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  He hath said.  

"He hath said." Hebrews 13:5

If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God's covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of "He hath said"? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, "He hath said" must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort.

You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will examine and search the Scriptures to discover what "He hath said." Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt?

Since "He hath said" is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as "A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life." So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life.   — Charles H. Spurgeon

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  Them that Mourn in Zion  

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;..." Isaiah 61:3

You are passing through a time of deep sorrow. Perhaps the savings of your life have suddenly disappeared. Instead of your helping others, you must be helped. Or you leave the warm nest where you have been sheltered from life's storms to go alone into an unfriendly world. Your health, sight, or nervous energy is failing. You carry in you the sentence of death, and the anguish in anticipating the future is almost unbearable. In other cases, there is a sense of recent loss through death, like a gap in the forest glade where the woodsman has lately been felling trees...Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?

Do not talk about punishment. You may talk of chastisement, or correction, for our Father deals with us as with sons. Or you may speak of reaping the results of mistakes and sins dropped as seeds into life's furrows in former years. You may have to bear the consequences of the sins and mistakes of others, but do not speak of punishment. Surely all the guilt and penalty of sin were laid on Jesus, and He put them away forever. His were the stripes and the chastisement of our peace.

If God punishes us for our sins, it would seem that the sufferings of Christ were incomplete; and if He once began to punish us, life would be too short for the infliction of all we deserve. Besides, how could we explain the anomalies of life, and the heavy sufferings of the saints as compared with the gay life of the ungodly? Surely, if our sufferings were penal, there would be a reversal of these lots.   — F. B. Meyer

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  Blameless Before Thee  

"...he opened not His mouth..." Isaiah 53:7

Never allow yourself to answer again when you are blamed. Never defend yourself. Let them reprehend you, in private or in public, as much as they please. Let the righteous smite you; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove you; it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break your head.

"It is a mark of the deepest and truest humility," says a great saint, "to see ourselves condemned without cause, and to be silent under it." To be silent under insult and wrong is a very noble imitation of our Lord. O my Lord, when I remember in how many ways Thou didst suffer, who in no way deserved it, I know not where my senses are when I am in such a haste to defend and excuse myself.

Is it possible I should desire anyone to speak any good of me, or to think it, when so many ill things were thought and spoken of Thee? What about being blamed by all men, if only we stand at last blameless before Thee?!   — Alexander Whyte

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  The New Creation In Christ  

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Corinthians 5:17

The believer today is neither in the Old Testament with the Patriarchs, nor with Israel at Sinai, nor walking with the disciples during our Lord's earthly life and kingdom ministry! The believer lives now after the cross, and in the full right and power of all that Christ did there. God gave Israel at Sinai a law, a holy, just, and good law, but they kept it not. The Lord Jesus when on earth said to His disciples, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." But they all failed and fled. Why? Man was still under testing. The cross ended that, revealing, as it did, utter wickedness in man and complete weakness in the disciples, in God's saints!

Then what? Christ is raised from the dead through the glory of the Father that we may walk in newness of life. Not only are our sins forever put away by His blood, but we ourselves find our history in Adam over, we being dead with Christ and crucified with Him.

Then the Holy Spirit is given at Pentecost as the power of this new, heavenly walk. Men were then, for the first time, transferred into the Risen Christ. They shared His risen life, for they had been identified with Him as an Adam, a federal man, in His death at the cross. Now he is placed by God in Christ risen; yea, they were "created" now in Him, and even made members of His body which, of course, is an additional favor based on their identification with Him.   — William R. Newell

Editors Note: This is true as long as we walk in the new creation.  "There is therefore now no condemnation to them (the new creation) which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

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  Simplicity  

"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." II Corinthians 1:12

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." II Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is an uprightness of soul that has no reference to self; it is different from sincerity, and it is a still higher virtue. We see many people who are sincere without being simple; they only wish to pass for what they are, and they are unwilling to appear what they are not. They are always thinking of themselves, measuring their words, and recalling their thoughts, reviewing their actions from the fear that they have done too much or too little.

These persons are sincere, but they are not simple. They are not at ease with others, and others are not at ease with them. They are not free; they are ingenuous, natural. We prefer people who are less correct, less perfect, and who are less artificial. This is the decision of man, and it is the judgment of God, who would not have us so occupied with ourselves; and thus, as it were, always arranging our features in a mirror.   — Francis Fenelon

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  Speak Not Evil  

Not a few souls have lost grace and fallen into spiritual bondage through harshness of spirit. Severe judgment of others is what Faber terms an "undergraduate sin." The denunciation of others has in it a large element of self-righteousness! Denunciation of others has in it a backhanded way of praising ourselves. In the same proportion that we think we knock the others down, we fancy that we raise ourselves up. It is impossible to speak evil of another without an implied compliment to self.

Many times souls claiming great spirituality have denounced sin in such a sinful way as to commit more sin than the very sin they denounced. There is nothing in the whole Christian life more delicately dangerous than the condemnation of others.

An old spiritual writer has said that "to rebuke another for sin requires more humility than any other duty." We sometimes hear people speak of "hitting sin, and hitting it hard;" but such kind of work, unless it is saturated with tears and tenderness, will only bruise the soul that does the hitting. It is possible to preach of the damnable nature of sin with such severity of spirit and such an implied tone of self-gratulation that it only makes Satan laugh, and grieves the Divine Dove.

How many thousands have lost the sweetness of pure love, the calm, close walk with God by a sharp sword-thrust, an unkind criticism, a harsh judgment, an unloving condemnation? Self-righteousness is as subtle as the ether. It runs up into the high altitudes and tries to insinuate itself into the highest state of grace. The devil will tempt you to be severe toward others, under the pretense of being brave and heroic, and not being afraid to denounce sin.   — George D. Watson

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  The Cross of Christ  

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross,..." Colossians 1:20

In the cross of Christ we glory because we regard it as a matchless exhibition of the attributes of God. We see there the love of God, desiring a way by which He might save mankind, aided by His wisdom, so that a plan is perfected by which the deed can be done without violation of truth and justice. In the cross we see a strange conjunction of what once appeared to be opposite qualities-justice and mercy. We see how God is supremely just, as just as if He had not mercy, and yet infinitely merciful in the gift of His Son.

Mercy and justice, in fact, become counsel upon the same side, and irresistibly plead for the acquittal of the believing sinner. We can never tell which of the attributes of God shines most glorious in the sacrifice of Christ. They each one find a glorious high throne in the person and work of the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Since it has become, as it were, the disc which reflects the character and perfections of God, it is meet that we should glory in the cross of Christ, and none shall stay us of our boasting.

  — Charles Spurgeon

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  A Consuming Fire  

"Who maketh his ...ministers a flaming fire." Psalms 104:4

"He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend." Proverbs 22:11

O Thou who camest from above,
      The pure celestial fire impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
      On the mean altar of my heart!

"For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29) The elect symbol of His presence is the fire, unkindled of earth; and the chosen sign of His approval is the sacred flame. Covenant and sacrifice, and sanctuary and dispensation were sanctified and approved by the descent of fire. "The God that answereth by fire; He is God."

Jesus came to bring fire upon the earth. The symbol of Christianity is not a cross but a tongue of fire. The baptism of the Spirit is the baptism of fire. It kindles the fires of Christ's soul in the souls of men. They receive, realize, and reproduce His mind, His heart, His life. They manifest His fervent devotion to the will of the Father, His holy passion for reality and righteousness, His consuming zeal for the salvation of the lost. It kindles a fervent devotion to God, a passion for righteousness, and a consuming desire to seek and to save the lost.  — Samuel Chadwick

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  Jesus - None Other Name  

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

He came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on Divinity. He became Son of man that we might become sons of God. He came from Heaven, where rivers never freeze, winds never blow, frosts never chill the air, flowers never fade. They never phone for a doctor; for there, no one is ever sick. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, reared in obscurity, only once crossed the boundary of the land...He had no wealth nor influence; and had neither training nor education. His relatives were inconspicuous and not influential.

In infancy, He startled a king; in boyhood, He puzzled the doctors. In manhood, He ruled the course of nature. He healed the multitudes without medicine, and made no charge for His services. He never wrote a book, yet not all the libraries of the country could hold the books that could be written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme of more songs than all songwriters combined. He never founded a college; yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. He never marshaled an army, drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; yet no leader ever made more volunteers who have, under His orders, made rebels stack arms or surrender without a shot being fired.

He is the Star of astronomy, the Rock of geology, the Lion and the Lamb of zoology, the Harmonizer of all discords, and the Healer of all diseases. Great men have come and gone; yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him, Satan could not seduce Him, death could not destroy Him, the grave could not hold Him. He laid aside His purple robe for a peasant's gown. He was rich; yet, for our sakes, He became poor. How poor? Ask Mary! Ask the Wise Men! He slept in another's manger. He cruised the lake in another's boat. He rode another man's ass. He was buried in another man's tomb...The ever-perfect One-He is the Chief among ten thousand. He is altogether lovely.   — Author Unknown

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  Heart Purity  

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;..." Ephesians 3:17

Heart purity is not inherent; neither can it be attained by self-effort. It comes through "the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5) All things are purged by blood. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." (I John 1:7) After cleansing, diligence is required to keep the heart unspotted. All gates to the "city of Mansoul" must be kept closed and guarded against outward foes; and prayerful watchfulness maintained within, lest a "root of bitterness", or covetousness, or other defiling influences, spring up.   — Z.E.

The awfulness of sin comes not wholly from the fact that it is a disobedience to God; but as well from the certainty that it is a doing of violence to the soul itself in the loss of power, the decay of love, the enfeebling of the will, and the general atrophy of the nature. The thing affected by our indulgence is not, alone, the book of final judgment, but the present fabric of the spirit.   — Henry Drummond

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  A Life of Prayer  

"If he shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." John 14:14

"Pray without ceasing." I Thes. 5:17

Is it hypocritical to pray when we do not feel like it? Perhaps there is no more subtle hindrance to prayer than that of our moods. Nearly everybody has to meet that difficulty at times. Even God's prophets were not wholly free from it. Habakkuk felt as if he were facing a blank wall a long time.

What shall we do when moods like this come to us, wait until we do feel like praying? It is easy to persuade ourselves that it is hypocrisy to pray when we do not feel like it, but we don't argue that way about other things in life. If you were in a room that had been tightly closed for sometime, you would, sooner or later, begin to feel very miserable-so miserable perhaps that you would not want to make the effort to open the windows, especially if they were difficult to open. But your weakness and listlessness would be proof that you were beginning to need fresh air very desperately, that you would soon be ill without it.

If the soul perseveres in a life of prayer, there will come a time when these seasons of dryness will pass away and the soul will be led out, as Daniel says, "into a large (or moist) place." Let nothing discourage you. If the soul is dry, keep cultivating it. It is said that in a dry time, harrowing of the corn is equal to a shower of rain. When we are listless about prayer, it is the very time we need most to pray. The only way we can overcome listlessness in anything is to put more of ourselves, not less, into the task.

To pray when you do not feel like praying is not hypocrisy, it is faithfulness to the greatest duty of life. Just tell the Father that you do not feel like it. Ask Him to show you what is making you listless. He will help us to overcome our moods, and give us courage to persevere in spite of them. When you cannot pray as you would, pray as you can. If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever. Possibly when the soul leaps and exults in communion with God, it might more safely refrain from the prayer than at those seasons when it drags heavily in devotion.   — Charles Spurgeon

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  Courage  

Alert, prompt, aggressive, fearless; six times the Most High repeats it, so vital is courage. The "fear nots" of the Bible must be beyond counting. Fear exaggerates difficulties, murmurs at suffering, shrinks from reproach, neglects duties, and doubts God. "For God gave us not a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Tim. 1:7)... The life of the soul that is faithful to its Lord will be one succession of storms in a hostile world, demanding a vital courage and strength, but the reward is the Kingdom.

...Courage for what? "Only be strong and very courageous, that thou may observe and to do according to all the law." Napoleon said that the forces which influence the spirits of men in battle decide for victory or defeat far more powerfully than anything which affects their material strength. Joshua lived the command. When the whole commission sent to Palestine trembled before the Canaanites as grasshoppers before giants, those symbols of the Demon Powers that oppose our entrance into the Kingdom, Joshua and Caleb cried, "We are well able to overcome!" The standard set for the Kingdom is no impossible standard. We can be overcomers...

In the words of Spurgeon: "If indeed ye are soldiers of such a Captain, throw fear to the winds. Can you be cowards when the Lord of Hosts leads you? Dare you tremble when at your head is the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace? The trumpet is already at the lips of the Archangel: who will not play the man?"   — D. M. Panton

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  The "If Nots"  

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us... But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods,..." Daniel 3:17,18

Faith which believes God in spite of circumstances, and asks for no proof or reward from Him, is rare faith indeed. The three Jewish captives in Babylon exercised such faith when, because they refused to bow down and worship the golden image which King Nebuchadnezzar set up, they were threatened with death in a fiery furnace. God may not call upon you to exercise such faith as this; but again, he may! It is well to be prepared for the "if nots."

For some, the ninety-first Psalm is to be claimed literally; but, for others there is martyrdom. Through faith, some have subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,...stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, ...women received their dead raised to life again; but that does not exhaust the list. Not everyone who lives by faith readily overcomes every circumstance and achieves outward victory; so the Spirit adds "and others". (Heb. 11:35-39). They were those who had to face the "if not"...

The man who mistakes faith for a short cut to health, wealth, and prosperity may be in for a sobering correction. God does not follow one uniform procedure with all of us. Peter walked out of prison by divine intervention, but James died by the sword. The beloved disciple, John, leaned his head on Jesus' breast; but John the Baptist was beheaded. Lazarus was raised to life, but Stephen was stoned to death. These Hebrew children in Babylon knew that God was able to deliver them; BUT IF NOT, they would be true anyway.

Although, of course, you would like to be delivered from whatever fiery furnace you are in, have you made up your mind about the "if not?" No matter to which category in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews you belong, will you be faithful anyway? If so, then you can be certain, likewise, that One with the "form ...like the Son of God will be with you IN the fire.   — Vance Havner

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  Christ Our Guest  

"But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them." Luke 24:29

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;..." Colossians 3:16

Every true Christian life is a little garden where love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and other spiritual things are growing. The word of Christ is to be a guest in our hearts. Where His word is thus welcomed and permitted to dwell, Christ himself is guest.

There is a story of a gentle and loving child who found her way into a loveless and prayerless home; and stayed there, changing everything by the sweet, gracious influence of her life until the home became a place of love and prayer. Wherever Christ is guest, all life is brightened, dull talk-work is made angel ministry, friendships are sweetened, burdens are lightened, and commonplace circumstances are transfigured.

If the word of Christ dwells in us, it will make us helpers of others. It will so saturate and sweeten our thoughts, our dispositions, our tempers, and our feelings that the love of Christ will flow out in all our common speech. It will make our words gracious and kind. It will keep us from all bitter censurings, acrid and hasty speech. It will inspire in us all helpful words.   — J. R. Miller