From: Suzianty Herawati
"In my flesh shall I see God." --Job 19:26
Mark the subject of Job's devout anticipation "I shall see God."
He does not say, "I shall see the saints"--though doubtless that will be untold
felicity--but, "I shall see God."
It is not--"I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I
shall gaze upon the crowns of gold," but "I shall see God." This is the sum and
substance of heaven, this is
the joyful hope of all believers. It is their delight to see Him now in the
ordinances by faith. They love to behold Him in communion and in prayer; but
there in heaven they shall have an open and unclouded vision, and thus seeing
"Him as He is," shall be made completely like Him. Likeness to God--what can we
wish for more? And a sight of God--what can we desire better? Some read the
passage, "Yet, I shall see God in my flesh," and find here an allusion to
Christ, as the "Word made flesh," and that glorious beholding of Him which
shall be the splendour of the latter days. Whether so or not it is certain that
Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision; nor shall we ever want any
joy beyond that of seeing Him. Think not that this will be a narrow sphere for
the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of delight, but that source is
infinite. All His attributes shall be subjects for contemplation, and as He is
infinite under each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, His
gifts, His love to us, and His glory in all His purposes, and in all His
actions, these shall make a theme which will be ever new.
The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as a personal enjoyment.
"Whom mine eye shall behold, and not another." Take realizing views of heaven's
bliss; think what it
will be to you. "Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty." All earthly
brightness fades and darkens as we gaze upon it, but here is a brightness which
can never dim, a glory
which can never fade--"I shall see God."
CH Spurgeon
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."
--Luke 2:19
There was an exercise, on the part of this blessed woman, of three powers
of her being: her memory--she kept all these things; her affections--she kept
them in her heart; her
intellect--she pondered them; so that memory, affection, and understanding,
were all exercised about the things which she had heard. Beloved, remember what
you have heard of your Lord Jesus, and what He has done for you; make your
heart the golden pot of manna to preserve the memorial of the heavenly bread
whereon you have fed in days gone by. Let your memory treasure up everything
about Christ which you have either felt, or known, or believed, and then let
your fond affections hold Him fast for evermore. Love the person of your Lord!
Bring forth the alabaster box of your heart, even though it be
broken, and let all the precious ointment of your affection come streaming on
His pierced feet. Let your intellect be exercised concerning the Lord Jesus.
Meditate upon what you
read: stop not at the surface; dive into the depths. Be not as the swallow
which toucheth the brook with her wing, but as the fish which penetrates the
lowest wave. Abide with your Lord: let Him not be to you as a wayfaring man,
that tarrieth for a night, but constrain Him, saying, "Abide with us, for the
day is far spent."
Hold Him, and do not let Him go. The word "ponder, ' means to weigh. Make ready
the balances of judgment.
Oh, but where are the scales that can weigh the Lord Christ?
"He taketh up the isles as a very little thing:"--who shall take Him up?
"He weigheth the mountains in scales"--in what scales shall we weigh Him? Be it
so, if your understanding
cannot comprehend, let your affections apprehend; and if your spirit cannot
compass the Lord Jesus in the grasp of understanding, let it embrace Him in the
arms of affection.
CH Spurgeon
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"All they that heard it wondered at those things."
--Luke 2:18
We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God.
It would be very difficult to draw a line between holy wonder and real worship;
for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God's glory, though it may
not express itself in song, or even utter its voice with bowed head in humble
prayer, yet it silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshipped as "the
Wonderful."
That God should consider His fallen creature, man, and instead of sweeping him
away with the besom of destruction, should Himself undertake to be man's
Redeemer, and to pay his ransom price, is, indeed marvellous! But to each
believer redemption is most marvellous as he views it in relation to himself.
It is a miracle of grace indeed, that Jesus should forsake the thrones and
royalties above, to suffer ignominiously below for you. Let your soul lose
itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way a very practical emotion.
Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It
will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against
such a love as this. Feeling
the presence of the mighty God in the gift of His dear Son, you will put off
your shoes from off your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy
ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done
such marvellous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not
too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything, when he has
once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left
after one has seen the Saviour? Dear reader, it may be that from the quietness
and solitariness of your life, you are scarcely able to imitate the shepherds
of Bethlehem, who told what they had seen and heard, but you can, at least,
fill up the circle of the worshippers before the throne, by wondering at what
God has done.
CH Spurgeon
