Gems worth pondering
August 6
"That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."
(2 Corinthians 4:1-7)
In the days of John Wesley, lay preachers with limited education would sometimes conduct the church services. One man used Luke 19:21 as his text: "Lord, I feared Thee, because Thou art an austere man." Not knowing the word austere, he thought the text spoke of "an oyster man."
He explained how a diver must grope in dark, freezing water to retrieve oysters. In his attempt, he cuts his hands on the sharp edges of the shells. After he obtains an oyster, he rises to the surface, clutching it "in his torn and bleeding hands." The preacher added, "Christ descended from the glory of heaven into . . . sinful human society, in order to retrieve humans and bring them back up with Him to the glory of heaven. His torn and bleeding hands are a sign of the value He has placed on the object of His quest."
Afterward, 12 men received Christ. Later that night someone came to Wesley to complain about unschooled preachers who were too ignorant even to know the meaning of the texts they were preaching on. The Oxford-educated Wesley simply said, "Never mind. The Lord got a dozen oysters tonight."
Our best may not always measure up to the standards of others. But God takes our inadequacies and humble efforts and uses them for His glory. (CINDY HESS KASPER)
The Master can use what you have to offer,
Though you may consider it small;
His work here on earth is done through His children,
So give Him your best, give your all.
(HESS)
Do what you can where you are with what you have.
N.J. Hiebert - 3788
(Our daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2008), Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted permission.)
August 7
"And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said,
Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee."
(1 Kings 19:7)
Is it not good and comforting to know that the angel of the Lord came again the second time? We never reach the place where we pass beyond the compassion of our God: His compassions fail not; they are new every morning; never tiring of us, always strong for our help.
There have been times for nearly all of us when we have felt the truth of the angel's word, "The journey is too great for thee"; but have we not always found the Bread of Life and the Water of Life ready for our sustenance? And in the strength of that meat we have gone on, and shall go, on unto the Mount of God. (Amy Carmichael - Rose From Brier)
N.J. Hiebert - 3789
August 8
"I being in the way, the Lord led me. . . ."
(Genesis 24:27)
Everything depends on our being in the way. God has not promised to lead and to bless us when we are in the wrong way. Sometimes the way seems long and hard and we may grow fearful that we have missed it. A traveler in the jungle said to his guide, "But there is no path, no road, no way." The guide replied, "There is no road, I am the way!" Our Lord is not the way-shower, He is THE WAY. When we abide in Him, we need no chart or compass. The Holy Spirit has come to guide us into all truth. He is the One called alongside to help. We may be perplexed at times and see not the way ahead but let us take our bearings and, if our hearts condemn us not, then let us take heart and keep going. We being in the way, He will lead us. (Vance Havner - All the Days)
N.J. Hiebert - 3790
