Gems for the Week
May 28 - June 2
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." (John 11:5)
In this very chapter Martha does nothing save to blunder, and exhibit her blindness to the glory of the Person of her Lord, and yet the chapter is prefaced by the statement that Jesus loved her. It touched me deeply as I saw a little of the significance of the statement, and it taught me that the Lord's love to us rises above all our failures, and that, therefore, we may count upon it and rest in it at all times. (Edward Dennett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2989
"See that ye fall not out by the way." (Genesis 45:24)
Nothing perhaps has been a more common source of . . . falling out by the way than the holding of favourite religious opinions, or the undue, dis-proportioned estimation of certain doctrines or points of truth. (J.G. Bellett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2990
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
The sight of the eyes is constantly tending to dim the estimate which faith forms; and if faith is not nourished by the word, it sinks down and fades away. If I am not feeding on the word, faith is not fed, for it cannot be fed by sight of things all around. (J.N. Darby)
N.J. Hiebert # 2991
"But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which
by the gospel is preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:25)
The only thing that endures for ever is "the word of the Lord." The wisdom of this world is against it - human reasoning is against it; but it is the only thing worth waiting upon diligently; and if Christians reason about the things of God instead of appealing to the word, they are sure to be going down. (Selected)
N.J. Hiebert # 2992
"I have called you friends." (John 15:15)
O Lord, Thou seest, Thou knowest,
That to none my heart can tell
The joy and the love and the sorrow,
The tale that my heart knows well.
But to Thee, O my God, I can tell it -
To Thee, and to Thee, Lord, alone;
For Thy heart my heart hath a language,
For other hearts it hath none.
In the wide world speechless and lonely,
For me is no heart but Thine;
Lord, since I must love Thee only,
Oh, reveal Thy heart to mine.
(H. Suso)
N.J. Hiebert # 2993
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there thou rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar,and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come
and offer thy gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)
It is easy to imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained. It is dangerous to get into a settled state of experience. It is preparation and preparation.
The sense of sacrifice appeals readily to a young Christian. Humanly speaking, the one thing that attracts to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and the scrutiny of our Lord's words suddenly brings this tide of enthusiasm to the test. "First be reconciled to thy brother." The "go" of preparation is to let the word of God scrutinize. The sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit is detecting in you is the disposition that will never work in His service. No one but God can detect that disposition in you. Have you anything to hide from God? If you have, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin, confess it, not admit it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?
Never discard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting . . ." (Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest)
N.J. Hiebert # 2994
