Gems from May 2020

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The Request - Drink ye all of it. - Matthew 26:27
The Response - They all drank of it. - Mark 14:23

"Would He, then, miss me if I did not come?"
While one is absent, then He hath not all.
"Lacks He His portion if my heart is dumb?"
The whole requires each part, howe'er so small.

"All," Love demands; and love respondeth, "All!"
When there's a praiseless heart, a vacant seat,
A cord is lacking; and the strains that fall
Upon the listening Ear are incomplete.
Bells & Pomegranates - James M. S. Tait     

N.J. Hiebert - 8102

May 1

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Romans 6:11

Regeneration is a new birth - the imparting of a new life - the implantation of a new nature - the formation of a new man.  The old nature remains in all its distinctness; and the new nature is introduced in all its distinctness.

The new nature has its own habits, its own desires, its own tendencies, its own affections.  All these are spiritual, Heavenly, Divine.  Its aspirations are all upward.  It is ever breathing after the heavenly source from which it has emanated.

It partakes of the nature of its source.  A child partakes of the nature of its parents; and the believer is made "a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).  "Of His own will begat He us. (James 1:18).

Regeneration or the new birth, is not a change of man's fallen nature, but the imparting of a new - a Divine nature.  In a word, then, regeneration is God's own work, from first to last.  God is the Operator, man is the happy, privileged subject.  His cooperation is not sought in a work which must ever bear the impress of one almighty hand.

God was alone in creation - alone in redemption - and He must be alone in the mysterious and glorious work of regeneration.
C. H. Macintosh

N.J. Hiebert - 8103  

May 2

Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Psalms 16:11

Tell the birds amidst the buds of spring not to sing;
Tell the waters welling from the depths not to flow;
Tell the happy child not to laugh and jump;
Tell the sun and the stars not to shine;

And when these have obeyed you, then tell the soul which has new life through the love of God that it must not speak of Him!  It cannot  but speak what it has seen and heard.
Dr. F. B. Meyer - Mountain Trailways

N.J. Hiebert - 8104

May 3

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."  Romans 8:28

How wide is this assertion of the Apostle Paul!  He does not say, "We know that some things," or " most things," or "joyous things," but "ALL things."  From the minutest to the most momentous; from the humblest event in daily providence to the great crisis hours in grace.

And all things "work" - they are working; not all things have worked, or shall work; but it is a present operation.

At this very moment, when some voice may be saying, "Thy judgments are a great deep," (Psalm 36:6), the angels are watching the development of the great plan.  "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works." (Psalm 145:17).

And then all things "work together."  It is a beautiful blending.  Many different colours, in themselves raw and unsightly, are required in order to weave the harmonious pattern.

Many separate tones and notes of music, even discords and dissonances, are required to make up the harmonious anthem.

Many separate wheels and joints are required to make up the piece of machinery.  Take a thread separately, or a note separately, or a wheel or a tooth of a wheel separately, and there may be neither use nor beauty discernible.

But complete the web, combine the notes, put together the separate parts of steel and iron, and you will see how perfect and symmetrical is the result. Here is the lesson for faith: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." (John 13:7).
Macduff - Streams in the Desert

In 1000 trials it is not 500 of them that work for the believer's good, but 999 of them, and 1 beside. 
George Mueller        

N.J. Hiebert - 8105

May 4

If God be for us, who can be against us?    Romans 8:31 This I know; for God is for me.   Psalm 56:9

What an encouragement to the believer to know that "God is for us" in all the circumstances and situations of life.  Old Jacob cried, "All these things are against me,"  (Genesis 42:36), but he soon learned that even in his  darkest hour, God was for him.

David reminds us that God knew all his "wanderings" and "tears," (Psalm 56:8), and then sums it all up, "This I know; for God is for me."  No matter how difficult the path is today, God is still for you and me!
Jim Comte

Why should I feel discouraged?  Why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?  My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Civilla D. Martin

N.J. Hiebert 8106   

May 5

Go home  to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.  Mark 5:19

There were three requests made in Mark 5:
- The demons requested to be sent into the swine (v.12)
- The people asked the Lord to leave their region (v.17)
- The man who had been demon-possessed requested to follow the Lord (v.18)

The first two requests were granted, but not the third. The Lord was free to send the demons into the pigs, or to any other place He might choose.  Why to the swine?  First, it proved to those watching that the man had really been freed from the demons, and assured the man himself that the demons had actually departed from him.

Most importantly, the drowning of 2000 pigs demonstrated the power of Satan,  and showed that to him man and swine are the same.  The owners of the pigs asked the Lord to leave, rather than stay and perform more miracles and healings, because they only cared about their business.  The Lord departed, for He would not impose Himself on anyone, and would not stay in a place where He was not welcome.

The Lord did not permit the man to accompany Him because he knew that this man belonged to his city and people, where He could be a testimony for the One who had saved him.  Effective Christian testimony must start in the place where we live.  From there the Lord may expand our area of influence.
William S. Ibrahim - The Lord is near.

How happy the man whose heart is set free,
The people that can be joyful in Thee!
Their joy is to walk in the light of Thy face,
And ever to talk of Thy mercy and grace.
Charles Wesley

N.J. Hiebert - 8107     

May 6

T H  E   G R E A T  S H E P H E R D 

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will.  Hebrews 13:20-21

Redemption accomplished, He is now alive for evermore, and so we would have our young Christian friends - especially them - observe what He says of them in John 10.

In verse 27 He describes the two marks which distinguish all His sheep: the mark on the ear - they hear His voice; and the mark on the foot - they follow Him.

And then, in verse 28, He says: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."

What assurance and comfort do these soul - emancipating words impart!  They tell us that the mighty Hand, which brought the universe into being and guides the planets in their lonely way, upholds and sustains the feeblest lamb in the flock of Christ; that "The very hand our sins had pierced is now our guard and guide."

Because eternal life is a gift, it can never be earned; because it is the gift of God it can never be forfeited.  "The Lord is Thy keeper" - we are "kept by the power of God." (Psalm 121:5; 1Peter 1:5).
The Pearl of Psalms - George Henderson

N.J. Hiebert - 8108   

May 7

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.  Psalm 17:8

Have you ever heard a hen cluck urgently and then watched as the baby chicks immediately scurried under the protection of her wings?  One rebellious chick would face danger from the predator, alone and vulnerable.  The space under the mother hen's wings provided protection, security, warmth and companionship.

While our Lord was on earth He admonished Jerusalem in these words: "how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not." (Luke 13:34).  That same security and companionship afforded by a mother hen is what the Lord Jesus wants us to experience.  We who are born again belong to HIm.  Do we come when He calls?

David wrote Psalm 17.  In His day, He could not enjoy the full security and protection of our Father like we do.  David's protection depended upon his faithfulness.  Ours depends on the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus, and that is unlimited and generous.  His death, essential to pay for our sins, imparts new life to all who  believe.  As a result, we are always the apple of His eye, and have no need to request Him to keep us there.  Rather, we might say: keep me aware that I am the apple of Thine eye.

Solomon, King David's son, wrote in his Song, 2:3 "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.  I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."  The apple tree needs the sun to grow and for its fruit to mature.  Then we can recline in its shadow and enjoy the fruit.  This verse delightfully links the two thoughts in Psalm 17; the apple of the eye and the shadow of those wings, and he adds this thought "O taste and see that the Lord is good."  (Psalm 34:8).
Lorne Perry

Though the restless foe accuses sins recounting like a flood; Every charge our God refuses: Christ has answered with His blood.

In the refuge God provided, tho' the world's destruction lowers, We are safe - to Christ confided, everlasting life is ours.
Mary Bowley

N.J. Hiebert - 8109     

May 8

Make this valley full of ditches.  2 Kings 3:16

Do we say, "Lord, I want my life to be a channel through which Thy power may flow?"  Then let the spade of His Word go down into the depths of your heart, that the hidden things may be revealed.

Blessing must be prepared for.  You can hinder it, and shirk it; you can shut your ears to His voice; or you can get alone with the Lord Jesus and let Him have His way.

God has a glorious work to do in every yielded life; He has a glorious fulness to bestow.  

But there is also a work for us to do; there must be a digging down into the depths of our heart; we must resolve to get rid of all the rubbish, and to prepare for the living water.
H. Earnshaw Smith  

N.J. Hiebert - 8110

May 9

M E L O D Y  I N  O U R  H E A V I N E S S 

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  
Psalm 137:3.  

I do not think that such heaviness as was felt by the people who were led captive into Babylon is meant to be lightened by melody; but there is another kind of heaviness, the tired-out feeling that may come, and that our Lord knew when He sat on the well.  (John 4:6)

I am quite sure that sometimes this kind of heaviness has to be.  If it were not so, we should not know how to help other tired people.  These words, "Melody in our heaviness," show us one of the quickest ways out of heaviness that depresses the spirit, even though all may be clear between us and our Lord.

Try melody--try singing.  If you cannot sing aloud, sing in your heart- "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:19) 

Sometimes we cannot sing much, but we can look up to our God and say a word or two.  He calls that little word a song. ". . . in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."  (Psalm 42:8)  Prayer is song to God. 

If you be tempted, rise on the wings of prayer to your Beloved, and He will take that poor little prayer and turn it into a song.  Fred Arnot, who was the Livingstone of Central Africa, wrote, "I am leaning never to be disappointed, but to praise."
Amy Carmichael

N.J. Hiebert - 8111  

May 10

When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?  Psalm 8:3-4

We can look up to the heavens and see God's glory in the starry host.  We can also look around at nature - the changing seasons and see God's handiwork revealed in all its beauty and splendour.

One thing that surpasses it all is God's infinite love in sending His Son to become a man and to be our Saviour.  May our hearts be filled with Him today.
Jim Paul

There's the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder of sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that fills my soul,
Is the wonder that God loves me.

There's the wonder of spring time and harvest,
The sky, the stars, and the sun;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul,
Is a wonder that's just begun.
G. B. Shea

N.J. Hiebert - 8112  

May 11

"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, what will ye give me, and I will deliver Him (Jesus) unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."  Matthew 26:14-15  

It was the utter lack of appreciation of the worth and work of the Shepherd that caused the loss to Israel of all that was lovely toward God, and of all that was so good and pleasant among His people.  (Zechariah 11:12-13)

Yes, thirty pieces of silver was the stipulated compensation for a slave (Exodus 21:32).  This was the very least value that could be set on the head of a human being. It was these thirty pieces of silver that marked Judas out as a despiser of God's Christ, and a traitor.

This act of callous blindness, putting the lowest price on the priceless love and service of the Best of heaven, was the calm and unnoticed act that blighted every beauty and every blessing of the favoured people.  It was the price of His worth in the minds of the priests as well.
Leonard Sheldrake 

A crowd of tourists contemplating a painting of Christ in Oxford College was stridently told by the guide,  "The original of this painting sold for 5000 pounds."  Without a moment's hesitation Mr. Harold St. John standing near by stepped forward and said very quietly, "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I say that the true Original of this painting was sold for 30 pieces of silver?"  After a moment's silence the crowd of people passed out of the gallery without another word.

Thirty pieces of silver for the Lord of life they gave:
Thirty pieces of silver - only the price of a slave -
But it was the priestly value of the Holy One of God:
They weighed it out in the temple, the price of the Saviour's blood.     
William Blane

N.J. Hiebert  - 8113

May 12

PATIENT SUFFERING

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  (3 John 2)

Joseph, being a prosperous man (Genesis 39:2), became a witness for the Lord in the house of bondage. His testimony, too, was the testimony of his life rather than his lips.  Potiphar was impressed by what he "saw" rather than by what he heard.

"His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand,"  (Genesis 39:3).

Had Joseph been for ever complaining of his hard lot, or enlarging upon his high destiny, he would have been no witness for the Lord in the house of Potiphar.  The Egyptian cared nothing about his past, and, even if set before him, would comprehend nothing of his future, but his daily life of whole hearted attention to his duties Potiphar could see and appreciate.

Nor is it otherwise today.  For a Christian servant to be often grumbling at his lot before his unconverted master, and saying that the day is coming when he will judge the world  and even angels, would be wholly out of place. To an unconverted master it would not only be the wildest folly but also the grossest impertinence. To speak to the world of the glorious purposes of God is only "to cast pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). 

These are things totally beyond the comprehension of the natural man.  But to see a Christian servant living a quiet, consistent, uncomplaining life, in the faithful discharge of daily duties, is indeed a true witness for the Lord, and is something that the unconverted master can appreciate.  
Joseph - Hamilton Smith 

N.J. Hiebert - 8114 

May 13

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.  One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.  Psalm 145:1,3-4.  

It was hard to discourage Fanny Crosby.  Joy was a characteristic of her life.  When English hymn writer Frances Havergal asked someone about Crosby, she received the reply, "She is a blind lady whose heart can see splendidly in the sunshine of God's love."

Crosby herself acknowledged, "Darkness may throw a shadow over my outer vision, but there is no cloud that can keep the sunlight of hope from a trustful soul."

Probably written in 1872, this song was taken to England by Ira Sankey, who led the singing for D. L. Moody's evangelistic campaigns.
The One Year Book of Hymns

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 an atonement for sin,
 And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

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 through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory - great things He hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To every 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 through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport,  when Jesus we see.
Fanny J. Crosby  (1820 - 1915)

N.J. Hiebert - 8115  

May 14

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11

In the 1930's Stalin the Russian dictator ordered massive "purges" of segments of the Soviet population to eliminate any he viewed as a threat to his rule.  Christians and their Bibles were one of the groups specially marked for 'elimination'.  Some historians estimate that over one million Christians died in the purges.

In Stavropol, Russia, Stalin's order to eliminate all Christians and all Bibles was carried out with a vengeance.  Thousands of Bibles were confiscated while many Christians were immediately executed or sent to the 'gulags' (prisons) where most died, branded as "enemies of the state".

Years later, when Soviet persecution of Christians had greatly eased, a Christian missionary team, was allowed to visit Stavropol to make contact with any Christians living there.  They were unable, however, to get the Russian Bibles they wanted to distribute shipped from Moscow.  A local Russian who knew the history of the Stavropol purges mentioned that the warehouse where the confiscated Bibles had been stored still existed.

A member of the missionary team went to the warehouse to see if the Bibles were still there.  The warehouse officials assured him that they were indeed still stored there.  A request to remove the Bibles and distribute them to the people of Stavropol also received official approval.

The next day the missionary team returned with a truck and several Russian men who had been hired to help load the Bibles.  One of these, a young college student, was particularly hostile and arrogant, a self proclaimed agnostic, it was obvious he had just come to earn a day's wages.

While loading the Bibles one of the missionaries noticed that the young man had disappeared.  When they found him, he was huddled in the corner of the warehouse holding a Bible in his hands and weeping.  He had planned to take one of the Bibles for himself and had stolen away from the truck unnoticed so that none would know that he too wanted a Bible.

Once alone with a pile of Bibles, he had picked up a dusty, well worn copy.  Opening it his eyes rested in astonishment on the inside cover.  There the deeply shaken young man could still clearly read the faded hand written signature of its former owner, one of the Christians 'purged' by Stalin so many years before - his grandmother.
Doug Nicolet - TCS  October 2009

N.J. Hiebert - 8116 

May 15

THE LOVE THAT PERMITS SORROW.

Jesus answered . . . what I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.  John 13:7

Sin, suffering, and death were all permitted for a purpose.  They are not evils over which God has no control, and of which He can make no use.  They are not simply destroyers of happiness - they serve a purpose.  This is what we are so slow to realize.

As soon as Lazarus was sick, the sisters sent at once to the Lord tidings of the circumstance, their one thought being that his pain and their distress might be removed.  This is natural, and, from one point of view, it is legitimate.  But we need to remember that the getting rid of the supposed evil is only one aspect of the case.

Had Christ gone no further than to respond to their request how much they and we would have missed, but He takes a wider view of the matter, and He would have us do the same.

When the message reaches the Lord, His immediate reply is not, "I will come, he must be healed without delay, he must not suffer another moment" but, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."  John 11:4.  Are not these words worth pondering?  "Not unto death" - "for the glory of God" - "that the Son of God might be glorified."

If Mary and Martha had heard such words, and understood them, would they, later on, have expostulated with the Lord on His tardy arrival?  When they saw only death, Christ saw an opportunity to reveal Himself, and in so doing manifest the very glory of God, and thus achieve their highest blessing.

Does not this utterance of Christ show us the use God can make of a simple circumstance? and also show us that the more terrible the circumstance the brighter the glory with which God can invest it?

How little those bereaved sisters dreamed that a special manifestation of the glory of God would be forever connected with their family history!  And yet this could never have been had not Jesus tarried these two days.
Angels in White - Russell Elliott

N.J. Hiebert - 8117     

May 16

MESSAGES OF BLESSING

The fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.  Romans 15:29

Nothing perhaps has been a more common source of falling out by the way than the holding of favourite religious opinions, or the undue, disproportioned estimation of certain doctrines or points of truth.

If we were only happy in Him, we should work much better for Him.  It is joy in Christ that gains victory over the world.  Why are we in subjection to the world? Just because we have not found in Christ all the joy we ought to find.

He was a divine visitor to this world, a heavenly stranger among men.  He had not where to lay His head while He was visiting their necessities with all the resources of God.

This is the ideal of a saint of God - to be independent of all this world can give, while with open heart and lavish hand bestowing upon it all the benefits and blessings of God. 
Footprints for Pilgrims - J. G. Bellett  (1795)

N.J. Hiebert - 8118

May 17

LIKE A CEDAR OF LEBANON

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  Psalm 92:12

The cedar boards and beams of Solomon's temple were produced from living trees that had grown in the high mountains.  So, likewise, through the growth of godly character it is intended that I should become a fit habitation for God Himself.  To be suited for this noble service, my life must possess qualities comparable to those of the cedars of Lebanon.

What are these special characteristics, and why was it imperative that cedar be used in the temple?

First of all, this timber is rich - grained, lustrous, and beautiful to behold.  Is this true of my character?  Is there a glow, an attractiveness, to my life?

Second, cedar has a delicate aroma, a delightful fragrance.  This perfume permeated the whole building.  Are those around me conscious of the fragrance of Christ in my character?

Third, the cedar is famous for its repulsion of insects of all sorts.  Moths, and beetles and termites avoid it.  Its presence has a purifying influence.  Does mine, in a sordid, corrupt world?

Fourth, the cedar of Lebanon is a very durable wood, being quite impervious to decay.  If my character is Christ like it will have this enduring quality.  It will not be weak or soft or rotten.W. Phillip Keller

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wondrous compassion and purity;
By the Spirit Divine, may Christ from my life shine,Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.  Albert Orsborn

N.J. Hiebert - 8119    

May 18

The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  Deuteronomy 33:27

One night during a terrific storm a man walked along the shore of the sea.  The clouds hung low overhead.  The wind howled.  Thunders roared.  Lightening flashed and the rain poured down in torrents.

The man pulled his overcoat closer around him, bent his body to the wind and hurried home.  A little bird lost in the storm sought shelter under his coat; he took it in his hand, carried it home, placed it in a warm cage.

The next morning after the storm had subsided, and the clouds had cleared away, he took the little bird to the door.  It paused on his hand; then lifting its tiny wings, it hurried back to its forest home.

Then it was that Charles Wesley caught the vision, and going back to his room he wrote the words to a song that is loved around the world today and will live on in time:

Jesus lover of my soul Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is hight:

Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, till the storm of life be past:
Safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
Streams in the desert

N.J. Hiebert - 8120    

May 19

MOVING DAY

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.  
Hebrews 4:10

You will not find peace by moving from a big house into a bigger one, by moving from town to country, by moving up the social ladder, by moving from a B.A. to a Ph. D.  Moving to the mountains in the summer or south in the winter will not do it.

It was the maid who said of her unhappy globe-trotting mistress, 'It won't do her any good, because she has to take herself along!"

But entering into God's rest by simple faith, ceasing from your own works to rest in His finished work, will do it.  Do not limit the words, "Entered Into Rest," to tomb stone epitaph.  You can enter now.
Day by Day - Vance Havner

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health;
Out of my want and into Thy wealth;
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus I come to Thee.
William T. Sleeper  (1819 - 1904)

N.J. Hiebert - 8121

May 20

He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  John 3:18

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that beliveth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him.  John 3:36 

Let us look at the first verse.  Could anything be clearer?  Do you want to be certain that you have eternal life?  Then I challenge you thus:
- Do you believe on the Son of God?
- Do you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ?
- Do you rest your soul upon Him and His finished work, that work accomplished on Calvary's cross for our redemption?

Then listen to what God Himself says: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

Now do not say, "well, but I do not feel any different."  It does not say "he that feels," but "he that believes on the Son hath everlasting life."
Gospel of John - H. A. Ironside

N.J. Hiebert -   8122

May 21

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.  Psalm 145:19

He has engaged to answer the prayers of His people, and fulfil the desires of them that fear Him; but it proves a long voyage sometimes before the praying saint has the return of his adventure.

There comes often a long and sharp winter between the sowing time of prayer and the reaping.  He hears us, indeed, as soon as we pray, but we often do not hear of Him so soon.

Prayers are not long on their journey to heaven, but long coming from thence in a full answer.  Never was faithful prayer lost at sea.  No merchant trades with such certainty as the praying saint.  Some prayers, indeed, have a longer voyage than others, but then they come with the richer lading at last.

Sometimes we have speedy return of prayers - "In the day when I cried, Thou answeredst me" (Psalm 138:3).  While the church were at God's door praying for Peter's deliverance, Peter is knocking at theirs, to tell them their prayer is heard.  (Acts 12:12-17)
The Christian in Complete Armour - William Gurnall  (1617-1679)

N.J. Hiebert - 8123

May 22

When I am weak, then am I strong.   2 Corinthians  12:10

A contradiction?  Not to the Apostle Paul.  His experience was that going ahead in his own strength had led to an attempt to wipe out Christianity.  He had to learn that he must recognize his extreme weakness before God and count only on Him for strength. And that can only come about by trusting in the redemptive work our Lord Jesus Christ completed at Calvary.

Be strong and of a good courage.  Joshua 1:9
This is not an appeal to muster up inner strength and thus demonstrate courage.  Rather, it is essential to read on to find out from whence these characteristics can be obtained.

Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.  Joshua 1:9
Joshua was to take over as leader of the children of Israel as they prepared to enter and conquer the land promised them by God.  At that time he first heard the message about strength and courage given to Israel by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:6), and then heard it reinforced personally by God several times at key decision points along the way.

No different for us.  These encouraging words need to be rehearsed in our thoughts over and over, but especially in times of anxiety or crisis.  When we are ready to acknowledge before God that we have no strength to manage the current life crisis, we can begin to recognize that God is ready to give of His strength generously, and lead us to hold our head up and press forward, always leaning on Him to provide the necessary strength and courage.  We cannot simply hide behind the fact that this message is given to everyone who trusts in God; we need to take it personally and act on the strength of it.

Notice that relying upon Him comes before the removal of fear and anxiety.  First, turn TO Him, and then turn FROM worry.  Placing our present and long-term confidence in our Father and His  Son results in our fears and anxieties fading away.  
Lorne Perry

We wait for Thee, content to share, in patience, days of trial; So meekly Thou the cross didst bear, our sin, reproach, denial. How should we not receive with Thee the cup of shame and sorrow, Until the promised morrow?   
H. K. Burlingham

N.J. Hiebert - 8124

May 23

. . . He giveth His beloved sleep.  Psalm 127:2

Loss of sleep will never be missed if we spend the time in communion with the Master.  He changes our attitude towards the things which we fear, helps us forgive where forgiveness is necessary and puts love into our hearts for those who irritate and annoy us.

It is the worries and anxieties that make us tired and drive away our sleep - not long hours of work or a weary body.  There is no one like  the Lord for smoothing out the worries and stilling the anxious thoughts.

Thou hast not always promised me rest from my burden, but Thou hast always offered me rest in my burden.
George Matheson 

Go bury thy sorrow, the world hath its share;
Go bury it deeply go hide it with care;
Go think of it calmly, when curtained by night;
Go tell it to Jesus and all will be right.
Mary Bachelor

N.J. Hiebert - 8125 

May 24

. . . and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.   Hebrews 13:5

Kingsley once had a visit from a friend who had just returned home from tiger hunting in the Himalayas.  Oh, how insignificant and little he found the village where Kingsley lived.  How he commiserated poor Kingsley, compelled to be continually in such a surrounding when the world was so great and vast.

Kingsley replied with a happy smile, "It is now some years ago that I realized that my dwelling place must be my prison or my palace.  Thank God!  He has made it a palace.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings - wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Johnson Oatman

N.J. Hiebert - 8126

May 25

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength.  Psalm 8:2

Here is a young orphan, her name is Esther, (Esther 2:5-7) which means, "I will be hidden."  That is the beginning of blessing for Esther.  "I will be hidden" also refers to the fact that God Himself is hidden in the book.

We are living in a day like Esther's, when as far as this world is concerned, God is hidden.  It is on the darkest night that the smallest star shines brightly.  Are you going to be one of those stars shining out in the darkness?

Don't say, "There is nothing for me to do, no place for me," because He has appointed to everyone his work.  And do not say, "The work that I have to do is so small it will never be noticed," because that One on high Who love us, Who is watching us daily in every move, is the One Who has appointed us the task.

And be sure of this - if you carry out the task that He has appointed, your credit will be among the greatest, because He appoints the task and you don't. He looks at the heart, not merely at what you do.  He wants to know whether the heart is right or not.
Esther - C. E. Lunden

N.J. Hiebert - 8127

May 26

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto Him, and make Our abode with Him.  John 14:23

One night, years ago, I was trying to tell a little group of Chinese refugees in Hong Kong about this wondrous promise.  They mostly lived in Sik Kiet Mei, at that time one of the most miserable of all the refugee settlements in Hong Kong.

Many of the "homes" there were more miserable shacks than anything, I suppose, my readers have ever seen; just piled up at random on a wild, rough, steep hillside.  One I knew well was only a hole in the earth dug under a great boulder, to form a sort of cave.

I pointed out that He who was born in a stable was quite willing to make His Home with them at Sik Kiet Mei, if they kept His words.  They looked very incredulous, and at last one asked, "Mr. Lee, have you ever seen Sik Kiet Mei on a dark, rainy night?"

I had to admit I had not: there were no roads, hardly paths; and it was hard enough to find one's way in the day light: but yet I could assure them that if they kept His words, their Lord, the Lord of Glory, would gladly make His Home with them, even in Sik Kiet Mei.  And another replied, "Yes, in our hearts, and that is the best place."      
Hid Treasures - G. C. Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 8128

May 27

". . .That in all things He might have the preeminence." Colossians 1:18

After President Garfield was assassinated he was taken to a quiet, isolated house where he could have absolute quiet and rest in his fight for life, and a special railway was constructed to facilitate the bringing of doctors, nurses and loved ones to his bedside.

The engineers laid out the line to cross a farmer's front yard, but the determined old farmer refused to grant the right of way, until they explained to him that it was for the President; then he exclaimed: "that is different!  If that railroad is for the President, you can run it through my house."

Are you willing to give Jesus right of way across your front yard?  It may run right through some of your plans or social engagements or business appointments, but will you give Him the right of way?

Recognize God's right through your life!

Anything which makes Christianity its second object makes Christianity no object.  God will put up with a great many things in the human heart, but there is one thing He will not put up with in it - a second place.  He who offers God a second place offers Him no place.
John Ruskin  

N.J. Hiebert - 8129

May 28

GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!.  
Romans 11:33

The hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" has been acclaimed as one of the finest songs ever written on the theme of God's providence.  This label is made all the more amazing by the fact that the hymn text was written by an English poet who lived a life time of mental distress. The emotional upsets of William Cowper included an 18-month stay in an insane asylum and later several attempted suicides.

During his time in the asylum, Cowper began reading the Bible.  At the age of 33 he had a genuine conversion experience.  Yet he was periodically haunted by deep depressions, voices and visions, and the overwhelming thought that God had forsaken him and would doom him to hell.

"God Moves in a Mysterious Way" is thought to be Cowper's final hymn text and a reflection of God's leading throughout his own life time.
Kenneth Osbeck

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan His work in vain:
God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain. 
William Cowper

N.J. Hiebert - 8130

May 29

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.  Proverbs 10:22

The Lord is no man's debtor, and those who honour Him, He will honour.  What a wonderful promise!  As we obey His Word, we will experience His Spirit's leading and blessing.

In the same way that air and water fill a container (the more water, the less air and vice versa), so more of the world's ways in our lives will drive out the Spirit's influence over our actions and attitudes.

May God deliver us from the world's influence and may we be filled with the Spirit.
G. Frear

Oh, child of the kingdom,
From sin's service cease:
Be filled with the Spirit,
With comfort and peace.
Philip P. Bliss

N.J. Hiebert - 8131

May 30

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.  Proverbs 28:13

It can never be out of place to proclaim salvation by free, unmerited favour to all who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  But it also needs to be insisted on that the faith that justifies is not a mere intellectual process - not simply crediting certain historical facts or doctrinal statements; but is a faith that springs from a divinely wrought conviction of sin which produces a repentance that is sincere and genuine.

Our Lord's solemn words, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3), are as important today as when first uttered. No dispensational distinctions, important as these are in understanding and interpreting God's ways with man, can alter this truth.

No one was ever saved in any dispensation except by grace.  Neither sacrificial observances, nor ritual service, nor works of law ever had any part in justifying the ungodly.  Nor were any sinners ever saved by grace until they repented.  Repentance is not opposed to grace; it is the recognition of the need of grace. "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. . . . I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13).

Grace is God's unmerited favour to those who have merited the very opposite.  Repentance is the sinner's recognition of and acknowledgment of his lost condition and, thus, of his need of grace.  H. A. Ironside  

Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth is to feel your need of HIm.   Joseph Hart 

N.J. Hiebert - 8132

May 31

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection.  Hebrews 6:1

There is no valid reason which stands before God save only His order and command. All we have to do is to obey. Elimelech (Ruth 1:1-2) did not go to Moab because he wanted his family to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of God, nor that he might glorify God there in the midst of the customs and ways of this so-called Christian world.  He simply wanted to satisfy his own natural desires.

Elimelech needed the help of God and so do we.  Perhaps there was food in Moab, but life and breath and all things are in the Lord's hands.  To leave Him and to loose life and breath in search of food is worse than folly.  Yet this was the way which Elimelech chose.

It is the way which many others choose also.  He wanted only to "sojourn" in the fields of Moab as a "stranger".  But he died there, and his sons settled there and married Moabitish girls.  Elimelech, the father, sought the things of the world; the children sought the world itself. Death came in and upset their plans.

Is this not the experience of many?  Have we never witnessed something similar?  "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of  death." (Proverbs 16:25).      

How different things would be if only we would act as the Israelites did in Numbers 9:15-23, "At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord." (v.23)
Ruth - H. L. Heijkoop

N.J. HIebert - 8133

June 1