Family Worship # 1
There are some very important outward ordinances and means of grace which are plainly implied in the Word of God - but the exercise of which we have few, if any, plain and positive precepts; rather are we left to gather incidental circumstances. An important end is answered by this arrangement: trial is thereby made of the state of our hearts. It serves to make evident whether, because an expressed command cannot be brought requiring its performance, professing Christians will neglect a duty plainly implied. Thus, more of the real state of our minds is discovered, and it is made manifest whether we have or have not an ardent love for God and His service. This holds good both of public and family worship. Nevertheless, it is not at all difficult to prove the obligation of domestic piety.
Consider first the example of Abraham, the father of the faithful and the friend of God. It was for his domestic piety that he received blessing from Jehovah Himself, "For I know Him, that He will command His children and his household after Him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment" (Genesis 18:19). The patriarch is here commended, for instructing his children and servants in the most important of all duties, "the way of the Lord" - the truth about His glorious person, His high claims upon us, His requirements from us. Note well the words "He will command" them; that is, he would use the authority to enforce the duties of family godliness. Abraham also prayed with, as well as instructed his family - wherever he pitched his tent, there he "built an altar to the Lord" (Genesis 12:7; 13:4). Now my readers, we may well ask ourselves, Are we "Abraham's seed" (Galatians 3:29) - if we "do not the works of Abraham" (John 8:39) and neglect the weighty duty of family worship?
The examples of other holy men are similar to that of Abraham's. Consider the pious determination of Joshua who declared to Israel, "As for me and my house - we will serve the Lord" (24:15). Neither the exalted station which he held, nor the pressing public duties which developed upon him, were allowed to crowd out his attention to the spiritual well-being of his family. Again, when David brought back the ark of God to Jerusalem with joy and thanksgiving, after discharging his public duties, he "returned home to bless his family" (2 Sam. 6:20). In addition to these eminent examples, we may cite the cases of Job (1:5) and Daniel (6:10). Limiting ourselves to only one in the New Testament, we think of the history of Timothy, who was reared in a godly home. Paul called to remembrance the "sincere faith" which was in him, and added, "which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice." Is there any wonder then that the apostle could say "from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15).
"Pour out Your wrath on the heathen that do not acknowledge You - and on the families that do not call on Your name! (Jere. 10:25). We wonder how many of our readers have seriously pondered these awe-inspiring words! Observe what fearful threatenings are pronounced against those who disregard family worship! How unspeakably solemn to find that prayerless families are here coupled with the heathen, who do not acknowledge the Lord. Yet, that need not surprise us. Why, there are many heathen families who unite together in worshiping their false gods. And do not they put thousands of professing Christians to shame?
How loudly should these words speak to us. It is not enough that we pray as private individuals in our closets; we are required to honor God in our families as well. Each day, the whole household should be gathered together to bow before the Lord - to confess their sins, to give thanks for God's mercies, to seek His help and blessing. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with this duty: all other domestic arrangements are to bend to it. The head of the house is the one to lead the devotions - but if he is absent, or an unbeliever, then the wife should take his place. Under no circumstances should family worship be omitted. If we would enjoy the blessing of God upon our family - then let its members gather together daily for praise and prayer. "Those who honor Me - I will honor" is His promise.
An old writer well said, "A family without prayer is like a house without a roof, open and exposed to all storms." All our domestic comforts and temporal mercies, issue from the loving-kindness of the Lord. The best we can do in return, is to gratefully acknowledge together, His goodness to us as a family. Excuses against the discharge of this sacred duty - are idle and worthless. Of what avail will it be when we render an account to God for the stewardship of our families - to say that we had no time available, working hard from morn until eve? The more pressing are our temporal duties - the greater our need of seeking spiritual support. Nor may any Christian plead that he is not qualified for such a work - gifts and talents are developed by use - and not by neglect.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
Saturday, June 29, 2019
God's Loving Kindness # 2
God's Loving Kindness # 2
"I will betroth you unto Me forever; yes, I will betroth you unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies" (Hos. 2:19). Having made us willing in the day of His power to give up ourselves unto Him, the Lord enters into an everlasting marriage contract with us. This loving kindness of the Lord is never removed from His children. To our reason and sense, it may appear to be so, yet it never is; for since the believer be in Christ, nothing can separate him from the love of God (Romans 8:39). God has solemnly engaged Himself by covenant, and our sins cannot make it void. God has sworn that if His children keep not His commandments, that He will "visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes"; yet He at once adds, "Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor allow my faithfulness to fail! My covenant will I not break" (Psalm 89:30-35).
The loving kindness of God toward His people is centered in Christ. It is because His exercise of loving kindness is a covenant engagement that it is repeatedly linked to His "truth" (Psalm 40:11; 138:2), showing that it proceeds to us by promise, and therefore, we should never despair.
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, says the LORD that has mercy on you" (Isaiah 54:10). No! That covenant has been ratified by the blood of its Mediator, by which blood the enmity (occasioned by sin) has been removed and perfect reconciliation effected. God knows the thoughts which He entertains unto those embraced in His covenant and who have been reconciled to Him, namely, "thoughts of peace and not of evil" (Jere. 29:11).
Therefore are we assured, "The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Psalm 42:8). What a promise is that! Not merely that the Lord will give or bestow but command His loving kindness! It is given by decree, bestowed by royal engagement, as He also commands "deliverances" (Psalm 44:4), "strength" (Psalm 68:28), "the blessing, even life for evermore" (Psalm 133:3), which announces that nothing can possibly hinder these bestowments.
Well then, may we exclaim, "Your loving kindness is better than life!" (Psalm 63:3).
And what ought to be our response thereto?
FIRST, "Be therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children; And walk in love" (Eph. 5:1-2). "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, affections of mercies, kindness" (Col. 3:12). Thus it was with David: "Your loving kindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth" (Psalm 26:3). His mind was employed thereon, he delighted to ponder it, and it refreshed his soul to do so; yes, it molded his conduct.
The more we are occupied with God's goodness, the more careful shall we be about our obedience - the constraints of God's love and grace are more powerful to the regenerate, than the terrors of His Law!
"How excellent is your loving kindness, O God! therefore both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 36:7).
Thus, SECOND, a sense of this divine perfection strengthens faith and promotes confidence in God.
THIRD, it should stimulate the spirit of worship: "Because your loving kindness is better than life - my lips shall praise you" (Psalm 63:3; Psalm 117).
FOURTH, it should be our cordial when depressed: "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant" (Psalm 119:76. So it was with Christ in His anguish (Psalm 69_17).
FIFTH, it should be made our plea in prayer: "Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your loving kindness (Psalm 119:159).
SIXTH, it should be appealed to when we have fallen by the wayside: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness" (Psalm 51:1): deal with me according to the gentlest of Your attributes, make my case an exemplification of Your tenderness.
SEVENTH, it should be a petition in our evening devotions: "Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning" (Psalm 143:8): arouse me with my soul in tune therewith, let my waking thoughts be of Your goodness!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
"I will betroth you unto Me forever; yes, I will betroth you unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies" (Hos. 2:19). Having made us willing in the day of His power to give up ourselves unto Him, the Lord enters into an everlasting marriage contract with us. This loving kindness of the Lord is never removed from His children. To our reason and sense, it may appear to be so, yet it never is; for since the believer be in Christ, nothing can separate him from the love of God (Romans 8:39). God has solemnly engaged Himself by covenant, and our sins cannot make it void. God has sworn that if His children keep not His commandments, that He will "visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes"; yet He at once adds, "Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor allow my faithfulness to fail! My covenant will I not break" (Psalm 89:30-35).
The loving kindness of God toward His people is centered in Christ. It is because His exercise of loving kindness is a covenant engagement that it is repeatedly linked to His "truth" (Psalm 40:11; 138:2), showing that it proceeds to us by promise, and therefore, we should never despair.
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, says the LORD that has mercy on you" (Isaiah 54:10). No! That covenant has been ratified by the blood of its Mediator, by which blood the enmity (occasioned by sin) has been removed and perfect reconciliation effected. God knows the thoughts which He entertains unto those embraced in His covenant and who have been reconciled to Him, namely, "thoughts of peace and not of evil" (Jere. 29:11).
Therefore are we assured, "The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Psalm 42:8). What a promise is that! Not merely that the Lord will give or bestow but command His loving kindness! It is given by decree, bestowed by royal engagement, as He also commands "deliverances" (Psalm 44:4), "strength" (Psalm 68:28), "the blessing, even life for evermore" (Psalm 133:3), which announces that nothing can possibly hinder these bestowments.
Well then, may we exclaim, "Your loving kindness is better than life!" (Psalm 63:3).
And what ought to be our response thereto?
FIRST, "Be therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children; And walk in love" (Eph. 5:1-2). "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, affections of mercies, kindness" (Col. 3:12). Thus it was with David: "Your loving kindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth" (Psalm 26:3). His mind was employed thereon, he delighted to ponder it, and it refreshed his soul to do so; yes, it molded his conduct.
The more we are occupied with God's goodness, the more careful shall we be about our obedience - the constraints of God's love and grace are more powerful to the regenerate, than the terrors of His Law!
"How excellent is your loving kindness, O God! therefore both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 36:7).
Thus, SECOND, a sense of this divine perfection strengthens faith and promotes confidence in God.
THIRD, it should stimulate the spirit of worship: "Because your loving kindness is better than life - my lips shall praise you" (Psalm 63:3; Psalm 117).
FOURTH, it should be our cordial when depressed: "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant" (Psalm 119:76. So it was with Christ in His anguish (Psalm 69_17).
FIFTH, it should be made our plea in prayer: "Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your loving kindness (Psalm 119:159).
SIXTH, it should be appealed to when we have fallen by the wayside: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness" (Psalm 51:1): deal with me according to the gentlest of Your attributes, make my case an exemplification of Your tenderness.
SEVENTH, it should be a petition in our evening devotions: "Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning" (Psalm 143:8): arouse me with my soul in tune therewith, let my waking thoughts be of Your goodness!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Saturday, June 22, 2019
God's Loving Kindness # 1
God's Loving Kindness # 1
In the closing paragraphs of our March cover-page article, reference was made to the faithfulness of God; here we propose to engage the reader with another of His excellencies - one of which every Christian has received innumerable proofs. We turn unto a consideration of God's loving-kindness, because it is our desire and aim to maintain a due proportion in treating of the divine perfections, for all of us are very apt to entertain one-sided ideas and view of the same. [there will be three or more articles titled the same but with other of God's perfections].
There is a balance to be preserved here (as everywhere), as appears in those two summarized statements of the divine attributes, "God is light" (1 John 1:5), "God is love" (1 John 4:80. The sterner and more awe-inspiring aspects of the divine character are offset by the gentler and more winsome ones. It is to our irreparable loss if our minds dwell almost exclusively on God's sovereignty and majesty, or His holiness and justice; we need to meditate frequently (though not exclusively!) upon His goodness and mercy. Nothing short of a full-orbed view of the divine perfections as they are revealed in Holy Writ should content us.
Scripture speaks of "the multitude of His loving kindness" (Isaiah 63:7), and who is capable of numbering them? Said the Psalmist, "How excellent is your loving kindness, O God!" (36:7). No pen of man, no tongue of angel, can adequately express it.
We read of God's "marvelous loving kindness" (Psalm 17:7), and surely it truly is. Familiar as may be this blessed attribute of God's unto people - yet is it something entirely peculiar unto divine revelation. None of the ancients ever dreamed of investing his gods with any such endearing perfection as this. None of the objects worshiped by present-day heathens is conceived of as possessed of gentleness and tenderness: very much the reverse, as the hideous features of their idols exhibit! Philosophers regard it as a serious reflection upon the honor of the Absolute - to ascribe such qualities unto it. But the Scriptures have much to say upon God's loving kindness, or His paternal favor unto His people, and His tender affection towards them. The first time this divine perfection is mentioned in the Word is in that wondrous and glorious manifestation of Deity which was vouchsafed unto Moses, when Jehovah proclaimed His "Name" - that is Himself as made known. "The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6); though much more frequently the Hebrew word "chesed," is rendered "kindness" and "loving kindness."
In our English Bibles, the initial reference, as connected with God, is Psalm 17:7, where David prayed, "Display the wonders of Your loving kindness!" Wondrous it truly is - that One so infinitely above us, so inconceivably glorious, so ineffably holy, should not only deign to notice such worms of the earth - but set His heart upon them, give His Son for them, send His Spirit to indwell them, and so bear with all their imperfections and waywardness as never to remove His loving kindness from them.
Consider some of the evidences and exercises of this divine attribute unto the saints:
"In love, having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Eph. 1:4-5); and, as the previous verse shows, that love was engaged on their behalf before this world came into existence!
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9), which was His amazing provision for us as fallen creatures.
"I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you" (Jere. 31:3) - that is, drawn unto Myself, by the quickening operations of My Spirit, by the invincible power of My grace, by creating in you a deep sense of need, by attracting you by My winsomeness.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
In the closing paragraphs of our March cover-page article, reference was made to the faithfulness of God; here we propose to engage the reader with another of His excellencies - one of which every Christian has received innumerable proofs. We turn unto a consideration of God's loving-kindness, because it is our desire and aim to maintain a due proportion in treating of the divine perfections, for all of us are very apt to entertain one-sided ideas and view of the same. [there will be three or more articles titled the same but with other of God's perfections].
There is a balance to be preserved here (as everywhere), as appears in those two summarized statements of the divine attributes, "God is light" (1 John 1:5), "God is love" (1 John 4:80. The sterner and more awe-inspiring aspects of the divine character are offset by the gentler and more winsome ones. It is to our irreparable loss if our minds dwell almost exclusively on God's sovereignty and majesty, or His holiness and justice; we need to meditate frequently (though not exclusively!) upon His goodness and mercy. Nothing short of a full-orbed view of the divine perfections as they are revealed in Holy Writ should content us.
Scripture speaks of "the multitude of His loving kindness" (Isaiah 63:7), and who is capable of numbering them? Said the Psalmist, "How excellent is your loving kindness, O God!" (36:7). No pen of man, no tongue of angel, can adequately express it.
We read of God's "marvelous loving kindness" (Psalm 17:7), and surely it truly is. Familiar as may be this blessed attribute of God's unto people - yet is it something entirely peculiar unto divine revelation. None of the ancients ever dreamed of investing his gods with any such endearing perfection as this. None of the objects worshiped by present-day heathens is conceived of as possessed of gentleness and tenderness: very much the reverse, as the hideous features of their idols exhibit! Philosophers regard it as a serious reflection upon the honor of the Absolute - to ascribe such qualities unto it. But the Scriptures have much to say upon God's loving kindness, or His paternal favor unto His people, and His tender affection towards them. The first time this divine perfection is mentioned in the Word is in that wondrous and glorious manifestation of Deity which was vouchsafed unto Moses, when Jehovah proclaimed His "Name" - that is Himself as made known. "The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6); though much more frequently the Hebrew word "chesed," is rendered "kindness" and "loving kindness."
In our English Bibles, the initial reference, as connected with God, is Psalm 17:7, where David prayed, "Display the wonders of Your loving kindness!" Wondrous it truly is - that One so infinitely above us, so inconceivably glorious, so ineffably holy, should not only deign to notice such worms of the earth - but set His heart upon them, give His Son for them, send His Spirit to indwell them, and so bear with all their imperfections and waywardness as never to remove His loving kindness from them.
Consider some of the evidences and exercises of this divine attribute unto the saints:
"In love, having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Eph. 1:4-5); and, as the previous verse shows, that love was engaged on their behalf before this world came into existence!
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9), which was His amazing provision for us as fallen creatures.
"I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you" (Jere. 31:3) - that is, drawn unto Myself, by the quickening operations of My Spirit, by the invincible power of My grace, by creating in you a deep sense of need, by attracting you by My winsomeness.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
Shine As Lights # 6
Shine As Lights # 6
We must put our foot on temper, and keep it down at all hazards. When we have failed in this respect, we must recollect ourselves, and let Christ regain the throne. Never let an angry feeling live through your next season of prayer. If you have been unable to get rid of it before, leave every trace of it behind when you rise from your knees. Fellowship with God cannot continue side by side with a ruffled and angry spirit. "Be angry and do not sin - do not let the sun go down upon your anger."
Nor must you forget that it is your privilege to bear a personal testimony for Christ. You must not only live for Him, but speak for Him, and not be ashamed to confess Him in the world. Let the word of Christ dwell so richly within you as to fill you with joy and peace in Him, and then tell others of His love for perishing sinners. In our land God is raising up witnesses for Christ in every rank of society, and you must be one of them. You need not be clever, or be able to give a sermon or an address; but in the simplest way you may tell a fellow-sinner of His grace, if only He is dwelling by His Spirit in your heart. Do not wait until you are stronger in faith, but begin at once. Do what you can. Have Christ by your side; believe that He is near to help you, and you cannot fail to be useful.
Read a chapter to a sick one; speak gently for Christ to the little ones; plead with the wanderer that he would come back to the Lord and seek His face. In this way, and in any other that is possible, hold forth the Word of Life, that souls may believe and be saved forever through Him.
But I must draw to a close. I have but touched on a few of the various directions in which the Christian must endeavor to show forth the life of Christ. But I would entreat you, dear reader, to rise above the common standard, and strive, by God's grace, to live a very holy, devoted, self-denying life. I entreat you by the call of God, who bids you be as holy as He is holy. I entreat you by the dying agonies - by the wounds of the Son of God, who gave Himself for you to redeem you unto Himself as one of a peculiar people, zealous of good works. I entreat you, as you value your own soul, follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. I entreat you, as you value the souls of others, that you so walk that your life may prove no stumbling block, but a means of help to them on their way to glory. I entreat you, for the honor of the Gospel which you profess to believe, to live worthy of its high and lofty privileges, and that you may thus commend it to the attention of those around you.
Very especially would I beseech all young Christians - all who have lately learned to love the Saviour - to set before you the life of Christ as your pattern. Walk as He walked; live as He lived; keep ever under the shelter of His blood as the one ground of your confidence; and, doing this, expect to receive day by day a large supply of His grace. His Spirit, the Comforter, dwells in you. He shall raise you above yourself, above the dominion of evil, above the power of the world, above the unbelief of your own heart, until He has made you fit for His presence above.
And forget not that Christ will soon appear. The sands of time are running out very quickly; the people of God are being gathered home, one by one. Dangers foretold are manifestly visible among us. The Lord is at hand. We ought to be constantly looking for His glorious appearing, and looking diligently, that He may find us at our appointed place in His vineyard. Oh, that we might hourly rejoice in the prospect before us, if we are His! May He quicken our hearts to do so; and may all we possess be laid at His footstool!
"Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and them move
At the impulse of Your love.
Take my feet - and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips - and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect - and use
Every power as You shall choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart - it is Thine own;
It shall be your royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Your feet its treasure store.
Take my self - and I will be
Ever, only, All for Thee."
(Frances R. Havergal)
~George Everard~
(The End)
We must put our foot on temper, and keep it down at all hazards. When we have failed in this respect, we must recollect ourselves, and let Christ regain the throne. Never let an angry feeling live through your next season of prayer. If you have been unable to get rid of it before, leave every trace of it behind when you rise from your knees. Fellowship with God cannot continue side by side with a ruffled and angry spirit. "Be angry and do not sin - do not let the sun go down upon your anger."
Nor must you forget that it is your privilege to bear a personal testimony for Christ. You must not only live for Him, but speak for Him, and not be ashamed to confess Him in the world. Let the word of Christ dwell so richly within you as to fill you with joy and peace in Him, and then tell others of His love for perishing sinners. In our land God is raising up witnesses for Christ in every rank of society, and you must be one of them. You need not be clever, or be able to give a sermon or an address; but in the simplest way you may tell a fellow-sinner of His grace, if only He is dwelling by His Spirit in your heart. Do not wait until you are stronger in faith, but begin at once. Do what you can. Have Christ by your side; believe that He is near to help you, and you cannot fail to be useful.
Read a chapter to a sick one; speak gently for Christ to the little ones; plead with the wanderer that he would come back to the Lord and seek His face. In this way, and in any other that is possible, hold forth the Word of Life, that souls may believe and be saved forever through Him.
But I must draw to a close. I have but touched on a few of the various directions in which the Christian must endeavor to show forth the life of Christ. But I would entreat you, dear reader, to rise above the common standard, and strive, by God's grace, to live a very holy, devoted, self-denying life. I entreat you by the call of God, who bids you be as holy as He is holy. I entreat you by the dying agonies - by the wounds of the Son of God, who gave Himself for you to redeem you unto Himself as one of a peculiar people, zealous of good works. I entreat you, as you value your own soul, follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. I entreat you, as you value the souls of others, that you so walk that your life may prove no stumbling block, but a means of help to them on their way to glory. I entreat you, for the honor of the Gospel which you profess to believe, to live worthy of its high and lofty privileges, and that you may thus commend it to the attention of those around you.
Very especially would I beseech all young Christians - all who have lately learned to love the Saviour - to set before you the life of Christ as your pattern. Walk as He walked; live as He lived; keep ever under the shelter of His blood as the one ground of your confidence; and, doing this, expect to receive day by day a large supply of His grace. His Spirit, the Comforter, dwells in you. He shall raise you above yourself, above the dominion of evil, above the power of the world, above the unbelief of your own heart, until He has made you fit for His presence above.
And forget not that Christ will soon appear. The sands of time are running out very quickly; the people of God are being gathered home, one by one. Dangers foretold are manifestly visible among us. The Lord is at hand. We ought to be constantly looking for His glorious appearing, and looking diligently, that He may find us at our appointed place in His vineyard. Oh, that we might hourly rejoice in the prospect before us, if we are His! May He quicken our hearts to do so; and may all we possess be laid at His footstool!
"Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and them move
At the impulse of Your love.
Take my feet - and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips - and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect - and use
Every power as You shall choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart - it is Thine own;
It shall be your royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Your feet its treasure store.
Take my self - and I will be
Ever, only, All for Thee."
(Frances R. Havergal)
~George Everard~
(The End)
Saturday, June 15, 2019
The Blessed Man # 3
The Blessed Man # 3
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Here we have the "blessed" man's FERTILIZATION. But notice very carefully, dear reader, what precedes this. There must be a complete break from the world - separating from its counsel or policy, from fellowshiping its votaries, and from its pleasures; and there must be a genuine subjection to God's authority and a daily feeding upon His Word - before there can be any real fruitfulness unto Him.
"He shall be like a tree." This figure is found in numerous passages, for there are many resemblances between a tree and a saint. He is not a "reed" moved about by every wind which blows, nor a creeper, trailing along the ground. A tree is upright, and grows heavenward. This tree is planted - many are not - but grow wild. A planted tree is under the care and cultivation of its owner. Thus, this metaphor assures us that those who delight in God's Law are owned by God, cared for and pruned by Him!
"Planted by the rivers of water." This is the place of refreshment - rivers of grace, or communion, of renewing. Probably the more specific allusion is unto "and a Man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:2). That refers to Christ, and tells us that just as a tree derives life and fruitfulness from the adjacent river - so the believer, by communion, draws from the fullness there is for him in Christ.
"Which yields its fruit in season." This is an essential character of a gracious man, for there are no fruitless branches in the true Vine. "In season," for all fruits do not appear in the same month, neither are all the graces of the Spirit produced simultaneously.
Times of trial - call for faith.
Times of suffering - call for patience.
Times of disappointment - call for meekness.
Times of danger - call for courage.
Times of blessings - call for thanksgiving.
Times of prosperity - call for joy.
This word "in season" is a timely one - we must not expect the fruits of maturity in those who are but babes.
"His leaf shall not wither." This means that his Christian profession is a bright and living reality. He is not one who has a name to live - yet is dead. No, his works evidence his faith. That is why "his fruit" is mentioned before "his leaf." Where there is no fruit to God's glory - our profession is a mockery. Note how it is said of Christ that He was 'mighty in deed and word" (Luke 24:19) - the same order is seen again in "that Jesus began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1).
"And whatever he does shall prosper." This necessarily follows, though it is not always apparent to the eye of sense. Not even a cup of water given in the name of Christ, shall fail to receive its reward - if not here, certainly in the hereafter.
How far, dear reader, do you and I resemble this "blessed man"? Let us again press the order of these three verses. Just so far as we fall into the sins of verse 1 - will our delight in God's Law be dulled. And just so far as we are not in subjection to His will - shall we be fruitless. But a complete separation from the world, and wholehearted occupation with the Lord - will issue in fruit to His praise!!
~George Everard~
(The End)
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Here we have the "blessed" man's FERTILIZATION. But notice very carefully, dear reader, what precedes this. There must be a complete break from the world - separating from its counsel or policy, from fellowshiping its votaries, and from its pleasures; and there must be a genuine subjection to God's authority and a daily feeding upon His Word - before there can be any real fruitfulness unto Him.
"He shall be like a tree." This figure is found in numerous passages, for there are many resemblances between a tree and a saint. He is not a "reed" moved about by every wind which blows, nor a creeper, trailing along the ground. A tree is upright, and grows heavenward. This tree is planted - many are not - but grow wild. A planted tree is under the care and cultivation of its owner. Thus, this metaphor assures us that those who delight in God's Law are owned by God, cared for and pruned by Him!
"Planted by the rivers of water." This is the place of refreshment - rivers of grace, or communion, of renewing. Probably the more specific allusion is unto "and a Man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:2). That refers to Christ, and tells us that just as a tree derives life and fruitfulness from the adjacent river - so the believer, by communion, draws from the fullness there is for him in Christ.
"Which yields its fruit in season." This is an essential character of a gracious man, for there are no fruitless branches in the true Vine. "In season," for all fruits do not appear in the same month, neither are all the graces of the Spirit produced simultaneously.
Times of trial - call for faith.
Times of suffering - call for patience.
Times of disappointment - call for meekness.
Times of danger - call for courage.
Times of blessings - call for thanksgiving.
Times of prosperity - call for joy.
This word "in season" is a timely one - we must not expect the fruits of maturity in those who are but babes.
"His leaf shall not wither." This means that his Christian profession is a bright and living reality. He is not one who has a name to live - yet is dead. No, his works evidence his faith. That is why "his fruit" is mentioned before "his leaf." Where there is no fruit to God's glory - our profession is a mockery. Note how it is said of Christ that He was 'mighty in deed and word" (Luke 24:19) - the same order is seen again in "that Jesus began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1).
"And whatever he does shall prosper." This necessarily follows, though it is not always apparent to the eye of sense. Not even a cup of water given in the name of Christ, shall fail to receive its reward - if not here, certainly in the hereafter.
How far, dear reader, do you and I resemble this "blessed man"? Let us again press the order of these three verses. Just so far as we fall into the sins of verse 1 - will our delight in God's Law be dulled. And just so far as we are not in subjection to His will - shall we be fruitless. But a complete separation from the world, and wholehearted occupation with the Lord - will issue in fruit to His praise!!
~George Everard~
(The End)
The Blessed Man # 2
The Blessed Man # 2
Second "nor stands in the way of sinners." Here we have the associations of the blessed man - he does not fellowship with sinners. No, rather does he seek communion with the righteous. Precious examples of this are found in Abram's leaving Ur of the Chaldees, Moses turning his back on the honors and treasures of Egypt, Ruth's forsaking Moab to accompany Naomi.
Third "nor sits in the seat of the scornful." The "scornful" may here be regarded as the ones who despise and reject the true Rest-giver. "The seat" here speaks of relaxation and delectation - to not sit in the scorner's seat, means that the blessed man does not take his ease, nor seek his joy - in the recreations of the world. No; he has something far better than "the pleasures of sin", "in Your presence is fullness of joy" - as Mary found at the Lord's feet.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:2). Here we have the OCCUPATION of the blessed man. The opening "But" points a sharp contrast from the last clause of the previous verse, and serves to confirm our interpretation thereof. The worldling seeks his delight in the entertainment furnished by those who scorn spiritual and eternal things. Not so the "blessed man" - his "delight" is in something infinitely superior to what this perishing world can supply, namely, in the Divine Scriptures. "The Law of the Lord" seems to have been one of David's favorite expressions for the Word - see Psalm 19 and 119. "The Law of the Lord" throws the emphasis upon its Divine authority, upon God's will. This is a sure mark of those who have been born again. "The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God" (Romans 8:7). To "delight in the law of the Lord" is a sure proof that we have received of the Spirit of Christ, for He declared "I delight to do Your will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8).
God's word is the daily bread of the "blessed" man - is it so with you? The unregenerate delight in pleasing self - but the joy of the Christian lies in pleasing God. It is not simply that he is interested in the Law of the Lord, but he delights therein. There are thousands of people, like those in cults, and, we may add, in the more orthodox sections of Christendom, who are keen students of Scripture, who delight in its prophecies, types, and mysteries, and who eagerly grasp at its promises; yet are they far from delighting in the authority of its Author and in being subject to His revealed will.
The "blessed" man delights in the precepts of the Word. There is a delight - a peace, joy, and satisfaction of soul - pure and stable, to be found in subjection to God's will, which is obtainable nowhere else. As John tells us, "His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3), and as David declares "in keeping of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:11).
"And in His Law, he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). Thereby does he evidence his delight therein - where his treasure is, there is his heart also! Here, then, is the occupation of the blessed man. The voluptuary thinks only of satisfying his senses; the giddy youth is concerned only with sports and pleasures; the man of the world directs all his energies to the securing of wealth and honors; but the blessed man's determination is to please God, and in order to obtain a better knowledge of His will, he meditates day and night in His holy Word. Thereby is light obtained, its sweetness extracted, and the soul nourished!
His "meditation" in the Word, is not occasional and spasmodic - but regular and persistent; not only in the day of prosperity - but also in the night of adversity; not only in the day of youth and strength - but in the night of old age and weakness.
"Your Words were found, and I ate them; and Your Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (Jer. 15:16). What is meant by "ate them"? Appropriation, assimilation. Meditation stands to reading - as digestion does to eating. It is as God's Word is pondered by the mind, turned over and over in the thoughts, and mixed with faith - that we assimilate it. That which most occupies the mind and most constantly engages our thoughts - is what we most "delight" in.
Here is a grand cure for loneliness (as the writer has many times proved) - to meditate on God's Law day and night. But real "meditation" in God's Law is an act of obedience, "Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8).
The Psalmist could thus appeal to God - can you, "Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation" (Psalm 5:1).
~George Everard~
(continued with # 3)
Second "nor stands in the way of sinners." Here we have the associations of the blessed man - he does not fellowship with sinners. No, rather does he seek communion with the righteous. Precious examples of this are found in Abram's leaving Ur of the Chaldees, Moses turning his back on the honors and treasures of Egypt, Ruth's forsaking Moab to accompany Naomi.
Third "nor sits in the seat of the scornful." The "scornful" may here be regarded as the ones who despise and reject the true Rest-giver. "The seat" here speaks of relaxation and delectation - to not sit in the scorner's seat, means that the blessed man does not take his ease, nor seek his joy - in the recreations of the world. No; he has something far better than "the pleasures of sin", "in Your presence is fullness of joy" - as Mary found at the Lord's feet.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:2). Here we have the OCCUPATION of the blessed man. The opening "But" points a sharp contrast from the last clause of the previous verse, and serves to confirm our interpretation thereof. The worldling seeks his delight in the entertainment furnished by those who scorn spiritual and eternal things. Not so the "blessed man" - his "delight" is in something infinitely superior to what this perishing world can supply, namely, in the Divine Scriptures. "The Law of the Lord" seems to have been one of David's favorite expressions for the Word - see Psalm 19 and 119. "The Law of the Lord" throws the emphasis upon its Divine authority, upon God's will. This is a sure mark of those who have been born again. "The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God" (Romans 8:7). To "delight in the law of the Lord" is a sure proof that we have received of the Spirit of Christ, for He declared "I delight to do Your will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8).
God's word is the daily bread of the "blessed" man - is it so with you? The unregenerate delight in pleasing self - but the joy of the Christian lies in pleasing God. It is not simply that he is interested in the Law of the Lord, but he delights therein. There are thousands of people, like those in cults, and, we may add, in the more orthodox sections of Christendom, who are keen students of Scripture, who delight in its prophecies, types, and mysteries, and who eagerly grasp at its promises; yet are they far from delighting in the authority of its Author and in being subject to His revealed will.
The "blessed" man delights in the precepts of the Word. There is a delight - a peace, joy, and satisfaction of soul - pure and stable, to be found in subjection to God's will, which is obtainable nowhere else. As John tells us, "His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3), and as David declares "in keeping of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:11).
"And in His Law, he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). Thereby does he evidence his delight therein - where his treasure is, there is his heart also! Here, then, is the occupation of the blessed man. The voluptuary thinks only of satisfying his senses; the giddy youth is concerned only with sports and pleasures; the man of the world directs all his energies to the securing of wealth and honors; but the blessed man's determination is to please God, and in order to obtain a better knowledge of His will, he meditates day and night in His holy Word. Thereby is light obtained, its sweetness extracted, and the soul nourished!
His "meditation" in the Word, is not occasional and spasmodic - but regular and persistent; not only in the day of prosperity - but also in the night of adversity; not only in the day of youth and strength - but in the night of old age and weakness.
"Your Words were found, and I ate them; and Your Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (Jer. 15:16). What is meant by "ate them"? Appropriation, assimilation. Meditation stands to reading - as digestion does to eating. It is as God's Word is pondered by the mind, turned over and over in the thoughts, and mixed with faith - that we assimilate it. That which most occupies the mind and most constantly engages our thoughts - is what we most "delight" in.
Here is a grand cure for loneliness (as the writer has many times proved) - to meditate on God's Law day and night. But real "meditation" in God's Law is an act of obedience, "Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8).
The Psalmist could thus appeal to God - can you, "Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation" (Psalm 5:1).
~George Everard~
(continued with # 3)
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Shine As Lights # 5
Shine As Lights # 5
We read that the late Michael Faraday, after giving a lecture on some scientific subject before the great and the noble in the land, would go down to some of the lowest parts of the city and give an earnest loving address to some twenty or thirty of the poorest, telling them of the Saviour's love.
But a few weeks ago, I was told of an incident in the life of the late Rev. George Fisk. While Vicar of Darlaston he heard one night of two men who were about to fight, and a large concourse were assembled in a sort of natural amphitheater to see them; so he took his Bible and went to the place. When he had reached it he went into the middle, and said he would speak to them until the combatants arrived. Then he read and spoke to them very plainly of judgment and righteousness and the mercy of God; and when the men arrived, they sat down on the edge of the crowd to listen, and then all went to their homes in peace.
Here was the spirit of cross-bearing in a very practical shape; and very blessed would it be if Christians were to be as bold and courageous for their Master.
We must be most careful over the employment of our time. It is our greatest talent, and we must throw none of it away. Every hour, every moment must be spent as under the eye of our gracious Master.
In our toil, in our recreation, in our seasons of pain and suffering, let us still be living our life before Him; rejoicing that He is near and accepts all we suffer or do as service acceptable in His sight.
Who shall tell how much may be done for the glory of God and the good of others in the intervals of time which we are apt to regard as necessarily wasted?
We are told the gold sweepings at the mint last year amounted in value to many thousands of dollars. Our fragments of time are gold dust; and we must not throw them aside as worthless, but gather them up that none may be lost.
We must let the light shine very brightly in our own home. The nearer you come to a candle, the clearer you see the light. Home is the chief scene of temptation, at least in many cases, and it is the sphere where we have the greatest opportunity for showing what kind of person we are of. We must lay aside self-pleasing. Our aim must be to do the most good that we possibly can, to those who live with us; so we must think of their comfort and happiness as much as our own. We must not consult our own convenience and leave everything else to take its chance.
An unselfish generous spirit will be constantly on the look out to add a few grains to another's pleasure, or to diminish a little of their load of sorrow or care.
We must learn the holy art of showing kindness and courtesy in all the affairs of everyday life. We might well multiply our gifts, though they be but as the cup of cold water, costing us but little, but often bringing much gratification to the one remembered.
We must strive to be quite content with God's appointing, wherever our lot may be cast. High or low, as our position may be, let us say to ourselves, "God has placed me here, and here I will endeavor to do His will. By meekness and gentleness, by patient industry and perseverance, by congenial love and cheerfulness, by forbearance with the evil, by watchful consistency in my walk - I may glorify my Father in Heaven as much as if I were preaching the Gospel or ruling a kingdom."
Very especially let us beware of touchiness. When through burdensome duties, infirmity of body, the distraction of many coming and going, we become irritable and speak short and sharp, we are losing altogether for the time, the mind of Christ.
~George Everard~
(continued with # 6)
We read that the late Michael Faraday, after giving a lecture on some scientific subject before the great and the noble in the land, would go down to some of the lowest parts of the city and give an earnest loving address to some twenty or thirty of the poorest, telling them of the Saviour's love.
But a few weeks ago, I was told of an incident in the life of the late Rev. George Fisk. While Vicar of Darlaston he heard one night of two men who were about to fight, and a large concourse were assembled in a sort of natural amphitheater to see them; so he took his Bible and went to the place. When he had reached it he went into the middle, and said he would speak to them until the combatants arrived. Then he read and spoke to them very plainly of judgment and righteousness and the mercy of God; and when the men arrived, they sat down on the edge of the crowd to listen, and then all went to their homes in peace.
Here was the spirit of cross-bearing in a very practical shape; and very blessed would it be if Christians were to be as bold and courageous for their Master.
We must be most careful over the employment of our time. It is our greatest talent, and we must throw none of it away. Every hour, every moment must be spent as under the eye of our gracious Master.
In our toil, in our recreation, in our seasons of pain and suffering, let us still be living our life before Him; rejoicing that He is near and accepts all we suffer or do as service acceptable in His sight.
Who shall tell how much may be done for the glory of God and the good of others in the intervals of time which we are apt to regard as necessarily wasted?
We are told the gold sweepings at the mint last year amounted in value to many thousands of dollars. Our fragments of time are gold dust; and we must not throw them aside as worthless, but gather them up that none may be lost.
We must let the light shine very brightly in our own home. The nearer you come to a candle, the clearer you see the light. Home is the chief scene of temptation, at least in many cases, and it is the sphere where we have the greatest opportunity for showing what kind of person we are of. We must lay aside self-pleasing. Our aim must be to do the most good that we possibly can, to those who live with us; so we must think of their comfort and happiness as much as our own. We must not consult our own convenience and leave everything else to take its chance.
An unselfish generous spirit will be constantly on the look out to add a few grains to another's pleasure, or to diminish a little of their load of sorrow or care.
We must learn the holy art of showing kindness and courtesy in all the affairs of everyday life. We might well multiply our gifts, though they be but as the cup of cold water, costing us but little, but often bringing much gratification to the one remembered.
We must strive to be quite content with God's appointing, wherever our lot may be cast. High or low, as our position may be, let us say to ourselves, "God has placed me here, and here I will endeavor to do His will. By meekness and gentleness, by patient industry and perseverance, by congenial love and cheerfulness, by forbearance with the evil, by watchful consistency in my walk - I may glorify my Father in Heaven as much as if I were preaching the Gospel or ruling a kingdom."
Very especially let us beware of touchiness. When through burdensome duties, infirmity of body, the distraction of many coming and going, we become irritable and speak short and sharp, we are losing altogether for the time, the mind of Christ.
~George Everard~
(continued with # 6)
The Blessed Man # 1
The Blessed Man # 1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers" (Psalm 1:1). We have been much impressed by the fact that the wondrous and precious Psalter opens with the word "Blessed," and yet a little reflection shows it could scarcely begin with any other. As most of our readers are doubtless aware, "Psalms" means "Praises," and the key note is here struck at the very outset, for it is only the "Blessed man" who can truly praise God, and it is his praises which are alone acceptable to Him. The word "Blessed" here, as in so many places in Scripture is double force:
First and primarily, it signifies that the Divine benediction - in contrast from God's curse, rests upon this man.
Second and consequently, it denotes that he is a happy man.
"Blessed is the man," not "blessed are they" - the singular number emphasizes the fact that piety is strictly a personal and individual matter.
It is very striking to observe, that God has opened this book of Psalms by describing to us, the one whose "praises" are alone acceptable to Him. In all that follows to the end of verse 3, the Holy Spirit has given us a portrait (by which we may honestly compare ourselves) of the only man who can worship the Father "in spirit and truth." The outstanding features in this portrait of the "blessed" man, may be briefly expressed in three words - his separation (v. 1), his occupation (v. 2), his fertilization (v. 3).
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." As most readers are doubtless aware, the best of the commentators (as Spurgeon's Treasury of David") take as the leading thought of this verse, the downward course of the wicked - walking, then standing (a more fixed state), and ending by sitting - thoroughly confirmed in evil; tracing a similar gradation of deterioration in their "counsel", "way and seat", as also in the terms by which they are designated, "ungodly - sinners - scornful." But personally, we do not think this is the thought of the verse at all, for it is irrelevant to the passage as a whole, and would destroy its unity.
No, the Spirit here is describing the character and conduct of the "blessed man." How very significant it is to note - how searching for our hearts - the first characteristic of the "blessed man" to which the Spirit here called attention is his walk - a walk in SEPARATION from the wicked! Ah, my reader, it is there, and nowhere else, that personal piety begins. There can be no walking with God, no following of Christ, no treading of the way of peace - until we separate from the world, forsake the paths of sin, and turn our backs upon the "far country."
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." But notice exactly how it is expressed - it is not "does not walk in the open wickedness" or even "the manifest folly," but "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." How searching that is! How it narrows things down!
The ungodly are ever ready to counsel the believer, seeming to be very solicitous of his welfare. They will warn him against being too strict and extreme, advising him to be broad-minded and to "make the best of both worlds." But the policy of the "ungodly" - that is, of those who leave God out of their lives, who have no "fear of God" before their eyes - is regulated by self-will and self-pleasing, and is dominated by what they call "common sense." Alas, how may professing Christians regulate their lives by the advice and suggestions of ungodly friends and relatives - heeding such counsel in their business career, their social life, the furnishing and decorating of their homes, their dress and diet, and the choice of school or avocation for their children.
But not so with the "blessed man." He "does not walk in the counsel of the wicked." Rather is he afraid of it, no matter how plausible it sounds, or apparently good the intention of those who offer it. He shuns it, and says "Get behind me, satan!" Why? Because Divine grace has taught him that he has something infinitely better to direct his steps. God has given him a Divine revelation, dictated by unerring wisdom, suited to his every need and a light unto his path." His desire and his determination is to walk by the wholesome counsel of God, and not by the corrupt counsel of the ungodly. Conversion is the soul's surrender to and acceptance of God as Guide through this world of sin.
The "blessed" man's separation from the world is given us in three details -
First he "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly," that is, according to the maxims of the world. Eve is a solemn example of one who walked in the counsel of the ungodly, as is also the daughter of Herodius. On the other hand, Joseph declining the wicked suggestion of Potiphar's wife, David refusing to follow the counsel of Saul to meet Goliath in his armor, and Job's refusal to heed his wife's voice and "curse God," are examples of those who did not do so.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers" (Psalm 1:1). We have been much impressed by the fact that the wondrous and precious Psalter opens with the word "Blessed," and yet a little reflection shows it could scarcely begin with any other. As most of our readers are doubtless aware, "Psalms" means "Praises," and the key note is here struck at the very outset, for it is only the "Blessed man" who can truly praise God, and it is his praises which are alone acceptable to Him. The word "Blessed" here, as in so many places in Scripture is double force:
First and primarily, it signifies that the Divine benediction - in contrast from God's curse, rests upon this man.
Second and consequently, it denotes that he is a happy man.
"Blessed is the man," not "blessed are they" - the singular number emphasizes the fact that piety is strictly a personal and individual matter.
It is very striking to observe, that God has opened this book of Psalms by describing to us, the one whose "praises" are alone acceptable to Him. In all that follows to the end of verse 3, the Holy Spirit has given us a portrait (by which we may honestly compare ourselves) of the only man who can worship the Father "in spirit and truth." The outstanding features in this portrait of the "blessed" man, may be briefly expressed in three words - his separation (v. 1), his occupation (v. 2), his fertilization (v. 3).
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." As most readers are doubtless aware, the best of the commentators (as Spurgeon's Treasury of David") take as the leading thought of this verse, the downward course of the wicked - walking, then standing (a more fixed state), and ending by sitting - thoroughly confirmed in evil; tracing a similar gradation of deterioration in their "counsel", "way and seat", as also in the terms by which they are designated, "ungodly - sinners - scornful." But personally, we do not think this is the thought of the verse at all, for it is irrelevant to the passage as a whole, and would destroy its unity.
No, the Spirit here is describing the character and conduct of the "blessed man." How very significant it is to note - how searching for our hearts - the first characteristic of the "blessed man" to which the Spirit here called attention is his walk - a walk in SEPARATION from the wicked! Ah, my reader, it is there, and nowhere else, that personal piety begins. There can be no walking with God, no following of Christ, no treading of the way of peace - until we separate from the world, forsake the paths of sin, and turn our backs upon the "far country."
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." But notice exactly how it is expressed - it is not "does not walk in the open wickedness" or even "the manifest folly," but "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." How searching that is! How it narrows things down!
The ungodly are ever ready to counsel the believer, seeming to be very solicitous of his welfare. They will warn him against being too strict and extreme, advising him to be broad-minded and to "make the best of both worlds." But the policy of the "ungodly" - that is, of those who leave God out of their lives, who have no "fear of God" before their eyes - is regulated by self-will and self-pleasing, and is dominated by what they call "common sense." Alas, how may professing Christians regulate their lives by the advice and suggestions of ungodly friends and relatives - heeding such counsel in their business career, their social life, the furnishing and decorating of their homes, their dress and diet, and the choice of school or avocation for their children.
But not so with the "blessed man." He "does not walk in the counsel of the wicked." Rather is he afraid of it, no matter how plausible it sounds, or apparently good the intention of those who offer it. He shuns it, and says "Get behind me, satan!" Why? Because Divine grace has taught him that he has something infinitely better to direct his steps. God has given him a Divine revelation, dictated by unerring wisdom, suited to his every need and a light unto his path." His desire and his determination is to walk by the wholesome counsel of God, and not by the corrupt counsel of the ungodly. Conversion is the soul's surrender to and acceptance of God as Guide through this world of sin.
The "blessed" man's separation from the world is given us in three details -
First he "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly," that is, according to the maxims of the world. Eve is a solemn example of one who walked in the counsel of the ungodly, as is also the daughter of Herodius. On the other hand, Joseph declining the wicked suggestion of Potiphar's wife, David refusing to follow the counsel of Saul to meet Goliath in his armor, and Job's refusal to heed his wife's voice and "curse God," are examples of those who did not do so.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Shine As Lights # 4
Shine As Lights # 4
Thus let your eye be ever toward the Lord Jesus. Look to Him day by day, and very frequently through the day. Regard Him as ever being near at hand to help you in temptation or in trouble. His loving presence will exercise at all times a calming, soothing influence in your heart.
Think of His life;
think of His death;
think of His present mediation for you at God's right hand;
think of His glorious return in the coming kingdom;
think of His gracious promises;
think of His precepts given to guide and assist you;
think of His Spirit, the Comforter whom He has sent to teach and strengthen and sanctify you.
Dwell in the holy atmosphere of His presence, and you will shrink more and more from all that is evil. Just as, coming from the clear, fresh air, it is doubly painful to inhale the impure air of a close and crowded dwelling or of a sick chamber - so the more we abide in the secret of Christ's presence, the more shall we turn from anything that is contrary to His mind and Spirit.
Leaving the foundation principle of holy living, a few thoughts may be added as to the practical manifestation of it in our daily walk.
Learn to act continually from principle, and not from emotions, or the impulse of the moment.
This direction covers a large expanse of a Christian's life. It will save you from many a snare, and will make your course a much more even and happy one if you follow it. Following the impulse of your own passing feelings, leads to a life as changeable as the wind.
Perhaps at one time you have heard an earnest sermon, and on the spur of the moment you speak just as a Christian should. At another time you are irritated by some annoyance, something ruffles your temper, and you react just like a child of the world.
When you are accustomed to follow mere impulse, you may be drawn aside to evil in almost any direction. You may do immense harm where in your better moments, you would long to do good. You may put out a candle, where you would desire to guard the glimmering light. You may put a stumbling block in the way of some work for God, or discourage some weak and trembling Christian. Now this ought not to be. Therefore settle in your mind that you must not act in this spirit. Get a few great principles rooted in your mind, and never lose sight of them.
"God must be first, and man second."
"I have a daily conflict with evil, and I must be on my watch-tower."
"Better lose anything than the favor of God and the peace of my own conscience."
"Whatever I possess, I am but a steward - and for all I must give account."
"I must take heed to my words."
"A word may be lightly spoken, and yet may do a world of mischief."
Endeavoring continually to follow out such principles as these, will greatly assist you in spending your life for God.
Another thought. Every Christian must be a cross-bearer. There is no escaping this. It is as clear as any of the promises. The "any man" and "whoever" of promise are very encouraging, but they occur equally in the precept: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23). "Whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27).
We must be willing to suffer for Christ's sake; we must crucify self and the flesh; we must be willing to perform unpleasant duties, and make sacrifices of things we might like to retain. Our religion must cost us something. Sloth, and ease, and self-indulgence, and a worldly spirit must be cut up by the roots.
Self might whisper, "Take things easily; stay at home and pass your evenings happily and pleasantly; give your customary shilling to such a society, and be quite content." Whereas all the while the Lord may be calling you to act very differently: "My son, my daughter, go work for Me, and gather souls for My kingdom; teach the young; gather the outcasts; visit the poor and needy, and tell them of My love; labor even to weariness in My service; give time and money for the interests of My kingdom, and great shall be your joy hereafter. Many a jewel shall you thus be privileged to win for Me."
Ah, that the Lord would give to each of His people the spirit to deny self and work for Him!
~George Everard~
(continued with # 5)
Thus let your eye be ever toward the Lord Jesus. Look to Him day by day, and very frequently through the day. Regard Him as ever being near at hand to help you in temptation or in trouble. His loving presence will exercise at all times a calming, soothing influence in your heart.
Think of His life;
think of His death;
think of His present mediation for you at God's right hand;
think of His glorious return in the coming kingdom;
think of His gracious promises;
think of His precepts given to guide and assist you;
think of His Spirit, the Comforter whom He has sent to teach and strengthen and sanctify you.
Dwell in the holy atmosphere of His presence, and you will shrink more and more from all that is evil. Just as, coming from the clear, fresh air, it is doubly painful to inhale the impure air of a close and crowded dwelling or of a sick chamber - so the more we abide in the secret of Christ's presence, the more shall we turn from anything that is contrary to His mind and Spirit.
Leaving the foundation principle of holy living, a few thoughts may be added as to the practical manifestation of it in our daily walk.
Learn to act continually from principle, and not from emotions, or the impulse of the moment.
This direction covers a large expanse of a Christian's life. It will save you from many a snare, and will make your course a much more even and happy one if you follow it. Following the impulse of your own passing feelings, leads to a life as changeable as the wind.
Perhaps at one time you have heard an earnest sermon, and on the spur of the moment you speak just as a Christian should. At another time you are irritated by some annoyance, something ruffles your temper, and you react just like a child of the world.
When you are accustomed to follow mere impulse, you may be drawn aside to evil in almost any direction. You may do immense harm where in your better moments, you would long to do good. You may put out a candle, where you would desire to guard the glimmering light. You may put a stumbling block in the way of some work for God, or discourage some weak and trembling Christian. Now this ought not to be. Therefore settle in your mind that you must not act in this spirit. Get a few great principles rooted in your mind, and never lose sight of them.
"God must be first, and man second."
"I have a daily conflict with evil, and I must be on my watch-tower."
"Better lose anything than the favor of God and the peace of my own conscience."
"Whatever I possess, I am but a steward - and for all I must give account."
"I must take heed to my words."
"A word may be lightly spoken, and yet may do a world of mischief."
Endeavoring continually to follow out such principles as these, will greatly assist you in spending your life for God.
Another thought. Every Christian must be a cross-bearer. There is no escaping this. It is as clear as any of the promises. The "any man" and "whoever" of promise are very encouraging, but they occur equally in the precept: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23). "Whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27).
We must be willing to suffer for Christ's sake; we must crucify self and the flesh; we must be willing to perform unpleasant duties, and make sacrifices of things we might like to retain. Our religion must cost us something. Sloth, and ease, and self-indulgence, and a worldly spirit must be cut up by the roots.
Self might whisper, "Take things easily; stay at home and pass your evenings happily and pleasantly; give your customary shilling to such a society, and be quite content." Whereas all the while the Lord may be calling you to act very differently: "My son, my daughter, go work for Me, and gather souls for My kingdom; teach the young; gather the outcasts; visit the poor and needy, and tell them of My love; labor even to weariness in My service; give time and money for the interests of My kingdom, and great shall be your joy hereafter. Many a jewel shall you thus be privileged to win for Me."
Ah, that the Lord would give to each of His people the spirit to deny self and work for Him!
~George Everard~
(continued with # 5)
What Is Truth? # 2
What Is Truth? # 2
Another thought has often come home to me. If Holy Scripture is not the fruit of Divine wisdom, it is not a message to us from above - then whence comes this wonderful Book? What account can we give of it?
Can it come from man's great enemy, the devil? Is not every page of it for the overthrow of his kingdom?
Could it have been written by wicked men? Was there ever a wicked man in the world that did not hate the Bible, and either wish that it were false or endeavor to prove it so?
Could it have been written by good men out of their own hearts? But would good men have taken God's name in vain? And does not every part of it claim to be a revelation from God? Do we not find the words "Thus says the Lord!" continually occurring? And can we imagine godly men thus to have forged the name of Jehovah?
Could it have been written by fanatics and enthusiasts? Then where would have been the calm, quiet, and devout tone that pervades it? Where would have been the depth of wisdom which exercises to this day the earnest study of men of the greatest intellect?
Amidst the tokens of God's power and the manifestations of His grace, how often do you meet with human infirmity, errors, sins, strifes, marring "the beauty of holiness" in the Church, and showing that at all times "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked?"
We find it the same in all parts of the sacred volume. There is no display, no adornment, no hiding a painful side, or making much of one that is pleasing. There is the majesty of truth and reality - nothing else.
To sum up all, I would say to the reader, "Hold fast your title-deeds!" Don't be persuaded by those who would rob you of your inheritance of Christian truth. Don't admit for a moment that Holy Scripture is not to be believed.
The Word is faithful. It never has failed, and it never will.
This generation will soon pass away. Its mighty men, and its rich men, and its wise men will follow their fathers to the grave. The theories and opinions of this day will give place to others. But there is a Rock and abides. "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever!" (1 Peter 1:24-25).
O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky!
We praise You for the radiance
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
Shines on from age to age.
~George Everard~
(The End)
Another thought has often come home to me. If Holy Scripture is not the fruit of Divine wisdom, it is not a message to us from above - then whence comes this wonderful Book? What account can we give of it?
Can it come from man's great enemy, the devil? Is not every page of it for the overthrow of his kingdom?
Could it have been written by wicked men? Was there ever a wicked man in the world that did not hate the Bible, and either wish that it were false or endeavor to prove it so?
Could it have been written by good men out of their own hearts? But would good men have taken God's name in vain? And does not every part of it claim to be a revelation from God? Do we not find the words "Thus says the Lord!" continually occurring? And can we imagine godly men thus to have forged the name of Jehovah?
Could it have been written by fanatics and enthusiasts? Then where would have been the calm, quiet, and devout tone that pervades it? Where would have been the depth of wisdom which exercises to this day the earnest study of men of the greatest intellect?
Amidst the tokens of God's power and the manifestations of His grace, how often do you meet with human infirmity, errors, sins, strifes, marring "the beauty of holiness" in the Church, and showing that at all times "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked?"
We find it the same in all parts of the sacred volume. There is no display, no adornment, no hiding a painful side, or making much of one that is pleasing. There is the majesty of truth and reality - nothing else.
To sum up all, I would say to the reader, "Hold fast your title-deeds!" Don't be persuaded by those who would rob you of your inheritance of Christian truth. Don't admit for a moment that Holy Scripture is not to be believed.
The Word is faithful. It never has failed, and it never will.
This generation will soon pass away. Its mighty men, and its rich men, and its wise men will follow their fathers to the grave. The theories and opinions of this day will give place to others. But there is a Rock and abides. "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever!" (1 Peter 1:24-25).
O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky!
We praise You for the radiance
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
Shines on from age to age.
~George Everard~
(The End)
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