Gems for the Week
October 31 - November 4
"And He is before all things,
and by Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:17)
It is to make much of Christ we want - much of Himself, and His glorious achievements for poor sinners. We want . . . the breathings of a soul content with Him, and the peace of a conscience for ever at rest in His unaided sufficiency. (J.B. Bellett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2417
"Let us go on unto perfection." (Hebrews 6:1)
I believe the one great hindrance to our progress is the limited measure of our desire and preparation. We often think that we are wishing for and ready for much more that we are. We always get what we value. (Selected)
N.J. Hiebert # 2418
"To this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:2)
- I believe it is joy to the heart of Christ when He sees us, as it were, compelled to turn to Him. He loves us so much that He is jealous of our turning elsewhere.
- When you are near Christ you cannot speak of your service. The more we are with Christ, self will retire, and Christ will take His rightful place. He has His place in heaven. Oh, that He might have it in our hearts. (E.P. Corrin)
N.J. Hiebert # 2419
"Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
(Galatians 5:16)
Sometimes we are like a person trying to run a car without gasoline. Just as a car will not run without fuel, so a Christian cannot live for the glory of God without the power of the Holy Spirit. So what happens when we fill up with gasoline - when we "walk in the Spirit."?
First, we begin to avoid fleshly behavior. The Spirit of God gradually replaces the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Things like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control begin to permeate our attitudes and actions.
Second, we begin to enjoy the kind of life that God intended for us. Jesus clearly taught that our lives are not to be characterized by stress, frustration, and worry (Matthew 6). The Spirit of God desires to make this a reality in our lives by filling them up with Christ Himself. He would replace our worry with His peace, our frustration with His joy, our irritability with His love, our stress with His rest. This will also have an effect upon our family relationships, since vibrant and fruitful family life depends upon vibrant and fruitful individual lives.
Third, we learn to pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). This does not mean to pray to the holy Spirit. Rather, it means that the Holy Spirit within us directs and molds our prayers according to the will of God. We can pray with confidence because God has promised that "if we ask Him anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). ( G.W. Steidl)
N.J. Hiebert # 2420
"But David tarried still at Jerusalem." (2 Samuel 11:1)
David, instead of being out at the head of his army, exercising himself in the hardships and fatigues of war, was quietly reposing at home. This was giving the enemy a manifest advantage over him. The moment a man absents himself from his post of duty, or retires from the place of conflict, he renders himself weak. He has taken off the harness, and will, undoubtedly, be pierced by the arrow of the enemy.
While at work for the Lord, be the work what it may, nature is kept under pressure; but when at ease, nature begins to work, and feel the action and influence of external things. We should seriously ponder this. Satan will ever find mischief for idle hearts, as well as idle hands. David was made to feel this. Had he been at Rabbah with his army, his eye would not have rested upon an object calculated to act upon the corrupt principle within; but the very act of tarrying at home afforded an opening for the enemy to come in upon him. (C.H. Macintosh)
N.J. Hiebert # 2421
