The World is Setting in on The Children!

The world is setting in on the children even in very early life, like a mist from the ocean, with a full tide of influences, which you desire to defend against. You know there are a thousand opinions and habits among people from which you would gladly restrain your children. Spiritual you may not be where you now you should be; but you would be willing to see your children walking in the paths of wisdom. You know that there are vices to which they are exposed; and they may meet with companions who would ruin them; and that they will soon be beyond your control; and you would throw around them a protective cover that should shield them from evil. You seek that the influence of a father and mother may be prolonged and live even when you may lie in the grave. You would give to yourself a kind of omnipresent influence, that your example and precepts at least may speak when they are away from you, or when your tongue may no more be able to give utterance to the precepts of experience, or to the tenderness of parental love.

Now contemplate for a moment the influences from the world, against which a parent would guard. There is; at first, the influence of formed plans and employments. The schemes of yesterday travel over the night watches, and meet them in the morning. They are still under the influence of the world which they met yesterday. Their schemes may not be complete. The world which they saw before they went to bed; the opinions which they heard; the temptations which they met, will put a new power in the freshness of the morning. The charm has not been dissolved by the slumbers of the night. The forming habits have not been crushed, or even slept, while they have sought repose. The influence of the world which you feared yesterday, will meet them again in the morning. The enemy that made advances did not lose his hold or even slumber while they rested. The ever sleepless foe is strengthening his power, riveting the chains, and making his prisoner sure.

Can there be any way so likely to break in on this influence, as by a solemn presentation of prayer in the morning, to the God of grace; to bring in the parental power, and suffer them to see that you are influenced by better things; and to bring down all the sacredness of the religious feeling to arrest and wipe out this evil influence?

This Can Never Be Done Without Family Prayer

Religion brings one of the most obvious and plain appeals which can always be made to the family understanding. It has more that is adapted to the family compact; more that carries forward the tender family sympathies; and more that will consolidate and cement the alliance, than any other subject that can be presented to the little community.-Yet to secure this, it is clear that it must be primary and prominent in the family doings. It must occupy a place that will be obvious and often seen. It must be often presented; and the strength and tenderness of the family emotions must be often brought to bear upon it.

I. I will attempt to show that this can never be done without family prayer. Indeed, it is almost so clear that it does not need to be acknowledged as an argument. The force of the organization the power of all the sympathies in the family cannot be made to bear on it, except by daily acts, in which the whole community will bow with united feelings before the God of grace.

II. I will proceed to remark, that, family worship is one of the most direct and obvious means of meeting the evils to which the family is exposed.

III. I remark, thirdly, that the direct influence of devotion in obtaining the ends of the family organization, may be, and should be incalculably great. I mean the influence in all those great interests which you are endeavoring to secure.

The design of the family organization is well understood- at least all parents have some great ends which they are endeavoring to reach by it. Whatever these ends may be, it will be assumed that they contemplate education, restraint, guidance, defense from danger, preparation for future years. You regard your children as exposed to dangers; subject to passions which demand control; liable to headlong and dangerous propensities, which need, in the earliest years, to be met and restrained.

The Family Will be Seen at Once to be Very Adaptable to Religious Convictions

This organization, the family, will be seen at once to be very adaptable to religious convictions. On no other subject have I seen so much sympathy as in this great business pertaining to our families’ eternal welfare. I look at a family circle. What tense' feelings! What shared love! What common joys! What united sorrows! The blow that strikes one member hits all of them. The joy that lights up one face spreads its blessings over all of them also. Together they bend over a sick member and together they rejoice at their recovery; or together they bow their heads and weep, and go sadly to their grave. They are plunged into the same allegiance. They are together under the fearful visitations of that difficulty which has traveled down from Paradise lost. They are going to a common tomb; and over this family circle shine’s the same sunbeams of hope; and the same balm of Gilead, and the same great Physician may spread health, peace and salvation there. Cheered by the hopes of the same eternal life, they may travel to the tomb; and with the joy in faith that beams from our Father's eye, may be reflected from the happy faces of beloved sons and daughters.

The whole family organization is clearly one of the most profound and wise in this world, to deepen, extend, and perpetuate the principles of the Christian belief. Of this any one may be satisfied who will for a moment compare the services of the deepening and prolonging of the feelings for religion under all the advantages of the family sympathy. Compared with what sadness there would and must be if the earth were occupied by isolated and independent individuals.

God designed the family with reference to all that is pure and lovely in people. And in fact he has at all times made the family organization one of the most important amenities for extending, and to achieve the religious feeling. The question now arises, whether the full benefits of this organization can be accomplished without the aid of family devotion? In answer to this, you will see at once, that the neglect of religion as a family will be to break in on the whole design of the organization, so far as religion is concerned, and to throw every member on his own individual strength and responsibilities. That is, to separate religion from all other things, and deny it the help that is given to every other object that you wish to promote. The aid derived from the sympathies of this domestic alliance, and the kind word of the family circle.

You call in this aid when you wish to promote other commendable designs-when you would prompt to industry, to learning, to morals, to esteem; and you withhold this aid in the greatest and most important matter that can ever press on the attention of your sons and daughters, and make their religion to be a cold, isolated, independent matter, in which they receive no sympathy from you; and where they are rudely put back from all the tender sympathies which divide their sorrows, and joys, in all their other interests. We all know the power of alliance and confederation. It is the way in which good and evil ever have been, and ever must be, propagated in this world. Solitary, undivided efforts avail little, and from the nature of the case must avail little. This is understood by all men. He who wishes to rouse his countrymen to arms, does it by an appeal to the social principle, and seeks confederated talents and valor. Individual and unorganized efforts would do little in the day when people struggle for freedom. Hence they seek to pour on the battle field combined talent, and organized and compacted energy. So in great deeds of evil; the drunkard, the profligate, the infidel, the pirate, seeks alliance and desires confederation in the enormous deeds of guilt which is contemplated and planned. In the same way, if religion is to be spread, it must be by the same alliance and confederation. It must be by bringing combined powers to act on combined ills and dangers. It is designed to be done by calling in all the aid of the family confederation; by appealing to all the authority and respect of a father; the tender love of a mother; the silken cords which bind sons and daughters in common love, and in common hopes. This is clearly on great design of the organization.

Opening Article on Family Prayer to Parents:

I wish, in this opening article, to make a sincere appeal to parents about the important duty of family prayer. In doing this, I will assume but one thing as an accepted point a thing which may commonly, or at least, be assumed without danger of a mistake. It is that you feel a deep interest in the welfare of your children; and are willing to make use of any proper means to promote their happiness. This point I assume, because the God of nature has so established us, that as a great universal rule parents will love their children; and because no small part of their efforts are called out with express, and almost sole reference to their present and future happiness.

You, who are parents, will instantly run over in your minds, many of the tenderest and moving scenes of watchfulness, care, anxiety, sleeplessness and the hard work you go through, to provide for their wants, ease their pains, defend them from danger, and train them for future respectability and happiness. The most loving emotions in your heart now, relate to them. Your deepest interest is to see them upright, friendly and happy. You would run to their relief in danger, and deny yourself of ease to lessen their pains in sickness. Your brightest visions of future bliss in this world are with their welfare. The loveliest view in the future is when they stand out, pure and happy, in bold relief, single, or in lovely groups.

The chief comfort in the outlook of your future trials; in the anticipated days of weakness and pain, and in the misery and fatigue of advancing age; is that our sons will live to help you by his labor, or to cheer your last days by his merits. Or that our daughters, lovely and tenderly, will come around your bed, and mingle her tears with yours, and catch your last breath. And with a gentle hand close your eyes as you sink into the long sleep of the next life.

I wish to show you that family prayer will be one of the most important helps in meeting your wishes in regard to your 1st place, in the design of the family group. God could have built-in a world of independent individuals, bound by nothing, no common compassion; cheered on by no common joys or encouraged by no common wants. All that is tender in the parental and the experiencing of affection from the child and all that is mild, bland, and peaceful in love: and all that is sympathetic in sorrow, and in joy; could have been denied us. As solitary beings, we would have wept alone, rejoiced alone, thought alone and died alone. The sun would have shed its beams around our lonely walk in life, and not a single human mortal would have felt an interest in our happiness or sadness. Mankind would have lived without help from the experience of our relatives; and with no one to shed a tear for us at the bedside that we would lie down in sickness, and because no one cared, we would have died there alone.

But, thank God, this is not the way in which God has chosen for us to live. He has made the race one great brotherhood. That is why we do feel some interest at least, in the obscurest of people that seek a shelter below a rock, or the ones that only have their home in a tent, or in a cave. “I am a man, and I regard nothing pertaining to man as unimportant to me"-this was the language of an ancient dramatist, and a theatre rang with applauses at this noble feeling. This great brotherhood God has wisely broken up into communities of nations, and clans, and tribes, and families, and neighborhoods. Each with its own set of sympathies, with peculiar interests and with peculiar resources. One design is, to divide our sorrows by sympathetic emotions and the other is to double our joys by imparting them to others who sympathize with us. Sorrow does not have half its pain when you can combine your tears with those of a friend; and joy does not have all of its consent until your joy has lighted up the face of your father, or touched the understanding of our brother or sister.

FAMILY PRAYERS

0 Thou King eternal, immortal, invisible, dwelling in the light which no one can approach and whom no eye hath seen, or can see.
You are incomprehensible, and the highest archangel can never find You out unto perfection.
Yet You have been pleased to reveal Yourself to people; and by means of Your Word, we behold You in every character and relation that can suit our necessities, or encourage our hope.
Your throne is in the heavens and Your kingdom rules over all; and all nations before You are as nothing; yet You humbled Yourself to regard the things that are done in the earth; and You despise not the prayer even of the destitute.
You are exalted above all blessing and praise: our goodness extended not to You —but unless Yours be extended to us, we are undone forever.
Without You we can do nothing; we are nothing. In You we live, and move, and have our being.
The way of people is not in themselves; it is not in people that walked to direct their steps.
We are poor and dependent; but as You are able, so You are willing, to take the charge of us; and here we are, the living to praise You; and to acknowledge that goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives.
We bless You that You have regarded our souls, as well as our bodies; and no less provided for our future interests, than our present.
When there was no eye to pity us, You did remember us in our low estate; and when there was no arm to rescue, You were pleased to help us; and You have sent Your own Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
To Him may we turn our hearts, and find in Him the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, which, as perishing sinners, we need.
In all our approaches to You, may we have boldness, and access, with confidence, by the faith of Him.
May we know that He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; and be able to rejoice in Him as our sacrifice, our sympathizing Friend, our almighty Helper, and our lovely Example.
May we drink into His Spirit.
May we transcribe the excellencies of His character into our own.
May we place our feet in the very prints of His steps; and follow Him till we shall be perfectly like Him, and see Him as He is.
We desire to acknowledge You in the dispensations of Your providence; and to own Your agency in all the events that befall us, whether pleasing or painful.
You have a right to govern us; and You know what will best advance our welfare.
May we commit our way unto the Lord, and be able to say at Your footstool, in unfeigned submission.
Here I am, let Him do what seems good to Him.
If darkness veils Your dealings with us, may we trust and not be afraid; believing that what we know not now, we shall know hereafter; and that the development of thy conduct will issue in perfect satisfaction and praise.
We bless You for the institutions of religion, in the use of which You have promised to draw near to those that draw near to You.
We rejoice in another of the days of the Son of man; may we call off our minds from the cares of the world, and attend upon the Lord without distraction.
Quicken and elevate our souls, that rising above the formality of devotion, we may come even to You seat, and enjoy a little of the blessedness of those that have entered Your temple above, and are singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
We are about to assemble in the house of prayer- pour upon us the Spirit of grace and of supplication; and rank us in the number of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
We are going to the house of praise, awaken in us every grateful and cheerful emotion, and may we speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing, and making melody in our hearts unto the Lord.
We are repairing to the house of instruction-enable us to receive the kingdom of God as a little child.
Teach us of Your ways. Lead us into all truth. And let us be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
For this purpose, let Your presence go with us; and let Your Word come to us; not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance.
Bless all the churches of the faithful; and the ministers of the everlasting gospel, of every name, and of every nation.
Clothe the priests with salvation; and let Your saints shout aloud -for joy.
May our country prosper in all her lawful interests, both domestic and foreign.
Bless the chief magistrate of our nation, and all that are in authority; may they rule in Your fear, and be guided by You counsel; and may the people lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.
Make us glad according to the days wherein You have afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear unto Your servants, and Your glory unto their children, and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; establish the work of our hand upon us, yea, the work of our hand, You establish it.
And we especially invoke Your blessing, O Lord, to attend this day all the instructions imparted in Sunday schools and Bible classes.
We pray that You will be graciously pleased to grant the influences of the Holy Spirit, that that instruction may be impressed deeply on the heart and may produce abundant fruit in the life.
Give grace, Almighty God, to those who are teachers in those schools; that they may be deeply impressed with their responsibility; that they may be themselves Your children; and that they may engage in their work with an earnest desire to benefit those entrusted to their charge.
May their minds be enlightened that they may understand Your holy Word.
May they see clearly the great plan of redeeming mercy.
May they be enabled to present Your truth simply, clearly, with affection, and with prayer. May the sacred Spirit-the Comforter be given them, to guide them into all truth.
And do be pleased to bless all children in those schools.
Preside over them and give to them Your Holy Spirit.
Grant to them tender, teachable minds.
May they learn the paths of wisdom, and delight in instruction.
May their hearts be given to the Saviour in their early years.
May they come to Him, who, when on earth, said, “Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven”.
Take, 0 blessed Saviour, those lambs of the flock into Your arms, and guide them by Your unerring counsel.
Defend them from the perils and temptations of life, and conduct thou them to the joys of Your everlasting kingdom.
May our own children be trained up in the knowledge of Your name; and whatever instruction in accordance with Your Word may be imparted to them in the family, the Sunday school, or the sanctuary, we pray that it may be attended with Your blessing, and be the means of fitting them for the duties of this life, and for the joys of Your eternal kingdom.
These mercies, and all we need, we humbly ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our most gracious Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Noah Building an Ark, by Faith

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

(Hebrews 11:7)

At times, the Lord asks His people to engage in assignments that seem to make no sense at all. Perhaps, it is a task that we have never undertaken. Perhaps, it is preparation for a problem that we have never encountered previously. One of the most profound examples from such categories was Noah building an ark, by faith. His example is profound both in the circumstances that he faced, as well as the extent of the impact of his faithful response.

The extreme wickedness of humanity was the setting. "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). A worldwide flood would be man's deserved judgment. "So the LORD said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth . . . I Myself am bringing the flood of waters on the earth' " (Genesis 6:7, Genesis 6:17). Noah was an upright man who lived in close fellowship with the Lord. He would be graciously delivered. "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. . . . Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:8-9).

To build an ark for a monumental flood must have appeared absurd in a world that had never experienced such a phenomenon. Nonetheless, Noah fully accepted this divine admonishment, even though he had never witnessed what God was warning about. "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen . . . prepared an ark." His faithful obedience was motivated by holy respect for the Lord and for all of His pronouncements: "moved with godly fear."

The consequences of his labor of faith were far-reaching. His own family was saved: "prepared an ark for the saving of his household." By Noah's godly trust, the rest of the world was condemned for their ungodliness and unbelief: "by which he condemned the world." Noah himself became numbered among those who illustrate that the Lord's righteousness is received by trusting Him: "and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." Additionally, he became a reminder of being ready for the return of the Lord. "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:37).

Prayer:
Dear Lord, please teach me to respond in faith, as Noah did, whenever You call me to a perplexing assignment. Also, as impending judgment awaits the growing worldwide ungodliness, help me to proclaim Christ as the present ark of rescue, while eagerly anticipating His return, Amen.

Fortunate is That Church Whose Leaders Are People of Prayer

IN itemizing the praying saints of the Old Testament, we must not leave out of that sacred catalogue Nehemiah, the builder. He stands out on an equal footing with the others who have been considered. In the story of the reconstruction of Jerusalem after the captivity, he plays a prominent part, and prayer is prominent in his life during those years. He was a captive in Babylon, and had an important position in the palace of the king to whom he was cup bearer. There must have been considerable merit in him to cause the king to take a Hebrew captive and place him in such an office, where be really had the life of the king in his charge, because he was responsible for the wine which he drank.

It was while Nehemiah was in Babylon, in the king’s palace, that one day his brethren came from Jerusalem, and very naturally Nehemiah desired news from the people there and information concerning the city itself. The distressing information was given him that the walls were broken down, the gates were burned with fire, and the remnant that was left there at the beginning of the captivity was in great affliction and reproach.

Just one verse gives the effect of this sad news upon this man of God:

“And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.”

Here was a man whose heart was in his own native land far away from where he now lived. He loved Israel, was concerned for the welfare of Zion, and was true to God. Deeply distressed by the information concerning his brethren at Jerusalem, he mourned and wept. How few the strong men in these days who can weep at the evils and abominations of our times! How rare are those who, seeing the desolations of Zion, are sufficiently interested and concerned for the welfare of the Church to mourn! Mourning and weeping over the decay of religion, the decline of revival power, and the fearful inroads of worldliness in the Church are almost an unknown quantity today.

There is so much of so-called optimism that leaders have no eyes to see the breaking down of the walls of Zion and the low spiritual state of the Christians of the present day, and have less heart to mourn and cry about it. Nehemiah was a mourner in Zion. And possessing this state of heart, distressed beyond measure, he does that which other praying saints had done-he goes to God and makes it a subject of prayer. The prayer is recorded in Nehemiah 1, and is a model after which to pattern our prayers.

He begins with adoration, makes confession of the sins of his nation, pleads the promises of God, mentions former mercies, and begs for pardoning mercy. Then with an eye to the future-for unquestionably he had planned, the next time he was summoned into the King’s presence, to ask permission to visit Jerusalem and to do there what was possible to remedy the distressing state of affairs-we hear him pray for something very special: “And prosper thy servant this day, I pray thee, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For,” he adds by way of explanation, “I was the king’s cup bearer.”

Fortunate is that Church whose leaders are people of prayer. Happy is that congregation who are contemplating the creation of a church to have leaders who will lay its foundations in prayer, and whose walls go up side by side with prayer. Prayer helps to build churches and to raise the walls of houses of worship. Prayer defeats the opponents of those who are prosecuting God’s enterprises. Prayer touches favorably the minds even of those not connected with the Church, and moves them toward Church matters. Prayer helps mightily in all matters concerning God’s cause and wonderfully aids and encourages the hearts of those who have His work in hand in this world.

Answers to Prayer are the Evidences of the being of God and of the Truth of His Word.

The undying test that Elijah made in the presence of this traitor king, and in the face of a backslidden nation and an idolatrous priesthood on Mount Carmel, is a uplifting exhibition of faith and prayer. In the contest the prophets of Baal had failed. No fire from heaven falls from heaven in answer to their frantic cries. Elijah, in great quietness of spirit and with confident assurance, calls Israel to watch. He repairs the wasted altar of God, the altar of sacrifice and of prayer, and puts the pieces of the bullock in order on the altar. He then uses every possible preventive means against any charge of deception. Every thing is flooded with water. Then Elijah prays a model prayer, remarkable for its clearness, its simplicity and its utmost candor. It is noted for its briefness and its faith.

Read the account given in the holy Scriptures:

“And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
“Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
“And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, The Lord, he is God; The Lord, he is God.”

Elijah had been dealing directly with God as he had before. True prayer always deals with God. This prayer of Elijah was to determine the existence of the true God, and the answer direct from God settles the question. The answer is also the credentials of Elijah’s divine mission and the evidence that God deals with men. If we had more of Elijah’s praying, marvels would not be the marvels that they are now to us. God would not be so strange, so far away in being and so feeble in action. Everything is tame and feeble because our praying is so tame and feeble.

The Great Movements of God Have Their Origin, Energy and Shape by the Prayers of Men

Prayer has directly to deal with God. Other ends, collateral and incidental, are secured by prayer, but mainly, almost solely, prayer has to deal with God. He is pleased to order His policy, and base His action on the prayers of His saints. Prayer influences God greatly. Moses cannot do God’s great work, though God-commissioned, without praying much. Moses cannot govern God’s people and carry out the divine plans, without having his censer filled full of the incense of prayer. The work of God cannot be done without the fire and fragrance that are always burning, ascending and perfuming.

Moses’ prayers are often found easing the terrible blow of God’s wrath. There are four times were the prayers of Moses solicited by Pharaoh to relieve him of the fearful stroke of God’s wrath. “Entreat the Lord,” most earnestly begged Pharaoh of Moses, while the disgusting frogs were upon him. And “Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which God had brought against the land of Egypt, and the Lord did according to the word of Moses.” When the grievous plague of flies had corrupted the whole land, Pharaoh again pitifully cried out to Moses, “Entreat for me.” Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord again did according to the word of Moses. The mighty thundering and hail in their alarming and destructive fury extorted from this wicked king the very same earnest appeal to Moses, “Entreat the Lord.” And Moses went out from the city where he could be in privacy, and alone with Almighty God, he “spread abroad his hands unto the Lord, and the thundering and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured out upon the earth.”

Though Moses was the man of law, yet with him prayer claims its mighty force. With him, as in the more spiritual dispensation, it could have been said, “My house is the house of prayer.”

Moses accepts at its full face value the foundation principle of praying that prayer has to do with God. With Abraham we saw this dearly and strongly pronounced. With Moses it is dearer and stronger still if possible. It declared that prayer affected God that God was influenced in His conduct by prayer, and that God hears and answers prayer even when the hearing and answering might change His conduct and reverse His action. Stronger than all other laws, and more inflexible than any other decree, is the decree, “Call upon me and I will answer you.”

The Extensive Consequences of Walking by Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

(Hebrews 11:1-3)

In order to live by grace, we must be willing to walk by faith. For those who actually depend upon the Lord day by day, (thereby accessing His grace), the scriptures regularly proclaim the extensive consequences of walking by faith.

First, let's consider the significant characteristics of faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for." Faith is the assuring confirmation of the wonderful things that we anticipate God will do. As faith grows in the promises and purposes of God, that faith becomes an increasing substantiation of the certainty of those heavenly plans of God. Also, faith is "the evidence of things not seen." Faith is the convicting verification of realities the human senses cannot observe. Faith convinces us of the absolute existence of God and His angels, Adam and Eve, the devil and demons, heaven and hell, and the prophets and apostles of old.

Next, let's consider some of the living results of faith. "For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." By faith men and women of generations past established a godly witness concerning their relationship with the Lord. "By faith Abel . . . By faith Enoch . . . By faith Noah . . . By faith Abraham . . . By faith Sarah . . . By faith Isaac . . . By faith Jacob . . . By faith Joseph . . . By faith Moses . . . By faith the harlot Rahab . . . [and others]" (Hebrews 11:4-5, 11:7-8, 11:11, 11:20-23, 11:31). Their testimonies were exceedingly diverse. Yet, the common elements were their trust in the Lord and the glory such faith brought to His name.

Last, let's consider some of the spiritual understanding of faith. "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." God has shaped the heart of all humanity so that the observation of creation guarantees a universal conviction of Himself as creator. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20). His holy scriptures then explain how He created all visible things. "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Psalms 33:6).

Prayer:
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, creator of heaven and earth, I bow before You in faith. I rejoice in the assurances, convictions, and understandings of faith. I have a deep desire to obtain a good testimony through faith in You, for Your honor and glory, Amen.

A Praying Woman and the Answer She Received

Samuel, the mighty intercessor in Israel and a man of God, was the product of his mother’s prayer. Hannah is a memorable example of the nature and benefits of persistent praying. No son had been born to her and she yearned for a boy. Her whole soul was in her desire. So she went to the house of worship, where Eli, the priest of God, was, and staggering under the weight of which bore down on her heart she was beside herself and seemed to be really intoxicated. Her desires were too intense for expression. “She poured out her soul in prayer before the Lord.” Impossible natural difficulties were in the way, but she “multiplied her praying,” as the passage means, till her God-lightened her heart and her bright face recorded the answer to her prayers, and Samuel was hers by a conscious faith and a nation was restored by faith.

Samuel was born in answer to the vow-prayer of Hannah, for the solemn covenant which she made with God if He would grant her request must not be left out of the account in investigating this incident of a praying woman and the answer she received. It is suggestive in James 5:15 that “The prayer of faith shall save the sick,” the word faith here, translated means a vow. So that prayer in its highest form of faith is that prayer which carries the whole person as a sacrificial offering. Thus devoting the whole person them self, and their all, to God in a definite, intelligent vow, never to be broken, in a quenchless and impassioned desire for heaven-such an attitude of self-devotement to God mightily helps praying.

Is your praying large enough for your needs? Is your God large enough for your needs? Can the God of the universe who created all things and allows us to call Him “Father” able to give you your request to have victory over His and your enemies? We are told to “ask” and we WILL receive if we believe. Do you believe our Father will?

If you would like more information or need to learn how to pray to our Father, sign up for the prayer newsletter in sign-up section at the right, under the book cover “Where Are You At”.

Victory over the World through Faith

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1 John 5:4-5)

The enemy of our souls would love to devour our lives. "Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). We can enjoy protection from the devil through faith. "Resist him, steadfast in the faith" (1 Peter 5:9). When the enemy cannot devastate us by direct attack, he still desires to pull us down into defeat, using the pitfalls and temptations that are available to him throughout the entire world system. "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). All of the unredeemed, as well as all of their cultural networks, are under the influence of the evil one. Nevertheless, we have available to us daily victory over the world through faith.

The only people who can ever walk in victory over the world are born again believers in Jesus Christ. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world." We urgently need the overcoming grace of God, because of the avenues of earthly enticements that the devil can use against us. "For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). Through the world around us, our spiritual foe wants to draw us into ungodly areas that our flesh craves, our eyes covet, or our pride wants to feast upon. The path of victory is traveled by faith. "And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith." We initially entered into the victory of Christ by placing our faith in Him. "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" We continue to experience all the manifold ramifications of that victory through day by day dependence upon the Lord.

Jesus taught these truths when He was here upon earth. "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). It is absolutely certain that the world will bring to us all many troubles and trials. Our fully sufficient hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. The world came against Jesus with all of its plots and ploys. Our Lord and Savior never succumbed at any point. He is the one we are to rely upon, in order to walk in victory ourselves. "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Trusting in the victor allows us to walk in His victory.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the world has surely brought me many difficulties and temptations. Yet, You are the overcoming victor, so I look to You for personal victory day by day. How blessed I am to have living in me the one who is far greater than the enemy who roams about in the world, Amen.

Is Your God Large Enough For Your Needs?

Jacob did not live a strict pattern of righteousness, prior to his all-night praying. Yet he was a man of prayer and believed in the God of prayer. So we find him swift to call upon God in prayer when he was in trouble. He was fleeing from home fearing Esau, on his way to the home of Laban, a kinsman. As night came on, he lighted on a certain place to refresh himself with sleep, and as he slept he had a wonderful dream in which he saw the angels of God ascending and descending on a ladder which stretched from earth to heaven. No wonder when he awoke he was constrained to exclaim, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.”

This was when he entered into a very specific covenant with Almighty God, and in prayer vowed a vow unto the Lord, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; and shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God’s house; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give one-tenth unto thee.”

With a deep sense of his utter dependence upon God, and desiring above all the help of God, Jacob conditioned his prayer for protection, blessing and guidance by a solemn vow. Thus Jacob supported his prayer to God by a vow.

Twenty years had passed while Jacob stayed at the house of Laban, and he had married two of his daughters and God had given him children. He had increased largely in wealth, and he resolved to leave that place and return home to where he had been reared. Nearing home it occurred to him that he must meet his brother Esau, whose anger had not subsided in spite of the passage of many years. God, however, had said to him, “Return to thy father’s house and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.” In this dire emergency, no doubt God’s promise and his vow made long ago came to his mind, and he went into an all-night season of prayer.

Here it comes to our notice that strange, inexplicable incident of the angel struggling with Jacob all night long, till Jacob at last obtained the victory. “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” And then and there, in answer to his earnest, pressing and importunate praying, he was richly blessed personally and his name was changed. But even more than that, God went ahead of Jacob’s desire, and strangely moved upon the angry nature of Esau, and lo and behold, when Jacob met him the next day, Esau’s anger had entirely faded away, and he involved himself with Jacob in showing kindness to his brother who had wronged him. No explanation of this remarkable change in the heart of Esau is satisfactory that leaves out prayer.

Is your praying large enough for your needs? Is your God large enough for your needs? Can the God of the universe who created all things and allows us to call Him “Father” able to couse your brother's (Esau) anger to fade away and show kindness to you and forgive you? We are told to “ask” and we WILL receive if we believe. Do you believe our Father will?

Tomorrow we will look at the life of Samuel, who was the product of his mother’s prayer.

If you would like more information or need to learn how to pray to our Father, sign up for the prayer newsletter in sign-up section at the right, under the book cover “Where Are You At”.

Is Your Praying Large Enough For Your Needs?

OLD TESTAMENT history is filled with accounts of praying saints. The leaders of Israel in those early days were noted for their praying habits. Prayer is the one thing which stands out prominently in their lives.

To begin with, note the confrontation in Joshua 10, where the very sun and moon were made subject to prayer. A prolonged battle was going on between the Israelites and their enemies, and when night was rapidly coming on, and it was discovered that a few more hours of daylight were needed to ensure victory for the Lord’s hosts, Joshua, that strong man of God, stepped into the breach, with prayer. The sun was too rapidly declining in the west for God’s people to reap the full fruits of a noted victory, and Joshua, seeing how much depended upon the occasion, cried out in the sight and in the hearing of Israel, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gideon, and thou moon in the Valley of Ajalon.” And the sun actually stood still and the moon stopped on her course at the command of this praying man of God, till the Lord’s people had avenged themselves upon the Lord’s enemies.

Is your praying large enough for your needs? Is your God large enough for your needs? Can the God of the universe who created all things and allows us to call Him “Father” able to stop your sun and moon to have victory over His and your enemies? We are told to “ask” and we WILL receive if we believe. Do you believe our Father will?

Tomorrow we will look at the life of Jacob, and see how prayer saved his life.

If you would like more information or need to learn how to pray to our Father, sign up for the prayer newsletter in sign-up section at the right, under the book cover “Where Are You At”.

Assurance of Salvation through Faith

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

(1 John 5:11-13)

If we are to grow in grace, we must live by faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Romans 4:16). If our faith is to develop and mature, we must know where faith comes from. Jesus (and His word) is the source of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith . . . faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Hebrews 12:2 and Romans 10:17). As we get to know our Lord better and better, as we get into His word more and more, our faith grows. As our faith grows, we experience the grace of God in increasing ways. One of the wonderful workings of God's grace is to bring us assurance of salvation through faith.

Some people wonder if they are saved. Others hope that they are saved. Still others think that they might be saved. God wants people to know that they are saved. "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." Of course, salvation (the gift of eternal life) is given to those who "believe in the name of the Son of God." This means that they trust in the person and work of Christ. They believe He is God, the Son. They believe He died and rose victorious over sin and death. Many who have entered into salvation are, nonetheless, without assurance of this great gift.

Assurance is imparted through the consideration of the previous testimony of the faithful and true word of God. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." The gift of eternal life has truly been provided for by the Lord. However, the Father wants us to be reminded that this eternal life is "in His Son." Everlasting life is not some "packaged blessing" that comes to us separated from Jesus. The life God has for us is found through a dependent relationship with a person, Jesus. If we have Jesus in our lives, we have the life that is found in Him. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." If we have invited the Lord into our lives, He now dwells in us. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Jesus gives us assurance of salvation through faith in Him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You for coming into my life when I received You by faith. Therefore, I know that I have eternal life, since that life is in You. Thank You for the grace that brings such assurance through simple faith in You, Amen.

Faith and Prayer Must Go Together

Psalms 31:1-8 says:

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.
3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
–

Faith and prayer must go together, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. David gave up his soul in a special manner to God. And with the words, Psalms 31:5, our Lord Jesus yielded up His last breath on the cross, and made His soul a free-will offering for sin, laying down His life as a ransom.

But David is here as a man in distress and trouble. And his great care is about his soul, his spirit, his better part. Many think that while confused about their lives here on earth and all the messed up affairs, and their worries are multiplying, they may be exempt if they don’t pray for their own souls. But we should be more concerned to look and pray for our own souls, that, though the outward person may perish, the inward person will suffer no damage.

The redemption of the soul is so precious, that it would have come to an end for ever, if Christ had not undertaken it. Having relied on God's mercy, we will be glad and rejoice in it. God looks at our souls, when we are in trouble, to see whether they are humbled because of sin, and made better by the affliction. Every believer will meet with such dangers and deliverances, until they are delivered from death, their last enemy.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN

"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple."—

Luke 14:33.

THREE TIMES over in this chapter, our Lord says these solemn words: "he cannot be My disciple." There are three conditions of discipleship. First, we must be prepared to put first things first; second, we must be willing to suffer daily crucifixion; third, we must be detached from all things, become attached to Christ. The conditions seem severe, but they must be satisfied, if we would enter Christ's School.

Disciple stands for learner. Our Lord is prepared to teach us the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but it is useless to enter His class unless we have resolved to do as He says. Put first things first. When our Lord uses the word hate, He clearly means that the love we are to have for Him is to be so much greater, that comparatively our natural affection will be as if it were hate. No one could have loved His Mother more than our Lord did. In His dying agony His special thought and care was for her, but on three different occasions He put her aside. We are sometimes called to put aside those who are nearest and dearest to us, if their demands conflict with the claims of Christ.

The daily cross. In each of us there is the self-principle, and for each of us there is a continuous necessity to deny self. Some talk about bearing the cross in a slick fashion, but its true meaning is shame, suffering, and sorrow, which no one realizes or sees but God, and which perhaps strikes deeper down into the roots of our being as we grow older. There is an opportunity in your life, in respect to some person or circumstance, for an ever-deepening appreciation of union with Christ in His death, and for which you must be dally prepared to surrender your own way and will.

Renunciation is another word for denial or rejection. It may be necessary to surrender all we have for Christ, or it may be that He will ask us to hold all as a steward or trustee for Himself and others. No one can lay down the rule for another. The main point to decide is this: "Am I willing to do what Christ wants me to do; to yield my will for Him to mould it, and my life for Him to work through it?" If so, all else will adjust itself.

PRAYER
O Lord, save me in spite of myself. May I be Yours; completely Yours, and, at all costs, Yours. In humiliation, in poverty, in self-denial, Yours. Yours in the way You know to be most fitting, in order that You might be now and forever mine. AMEN.

Let Us Learn To Pray In The Dark!

Psalms 30:1-5 says:

1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
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The great things the Lord has done for us, both by His providence and by His grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we can to advance His kingdom among men, though the most we can do is but so little.

God's saints in heaven sing to Him; why shouldn’t the ones on earth do the same? Not one of all God's perfections carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the godly, than His holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some measure partakers of His holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at the remembrance of it.

Our happiness is bound up in the Divine favor; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want; but as long as God's anger continues, so will the saints' weeping continue.

Psalms 30:6-12 says:

6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
–

When things are well with us, we are very apt to think that they will always be so. When we see our mistake, we start to think with shame on our physical security as our foolishness. If God hides His face, a good man is troubled, though no other calamity happens to him. But if God, in wisdom and justice, turns from us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from Him. No; let us learn to pray in the dark!

The sanctified spirit, which returns to God, will praise Him, will be still praising Him; but the services of God's house cannot be performed by the dust; it cannot praise Him; there is none of that appliance or working from the grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask correctly for life, when we do so that we may live to praise Him.

In due time God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when employed in praising God. He will persevere to the end in praise, hoping that he will shortly be where this will be the everlasting work.

But let us all beware of physical security. Neither outward prosperity, nor inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The Lord, in His favor, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into sin, the Lord hides His face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.

The Source of Faith

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

(Hebrews 12:2)

In order to grow in grace, we must live by faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Romans 4:16). We cannot progress spiritually by the use of our natural, sinful senses. We must walk by faith in the Lord and His word. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Yet, where do we get faith? What is the source of faith?

Jesus is the source of our faith: "Jesus, the author . . . of our faith." If we have saving faith in Christ, it was brought into being by Him. Our faith was authored by Jesus in a revelatory and relational manner. He revealed to us the truth we needed to know (through sermons, personal witnesses, tracts, audio tapes, books, Bible reading, or whatever). Then, He invited us into a relationship with Himself.

First, He told us the truth about our need. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . . For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23). Then, He told us the truth about His loving work on our behalf. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). All the while, His Spirit was convicting us of the reality of these matters. "And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). Ultimately, Jesus invited us to trust in Him for the gift of salvation. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . . the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Matthew 11:28 and Romans 6:23). Basically, Jesus revealed Himself to us as one who could be trusted to save our souls, so we placed our hope in Him. Thereby, He authored faith in us.

Now, where are we to go for more faith (for the developing of our faith)? Jesus is the source for this need as well: "Jesus . . . the . . . finisher of our faith." The one who brought faith into being in us now wants to perfect our faith (to bring it on into mature development) in the same manner that He began it. Initially, we had to have Jesus revealed to us to have faith authored in us. Now, we must have a continuing revelation of Him through His word, if our faith is to be increasingly built up.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise You for authoring faith in me. Thank You for convincing me of my need of forgiveness of sins. Thank You for revealing to me Your great work on the cross. Thank You for inviting me to enter into a relationship with You. Please continue to reveal Yourself to me that my faith might grow and mature, in JesusÂ’ name, Amen.

For more information on this subject of faith, please click on the book cover "Where Are You At?" in the rightcolumnm of this blog and get my FREE book. Or go to http://byfaith-books.blogspot.com and download it from their.

Another resorce is http://byfaithtrust.blogspot.com and remember I am praying for you!

Are You as Safe as Noah in the Ark?

Psalms 29:1-11 says:
1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
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The mighty and honorable people of the earth are especially bound to honor and worship Him; but, sadly, few attempt to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. When we come before Him as the Redeemer of sinners, in repentance faith, and love, He will accept our defective services, pardon the sin that cleaves to them, and approve of that measure of holiness which the Holy Spirit enables us to exercise.

We have here the nature of religious worship; it is giving to the Lord the glory due to His name. We must be holy in all our religious services, devoted to God, and to His will and glory. There is a beauty in holiness, and that puts beauty on all acts of worship. The psalmist here sets forth God's dominion in the kingdom of nature. In the thunder, and lightning, and storm, we may see and hear His glory. Let our hearts be by this means filled with great, and high, and honorable thoughts of God, in the holy adoring of whom, the power of godliness so fully consists.

O Lord our God, You are very great! The power of the lightning equals the terror of the thunder. The fear caused by these effects of the Divine power, should remind us of the mighty power of God, of man's weakness, and of the defenseless and desperate condition of the wicked in the Day of Judgment. But the effects of the Divine word on the souls of men, under the power of the Holy Spirit, are far greater than those of thunder storms in the nature world.

That is why the strongest are made to tremble, the proudest are thrown down, the secrets of the heart are brought to light, sinners are converted, the savage, sensual, and unclean, become harmless, gentle, and pure.

If we have heard God's voice, and have run away for a place of safety to the hope set before us, let us remember that children need not fear their Father's voice, when He speaks in anger to His enemies. While those that tremble are the ones without shelter, let those who abide in His appointed refuge bless Him for their security, looking forward to the day of judgment without dismay, safe as Noah in the ark.

The Healthiest State of a Christian is to be Always Empty of Self

“Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”- Lamentations 3:41

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very helpful lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favors without limiting us to pray for them we would never know how poor we really are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities and a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness.

The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great things; and for this reason the use of prayer, because, while it is passionate about God, it places us the creature where we should be, in the very dust we came from.

Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the holy labor of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets, that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer prepares us for the difficult and challenging work of God’s warriors, and sends us out to combat with our muscles strong and firm. The earnest pleader comes out of their place of prayer, even as the sun arises from the compartments of the east, rejoicing like a strong person to run their race.

Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which defeats the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the compartment of the prophet threatening defeat to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to us troubled mortals the peace of God. We don’t know what prayer can do!

We thank you, great God, for the mercy-seat, a choice proof of you marvelous lovingkindness. Help us to use it the right way throughout this day! In Jesus’ Name Amen.

The Broken Things of Life

Some on broken pieces of the ship…escaped…safely to land — Acts 27:44 the full quote says: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

Broken Time
Among the broken things of life one would think first of broken time. Time, says Benjamin Franklin, is the stuff of life: it is a stuff which is very easily tattered. When a person is eagerly carrying out their own work, interruptions are intensely irritating. Sometimes they are inevitable; at other times they spring from thoughtlessness. And one of the lessons everyone must learn who wants to achieve anything in life is how to hold to things through recurring interruption.

That is how the worker comes ashore. That is how most of the world's work is done; not by people of an unbroken leisure— is very rarely fruitful. It is done by people who have to seize their hours, rescue and redeem their opportunities, gather up the fragments that remain. I think of Shakespeare with all a player's worries; of Milton burdened with the cares of State; of Spurgeon founding colleges and orphanages yet preaching those magnificent discourses. They seized their hours, rescued their opportunities, toiled on in the teeth of interruptions, and on broken pieces of the ship they came ashore.

Broken Health
Again, the words have comforting suggestion for those who are suffering from broken health. Doubtless there are some of my readers in this category. Once they were strong, vigorous, and tireless; now they are very easily tired. Once it was a great, glad thing to live; now it is rather a burden to be borne. There is so much that they would gladly do if only they had the strength to do it. It is so very bitter to feel useless.

My dear friend, health is a priceless blessing. Rubies and diamonds are nothing to it. Without it, castles and carriages are vanity; with it, the tiniest cottage is a kingdom. But never forget that with a little courage and trust in God and patient, quiet endurance, you may get ashore on broken pieces of the ship.

Think of Calvin with his sickly body; of Pascal, all his life an invalid; of Richard Baxter tortured by disease; of Mrs. Browning on her couch. Think of the great Apostle to the Gentiles with his ophthalmic (eye problem) and his malaria. They never knew what perfect health was; they did not sail in any golden galleon; they did not waken in the morning singing, feeling as if they were capable of anything. But they did their work, wrote immortal literature, altered Europe, changed the course of history, clinging to the broken pieces of the ship.

I knew a handicapped person in quite a humble home who used to cry to me that she was useless. Her brothers and sisters were in splendid health; she was only a burden to them all. And yet no wages that the sisters earned brought such an enriching to that home as the presence of her who thought that she was useless. Her gentleness was like the rain from heaven—her patience a rebuke— her happy smile for everybody was gladdening as the sunshine in November. She earned no wages, wrote no poems, never made a dress nor cooked a dinner— and yet on broken pieces of the ship she came ashore.

Shattered Faith
Now I want to go a little deeper, from a shattered body to a shattered faith. There are many in the world today whose early faith is very sorely broken. Trained in Christian homes, there was a time when they accepted things. They prayed; they read their Bibles; they attended Sunday school; they went to church. And now the years have gone, and everything is different, and the old, sweet assurance has departed, and clouds and darkness are around the Throne.

Once their faith was like a gallant vessel with the sails set and the flags flying. They thought, once, that they would reach the harbor so— and now that gallant vessel is a wreck. And I want to tell them, quietly and earnestly, for I fervently believe that it is true, that on broken pieces of the ship they can make shore.

Much is lost; something yet remains, something they can cling to in the dark something they cannot doubt, divine and unalterably true. And I say that if they only cling to that, like the shipwrecked sailor to a spar, it will buoy them up and bring them to the shore.

There are those who make the haven gloriously. They have a prosperous and sunny voyage. Their love is burning, and their faith is bright; they live and die in the fullness of assurance. But I thank God that people can reach the haven clinging to a spar, for the Lord God is merciful and gracious. Trembling on the borders of agnosticism, questioning the fatherhood of God, uncertain of the authority of Scripture, critical of the Church and of its ministry, let them grip Christ, the little bit they know of Him; let them tell Him that they will not let Him go, and He will pluck them out of the deep waters.

Broken Character
Lastly, and in a word or two, I apply the words to broken character, to those whose character is sorely broken and who today are on the margins of despair. I think of the prodigal son in the far country; his conduct had disgraced the name of son. I think of Peter when he denied his Lord, and his whole life seemed toppling to ruin. I think of Rahab in her life of sin that must have crushed all that was fairest in her. I think of the woman who was called the Magdalene. Not perfect characters, very far from that; rent and torn by the fury of their passions; characters that sin had battered as the storm had battered the vessel of St. Paul.

And then, thanks to the grace of God that is able to save unto the uttermost, on broken pieces of the ship they came ashore. The prodigal came home again, and there was music and dancing in the house. The Magdalene was drawn out of the mire into the garden of a saintly womanhood. Some who read this have been living carelessly, and their character has gone to pieces in the dark. Thank God that there is still a shining hope for them as for the shipwrecked comrades of St. Paul.

“He answered her not a word.”

- Matthew 15:23-28 says:
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
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Genuine seekers, who as yet have not obtained the blessing they are looking for, may take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once give the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in Him. He intended to give it, but He waited awhile.

“He answered her not a word.” Were her prayers not any good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Very sorrowfully and needy she was. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus marveled, and said, “O woman, great is thy faith.”

See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded or blossomed into joy and peace.

A painful silence from the Saviour is a serious trial of many people that are truly seeking with all their hearts, but heavier even still is the difficulty of a harsh cutting reply such as this, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

Many while waiting on the Lord find instant delight, but this is not the case with all of us. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants that have a slower growth period. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have to have patience to bear this heavy blow.

Ah, but poor heart, even though Christ may beat and bruises you, or even allows you to die, trust Him; even though He should give you an angry word, believe in the love of His heart. Do not, I beg you, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because you have not yet obtained the conscious joy which you long so much for. Throw yourself on Him, and perseveringly depend on Him even where you can not yet rejoice in the hope you seek.

The Man of Prayer by Pre-eminence Was Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ was always a busy man with His work, but never too busy to pray. The most divine of business filled His heart and filled His hands, consumed His time, exhausted His nerves. But with Him even God’s work must not crowd out God’s praying. Saving people from sin or suffering must not, even with Christ, be substituted for praying, nor decrease in the least the time or the intensity of these holiest of times. He filled the day with working for God; He employed the night with praying to God. The day-working made the night-praying a necessity. The night-praying sanctified and made successful the day-working. Too busy to pray gives religion a Christian burial, it is true, but kills it nevertheless.

In many cases only the bare fact, yet important and suggestive fact, is stated that He prayed. In other cases the very words which came out of His heart and fell from His lips are recorded. The man of prayer by pre-eminence was Jesus Christ. The times of His life were created by prayer and all the minor details outlines and in lines of His life were inspired, colored and impregnated by prayer.

The prayer words of Jesus were sacred words. By them God speaks to God, and by them God is revealed and prayer is illustrated and enforced. Here is prayer in its purest form and in its mightiest potencies. It would seem that earth and heaven would uncover head and open ears most wide to catch the words of His praying who was truest God and truest man, and most divine of suppliants, who prayed as never any one had prayed. His prayers are our inspiration and pattern to pray.

For more teaching on prayer ORDER the book "THE SCIENCE OF PRAYER" in the right side of this Blog and KEEP praying to the Great I AM!

David is in Very Earnest Prayer. Observe His Faith in Prayer

Psalms 28:1 - 5
1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

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David is in very earnest prayer. Observe his faith in prayer; God is my rock, on whom I build my hope. Believers should not rest till you have received some token that your prayers are heard. He prays that he may not be numbered with the wicked. Save me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me. Save me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do.

Lord, never leave me to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety, as they use for my ruin. Believers dread the way of sinners; the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside: we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us. Those who are careful not to involve themselves with sinners in their sins, have reason to hope that they shall not receive their plagues.

He speaks of the just judgments of the Lord on the workers of iniquity, Psalms 28:4. This is not the language of passion or revenge. It is a prophecy that there will certainly come a day, when God will punish every man who persists in his evil deeds. Sinners shall be reckoned with; not only for the mischief they have done, but for the mischief they designed, and did what they could to effect. Disregard of the works of the Lord, is the cause of the sin of sinners, and becomes the cause of their ruin.


Psalms 28:6 - 9
6 Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.
8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

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Has God heard our supplications? Let us then bless his name. The Lord is my strength, to support me, and carry me on through all my services and sufferings. The heart that truly believes, will in due time greatly rejoice: we are to expect joy and peace in believing. God shall have the praise of it: so we must express our gratitude.

The saints rejoice in others' comfort as well as their own: we do not have the less benefit from the light of the sun, nor from the light of God's countenance, for others' sharing therein.

The psalmist concludes with a short, but comprehensive prayer. God's people are his inheritance, and precious in his eyes. He prays that God would save them; that he would bless them with all good, especially the prosperity of his ordinances, which are food to the soul. And direct their actions and overrule their affairs for good.

Also, lift them up for ever; not only those of that age, but his people in every age to come; lift them up as high as heaven. There, and there only, will saints be lifted up for ever, never more to sink, or be depressed.

Save us, Lord Jesus, from our sins; bless us, thou Son of Abraham, with the blessing of righteousness; feed us, thou good Shepherd of the sheep, and lift us up for ever from the dust, O thou, who art the Resurrection and the Life.

Psalms 27:7-14 says:

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

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Wherever the believer is, he can find a way to the throne of grace by prayer. God calls us by His Spirit, by His word, by His worship, and by special providences, merciful and afflicting. When we are foolishly using the courts to satisfy our dishonest excessive pride, God is, in love to us, calling us to seek our own mercies in Him. The call is general, “Seek ye my face;” but we must apply it to ourselves, “I will seek it.”

The word does us no good, when we do not accept this command ourselves: a gracious heart readily answers to this call of a gracious God, being made willing in the day of His power. The psalmist requests the favor of the Lord; the continuance of His presence with him; the benefit of Divine guidance, and the benefit of Divine protection.

God's time to help those that trust in Him is, when all other helpers fail. He is a surer and better Friend than earthly parents are, or can be. What was the belief which supported the psalmist? That he should see the goodness of the Lord.

There is nothing like the believing hope of eternal life, the looking forward to that glory, and samples of those pleasures, to keep us from fainting under all tragedies. In the mean time we should be strengthened to bear up under our burdens.

Let us look unto the suffering Saviour, and pray in faith, not to be delivered into the hands of our enemies. Let us encourage each other to wait on the Lord, with patient hope, and fervent prayer.

Psalms 26:1-12 says:

1 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
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David here, by the Spirit of prophecy, speaks of himself as a type of Christ, of whom what he here says of His spotless innocence was fully and extremely true, and of Christ only, and to Him we may apply it. We are complete in Him.

The person that walks in his integrity, yet trusting wholly in the grace of God, is in a state of acceptance, according to the covenant of which Jesus was the Mediator, in virtue of His spotless obedience even unto death.

This person that desires to have his inmost soul searched and proved by the Lord, is aware of the deceitfulness of his own heart; he desires to detect and crush every sin; and he longs to be satisfied with his being a true believer, and to practice the holy commands of God.

Great care to avoid bad company is both good evidence of our integrity, and a good means to keep us in it. Hypocrites and false believers may be found attending on God's ordinances; but it is a good sign of sincerity, if we attend on them, as the psalmist here tells us he did, in the exercise of repentance and conscientious obedience.

He feels his ground firm under him; and, as he delights in blessing the Lord with his people attending worship on earth, he trusts that shortly he shall join the great assembly in heaven, in singing praises to God and to the Lamb for evermore.

Jesus, the Ultimate Example of Humility

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

In order to live daily by the grace of God, we must be willing to walk in humility. "God . . . gives grace to the humble" (1Peter 5:5). The word of God offers extensive teaching concerning a life of humility. Moreover, in all of the scriptures we will find no greater insight than that which pertains to Jesus, the ultimate example of humility.

Before He came to earth as a man, Jesus had existed throughout eternity past as deity, the eternal Son of God. "Bethlehem . . . out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). Since He was God, claiming deity was not an inappropriate intrusion into another's domain: "who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God." Although He would of necessity exist endlessly as God (even during His pilgrimage as a man), He did not go about independently exercising His Godhood: "but made Himself of no reputation." Instead of manifesting all of His innate glory, He functioned as any human slave would: "taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men." During His earthly ministry, He Himself would emphasize His servant hood role. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).

In His majestic salvation mission, Jesus, the Son of God, would voluntarily accept the path of humility. "He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." This humility involved a yielding to the Father that was so extensive He would even embrace the most abhorrent death of all, a sin-atoning crucifixion. In spiritual agony, He would pray, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). This humble surrender to the Father's will is the path that our Lord calls us to walk. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, my heart is humbled as I consider the humbling You accepted in coming to this sinful planet. As God, You deserved all honor and glory. Yet, in order to please the Father and to save sinners, You were willing to become a lowly, human servant. Unlike Your example, I am easily tempted to resist humility, even though I deserve to be totally humiliated. Lord, please work in me a humble heart like You, in Your holy name, Amen.

Too Busy for a Friend..

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.


The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."


After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.


"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."


Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

The more people that you send a letter to, the better you'll be at reaching out
to those you care about.

Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes
back into your own.

May Your Day Be As Blessed As
You Are Special

Denzel Washington, and Brooks Army Medical Center

Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical
Center, in San Antonio the other day. This is where soldiers who have been
evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the US, especially burn
victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses.

The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no
charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of
these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the
time.

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the
Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He
then took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right
there on the spot.The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story
and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed
their hearts to hear it.

The question I have is why do:

Alec Baldwin,
Madonna,
Sean Penn and
other Hollywood types make front page news with their anti-everything America
trash and Denzel Washington's Patriotism doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro
section of any newspaper except the Local newspaper in San Antonio.

A true American and friend to all in uniform!

This needs as wide a distribution as we can create.

I THANK GOD FOR YOU DENZEL AND FOR YOUR PATRIOTISM

Psalms 25:1-7 says:

1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

In worshipping God, we must lift up our souls to Him. It is certain that no one who, by a believing attendance, wait on God, and, by a believing hope, wait for Him, will be ashamed of it. The most advanced believer both needs and desires to be taught of God. If we sincerely desire to know our duty, with a true promise to do it, we may be sure that God will direct us in it. We must wait for this truth and direction, even if it takes days, weeks or years. Can you wait on God?

The psalmist is earnest for the pardon of his sins. When God pardons sin, He is said to remember it no more, which denotes full remission. It is God's goodness, and not ours, His mercy, and not our merit, that must be our plea for the pardon of sin, and all the good we need. This plea we must rely upon, feeling our own unworthiness, and satisfied of the riches of God's mercy and grace. How boundless is that mercy which covers for ever the sins and follies of a youth spent without God and without hope! Blessed be the Lord, the blood of the great Sacrifice can wash away every stain.

Prayer is the Only Element in Which the Holy Spirit Can Live and Work.

God’s Gospel has always waited more on prayer than on anything else for its successes. A praying Church is strong though poor in everything this world has. A prayer less Church is weak though rich in everything of this world. Praying hearts only will build God’s Kingdom. Praying hands only will put the crown on the Savior’s head.

The Holy Spirit is the Divinely appointed Substitute for and representative of the personal and humanized Christ. How much is He to us! And how we are to be filled by Him, live in Him, walk in Him, and be led by Him! How we are to conserve and kindle to a brighter and more consuming glow the holy flame! How careful should we be never to quench that pure flame! How watchful, tender, loving ought we to be so as not to grieve His sensitive, loving nature! How attentive, meek and obedient, never to resist His Divine impulses, always to hear His voice, and always to do His Divine will. How can all this be done without much and continuous prayer?

The importunate widow had a great case to win against helpless, hopeless despair, but she did it by importunate prayer. We have this great treasure to preserve and enhance, but we have a Divine Person to entertain and help. We can only be enabled to meet our duties by exceeding much prayer.

Prayer is the only element in which the Holy Spirit can live and work. Prayer is the golden chain which happily enslaves Him to His happy work in us.

Everything depends on our having this Second Christ, and retaining Him in the fullness of His power. With the disciples, Pentecost was made by prayer. With them, Pentecost was continued by giving themselves to continued prayer. Persistent and unwearied prayer is the price we will have to pay for our Pentecost, by instant and continued prayer. Abiding in the fact and in the spirit of prayer is the only surety of our abiding in Pentecostal power and purity.

Not only should the many-sided operation of the Holy Spirit in us and for us, teach us the necessity of prayer for Him, but His condition with our praying assumes another attitude, the attitude of mutual dependence, that of action and reaction.

The more we pray the more He helps us to pray and the larger the measure of Himself He gives to us. We are not only to pray and press and wait for His coming to us, but after we have received Him in His fullness, we are to pray for a fuller and still larger bestowment of Himself to us. We are to pray for the largest and ever-increasing and constant fullness of capacity. “That ye might be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man,” as Paul prayed for the Spirit-baptized Ephesians Church. It will be remembered that He also prayed that “Christ might dwell in your hearts by faith,” rooted and grounded in love, measuring up to the breadth, length, depth and height of the most perfect sainthood, and up to the immeasurable love of Christ, being “filled with all the fullness of God.”

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalms 23:1 - 6 (KJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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“The Lord is my shepherd.” In these words, the believer is taught to express his satisfaction in the care of the great Pastor of the universe, the Redeemer and Preserver of men. With joy he reflects that he has a shepherd, and that shepherd is Jehovah. A flock of sheep, gentle and harmless, feeding in verdant pastures, under the care of a skilful, watchful, and tender shepherd, forms a symbol of believers brought back to the Shepherd of their souls. The greatest abundance is but a dry pasture to a wicked man, who relishes in it only what pleases the senses; but to a godly man, who by faith tastes the goodness of God in all his enjoyments, though he has but little of the world, it is a green pasture. The Lord gives quiet and contentment in the mind, whatever the lot is.

Are we blessed with the green pastures of the ordinances, let us not think it enough to pass through them, but let us abide in them. The consolations of the Holy Spirit are the still waters by which the saints are led; the streams which flow from the Fountain of living waters. Those only are led by the still waters of comfort that walk in the paths of righteousness. The way of duty is the truly pleasant way. The work of righteousness in peace, in these paths we cannot walk, unless, God lead us into them, and lead us on in them.

Discontent and distrust proceed from unbelief; an unsteady walk is the consequence: let us then simply trust our Shepherd's care, and hearken to His voice. The valley of the shadow of death may denote the most severe and terrible affliction, or dark dispensation of providence, that the psalmist ever could come under. Between the part of the flock on earth and that which is gone to heaven, death lies like a dark valley that must be passed in going from one to the other.

But even in this there are words which lessen the terror. It is but the shadow of death: the shadow of a serpent will not sting, nor the shadows of a sword kill. It is a valley, deep indeed, and dark, and miry; but valleys are often fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. It is a walk through it: they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safe to the mountain on the other side.

Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ. When they come to die, God will rebuke the enemy; He will guide them with His rod, and sustain them with His staff. There is enough in the gospel to comfort the saints when dying, and underneath them are the everlasting arms.

The Lord's people feast at his table, upon the provisions of His love. Satan and wicked men are not able to destroy their comforts, while they are anointed with the Holy Spirit, and drink of the cup of salvation which is ever full.

Past experience teaches believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives, and it is their desire and determination, to seek their happiness in the service of God here, and they hope to enjoy His love for ever in heaven. While here, the Lord can make any situation pleasant, by the anointing of His Spirit and the joys of His salvation. But those that would be satisfied with the blessings of His house must keep close to the duties of it.