Gems for the Weekend
September 3 - 5
"Mary . . . sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word." (Luke 10:39)
"Lord, teach me to pray." (Luke 11:1)
- If we would be preserved from the snares of mysticism and imagination the word of God must be the basis of our contemplations.
- Resting on the word . . . we are on a sure rock, against which all the waves of error dash themselves only to be scattered as mist and foam.
- The unchanging God imparts His own character to His own truth, and it thus abides through all times as changeless in its perfections as He whose word it is. (Edward Dennett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2360
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."
(Isaiah 40:31)
Even in our fast paced society, waiting is still a very real part of life. Traffic jams, check-out lines, car repairs; they all bring frustration over time lost. God is not always as immediate as we would like either. But He has a purpose in it and waiting on Him is essential - never time wasted. When we wait on the Lord, our strength to go forward for Christ will be renewed. Like the eagle, we will soar above the circumstances of life. We will run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. Some of the issues of life can be devastating, but as we wait on Him there will be renewal of strength. (Charlie Tempest)
N.J. Hiebert # 2361
"And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven . . . I pray before Thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee: both I and my father's house have sinned." (Nehemiah 2:4,6,7)
Nehemiah has poured out his heart before the Lord, made known his request, and now he must wait, and many days he must wait, in expectation of the answer to his cries. A prayer may be entirely according to the will of God, and the fruit of communion with His mind, and yet not be immediately answered. This should be well understood, or the soul might be plunged into distress and unbelief without a cause. A prayer is often heard and granted, although God waits, in His infinite wisdom, for the suited moment to bestow the answer. This was the case with that of Nehemiah. (Edward Dennett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2362
