Through The Book To God
With us the training is of the inner ear. And its first training, after the early childhood stage is passed, must usually be through the eye. What God has spoken to others has been written down for us. We hear through our eyes. The eye opens the way to the inner ear. God spoke in His word. He is still speaking in it and through it. The whole thought here is to get to know God. He reveals Himself in the word that comes from His own lips, and through His messengers’ lips. He reveals Himself in His dealings with men. Every incident and experience of these pages is a mirror held up to God’s face. In them we may come to see Him. This is studying the Bible not for the Bible’s sake but for the purpose of knowing God. The object aimed at is not the Book but the God revealed in the Book. A man may go to collage and take lectures on the English Bible, and increase his knowledge, and enrich his vocabulary, and go away with utterly erroneous ideas of God. He may go to a law school and study the codes of the first great jurist, and get a clear understanding and firm grasp of the Mosaic enactments, as he must do to lay the foundation of legal training, yet he may remain ignorant of God. He may even go to a Bible school, and be able to analyze and synthesize, give outlines of books, and contents of chapters and much else of that invaluable and indispensable sort of knowledge and yet fail to understand God and His marvelous love-will. It is not the Book with which we are concerned here but the God through the Book. Not to learn truth but through truth to know Him who is Himself Truth. There is a fascinating bit of story told of one of David’s mighty men. 2 Sam. 23:9,10. one day there was a sudden attack upon the camp by the Philistines when the fighting men were all away. This man alone was there. The Philistines were the traditional enemy. The very word “Philistines” was one to strike terror to the Hebrew heart. But this man was reckoned one of the first three of David’s mighty men because of his conduct that day. He quietly, quickly gripped his sword and fought the enemy single-handed. Up and down, left and right, hip and thigh he smote with such terrific earnestness and drive that the enemy turned and fled. And we are told that the muscles of his hand became so rigid around the handle of his sword that he could not tell by feeling where his hand stopped, and the sword began. Man and sword were one that day in action of service against the nation’s enemy. When we absorb this Book, and the Spirit of Him who is its life that people cannot tell the line of division between the man, and the God within the man, then shall we have mightiest power as God’s intercessors in defeating the foe. God and man will be as one in the action of service against the enemy.
(Quite Talks On Prayer, pg. 163-165, by S. D. Gordon)
Winter Is Past
Winter is past, and with it, the memories of cold dark days, that can bring even the strongest to their knees. When our hearts are overshadowed by sorrow, it can feel as though the cold of winter is burying any hope of warmth or life. And with our tears, we water the seeds of believing, that there will come a Spring. So we wait, we hope, we trust. We look to the Son to shine His light and melt away all that covers our heart, so that the new life given can spring forth with beauty and grace, and the fragrant Rose of Sharon can bring a smile to our faces and to our hearts once again.
(D.M 2008)
"Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us"
When once I mourned a load of sin; when conscience felt a wound within; when all my works were thrown away’ when on my knees I knelt to pray, then, blissful hour, remembered well, I learned Thy love, Immanuel. When storms of sorrow toss my soul; when waves of care around me roll; when comforts sink, when joys shall flee; when hopeless grief's shall gape for me, one word the tempest’s rage shall quell—that word, Thy name, Immanuel. When for the truth I suffer shame; when foes pour scandal on my name; when cruel taunts and jeers abound; when “Bulls of Bashan” gird me round, secure within Thy tower I’ll dwell—that tower, Thy grace, Immanuel. When hell enraged lifts up her roar; when Satan stops my path before; when friends rejoice and wait my end; when legioned hosts their arrows send, fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell thy battle-cry, Immanuel. When down the hill of life I go; when o’er my feet death’s waters flow; when in the deep’ning flood I sink; when friends stand weeping on the brink, I’ll mingle with my last farewell Thy lovely name, Immanuel. When tears are banished from mine eye; when fairer worlds than these are nigh; when heaven shall fill my ravished sight; when I shall bathe in sweet delight, One joy all joys shall far excel, To see Thy face, Immanuel.
By C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
written at age eighteen
Precious Are Thy Words O God
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. As I sit and mediate on that portion of Psalms 119:105 I am reminded of how precious Gods word is, and was to me as I grew up. I can remember sitting at my Grandfathers feet listening to him read. I can remember at ten years old receiving my first Bible and how I slept with it, took it everywhere. I still have it today, its like a special treasure from childhood, which was stolen and returned to me three times. I have my Mother’s Bible she used daily, she is now with Jesus, but when I hold it, I feel closer to her, knowing she read and held the same pages. All these memories are special, but cannot compare to the joy of meeting God face to face within the pages of His word. All the struggles I have faced and continue to face, are lightened by the Truth, the Way, and the Life. I still sometimes sleep with my Bible, it brings me comfort knowing that these are God’s words, given to us to help us know Him. Yes Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, may it never grow dim. But shine ever brightly, lighting my path, leading me the way You have chosen.
Cherish My Words
O My children, obey My words. Do not wander in unbelief and darkness, but let the scripture shine as a light upon thy path. My Words shall be life unto thee, for My commandments are given for thy health and for any preservation. They will guard thee from folly, and guide thee away from danger. Hide My commandments in thy heart, and make them the law of thy life. Cherish My words, and take not lightly the least of them. I have not given them to bind thee, but to bring thee into the life of greatest joy and truest liberty. I have asked thee to give, in order that I may bless thee more. I have challenged thee to pray, so that I may respond and help thee. I have asked thee to rejoice, in order to keep thee from being swallowed up by anxieties. I have asked thee to be humble, to protect thee from the calamities that fall upon the proud. I have asked thee to forgive, so as to make thy heart fit to receive My forgiveness. I have asked thee not to love the world, for I would have thee loosed from unnecessary entanglements, and free to follow Me. Sanctification is accomplished in no one by accident. Learn My rules, and put them into practice consistently, if ye desire to see progress in the growth of thy soul. Holiness is not a feeling, it is the end product of obedience. Purity is not a gift, it is the result of repentance, and a serious pursuit of God. (Come Away My Beloved, pg.22 by Frances Roberts)
A Sure Refuge
April showers bring May flowers, that’s how the saying goes, but sometimes those showers can turn into storms and “wreck havoc” on those caught in them. So where do we run? (Isa.4:6) And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. What a beautiful promise and gift, our Lord is a refuge for us, if I could only grasp the magnitude of that reality, than perhaps my heart wouldn’t fret over things I cannot control, or that overwhelm my soul. With all the self-help techniques out there I will choose to trust in God and say, O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and [things] wherein [there is] no profit. (Jer. 16:19)
Bread of Life
Chosen and precious cornerstone
Defense
Eternal King
Faithful and True
Great High Priest
Holy and Righteous One
Immanuel
Jesus Christ our Lord
King of kings
Lamb of God
Man of Sorrows
Never ending
Our only Sovereign and Lord
Prince of Peace
Quickens the dead
Redeemer
Saviour of the World
Truth
Unspeakable Gift
Victorious in all things
Word of Life
X-ray of God
Your salvation
Zealous Servant of God
No comments:
Post a Comment