Wait

I don't know about you, but the hardest thing for me is wrapped up in the one small word - "wait". I read a devotional from Spurgeon today, that encouraged me in this area.

"Go again seven times."—1 Kings 18:43.

UCCESS is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are earnest in a matter which concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but "Go again." We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us: his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire."

Good Morning

This morning at church, a friend handed me the following quote printed nicely on a bookmark. In questioning her about it later, she said she had read it in Germany the month before at a very difficult time in her life. She translated it into English and was passing along the blessing. The author is unknown.

Good Morning

"I am the Lord your God. Today I will attend to all your needs. Remember, I do not require your assistance. If Satan puts a stumbling block in your path - a problem too difficult for you - do not try to solve it in your own strength. File it under SATCH - "Surrendered All to Christ." I will attend to it according to my schedule, not yours. Once you have placed your problem in that file, let it go and don't seek to retrieve it again; hanging on and not letting go of it only delays the solution to your problem. As I do not require sleep it is unnecessary for you to lose any sleep. Be at peace, my child, walk closely with Me. I am only a prayer away, and I will show you what I would have you do."

Perfect Willingness

From Spurgeon:

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. (Psalm 110:3)

Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master key which He alone can handle.

Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious, He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of Thy power? I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as Thou givest me will.

Lift up your eyes

Where do you look when things are going great? Where do you look when things are going not so great? I'm afraid all too often in both cases my eyes are focused on the horizontal rather than the vertical. I was reminded again today in the Daily Light reading to "lift up my eyes" unto the Lord in thankfulness, worship, and supplication.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from

whence cometh my help. My help

cometh from the LORD.

S the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.--Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.--Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.--Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

PSA. 121. 1, 2. Ps. 125. 2. Ps. 123. 1, 2.--
Ps. 63. 7. 2 Ch. 20. 12.--Ps. 25. 15.--
Ps. 124. 8.

The Dew of Heaven

From Faith's Checkbook by Spurgeon:

His heavens shall drop down dew. (Deuteronomy 33:28)

"What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of Communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable.

"What a promise is this for me! "His heavens shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco of satanic temptation. Oh, that I may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the Lord! Why should I not! He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the Lord who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child."

"Office of Trust"

In my reading schedule through the Bible, I have been in the first 10 chapters of I Chronicles the past few days. I must admit, it has not been the most exciting. But today in chapter 10, I was so encouraged by the seemingly trivial duties in the temple being given the title "an office of trust" (v. 26). These included the gatekeepers, guards, and those in charge of the utensils, furniture, flour, wine, oil, frankincense, mixing of spices, and things which were baked in pans (vs. 28-31).
Some of those sounded rather familiar to me!

Several other phrases that caught my eye were: "work of the service", "keepers of...", "the LORD was with him", "chosen to be", "had charge of", "were appointed over", "had the responsibility over".

How sobering to consider that whatever "office" the Lord calls me to, from His perspective it is an "office of trust." Verse 33 implies they gave themselves diligently to their work, day and night. They didn't let themselves become distracted with other "callings" that might have had more outward appeal, but applied themselves wholeheartedly to what God had chosen for them. The best part of all for them and for me was that "the LORD was with [them]" as they did their particular work of service.

A new week

I read some words from Spurgeon this morning that seemed the perfect prayer to begin a new day and week.

"Lord, let me go where Thou leadest, on Thy errands, under Thy command, and in the power of Thy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, turn in with me and be my guest; and then walk out with me and cause my heart to burn while You speak with me by the way."

"The unsearchable riches of Christ"

I am poor and needy; yet the Lord

thinketh upon me.

KNOW the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.--My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

How precious . . . are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.--O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.--Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward.

Not many mighty, not many noble, are called.--Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?--Having nothing, and yet possessing all things.--The unsearchable riches of Christ.

PSA. 40. 17. Je. 29. 11.--Is. 55. 8, 9.
Ps. 139. 17, 18.--Ps. 92. 5.--Ps. 40. 5.
1 Co. 1. 26.--Ja. 2. 5.--2 Co. 6. 10.--
Ep. 3. 8.

Infinite Knowledge

I love to read, study, and learn as much as possible about things. As much joy as that brings me, however, it can become an end in itself and be my greatest snare. I have seen it bring inner turmoil, strengthen pride, and create an attitude of critical judgment. The right kind of knowledge builds up - the wrong kind puffs up. I have to constantly be alert as to the "why" of my desire to know, and be content to leave the unknowables to the One who has infinite wisdom.

Spurgeon had a very timely word for me today in his Morning and Evening.

"Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?"—Job 38:16.

OME things in nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds beyond which it cannot pass. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this be so in the things which are seen and temporal, I may rest assured that it is even more so in matters spiritual and eternal. Why, then, have I been torturing my brain with speculations as to destiny and will, fixed fate, and human responsibility? These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to find out the depth which coucheth beneath, from which old ocean draws her watery stores. Why am I so curious to know the reason of my Lord's providences, the motive of His actions, the design of His visitations? Shall I ever be able to clasp the sun in my fist, and hold the universe in my palm? yet these are as a drop of a bucket compared with the Lord my God. Let me not strive to understand the infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by intellect I can possess by affection, and let that suffice me. I cannot penetrate the heart of the sea, but I can enjoy the healthful breezes which sweep over its bosom, and I can sail over its blue waves with propitious winds. If I could enter the springs of the sea, the feat would serve no useful purpose either to myself or to others, it would not save the sinking bark, or give back the drowned mariner to his weeping wife and children; neither would my solving deep mysteries avail me a single whit, for the least love to God, and the simplest act of obedience to Him, are better than the profoundest knowledge. My Lord, I leave the infinite to Thee, and pray Thee to put far from me such a love for the tree of knowledge as might keep me from the tree of life."

Rest

Sit still, my daughter.

AKE heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted.--Be still, and know that I am God.--Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?--The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Mary, . . . sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.--Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.--In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.--Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established.

He that believeth shall not make haste.

RUTH 3. 18. Is. 7. 4.--Ps. 46. 10.--
John 11. 40.--Is. 2. 17. Lu. 10. 39, 42.--
Is. 30. 15.--Ps. 4. 4. Ps. 37. 7. Ps. 112. 7, 8.
Is. 28. 16.