Gems for the Week
April 16 - 20
"The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
One has said, "our business is to act according to the Word, come what may; the result will show that the wisdom of God was in it". The one using the Word may be weak, and have little natural intelligence, but he will find that the Word of God is quick and powerful, and that through it every wile of the enemy is exposed. (Hamilton Smith - Gems for the Singing Pilgrim)
N.J. Hiebert # 2584
"When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Rest assured that God does more in us than we for Him; and what we do is only for Him just insofar as it is Himself that works it in us. (Christian Truth - Volume 15 - January 1962)
N.J. Hiebert # 2585
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34)
Faith, though it has a large stock to draw from in God, has no purse or scrip in man wherein to carry about the expenses of the journey." (Extract)
N.J. Hiebert # 2586
"Behold My Servant, He shall act wisely,
Raised shall He be . . .
High shall He be; yea, the Highest!
As there were many astonished at Thee,
(So marred was His visage,
More than that of a man,
More marred was His form
Than all of Adam's sons)."
(Isaiah 52:13-14. Hebrew poetry - free metrical rendering by F.C.J.)
He ever acted wisely; His wisdom led Him to infinite suffering and that "wise" path of suffering was terminated only by the cross. Then, we have the steps resulting from that wise doing. First, He is raised up from the depths of humiliation to which that path had led Him, the tomb, and then finally He is given the highest place in all the universe.
Next, we are told that many were astonished by the depths of His humiliation - this astonishment was caused by the extent to which His face and form were marred! The words point beyond all question to some unparalleled depth of suffering and its effect on that blessed Face and Form. For three hours He did so suffer that he was marred "more than any of the sons of men."
It would not do to limit the scope of the astonishment solely to those men who witnessed it, for angels might well be struck with deepest marvel that He, their Creator, should voluntarily endure such vicarious agony! (F.C. Jennings)
N.J. Hiebert # 2587
"Though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
(2 Corinthians 4:16)
Those bygone days, tho' days of joy,
We wish them not again.
Were there not also many days
Of sorrow and of pain?
But in the days awaiting us,
Those days beyond the tomb,
Sorrow shall never find a place,
But joys eternal bloom.
For though in truth the outward man
May perish and decay,
The inward man shall be renewed
By grace from day to day.
They who are planted by the Lord,
Unshaken in their root,
E'en to old age shall flourish still,
And even bring forth fruit.
(Anon)
N.J. Hiebert # 2588
