - that moment the devil went right into the presence of God and said, "Is that one of your Christians? Listen to what he is saying now; see what he is doing - a Christian?" He is there to accuse, but the blessed Lord is there, and shows His wounds and spreads His hands, and says, "My Father, I took all that into account when I died on Calvary's tree."
(H.A. Ironside - The Epistles of John)

I hear the accuser roar
Of ills that I have done;
I know them well, and thousands more,
Jehovah findeth none."

N.J. Hiebert - 4092

June 8

"He (Moses) went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews, strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, 'wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?' And he said, 'who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killest the Egyptian?' And Moses feared, and said, 'surely this thing is known'."
(Exodus 2:11-14)

We are being watched constantly though we often do not notice it. The world watches us to see if we will slip up and are so quick to accuse us of anything they consider wrong. It does not matter how we see it or justify it, their standards prevail and it often causes us fear. The fear of man brings a snare and this is quite evident here. God's purposes will be done despite the world which often ridicules and persecutes those who act for Him. We must be very careful not to let the flesh get the best of us and act unwisely or too quickly for it often tarnishes our testimony and throws away glory that would go to God.

Your sin will always find you out. When we speak or act in unrighteousness we leave a trail behind us that some may follow. Those things we think we have hidden God will allow to be revealed to reveal in us the true state of our hearts. We cannot do wrong that right may come of it though God may use our indiscretion to His purposes. The same hands that ended a life are directed by God to bring forth life by aiding the shepherds, marrying and having a son. (Note verses 15-25) (Meditations in Exodus - B.R.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4093

June 9

"The coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
(James 5:8)

It is very blessed to see the different thoughts the mind of Christ has, in different epistles, in connection with His coming.

- First, in Ephesians 5:27, He presents to Himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, as the bride.

- Second, in Philippians 3:21, poor things groaning in vile bodies - He will work in them, and change the body of humiliation into a glorious body.

-Third, in Colossians 3:3-4, life hid in Him, to be manifested with Him in glory. In a little while, He Who is your life shall come forth, and you with Him.

- Fourth, in 1 John 3:2, the relationship, formed by Christ, of sons to the Father, and He will treat them as sons, they shall behold Him and be like Him, He will show Himself to them as He is. (Gleanings From the Teaching of G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 4094

June 10

"I (Paul) endure all things for the elect's sake."
(2 Timothy 2:10)

Did Christ suffer nothing in it? Look at Him, weary with His journey, sitting at the well, and a poor, wretched, vile sinner coming to meet Him, to whom He gives the water of life. There He finds meat to eat that they know not of, and He says, "The fields are white unto harvest" (John 4:35). He was as fresh and happy in His testimony while sitting at the well with this poor woman as if all Jerusalem had received Him, because the fountain was within. In Him was "a well of water springing up." So with us. If we are going on with Him we shall be "troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8,9). The testimony is in the earthen vessel, it is true, but the fountain is within, and they were to be perfectly dependent on God, and independent of everything else. (The Gospel of Luke - JND)

N.J. Hiebert - 4095

June 11

"And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified Him. . . ."
(John 19:17-18)

When George Nixon Briggs was governor of Massachusetts, three of his friends visited the Holy Land. While they were there they climbed Golgotha's slope and cut from the summit a small stick to be uses as a cane. On their return they presented it to the Governor, saying, "We want you to know that when we stood on Calvary, we thought of you." He accepted the gift with gratitude and courtesy but tenderly remarked: "I appreciate your consideration of me, gentlemen, but I am still more thankful for Another who thought of me there!" Yes, He thought of you, He thought of me, when hanging there in agony! Certainly a life of gratitude and praise is demanded by such a sacrifice. "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!" (Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 4096

June 12

"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears . . ."
(2 Corinthians 2:4)

Looking to feelings has caused much misery to people who did not look away from themselves to the finished work of Christ; because they did not feel that they were saved, they therefore concluded that they were not. This has been a great mistake. Feelings are no guarantee of anything; feelings and emotions have been aroused in people by music, by stories dramatically told, both good and bad. Religious feelings can be very deceptive; they may mean no more that those displayed when the women of Jerusalem wept as Jesus went forth carrying His cross. Much may be said against any reliance on feelings, however deep they may seem to be.

But there is plenty of scriptural proof that tender feeling is produced by the Spirit of God, and should not be suppressed, even as in many instances it cannot be.

. . . Some have been blamed for an excessive exhibition of emotion, and we agree that there should be self-control; all the same, it is true that he who never feels too much never feels enough. But it is the absence of appropriate feeling which is most frequently to be regretted. Service without sympathy and solicitude is like the rainless clouds that pass over the thirsty plains and leave no blessing behind them. The excitement of the flesh is indeed to be deprecated, but the stir of ardent feeling in the soul produced by the Spirit of God leads to action, and the best things ever done for God have been effected under its impulse. The liquid, glowing metal may be poured into the mold and take the shape the workman designs, but if he waits till the iron is cold his work is a failure. (Christian Truth - Volume 13 - May 1960)

N.J. Hiebert - 4097

June 13

"They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them."
(1 John 4:5)

Christian parents who have a godly care for the welfare of their children may well be concerned as next September approaches. This month means the return to schools with all their dangerous influences. There on the one hand stands the divine instruction to "bring them up in the nurture (discipline) and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4), and on the other hand is the system of compulsory education which turns them over to the ungodly (generally speaking) for much of their "admonition," or instruction.

We should not under-estimate the evil influences which are brought to bear on our children in the schools and colleges. Instead of the instruction of the Lord, the very Word of the Lord will be called in question; and deliberate attempts will be made to shake their faith in God and the Holy Scriptures. They are taught to reason, and then by that process to reason away divine inspiration and all that it reveals. The statistics of the percentages of young people who come out of schools and colleges with their faith shaken is staggering.

Besides this danger to their faith is the influence of the world's teaching which tends to obscure the Christian's hope and calling. The whole system of the world's philosophy is calculated to instill pride, and imbue with the spirit of aggrandizement; or, in other words, it fosters and promotes the idea that each one should strive to be great in this world. There is not the least thought given to the fact that a Christian is called out of this world to live for the Lord Jesus and to wait for Him. Such a thing as a Christian learning in school what he needs to know in order to earn an honest living while he is going through this world is never considered.

Of course we should not expect anything else from the world; "they are of the world: therefore speak they of the world." Satan is the god and prince (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he makes good use of the whole educational system to further his ends. (Paul Wilson - Christian Truth - Volume 23 - August 1970)

N.J. Hiebert - 4098

June 14

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the CROSS."
(Galatians 6:14)

The Victoria Cross is perhaps the most renowned medal for bravery. Recipients are rare and most who won it did so at the cost of their life. Alone, one recipient charged three machine gun nests, dying as the last one surrendered. Another rescued his aircrew from their burning plane but perished himself in the flames. Written on the Victoria Cross is the simple phrase "FOR VALOUR." God has charged us to battle for Him, to carry the good news of the gospel to the perishing. We should be doing it for a CROSS too - HIS CROSS. In light of His sacrifice we should be prepared to sacrifice as well. How often we fail for a simple lack of valour. God forgive us. (S. McEachern)

N.J. Hiebert - 4099

June 15

The Steering Star
(Old English name for the Pole Star.)

"I am . . . the bright and morning star."
(Revelation 22:16)

Not by the meteor's wandering flight,
Not by some comet's slow return,
Not by the falling star's brief light,
Of the false suns that palely burn;

But by the Pole-Star's steadfast glow,
The fixed planets that abide,
When fogs are thick and clouds hang low,
The mariner his bark will guide.

Oh, wavering lights of man's device,
Oh, burned-out suns of human thought,
Your fitful gleams will not suffice
To find the haven that we sought,

Light of the world, our hope is here;
Star of our faith, we look to Thee;
Sure Word of God, unwavering, clear,
Guide Thou our souls across the sea.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

N.J. Hiebert - 4100

June 16

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 14:12)

The world through which we travel is steadily slipping further and further into moral corruption and darkness. Do remember that though the present world has entered (as far as we can determine) its seventh millennium, it is the same world that was ruined by Adam and Eve's sin when death came in - (Genesis 2:17, 3:19) and developed into a Godless moral system by Cain (Genesis 4:16), when he went out from the presence of God. Self-willed Cain determined that he would live his life without reference to God, and would still find happiness and satisfaction in his journey of life. But for all the science, arts, and commerce he placed in his city - world (Genesis 4:19-22), he could not rid it of the results and wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Everyone who has lived in Cain's world (save Enoch and Elijah) have had their journey through it end in the same way - by death.

Oh, this world can look very bright, immensely appealing and full of promise - especially in these western lands of material abundance. The world we are familiar with seems to present endless and exciting opportunities for energetic, bright and eager young people to gain happiness, acquire wealth, and achieve satisfaction during their life's journey. The world holds out its hand to you, beckoning with a seemingly friendly gesture, offering to help you through life's paths and byways. It promises to help you achieve great joy, prominent social status and immense material wealth if you will agree to "loosen up" and join with it in fellowship.

But before you do, look very carefully at the hand being held out to you. That friendly looking hand has been cleverly disguised to hide the blood stains of our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son. Never was there a more false, worthless offer of fellowship, help and guidance given by a more treacherous, murderous companion than what the world offers you. May God graciously open your eyes as He did those of the young man in Elisha's day - (2 Kings 6:17) to see the real truth of what the world is and the true value of what it offers. "the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:17)

Do follow the Godly wisdom found in Proverbs, in relation to this world. "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:14,15). Remember that One only - He Who is called the way, the truth and the life - can be fully and unreservedly trusted to guide you safely through your journey. (The Journey of life - D.N.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4101

June 17

"In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:6)

Sin cannot flourish where godliness is cultivated.

The human spirit fails us unless the Holy Spirit fills us.

Instead of giving up on a person give that person to God.

Satan may win some battles, but he has already lost the war.

To withstand temptation, stand with Christ.

God loves you and me - let's love each other.

Be ready for our last moment by being ready every moment.
(Some Thoughts to Consider - R.K.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4102

June 18

"He was moved with compassion."
(Matthew 9:36)

"The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
(James 5:11)

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." I get the knowledge of what was in God's heart as proved by His acts. He has thought of my state when I was a mere sinner and needed His love - God commendeth His love towards towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I have thus the heart of God as the spring and source of all.

He can pity with the utmost tenderness for He came into the very centre of our misery.

If man had no heart for Christ, Christ had a heart for man.

There is heart enough in Jesus to open the heart of the vilest sinner. The sinner finds he has a title in God's heart when he can find none in his own. The woman that was a sinner loved much because much was forgiven her (Luke 7:38-39). It was a broken heart that met the heart of God, and the heart of God met a broken heart. It is wonderful when the heart of man really meets the heart of God.

The hand of God never deals but in concert with His heart of infinite love towards us. . . . And even if He sees good to allow a sorrow to arise - yea, to send it - it is from a hand which never mistakes, nor fails in answering to a heart whose love is perfect. (Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest - JND)

N.J. Hiebert - 4103

June 19

"My peace I give unto you."
(John 14:27)

My peace I give in times of deepest grief,
Imparting calm and trust and My relief.

My peace I give when prayer seems lost, unheard;
Know that My promises are ever in My Word.

My peace I give when thou art left alone -
The nightingale at night has sweetest tone.

My peace I give in time of utter loss,
The way of glory leads right to the cross.

My peace I give when enemies will blame,
Thy fellowship is sweet through cruel shame.

My peace I give in agony and sweat,
For mine own brow with bloody drops was wet.

My peace I give when nearest friend betrays -
Peace that is merged in love, and for them prays.

My peace i give when there's but death for thee -
The gateway is the cross to get to Me.
(L.S.P. - Streams in the Desert)

N.J. Hiebert - 4104

June 20

" . . . the clouds also dropped water."
(Judges 5:4)

Have you ever wondered how the sea birds get their drinking water? Sometimes they sail thousands of miles from shore. What are their springs amid those wastes of tossing brine?

Not below, but above: in the clouds!

When a storm comes up, if you are on shipboard you may see the birds winging toward it from all directions. They have scented it from afar with their wonderful bird organs, and they haste to their descending springs. They wheel under the drops gleefully and gulp down in glad mouthfuls. Thus they find fresh water in mid ocean.

Fellow Christians, when next you find yourselves in the desert places of life, when you can see nothing but liquid salt even to the encircling horizon, when your parched tongues and your aching souls cry out for the water of life, seek not beneath you for the well springs of happiness, but look above! There in God's blue they gather, the soft caravans of bounty. Dark on the underside, you know that the heavenward portion is all aglow with God's smile. Rest on the waves, and turn your faces to the sky. The windows of heaven will open, and God will pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room to receive it.
(Amos R. Wells - Traveling Toward Sunrise)

N.J. Hiebert - 4105

June 21

"Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."
(John 15:8)

Most of us have probably not seen a banana plant nor seen how its fruit is harvested. I was shocked when the man who was going to give me a bunch of bananas chopped down the entire plant with several quick blows of his machete. He then cut off the bunch of bananas and gave it to me.

Typically a banana plant begins as a shoot of the mother plant. It will grow and in half a year produce a large flower which over the next six months will develop into a bunch of bananas. This may have many large bananas or may be smaller having fewer in number, depending on the variety but also very much on the rainfall and the fertility of the soil. Once the bananas are ripe the whole stalk is cut down. The purpose of the plant is to produce a beautiful, full bunch of bananas plus one or more shoots which will then develop into fruit-producing plants.

Isn't that like us? Is this not the Lord's purpose for us, that we produce fruit in a similar way? How wonderful when there is spiritual production from our life, new shoots who will also grow up into fruitful persons. We are to be witnesses for the Lord, sharing the gospel so that others will come to know Him as their Saviour too. May we be faithful by being occupied in so serving, in whatever way He enables us. The Lord said that the harvest truly is ripe; the labourers are few. Are we doing our part?

But not only that, we should produce fruit to satisfy God's heart, just as the delicious banana satisfies us. (Where bananas grow, they are often eaten as food, not just a snack or dessert.) The banana plant is cut down to harvest the fruit. It is not important itself, nor are we. We exist for the Lord and His honour and glory. That is our purpose in life. Do we really believe this or are we living for ourselves? (A. Bloc - The Lord is Near 2007)

N.J. Hiebert - 4106

June 22

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
(Acts 16:31)

"Someone asked Martin Luther, do you feel that you are saved?
He answered:

No, but I'm as sure as there is a God in heaven,
For feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving,
My warrant is the Word of God, naught else is worth believing;
Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token,
There's One greater than my heart, whose Word cannot be broken;
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word, till soul and body sever,
For though all things shall pass away, His Word shall perish never!"
(Author unknown - Submitted by a reader CHK)

N.J. Hiebert - 4107

June 23

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
(Ephesians 2:8)

When God said to Abraham, "In thee and in thy Seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed," He did not put in any conditions whatsoever. It was a divine promise. God said, "I am going to do it; I do not ask anything of you, Abraham, I simply tell you what I will do." That is grace. Grace does not make terms with people; grace does not ask that we do anything in order to procure merit. Many people talk about salvation by grace who do not seem to have the least conception of what grace is. They think that God gives them the grace to do the things that make them deserving of salvation. That is not it at all.

We read, "Being justified freely by His grace" (Romans 3:24), and that word "freely" literally means "gratuitously." The same word is translated "without a cause" in another portion of Scripture. It is said of the Lord Jesus Christ that the Scripture was fulfilled which was written concerning Him, "They hated Me without a cause" (John 15:25).

Jesus never did anything to deserve the bad treatment that men gave Him, and you and I cannot do one thing to deserve the good treatment that God gives us. Jesus was treated badly by men freely; we who are saved are treated well by God freely. I hope that you understand this wonderful fact, and that your soul is thrilling with the joy of it! What a marvelous thing to be saved by grace! One reason that God saves people by grace is that, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," and He must have the more blessed part. (H.A. Ironside - Epistle to the Galatians)

N.J. Hiebert - 4108

June 24

" . . . My speech shall distil as the dew . . ."
(Deuteronomy 32:2)

There is a beauty of language, just as there is a beauty of face. There is a harmony of words, just as there is a harmony of sky and stars, green foliage, and crystal waters. There is a delicacy of speech, just as there is a delicacy of tints in the masterpiece on canvas, in the shimmer of light on the dewdrop, in the semi-transparent petal of the woodland flower.

Beautiful nature is the robe of God, woven on the loom of His everlasting word.

The beautiful word, placed in the depths of mind, beautifies the language of life. Kind words, firm words, tender words, righteous words, loving words, draw on these elements of God, bringing them to bloom in human life, as the wick draws the oil and produces light.

The beautiful word makes beautiful faces, beautiful manners, beautiful lives. (Selected)

WATCH YOUR WORDS

Keep a watch on your words, my darlings,
For words are wonderful things;
They are sweet, like the bees' fresh honey,
Like the bees, they have terrible stings.

They can bless like the warm, glad sunshine,
And brighten a lonely life;
They can cut, in the strife of anger,
Like an open, two-edged knife.

May peace guard your lives, and ever
From the time of your early youth,
May the words that you daily utter
Be the words of beautiful truth.
(Selected)

Select your words as you would choice flowers for a friend.
Be a model in the art of fine speech.

"Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth;
keep the door of my lips."
(Psalm 141:3)

"Let the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer."
(Psalm 19:14)

N.J. Hiebert - 4109

June 25

"God be merciful to me a sinner."
(Luke 18:13)

The hard part in getting saved is admitting our sin and our guilt. Man struggles vigorously to maintain his innocence and goodness. I have seen felons in jail look me in the eye and say, "Really, I have a good heart. I have just made a few mistakes." The Bible says that our heart is not good. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). We are born sinners, born wrong. And we have not just some mistakes - we have sinned against a holy God. Christ has come and died to bring God's mercy to us. Have you cried out to God for His mercy? Believe in Him and be saved to day. (Donald Norbie)

N.J. Hiebert - 4110

June 26

"The light of the body is the eye."
(Luke 11:34)

Light is there, and the question is about the man's eye. If a man has bad eyes the light is painful. So the Word to one who has not clear eyesight or the single eye. This is a solemn Word, but if a person was converted only yesterday, it might be true of him; he might be full of light. It applies as much to the babe in Christ as to the grown man. Where God is in the soul His light is seen. (The Man of Sorrows - JND)

"When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. "
(Luke 11:34)

N.J. Hiebert - 4111

June 27

"And He said unto them all: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
(Luke 9:23)

Denying self, it has been said, means that self comes down from life's throne, lays its crown and sceptre at the feet of our Lord, and henceforth submits the whole life to His sway. Our denial of self should be as absolute as Peter's denial of Christ, when he said: I know not the man. (In Pastures Green - George Henderson)

N.J. Hiebert - 4112

June 28

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."
(Psalm 37:5)

We shall find it impossible to commit our way unto the Lord, unless it be a way that He approves. It is only by faith that a man can commit his way unto the Lord; if there be the slightest doubt in the heart that "our way" is not a good one, faith will refuse to have anything to do with it. This committing of our way must be a continuous, not a single act. However extraordinary and unexpected may seem to be His guidance, however near the precipice he may take you, you are not to snatch the guiding reins out of His hands.

Are we willing to have all our ways submitted to God, for Him to pronounce judgment on them? There is nothing a Christian needs to be more scrutinizing about than about his confirmed habits and views. He is too apt to take for granted the Divine approbation of them. Why are some Christians so anxious, so fearful? Evidently because they have not left their way with the Lord. They took it to Him, but brought it away with then again. (Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 4113

June 29

"Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? . . . Feed My lambs. . . . Feed My sheep . . . Feed My sheep . . ."
(John 21:15-17)

What a volume of love in those words of the Lord to poor Peter, "Feed My lambs!" As if He would say, "I am going to make a channel of you for love to flow through, and I am breaking you down that you may be able to feed My lambs. You thought to be a strong disciple, I am making you see your weakness, giving you a broken heart, that you may be strong." Ah! there is nothing like a broken heart for a shepherd, there will be room in it for the lambs when he has got to the end of self. The Lord must always be breaking down a shepherd to enable him to feed His lambs. (Gleanings of G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 4114

June 30

"Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?"
(Acts 9:6)

There is one thing which all can do: that is, be "meet for the Master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21); and this is the secret of usefulness. Usefulness is not activity; it is not the merely being used, but it is fitness, cleanness, preparedness, and separation of heart; singleness of eye, the affections set on things above - all in fact that proceeds from the judgment and denial of self, and the dwelling of Christ in the heart by faith.

A true servant is always ready. "Here am I" - "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" express his condition. He does not choose his work, but obeys his Master. If he has nothing given him to do he is quiet and patient; when he gets his Master's order, he does it joyfully without demur. (Thoughts for the Day)

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