Gems from April 2019

Fresh Supply

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

(Matthew 6:11)

Food is one of life's essentials, and we are blessed to live where there is such abundant supply. But even at that, there are many, many in North America who don’t get enough to eat, and we do well to help food pantries, soup kitchens and the like in their quest to provide for the needy.

But what about feeding our spirits? Are we seeing to it that our spirits are receiving a fresh daily supply from the Lord?

Some years ago I heard an illustration about a waterwheel.  The water that drives the waterwheel today is not the water that went through yesterday, nor is it the water that may come tomorrow.

It is the water passing through today.  A waterwheel cannot 

turn on its own to produce power, it must be fueled by the passing water.

That holds true for you and me as well.  We need that daily, 

fresh supply of the water of God’s word for strength and wisdom for today. 

“Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:25-26)

God’s word, with its timeless wisdom, provides truth, comfort, direction, correction, understanding, sustenance and soul healing for us.  Thankfully we have the Bible at our disposal so easily.                     

(L.I.F.E. LINES - F. Pratt) 

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March 30

“Lord, dost Thou not care?”

(Luke 10:40)

What seems to account for all the care in the world is that the human heart has lost the sense of God’s care. When Martha uttered that pitiful complaint in the ears of Christ as He sat in her house at Bethany,  "Dost Thou not care?” she was not only voicing her own sentiment, but that of the entire human race.

Is not this more or less the cry of every heart at some time or other, though not uttered perhaps with all the distinctness with which Martha uttered it?  Oh, how often the uplifted eyes and heart have spoken thus to God, even if the words never escaped the lips!

How much there seems in the course events are allowed to take, whether in general, or in regard to each of us in particular, to confirm the suspicion that God does not after all care what becomes of us, or how things turn out!  As if, after all, there was no one to look after the world.

Nurses there may be to look after babies, and parents to provide for children, and policemen for general protection; but as to the deepest concerns of life, grown men and women seem left to themselves.  And so the majority of suffering, toiling humanity, perhaps, are quite ready to adopt the language of the elder sister of Bethany, “Dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?”

This is the cry that seems to burst from the heart of one sensible of being wronged. Have not our own hearts sometimes told us that Martha is not alone here? 

But—what a profound truth this is, that God cares!

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” 
(1 Peter 5:7). 

(Angels in White - Russell Elliot)

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March 31

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you our of darkness into His marvellous light.”

(1 Peter 2:9)

I know what some of us are thinking.  “Yes I see it all plainly enough in theory, but in practice I find I am not kept. Self goes over to the other camp again and again.  It is not all for Jesus, though I have asked and wished for it to be so.”

"Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee." 

The “all” must be sealed with “only.”  Are you willing to be only for Jesus?  You have not given all to Jesus while you are not quite ready to be only for Him.  And it is no use to talk about “ever” while we have not settled the “only” and the “all”.

You cannot be for Him in the full and blessed sense while you are partly for anything or anyone else. For “the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself” (Psalm 4:3). You see, the “for” Himself hinges upon the “set apart.”  There is no consecration without separation. 

If you are mourning over want of realized consecration,  will you look humbly and sincerely into this point? “A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse.”  (Song of Solomon 4:12) saith the Heavenly Bridegroom.”

(Frances Ridley Havergal)

Set apart for Jesus!  Is not this enough,

Though the desert prospect open wild and rough?

Set apart for His delight, chosen for His holy pleasure,

Sealed to be His special treasure!

Could we choose a nobler joy?—

and would we if we might?    

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April 1

“I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, 'The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him'.”

(Ezra 8:22)

The journey was 900 miles and dangerous.  Yet Ezra was ashamed to ask for soldiers, for in doing so he would have lowered his testimony of faith in the king’s eyes.

Divine insurance policies have a far greater coverage than earthly policies.

“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them 

that fear Him, and delivereth them.” 

(Psalm 34:7) 

"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

(Hebrews 13:5)

Embrace these wonderful promises today.

(R. Surgenor)

Simply trusting every day, trusting through a stormy way,

Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all.

(E. P. Stites)

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April 2

“According to your faith be it unto you.”

(Matthew 9:29)

“Praying through“ might be defined as praying ones way into full faith, emerging while yet praying into the full assurance that one has been accepted and heard, so that one becomes actually aware of receiving, by firmest anticipation and in advance of the event, the things for which he asks. 

Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of His Word if we look steadfastly at the immutability of that Word and not at the uncertainty of this ever-changing world.

God would have us believe His word without other confirmation, and then He is ready to give us “according to our faith.”

When once His Word is past, 

When He hath said 'I will,’ (Hebrews 13:5) 

The thing shall come at last; 

God keeps His promise still.

(2 Corinthians1:20)

(Streams in the Desert)

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April 3

LIVING PERMANENCE

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”

(Psalm 1:3)

THE RIGHTEOUS MAN is not like a tombstone but like a tree.

A tombstone is permanent, but it is dead permanence.

A tree has living permanence, it is planted, not merely put,

by the rivers of water.

The Psalmist said, “My heart is fixed.”  Some saints have fixed heads, they are steadfast and unmovable, but it is the fixity of stubbornness and obstinacy.

“Nothing is more like real conviction than simple obstinacy."

So much of orthodoxy is the tombstone kind.

We tend to petrify.

Religious movements run a certain course—a man, a movement, a machine, a monument. Churches tend to become like trees in the Petrified Forest instead of living trees by the rivers of water.

Our faith, too, must be like seed, not sand, for living permanence 

endures because it perpetuates itself.

A stone remains a stone.

The Gospel reproduces itself from life to life.

Christ lives from generation to generation, not only in heaven but in the hearts of His people.

(Day by Day with Vance Havner)

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April 4

“We glory in tribulations . . . knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed.”

(Romans 5:3-5)

A story is told of the great artist Turner, that one day he invited Charles Kingsley to his studio to see a picture of a storm at sea.  Kingsley was rapt in admiration. “How did you do it, Turner?” he exclaimed. Turner answered: “I wished to paint a storm at sea; so I went to the coast of Holland, and engaged a fisherman to take me out in his boat in the next storm.

The storm was brewing, and I went down to the boat and bade him bind me to its mast. Then he drove the boat out into the teeth of the storm.

The storm was so furious that I longed to be down in the bottom of the boat and allow it to blow over me. But I could not: I was bound to the mast.  Not only did I see that storm, and feel it, but it blew itself into me until I became part of the storm. And then I came back and painted the picture.

His experience is a parable of life: sometimes cloud and sometimes sunshine; sometimes pleasure, sometimes pain.  Life is a great mixture of happiness and tragic storm.  He who comes out of it rich in living, is he who dares to accept it all, face it all, and let it blow its power, mystery and tragedy into the inmost recesses of the soul. 

A victory so won in this life will then be an eternal possession.

(Charles Lewis Slattery)

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April 5

“The Lord is my Shepherd.”

(Psalm 23)

I never shall want: for the Lord is my Shepherd,

And who ever lacked that was under His care?

He makes me lie down in the fairest of pastures,

Where soft flow the waters, He leadeth me there.

At times, by the way, I am listless and weary;

How gently He then doth my spirit restore!

And oft brings me back, when afar I have wandered,

To walk in the paths of the righteous once more.

Yea, though I should pass through the Valley of Shadows,

I’ll not be afraid: Thou art there by my side.

Thy rod to correct and Thy staff to support me

Shall still be my comfort, whatever betide.

Though dangers beset and though foes may surround me,

My table Thou spreadest in face of them still.

With the oil of thy gladness my head Thou anointest,

And brimful with blessings my cup dost Thou fill.

O surely Thy goodness, Thy mercy, shall follow

Attending my footsteps with grace all my days,

Till folded secure in the House of Jehovah 

I’ll evermore utter my good Shepherd’s praise!

(Bells & Pomegranates - James M. S. Tait)

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April 6

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

There is nothing in all this world more deeply blessed than to lead a life of habitual dependence upon God.

There is a vast difference between God's using the creature to bless us, and our leaning  on the creature to the exclusion of Him. In one case, we are blessed, and He is glorified; in the other, we are disappointed and He is dishonoured.

How often do we speak of living by faith, and of trusting only in God, when, at the same time, if we would only look down into the depths of our hearts, we should find there a large measure of dependence upon circumstances.

(Food for the Desert)

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April 7

“ . . . Looking unto Jesus . . .”

(Hebrews 12:2)

“Henceforth—not unto Themselves”

HENCEFORTH

“He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”  (2 Corinthians 5:15) 

OH, the bitter shame and sorrow, 

That a time could ever be,

When I let the SAVIOUR'S pity 

Plead in vain, and proudly answered:

‘All of self, and none of Thee.’

Yet He found me: I beheld Him

Bleeding on the accursed tree,

Heard Him pray: ‘Forgive them, Father;’

And my wistful heart said faintly:

’Some of self, and some of Thee.’

Day by day His tender mercy,

Healing, helping, full and free,

Sweet and strong, and ah! so patient,

Brought me lower, while I whispered:

'Less of self, and more of Thee.’

Higher than the highest heaven,

Deeper than the deepest sea,

LORD, Thy love at last hath conquered; 

Grant me now my supplication:

’None of self, and all of Thee.’

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

(Translated from the French of

Theodore Monod (1874) - by Helen Willis)

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April 8

“For the wages of sin is death;  But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

(Romans 6:23)

God's justice stands forever against the unrepentant sinner in utter severity!

The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the consciences of millions! 

It hushes their fears and allows them to practice all kinds of iniquity—while damnation draws every day nearer, and the command to repent goes unregarded. As responsible moral beings, we dare not so trifle with our eternal future!

“Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup."  (Psalm 11:6) 

"Woe unto the wicked!” 

(Isaiah 3:11) 

“To fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” 

(1 Thessalonians 2:16) 

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” 

(Revelation 6:16-17) 

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of  His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”  (Revelation 14:10) 

(A.W. Tozer) - (With thanks to B.L.)

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April 9

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

(John 3:3)

Jesus made it clear that to be a member of His heavenly kingdom, people must be twice-born-recipients of God’s Spirit and possessors of eternal life.  Such a person then begins to live by a new dimension and a new direction.

He has a new disposition, a new nature, a new commitment, and a new purpose for living. A so-called Christianity that does not involve a personal conversion and change is not an authentic Christianity in the New Testament sense.

Eternal life is a quality of life that begins with the new birth experience and continues in daily fellowship with God and His people both now and forever.  But the new birth experience can never be adequately explained.  It is more than knowledge and mental assent. To be understood, it must ultimately be experienced.

A ruler once came to Jesus by night to ask Him the way of salvation and light; The Master made answer in words true and plain, "Ye must be born again.”

Ye children of men, attend to the word so solemnly uttered by Jesus the Lord; and let not this message to you be in vain, “Ye must be born again.”

O ye who would enter that glorious rest and sing with the ransomed the song of the blest, the life everlasting if ye would obtain, “Ye must be born again.”

A dear one in heaven thy heart yearns to see, at the beautiful gate may be watching for thee; then list to the note of this solemn refrain, "Ye must be born again.”

Chorus:  Ye must be born again, ye must be born again;  I verily, verily say unto thee, "Ye must be born again.”

(George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945)

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April 10

“Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.”

(Isaiah 44:21)

"I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even

My hands, have stretched out the heavens, 

and all their host have I commanded.”

(Isaiah 45:12)

"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there 

anything too hard for Me?” 

(Jeremiah 32:27)

The very storms that beat upon

Our little boat so frail,

But manifest Thy power to quell

All forces that assail.

Each trial may to us become

The means that will display

How o’er what seems impossible

Our God has perfect sway!

(Christian Calendar)

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April 11

Words Like No Other

“No man spake like this Man.”

(John 7:46)

These words were spoken by officers of Jerusalem who were sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest the Lord and bring Him before them.  This was their only excuse for having failed in their duty, and for returning without their prisoner.

When those officers left the Sanhedrin, they were filled with blind prejudice against Christ.  It seemed to them that all the holiest and the greatest men of the city took Jesus of Nazareth for a deceiver and a malefactor. Among the Pharisees He was listed as a blasphemer; He was called a Samaritan; He was accused of casting out demons through Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

There was no name too vile to give to Christ; there was no motive too base to ascribe to Him.  This was the atmosphere in which these officers lived.  These were the opinions they heard expressed about Jesus Christ day after day.  The position of leadership the priests occupied, and the reputation for holiness and truth they possessed, made it practically impossible that these uninstructed officers should think anything different of Him.

The prejudiced minds of these commissioned servants of the temple caused them to feel they were going to arrest one who was guilty of scattering blasphemies among the people.

Why were these temple officers so powerless to take our Lord?  What so completely changed their attitude that they dared return to those who sent them without the Man they were to arrest?  How could they brave the scorn of the chief priest and Pharisees?  What excuse did they have to give?  It was the words of the Lord Jesus that had wrought the change; their only excuse was:  “Never man spake like this Man.”      

All the words those officers heard numbered thirty one.  Just thirty one words and each of them a word so simple that a child could understand it.  

“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.  He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” 

(John 7:37-38).

(A Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake)

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April 12

THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE SHEEP

“I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” 
(John 10:28).

As sheep, our security is the responsibility of our Shepherd (1 Peter 2:25).  Of each saved sheep it is written, “When He hath found it, He layeth it on His shoulders, rejoicing “ (Luke 15:5). The struggles of the sheep would not be to keep on the shepherd's shoulders, but to get off.

We are not saved by our "holding on", for sheep have no hands to hold on by. Now all the Lord’s sheep are borne along on the shoulders of the rejoicing Shepherd, and thus all are equally saved. The Shepherd will take care that not one shall slip off His shoulders.

  

When danger is past, the journey ended, and home reached, the Shepherd’s note of joy is this:  “I have found My sheep which was lost” (Luke 15:6).  Thus the eternal safety of every sheep is the blessed Lord’s own personal responsibility and care.

“My sheep” (John 10:27) whether they are white, black or brown, dirty or blemished, inclined at times to stray or to nibble at wrong food, yet they are His redeemed sheep having a nature which distinguishes them from goats, pigs and dogs.  “They follow Me” (v.27); sometimes they follow “afar off” until He in His faithful grace restores them.  The Shepherd says, “I know them.” The weaknesses, fears, and temptations of each one of the purchased flock are perfectly known to Him!

How can eternal life be anything else but eternal?  It cannot be lost, forfeited, or sinned away, for “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29).  Eternal life once given is an everlasting gift.  He who gave has pledged His word not to recall it.  A Christian, when he sins, does not forfeit the life he has, but he mars the enjoyment of it.  The life is God’s free gift; it is unfettered by conditions and never withdrawn. 

(The Lord is Near - W. Scott)

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April 13

“For God so loved the world . . .”

(John 3:16)

“His father saw him and had compassion.”

(Luke 15:20)

The father in the story of the prodigal son is a beautiful picture of God the Father. He loved his boy in spite of the young man’s selfishness and sin.

And when he returned, the father looked past all the boy’s shortcomings and gave him position, authority, and a renewed relationship in his household.

When God so loved the world, it was you He loved.  He looks past all your sins to Calvary and is ready to forgive and to give you a place as a son of God.

Now this is love, is it not?  Come to Him today.

(Charlie Tempest)

Oh love of God how rich and pure,

How measureless and strong,

It shall forever more endure,

The saints’ eternal song.

(F. M. Lehman)

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April 14

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

(Philippians 3:8)

The word translated “suffered the loss of,” echoes the word “loss" used twice before. But it has also the meaning of a fine, or penalty imposed by a court. "I was fined all things I possessed.”

Paul thus expresses the utter confiscation of all that he had: his aristocratic position, his wealth, comforts, reputation (you remember the One Who ”made Himself of no reputation”), family, friends society, interests, prospects and ambitions; and still more, to such a man, all his religious advantages both by birth and training: hopes, standing, and confidences.

All were cast away in a moment, at the sight of the Lord of Glory. The God of Glory appeared also to Abraham, and he also left all.  

Were our eyes fixed more steadfastly on the Lord of Glory,—“Looking off unto Jesus,” might not we too be more ready to cast away many of the things that now drag us down?

(G. Christopher Willis)

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April 15

INTIMACY WITH CHRIST

“I have called you friends.”

(John 15:15)

O Lord, Thou seest, Thou knowest,

That to none my heart can tell

The joy and the love and the sorrow,

The tale that my heart knows well.

But to Thee, O my God, I can tell it—

To Thee, and to Thee, Lord, alone;

For Thy heart my heart hath a language,

For other hearts it hath none.

In the wide world speechless and lonely,

For me is no heart but Thine;

Lord, since I must love Thee only,

Oh, reveal Thy heart to mine.

(H. Suso) 

“Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” 
(John 15:14).

If you meditate upon these words you will never reach their profound depths, nor shall we even in eternity.  For who shall tell what friendship with Christ involves?  No one can or ever will gauge the possible intimacy which it holds out to us. 

(Edward Dennett)

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April 16

“I am not eloquent . . .”  (Exodus 4:10).

Nothing is more dishonouring to God, or more dangerous for us, than a mock humility.  When we refuse to occupy a position which the grace of God assigns us, because of our not possessing certain virtues and qualifications, this is not humility, for if we could but satisfy our own consciences in reference to such virtues and qualifications, we should then deem ourselves entitled to assume the position.

If, for instance, Moses had possessed such a measure of eloquence as he deemed needful, we may suppose he would have been ready to go.

Now, the question is, how much eloquence would he have needed to furnish him for his mission? The answer is, without God no amount of human eloquence would have availed; but with God the merest stammerer would have proved an efficient minister.

This is a great practical truth.

(Mountain Trailways for Youth)

Unbelief is not humility, but thorough pride. 

It refuses to believe God because it does not find in self a reason for believing. This is the very height of presumption.

(C. H. Mackintosh)

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April 17

“The holy scriptures . . . are able to make thee 

wise unto salvation.”

(2 Timothy 3:15)

I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God . . . I want to know one thing, the way to heaven . . . God Himself has condescended to teach me the way . . . He hath written it down in a book.

O give me that book!  At any price give me the book of God!  I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be “homo unius libri” (a man of one book).  Here then I am, far from busy ways of men.  I sit down alone; only God is here.  In His presence I open, I read His book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.

(J. Wesley)

The Bible tells us Jesus died, a sacrifice for sin;

The gates of heaven to open wide that we may enter in.

The Bible tells us Jesus rose, and left the silent grave,

Triumphant over all His foes, the mighty One to save,

The Bible tells us all may come, and drink at mercy’s stream;

That Jesus soon will share His home with all who trust in Him.

(From the archives of Tom Dear)

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April 18

“Base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen.” (1 Corinthians 1:28)

The nearer we get to God, the more conscious are we of our own unworthiness; just as the higher a bird flies in mid-heaven, the deeper will be the reflection of its snowy pinions in the placid mere beneath.

Let the glow-worm vie with the meridian sun; let the dewdrop boast itself against the fulness of the ocean bed; led the babe vaunt its knowledge with the intelligence of a seraph—before the man who lives in touch with God shall think of taking any other position than that of the lowliest humiliation and prostration in His presence.

Before Him angels veil their faces, and "the heavens are not clean in His sight" (Job 15:15). And is it not remarkable that our sense of weakness is one of our strongest claims and arguments with God. “He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.”

(Psalm 9:12)

(F. B. Meyer)

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April 19

Pray — Go — Give

“PRAY without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

“GO ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

“. . . freely ye have received, freely GIVE ” (Matthew 10:8)

Three things the Master hath to do, and we who serve Him here below

And long to see His Kingdom come may Pray or Give or Go.

He needs them all—the Open Hand, the Willing Feet, the Praying Heart—

to work together and to weave a three-fold cord that shall not part.

Nor shall the giver count his gift as greater than the worker’s deed,

Nor he in turn his service boast above the prayers that voice the need.

Not all can Go; not all can Give to speed the message on its way, 

But young or old, or rich or poor, or strong or weak—we all can Pray—

Pray that the gold-filled hands may Give to arm the others for the fray;

That those who hear the call may Go, and pray—that other hearts may Pray!

(Flint’s Best-Loved Poems)

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April 20

“She goeth unto the grave to weep there."

(John 11:31)

"The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice.”

(John 5:28)

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

(John 11:25)     

If we could know beyond today as God does know,

Why dearest treasures pass away and tears must flow;

And why the darkness leads to light,

Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;

Someday life’s wrongs will be made right: 

Faith tells us so. 

(Norman J. Clayton  1903-1992)

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April 21

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36)

There is a great battle going on in the invisible world. The enemy will try with all his might to alienate us from God, to destroy our faith in Jesus Christ, and to make us rebellious against God. 

We can shut our eyes to the danger and not see where the course

of world history will lead us.

But Jesus says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always . . ."  
(Luke 21:36).

(This Day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)

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April 22

A LOOK THAT TRANSFORMS

“Behold your God! . . . Behold the Man!

(Isaiah  40:9  John 19:5)

Look away from all “other things,” look at the Crucified One, and, as you gaze, remember that He says, “Come unto Me” (Matthew 11:28).

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger.” (Lamentations 1:12).

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by, that both from the depth of sorrow and from the height of glory this royal invitation comes to you?  For it is the call not only of Jesus the crucified, but of Jesus reigning, and Jesus coming.   

“See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh,” (Hebrews 12:25), for He is coming to judge the quick and the dead. He is reigning now, and there are no neutrals in His kingdom. 

All are either willing and loyal subjects, or actual rebels—those who have obeyed the King’s call, and come, and those who have “made light of it,” and not  come. Which are you? 

(Frances Ridley Havergal)

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April 23

"He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness: but a false witness, deceit. There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment."

(Proverbs 12:17-19)

These verses are all occupied with the same general theme—lips of truth contrasted with a lying tongue. The latter is an abomination to Him who is Himself the Truth.  The former He delights in because in accord with His own nature.

Honest speech manifests integrity of heart: falsity declares unerringly the lack of truth in the inward parts. The one who hesitates not at deliberate lying scatters pain and sorrow on every side; his venomed words piercing like a sword the hearts of sensitive and gentle souls.  

To these the tongue of the wise is health and upbuilding.   But the day of reckoning is coming, when the lip of truth shall be established forever, and the lying tongue go into oblivion. 

It is well to remember that it is intentional deceit that is here in question.  One is often pained to hear good men recklessly charge others with lying because they have uttered an untruth in the innocency of their hearts.  A statement may be false as to fact, which is true as to intent; just as a statement may be true as to fact, which was uttered with the intent to deceive. 

It is the deceit in the heart that causes the lips to utter a lie. None should be so charged unless the evidence makes it clear there was intention to mislead .

(Proverbs - H. A. Ironside)

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April 24

THE CROSS AND THE GRACE OF GOD

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”  

( Ephesians 2:8)

If you want to know God, if you want to know the everlasting and eternal God, this is the way, the only way: Look at the cross. Gaze on, meditate on, survey the wondrous cross. And then you will see something of Christ.

The first thing you will see is the grace of God. Grace is a great word in the Bible, the grace of God. It is most simply defined in these words—it is favour shown to people who do not deserve any favour at all.

And the message of the Gospel is that any one of us is saved and put right for eternity solely and entirely by the grace of God, not by ourselves. 

“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” 

(Ephesians 2:8)

Is it not about time we all admitted it? Do what you like, you will never save yourself.  You will never save yourself from the world, the flesh, or the devil; you will never save yourself from your own misery.

Still less will you save yourself from the law of God and judgment and hell. You cannot do it. Men have tried it throughout the centuries. They have all admitted failure.

Not the labours of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

(Augustus M. Toplady)

A Thought to Ponder 

Do what you like, you will never save yourself.

(Martyn Lloyd-Jones - Walking with God - Thanks B. L.)

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April 25

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38,39)

  

What a gospel to proclaim to poor, dying men!  If there is one who reads these words who has never trusted the Saviour, won’t you come to Him today?

Years ago there was a poor old man who lived in a miserable hovel and subsisted on what he could beg. Finally he was taken to a hospital, very ill, and when the nurse moved his clothes she found a worn paper that he had put away in an inner pocket.   

When she examined it she saw that it was an order on the Treasury of the United States to give him a pension because of his faithfulness in serving as a scout in the army during the war between the States.

The poor old man said, “Oh, don’t take that away from me!  President Lincoln gave me that, and I value it above all else.”  And yet, he had never cashed in on it!  He had never availed himself of his privileges. 

Are you treating God’s salvation like that? You have the right to come to Jesus and receive eternal life and forgiveness of sins.

“Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

(Hebrews 3:15)

(H. A. Ironside) 

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April 26

EQUAL WEIGHTS

“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure of length, in weight, and in measure of capacity: just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

(Leviticus 19:35, 36)

Dishonesty and cheating are condemned as sin in Scripture.  How serious then, for the people of God to be found walking in the ways of the world— cheating a little here or there in order to save on taxes, or to come out ahead in a business deal.

The U.S. government has a Department of Standard Weights and Measures. This department oversees and has final say regarding all weights, balances, and measures. Honest individuals and companies make sure their weights and measures exactly match U. S. Government standards.  A pound of meat must weigh a true pound, a yard fabric measure a true yard.

Sadly there are those who even profess to be Christians, yet think nothing of ‘fudging’ a bit on taxes, or for a little extra profit, ‘cheating’ a small amount on the weight of the products they sell. It appears that such dishonesty is pretty rampant throughout the world.  

The story is told of a man who quiet a number of years ago owned a grocery store in a small U.S. town. He prided himself on being a deacon and faithful church member as well as a successful business man.

A member of the same church had been a regular customer buying and selling at his store.   Recently she had begun working with a competitor.

After a church service they both were standing in a group of friends when the grocer pompously stated; “Mary, I don’t believe you are saved.  I’m greatly burdened for you and ask that all here pray for you." Mary, shocked and in tears, asked the grocer why he would say such a thing.

He haughtily replied; ”Mary if you were saved you wouldn’t cheat me when selling your butter. For almost two months I’ve found that every pound of butter you’ve sold me has always been two ounces short”.  

With a tearful frown Mary thought a moment.  Then her face brightened; “Oh, I know why. A few weeks back I lost my pound weight so I’ve been using those one-pound bags of sugar that I used to buy from you!”

(T.C.S.  Doug Nicolet - December 2010)

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April 27

“But now, O LORD, Thou art our **Father; we are the clay, and Thou

our potter; and we are all the work of Thy hand.”

(Isaiah 64:8)

**(Relationship through creation - Scofield) 

If God is working, there is no distance between the potter and the vessel;

it is in the potter’s hand fashioning it, and His 

hand is very close to the clay. 

It is very blessed to be a temple of the Holy Ghost, but we must take care to remember that it is God who is moulding us and working in us, as He did in Paul.

(Gleanings - G. V. Wigram)

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April 28

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.”

(Revelation 1:1)

How can I learn holiness, except in the presence of God: and how can I be there, but by grace?

Our responsibility is more prominent in Revelation 1:1, than our intimacy.

So we read, “Servants”.

There is no way to be heavenly, but by intimacy with Christ who is in Heaven.  And that you gain by the Word, and prayer.

(Hunt’s Sayings)

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April 29

“And over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite.”

(1 Chronicles 27:30)

Have you tried to help people who are rather like camels?

You want them to go one way, and they go another. You try persuasion and they turn sulky.

It is difficult to be patient with an animal that never looks pleased.

It is very difficult to be patient with human camels.

But God knows all about you and your difficulties, and your name is not forgotten by Him.

He thought the name of a camel driver who lived three thousand year ago worth writing in His Book.

The names of thousands of great kings are buried and forgotten, 

but the name of David’s camel driver is remembered to this day: Over the camels was Obil.

Obil means “driver” or “leader.”

I expect he sometimes found leading better than driving, 

and so sometimes shall we.  God give His Obils patience to deal with their camels.

(Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael)

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April 30

The Kneeling Camel

"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 11:29-30

The camel, at the close of day,

Kneels down upon the sandy plain

To have its burden lifted off,

And rest to gain.

My soul, thou too shouldst bend thy knees

When daylight draweth to a close,

And let thy Master lift the load

And grant repose.

Else how couldst thou tomorrow meet,

With all tomorrow's work to do,

If thou thy burden all the night

Dost carry through?

The camel kneels at break of day

To have his guide replace his load,

Then rises up anew to take

The desert road.

So thou shouldst kneel at morning's dawn

That God may give thee daily care,

Assured that He no load too great

Will make thee bear. (Anna Temple)

N.J. Hiebert - 7438 

May 1

“If any man be a worshipper of God . . .

Him He heareth.”

(John 9:31)

 In the testimony of the man whom Jesus gave his sight to, the importance of 

worship is very significant, as a bearing on our prayer life.

Worship is the atmosphere in which prayer thrives best,

and grows most heavenly and divine.

 "Prayer is the gate to heaven through the atmosphere of worship.” —Selected. 

"The fragrance of prayer is made of the perfume of of worship.

Golden vials full of the odour are the prayers of worshipping saints.” (Revelation 5:8)

—Anonymous.

"The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to His saints 

when they are upon their knees.” — Thomas Brooks. 

(Streams in the Desert)

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