Bible Gems

September 4

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."  (James 2:14-18)  
 
    A rich farmer, during his prayer at family worship one day, petitioned God long and earnestly that help for their bodily needs might be sent to a poor family living nearby.  His small son was observed to be in deep thought afterwards, and at last he ran to his father with a bright face. "Daddy," said the child, "you can answer your prayer for the poor Smiths, yourself, can't you?"  That is a modern interpretation and a very pungent application of the great passage quoted above.  "My little children," says the loving-hearted John, "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18).  From this we learn that emotional fervour and eloquent  expressions are of little value; but, that practical deeds are of vital importance.  (Henry Durbanville - Winsome Christianity)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3452

September 5

"Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed . . . by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true." (2 Corinthians 6:3,8)
 
    Paul says, "Through evil report and good report," he did not stop to explain; a true servant of God has not time for that, and to defend yourself only leads to further charges.
    We are never to seek to vindicate ourselves when it is a personal matter, but when the Lord's name is dishonoured for His glory we may speak.
    You never find the Lord defending Himself.
    Your character may not be vindicated down here.  Jesus died under a cloud.  He was never cleared in this world of the false accusations that had been made against Him.
    The will of God was the only law of Christ's life.  He was never governed by human considerations or affections.  Are we set upon this - that the will of God should be our only law?
    A soul who is in the secret of the divine mind must be content to be unappreciated and to walk alone.
    If we are not in the path of God's will  we are not in the path of power.
    Our true wisdom is in subjection to the will of our Lord.  To human eyes no plan of taking Jericho could have been more foolish than that which Joshua adopted; but it was God's plan, and hence its complete success.  (Edward Dennett - Footprints for Pilgrims)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3453

September 6

"Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children."
(Deuteronomy 6:7)
 
O happy house whose little ones are given early to Thee, in faith and prayer -
To Thee, their Friend, who from the heights of heaven guards them with more than mother's care.
O happy house where little voices their glad hosannas love to raise,
And childhood's lisping tongue rejoices to bring new songs of love and praise.
(Karl J. Spitta)
 
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old ,
he will not depart from it."
(Proverbs 22:6)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3454

September 7

"Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
 
    "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."  You cannot turn a lamb into a wolf to defend itself. . . . The testimony is brighter . . .  when I take things quietly and submit, not desiring to be a wolf among wolves.  It is exceedingly difficult for one's heart to bow and say, "I will be nothing but a lamb,"  but that is our place, for the Lord says, "Vengeance is Mine."  (J.N. Darby)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3455

September 8

"There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise." (Proverbs 30:24)
 
    A group of men were carrying on a friendly conversation.  One of the men remarked that he had learned not to pay much attention to little things.  "Little things," he said, "don't bother me."  One of the men smiled.  "Are you sure?" he asked.  "Would you believe that a little thing, just a pair of socks I wore once, changed the course of my entire life?"  I can hardly believe that," was the reply.  "It is true though," continued the man.  "It happened this way.  One day I expected to take a trip with some of my friends on a canal boat.  Two days before we intended to leave, I was chopping wood.  The axe I was using slipped and injured my foot.  The blue dye in the homemade socks I wore poisoned the wound, and I was compelled to stay at home, while my friends went on the trip.
    While they were on their journey, a powerful preacher came to our town to hold some meetings.  Since I didn't have anything else to do, I decided to attend.  The message the preacher brought touched me deeply.  He spoke to my heart.  As a result of it, I surrendered to the Lord.  Truly converted, I saw that my life needed a real change.  New desires and purposes took hold of me.  I determined to seek an education that would enable me to live more usefully for my Lord." 
The man who told the story - James A. Garfield  (November 19, 1831 - September 19, 1881)  was the twentieth President of the United States.   
Little things often have far-reaching consequences.  On the one hand, we should beware of coddling "little sins," for often they grow into great tragedies; on the other, we should not neglect little duties and small kindnesses that await our attention on the road of life, for by tending them with care we will find many jewels of true reward sparkling our future.
    Big things are obvious; it is the little things that often cause us to stumble.  (Selected)
 
God sees the little sparrow fall,
It meets His tender view;
If God so watches little things,
I know He loves me too.
(M. Staub) 
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3456

September 9

 ". . . I will uphold thee with the RIGHT hand of My righteousness."
(Isaiah 41:10)
"Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble."
(Proverbs 3:23)
 
    Fear of falling is wholesome.  To be venturesome is no sign of wisdom.  Times come to us when we feel we must go down unless we have very special support.  God's right hand is a grand thing to lean upon.  It is not only His hand but His RIGHT hand; His power united with skill, His power where it is most dexterous!  Fearful is our danger, but joyful is our security.  The youth whom God upholds, devils cannot throw down.  He will hold me fast!  Our worst peril is in our own carelessness, but against this the Lord Jesus has put us on our guard saying, "Watch and pray."
    Oh, for grace to walk this day without a single stumble!  It is not enough that we do not actually fall; our cry should be that we may not make the smallest slip with our feet, but may at the last adore Him "Who is able to keep us from stumbling."  (C.H. Spurgeon)
 
He holdeth the waters in the hollow of His hand,
This mighty restless seething sea In His had.
Oh, hand so sure, so safe, so strong
That it can hold the sea,
Mid the storm-tossed waves of the sea of life
It can, it will, hold me.
(M. Slattery)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3457

September 10

"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. . . ."  (John 13:33) 
 
    In John 13:33 the Lord for the first time addresses His disciples as "children," viewing them as those who had been introduced into the family of God.  "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 1:12)   We enter the Divine family by being born of God, and the very life of the family is love, for God is love.  The Lord makes it plain that while He is in the hidden glory of heaven, the children, left in the world of darkness and hatred, are to prove their discipleship by manifesting love.  Glory there, and love here, was the Divine thought.  The former is perfect, but, alas! how imperfect the latter!  (F.B.H.)  
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3458

September 11

"For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." (Psalm 109:4)
 
It's painful experience, when in return for love and help, some believers not only do not reciprocate the kindness, but become your accusers.  What is the answer?  Tell it to the Lord, and treat them as before.  We can defend ourselves and complain bitterly, but, at the end of the day the accusers will remember your complaints rather than feel shame for their actions.  (Brian Russell)
 
When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another,
Who had crossed your way?
(Mary Ann Kidder)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3459