Gems for the Week
June 30
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:6,7)
"Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26) If you are a believer, He has sent the Spirit of His Son into your heart, whereby you cry Abba, Father. The heart gets its blessed rest in sonship simply by believing in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of His Son in the heart enables its happy throbbings to be expressed, crying this wondrous new name, unknown to the Jews, of Abba, Father. God has set me in His presence as a son, and life flows down to me, so that I can look up and contemplate there the delight which the Father has in His Son; I can have communion and sympathy with the joy of the Father's heart in that Son: and it is this which gives the church its highest point of glory. (Gleanings - G.V. Wigram)
N.J. Hiebert # 3386
July 1
"In My Father's house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for YOU. . . . I will come again and receive you unto MYSELF." (John 14:2,3)
The Father's House is for ALL the Father's children. We fear a great many strange things these days. Some people would try to tell us that it is only the deeply spiritual people of God that will be caught up with the Lord Jesus at His coming. When people talk like that, how little understanding they have of the Father's heart! Think of a normal father and mother here on earth, with say eight or ten children, and that is quite a family; is it not? The father's house is open to all the children. I pity the home, and pity the children, where the father or the mother makes distinctions among their children. I think it is a sad thing when out of a number of children one perhaps occupies a special place in the heart of the father and the others are held at a distance. "Oh," but you say, "maybe one or two are naughty children. Of course the father could not love naughty children as much as he loves the good children." Is that true? Why even the naughty children are so dear to the father's heart that they give him many sleepless nights as he thinks about their naughtiness. He loves them and truly longs to see them all that they ought to be. There is always a welcome for them at the Father's house. (H.A. Ironside - John)
N.J. Hiebert # 3387
July 2
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:14,15)
The strength of a temptation lies in the response of our nature to its suggestions. It is said that the germs of the potato and vine disease are always floating in the air; but they can find no place of operation - no bed - in healthy plants. But directly plants become degenerate and unable to resist their attacks, then they sweep away the farmer's hopes in dreadful ruin. So it is with us; if only we were like our Lord, we should pass unscathed through a whirlwind of temptations; they would find nothing in us. It is because our hearts are so desperately wicked that we need to stand in constant watchfulness. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
There is no sin in having certain tendencies, appetites, and desires; else there would be sin in hunger, and in drowsiness leading to soft sleep. But the danger lies in the fear that they should be gratified to an immoderate excess, or from wrong and improper sources. Human nature is very liable to this. (F.B Meyer - Joseph)
N.J. Hiebert # 3388
July 3
"Kept by the power of God." (1 Peter 1:5)
The Lord is thy Keeper." (Psalm 121:5)
- The Lord will go before you (Isaiah 52:12).
- The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward (Isaiah 58:8).
- The Lord is round about His people (Psalm 125:2)
- Underneath are the everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27)
- His banner over me is love (Song of Solomon 2:4)
God is before me, He will be my Guide;
God is behind me, no ill can betide;
God is beside me, to comfort and cheer;
God is around me, so why should I fear?
(Choice Gleanings)
N.J. Hiebert # 3389
