From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotional
Evening...
Zechariah 11:2 Howl, fir tree, for the cedar is fallen.
When in the forest there is heard the crash of a falling oak, it is a sign
that the woodman is abroad, and every tree in the whole company may tremble
lest to-morrow the sharp edge of the axe should find it out. We are all like
trees marked for the axe, and the fall of one should remind us that for every
one, whether great as the cedar, or humble as the fir, the appointed hour is
stealing on apace. I trust we do not, by often hearing of death, become callous
to it. May we never be like the birds in the steeple, which build their nests
when the bells are tolling, and sleep quietly when the solemn funeral peals are
startling the air. May we regard death as the most weighty of all events, and
be sobered by its approach. It ill behoves us to sport while our eternal
destiny hangs on a thread. The sword is out of its scabbard-let us not trifle;
it is furbished, and the edge is sharp-let us not play with it. He who does not
prepare for death is more than an ordina ry fool, he is a madman. When the
voice of God is heard among the trees of the garden, let fig tree and sycamore,
and elm and cedar, alike hear the sound thereof. Be ready, servant of Christ,
for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects Him. See
to it that thou be faithful in His work, for the grave shall soon be digged for
thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of
God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that
your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the
days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to
give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether
they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care
which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, "Well done, good and
faithful servant"
Morning...
Deuteronomy 33:29
Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!
He who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, is himself an utter
stranger to it. It were strange indeed, if it made us wretched, for see to what
a position it exalts us! It makes us sons of God. Suppose you that God will
give all the happiness to His enemies, and reserve all the mourning for His own
family? Shall His foes have mirth and joy, and shall His home-born children
inherit sorrow and wretchedness? Shall the sinner, who has no part in Christ,
call himself rich in happiness, and shall we go mourning as if we were
penniless beggars? No, we will rejoice in the Lord always, and glory in our
inheritance, for we "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but
we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." The rod
of chastisement must rest upon us in our measure, but it worketh for us the
comfortable fruits of righteousness; and therefore by the aid of the divine
Comforter, we, the "people saved of the Lord," w ill joy in the God of our
salvation. We are married u nto Christ; and shall our great Bridegroom permit
His spouse to linger in constant grief? Our hearts are knit unto Him: we are
His members, and though for awhile we may suffer as our Head once suffered, yet
we are even now blessed with heavenly blessings in Him. We have the earnest of
our inheritance in the comforts of the Spirit, which are neither few nor small.
Heritors of joy for ever, we have foretastes of our portion. There are streaks
of the light of joy to herald our eternal sunrising. Our riches are beyond the
sea; our city with firm foundations lies on the other side the river; gleams of
glory from the spirit-world cheer our hearts, and urge us onward. Truly is it
said of us, "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by
the Lord?"
Proverbs 30:21-23
(21) For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which
it cannot bear: (22) For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is
filled with meat; (23) For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid
that is heir to her mistress.
Each of these illustrations describes people unprepared for their
new status. We can be certain that God will not allow this to happen in His
Family Kingdom. Those who are in it will be prepared to live, work, and rule at
the level He assigns to them. Their responsibilities will be challenging, but
they will not be constantly frustrated due to being in over their heads. Nor
will their offices go to their heads. Despite having great power, they will
humbly serve, exhibiting no abusive authority in the conduct of their
responsibilities. They will be balanced in all areas of life.
Most dynastic rulers, like the monarchs of Europe, understand this
concept well. Recently, Smithsonian Magazine ran a long article about Marie
Antoinette. Her Austrian Hapsburg parents arranged her marriage while she was
very young, promising her to the Bourbon family who ruled France. She was to
become the wife of the future Louis XVI, also quite young at the time.
Within a year of this arrangement, the Bourbons sent a tutor to
Austria to school Marie to become France's queen. The tutor remained her almost
constant companion until Marie was married when she was fifteen years old.
Prince Charles of England experienced a similar rigorous education. He has been
trained since birth to sit on the throne of England. In one sense, especially
in his pre-adult years, he had little time for himself.
We might think that this practice has not worked well, but we must
not forget that these monarchs lacked the ability from God to discipline their
human natures. Nevertheless, God follows the same principle of preparation, and
our lives must be devoted to these operations. Thus, we must follow the same
basic program laid down for Prince Charles except that our preparations are for
the Kingdom of God. Just as Charles must devote himself to learning all the
particulars of his kingdom's operations, so must we devote ourselves to
learning the ways of God's Kingdom because we, too, are to be kings (Revelation
5:10). God will not allow us to escape these responsibilit ies.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From Seeking God (Part Two): A Foundation
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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
daily devotinal
Evening...
Hebrews 2:18 He Himself hath suffered being tempted.
It is a common-place thought, and yet it tastes like nectar to the weary
heart-Jesus I was tempted as I am. You have heard that truth many times: have
you grasped it? He was tempted to the very same sins into which we fall. Do not
dissociate Jesus from our common manhood. It is a dark room which you are going
through, but Jesus went through it before. It is a sharp fight which you are
waging, but Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy. Let us be of good
cheer, Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained footsteps of
the King of glory may be seen along the road which we traverse at this hour.
There is something sweeter yet-Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never sinned. Then,
my soul, it is not needful for thee to sin, for Jesus was a man, and if one man
endured these temptations and sinned not, then in His power His members may
also cease from sin. Some beginners in the divine life think that they cannot
be tempted without sinning, but they mistake; there is no sin in being tempted,
but there is sin in yielding to temptation. Herein is comfort for the sorely
tempted ones. There is still more to encourage them if they reflect that the
Lord Jesus, though tempted, gloriously triumphed, and as He overcame, so surely
shall His followers also, for Jesus is the representative man for His people;
the Head has triumphed, and the members share in the victory. Fears are
needless, for Christ is with us, armed for our defence. Our place of safety is
the bosom of the Saviour. Perhaps we are tempted just now, in order to drive us
nearer to Him. Blessed be any wind that blows us into the port of our Saviour's
love! Happy wounds, which make us seek the beloved Physician. Ye tempted ones,
come to your tempted Saviour, for He can be touched with a feeling of your
infirmities, and will succour every tried and tempted one.
Morning...
Zechariah 14:7 At evening time it shall be light.
Oftentimes we look forward with forebodings to the time of old age, forgetful
that at eventide it shall be light. To many saints, old age is the choicest
season in their lives. A balmier air fans the mariner's cheek as he nears the
shore of immortality, fewer waves ruffle his sea, quiet reigns, deep, still and
solemn. From the altar of age the flashes of the fire of youth are gone, but
the more real flame of earnest feeling remains. The pilgrims have reached the
land Beulah, that happy country, whose days are as the days of heaven upon
earth. Angels visit it, celestial gales blow over it, flowers of paradise grow
in it, and the air is filled with seraphic music. Some dwell here for years,
and others come to it but a few hours before their departure, but it is an Eden
on earth. We may well long for the time when we shall recline in its shady
groves and be satisfied with hope until the time of fruition comes. The setting
sun seems larger than when aloft in the sky, and a splendour of glory tinges
all the clouds which surround his going down. Pain breaks not the calm of the
sweet twilight of age, for strength made perfect in weakness bears up with
patience under it all. Ripe fruits of choice experience are gathered as the
rare repast of life's evening, and the soul prepares itself for rest. The
Lord's people shall also enjoy light in the hour of death. Unbelief laments;
the shadows fall, the night is coming, existence is ending. Ah no, crieth
faith, the night is far spent, the true day is at hand. Light is come, the
light of immortality, the light of a Father's countenance. Gather up thy feet
in the bed, see the waiting bands of spirits! Angels waft thee away. Farewell,
beloved one, thou art gone, thou wavest thine hand. Ah, now it is light. The
pearly gates are open, the golden streets shine in the jasper light. We cover
our eyes, but thou beholdest the unseen; adieu, brother, thou hast light at
even-tide, such as we have not yet.
Hebrews 2:5-10
(5) For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world
to come, whereof we speak. (6) But one in a certain place testified, saying,
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest
him? (7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him
with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: (8) Thou
hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in
subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see
not yet all things put under him. (9) But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (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.
Now, since we are co-heirs with Christ, we are co-heirs with Him of
all things—everything that God made through Jesus Christ: the universe and
everything that is in it! Are we, in the rush of life, forgetting who we are?
Are we neglecting the fact that God will turn the governance of the things He
has made—this awesome universe—over into our hands? When that happens, we will
not be as poor and pitifully weak as we are now.
But we should not undervalue what we are. If we do, we will not
take Passover in the right attitude, because what Passover represents was done
for us so that we would be in a position to inherit all things. We do not have
to feel like we just crawled from under a rock! We have been blessed beyond our
wildest imaginations, but for now in God's plan, we are a little lower than
Elohim. Yet, what a future lies before us!
Even now, we are the "apple of God's eye," the focus of His
attention. We are so important to Him that His Son died for us. Truly, He died
for the whole world, but right now, before He calls and converts the whole
world, it is for you and me that the Creator died so that we could become
co-heirs with Him. He wants to share what He made with us because He likes what
He made. It is beautiful and has awesome potential, and just as any artist who
makes something beautiful wants to share his creation with others, so does
Jesus Christ, so that we can appreciate it and emulate it in our own works.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From A Pre-Passover Look
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