Gems for the Week
May 1 - 5
"Sirs, be of GOOD CHEER: for I believe God,
that it shall be even as it was told me." (Acts 27:25)
It really is just that simple. Do you want to be happy and comforted in the midst of the difficulties that surround you? The answer is obvious!
The key is to say I believe God (not circumstances, feelings, or what others think or say). And how can you know what to believe - how can you know for sure what God is telling you? By reading, meditating on and obeying His precious Word in faith. Remember what the little child said one time about faith? "God said it, that settles it, I believe it"!
Believe the goodness of God. Believe the infinite power of God. Believe the unfathomable love of God. Believe that He is eagerly waiting for one of His erring children to turn around saying "I have sinned against heaven . . . ." Believe that, "if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness." Believe and turn in true repentance back to God. You will be met by your Father who waits now, longing to bring blessing to you.
Whatever the seemingly hopeless condition of your life which has resulted from sin and self-will, He can and will bring about peace and joy. Our God is the God of all comfort and hope - the One and the only One who can and will bring light into a dark scene of misery and ruin. Oh! Do run to Him - do come back to Him - right now!
(The Journey of Life - D.N.)
N.J. Hiebert # 2963
"I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
(2 Corinthians 12:10)
Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. God hath many sharp-cutting instruments, and rough files for the polishing of His jewels; and those He especially loves, and means to make resplendent, He hath often set His tools upon. (Submitted by a reader of the "Gems.")
N.J. Hiebert # 2964
"And when he had come to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father. . . " (Luke 15:17,18)
The prodigal found a higher place, and tasted higher communion than ever he had know before. "The fatted calf" had never been slain for him before. "The best robe" had never been on him before. And how was this? Was it a question of the prodigal's merit? Oh! no; it was simply a question of the Father's love. (Food for the Desert)
N.J. Hiebert # 2965
"Then Jesus beholding him (young man) loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come take
up thy cross and follow Me. And he was sad at that saying,
and went away grieved: for he had great possessions"
(Mark 10:21)
"Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise:
why shoudest thou destroy thyself." (Ecclesiastes 7:16)
Self-righteousness. Take heed uprightness proves not a snare to thee. The young man in the gospel might have been better, had he not been so good. His honesty and moral uprightness was his undoing, or rather his conceit of them. Better he had been a publican, driven to Christ in the sense of his sin, than a Pharisee, kept from Him with an opinion of his integrity. May be thou art honest and upright in thy course. Bless God for it, but take heed of blessing thyself in it: there is the danger; this is one way of being "righteous over much." There is undoing in this over-doing, as well as in any under-doing. (William Gurnall - The Christian in Complete Armour - Gleanings from the compete work published in 1665)
N.J. Hiebert # 2966
"For there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."
(1 Samuel 14:6)
By many or by few - Jonathan affirms nothing can restrain Jehovah's salvation. But how about by one? Consider our Saviour "who when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down." Nothing could restrain God's Son from going to Calvary. But in those dark hours at Calvary, as His visage was marred, and the thorn-crowned Son cried in His loneliness, what restrained Jehovah from redirecting judgment to us, the deserving recipients? Bands of love (Hosea 11)! By many, by few, or by One, may nothing restrain us from praising that wonderful Man of Calvary. (David J. Reed)
N.J. Hiebert # 2967
