"...And be thankful."

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

 ~Colossians 3:15-16

Some people seem born with a sullen and feverish temper, and it is very difficult for them to brighten into smiles and songs. But whatever our natural disposition may be, if we belong to Christ it is our bounden duty to cultivate a thankful heart. A melancholy person has a bad effect upon others. It is miserable to have to work with or live under a confirmed pessimist. Nothing is right, nothing pleases, and there is no word of praise or encouragement. If, instead of finding fault with our employees or children we would look out for things for which we could commend and thank them, we should probably find a miraculous change in their attitude.

The advantage of joy and gladness is that it is a source of strength to the individual soul, and to all others who come within its range, and commends our Christianity! Sidney Smith says: "I once gave a lady two and twenty recipes against melancholy; one was a bright fire; another, to remember all the pleasant things said to her; another, to keep a box of sugar-plums on the chimney-piece, and a kettle simmering on the stove. I thought this mere trifling at the moment, but have in after life discovered how true it is, that these little pleasures often banish melancholy better than more exalted objects." We may interpret the advice of this humorist and essayist by turning into joyous praise all the incidents of our daily life, arising with gratitude and thankfulness from every good and perfect gift to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world is sad, and has to pay her jesters and entertainers; it is a mystery to her that the face of the Christian should be bright and smiling, although the fig-tree does not blossom, and there is no fruit in the vine. Let us count up our treasures and blessings, and we shall find that even in the saddest and loneliest life there is something to turn our sorrow into singing. (2 Corinth.6:10)

F.B. MEYER

“Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.” Alexander Maclaren

Do we, as well, hide our faces from the Man of Sorrows?

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Isaiah 53:3

The verse probably contains but one topic—the contempt, or rather aversion, with which men regarded the Servant of the Lord…. Keble says, “He was to be a man of sorrows, and because of His sorrows, He was to be despised. Such is the pride and bitterness of our sinful nature, ever since the fall of our first parents; which began with the lust of the eyes, Eve indulging herself with the sight of the forbidden fruit; and which has gone on ever since, men refusing in general so much as to look at the afflicted, ‘hiding, as it were, their faces’ from them, because such sights interrupt their enjoyment and satisfaction.”

He is despised and rejected of men still, both Jews and Gentiles, and the words of that hymn are no less plain than sadly true, which says—

Our Lord is now rejected,

And by the world disowned,

By the many still neglected,

And by the few enthroned,

But soon He’ll come in glory,

The hour is drawing nigh,

For the crowning day is coming by and by.

We hide our faces from “the Man of Sorrows” when we wish to make this world a paradise of rest, when we neglect the duty of knowing and acquainting ourselves with the burdens which are borne by men, and begin to plan for this world as if it were a place for happiness and repose.  There is no rest here; woe to the man who attempts to make it a place of rest. Oh! there is a false view of things which we get when we try to shut out the thought of suffering. Think of the young man and the young woman who make gaiety their home day after day and night after night, and think of Christ with the sick and maimed around Him; think of one who surrounds himself with the entertainment of this world, and think of one whose day is spent in passing from one sick chamber to another.

We reject Christ when we refuse to relieve suffering. There is an evil which is done in this world by the “want of thought”; that is the sin of those who go through life, not suspecting, and not caring to inquire, how much there is of human desolation. And there is an evil which is done in this world by “the want of heart’; that is the sin of those who are familiar with all that you can tell them of misery, and still go on feasting, and dressing, and amusing themselves, and doling out with a grudge the driblets of their income in the sacred cause of benevolence.

If ever you feel disposed in his manner to turn away from the afflicted, you will do well to check yourself with the question, “Am I not, in fact, behaving as the Jews did when they turned away from our Saviour?” “He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” and, therefore, “they hid as it were their faces from Him.” Surely if we hide our face, peevishly or contemptuously, from any one of His afflicted and poor people; if we are impatient and displeased with everything, except what encourages our mirth or what helps us in our day’s work; we have every reason to think that we too should have hidden our faces from our Saviour, had we known Him in the flesh: we should have been impatient and displeased at being called on to look off our business or our diversion towards a person so lowly and little esteemed, so very full of infirmities and sufferings.

It was a most distinguishing feature of the life of Jesus, the compassion which He felt for the degraded, neglected, unbefriended poor. And He sympathized with bodily anguish. He was walking almost all His life through the wards of a vast hospital. The hospital was the world; the sick, the dying, and the mad were lying on their beds, on both sides of Him. At evening “they brought unto Him many that were sick”; and, it is written again and again, “He was moved with compassion.”

JAMES HASTINGS

The Great Texts of the Bible ~Isaiah

Easter Devotional 2014~ "...no one takes your joy away from you."

“I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” 


John 16:22

Very early in the morning, …when it was yet dark, …behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow… and the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear not!  For I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead…” 

Matthew 28:2-7

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him… 

Luke 24:30-31

Now let the heavens be joyful! Let earth the song begin!

Let the round world keep triumph, and all that is therein!

Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend,

For Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end.           

      The Day of Resurrection

                                                JOHN of DAMASCUS ~760AD                                                                

        If you come to seek His face, not in the empty sepulchre, but in the living power of His presence, as indeed realizing that He has finished His glorious work, and is alive forevermore, then your hearts will be full of true Easter joy, and that joy will shed itself abroad in your homes.  And let your joy not end with the hymns and the prayers and the communions in His house.  Take with you the joy of Easter to the home, and make that home bright with more unselfish love, more hearty service; take it into your work, and do all in the name of the Lord Jesus; take it to your heart, and let that heart rise anew on Easter wings to a higher, a gladder, and fuller life; take it to the dear grave-side and say there the two words, "Jesus lives!" and find in them the secret of calm expectation, and hope of eternal reunion.
JOHN ELLERTON
 ~1826-1893


        There are no marks of the crown of thorns upon His Brow, yet He looks more than ever a King!  The placid sunrise is beautiful, but there is not half so much quiet beauty about it as reigns over that ineffably sweet Face.  O, look into His eyes; what a depth of love, what a tenderness, yet what an overwhelming power of love!  In His Easter joy, He thought of us and of our salvation, of each one of us by name and look; He will know that joy again when we come before Him, to rest forever in His presence.
F. W. FABER
~1815-1863

Good Friday Devotional ~ "...unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone."

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”   ~John 12:24-5

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”  ~John 17:3-4

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! Oh, may Thy will be mine!

Into Thy hand of love I would my all resign;

Through sorrow, or through joy, conduct me as Thine own,

And help me still to say, my Lord, Thy will be done!

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! Though seen through many a tear,

Let not my star of hope grow dim or disappear;

Since Thou on earth hast wept, and sorrowed oft alone,

If I must weep with Thee, my Lord, Thy will be done!

BENJAMIN SCHMOLCK ~1704

                                     

        Was the work of the Master indeed done? Was not its heaviest task yet to come? He had not yet met the dread hour of death.  Why did He say that His work was done?  It was because He knew that, when the will is given, the battle is ended.  He was only in the shadows of the garden; but to conquer these shadows was already to conquer all.  He who has willed to die has already triumphed over death.  All that remains to Him is but the outer husk, the shell.
     The cup which our Father gives us to drink is a cup for the will.  It is easy for the lips to drain it when once the heart has accepted it.  Not on the heights of Calvary, but in the shadows of Gethsemane is the cup presented.  The act is easy after the choice.  The real battlefield is in the silence of the spirit.  Conquer there, and you are crowned.

GEORGE MATHESON

     Continually at every heart He is knocking, asking to be taken in as the supreme object of love.  "Will you have Me," He says to the believer, "to be yours?  Will you follow Me into suffering and loneliness and ask for no reward but My smile of approval and My word of praise?  Will you be content with pleasing Me, and Me only? May I have My way with you in all things?  Will you accept Me for your heavenly Bridegroom and leave all others to cleave only unto Me?"

H.W. SMITH- God is Enough

"God hears every word we utter against Himself and one-another."

Yesterday I drove home at dusk during that downpour of cold April rain, trying not to complain about the weather in my thoughts. I have learned that all complaining about weather is murmuring against God Himself. He does what He does after His own wise counsel, and I must be grateful for it all. As I came into my house, I was struck by the loud singing of the birds after such a deluge. The Robins were giving voice with their clear beautiful courting calls to one another~

“Robin to the bare bough clinging,

What can this blithe music mean?

Like a hidden fount, thy singing

Seems to clothe the wood with green.

He who wintry hours hath given,

With the snow gives snowdrops birth:

And while angels sing in heaven

God hears the robins sing on earth.”

E.C.~Robins and Their Songs

Their hearts sing even in the rain. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” One can always tell what is in their heart when they hear what proceeds from their mouth. If there is anger, bitterness, complaining, spite, and strife in the heart; it is very certain those attitudes will formulate into unkind words. (Eph.4:29-32) James echoes Jesus analogy in Luke 6 with the question, “Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?” No, he asserts. “…the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is won in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:12, 17-18)

“Thou protesteth too loud!” I love to remark to myself. I hear my own biting words, knowing that I have grieved the Holy Spirit and I am convicted my heart is not right. I have to confess my sin that has found a welcoming niche and ask God to cleanse me from all this unrighteousness. When He forgives so willingly, the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. (Isa.61:11)

When I hear other people complaining, making derisive remarks about others, I take heed and say, “It sounds like you are really angry at this person.” The common response is always, “Oh no, I am not that mad. I really do love them deep down!” I muse to myself of how easy it is to deceive oneself. This is their father and mother they are talking about! These are their own siblings! This is their boss who signs their paychecks! This is their own pastor who patiently discipled them in the faith! You should be singing of their praises! They have cared for you, borne with you, hired you, and loved and only served you! Yet, out of treasure of your heart, you bring forth thorns and briars! Clamor and malice that poisons everyone’s ears. “My brethren, these things ought not to be so!”(Jas.3:10) He desires that we be a blessing to others. That our words are seasoned with grace. After all, He is kind to the just and the unjust. 

God hears every word we utter against Himself and one-another. He knows what is in our hearts. He desires to make them clean and pure by His blood.(1 Jn.1:9) Our God will then bless us saying,

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along.

For behold, the winter is past, the rain over and gone.

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time of singing of the birds has come,

The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

The fig tree has ripened its figs,

The vines in blossoms have given forth fragrance.

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come away!”

Song of Songs 2:10-13

Waiting on the LORD~"The hardest thing is to stand quiet & wait, while the hail of the enemy’s fire is whistling round..."

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!

Isaiah 30:18

Lord, what a change within us one short hour

Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make;

What heavy burdens from our bosoms take,

What parchèd fields refresh as with a shower!

We kneel, and all around us seems to lower;

We rise, and all, the distant and the near,

Stands forth in sunny outline, brave and clear;

We kneel, how weak; we rise, how full of power.

Why should we ever weak or heartless be,

Why are we ever overborne with care,

Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer,

And joy, and strength, and courage are with Thee?

RICHARD TRENCH

Waiting is not an idle and impassive thing. When the Bible speaks of waiting upon God, it means something different from doing nothing. We commonly contrast waiting with working, and there is a sense in which the contrast is a just one; but if it leads to think that waiting is not working, it has done wrong to a great Bible word. Think, for example, of the Cabinet minister whose duty it is to wait upon the king. Is that an idle or sauntering business? Can it be entered on without a thought? Will it not rather claim the whole attention, and make the statesman eager and alert? For him, at any rate, waiting is not idleness; rather it is the crown of all his toil. I have heard soldiers say that in battle the hardest thing is not the final rush. In that wild moment a man forgets himself and is caught into a mad tumult of enthusiasm. The hardest thing is to stand quiet and wait, while the hail of the enemy’s fire is whistling round—to wait in the darkness and in the face of death, and be forbidden to return the fire. It is that which tries the nerves and tests the heart. It is that which shows the stuff that men are made of. In such an hour a man is not asleep—he is intensely and tremendously alive.

You get up in the morning, and before you do anything else, you go and place yourself on your knees, and you “wait” a few minutes for the Father’s blessing. You seek an audience of the King of kings…. You recognize your relationship to God—your dependence upon God—your trust in God. That is “waiting upon the Lord.” Then, all the day, feeling your weakness, and ignorance, and danger, you are constantly in little secret acts of communion—by silent prayer and silent praise. That is carrying on the ‘waiting upon the Lord.” Then, you carry about with you—whatever you are doing—whomever else you are serving—the thought, “I am doing this for Christ. I am serving the Lord Christ. I am waiting upon my own dear Master.” And you like always to have some special work in hand which is immediately done for Christ. It is your privilege, your joy, to do something for anybody’s comfort—something for anybody’s soul—all for Jesus. That is “waiting upon the Lord.” That is service—free, holy, happy service. As true service, as acceptable to God, as the service of an angel—as the service of that blessed company in heaven, where His servants are serving Him indeed.

JAMES HASTINGS

~Isaiah

What does it mean to "Wait upon the LORD"? (Isa.40:31)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,

And not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Thy Lord at Thy feet my prostrate heart is lying,

Worn with the burden weary of the way;

The world's proud sunshine on the hills is dying,

And the morning's promise fades with parting day;

Yet in Thy light another morn is breaking,

Of fairer promise, and with pledge more true,

And in Thy life a dawn of youth is waking

Whose boundless pulses shall this heart renew.

Lord, at Thy Feet

George Matheson

To wait upon the Lord, instead of being a weak or languid form of faith, is the form that shows most of its endurance and power. Not doubt it is an expression which brings out the quiet side of the spiritual life. But our text states this important and too much forgotten secret of that life – that it is just such quiet confidence in God that maintains and revives grace in the soul.

         It means an abiding attitude of trustful dependence upon God; it means all that is wrapped up on those beautiful verses, “O rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him”; it means trust in the Lord at all times, for with Him is everlasting strength, and have no confidence in self. But the prophet has a deeper thought than this. There are many things for which we can only ask and then wait in quiet stillness, things which we cannot help God to give us, things which God Himself bestows without our aid, if we are ever to possess them. There are times when the soul is so utterly spent that God bends over our voiceless misery as the Good Samaritan bent over the speechless man, and not waiting for those trembling pallid lips to ask, poured oil and wine into his wounds, and lifted up his almost passive frame, and set him on his own beast.

         The praying spirit can be granted to a man as his soul is in the attitude of prayer. Then we are like a bird with outstretched pinions, poised betwixt earth and heaven, waiting in the atmosphere of God for the knowledge of the work we have to do. And as the bird descends to the nest on the earth which it can see from afar, so we should descend to our duties unperceived except we were on high with God. There, the heart open to God, the soul responsive to His influences, lifted above the meanness of earth, we get a true perspective of our duty; we have a high courage, we see what is required of us, and seeing, we descend to do it. It is easy for us in our hours of silent communion with God to feel the meaning of things – the meaning never put into words, for heaven comes near and illuminates earth. Nay, rather we discover that earth and heaven are one.

JAMES HASTINGS

~Isaiah