Gems for the Week
November 5 - 10
"Nevertheless the centurion believed
the master and the owner of the ship,
more that those things
which were spoken by Paul."
(Acts 27:11)
Poor, foolish, Julius! A Roman centurion would normally be a very cautious, though exceedingly brave person. Yet we see that even this courageous, intelligent soldier listened to the wrong advice! His decision to listen to others instead of the Apostle (who was the only channel of truth that was available to him), was going to cost him everything, even the ship on which he traveled. Is that not a very steep price to pay, for not listening to the entreaties and warnings of the God who loves you?
Do not trust in your intelligence or strength in the decisions you make in Life. Listen to the One Who is the way, the truth and the life. Will you, like the centurion, loose everything (except your eternal salvation) that God has given for your journey of life, because you listened to the wrong advice? (The Journey of Life)
N.J. Hiebert # 2422
"At Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)
You never had a pleasure that lasted. You look forward to a great pleasure, and it comes, and then, very soon it is gone, and you can only look back upon it. The very longest and pleasantest day you ever had came to an end. How differently are the pleasures at God's right hand! They are for evermore, and you cannot get to the end or see to the end of evermore, for there is no end to it. And it is not one pleasure only, but pleasures, as manifold as they are unending. We can only tell a few things about them. They will be holy pleasures, never mingled with any sin. They will be perfect pleasures with nothing whatever to spoil them. They will lasting pleasures, for Psalm 16:11 says so. They will be abundant pleasures for David says, "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures." They will be always freshly-flowing pleasures, for they are a river, not a pool. They will be pleasures given by God Himself to us, for it does not say, "They shall drink," but "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures." (Francis Ridley Havergal - Opened Treasures)
N.J. Hiebert # 2423
"Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff,
they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)
Most labor unions when negotiating for new contracts seek to build many fringe benefits into the pay package. Some of these are job security, complete health care, holiday pay, sick benefits, retirement pensions, finally, life insurance. All this seems very appropriate and even necessary for this life. Yet all that can be taken away in a moment. Nothing is secure in this world.
But the sheep that follow the Shepherd have the assurance of the Lord's presence with them, and with that all the fringe benefits they need. Following the Lord in the path He leads (and that is the only right path) may take me through the valley of the shadow of death. But as the psalmist says, "I will fear no evil." Why can he say this with such confidence? Because the Shepherd is there with him, and there is nothing to fear. In the first three verses the psalmist spoke about the Shepherd. Now he speaks to Him. He is just that close.
With the staff the Shepherd pulls back the sheep from impending danger, with His rod He wards off the enemies. There are many mighty foes lurking about to scatter the sheep and devour those they can capture. But the Lord is our safety and strength, our comfort, and our Guide. Absolutely nothing can unsettle the saint of God who is walking in conscious sweet communion with the Shepherd. What can be done to a man like the apostle Paul? If men killed him he would only obtain what he desired: to be with Christ which is far better. (J. Redekop - The Lord is Near - 1995)
N.J. Hiebert # 2424
"What shall I do?
for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship:
I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed." (Luke 16:3)
If we cannot "dig" we can "beg;" and directly we take the place of a beggar, it is no longer a question of what we are able to earn, but of what God is pleased to give.
How happy to take, when God is glorified in giving!
It is well to be poor, when the knowledge of our poverty serves but to unfold to us the exhaustless riches of divine grace. That grace can never suffer any one to go empty away. It can never tell any one that he is too poor. It can meet the very deepest human need; and not only so, but it is glorified in meeting it. (Food for the Desert)
N.J. Hiebert # 2425
"The Pharisee, stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."
(Luke 18:10,11)
Self-occupation is a great mistake for the Christian. Of course, until a sinner has learned the plague of his own soul, he must be turned in upon himself. Thus he will cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and find salvation and peace in turning to God. So too a Christian must be reminded of himself as long as he thinks there is anything good in him. But when he can say with Paul, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing," he is privileged to turn from himself to Christ, to find his all in Him.
And what a relief it is! Instead of thinking about my feelings, my attainments, my work, my dignity - to live in the joy of the Lord, in what He is for us, in letting Him work in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight, in the desire that He may be glorified. This is what is meant by the words, "To me to live is Christ;" living is Christ.
Are you thinking of yourself? Then you are in danger of being a Pharisee, or being miserable. Do you long to be happy, or holy? Turn to Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith; find your all in Him. (TCN # 64)
N.J. Hiebert # 2426
"But covet earnestly the best . . ." (1 Corinthians 12:31)
"Like the straightness of the pine tree - Let me upright be!"
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley -- but be the best little scrub
by the side of the rill:
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass,
Doing something for somebody's sake;
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, some have to be crew,
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work and little for people to do,
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun, be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!
(Douglas Malloch)
If you cannot be a lighthouse, be a candle.
(D.L. Moody)
"And He gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; some evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
(Ephesians 4:11,12.)
N.J. Hiebert # 2427
