How hast thou fared, my soul, throughout the year?
Survey the path thy pilgrim feet have trod;
Mark how His guiding hand was ever near,
Think of His kindness and give thanks to God.
How hast thou cared, my soul, for others' pains?
What priestly sympathies have stirred thy heart?
The year has had its fill of weeping rains.
Shared tears are heaven's dew-drops. Weep thy part.
How hast thou dared, my soul, to hold the faith?
To face the foe with all his hosts abhorred?
He is, who stands by what the Scripture saith,
A hero in the battles of the Lord.
How now prepared, my soul? Be not downcast;
Step out in faith into the dawning year.
Write "profits" o'er the lessons of the past,
And trade for Him. His coming draweth near.
I Y Ewan
31 December, 2011
25 December, 2011
December 25th
The God who took a motherless woman out of the side of a man took a fatherless man out of the body of a woman.
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry
04 September, 2011
Tender Heart
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD." 2 Kings 22:19
This tenderness of heart was a mark in Josiah, on which the Lord, so to speak, put his finger; it was a special token for good which God selected from all the rest, as a testimony in his favour. The heart is always tender which God has touched with his finger; this tenderness being the fruit of the impression of the Lord's hand upon the conscience. You may know the difference between a natural conscience and a heart tender in God's fear by this, that the natural conscience is always superstitious and uncertain; as the Lord says, it "strains at a gnat, and swallows a camel." It is exceedingly observant of self-inflicted austerities, and very fearful of breaking through self-imposed rules; and whilst it will commit sin which a man who has the fear of God in his heart would not do for the world, it will stumble at mere unimportant trifles at which an enlightened soul would not feel the least scruple.
But here is the mark of a heart tender in God's fear; it moves as God the Spirit works upon it. It is like the mariner's compass, which having been once touched by the magnet, always turns toward the north; it may indeed oscillate and tremble backwards and forwards, but still it will return to the pole, and ultimately remain fixed at the point whence it was temporarily disturbed. So when the heart has been touched by the Spirit, and has been made tender in God's fear, it may for a time waver to the right hand or to the left, but it is always trembling and fluctuating till it points towards God, as the only and eternal centre of its happiness and holiness.
J.C. Philpot (Ears from Harvested Sheaves)
This tenderness of heart was a mark in Josiah, on which the Lord, so to speak, put his finger; it was a special token for good which God selected from all the rest, as a testimony in his favour. The heart is always tender which God has touched with his finger; this tenderness being the fruit of the impression of the Lord's hand upon the conscience. You may know the difference between a natural conscience and a heart tender in God's fear by this, that the natural conscience is always superstitious and uncertain; as the Lord says, it "strains at a gnat, and swallows a camel." It is exceedingly observant of self-inflicted austerities, and very fearful of breaking through self-imposed rules; and whilst it will commit sin which a man who has the fear of God in his heart would not do for the world, it will stumble at mere unimportant trifles at which an enlightened soul would not feel the least scruple.
But here is the mark of a heart tender in God's fear; it moves as God the Spirit works upon it. It is like the mariner's compass, which having been once touched by the magnet, always turns toward the north; it may indeed oscillate and tremble backwards and forwards, but still it will return to the pole, and ultimately remain fixed at the point whence it was temporarily disturbed. So when the heart has been touched by the Spirit, and has been made tender in God's fear, it may for a time waver to the right hand or to the left, but it is always trembling and fluctuating till it points towards God, as the only and eternal centre of its happiness and holiness.
J.C. Philpot (Ears from Harvested Sheaves)
01 August, 2011
He hangs the earth upon nothing
He hangs the earth upon nothing - Job 26:7
The vast terraqueous globe neither rests upon any pillars nor hangs upon any axle-tree, and yet, by the almighty power of God, is firmly fixed in its place, poised with its own weight. The art of man could not hang a feather upon nothing, yet the divine wisdom hangs the whole earth so. It is poised by its own weight, so says the poet; it is upheld by the word of God's power, so says the apostle.
What is hung upon nothing may serve us to set our feet on, and bear the weight of our bodies, but it will never serve us to set our hearts on, nor bear the weight of our souls.
Matthew Henry.
The vast terraqueous globe neither rests upon any pillars nor hangs upon any axle-tree, and yet, by the almighty power of God, is firmly fixed in its place, poised with its own weight. The art of man could not hang a feather upon nothing, yet the divine wisdom hangs the whole earth so. It is poised by its own weight, so says the poet; it is upheld by the word of God's power, so says the apostle.
What is hung upon nothing may serve us to set our feet on, and bear the weight of our bodies, but it will never serve us to set our hearts on, nor bear the weight of our souls.
Matthew Henry.
12 July, 2011
And the evening and the morning were the first day
"And the evening and the morning were the first day." --Genesis 1:5
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the two together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he is not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to be named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. This will be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning their infirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is so much darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your name from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in the word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon. You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you still. You are named after what is the predominating quality in the sight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining. Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness first in order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournful apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawns when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan, "That which is last, lasts for ever." That which is first, yields in due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that though you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the Lord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down." The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the second day, when we shall be with God, for ever, shall be a day with no evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.
(C. H. Spurgeon)
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the two together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he is not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to be named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. This will be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning their infirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is so much darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your name from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in the word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon. You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you still. You are named after what is the predominating quality in the sight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining. Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness first in order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournful apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawns when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan, "That which is last, lasts for ever." That which is first, yields in due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that though you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the Lord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down." The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the second day, when we shall be with God, for ever, shall be a day with no evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.
(C. H. Spurgeon)
07 July, 2011
A Lesson from the Raven
Who provideth for the raven his food?
JOB 38:41
Under the Mosaic law, the raven, or crow, was an unclean bird. Yet the Lord saw fit to care for it. This was the implication of the Lords question to Job. Even by natural standards, the raven is not an attractive bird. It has a tendency to feed upon dead carcases like a vulture. Yet despite its lack of appeal, the Lord has His eye upon it for good. It is unclean, yet a recipient of Gods mercy. How like man, defiled in thought, word, and deed, yet the object of the Lords kindness and grace! While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
The raven, as any farmer will testify, is a very noisy bird. In fact, Gods care for it is in answer to its cry, a sound that is not pleasant to the ear. It does not warble or cheep. Its call is more aptly described as a harsh, rasping squawk, repeated incessantly to the annoyance of all within range. Nevertheless, the Bible impresses upon us that the cry of the raven is heard on high. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry (Psa. 147:9). Every believer should remember the raven. The Lord is not interested in dry, formal prayers with well-constructed sentences and fine-sounding phrases. Rather would He hear a squawk from the heart, a fervent lifting up of the soul to seek His face in earnest supplication.
Again recall that Gods treatment of this bird is an encouragement to every believer to trust Him more. That is what the Lord wanted Job to do. He was enduring hard days and difficult times. Bitter thoughts had arisen in his heart. Did God really care? Had He forgotten him? The Lord directed Job to the raven. If He would extend mercy and care to a creature that was basically useless and of no real value to anyone, how much more would He care for those who look to Him from a contrite heart!
(Eagles Wings)
JOB 38:41
Under the Mosaic law, the raven, or crow, was an unclean bird. Yet the Lord saw fit to care for it. This was the implication of the Lords question to Job. Even by natural standards, the raven is not an attractive bird. It has a tendency to feed upon dead carcases like a vulture. Yet despite its lack of appeal, the Lord has His eye upon it for good. It is unclean, yet a recipient of Gods mercy. How like man, defiled in thought, word, and deed, yet the object of the Lords kindness and grace! While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
The raven, as any farmer will testify, is a very noisy bird. In fact, Gods care for it is in answer to its cry, a sound that is not pleasant to the ear. It does not warble or cheep. Its call is more aptly described as a harsh, rasping squawk, repeated incessantly to the annoyance of all within range. Nevertheless, the Bible impresses upon us that the cry of the raven is heard on high. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry (Psa. 147:9). Every believer should remember the raven. The Lord is not interested in dry, formal prayers with well-constructed sentences and fine-sounding phrases. Rather would He hear a squawk from the heart, a fervent lifting up of the soul to seek His face in earnest supplication.
Again recall that Gods treatment of this bird is an encouragement to every believer to trust Him more. That is what the Lord wanted Job to do. He was enduring hard days and difficult times. Bitter thoughts had arisen in his heart. Did God really care? Had He forgotten him? The Lord directed Job to the raven. If He would extend mercy and care to a creature that was basically useless and of no real value to anyone, how much more would He care for those who look to Him from a contrite heart!
(Eagles Wings)
03 July, 2011
The Open Bible
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
PSALM 119:18
Robert Murray McCheyne of Dundee died at the early age of twenty-nine. His short but successful ministry continues to touch and bless lives through his memoirs, letters, and sermons. Writing to a young believer, he shared this spiritual advice: Turn the reading of your Bible into prayer. Thus, if you are reading the first psalm, spread the Bible on a chair before you and kneel down and pray, O Lord, give me the blessedness of this man; let me not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible and of learning to pray.
Speaking of the psalmist, McCheyne writes: He was not blind, his eye was not dim, and yet he felt that he needed to see deeper, to have the eyes of his understanding opened. He felt that if he had nothing but his own eyes and natural understanding, he would not discover the wonders which he panted to see. He wanted divine teaching, the eye salve of the Spirit; and therefore he would not open the Bible without this prayer.
If the man after Gods own heart felt like that, how much more should we? We must confess our natural inability to grasp divine truth and apply it to our lives. But natural inability is no barrier to a spiritual education. The psalmists prayer is one the Lord delights to answer. The Holy Spirit will always reveal spiritual truth to praying saints. He will open the eyes of our understanding and direct our hearts into the knowledge of our God.
Will you take McCheynes advice and cry for the eye salve of the Spirit? Learn to make the Bible your prayer book, not just your reading book, and you will be amazed at how much more you see in it.
(Eagles Wings)
A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern.
J. C. Ryle
PSALM 119:18
Robert Murray McCheyne of Dundee died at the early age of twenty-nine. His short but successful ministry continues to touch and bless lives through his memoirs, letters, and sermons. Writing to a young believer, he shared this spiritual advice: Turn the reading of your Bible into prayer. Thus, if you are reading the first psalm, spread the Bible on a chair before you and kneel down and pray, O Lord, give me the blessedness of this man; let me not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible and of learning to pray.
Speaking of the psalmist, McCheyne writes: He was not blind, his eye was not dim, and yet he felt that he needed to see deeper, to have the eyes of his understanding opened. He felt that if he had nothing but his own eyes and natural understanding, he would not discover the wonders which he panted to see. He wanted divine teaching, the eye salve of the Spirit; and therefore he would not open the Bible without this prayer.
If the man after Gods own heart felt like that, how much more should we? We must confess our natural inability to grasp divine truth and apply it to our lives. But natural inability is no barrier to a spiritual education. The psalmists prayer is one the Lord delights to answer. The Holy Spirit will always reveal spiritual truth to praying saints. He will open the eyes of our understanding and direct our hearts into the knowledge of our God.
Will you take McCheynes advice and cry for the eye salve of the Spirit? Learn to make the Bible your prayer book, not just your reading book, and you will be amazed at how much more you see in it.
(Eagles Wings)
A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern.
J. C. Ryle
21 June, 2011
Perverse and Foolish
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
JOB 39:5
All creation, with a proper, Biblical interpretation, is a spiritual textbook. In every realm of nature there is a message for our souls. The Lord directs Job to consider the characteristics and abode of the wild ass.
The wild ass is a powerful example of a nature that cannot be tamed or governed. The whole tenor of Gods description of this beast shows its nature to be one of unrestrained lawlessness and unbridled licence. It will not be subject to rules and regulations. Even when captured, it cannot be entirely domesticated. It is noted for its stubbornness, obstinacy, and perverse determination. To the surprise of many, the Bible uses this animal to picture the state of man before God (Exod. 34:20). Under the law of the firstborn, some kinds of animals were declared unclean and could be delivered from death only by being redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb. One of these animals was the ass.
It is with good reason that we see in the ass a picture of the perverseness of man. The carnal mind [that is, the natural mind of man] is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Rom. 8:7). When faced with the commandments of God, man behaves like the wild ass. He rebels against divine authority and, with dogged perseverance, pursues his own way. Moreover, if left to his own devices, he will always remain in a state of enmity against God. Like the ass, he is doomed to die unless he is redeemed by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. It is only when the precious blood of Christ has been applied and the Lord Himself has entered into the human heart that it can be conquered, its perverseness rendered powerless, and its service freely given to God.
(Eagles Wings)
JOB 39:5
All creation, with a proper, Biblical interpretation, is a spiritual textbook. In every realm of nature there is a message for our souls. The Lord directs Job to consider the characteristics and abode of the wild ass.
The wild ass is a powerful example of a nature that cannot be tamed or governed. The whole tenor of Gods description of this beast shows its nature to be one of unrestrained lawlessness and unbridled licence. It will not be subject to rules and regulations. Even when captured, it cannot be entirely domesticated. It is noted for its stubbornness, obstinacy, and perverse determination. To the surprise of many, the Bible uses this animal to picture the state of man before God (Exod. 34:20). Under the law of the firstborn, some kinds of animals were declared unclean and could be delivered from death only by being redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb. One of these animals was the ass.
It is with good reason that we see in the ass a picture of the perverseness of man. The carnal mind [that is, the natural mind of man] is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Rom. 8:7). When faced with the commandments of God, man behaves like the wild ass. He rebels against divine authority and, with dogged perseverance, pursues his own way. Moreover, if left to his own devices, he will always remain in a state of enmity against God. Like the ass, he is doomed to die unless he is redeemed by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. It is only when the precious blood of Christ has been applied and the Lord Himself has entered into the human heart that it can be conquered, its perverseness rendered powerless, and its service freely given to God.
(Eagles Wings)
06 June, 2011
Getting light on the path of duty
"My own experience is, that if I believe a certain course to be warranted by the Word of God, I must go forward, although I have not light given me on probable issues and consequences. If, under a sense of my weakness, I stipulate for light and liberty before I go forward, the Lord may withold it, because I am not yet in the actual need of it, and would most likely abuse it if I got it. It is usually in the peformance of duty, and not before it, that the Lord vouchsafes that light and strength which supports the poor weakling, and confirms him in the all-graciousness of Him "under whose wings he hath come to trust."
(Hugh Martin)
(Hugh Martin)
24 May, 2011
Wee, Sleekit, Cowrin, Timrous Beastie
The mouse.
LEVITICUS 11:29
So wrote Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1785 when, with his plough, he disturbed a mouses nest. Moses mentions the mouse as an unclean animal. God decreed certain animals to be clean and others to be unclean, to give the Israelites continual reminders of the difference between holiness and sin. Every time they saw an unclean animal, they were reminded of their own sinful nature.
The mouse, mentioned only six times in Scripture, is a powerful picture of sin. It is unclean, and sin is moral uncleanness. While certain animals are found only in some parts of the world, the mouse is to be found everywhere. Sin is universal, for all have sinned.
Burns described the mouse as sleekit, an old Scottish word for sneaky. It darts quickly here and there and can get into a house through the tiniest of openings. How like sin! Give the devil the tiniest opening, and he will invade your life with the mice of sin.
Mice breed rapidly. One undisturbed pair in a house, with sufficient food and water, can multiply to three or four hundred in a year! Sin breeds rapidly, as David discovered when he sinned with Bathsheba. One look multiplied into adultery, lying, murder, and trouble in his own home that lasted for the rest of his life.
Mice are destructive and do great damage. Sin is always destructive and will adversely affect your life. Mice are attractive to some peoplethey keep little white mice. Sin can be attractive, and people talk of little white lies. Always remember, Sin fascinates, but then assassinates.
Mice must be dealt with, or they will overrun the home and destroy the quality of life. Likewise sin must be dealt with. Only Jesus Christ can effectively eradicate sin. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (I John 1:7). Be watchful today! Do not allow the devils mice in to ruin your day, or your life.
(Eagles Wings)
LEVITICUS 11:29
So wrote Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1785 when, with his plough, he disturbed a mouses nest. Moses mentions the mouse as an unclean animal. God decreed certain animals to be clean and others to be unclean, to give the Israelites continual reminders of the difference between holiness and sin. Every time they saw an unclean animal, they were reminded of their own sinful nature.
The mouse, mentioned only six times in Scripture, is a powerful picture of sin. It is unclean, and sin is moral uncleanness. While certain animals are found only in some parts of the world, the mouse is to be found everywhere. Sin is universal, for all have sinned.
Burns described the mouse as sleekit, an old Scottish word for sneaky. It darts quickly here and there and can get into a house through the tiniest of openings. How like sin! Give the devil the tiniest opening, and he will invade your life with the mice of sin.
Mice breed rapidly. One undisturbed pair in a house, with sufficient food and water, can multiply to three or four hundred in a year! Sin breeds rapidly, as David discovered when he sinned with Bathsheba. One look multiplied into adultery, lying, murder, and trouble in his own home that lasted for the rest of his life.
Mice are destructive and do great damage. Sin is always destructive and will adversely affect your life. Mice are attractive to some peoplethey keep little white mice. Sin can be attractive, and people talk of little white lies. Always remember, Sin fascinates, but then assassinates.
Mice must be dealt with, or they will overrun the home and destroy the quality of life. Likewise sin must be dealt with. Only Jesus Christ can effectively eradicate sin. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (I John 1:7). Be watchful today! Do not allow the devils mice in to ruin your day, or your life.
(Eagles Wings)
20 May, 2011
Mercy and Grace
Mercy - God does not give to us what we deserve.
Grace - God gives to us what we do not deserve.
Grace - God gives to us what we do not deserve.
16 May, 2011
Beloved Children, Pleasing to God
Our calling as Christians is to imitate Jesus Christ, but what big footsteps He left! The heavenly Father attested several times in the Scriptures, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). How can we possibly live up to that?
Thankfully, the Lord does not expect us to be perfect like Jesus. Knowing that we are encumbered by the weaknesses of our flesh, He sees us as children who are still learning. Just like a mother who rejoices over the her baby’s first steps, so our heavenly Father delights in our early faltering steps of obedience as we seek to walk with Him.
The goal is growth. Once a toddler masters walking, his parents’ delight shifts to more mature achievements like running. As long as we keep growing in our faith, we will never cease learning new ways to please our Father. He loves us and patiently cheers us on at each new level of maturity.
What’s important to the Lord is the bent of our hearts. Amidst all our frailties, failures, and temptations, He sees the desires of our hearts and knows how much we love Him and want to be obedient. Even in our stumbling, He helps us up and encourages us with His Word.
Many of you are far more pleasing to the Lord than you think. If you’re prone to perfectionism, give yourself time to grow. The Father does; so learn to see yourself through His eyes. He’s waiting—not to berate your efforts but to help you develop into the person He designed you to be.
In Touch Ministries
Thankfully, the Lord does not expect us to be perfect like Jesus. Knowing that we are encumbered by the weaknesses of our flesh, He sees us as children who are still learning. Just like a mother who rejoices over the her baby’s first steps, so our heavenly Father delights in our early faltering steps of obedience as we seek to walk with Him.
The goal is growth. Once a toddler masters walking, his parents’ delight shifts to more mature achievements like running. As long as we keep growing in our faith, we will never cease learning new ways to please our Father. He loves us and patiently cheers us on at each new level of maturity.
What’s important to the Lord is the bent of our hearts. Amidst all our frailties, failures, and temptations, He sees the desires of our hearts and knows how much we love Him and want to be obedient. Even in our stumbling, He helps us up and encourages us with His Word.
Many of you are far more pleasing to the Lord than you think. If you’re prone to perfectionism, give yourself time to grow. The Father does; so learn to see yourself through His eyes. He’s waiting—not to berate your efforts but to help you develop into the person He designed you to be.
In Touch Ministries
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