Hope To Continue On

From: Our Daily Bread

By Anne Cetas

Read: Lamentations 3:19-33

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. —Lamentations 3:22-23

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

The solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse can fly day and night without fuel. Inventors Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg hope to fly it around the world in 2015. While the plane flies all day by solar power, it gathers enough energy to be able to fly all night. When the sun rises, Piccard says, “It brings the hope again that you can continue.”

The idea of sunrise bringing us hope makes me think of Lamentations 3 from our Bible reading for today: “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through theLord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (vv.21-23). Even when God’s people were in the depths of despair while the city of Jerusalem was being invaded by the Babylonians, the prophet Jeremiah said they had reason to hope—they still had the Lord’s mercies and compassions.

Sometimes our struggles seem worse at night, but when sunrise comes it brings hope again that we can continue. “Weeping may endure for a night,” the psalmist says, “but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

Thank You, Lord, for the hope You send with each sunrise. Your mercies and compassions are new every morning!

New mercies every morning,
Grace for every day,
New hope for every trial,
And courage all the way. —McVeigh

Each new day gives us new reasons to praise the Lord.

Insight

For 2 years the Babylonians lay siege to Jerusalem. Conditions within the besieged city were desperate and deplorable. Starvation during the siege even led to cannibalism (2 Kings 25:1-4; Lam. 2:20; 4:10). Sadly, Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of the city and temple (Jer. 52:12-27). In five emotionally charged dirges, or funeral laments (one for each chapter of Lamentations), he described the sufferings of the people and the reasons for their suffering. But he also wrote of hope in the midst of despair (Lam. 3:21-32) and of restoration that would come (5:19-22).

Pouring Out the Water of Satisfaction

From: My Utmost for HIs Highest

09

03

2014

He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord —2 Samuel 23:16

Streams In The Desert

And he saw them toiling in rowing (Mark 6:48).

Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do. Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children. When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done. The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully, by faith, that He more than fills our life.

A man who had learned this secret once said: “I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again. I have taken for my motto, ‘Not overwork, but overflow’; and already it has made all the difference in my life.”

There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always.
–Sunday School Times

Be all at rest, my soul, O blessed secret,
Of the true life that glorifies thy Lord:
Not always doth the busiest soul best serve Him,
But he that resteth on His faithful Word.
Be all at rest, let not your heart be rippled,
For tiny wavelets mar the image fair,
Which the still pool reflects of heaven’s glory–
And thus the image He would have thee bear.
Be all at rest, my soul, for rest is service,
To the still heart God doth His secrets tell;
Thus shalt thou learn to wait, and watch, and labor,
Strengthened to bear, since Christ in thee doth dwell.
For what is service but the life of Jesus,
Lived through a vessel of earth’s fragile clay,
Loving and giving and poured forth for others,
A living sacrifice from day to day.
Be all at rest, so shalt thou be an answer
To those who question, “Who is God and where?”
For God is rest, and where He dwells is stillness,
And they who dwell in Him, His rest shalt share.
And what shall meet the deep unrest around thee,
But the calm peace of God that filled His breast?
For still a living Voice calls to the weary,
From Him who said, “Come unto Me and rest.”
–Freda Hanbury Allen

“In resurrection stillness there is resurrection power.”

September 3

Nehemiah 4:16-18 (NIV) 16From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

The enemies of Judah were furious over the wall being built. The remnant had worked hard, and the wall was half finished. The leaders of their enemies began to insult their work in range of their hearing to discourage them. When the enemy insults you, know that he is afraid of the work being done through you. About the time they became tired and discouraged from the insults and by the massive amount of rubble to be moved, the enemy began to plan an attack. The enemy often attacks when we are physically weary and discouraged. He watches for the weakest moment. But the Jews got wind of their plot.

Nehemiah had half of the men guard the other workers. The ones who hauled the materials had a weapon in one hand and worked with the other. The builders had their weapons handy. They devised a plan to rush to the aid of any place where the trumpet was blown. From the crack of dawn until it was too dark to work, they built and watched for the enemy. When the enemies found their plan was discovered, they gave up on the idea of an attack.

We are building too. We are laborers for the Kingdom of God. Some of us haul material and some of us stand guard, but all of us need to have our sword at our side. We need the Word of God in our hands ready for the battle. The enemy will try to discourage and insult you because he is the Accuser of the brethren. That is the time to take heart. He is attacking because he sees the good work done through you. If you are a laborer on the wall, get a brother to cover your back and watch for you in prayer. Listen for the trumpet call so that you can help your brothers that are being attacked. They may be working on a different section of the wall, but remember it is all a part of the same wall.

Encouragement: Before we know it, every stone will be in place and the New Jerusalem will descend.

September 3

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV) 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

This is the chapter on love. The previous chapter is about the gifts of the Spirit, and it ends with Paul declaring that he will show us a more excellent way. The verses above follow that declaration. Paul is saying that no matter how gifted we are, love is an absolutely essential ingredient.

If we have a gift of heavenly or earthly languages but do not have love, the words will be just a bunch of noise. It is the love of God through the gift that powerfully affects lives. When you share with people you meet, if love is not the motivating power, not just love for God but God’s love for them, then your words will have little or no affect. It is the unconditional love of God for them that causes the words to grip their mind and heart.

If you have a gift to hear what God would have you speak to others, and understand the mysteries in God’s word, and know a mountain of information about the work of God, it will be fruitless without love. Even if you have faith that can cause mountains to move, if love is not behind it, you really are nothing. Is this also telling us that there are those that have these great gifts that impress people, but their lives amount to nothing lasting?

There are many actions in the world that appear to be genuine goodness. Could a person actually give up their possessions and even their life and it not have the motivation of genuine love. Paul says, “Yes!” “Good” works gain us nothing if they are not done out of the love of God. The lesson is to seek to have our hearts overflowing with love so that the expression of our gifts will bear fruit that lasts.

Remember: Is the genuine unselfish love of God motivating you?

Destined To Be Holy

From: My Utmost for His Highest

09

01

2014

. . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ —1 Peter 1:16

From: Crosswalk

“But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.'” Luke 9:62 (TLB)

I was a woman on a mission and nothing was going to stop me. Or, so I thought.

With an over-ambitious mindset and a determined heart, I clutched my lengthy to-do list as if it were a sacred antidote for life.

Having much to accomplish and only a few hours to spare, I whipped into a parking spot and made a mad dash towards the front doors of my local convenience store.

On the way in, I noticed a group of people staring at something on the ground. Avoiding the distraction, I shifted my direction and headed towards another set of doors on the opposite side of the store. Then the unexpected happened.

A nudge. A knowing. A whisper in my heart: “Go over to the crowd.”

At first, I dismissed it as curiosity. A random thought that needed to be ignored. But then it dawned on me … I wasn’t curious at all. In fact, I was much more interested in getting in, getting out and going my own way.

I’m not involved, so it’s not my problem.

Then I sensed the whisper again: “Leah, I want you to go over there.”

With a smile on my face and joy in my heart, I made a beeline for the crowd. NOT. Instead, it went something like this: Heavy sigh. Slow turn. Unsettled feelings.

I recognized God’s nudge, and I wanted to obey. Really, I did. But, another part of me just wanted to keep walking.

This distraction is going to throw off my schedule and keep me from accomplishing what I need to get done today. It’s probably nothing.

Reluctantly making my way back across the parking lot, I approached the crowd and saw a man on the ground. A heavy concoction of sweat, alcohol fumes and stale smoke filled the air.

Glancing at his tattered clothes and swollen feet, I noticed the scratches on his arms and face.

His eyes were swollen shut, and he wasn’t moving. The crowd stood silently staring at his body. I couldn’t tell if he was breathing, but I could hear the faint sounds of an ambulance in the distance.

Help was on its way, so I could now be on my way. Then the whisper came again: “Kneel down and pray for him.”

Seriously Lord … kneel down? Here in the parking lot? Can’t I just stand here and pray silently for him? All these people will think I’m a weirdo. Besides, help is coming.

“Kneel down and pray for him.”

So I did. Kneeling down next to the man, I stretched out my hand and gently placed it on his shoulder. I began to pray out loud. No one else said a word.

At first it felt awkward. Uncomfortable. Crazy. But then I felt someone’s hand rest gently on my shoulder. Within moments, a woman bent down next to me and placed her hand on the sick man’s arm. Another hand extended. Another voice responded to the prayers.

In just a few seconds, this unlikely mix of strangers transformed into a powerful prayer group. Right in the middle of a busy convenience store parking lot. An unwanted distraction became a divine appointment.

No one objected. No one walked away. We continued to pray until the paramedics arrived, treated the man and left for the hospital. As the sirens faded into the background, I stood there astonished at what God had just done in our midst.

Had I ignored the whisper I would have missed out on the miracle. I could have overlooked the distraction, but I would have missed my divine appointment. My “important” schedule paled in comparison to what I had just experienced: God tying hearts together and weaving a beautiful blanket of prayer over one of His broken children.

In the midst of the ordinary, God breathed the extraordinary … all within a circle of strangers willing to be distracted for a moment in time.

Did you wake up this morning with a long to-do list and an ambitious mindset? When distractions come your way, try pausing for a moment to see if God is unwrapping a divine appointment for you. It may be disguised as ordinary circumstances. But as you peel back the layers, whispering “Yes Lord, I’ll obey,” you will no doubt experience His presence and glory!

Lord, thank You for entrusting me with divine appointments, and let my answer to Your call always be yes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

From: Streams in the Desert

I will lay thy stones with fair colors (Isa. 54:11).

The stones from the wall said, “We come from the mountains far away, from the sides of the craggy hills. Fire and water have worked on us for ages, but made us only crags. Human hands have made us into a dwelling where the children of your immortal race are born, and suffer, and rejoice, and find rest and shelter, and learn the lessons set them by our Maker and yours. But we have passed through much to fit us for this. Gunpowder has rent our very heart; pickaxes have cleaved and broken us, it seemed to us often with out design or meaning, as we lay misshapen stones in the quarry; but gradually we were cut into blocks, and some of us were chiseled with finer instruments to a sharper edge. But we are complete now, and are in our places, and are of service.

“You are in the quarry still, and not complete, and therefore to you, as once to us, much is inexplicable. But you are destined for a higher building, and one day you will be placed in it by hands not human, a living stone in a heavenly temple.”

In the still air the music lies unheard;In the rough marble beauty hides unseen;
To make the music and the beauty needs
The master’s touch, the sculptor’s chisel keen.
Great Master, touch us with Thy skillful hands;
Let not the music that is in us die!
Great Sculptor, hew and polish us; nor let,
Hidden and lost, thy form within us lie!

From: Through the Bible

“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
Psalm 73:24

The Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and lest he should be constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God’s counsel should henceforth guide him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend’s arm and reaches home in safety, and so would we give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, nothing doubting; assured that though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the all-seeing God. “Thou shalt,” is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not decline the condescending task. There is a word for thee, O believer; rest thou in it. Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; he shall guide thee; he will direct all thy ways. In his written Word thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for holy Scripture is his counsel to thee. Happy are we to have God’s Word always to guide us! What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be thou, O God, that we may trust thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end! After this guidance through life, the Psalmist anticipates a divine reception at last–“and afterward receive me to glory.” What a thought for thee, believer! God himself will receive thee to glory–thee! Wandering, erring, straying, yet he will bring thee safe at last to glory! This is thy portion; live on it this day, and if perplexities should surround thee, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne.

Evening

“Trust in him at all times.”
Psalm 62:8

Faith is as much the rule of temporal as of spiritual life; we ought to have faith in God for our earthly affairs as well as for our heavenly business. It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we shall live above the world. We are not to be idle, that would show we did not trust in God, who worketh hitherto, but in the devil, who is the father of idleness. We are not to be imprudent or rash; that were to trust chance, and not the living God, who is a God of economy and order. Acting in all prudence and uprightness, we are to rely simply and entirely upon the Lord at all times.

Let me commend to you a life of trust in God in temporal things. Trusting in God, you will not be compelled to mourn because you have used sinful means to grow rich. Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience. Trusting God, you will not be guilty of self-contradiction. He who trusts in craft, sails this way today, and that way the next, like a vessel tossed about by the fickle wind; but he that trusteth in the Lord is like a vessel propelled by steam, she cuts through the waves, defies the wind, and makes one bright silvery straightforward track to her destined haven. Be you a man with living principles within; never bow to the varying customs of worldly wisdom. Walk in your path of integrity with steadfast steps, and show that you are invincibly strong in the strength which confidence in God alone can confer. Thus you will be delivered from anxious care, you will not be troubled with evil tidings, your heart will be fixed, trusting in the Lord. How pleasant to float along the stream of providence! There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no care, for he careth for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the Lord.

The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. —Joshua 2:11

From: GetmoreStrength

Did you ever wonder why Rahab, the prostitute who lived in the pagan city of Jericho, opened her home to the Israelite spies? And what gave her the courage to name the God of Israel as her own?

This unlikeliest of conversions was prompted by the stories she had heard about the reality and power of God. Though thoroughly steeped in paganism and immorality, her heart was drawn to God. As she told the spies, “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites” (Josh. 2:10).

Under normal circumstances, the highly fortified city of Jericho would have been virtually unconquerable. Yet it became vulnerable because of the compelling stories of God’s power. Long before God’s people arrived, the self-sufficient pride of this hostile culture dissolved in fear when faced with those who belonged to the God they had heard so much about (v.11). And within the walls, one pagan heart turned to receive the God of Israel and played a strategic role in Israel’s stunning victory.

Let’s boldly tell the stories of God’s greatness. You never know whose heart may be ready to respond!

Christ is coming, over the world victorious—
Power and glory unto the Lord belong:
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.  —Crosby

Don’t be shy; tell the stories of God’s greatness.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1

From: Get More Strength

Several years ago my wife Martie and I had the unique experience of going on a camel safari in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. We rocked back and forth on top of those ugly beasts for an hour as we perused the quiet of the desert. In the course of describing the attributes of camels, our guide mentioned that they could live for 3 months without water. They are obviously built for the desert.

What a contrast to the sleek, “type A” gazelle the writer had in mind in Psalm 42:1-11. Bounding through the meadows and the forests, the deer is satisfied and sustained on a regular basis by water. He needs it and yearns for it in his fast-paced existence.

How easy it is in the midst of our abundance to be far more like the camel than the deer. Rarely sensing a need for God, some people can go for months without desiring Him. For some of us, life has been a long stretch of religious and secular activity without any sense of utter dependence on Him or sincere desire to know Him. The problem is that we weren’t built for life in a spiritual desert. We were built—redeemed, in fact—for regular, satisfying access to the refreshing presence of God in our souls.

So what is it that keeps us from really longing for and seeking Him? Of all the things that make us like the camel, none is so glaring as the sin of self-sufficiency. We have relegated Jesus to the sidelines, while we go about our business. Cultivating him as our soul mate and supreme necessity for life has somehow escaped us. But it hasn’t escaped Him. He still knocks at our heart’s door to offer the sweet fellowship that only He can bring (Revelation 3:20).

Let’s drink deeply, living in Jesus more like a deer and less like a camel.

August 31

From:   Back To The Bible

Ezra 10:10-12 (NIV) 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. 11Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.” 12The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say.

When Ezra had heard how the remnant had broken God’s law by marrying the women of the land, he tore his robes and wept and fasted. The people followed his lead and were convicted of sin. It was the people who encouraged him to tell them what to do to set things right with God. Ezra replied with the verses above; confess and do God’s will. Separate yourselves from the people and wives who had those horrible demonic religious practices.

We do not live in Israel and were never forbidden to marry a certain group of people, but the principle remains true. That is why the Apostle Paul told us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That could apply to marriage or business. When we find we are with people of evil practices, we should not commit ourselves to any type of united endeavor with them. How can two walk together except they be agreed?

But there is a deeper principle. What fellowship does light have with darkness? If we are walking in the light, we will be repulsed by the sin and have a desire to show them the way to be freed from its bondage. Some Christians will play on the edge of the cliff of sin because the allurement is enticing them. Coach Bill McCartney said, “Draw a line where there is a danger of being caught by sin and stay ten yards back.” Don’t walk along the very edge of a cliff.

In this final chapter of Ezra, the men sent their foreign wives and children away. That seems very harsh of God, but the situation existed because of disobedience to God. It was the only remedy. Not dealing with the issue had caused the downfall of Israel in the past. We must cut off from our lives the thing that is enticing us to sin, and send it away from our lives if we are going to go on with God.

Consider: If you want God’s blessing, confess the sin. Do God’s will. Separate yourself from the sin.

August 31

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (NIV) 31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

The Christian life is about living for another out of love. I’m referring to the One who died and conquered death that He might be with you. It is an all out, 100%, way of living. In everything that is done, we seek the glory of God, even in the little menial tasks of daily life. It isn’t a thing you do on Sunday morning and in the 5-minute daily devotion time. It is your whole life’s focus.

In living for the glory of God, we seek to share Him with others. One thing that must grieve God deeply is when we offend someone who knows we are a Christian. As a representative of Jesus, we have pushed them away from Jesus. That usually takes place because we are selfish and demanding our own preferences. We are being completely inconsiderate of the way they see and understand life and their need to find Jesus as Savior. We please ourselves but give up the greatest privilege we could have, sharing the love of Jesus with them.

Paul is telling us part of the reason he was so fruitful in his ministry. He did his very best to not to cause anyone to stumble. That does not mean that he compromised the truth. One look at his life tells you that is not the case. But he did consider others’ cultures and limited his actions so as not to unnecessarily offend them. He acted for their good and not his own, so that they might be saved.

Dear reader, remember that you are the only Jesus many will see. Do whatever you can to draw the lost to Christ, not repel them. Their salvation is worth more than any liberty that we might cling to. Take on Paul’s motto of trying to please everyone in everyway in order to win them to Jesus. Seek their good over your own that they might be saved.

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 (NLT)

Lord, I’m not sure I can take one more rejection.

No. No. No. Every email I received said the same thing, using different words. We don’t publish that type of book. We don’t publish writers we don’t know. We won’t publish you.

Letting each rejection seep into my heart, many days I crawled into bed and cried. Why would God ask me to do something good, yet allow a process that made me feel so bad?

But then I remembered Mary, who was much wiser than I. Her story is found in the Bible. Instead of building her confidence on something she could lose, or have taken away, she built her confidence on God.

Picture this teenager. She’s engaged to a great guy. Wedding plans are in motion. Life is good.

Then suddenly, her happily-ever-after dreams are interrupted by an angel announcing this surprise:

“Good morning! You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you” (Luke 1:28, MSG).

Flattered? Nope. She was scared! However, the angel assures her, “You have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus” (v. 29-33).

My reaction would have been, What? Pregnant? I’m not married yet! There’s no way!

But when Mary received this news, we don’t see fear or doubt. Her response isn’t, “This will be the end of me! What will everyone say about me?”

Mary doesn’t ditch her confidence. Instead, as we find in today’s key verse, her reaction is grounded in faith: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38a).

Mary responded with confidence because Mary’s confidence began with her relationship with God.

Not on something, like her reputation. That was outside her control.

Not on someone, like Joseph. For all she knew, he would leave her once he learned she was pregnant.

Not on some place, like her home. Mary actually left town to visit her cousin after she received this news.

Did Mary understand everything God was doing? Unlikely. Or resent what He was doing? Doesn’t appear so.

Would others judge her? No doubt they would, but Mary did not allow people’s opinions to prevent her from embracing God’s calling, even if she didn’t completely understand it. The lack of details didn’t impact her confidence in His plans for her life, nor her trust in Him to take care of her.

There have been times when I’ve based my confidence on others. As a teenager, I based it on a boyfriend’s affection, a coach’s affirmation or my parent’s approval. If one of them failed to give the “Atta girl!” I craved, I saw myself as a failure.

As a mom, I’ve built it on my kids and their performance. When they made a mistake, my confidence was shaken. I’ve based my security on my career and the success I wanted. Success hasn’t always come, although rejection often has.

Has there been a time when circumstances were less than perfect and your confidence was shaken?

I’m learning that unshakable confidence is not built on someone, something or someplace, but on our unshakable God. This confidence is built over time, before confidence-shaking circumstances come. In the difficult times, God has taught me He alone is my firm foundation for rebuilding confidence. Only Him.

As we face inevitable uncertainties in life, in our relationships, in our futures, let’s start to rebuild our confidence on the One that can never be taken away: God. The only One who will never leave us or forsake us.

Lord, it’s easier to build my confidence on what I can see and what I know. Help me to build my confidence on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Wait on the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14

From: Biblegateway

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before him; tell him your difficulty, and plead his promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if he keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet he will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, “Now, Lord, not my will, but thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for thee in the full conviction that thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.”

Evening

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.”
Jeremiah 17:14

“I have seen his ways, and will heal him.”

Isaiah 57:18

It is the sole prerogative of God to remove spiritual disease. Natural disease may be instrumentally healed by men, but even then the honour is to be given to God who giveth virtue unto medicine, and bestoweth power unto the human frame to cast off disease. As for spiritual sicknesses, these remain with the great Physician alone; he claims it as his prerogative, “I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal;” and one of the Lord’s choice titles is Jehovah-Rophi, the Lord that healeth thee. “I will heal thee of thy wounds,” is a promise which could not come from the lip of man, but only from the mouth of the eternal God. On this account the psalmist cried unto the Lord, “O Lord, heal me, for my bones are sore vexed,” and again, “Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.” For this, also, the godly praise the name of the Lord, saying, “He healeth all our diseases.” He who made man can restore man; he who was at first the creator of our nature can new create it. What a transcendent comfort it is that in the person of Jesus “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily!” My soul, whatever thy disease may be, this great Physician can heal thee. If he be God, there can be no limit to his power. Come then with the blind eye of darkened understanding, come with the limping foot of wasted energy, come with the maimed hand of weak faith, the fever of an angry temper, or the ague of shivering despondency, come just as thou art, for he who is God can certainly restore thee of thy plague. None shall restrain the healing virtue which proceeds from Jesus our Lord. Legions of devils have been made to own the power of the beloved Physician, and never once has he been baffled. All his patients have been cured in the past and shall be in the future, and thou shalt be one among them, my friend, if thou wilt but rest thyself in him this night.

 

 

Terms Of Service

By Julie Ackerman Link

Streams In The Desert

And he went out carrying his own cross (John 19:17).

There is a poem called “The Changed Cross.” It represents a weary one who thought that her cross was surely heavier than those of others whom she saw about her, and she wished that she might choose an other instead of her own. She slept, and in her dream she was led to a place where many crosses lay, crosses of different shapes and sizes. There was a little one most beauteous to behold, set in jewels and gold. “Ah, this I can wear with comfort,” she said. So she took it up, but her weak form shook beneath it. The jewels and the gold were beautiful, but they were far too heavy for her.

Next she saw a lovely cross with fair flowers entwined around its sculptured form. Surely that was the one for her. She lifted it, but beneath the flowers were piercing thorns which tore her flesh.

At last, as she went on, she came to a plain cross, without jewels, without carvings, with only a few words of love inscribed upon it. This she took up and it proved the best of all, the easiest to be borne. And as she looked upon it, bathed in the radiance that fell from Heaven, she recognized her own old cross. She had found it again, and it was the best of all and lightest for her.

God knows best what cross we need to bear. We do not know how heavy other people’s crosses are. We envy someone who is rich; his is a golden cross set with jewels, but we do not know how heavy it is. Here is another whose life seems very lovely. She bears a cross twined with flowers. If we could try all the other crosses that we think lighter than our own, we would at last find that not one of them suited us so well as our own.
–Glimpses through Life’s Windows

If thou, impatient, dost let slip thy cross,
Thou wilt not find it in this world again;
Nor in another: here and here alone
Is given thee to suffer for God’s sake.
In other worlds we may more perfectly
Love Him and serve Him, praise Him,
Grow nearer and nearer to Him with delight.
But then we shall not any more
Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here.
Canst thou not suffer, then, one hour or two?
If He should call thee from thy cross today,
Saying: “It is finished-that hard cross of thine
From which thou prayest for deliverance,
“Thinkest thou not some passion of regret
Would overcome thee? Thou would’st say,
“So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile
More patiently. I have not yet praised God.”
Whensoe’er it comes, that summons that we look for,
It will seem soon, too soon. Let us take heed in time
That God may now be glorified in us.
–Ugo Bassi’s Sermon in a Hospital

Through The Bible

August 29

Ezra 7:9-10 (NIV) 9He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Three times in Ezra chapter 7 we have the expression, “the gracious hand of his God was on him”. He did certain things because of God’s hand upon him. He had favor with the king and was given whatever he asked for because the gracious hand of God was upon him. He was on his way with more exiles and finances and sacrifices to assist in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and to offer the sacrifices the king had sent. Ezra must have made some kind of impression on the king, but I think he would say that this came about because the gracious hand of his God was upon him.

Of course, God has no physical hand, so what does this mean? When a few generations pass, the apostles would lay their hands on others so that they would be healed or filled with the Holy Spirit or sent out into a ministry calling. Their hands represent God’s hand to bring God’s children to the fullness of His call upon their lives. The picture of God’s gracious hand upon us should give us a rush of joy and encouragement. Surely every born again child of God has the hand of the Lord upon them in some degree. What can bring that out in a greater display like that which we see in the life of Ezra?

In the above verses, we have the reason why. He devoted himself to studying, obeying, and teaching the Word of God. It’s a simple, clear and powerful answer clearly seen in the passage. It is available to every reader. It is the call upon every reader, for whatever your calling is, you need to study and observe and, in some manner, teach the Word of God. There are only a few things that Scripture encourages us to be devoted to. One is the study and obedience to the Word. The others are to be devoted to seeking the LORD (Jeremiah 30:21), to doing what is good (Titus 3:8,14) and prayer (Colossians 4:2). It is impossible to do one without doing them all.

Consider: Would you like the gracious hand of God upon your life? Devote yourself to study, obey, and teach His Word.

August 29

1 Corinthians 9:24-25, 27 (NIV) 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

27… I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

The Apostle Paul gave up whatever rights he needed to give up to connect with the people he was trying to win and teach. To him, the most important thing was not his personal desires or advancement but the spiritual growth of those he was ministering to.

In this passage, he compares his attitude toward ministry to a Greek athlete. An athlete doesn’t do what is comfortable or take the easy route. He has a goal and denies himself to reach it. He puts boundaries on his desires and freedom so that he can reach that goal. He pushes himself to the very limits of his ability and endurance. Then when he is in the race, he gives it all he has to win. He ignores his body’s demands and goes all out to win, and all he gets is a little momentary glory and a crown of leaves that soon decay. Paul is doing it for an eternal crown and encourages us to do the same.

Paul wrote that he made his body his slave. He did not give in to its demands. He knew that if he did give in, he would not obtain the prize he was after. When the Greeks broke the training rules they were disqualified. Paul did not want that to happen to him in the spiritual sense. He worked late into the night to support himself when he thought the church might be offended if he asked for the support he deserved. What an example he set for us!

Is your body your slave or your master? Are you running for a temporal crown or an eternal one? Are you running to take first place or just jogging along comfortably? When we look at the ministry of the Apostle Paul, we can see he really lived what he wrote. He was out to take first place. What is your pace?

Consider: How would your life change if you went all out for your Savior?

“Oil for the light.”
Exodus 25:6

From: BibleGateway

My soul, how much thou needest this, for thy lamp will not long continue to burn without it. Thy snuff will smoke and become an offence if light be gone, and gone it will be if oil be absent. Thou hast no oil well springing up in thy human nature, and therefore thou must go to them that sell and buy for thyself, or like the foolish virgins, thou wilt have to cry, “My lamp is gone out.” Even the consecrated lamps could not give light without oil; though they shone in the tabernacle they needed to be fed, though no rough winds blew upon them they required to be trimmed, and thy need is equally as great. Under the most happy circumstances thou canst not give light for another hour unless fresh oil of grace be given thee.

It was not every oil that might be used in the Lord’s service; neither the petroleum which exudes so plentifully from the earth, nor the produce of fishes, nor that extracted from nuts would be accepted; one oil only was selected, and that the best olive oil. Pretended grace from natural goodness, fancied grace from priestly hands, or imaginary grace from outward ceremonies will never serve the true saint of God; he knows that the Lord would not be pleased with rivers of such oil. He goes to the olive-press of Gethsemane, and draws his supplies from him who was crushed therein. The oil of gospel grace is pure and free from lees and dregs, and hence the light which is fed thereon is clear and bright. Our churches are the Saviour’s golden candelabra, and if they are to be lights in this dark world, they must have much holy oil. Let us pray for ourselves, our ministers, and our churches, that they may never lack oil for the light. Truth, holiness, joy, knowledge, love, these are all beams of the sacred light, but we cannot give them forth unless in private we receive oil from God the Holy Ghost.

Evening

“Sing, O barren.”
Isaiah 54:1

Though we have brought forth some fruit unto Christ, and have a joyful hope that we are “plants of his own right hand planting,” yet there are times when we feel very barren. Prayer is lifeless, love is cold, faith is weak, each grace in the garden of our heart languishes and droops. We are like flowers in the hot sun, requiring the refreshing shower. In such a condition what are we to do? The text is addressed to us in just such a state. “Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud.” But what can I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of these, I can magnify the great love wherewith he loved his people when he came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again. Perhaps that very cross which gave thee life may give thee fruitfulness. What is my barrenness? It is the platform for his fruit-creating power. What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of his everlasting love. I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all my shame and backsliding, I will tell him that I am still his child, and in confidence in his faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will sing and cry aloud.

Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath to be without fruit he will soon cover thee with clusters. The experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord’s visitations are delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in him is our fruit found.