Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8.
The Lord bears long with men, and when they manifest a determination to follow their own judgments, the Lord allows them to do so. I have been made to see the weakness and ignorance of fallen man, even in his best estate. As man goes deeper and deeper in his studies, improving in learning the will and ways of the Lord, he sees more of his own ignorance, thus revealing that he has made decided progress from the beginning.
The nearer the Christian lives to God, the more he advances in divine illumination of mind. He has more distinct sense of his own littleness, discerns his defects of character, and sees his duty in the light in which God presents it. The more closely he draws to Jesus, the more he has a near and clear sense of his own defects which had before escaped his notice, and he sees the necessity of humbling himself under the mighty hand of God. If lifted up it will not be because he lifts and exalts himself, but because the Lord exalts him. Having his eye fixed upon the purity and perfection of Christ Jesus, and acknowledging and obeying God in all his ways, he is not blinded to his own failures and imperfections. When his deportment in the eyes of men is unblamable and irreprovable, God reads the intents and purposes of the heart.
Christian humility is a wonderful grace–the very antidote to the apostasy of Satan, which has unholy ambition and every delusion that he can frame. The grace of humility through Christ Jesus will make an imperfect man discern his imperfections and make him meet for the inheritance of the saints, where God is all and in all. . . .
Has not the Lord reproved your course? . . . You have entrusted capabilities that may be improved greatly and be made efficacious under the discipline of God. Then His righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rereward. “Without me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). If you set at naught His counsel, then you are in danger.–Letter 21c, Jan. 8, 1892.
This Day With God p. 16
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Prayer Requests
—– Jan’s sister called and needs Jan to take care of her. She has cancer and has only a few months to live. Pray for calming spirits for them, and wisdom on what to do. John
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Dear Friends,
As I was reading from my great-great Aunt Aletha Phillips-Spoor’s poem book that she wrote, I came across a poem entitled The Music of Life.
If you ask me what is music of life,
I would say it’s the children we love,
I would say it’s the birds and the sunshine
And the beautiful blue above.
I wouldn’t forget the babbling brooks
Nor the fields of waving grain,
I wouldn’t forget the April showers
That freshen the earth again.
So all that is grand in nature,
Coupled with friendship sweet,
Forms the music of our existence
Which makes each life complete.
Yes, even here on this sinful, old planet our Great Creator has given us things in nature that fill us with awe at their majesty or beauty. They point us to Him. They teach us of Him. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Ps 24:1; 19:1-6; 8:3, 4
Moreover, He leads us into friendships that can gladden our hearts both now and throughout eternity. Our Greatest Friend yearns to have the closest of friendships with us. (John 15:15) His Great Heart of Love longs for us to spend time with Him, telling Him all of our problems, all of our joys, listening to His Voice as He directs our path, longing for the time when we will be in His Glorious Kingdom following Him wheresoever He goes. (Rev 14:4) John saw that wonderful day, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev 21:1-7;22:1-5,14
Our Dear Saviour assures us of that time when we will meet face to face, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3 Think of it! Jesus has promised to take us to His Heavenly Home! He has assured us of the realities of His Kingdom where all is joy and happiness and peace. There will be no sickness there, no injury, no death. There “the music of life” will be sweetest, most joyful, and everlasting. May we all be there is my prayer.
Rose