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There’s something different about you—in uncertain times you are secure; while others walk in fear, you walk by faith; in a world that is like sand, your feet stand upon a rock; with worry all around you, you have peace beyond understanding; in the midst of heaviness and discouragement, you have joy unspeakable; in troubled times, you have every comfort and consolation; while the world wonders what will happen next, you have hope strongly planted in your heart.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
“Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.” Luke 5:5. What was the reason for this? They understood the work. Had they gone about the toil unskillfully? No. Had they lacked industry? No. They had toiled. Had they lacked perseverance? No. They had toiled all the night. Was there a deficiency of fish in the sea? Certainly not, for as soon as the Master came, they swam to the net in schools. What, then, is the reason? It is because there is no power in themselves apart from the presence of Jesus! Without Christ we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. Christ’s presence confers success.” –C. H. Spurgeon
I used to ask God if He would come and help me; then I asked God if I might come and help Him; then I ended by asking God to do His own work through me. –Hudson Taylor
Men ask for a rainbow in the cloud; but I would ask more from Thee. I would be, in my cloud, myself a rainbow—a minister to others’ joy. –George Matheson
You, who were once far from God, have now been drawn close to His heart;
(Ephesians 2:13)
You, who were once in spiritual poverty, have now been made lavishly rich;
(Ephesians 2:7)
You, who were once without fruit, have now been made to flourish;
(John 15:16)
You, who were once extremely needy, have now been made complete;
(Colossians 2:10)
You, who were once alone and empty, have now been immersed in love;
(Ephesians 3:18-19)
You, who were once a wandering sheep, have now been brought into the fold;
(1 Peter 2:25)
You, who were once an alien, have now been made a citizen of heaven;
(Ephesians 2:19)
You, who were once an orphan, have now been adopted into God’s family;
(Romans 8:15)
You, who were once going your own way, have now been brought into His glorious will and plan.
(Galatians 2:20)
The following posting is an excerpt from an article written by Bonnie Jensen. Bonnie is senior writer for DaySpring Cards and continues to bring the heart of God to others through her books, cards, and devotionals.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
We can do nothing that [matters eternally] apart from Him;
We can do nothing [truly good] that is not motivated by Him;
We can do nothing that [makes a difference] if driven by anything other than His will.
When you feel you have nothing,
can do nothing,
are reduced to nothing…
you are in the highest place
you could ever hope to be—
allowing God to be everything you need.
“Menuchah” is a Hebrew word that means peacefully, stillness, or the quiet place. In your walk with Jesus day by day, “menuchah” can be understood as an invitation to Follow the Lord, your Good Shepherd, into His meadow—His dwelling place, His quiet place, His resting place, His protected place, His safe place, His nurturing place—where your heart will be comforted, where your love will be deepened, where your faith will be strengthened, where your soul will be renewed.
Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a fertile field
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.
And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.
Isaiah 32:15-18
Jesus said to the Twelve, Will you also go away? [And do you too desire to leave Me?] Simon Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words (the message) of eternal life.
John 6:67-68
Leave Jesus? Where else could we go?
We could never have a richer life;
We could never find a better way;
We could never know a deeper love;
We could never see a greater glory;
We could never belong to a surer kingdom;
We could never possess a nobler purpose;
We could never stand upon a firmer foundation;
We could never receive a fuller joy;
We could never hear a higher call;
We could never walk with a truer friend.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
I find it extremely comforting and reassuring to have my wife take a good look at me before I head out the front door to start the day. I know that if she sees something I have missed in my appearance she will let me know. If she sees dirt on my face, a stain on my shirt, a belt loop missed, or a color combination that is not working, she will simply, clearly, and lovingly let me know about it. Her caring sense of observation has saved me much embarrassment through the years.
It’s also equally comforting and reassuring to let the Holy Spirit give us “the once over” before we head out the door to start the day. How wise we would be to daily let Him inspect us to be sure everything is in order—to be sure there is not resentment or bitterness hardening our hearts, to be sure there is no anxiety or worry weighing on our thoughts, and to be sure there is no unbelief or doubts clouding our spirits. How blessed our day would be if we could leave the house each morning knowing it is well with our souls.
It is not the multitude of hard duties, it is not constraint and contention that advance us in our Christian course. On the contrary, it is the yielding of our wills without restriction and without choice, to tread cheerfully every day in the path in which Providence leads us, to seek nothing, to be discouraged by nothing, to see our duty in the present moment, to trust all else without reserve to the will and power of God.
-Fenelon
Whatsoever, wheresoever, whensoever You please!
-R.M. M’Cheyne
The trees of the Lord are full of sap. Psalm 104:16
Without sap the tree cannot flourish or even exist. Vitality is essential to a Christian. There must be life—a vital principle infused into us by God the Holy Spirit—or we cannot be trees of the Lord. What a secret thing the sap is! The roots go searching through the soil, but we cannot see them transform the mineral into the vegetable. This work is done down in the dark. Our root is Christ Jesus, and our life is hid in Him. This is the secret of the Lord. In the Christian, the divine life is always full of energy.
-C.H. Spurgeon
In today’s posting I would like to recommend that you read a good book on theology. Why theology? Theology is a good word and a vitally important one. It means the study of God, especially His attributes and character. Any study of God must be based upon the Bible, for it is here and here alone that God has given us a written revelation of Himself. We cannot have a knowledge of God according to truth unless we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us all that God has said about Himself through the Scriptures.
Sound, biblical theology is essential for your Christian life, for right thinking about God, and for you to be able to walk with Him in truth. There is much deception filling the minds of people today and a great deal of confusion about who God is. Many good books have been written and many good sermons have been preached that declare to us who God is according to the Scriptures. However, we need to be wise and discerning. The truth of Scripture must form our theology and not the opinions of man.
Today there are Christian novels, books, and DVD’s that are wrongly influencing the way people think about God. There are voices today that are telling us about a God they have created out of their own imagination. Some, in an attempt to make God relevant to our culture, have tried to pull Him down to our level of thinking and living. We need to see the Lord in clarity, in reality, and in truth.
Here are a few biblically based books on theology that will help enrich your relationship with God and deepen your love for Him as you discover more about His mind, His heart, His nature, His attributes, and His ways.
The Attributes of God—volumes 1 and 2 by A.W. Tozer
God the Father, God the Son— by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Nature and Character of God—by W.A. Pratney
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Isaiah 6:3
Most often, when people in the Bible encountered God they either trembled, fell on their face, worshiped, or took the shoes from off their feet because they were standing on holy ground. Like Isaiah, we need to see the Lord “high and lifted up”.
It is the Lord’s glory and holiness (His majesty) that brings the fear of the Lord to our hearts. It is His glory and holiness that keeps us from an unholy familiarity toward God; it is His glory and holiness that keeps us from cavalier attitudes and actions toward the things of God; it is the glory and holiness of God that keeps us from becoming careless in our walk, careless in our speech, careless in our humor, and careless in our relationship toward God.
God’s holiness and glory are linked together. God’s glory should silence us, God’s holiness should humble us; God’s glory should lift us up, God’s holiness should clean us up; God’s glory should adorn us, God’s holiness should transform us; God’s glory should excite us, God’s holiness should ignite us.
It has been said that scientists look into space and study, while believers look into space and worship. Do your eyes see Him? Does your heart adore Him? Do you cry out “Holy, holy, holy…the whole earth is filled with His glory?”
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush aflame with God,
But only he that sees takes off his shoes.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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