Gems from June 2012

May 30

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father . . . comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work." (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17)

The more one ministers Christ Himself the more you can count upon divine assistance.

To exalt Christ is to be in communion with the mind of God.

This will be our sole employment in heaven.

One lesson I am learning of late is our absolute dependence upon the power of God every time we speak; It is not our liberty nor our words,

but it is the power of God that affects the souls to whom we speak.

A preacher will be so conscious that only divine power can touch a soul that he will rest in God about it.

(Edward Dennett) (1831-1914)

N.J. Hiebert - 4811

May 31

"Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him."

(Genesis 5:24)

Nothing peculiar ushered forth that glorious hour.

No big expectations or strange events gave token of its coming.

It was the natural, heavenly close of an undeviating heavenly journey.

(J.G. Bellett - 1795)

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June 1

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

I think we lose ground sometimes by parleying with the tempter.  

We have no business to parley with an usurper. 

The throne is no longer his when we have surrendered it to our Lord Jesus.  

And why should we allow him to argue with us for one instant as if it were still an open question?  

Do not listen; simply tell him that Jesus Christ is on the long-disputed throne and no more about it, 

but turn at once to your Lord and claim the glorious protection of his sovereignty over you. 

 It is a splendid reality, and you will find it so.  

He will not abdicate and leave you kingless and defenseless.  

For verily "The Lord is our king; He will save us" (Isaiah 33:22).  

(Francis Ridley Havergal - Kept for the Master's Use)

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June 2

"As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; He left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses."

(Joshua 11:15)

The modern age is plagued with people who start projects and never see them to completion.

Either they lose interest and jump to something else or they are trying to do too many things at once.

One of the earmarks of the believer should be the ability, 

through the power of the Holy Spirit,

to finish the tasks we're given.

We have a responsibility to the believers in the fellowship and to the children who come under 

the sound of the Word to finish the task of preparing them for the battles of life.

May we be able to say, "I have finished my course."

(W. Gustafson)

Only this hour is mine, Lord, may it be used for Thee;

May every passing moment count for eternity.

(Avis Christiansen)

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June 3

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."

(Luke 22:32)

Our Lord Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith might not fail, and within a few hours his faith did fail. The more we think of those last hours of our Lord just before Calvary,  the more we see every kind of trial compressed into them. It was not only that His cup was filled to overflowing with suffering, but that every variety of suffering was there.

It is easy to escape from the intolerable sense of such suffering by saying, He was God; for example, where Peter was concerned we may say that He  saw across to the victory that would be given. But we know, though we cannot understand it, that He was man, too, and the word in Hebrews 2:16 says that He suffered being tempted;

To suffer means to endure or experience pain, so there is no escape by that door. Is there one for whom we are praying who seems to be upheld by that prayer? Are we suffering, enduring, experiencing the bitterness of disappointment? Our dear Lord has been this way before. We shall find Him there.

He who "turned and looked upon Peter" (Luke 22:61) will give to us, will maintain in us, His own eternal tenderness of spirit, the love that cannot be tired out of loving, the patience that will not let go.

(Edges of His Ways - Amy Carmichael)

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June 4

"Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."

(Psalm 143:10)

There is a life deep hid in God where all is calm and still,

Where listening to His holy Word, One learns to trust until

All anxious care is put away and peace the soul doth fill.

The horrors of human depravity often alarm us and sometimes well-meaning people are tempted to join crusades designed to change the downward course of society. O we long to see our nation rescued from the folly of its ungodly ways.

Yet, such efforts are sure to fail.

Self-improvement will never avail.

Each human must accept God's salvation.

It is a matter of choosing life or death.

For in acceptance of His revealed will we find life peace, and assurance - even while we live in a horrific world.

Have you accepted?

(Doug Kazen)

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June 5

"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction: for whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." 

(Proverbs 3:11-12)

"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble" (Psalm 9:9).

Oh, then, when ready to sink under the accumulated ills of life, 

let us come to the Savior in the time of trouble.

Our help is from Him.

He is our defense.

He will not allow our foot to be moved.

He will keep our souls in safety.

His eye will ever watch over us.

He will preserve us from all evil.

"Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; 

Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.  Selah." 

(Psalm 32:7)

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me!" 

(Psalm 138:7) 

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June 6

"Who His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: By whose strips ye were healed."

(1 Peter 2:24)

The maker of the universe, as man for man was made a curse. The claims of Law which He had made, unto the uttermost He paid. His holy fingers made the bough, which grew the thorns that crowned His brow. The nails that pierced His hands were mined, in secret places He designed.

He made the forest whence there sprung the tree on which His body hung. He died upon a cross of wood, yet made the hill on which it stood. The sky that darkened o'er His head, by Him above the earth was spread. The sun that hid from Him its face, by His decree was poised in space.

The spear which spilled His precious blood,was tempered in the fire of God. The grave in which His form was laid, was hewn in rocks His hands had made. The throne on which He now appears, was His for everlasting years. But now glory crowns His brow and every knee to HIM shall bow.

(F.W. Pitt / P.G.S.)

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June 7

"I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad."

(Psalm 119:96)

Let all goodness draw you nearer,  and let all goodness flow from you to point others to the source of all goodness. God's conditions in the garden of Eden were not a setup, any more than the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was a setup or that the long journey to Egypt was a setup.

  

God wants us to understand our own hearts, and nothing shows this more than the stringent demands of a law that discloses we are not God - and neither had we better play God.

  

Once we understand this and turn to Him, we find out the truth of what the psalmist wrote (note the scripture above - Psalm 119:96.)  True fulfillment and the possibility of boundless enjoyment come when we do life God's way.  When we do it our way, we only enslave ourselves. 

 (Ravi Zacharias - The Grand Weaver)

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June 8

"Jesus went to them, walking on the sea."

(Matthew 14:25)

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

(James 1:6)

Imagine Jesus walking on the sea under a great wind as the water moved up and down, back and forth, yet without missing a step, without faltering or losing His balance. He was unwavering in His character as well, which is shown to us in an allegory by His successful traverse of the storm-driven sea.

With our eyes on Him, we can leave the seeming security of the ship and

"hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, 

for He is faithful that promised."

(Tom Steere)

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June 9

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Diligence

The story is told of a young Italian boy who lived some centuries ago.  His name was Antonio and he loved music.  Sadly, whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it sounded so bad that all his friends laughed at him.  Next to singing, (though Antonio could not play the violin) he dearly loved to hear violin music played by a master.

Antonio always carried a pocket knife with him and though he couldn't do his two favorite things - sing or play the violin - at a young age he began to whittle wood objects.  Before long he became quite an artist.

One day Antonio learned that the greatest master violin maker in all Italy, the great Nicolo Amati, had moved to his village and set up his work shop there!  An excited Antonio began to whittle a small wooden violin.  He worked for many painstaking hours and created a beautiful model of a violin. Though shy, Antonio greatly desired to present his carved wooden violin to the great violin maker as a sign of his respect and awe of the master who had moved to his village.

It took quite a bit of time for Antonio to work up the courage to go to the master's house.  Finally one day, Antonio, with trembling hands and pounding heart walked down the street to the great man's home and workshop.  He tremblingly tapped on the door expecting a servant to answer his hesitant knock.

Antonio was very surprised when the master violin maker, Amati himself, opened he door.  Antonio hesitatingly offered the beautiful little carved violin he had made.  He told the master, "Sir, I love music, but cannot sing.  I specially love to hear violin music, though I cannot play a violin well.  But I do wish with all my heart that I might learn to make violins."

The great master maker Amati smiled as he carefully studied the small gift.  Then he said, "This is beautifully done!  So you want to make violins?  Well you shall!  In time your violins will be the equal of mine and they will make beautiful music!"

And so it was that young Antonio Stradivari became the pupil of Nicole Amati and in time did indeed create the highly treasured Stradivarius Violins.  (With thanks TCS- D.N)

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June 10

"Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses."

(Psalm 107:13)

Not a prayer till then. While there was any to help below they would not look above. No cries till their hearts were brought down and their hopes were all dead - then they cried, but not before.

So many a man offers what he calls prayer when he is in good case and thinks well of himself, but in very deed the only real cry to God is that which is forced out of him by a sense of utter helplessness and misery. We pray best when we are fallen on our faces in utter helplessness. Speedily and willingly He sent relief.

They were long before they cried, but He was not long before He saved.  They had applied everywhere else before they came to Him, but when they did address themselves to Him, they were welcomed at once.

(C.H. Spurgeon)

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June 11

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."

(Hebrews 13:15)

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood . . . to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen"

(Revelation 1:5-6)

Our thoughts about praise ought to be very deep -  Not only are its effects on us very wonderful, but praise glorifies God. If the spirit of worship can be kept up in the heart, and the blessed sense of all that God is be kept alive in the midst of the greatest evil, it cannot touch us.

Let us ever remember that God recognizes every expression of praise and of His people's love. He knows so well what His love and grace are to us that He must expect us to praise Him.

(Gleaning of G.V. Wigram)

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June 12

"Wilt thou not from this time cry unto Me, My father, Thou art the guide of my youth?"

(Jeremiah 3:4) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What course pursued will make certain a successful voyage for the sea of life?

(1) A definite acceptance of the Creator's plan for a whole lifetime; 

an utter abandonment to do His will, 

at any cost, by any road.

(2) A regular, systematic, never-failing prayer-life, every day. 

(3) A daily feeding of the inner life from the inspired word, the Bible.

(4) Fellowship with others of like purpose who are climbing the heights.

(5) Alertness in testimony and loving service.

The great Pilot of the sea of life will 

take the command of your ship,

voyage with you and bring you safely into port.

(Mountain Trailways for Youth)

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June 13

Overwork

"Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

(Mark 6:31)

It should be recognized once for all that the laws of nature are the will of God for the body; and that if we violate these laws knowingly or unknowingly - for Nature knows no forgiveness of sins and takes no account of motives - we will suffer.  Spirit and soul and body are so strangely and strongly interlinked that undue strain on any one of them vitally affects the other two.

Now, since manual work builds up the muscles, and mental work wears out the nerves, it is found that those who suffer most from dejection are the people who have excessive sedentary and brain work. The monotony and strain of their daily tasks have the effect of lowering the vitality of the body, and of damping the ardour of their sprits; and these in turn blur the outlook and darken the sky, depress the mind and sadden the heart.

But despondency is not limited to such.  The courageous Elijah faced over eight hundred of the enemies of God (1 Kings 18:19) and did so unflinchingly (verse 27).  And yet, when the ordeal was over, the inevitable reaction came even to him.  "He went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and he said,  'It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers' " (chapter 19:4).

But see how tenderly God dealt with him, providing just what he needed - rest and food (verses 5-8).  Our Master remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14; Genesis 2:7); and it is we who forget it and act as if we were made of iron.  Exercise in the fresh air is absolutely indispensable to the maintenance of health.  Of the various forms of recreation none can exceed in utility work in the garden.  Contact with the soil - digging, pruning, planting, watering - gives the body just the exercise which it needs, and reacts most helpfully on mind and heart and nerves.  (Heavens Cure for Earth's Care)

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June 14

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

(Philippians 4:6) 

Praying and planning will never do together.

If I plan, I am leaning more or less on my plan;

When I pray, I should lean exclusively upon God.

Hence, the two things are perfectly incompatible, 

they virtually destroy each other.

When my eye is filled with my own management of things, 

I am not prepared to see God acting for me.

In that case, prayer is not the utterance of my need, but the mere superstitious performance of something which I think ought to be done, or it may be, asking God to sanctify my plans.

This will never do. It is not asking God to sanctify and bless my means,

but it is asking Him to do it all Himself. 

(C.H. Mackintosh)

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June 15

"His (Pilate) wife sent unto him, saying, have thou nothing to do with that JUST man."

(Matthew 27:19)

"When the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, 

and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly, this was the Son of God."

(Matthew 27:54)

"Pilate saith unto them . . . I find no fault in Him."

(John 19:6) 

Three Roman citizens,

All completely independent;

No personal agendas to pursue - 

All of them affirmed the absolute innocence of the Saviour.

Pilate even exposed himself to the wrath of the Emperor by writing the superscription.

Yet "His own" forsook Him.

God give us courage to stand with Him today

(Brian Russell)

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June 16

"My heart is indicting (welling forth) a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."

(Psalm 45:1)

"My heart is welling forth with a good matter."  The margin shows the meaning of welling forth to be boiling, or bubbling up.  I fear we are not often in 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, 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, not 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.

Mary of Bethany chose to be with Him.  

She sat at His feet, and listened to His words.  

To be near and with Him was what her soul desired.  

Affection for the Lord marked her condition, and her place was at His feet.  

She was absorbed with the person of Christ.  

And did she lack intelligence?  

No; but intelligence was not her object. 

She broke her box of precious ointment over Him, and Jesus said, 

"Against the day of My burying hath she kept this" (John 12:7).  

She feared she might not again have the opportunity of doing it.  

Her heart was boiling with love to Him.

(W.T.P. Wolston)

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June 17

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit; . . . even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight."

(Luke 10:21)

He felt the circumstances deeply, but His soul was up to the source, and He would say:  "It is quite right that these proud and haughty ones should see they are nothing, and that these poor despised lambs should get the glory."  "Even so, Father."    

He must bow to the evil, because the time to judge it was not yet come.  Evil is going on; people are saying: "Where is the God of the earth?"  We have to bear it; the Lord did.  We must get our thoughts away from the expectation of having things better down here.  The soul that enters into God's thoughts and purposes bows to His will.  

"Even so, Father."  

(The Man of Sorrows - J.N. Darby)

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June 18

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt MEDITATE therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." 

(Joshua 1:8)

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he MEDITATE day and night." 

(Psalm 1:2)

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 

(James 1:25)  

Meditation

(a) In Joshua 1:8 it is said to be the secret of Prosperity.

(b) In Psalm 1:2 it is said to be the secret of Fruitfulness.

(c) In James 1:25 it is said to be the secret of Blessedness.

The art of MEDITATION on His Word is thereby affirmed, and must be well worth acquiring. The broad distinction between study and MEDITATION is, that the one is pre-eminently a thing of the head, and the other a thing of the heart. Just as it is not what we eat that nourishes us but only what we digest, so it is not what we read that strengthens us spiritually, but only what we assimilate by MEDITATION on it.

The difference between the search for truth, and MEDITATION, is found in Proverbs 12:27. "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting."  He enjoyed the chase but, although he brought home the quarry, he did nothing further with it, and so failed to appropriate the nourishment which it would have imparted.

In like manner we may hunt for truth; our heads may be full of knowledge of the letter of the Word; but unless we MEDITATE  on what we thus acquire, it may do us little good. Our note-books may be filled, while our hearts may be empty. As preachers, especially, we must ever remember that it is as we muse that the fires of devotion kindle; and that the words, which are spoken as the result of such musing, will be words of power and blessing.

"My heart was hot within me, while I was MUSING the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue." (Psalm 39:3)

(The Wonderful Word - George Henderson)

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June 19

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  (Philippians 1:6)

If our confidence is at all in ourselves, then God allows us to see what a wretched foundation that is for confidence. It matters not how great the gift, nor how great the knowledge of the Word,

our confidence must be in GOD Himself.

And if our confidence is truly there, then, like the Apostle,
we may be "always of good cheer,"

whether it be life or death:

whether it be our daily walk

or some special service our Master may give us:

we may be truly confident, and so 

"always of good cheer."

(G. Christopher Willis)

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June 20

"That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, 

even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

(Romans 15:6)

"To God be the Glory" differs from most of the hymns written by Fanny J. Crosby in that it is more objective praise of God rather than the typical subjective testimony or Christian experience type of song. It is a fine blend of the characteristics of both the hymn and the gospel song.

To God be the glory-great things He hath done!  

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life and atonement for sin  

And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! 

To ev'ry believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes, 

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, 

And great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son;

But purer and higher and greater will be 

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. 

Chorus:  Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory-great things he hath done.

(Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbreck)

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June 21

"The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want." (Proverbs 21:5)

The foe of opportunity is preoccupation.

Just when God sends along a chance to turn a great victory for mankind,

some of us are too busy puttering around to notice it.

(A.W. Tozer)

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June 22

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name

under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

(Acts 4:12)

As Jesus, Saviour, He saves us from our sins.

But there is more!

As the Prince of Peace, He will confront our anxiety and fear.

The great Physician touches our hurts.

The Bread of Life satisfies our physical and spiritual needs.

As Light of the World He opens our eyes to His beauty and goodness.

As Emmanuel He promises to be with us always.

Truly, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: 

The righteous runneth into it, and is safe."

(Proverbs 18:10)

(M. MacMullen)

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June 23

“Delight thyself also in the LORD: 

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” 

(Psalm 37:4)

"Thou hast given him his heart's desire, 

and hast not withholden the request of his lips.  Selah."

(Psalm 21:2)

"In spiritual things, when God has raised a desire, 

He always gratifies it; hence the longing is prophetic of the blessing. 

In no case is the desire of the living thing excited to produce distress, 

but in order that it may seek and find satisfaction." 

(C.H. Spurgeon)

 If God has placed a desire in your heart, 

then He will fulfill it in answer to faith.

(S.L.)

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June 24

The Intercessor

"Christ . . . who also maketh intercession for us."

(Romans 8:34)

Infinite wisdom and infinite love,

Praying for me to the Father above,

Asking for me what Thou knowest is best -

Surely my heart in this knowledge can rest.

Wrapped in my darkness and ignorance here,

With Thy great prayer let me not interfere;

Let me not cross that petition divine,

Losing a blessing that might have been mine;

Teach me to pray, that Thy will, so begun,

May in my life and my spirit be done.

Here is my confidence, here can I rest;

Thou alone knowest and askest the best.

(Annie Johnson Flint)

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June 25

"Let us go on to perfection."

(Hebrew 6:1)

Blest Saviour, keep our spirits stayed,

Hard following after Thee,

Till we, in robes of white arrayed,

Thy face in glory see.

(J.G. Deck)

I believe the one great hinderance to our progress is the limited measure of our desire and preparation. We often think that we are wishing for and ready for much more than we are. We always get what we value. It is very helpful to see in Ephesians 4 that if you were well grown you would not be tossed "to and fro," The higher you go the safer you are -

A fine principle, hence Satan would prevent us from going to the top.

(Footprints for Pilgrims - JND)

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June 26

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellency of the power may be of God, 

and not of us."  (2 Corinthians 4:7)

In every trial and adversity we face, 

the believer has a refuge in Christ that provides rest for the weary, 

strength for the weak, and comfort for the discouraged. 

He wants to assure us that the battle is the Lord's,

and that we are to rest in a victory that He has already won. 

God said, "Be not afraid, nor dismayed by this great multitude, 

for the battle is not yours, but the Lord's." 

How often we need to be reminded of this blessed truth! 

We seem constrained to fight our encounters in our strength, not His.

(Adapted)

N.J. Hiebert - 4838         

June 27

“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

(James 5:16)

“Learn that urgency in prayer does not so much consist in vehement pleading, as in vehement believing. He that believes most the love and power of Jesus will obtain the most in prayer.” 

(Robert Murray McCheyne - S.L.)

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June 28

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

(Hebrews 11:1)

While the Scriptures speak a good deal about faith, they illustrate rather than define it; and the metaphors which they use clearly indicate that the exercise of true faith involves the use of almost every faculty which men possess Thus, as someone has pointed out:

"Look"     What is it?  Receiving with the eyes.

"Come"     What is it?  Receiving with the feet.

"Take"     What is it?  Receiving with the hands.

"Taste"    What is it?  Receiving with the lips.

"Hear"     What is it?  Receiving with the ears.

"Chose"    What is it?  Receiving with the will.

"Trust"    What is it?  Receiving with the heart.

"Know"    What is it?  Receiving with the mind.

These metaphors may be summed up in one word of Scripture which seems to embrace them all:  

"He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true" (John 3:33). 

Such an one has knowledge of God; 

he has confidence in God; 

he has committed himself to God.

(George Henderson)

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June 29

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

(Romans 8:28)

At sixty years of age, Dr. R.B. Bingham was plunged through a windshield, virtually scalped, had broken bones, and was take unconscious to a hospital.  The next day he found himself there and inquired of the nurse what this was all about.  She cautioned him to be quiet because he had had a terrible accident.

"Accident?  Accident?  There is no accident to a Christian; this is an incident!"

In his first sermon thereafter, Dr. Bingham said, "I have been through every translation in the English Bible and I cannot find anywhere that a Christian can experience an accident."  He knew that for a Christian in the will of God, all circumstances are foreseen and permitted by by a higher and holier wisdom.  It was George Mueller who said, "Out of 1000 things that can come into a Christian's life, it is not 999 of them that work together for good, but 999 plus one!"  (Traveling Toward Sunrise)

N.J. Hiebert - 4841    

June 30

"I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

(Psalm 16:8)

What fascinates me is the perfection of the Lord. Popularity couldn't puff Him up. The consciousness He felt of His own powers didn't overbalance Him.  The bitterness of the Pharisees, the hostility of the scribes, the stupidity of His disciples, the violence of the mob couldn't turn Him from His way.  It was a hard way and it led to Calvary's lone gray hill, but nobody ever turned Him 'round.

Following His steps, takes hours of solitude and prayer and you have to keep a room in your heart sacred to God and let nothing intrude upon its holy privacy.  When friends forsake you and enemies grow vicious, you have to run back into that little room, recharge your soul, and rekindle your vision. 

It takes sacrifice and self-control and discipline and devotion to stern duty and a lot of similar things that have gone entirely out of style nowadays.  It takes high thinking and clever living and a willingness to be cussed and laughed at and called weird for the sake of the integrity of your life. 

Oh, it's no snap, the way is straight and narrow and few there be that travel it. But the old high road is wonderful and glorious for all that.The climate is clean, the air is fresh, and at the close of each day you can sleep with a clear conscience and the feeling that your are not ashamed to look at yourself in the mirror when you get up.  

It is a steep and rugged trail, but there are vistas along it that repay the climb a thousandfold, wide ranges of vision that merrymakers down in the valley can never know. And the best of all, at the end of the old high road is God. 

 (In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner July 31, 1927)

N.J. Hiebert - 4842