“I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

A young mother brought her baby in for evaluation to my counseling office because she was worried that her beautiful little one might be retarded. She hardly ever cried, even when she was hurt. It was as if she didn’t feel pain, all she did was grimace a bit and then smile. She hardly ever cried during the day and the mother thought her child wasn’t normal.

After testing, observation, and evaluation, I had good news for the worried mother. The results revealed that the little one was an alert, brave, happy little warrior. Surprisingly, this news didn’t make the mother as happy as I expected. She expected a baby more like herself. She was a shy and fearful young lady who had turned out just as her dominating mother had desired. I realized that we had a generational problem.

The little one had a simple view that life was just fun even if it was painful at times. She was going to be a challenge for her young mother.

I thought of Einstein’s opinion about simplicity: “Any intelligent fool can make things more complicated, it takes the touch of genius to move in the opposite direction.” Other thoughts swept through my mind — Isaac Newton: “Truth is ever found in simplicity, not in multiplicity.” Fredric Chopin: “Simplicity is the final achievement.” God: “Your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity in Christ.”

Jesus is simply all we need. He is our Savior, Shepherd, and Friend (John 15:5). The simple reality about The Lord Jesus Christ is that He is “The Way, The Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). Completeness is found in the Son of God: Creation, Christmas, Cross.

Jesus gave His children five “Me” verses that reveal how to live “the simplicity in Christ.”

“Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28) first, and consistently. When we come to Jesus it provides the relationship we find with the Son of God.

“Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19). We come to Jesus and because of our relationship, we follow Jesus. He is our Shepherd; what could be more natural than for sheep to follow their shepherd, who is their protector and provider?

“Love Me” (John 14:15). Any time we love someone, our personality is modified; sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad, depending on how healthy that love is. Jesus is our “first love” (Rev. 2:4), the only divine love we will ever have.

“Ask Me” (John 14:14 NASB). A key to the simplicity in Christ is talking to Him. Only a simple, trusting, optimistic soul loves enough to ask Jesus with confidence. The “serpent” wishes to rob that confidence from every brave and smiling face.

“Abide in Me” (John 15:4) Life becomes very simple and effective when we relax in our relationship with Jesus. Just abiding in Christ is the simple solution to life and success.

The serpent is the master of seduction; we must resist his advances by obeying the five Me verses our Lord has given. He has told us with a compassionate voice: “If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love.” John 15:10.

Simplicity

C. H. SPURGEON,

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”- Jhn 1:11-13.

EVERYTHING here is simple; everything is sublime. Here is that simple gospel, by which the most ignorant may be saved. Here are profundities, in which the best-instructed may find themselves beyond their depth. Here are those everlasting hills of divine truth which man cannot climb; yet here is that plain path in which the wayfaring man, though a fool, need nor err, nor lose his way. I always feel that I have no time to spare for critical and captious persons. If they will not believe, neither shall they be established. They must take the consequences of their unbelief. But I can spare all day and all night for an anxious enquirer, for one who is blinded by the very blaze of the heavenly light that shines upon him, and who seems to lose his way by reason of the very plainness of the road that lies before him. In this most simple text are some of the deep things of God, and there are souls here that are puzzled by what are simplicities to some of us; and my one aim shall be, so to handle this text as to help and encourage and cheer some who would fain touch the hem of the Master’s garment, but cannot for the press of many difficulties and grave questions which rise before their minds.

Let us go to the text at once, and notice, first, a matter which is very simple: “As many as received him… even to them that believe on his name”; secondly, a matter which is very delightful: “to them gave he power to become the sons of God”; and thirdly, a matter which is very mysterious: “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

I. Here is, first, A MATTER WHICH IS VERY SIMPLE; receiving Christ, and believing on his name. Oh, that many here may be able to say, “Yes, I understand that simple matter. That is the way in which I found eternal life”!

The simple matter of which John here speaks is receiving Christ, or, in other words, believing on his name.

Receiving Christ is a distinctive act. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” The very people you would have thought would have eagerly welcomed Christ did not do so; but here and there a man stood apart from the rest, or a woman came out from her surroundings, and each of these said, “I receive Christ as the Messiah.” You will never go to heaven in a crowd. The crowd goes down the broad road to destruction; but the way which leadeth to life eternal is a narrow way; “and few there be that find it.” They that go to heaven must come out one by one, and say to him that sits at the wicket-gate, “Set my name down, sir, as a pilgrim to the celestial city.” They who would enter into life must fight as well as run, for it is an uphill fight all the way, and few there be that fight it out to the end, and win the crown of the victors.

Streams In The Desert

By: L.B. Cowman

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29 :18).

Waiting upon God is necessary in order to see Him, to have a vision of Him. The time element in vision is essential. Our hearts are like a sensitive photographer’s plate; and in order to have God revealed there, we must sit at His feet a long time. The troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an object.

Our lives must be quiet and restful if we would see God. There is power in the sight of some things to affect one’s life. A quiet sunset will bring peace to a troubled heart. Thus the vision of God always transforms human life.

Jacob saw God at Jabbok’s ford, and became Israel. The vision of God transformed Gideon from a coward into a valiant soldier. The vision of Christ changed Thomas from a doubting follower into a loyal, devout disciple.

But men have had visions of God since Bible times. William Carey saw God, and left his shoemaker’s bench and went to India. David Livingstone saw God, and left all to follow Him through the jungles of dark Africa. Scores and hundreds have had visions of God, and are today in the uttermost parts of the earth working for the speedy evangelization of the heathen.
–Dr. Pardington

There is hardly ever a complete silence in the soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear the whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.
–F. W. Faber

“Speak, Lord, in the stillness,
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen
In expectancy.

“Speak, O blessed Master,
In this quiet hour;
Let me see Thy face, Lord,
Feel Thy touch of power.

“For the words Thou speakest,
‘They are life,’ indeed;
Living bread from Heaven,
Now my spirit feed!

“Speak, Thy servant heareth!
Be not silent, Lord;
Waits my soul upon Thee
For the quickening word!”

Have you ever been so thirsty that you had “cotton mouth” and your saliva balled up like tiny balls of cotton? That happened to me all the time as a kid playing football. Back then, no one carried a water bottle. Cotton mouth is uncomfortable, but it’s no big deal — at least that’s what my football coach always said!

But what about becoming so dehydrated that your whole body gets the chills, aches, and is about to collapse with exhaustion?

That’s happened to me twice while hiking in the high sierras with my son. The first time, he was 16-years-old and we were with his Boy Scout troop. We had hiked 12 miles that day, climbed over 5,000 feet, and had set up camp close to Mount Langley, a near “Fourteener” (a mountain peak that was 20 feet under 14,000 feet high).

There it was, a great mountain peak just a few miles and 4,000 of elevation gain away — I felt I had to climb it. It was late in the afternoon and no one wanted to go with me. So, I filled my camelback with water, grabbed a couple of bars, and headed for the peak, planning to be back for dinner.

Well, it took a lot longer than I thought. I ended up hiking in the dark with just a flashlight and I got lost. And I got altitude sickness. I felt like I was going to throw up. I was so thirsty and weak I could hardly walk. When I got back to camp at 8:30 pm, just before a search crew was going to look for me, the first thing I did was drink water!

Thirst for God!
What if we thirsted for God like that? David did. He prayed:

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1ESV)

His prayer resonates with us because this world is a dry and weary desert with no water. I often use his prayer to remind myself of how thirsty I am for God. One way I’ve done this is to paraphrase portions of Psalm 63 into a “Thirsty for Jesus” prayer.

Remember Jesus’ wonderful invitation to us who are thirsty:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, ESV)

Ahhh! Yes. When we open our hearts to Jesus we don’t just get a sip of water — his Spirit enters us and we gush forth with rivers of living water!

Streams IN The Desert

By: L.B. Cowman

It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good” (1 Sam. 3:18)

See God in everything, and God will calm and color all that thou dost see!” It may be that the circumstances of our sorrows will not be removed, their condition will remain unchanged; but if Christ, as Lord and Master of our life, is brought into our grief and gloom, “HE will compass us about with songs of deliverance.” To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath, taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Nothing else but seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy and trouble us. They will be to us then only instruments for accomplishing His tender and wise purposes toward us, and we shall even find ourselves at last inwardly thanking them for the blessings they bring us. Nothing else will completely put an end to all murmuring or rebelling thoughts.
–H. W. Smith

“Give me a new idea,” I said,
While musing on a sleepless bed;
“A new idea that’ll bring to earth
A balm for souls of priceless worth;
That’ll give men thoughts of things above,
And teach them how to serve and love,
That’ll banish every selfish thought,
And rid men of the sins they’ve fought.”
The new thought came, just how, I’ll tell:
‘Twas when on bended knee I fell,
And sought from HIM who knows full well
The way our sorrow to expel.
SEE GOD IN ALL THINGS, great and small,
And give HIM praise whate’er befall,
In life or death, in pain or woe,
See God, and overcome thy foe.

HE made the day shine clear and bright;
I saw HIM in the noontide hour,
And gained from HIM refreshing shower.
At eventide, when worn and sad,
HE gave me help, and made me glad.
At midnight, when on tossing bed
My weary soul to sleep HE led.
I saw HIM when great losses came,
And found HE loved me just the same.
When heavy loads I had to bear,
I found HE lightened every care.
By sickness, sorrow, sore distress,
HE calmed my mind and gave me rest.
HE’S filled my heart with gladsome praise
Since I gave HIM the upward gaze.

‘Twas new to me, yet old to some,
This thought that to me has become
A revelation of the way
We all should live throughout the day;
For as each day unfolds its light,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,
If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING.”
–A. E. Finn

I used to think most of the Christian walk was about “toughing it out” — enduring suffering, living with disappointment and struggling through hardship. But I have realized something very precious, especially in the last year, as God has been teaching me and training me.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)

Suffering has purpose. Understanding this changes how we feel about undergoing it.

Having joy because of trials in this way bears so much fruit. It actually leads us to a place where we are truly mature in Christ and lack nothing. Joy fills in the gaps.

In 2 Corinthians 8:2 , Paul writes, “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (NIV)

Joy doesn’t change circumstances, but it does change our attitude toward what we face. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is part of the Holy Spirit’s character (see Galatians 5:22). He loves to bring “the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

What about you? Are you a carrier of joy or misery? How would people describe you? Would they say you lighten the atmosphere around you, or do you add to the heaviness? Being joyful is not the same as being happy. Happiness depends on outward things, but joy wells up from within.

All of us can feel relief and contentment when we have come through a hard time. We can rejoice and praise God for how He has brought us out of it. But the challenge is, how joyful are we in the midst of it?

Adoption

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Ephesians 1:5

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 9:10-24

It is at once a doctrine of Scripture and of common sense, that whatever God does in time he predestined to do in eternity. Some men find fault with divine predestination, and challenge the justice of eternal decrees. Now, if they will please remember that predestination is the counterpart of history, as an architectural plan, the carrying out of which we read in the facts that happen, they may perhaps obtain a slight clue to the unreasonableness of their hostility. I never heard any one among professors wantonly and wilfully find fault with God’s dealings, yet I have heard some who would even dare to call in question the equity of his counsels. If the thing itself be right, it must be right that God intended to do the thing; if you find no fault with facts, as you see them in providence, you have no grounds to complain of decrees, as you find them in predestination, for the decrees and the facts are just the counterpart one of the other. Have you any reason to find fault with God, that he has been pleased to save you, and save me? Then why should you find fault because Scripture says he pre-determined that he would save us? I cannot see, if the fact itself is agreeable, why the decree should be objectionable. I can see no reason why you should find fault with God’s foreordination, if you do not find fault with what does actually happen as the effect of it. Let a man but agree to acknowledge an act of providence, and I want to know how he can, except he runs in the very teeth of providence, find any fault with the predestination or intention that God made concerning that providence.

For meditation: Some talk as if the doctrine of predestination is the enemy of the Christian. Scripture lists it as one of the “all things” that work together for good to them that love God and which prove that God is for us (Romans 8:28-31).

Fellowship with God

By: Charles Spurgeon

‘That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.’ 1 John 1:3

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:11–6:1

That which is the Father’s employment is our employment. I speak not of you all; he knows whom he has chosen. We cannot join with the Father in upholding all worlds, we cannot send forth floods of light at the rising of the sun, we cannot feed the cattle on a thousand hills, nor can we give food and life to all creatures that have breath. But there is something which we can do which he does. He does good to all his creatures, and we can do good also. He bears witness to his Son Jesus, and we can bear witness too. The ‘Father worketh hitherto’ that his Son may be glorified, and we work too. O Eternal Worker! it is his to save souls, and we are co-workers with him. You are his husbandry, you are his building; he scatters the seed of truth, we scatter it too; his words speak comfort, and our words comfort the weary too, when God the Spirit is with us. We hope we can say, ‘For me to live is Christ;’ and is this not what God lives for too? We desire nothing so much as to glorify him, and this is the Father’s will, as well as Jesus Christ’s prayer, ‘Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.’ Do you not see, brethren, that we stand on the same platform with the eternal God? When we lift our hand, he lifts up his eternal arm; when we speak, he speaks too, and speaks the same thing; when we purpose Christ’s glory, he purposes that glory too; when we long to bring home the wandering sheep, and to recall the prodigal sons, he longs to do the same. So that in that respect we can say, ‘Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.’

For meditation: The essential first step in doing the work of God is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:28–29). Faith in him is not only the route to salvation, but also an appointment as God’s fellow-worker (John 14:12; 2 Corinthians 6:1). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and so are his followers (Matthew 5:14).

This past Sunday, my parents, grandparents, and I were on the road home from a family reunion. During our four-hour trip we encountered the worst thunderstorm I’ve driven through in a long time.

The rain was so intense we could only see a few feet in front of us. Other drivers were slowing down, putting on their flashers, and some were even stopping on the side of the road. Along with the heavy rain, the wind was also whipping against everyone’s vehicle.

The experience was a little chaotic; however, I gained total peace from seeing how my dad, who was driving, reacted to the situation. There he was with his eyes fixed on the road while we were all frantically yelling stuff at him like, “Pull over, Slow down, Watch out!”

Despite all the commotion, he kept on driving right through the storm. According to his thinking, he wasn’t going to stop and risk having a bad accident or getting stuck because of a few fearful passengers.

When we are going through a storm, it’s easy to want to quit. There is no reason to keep going when all the signs show the road ahead to be too dangerous. Or is there?

Some people stop at the first site of adversity because they don’t think they have what it takes to survive the storm. When in all actuality God has infused us with every bit of strength we need.

According to 2 Corinthians 3:5,

“We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do.” (CEV)

Even if you find yourself in a difficult situation like my dad and everyone is yelling at you to stop, don’t listen to them; listen to what the Lord is saying. He alone is the one who can help us refocus our attention, calm our anxiety, and steady our course.

The beginning verse in Psalm 91 describes what happens for those of us who dwell in God’s secret place:

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].” (Psalm 91:1, AMPC)

Two words that really stick out to me in this verse are stable and fixed. Yes, it is possible to move forward in a storm and stand firm on the inside at the same time. Why? Because wherever we are in this world we’re covered under the shadow of Almighty God. His shadow follows Him constantly just as our shadow follows us. We could go to the ends of the earth and still not escape the shadow that follows.

David knew exactly where he was supposed to be in times of trouble. Crouching down in fear is not the proper place for men or women of God.

We have to have the same boldness and resolve to pray as David did in Psalm 57:1,

“Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.” (AMPC)

Another key factor for surviving life’s storms is staying in close company with some godly leaders. True godly leaders are visionaries and they can see beyond the struggles we face. As John C. Maxwell writes,

“Leaders see life as it could be. They are always seeing a little farther, a little more, than those around them.”

If it were not for leaders like this in my life, I would have stopped many times short of God’s desired best for me.

So, it is a guarantee that storms will come and they will pass. But it is what we do in the middle of them that makes us victorious. And if fear tries to take over, we can just look unto our Heavenly Father and we will gain the peace we need to go through any storm.

Streams in the Desert – September 10

Times have changed, but life’s hard times haven’t

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me (Ps. 138:8).

There is a Divine mystery in suffering, a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been fathomed by the human reason. There never has been known great saintliness of soul which did not pass through great suffering. When the suffering soul reaches a calm sweet carelessness, when it can inwardly smile at its own suffering, and does not even ask God to deliver it from suffering, then it has wrought its blessed ministry; then patience has its perfect work; then the crucifixion begins to weave itself into a crown.

It is in this state of the perfection of suffering that the Holy Spirit works many marvelous things in our souls. In such a condition, our whole being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every faculty of the mind and will and heart are at last subdued; a quietness of eternity settles down into the whole being; the tongue grows still, and has but few words to say; it stops asking God questions; it stops crying, “Why hast thou forsaken me ?”

The imagination stops building air castles, or running off on foolish lines; the reason is tame and gentle; the choices are annihilated; it has no choice in anything but the purpose of God. The affections are weaned from all creatures and all things; it is so dead that nothing can hurt it, nothing can offend it, nothing can hinder it, nothing can get in its way; for, let the circumstances be what they may, it seeks only for God and His will, and it feels assured that God is making everything in the universe, good or bad, past or present, work together for its good.

Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus.
–Soul Food

The great thing is to suffer without being. discouraged.
–Fenelon

“The heart that serves, and loves, and clings,

Hears everywhere the rush of angel wings.”