From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotional
Evening...
Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light.
This morning we noticed the goodness of the light, and the Lord's dividing it
from the darkness, we now note the special eye which the Lord had for the
light. "God saw the light"-He looked at it with complacency, gazed upon it with
pleasure, saw that it "was good." If the Lord has given you light, dear reader,
He looks on that light with peculiar interest; for not only is it dear to Him
as His own handiwork, but because it is like Himself, for "He is light."
Pleasant it is to the believer to know that God's eye is thus tenderly
observant of that work of grace which He has begun. He never loses sight of the
treasure which He has placed in our earthen vessels. Sometimes we cannot see
the light, but God always sees the light, and that is much better than our
seeing it. Better for the judge to see my innocence than for me to think I see
it. It is very comfortable for me to know that I am one of God's people-but
whether I know it or not, if the Lord knows it, I am still safe. This is the
foundation, "The Lord knoweth them that are His." You may be sighing and
groaning because of inbred sin, and mourning over your darkness, yet the Lord
sees "light" in your heart, for He has put it there, and all the cloudiness and
gloom of your soul cannot conceal your light from His gracious eye. You may
have sunk low in despondency, and even despair; but if your soul has any
longing towards Christ, and if you are seeking to rest in His finished work,
God sees the "light." He not only sees it, but He also preserves it in you. "I,
the Lord, do keep it." This is a precious thought to those who, after anxious
watching and guarding of themselves, feel their own powerlessness to do so. The
light thus preserved by His grace, He will one day develop into the splendour
of noonday, and the fulness of glory. The light within is the dawn of the
eternal day.
Hebrews 2:10
(10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings.
Revelation 21:7
(7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,
and he shall be my son.
God plainly shows it is His purpose to increase His divine Family by
bringing many sons into it. Jesus Christ is actually the "firstborn" of many
sons of God ( Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18).
The gospel Jesus brought to mankind is simply the "good news" of the
Kingdom of God—and that Kingdom is dual. It is not only the ruling government
which Christ will establish on the earth when He returns, but it is also the
Family of God—the God Kingdom composed of the spirit members of the God Family.
And, incredible as it may sound, Jesus taught that humans can be "born"
into the Family, or Kingdom, of God.
There are only two members in the God Family or Kingdom at the present
time—God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. But God is increasing His Family,
and you can be "born" into it!
From What It Means to Be Born Again
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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotional
Evening...
Isaiah 58:11
And the LORD shall guide thee continually.
"The Lord shall guide thee." Not an angel, but JEHOVAH shall guide thee. He
said He would not go through the wilderness before His people, an angel should
go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, "If Thy presence go not
with me, carry us not up hence." Christian, God has not left you in your
earthly pilgrimage to an angel's guidance: He Himself leads the van. You may
not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but Jehovah will never forsake you. Notice
the word shall-"The Lord shall guide thee." How certain this makes it! How sure
it is that God will not forsake us! His precious "shalls" and "wills" are
better than men's oaths. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Then
observe the adverb continually. We are not merely to be guided sometimes, but
we are to have a perpetual monitor; not occasionally to be left to our own
understanding, and so to wander, but we are continually to hear the guiding
voice of the Great Shepherd; and if we follow close at His heels, we shall not
err, but be led by a right way to a city to dwell in. If you have to change
your position in life; if you have to emigrate to distant shores; if it should
happen that you are cast into poverty, or uplifted suddenly into a more
responsible position than the one you now occupy; if you are thrown among
strangers, or cast among foes, yet tremble not, for "the Lord shall guide thee
continually." There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if
you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love. He goes not
amiss who goes in the company of God. Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot
mistake your road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to
comfort you, and eternal power to defend you. "Jehovah"-mark the word-"Jehovah
shall guide thee continually."
John 16:13
(13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Romans 8:14
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God.
Romans 8:14 refers to those who are "led," not dragged, forced, imposed
upon or imputed to. This supplements what Jesus says in this verse. Some of the
verbs in this sentence demonstrate that free moral agency is still involved.
"Guide," "speak," and "tell" show that God has chosen to persuade rather than
force us. In addition, they give the distinct impression that the followers and
hearers will need to do something on their own.
They will have to make choices, pay attention to what is said or written,
and set their wills and follow through on their choices in order to accompany
and learn from the Guide. Without these, they will not produce fruit because
they are doing insufficient or the wrong activities.
A teacher cannot impose knowledge, understanding, and wisdom upon a
student. The student must cooperate in the process. Without this, little or no
fruit is produced. The Bible shows the Spirit of God as influencing,
suggesting, and, if we choose to permit it, dominating—perhaps even
controlling—our lives. This is good because God is good, and if we will yield,
the fruit of His Spirit will be produced in our lives.
Are we aware that a divine influence is drawing us away from the
corrupting passions and vanities of this world? Are we conscious of a desire to
yield to that influence and be conducted along the path of holiness and life?
Do we resist, or do we follow cheerfully and energetically, mortifying pride,
subduing passion, destroying lust, stifling talebearing, humbling ambition, and
annihilating the love of the wealth and fashions of this world?
God will not lead us astray. Our real love, joy, and peace consist only
in yielding ourselves entirely to Him and being willing to be guided and
influenced by His unseen hand. To be led by the Spirit is to choose voluntarily
and consciously to submit to the Word of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From The Fruit of the Spirit
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