Watch for God’s Guidance
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. Psalm 123:2.
The children of God should cultivate a keen sensitiveness to sin. . . . It is one of Satan’s most successful devices to lead men to the commission of little sins, to blind the mind to the danger of little indulgences, little digressions from the plainly stated requirements of God. Many who would shrink with horror from some great transgression are led to look upon sin in little matters as of trifling consequence. But these little sins eat out the life of godliness in the soul. . . .
God requires us to prove our loyalty to Him by unquestioning obedience. In deciding upon any course we should not ask merely whether we can see harm to result from it, but whether it is contrary to the will of God. We must learn to distrust self and to rely wholly upon God for guidance and support, for a knowledge of His will, and for strength to perform it. We must be much in communion with God. Prayer in secret, prayer while the hands are engaged in labor, prayer while walking by the way, prayer in the night season, the heart’s desires ever ascending to God–this is our only safety. In this manner Enoch walked with God. In this manner our Exemplar obtained strength to tread the thorny path from Nazareth to Calvary.
Christ the sinless One, upon whom the Holy Spirit was bestowed without measure, constantly acknowledged His dependence upon God, and sought fresh supplies from the Source of strength and wisdom. How much more should finite, erring man feel his need of help from God every hour and every moment. How carefully should he follow the leading Hand, how carefully treasure every word that has been given for his guidance and instruction! “As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress,” so should our eyes be upon the Lord our God. His commands should be received with implicit faith, and obeyed with cheerful exactness.
That I May Know Him p. 252
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for Debbie and her family as her aunt passed away yesterday. Rose
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Dear Friends,
One time some years ago, we stopped at the little town of Concordia to buy gas on one of our many trips up to see our children at Union College. After getting back into the car, I attempted to put the car in reverse. The gearshift would not budge. With a sinking heart, I wondered if this car’s transmission had failed just as our old car’s had. Ron looked over at me with a look of amusement on his face and said “Try turning on the key.”
As we drove toward home, I began to think of what had just happened. Just as the car would not run without turning on the key, so our spiritual life is lifeless without Bible study and prayer. We become like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 2 Tim 3:5 How many times we go through the motions of religion without the necessary power finding out as they did, that our spiritual life is lacking because we failed to turn on the key to the Kingdom.
How often we are like the Pharisees of old of whom Jesus declared, “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matt 23:13-28
Now is the time to “give diligence to make our calling and election sure.” 2 Peter 1:10 Now is the time to take time each day meditating upon the life of Christ especially the great sacrifice that He made for us. Now is the time to pray and praise our Great Redeemer. The Bridegroom is coming soon! He is even at the door! May we all be ready to meet Him is my prayer.
Rose