Gems for April - wk 2
April 7
"Take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Where withal shall we be clothed? . . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
In other words, Put God first and self last, and God will see that you are honoured in His own time. The Lord Jesus made this the object of His life - to seek to glorify the One who sent Him. (H.A. Ironside)
N.J.H. # 3301
N.J.H. # 3301
April 8
"And he (Mephibosheth) bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shoudest look upon such a dead dog as I am? (2 Samuel 9:8)
When Mephibosheth was five years old, an unfortunate accident caused him to become lame on both feet. Today we would extend every effort to make such a one have a quality of life as normal as possible. But Mephibosheth's estimation of himself was "a dead dog" as he stood before the king. Are we any different as we stand before the King of kings? We come dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2) and the Lord gives us life. But more! David made Mephibosheth sit at his table and enjoy the bounty of the king. Our Lord makes the same offer. May we accept His invitation today. (Charlie Tempest)
N.J.H. # 3302
N.J.H. # 3302
April 9
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I (Jesus) am MEEK and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:29)
Theodore Roosevelt said once, "I hate a meek man." He probably did not realize that the boldest man, the most utterly unafraid man ever seen on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ, was in the fullest sense a meek man. Meekness is not inconsistent with bravery, and enables one to suffer and be strong when the world would "turn aside the way of the meek." (Amos 2:7) (Selected)
N.J.H. # 3303
N.J.H. # 3303
April 10
"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." (Colossians 3:20)
In childhood days parents stand in relation to their children as God Himself in relation to the parents. Children who do not obey their parents when young will not obey God when older. The natural heart is ever rebellious against authority, and perhaps never more strikingly has this been manifested than in these democratic days in which we live. But Christian children should be examples of godly submission to father and mother or whoever may be in authority over them, and parents are responsible to instill into their hearts the divine requirement of obedience. For young people professing piety, to ignore this principle of obedience is to manifest utter insubjection to the One they own as Lord. (TCNL)
N.J.H. # 3304
In childhood days parents stand in relation to their children as God Himself in relation to the parents. Children who do not obey their parents when young will not obey God when older. The natural heart is ever rebellious against authority, and perhaps never more strikingly has this been manifested than in these democratic days in which we live. But Christian children should be examples of godly submission to father and mother or whoever may be in authority over them, and parents are responsible to instill into their hearts the divine requirement of obedience. For young people professing piety, to ignore this principle of obedience is to manifest utter insubjection to the One they own as Lord. (TCNL)
N.J.H. # 3304
April 11
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." (Psalm 25:14)
"Show me now, that I may know Thy way." (Exodus 33:13)
"I will guide thee with Mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)
"Show me now, that I may know Thy way." (Exodus 33:13)
"I will guide thee with Mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)
God's Word gives us the great principles. God's Spirit forms our hearts in these principles; and the little details fall into line with them. We exercise our judgment; but it is the judgment of a "sound mind"; that is, a mind formed in its workings by the Word of God. Then "I have set the Lord always before Me." This Object forms and governs the motives. It is akin to "the fear of the Lord." He gets His rightful place in the soul, and He forms our thoughts and desires, and we act for Him. (A.H. Rule)
N.J.H. # 3305
N.J.H. # 3305
April 12
"Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:3)
I once heard a marathoner tell how there comes a point in a race when the runner "hits the wall," meaning that his body cannot go on, and every muscle is crying out to give up. He said that at that point it is the mind that will determine if the race will continue. So it is spiritually. If our minds have not been disciplined and directed by the Word of God on an ongoing basis, when we "hit the wall' in our spiritual life, we will fail. May we determine to fill our minds with His Word, and so to discipline our thought life in such a way that we will have victory in the crises of life. (Wm. Burnett)
N.J.H. # 3306
April 13
"Joy unspeakable." (1 Peter 1:8)
The thing that hinders our rejoicing is not trouble, but being half and half. If in the world his conscience reproaches the Christian, if he meets spiritual Christians he is unhappy there; in fact, he is happy nowhere.
Ours ought not to be a religion of regrets, but a rejoicing of heart continually.
The thing that hinders our rejoicing is not trouble, but being half and half. If in the world his conscience reproaches the Christian, if he meets spiritual Christians he is unhappy there; in fact, he is happy nowhere.
Ours ought not to be a religion of regrets, but a rejoicing of heart continually.
"Rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) There is a closer connection between these three than our souls are willing to acknowledge. Joy will ever rise in proportion to prayer and thanksgiving.
Where His will is there is happiness. . . . Christ is my happiness . . . but it is in the path of His will that we find the enjoyment of His love. . . . Thus I find in Him a source of profound and ineffable joy . . . our treasure is Himself. (Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest - JND)
N.J.H. # 3307
