Growing in Grace – March 2025

March 2025

“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee … Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1, 3-5).

When I went to high school, every morning a senior student was chosen to go down to the office and read some verses from the Bible over the PA system, then lead the whole school in saying the Lord’s prayer. When I was in my senior year I well remember being given the above verses to read, when it was my turn. Times have changed since then, and this does not happen anymore.

However, the truth of God’s Word remains, even if people in North America do not want to hear it today. No doubt some students in high school in those days never read a Bible, although most people went to “church,” as they say. But students heard something from the Word of God every day in school. This does not happen now, and it makes it all the more important for us to read the Bible on our own. If you are growing up in a Christian home, perhaps you hear the Bible read either in the morning or evening, and maybe both times. But it is good to read the Word of God for yourself, even if you do not understand all that you read. God is able to make His Word plain to us, and we will always get something from it, even if we do not understand everything.

Among all that we get from God’s Word, our verse tells us that we will “understand the fear of the Lord,” and “find the knowledge of God.” Both of these are most important for young people. The fear of the Lord means that we live and walk before the Lord as the One who has authority over us, and the knowledge of God means that we come to know our Creator and Redeemer in a personal way. These are part of a good foundation on which to build our lives.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

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“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

More than forty years ago I was handing out invitations to Sunday school near the place where we had Sunday school every Lord’s Day. Since I did not know who lived in the houses, I knocked on every door, and in one house I met an old man who was lying on the sofa in his living room. I apologized for bothering him, but told him I was looking for children to come to Sunday school. To my surprise he said, “I went to that Sunday school when I was a boy.” Then he began to sing the hymn, “Tell me the old, old story, of unseen things above.” His voice was weak, but he sang the first verse and the chorus perfectly from memory. I was impressed, and asked him how long ago he had learned that song. “Well,” he said, “I am seventy-seven years old now, and I was seven when I learned it, so I guess it was seventy years ago.” The Sunday school had been going on in that neighborhood for a long time, so all this was quite possible. He had likely attended the Sunday school in the early 1900’s.

We talked for a couple of minutes, and then I asked him, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?” His answer made me very sad, for he said, “Not yet.” He had heard the gospel clearly as a boy, yet here he was, getting weaker and nearing the end of his life, yet he was not saved.

It is possible to be like this man — to have heard the gospel clearly, and even to have learned gospel songs, yet not to be saved. I hope that all those who are reading this story are truly saved. How wonderful it is to come to Christ when we are young!

Saturday, March 29, 2025

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“And Joseph came in unto them [the chief butler and the chief baker] in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold they were sad” (Genesis 40:6).

Joseph had been wrongly accused and put in prison, yet the keeper of the prison realized his faithfulness and his ability, and put him in charge of all the other prisoners. In this position Joseph could easily not have bothered to notice whether the other prisoners were content, or whether they were sad. Yet he was careful to observe that the chief butler and the chief baker were both sad, and he asked them what was wrong. This led to their telling Joseph their dreams, and he was able to interpret the dreams for them.

It is possible for us to be so concerned about ourselves that we do not notice other people, and how they may be feeling. Some people are naturally better at this than others. I have a good friend who says that all he has to do is look at someone, even a stranger, and he instantly knows whether they are hurting inside or not. But we can all have a concern for others and how they are doing.

Some years ago, I read a book about various character traits that “hold back” otherwise capable people. One chapter was entitled, “Being emotionally tone deaf.” We have all known people who cannot sing on key; they are “tone deaf,” and cannot, as we say, carry a tune. But occasionally people are not sensitive to the feelings of others, and they are described as being “emotionally tone deaf.” They tend to say and do things that offend others and hurt their feelings, yet often do not realize they are doing it.

It is important not to be self-centered, but to look around, and notice if others are not happy.

Friday, March 28, 2025

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“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness” (Colossians 3:12).

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared … according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4-5).

Kindness is spoken about many times in the Word of God, in both Old and New Testaments. The most important thing to notice about kindness is that it characterizes God Himself. It is He who showed kindness to us when we were lost in sin, and had no hope in this world. We had only a lost eternity ahead of us, but as a Savior God, He came to us in kindness and love, and saved us according to His mercy. Are we willing to follow His example in our actions with others?

In today’s world it is considered a good thing to be tough, and to “stick up for yourself.” It is considered quite acceptable to come back with rough language at someone who treats us wrongly, but we read in Proverbs 15:1 — “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” It is our privilege as Christians to show kindness, even to those who treat us badly, for once again, this is the spirit of Christ.

There is one thing more that we should remember. Sometimes those who may treat us badly may appear to be very tough on the outside, but often this is a “cover up” for weakness and insecurity inside. They may appear tough, but really they may be hurting inside, yet not wanting to admit it. If we show them kindness, often it will bring out the weakness, and we can ask the Lord to show us how to be a help to them.

When David became king, he wanted to show the “kindness of God” to any of the house of Saul, even though Saul had been his enemy. He wanted to do this for “Jonathan’s sake,” because Jonathan had been David’s good friend. See if you can find this account in the Old Testament. Ask the Lord to help you have a kind and loving spirit today!

Thursday, March 27, 2025

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“The fruit of the Spirit is … temperance [self-control]” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Temperance, which means self-control or self-discipline, is a most important character trait to develop in ourselves when we are young. We do not want to sound like those who are always talking about “the good old days,” but discipline in general has been rather belittled in our society during the past few years. The object of discipline by parents, teachers, and others who mold our character when we are young is to enable us gradually to discipline ourselves as we advance into adulthood. But if those who are in authority over us do not have this self-discipline, then it is impossible for them to teach others what they do not possess themselves.

The lack of self-control and self-discipline affects many areas of our lives. It affects our ability to make and keep commitments, as we talked about two days ago. It results in a lifestyle that uses credit to buy more than we can afford; it causes us to be sloppy in managing our affairs; it makes us careless in our dress and appearance; it results in overeating and obesity. It can lead us into many kinds of addictions. The advertising today only adds to all this by telling us that we deserve it, that we are “worth it,” and that we should indulge ourselves, even if we cannot afford it.

All too often, when a lack of self-control tempts people to make unwise decisions, they get into trouble, but then expect that others will “bail them out” of their difficulties. Recently a woman, through her own lack of wisdom, was fooled by an internet scam and lost a considerable amount of money. But then on the internet she begged others to donate funds to cover her loss.

In Lamentations 3:27 we read that “it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.” To learn to take charge of our own affairs and manage them well when we are young is excellent training for later life. It is true that this comes easier to some than others, and some of you may have to work harder at this, and ask the Lord for help. But He will help us to develop this character trait, if we ask Him. It is most important.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

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“Render therefore to all their dues … fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7).

“Thou shalt rise up before the hoary [white haired] head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God” (Leviticus 19:32).

In a previous meditation, we mentioned that perhaps more than anything else, young people want to be treated with respect. This is important, not only for young people, but those of all ages should be treated with respect. Just recently an author wrote that respect has been largely lost in our western culture, and desperately needs to be regained. In my observations over the past twenty or thirty years, I have found this to be true. But if you as young people want to be treated with respect, it should start with you. True respect involves our attitudes, speech, and behavior towards everything, and especially towards those who are older than you.

Our verses today emphasize respect and honor toward those who are in positions of authority, for that authority is given of God, and must be recognized as such. Parents, teachers at school, government officials, police officers — all are ordained of God, and should be respected. That is why, when the Israelites were told to “rise up before the hoary head,” the fear of God is connected with it. If we fear God, we will honor others too, for proper respect is intimately connected with the fear of God. This does not mean that we are actually afraid of God, but rather than we give Him the respect and honor due to Him, and to all whom He has placed around us in our lives.

The world has changed drastically in the last forty years, and it is true that some of us who are older are not in touch with much of the technology and up-to-date knowledge that is common among young people. But knowledge is not the same as wisdom, and wisdom comes only with experience and age; it should be respected. We can learn much from older ones, and if we respect them, we will find that they will respect us too. In my growing up years I learned a great deal from older brethren (and sisters too!), even though there was a “generation gap” back then as well. But their wisdom and experience was a big help to me, and as I have said, I found that when I was willing to learn from them, they respected me too.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

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“Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation” (James 5:12).

Here we find another important quality for Christians, and especially young people, that is becoming more and more difficult to find today. Are we willing to give our word as to something, and then keep our word? A promise or a commitment needs to be honored, and if we learn to do this when we are young, we will be trusted and given more responsibility. But if we become known as someone who cannot be depended upon, we will not be entrusted with anything important.

When we make a commitment, in effect we make a promise to do something. Perhaps it is something that needs to be done on a regular basis, and requires a sacrifice from us. Are we willing to do that? Let me use an example. Perhaps some of you are getting old enough to teach Sunday school. In the Sunday school I was involved with most of my life, many of the children came from ungodly and often unhappy homes. It meant a lot to them to have the same teacher every week. They understood if their teacher was away once or twice a year, but if he or she was gone quite often, it disturbed them. To be at Sunday school regularly was a commitment for a teacher, for it was easy to want to go and visit friends or relatives on weekends, to go up to the cottage, or something like that. I was thankful for those who made that commitment and gave up their own pleasure.

We find this quality illustrated in Matthew 25:28, which reads, “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.” Read the whole story for yourself, and you will see how two men used their talents wisely for the Lord, while one simply hid his talent in the earth. The master commanded that his talent be given to the man who already had ten talents. Why was this? It was because the master (who is a picture of the Lord) knew that the man with ten talents was dependable and would use the talent well. It is good to be known as someone who is dependable.

Monday, March 24, 2025

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“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24).

Another important quality for us to remember is that of kindness and gentleness. We live in a world where many people are selfish, and will do almost anything to get their own way. This often translates into bullying, either physically or verbally. This has gotten to be such a problem that it is common to see signs in stores, offices, and public buildings, advising people that verbal abuse and offensive language will not be tolerated. Sometimes physical bullying becomes so serious that people are badly hurt or even killed. I read on the internet a few days ago about a young girl who was so badly beaten by her older half-brother that she died later in hospital. Why did he beat her? Because she had supposedly eaten his snacks that were in the refrigerator.

You and I as Christians ought to stand out in the middle of all this, and show our kindness and gentleness to all. This does not mean that we act like “doormats,” and let people do whatever they want to us. No, there is a time to reach someone’s conscience when they do wrong to us, and the Lord Jesus did the same. For example, when the high priest asked Him, “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”, the Lord Jesus answered him, “I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61-62). He owned up to who He was, yet He also told him that there was a day coming when He, the Lord Jesus, would come in power and glory to judge this world. But He submitted to the humiliation and suffering at that time. We are to do the same, and to exhibit gentleness to all men.

It takes more strength to understand someone than to talk back to them. It is a sign of strength to show kindness to those who are younger and weaker than we.

Sunday, March 23, 2025

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“Every one that exalteth [to raise high] himself shall be abased [brought down low]: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

Pride in ourselves is something that is fostered and encouraged in children and young people today. We are all naturally proud, but today it is considered to be a good thing instead of something wrong. An article in the Reader’s Digest some years ago said the following — “When we are proud of our self-image, we feel confident and free to be ourselves … A miracle happens to the person whose self-esteem has been raised. He suddenly likes other people better. He is kinder and more cooperative with those around him. Praise is the polish that helps keep his self-esteem bright and sparkling.” The end result of this is that often people are praised and rewarded for poor work, when in fact they have not done their best. People are rewarded and encouraged for laziness and sloppiness, because it is not “politically correct” to tell them they have done a poor job. Sometimes so-called New Age philosophy merges with all this, even to the point of telling us that we are all gods, and that the very essence of God is in every one of us. We are told to think highly of ourselves, for according to this philosophy, we are, in fact, really gods. We do not need to remind ourselves that this is blasphemy. (Blasphemy is irreverent talk or expressions about God.) There is only one God!

But as always, the wisdom of God is the opposite of man’s wisdom, and we find in the Bible that every form of pride is wrong. Why is it wrong? Because it takes the glory that belongs to God and gives it to us. You and I have no right to be proud, for we are created beings, and before our Creator we should be humble. It is true that we have God-given abilities, and it is good to recognize them, and use them. To say that I am worthless is to dishonor God who created us. But to be proud of what we are is the wrong response.

The right response to our having some ability in natural things, or having some spiritual gift as a Christian, is to be thankful for it, yet giving the Lord all the credit. Paul had to tell this to the Corinthians, who were a proud people. He reminded them, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Let us remember that anything that is good in us, whether naturally (being musical, or a good athlete) or as Christians, ultimately comes from God. To be humble is to be Christ-like.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

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“Provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17).

“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 12:22).

Honesty and truthfulness are two very important characteristics for us as Christians. Under no circumstances should we ever tell a lie. Honesty is not always rewarded in our culture today, and sometimes people are encouraged to lie, even by those in authority over them. A Christian man whom I know well once worked for a big company. They had ordered a special refrigerator for a customer, but when it arrived by truck, his boss decided that he wanted it for a good friend of his. He told my friend to phone the customer and tell him that the refrigerator accidently fell off the truck and was damaged, and that they needed to order another one. My Christian friend refused to do this, so the boss made the phone call himself and told the lie. Even though the boss was forced to tell the lie himself, he respected my friend for being honest. Later, when my friend left the company to start his own business, his boss told him that if he ever wanted his job back, he was welcome to come back and work for the company again.

I know true Christians who got into the habit of lying and being dishonest, and after a while, no one trusted them. Sometimes they added details to a story that they made up themselves, or left out details that made the story entirely different. In the Bible this is called guile, which means being deceitful, and giving the wrong impression by the way we tell something. You could not depend on anything they said, for you never knew whether they were telling the truth or lying. Long ago someone invented the term “white lie,” thinking that sometimes it was all right to tell a lie to get someone out of trouble, or to prevent someone from being embarrassed. But when we might think of doing that, let us remember that it is not only ourselves and others who should be considered, but more important, the Lord Himself. Lying is an abomination to the Lord, and dishonesty is a sin in the sight of God. God views lying so seriously that He mentions it right at the end of the Bible, saying that “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8). Even if it means getting ourselves into trouble, let us always tell the truth. The Lord is listening, and He will honor us for it.

Friday, March 21, 2025

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“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you” (Ephesians 5:3).

Although we do not like to talk so much about these things to young people, yet we all live today in a world that is full of sexual immorality. It starts affecting children and young people at a very tender age, and has become a most serious problem. The sins that are common in the world around us have always been the ones that crept in among and affected God’s people, and so even Christians are affected by this tendency.

We are warned about such things in Scripture, in the strongest possible terms, and our verse today is one of these warnings. Sad to say, in the heathen world such things were very common, and taken very lightly. But when they heard the gospel and were saved, God called them to give up this lifestyle, and practice self-control. When I was growing up, these things were almost never talked about among children, and even in high school the subject was mentioned only very occasionally. But now it is commonly spoken about everywhere, and we are all affected by it.

Sexual activity should be reserved for marriage, and any tendency toward immorality should be stopped right away in our lives. We notice in our verse that there are stages through which such things develop. First of all, there is covetousness, then uncleanness, and finally fornication. If we judge the covetousness that starts in our hearts and minds (wanting a physical relationship that needs to wait for marriage), then we will not progress to uncleanness and fornication. Let us all be aware of how serious this problem is, and not fall into this wrong way of thinking.

The sad thing about all this is that unwise and sinful decisions made in our tender years can have consequences that may affect our entire lives. I have known those who engaged in this kind of behavior who never fully recovered from it. They may have been true Christians and been restored to the Lord, but the scars from what they did never went away. Let us take the warnings of God’s Word seriously and avoid all this trouble in our lives.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

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“I make no account of my life as dear to myself, so that I finish my course” (Acts 20:24 JND).

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Back in the 1500’s there was an English sea captain named Sir Francis Drake. He was a God-fearing man and might even have been a Christian. He used to pray a prayer like this — “O Lord God, when Thou givest to thy servants to endeavor any great matter, give us also to know, that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished, that yieldeth the true glory.” It was a good prayer, for it focuses on the importance of persistence in whatever we may be called to do. Of course, if we find that we are doing something wrong, it is good to stop it at once, but if we are doing something the Lord has given us to do, it is important to “follow through” and finish it.

In the world around us today, it is rather common for jobs to be left unfinished, and for people to attempt something, only to find it rather hard, and then quit. Students may start out to study a course, then decide that they do not like it, and switch to something else. I have seen this happen several times over in the life of one person.

It can be a difficulty in our Christian life too. A man named Demas started out well, but then the Apostle Paul had to say, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). Paul tells Timothy that he (Paul) had “fought a good fight,” and in Hebrews 12:1 we are told to “run with patience the race that is set before us.” The word for “fight” and the word for “race” in the Greek language are the same.

The motto of David Livingstone was, “I determined never to stop until I had come to the end and achieved my purpose.” It is only with the Lord’s help that we can finish the race, and finish our course. But the Lord is willing to help us, and it is good to develop this attitude of determination and persistence, so that we finish what we are given to do.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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“Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue” (2 Peter 1:5).

The word “virtue” really means moral courage, and it is a quality that is much needed today. Do we, as Christians, have the courage to think and act before the Lord, with the resolution to stand firmly for what would be honoring to Him, instead of giving way to moral weakness? Moral weakness is not having the courage to do the right thing. It is noteworthy that it is the first quality that Peter exhorts his readers to add to their faith, for without it, all the other qualities are not going to be exhibited either. It is the first building block!

As young people, we want to be accepted as ‘part of the group,” and this tendency can lead us to compromise our faith and the teachings of God’s Word, in order to be accepted. I remember having this same feeling, when I was a young person. Out in the world today, many young people have joined a so-called “gang,” not mainly because they wanted to do wrong, but because they wanted to be accepted. Then, when the gang goes wrong and commits a crime (which usually happens), they follow the crowd, and get into trouble.

We see this trait of moral courage exemplified in Daniel, who made a firm resolution — he “purposed in his heart” not to defile himself with the king’s meat, and the wine which he drank. Did Daniel and his three friends stand out among other young men in the same situation? I am sure they did, and perhaps had to endure jeers and “cat calls” as they ate a vegetarian diet and drank water, while the others ate meat and drank wine. But they did not give in, and this diet was not only for a short time; evidently it lasted three years. But the Lord honored their courage and faith, and at the end of that time, Nebuchadnezzar found them “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm” (Daniel 1:20). God does honor faith and courage, and we can count on Him for strength and help to have this moral courage. Again, it is specially needed today!

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

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“But all things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest [shown out]; for that which makes everything manifest is light” (Ephesians 5:13 JND).

The word “character” does not occur in our KJV translation, and it occurs only once in the Darby translation, but the concept of it is all through the Word of God. Our English word character is derived from a Greek word that means “an engraved mark,” often related to the monogram or trademark of a potter, painter or artisan. You can often see a stamp on the bottom of a handmade mug. It distinguishes the potter’s work as being his own, and no one else’s. It was back in the 1600’s that the word came to mean “the sum of qualities that defines a person.”

In the nineteenth century, the word was used fairly often in the lives of people in North America, and the words used most often in discussing character were words like work, building, good deeds, honor, morals, manners, integrity, etc. The Bible and its principles were considered the backbone of society, even among the worldly people who were not Christians. But you and I know that all this has changed today. The word character is not used much in everyday speech, except in a joking way — “He is quite a character!” In the twentieth century, these words were gradually replaced, until in this 21st century, words that people use to describe themselves or others are more like fascinating, stunning, attractive, awesome, magnetic, glowing, masterful, creative, dominant, forceful, etc.

What happened? The rise of psychology, the introduction of mass-produced consumer goods, and more leisure time offered people new ways of forming their identity and presenting it to the world. More important, the Bible was pushed to one side, and people began to introduce man’s ideas into their lives. As another has put it, “The vision of self-sacrifice began to yield to that of self-realization.” Instead of thinking of others, most people began thinking mainly of themselves.

Where does all this leave us as Christians? In the nineteenth century, even unbelievers valued good character, talked about it, and wanted to see it developed in their children. Their motives may have been self, but they wanted what was right. Today it is what others think, rather than what is right, that governs the attitude and behavior of most people.

You and I as believers have a higher calling. Yes, good character is important, not simply for our own sake, but because it is pleasing to the Lord, and shows Christ to this world. In the next few days, we are going to take up a few important Christian character traits.

Monday, March 17, 2025

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“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace” (Psalm 144:12).

This verse toward the end of the Psalms really refers to what will happen during the millennium, that wonderful time on this earth after the Lord Jesus comes back to judge this world, and then sets up His kingdom. However, you and I can apply the words to ourselves too.

It is an encouraging thing to see young men who are “grown up in their youth.” What does this mean? Does it mean that young men should try to act older than they really are? No, it does not mean that, for those who act beyond their years only make fools of themselves. It means that young Christian men ought to be serious about life, about their testimony, and about living for Christ. When we are young we can waste time doing many things, and then later wonder why we did them. Perhaps your parents have at times told you to “grow up!” It means recognizing that we are living for eternity and taking life seriously.

With young women, they are described as “corner stones,” or corner columns, polished (or sculptured) after the similitude of a palace. It is not physical beauty that is being described in these words, but rather a dignified moral character that displays Christ. In most western countries the modern world has often tried to push girls and women into an outlook on life that encourages them in roles that make them more like men. Instead of guiding the home and being a “helpmeet” to their husbands, they are urged to do all the things that men have done. This leaves a gap in the home that men cannot fill. But those who show by example what we have in our verse fill the role for which God has fitted them, and thus the man and the woman complement each other.

It is important for Christian young men and women not to follow the wisdom of this world, but rather to follow God’s wisdom.

Sunday, March 16, 2025

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“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

On July 9, 1960, a man named Jim Honeycutt offered to take Deanne Woodward, a girl of seventeen and her brother Roger, who was seven years old, for a boat ride on the Niagara River above the falls. Jim and their father worked together, and Deanne and Roger eagerly accepted. As they passed under the Grand Island Bridge, Roger asked to drive the boat, which had a small outboard motor. Suddenly the propeller struck a rock, broke the shear pin, and now they had no power! All Jim’s efforts with the oars were futile; they were carried swiftly towards the falls. They struck a large wave, and all three were thrown into the water. Roger and Deanne wore life jackets; Honeycutt had none.

Deanne managed to swim to shore and was pulled out of the river at the last minute by two men who saw her, and risked their own lives to reach out to her. She was only about fifteen feet (less than five meters) from the falls. Any of you who have visited Niagara Falls know what a thundering, massive falls it is. Totally awesome! Roger and Jim Honeycutt were carried over the falls. Jim did not survive, and his body was found several days later, but Roger landed below the falls in the whirlpool, still wearing his red life jacket. Miraculously he was unhurt except for a few bruises, and was picked up by the Maid of the Mist, from which they threw him a life ring. No human being had ever plunged over Niagara Falls with nothing but a life jacket and survived. It is doubtful that anyone else ever will. His experience was unique.

For the next twenty years, Roger kept asking himself why he and his sister had been spared from almost certain death. People would even tell him that someone must be watching over him, and that God had something special for him.

Twenty years later, in 1980, Roger attended a gospel meeting, and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as His Savior. His questions were finally answered! Ten years later in 1990 he came back to preach the gospel in Niagara Falls, telling people, “Something happened thirty years ago that was very, very special. I lived. Why? So that I could live again … so that others would come to the saving knowledge of Christ and have the gift of eternal life.”

Have you accepted God’s gift of eternal life, as Roger did? It was the Lord’s mercy that saved Roger and Deanne from being killed at Niagara Falls, and it was His mercy that saved him from going into a lost eternity. That same mercy is available to you too, if you are not saved.

Saturday, March 15, 2025

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“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:8).

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering … and above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:12, 14).

Yesterday I was doing some yard work — shoveling dirt, planting grass seed, laying sod, and other outdoor jobs. When I came into the house, my wife remarked that I looked pretty dirty, and suggested that I should take a shower and change into some clean clothes. Maybe you have had your parents tell you the same thing, if you got your clothes all dirty either working or playing outside. But before I could put on clean clothes, I needed to take the dirty ones off. I could not put the clean ones over the dirty ones.

Here in our verses today we are told to put off something, and to put on something. As we have been reminded before, if we are truly saved, we have a new life in Christ — a new life that wants to please the Lord. That new life cannot sin, for it is the same life that the Lord Jesus has. But as we all know, we still have the old sinful nature, and it cannot do anything but sin. It cannot do one right thing toward God.

All the things mentioned in our first verse today are connected with our old sinful nature. They are not the only things that come from our “flesh,” which is the old nature; there are many other things, but these are good examples of them. They are like the dirty clothes that I had to take off. We must put these things off, and we can do that with the Lord’s help. We do not have to let the old nature rule our lives, for as we read earlier in this same chapter (Colossians 3), we are dead and risen with Christ. As we get in Romans 6, we can consider ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God (verse 11). Then, when we have put off these things, we can put on the things in today’s second verse. All of these are produced by the new life we have in Christ. Again, these are only examples of what is produced by our new life; there are many more. They are like the clean clothes that I put on, after I had put my dirty clothes in the laundry basket and taken a shower.

You and I can put on the things that are produced by our new nature. Then when people see us, they will not see bad things; rather, they will see Christ in us.

Friday, March 14, 2025

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“Then from that day forth they (the Jewish chief priests and Pharisees) took counsel together for to put Him to death” (John 11:53).

“For he (Pilate) knew that for envy they had delivered Him” (Matthew 27:18).

The Lord Jesus had just performed a most amazing miracle — He had raised from the dead a man who had been dead four days. The Jewish leaders could not deny it, for Lazarus was living evidence of what had happened, and as a result, many people believed on the Lord Jesus. But as our first verse today says, those same leaders decided that they had to get rid of Jesus, because He did so many miracles. We know, of course, that in putting the Lord Jesus to death, they were only doing what God had planned from a past eternity, for there was no other way for us to be saved. But all this does not make those who plotted to kill Him less guilty.

We learn from our second verse that it was mostly for envy that the Jewish leaders delivered the Lord Jesus to Pilate, asking that He be crucified. Envy is one of the strongest and most wicked emotions in our sinful nature, and in Proverbs 27:4 we read, “Who is able to stand before envy?” What is envy? It is wanting something that rightfully belongs to someone else. The Jewish priests, scribes and Pharisees wanted authority and influence over the people, and took the place of being their religious leaders. However, while they taught the people what was right, they themselves always found ways to do what they wanted, and resorted to lying, Jewish traditions, and their own “loopholes” to avoid keeping the law. When the Lord Jesus exposed all this, they hated Him, and wanted to get rid of Him. They even considered killing Lazarus, because so many people believed on the Lord Jesus when they saw the wonderful miracle of raising Lazarus back to life (see John 12:10). Back in the Old Testament, Joseph’s brothers envied him too, and it was largely because of this that they sold him into Egypt (see Genesis 37:11), hoping that it would be the end of him.

This is a good lesson for us. It is easy to be envious of others who have something we do not have, whether it is possessions, abilities, good looks, and perhaps other things. But envy is a most serious sin, and as we have seen, it even led people to put the Lord Jesus to death. Let us be content with what the Lord has given us and use it for Him.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

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“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

This is the shortest verse in the Bible, yet it says a lot! When I was young, we sometimes picked this verse to memorize because it was so short, but later, as we realized what it meant, we thought of it in a different way. Here was the Lord Jesus at the grave of Lazarus, and he had lain in that grave four days. But Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead; in a few minutes he would be alive and well again. Why then did Jesus weep? It is true that other friends of Lazarus were weeping, and especially his sisters, Martha and Mary. But why did not the Lord Jesus say, “You do not need to cry; I am going to raise him back to life again?” Why did He join in with their weeping?

It was true that in a few moments Lazarus would rise from the dead, but the Lord Jesus wept for another reason. He saw all the heartache and sorrow that sin had brought into this world, and He truly felt it with those who were so sad. They had probably seen Lazarus get sick, then get worse, and finally get weaker and weaker until he died. Jesus knew all this, and He felt it too.

Some people today accuse God of being indifferent to the suffering in this world, but that is not so. God cares a great deal about it. The Lord Jesus came right down into the world as a man, and experienced what it was like. Then He went to the cross, and suffered so that men and women could be saved.

Sometimes you and I, even as Christians, go through suffering. Perhaps someone we love gets seriously ill, or even dies. I knew a young girl (about twelve years old) some years ago whose grandmother died of cancer, and she was very upset about it. She had prayed that the Lord would heal her grandmother, but instead she died. Sometimes someone we love is involved in a serious car accident, and is badly hurt. Or maybe we lose something valuable, and it makes us very sad. The Lord Jesus cares about all that, and He wants to comfort us. He wants us to come to Him, because He loves us so much. He can comfort us better than anyone else.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

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“If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not … but if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth” (John 11:9-10).

We might wonder why the Lord Jesus said these words, but He was explaining something very important to His disciples. He had just heard that His good friend Lazarus was very sick, but instead of going immediately to heal him, He had stayed where He was for two more days. Then, when he announced that they were going south to Judea again, His disciples reminded Him that just a little while ago, the Jews down there had tried to stone Him. Naturally speaking, we could say that the Lord Jesus had a hard decision to make. Should He go to help His good friend Lazarus, or avoid going to an area where He might get stoned?

Perhaps you have tried to walk at night without a flashlight, and found yourself stumbling and tripping over things. But if you walk in daytime, you can easily see. The Lord Jesus likens His guidance by the Holy Spirit to walking in the light. He did not simply guess at what He should do; He asked for guidance from His Father by the Holy Spirit, and He knew exactly what to do. He was not walking in darkness; He had perfect guidance, and knew that it was now time to go down to Judea. Of course, by this time Lazarus had died and was in his grave, but all this became an opportunity for an even greater miracle than simply healing him while he was still alive. God’s ways are always perfect.

If we are truly saved, we have the Spirit of God living in us, and can ask for guidance in our lives. Sometimes we are in difficult situations, and no matter what choice we might make, there seems to be some reason not to do it! But if we ask the Lord for guidance, He will show us what to do, and then we can go ahead with confidence.

Remember though, when we ask for help, we must be willing to do what He tells us. Sometimes when we ask the Lord about something, we have already made up our minds what we want to do, and we want the Lord to agree to it. But if we ask Him to help us, we must be perfectly willing to follow what He tells us.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

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“And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour” (Matthew 17:18).

Many people today do not want to believe that demons (called devils in our verse) are real. They like to think that they are just imaginary beings, and do not actually exist. But demons are real; they are fallen angels who rebelled against God long ago, and Satan is their leader. They have a certain amount of power, and use this power to try and turn people away from God.

Here in our chapter there was evidently a child, a boy, who was possessed of a demon. That means that the demon actually lived in him, and made him do dangerous things. Sometimes demons make people have strange diseases that no one can cure, not even good doctors. People are afraid of the demons because of the power they have, but the Lord Jesus is more powerful.

Several years ago, a man in a foreign country I was visiting told me a story about a young man who heard the gospel and accepted Christ as His Savior. His parents worshiped idols, and were so angry that they told him to leave home and go to live somewhere else. He went to live with the family who had told him about the Lord Jesus, but after a few weeks his family contacted him and asked him to come home. Your younger sister is very sick, they said, and we do not know what to do. The doctors say that it is a demon, and that only a Christian can help her!

The young man immediately went home, knelt down beside his sister, put his hand on her shoulder, and prayed to the Lord, asking the demon to leave in the name of the Lord Jesus. The demon immediately left her and she felt perfectly well. That is the power of the name of the Lord Jesus! I wish I could tell you that her parents got saved, but that did not happen right away. But as you may imagine, they were very happy for their son to move back home again.

Demonic power was not so common in so-called Christian countries for many years, but as the Bible is being given up and people turn to false religions (or no religion at all!), Satan’s influence is increasing. We are seeing more evidence of demonic power in Western Europe and North America. But name of the Lord Jesus is still just as powerful as it was when He was here on earth, for He came into the world to destroy the works of the devil.

Monday, March 10, 2025

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“And He (Jesus) said unto them (His disciples), Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

“And the people saw them departing … and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him. And Jesus … was moved with compassion toward them” (Mark 6:31-34).

The Lord Jesus had just heard that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. As our verses tell us, He and His disciples were also weary, for there had been so many people coming and going that they had not had time even to eat! The Lord Jesus told His disciples that they were going to a desert place for a rest.

But the people saw them leave in a ship, and being rather thoughtless, they ran around the Sea of Galilee, and were waiting for the Lord Jesus and His disciples when they arrived on the other side. How would you have reacted if that had happened to you? I hate to think of what I would have said! Those people were thinking only of themselves! But the Lord Jesus felt sorry for them, and instead of “telling them off,” He began to teach them. In another scripture it says that He healed their sick (Matthew 14:14). Then later, when it was time for them to go home, the Lord Jesus did not want to send them away hungry. He took five loaves and two fishes, and multiplied them so that they fed about five thousand men. There was even food left over! Only then did He send the people away. There is no record that either the Lord Jesus or His disciples got any rest that day.

This story is a good example for us. The Lord Jesus was a real man, and like you and me, He needed rest. But He did not come into this world to take a rest; He came to do the Father’s will. When He saw people who needed healing and teaching, He took the time to do it instead of resting.

God has left us here in this world to serve Him, and to represent Him to the people here. Sometimes they are thoughtless and may want us to do things for them when we are tired. At times like these we need to ask the Lord if these requests are something He wants us to do. Then the Lord will give us the strength to do it, and give us the right attitude too. Our rest will be in heaven, not down here.

Sunday, March 9, 2025

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51).

When the Lord Jesus was born in the manger in Bethlehem, we read in our first verse that the angels came and told the shepherds, who were out keeping watch over their flocks at night. Then suddenly the angels spoke, telling everyone that this occasion meant glory to God, and peace on earth. What a wonderful message this was! Men had been fighting ever since sin entered this world. How nice it would be to have peace on earth!

Yet we find later on in the same gospel of Luke that the Lord Jesus warned people that He had not come to give peace on earth, but rather division. What had happened? Why could He not give peace on earth? Had the angels really said something that the Lord Jesus was not ready to do?

The answer is that the Lord Jesus came into the world as the rightful King of Israel. If He had been accepted by the nation of Israel, He would have set up His kingdom and reigned over this world. But people, especially the Jewish nation, did not want the Lord Jesus. They eventually said, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). They wanted to get rid of the Lord Jesus, because He reminded them that they were sinners and needed a Savior.

But thankfully some people did believe on the Lord Jesus, and this produced the division that the Lord Jesus speaks of in our second verse today. Ever since the Lord Jesus has come into this world, it has been divided between those who are saved and those who are lost. As the Lord Jesus pointed out, sometimes even families are split on this most important decision.

The world today continues to be divided on the Lord Jesus. Some do not want Him, and do not want to be reminded that they need a Savior. Others who know Him as Savior love Him, and love to hear about Him. To which group do you belong?

Saturday, March 8, 2025

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“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30).

Do you know how many hairs there are on your head? It would be quite a big job to count them all, yet this verse tells us that the Lord knows how many are on each of our heads. If you are interested, then I can tell you approximately how many hairs you have, and it actually depends on your hair color. People with blond hair usually have the most; they can have up to 150,000 hairs on their scalps. Others with darker hair probably have close to 100,000, or maybe even 110,000. People with red hair have the fewest, perhaps about 90,000. Of course all these numbers can vary, depending on the size of your head. Also, as we get older, we tend to lose some of our hair, as it gets thinner. Some people, especially men, frequently go bald, and then their “hair count” goes down considerably. But what an amazing fact it is that the Lord actually keeps track of all this!

The Lord does this to show us how much He cares for us, and how much He loves us. But more important than our hair count, is the fact that He knows everything about us, even what we are thinking. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he sometimes answered people according to their thoughts, for he knew exactly what was going through their minds. When He answered them this way, it ought to have shown them clearly that He was God, although He became a man too. But sad to say, most people did not believe on Him.

However, for us who know the Lord Jesus, it should give us real peace to know that He knows all about us, and cares for us. It is a great comfort to know that someone who knows everything about us is also looking after us!

Friday, March 7, 2025

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“For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

Probably most of those who are reading this have crossed an international border. If you live in Canada or the United States and wish to cross over the border between them, you may be asked, “Citizenship?” You will also have to show your passport to prove your citizenship. If you are traveling among the so-called Schengen group of countries in Europe, you may cross borders between them without showing your passport, once you have entered one of them. Still other countries require more than simply a passport; they require a special permit called a visa, which often must be obtained before you leave home.

Do we realize that the Bible tells us that we are also citizens of heaven? We may be citizens of different countries in this world, but if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are all heavenly citizens. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come and take us there, and He may come at any moment.

Some years ago, a woman came to our door with some literature, asking us if we would like to live on a beautiful earth where everything went well, where animals were never mean or savage, and where life was always peaceful. Since she had a Bible in her hand, I asked her to turn to today’s verse and read it. I told her that this was my future, and that I was not looking for a paradise on earth. She looked blank for a moment, then turned and walked away. I doubt that she even knew the Lord Jesus as her Savior.

If we are really citizens of heaven, it should make a big difference in our lives down here. We should be, as Peter says in his epistle, “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) in this world. A stranger is not at home, but a pilgrim is going home. When I visit India, I am a “stranger” there. It is not my home. When I leave there and head towards Canada, I could be called a “pilgrim” in Germany or other countries that I just pass through, because I am on my way home. Do our lives show that we are strangers and pilgrims?

Thursday, March 6, 2025

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“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

The believers in Philippi were not wealthy like the Corinthians. They were relatively poor, and in writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul refers to “their deep poverty.” Yet they had apparently collected a large amount of money and sent it to Paul, who was in prison in Rome at this time. Paul appreciated this very much, as he was in need of help, but he knew that they had really given more than they could afford to give. It was not the first time they had sent money to Paul, for he reminds them that when he was in Thessalonica, they had sent help to him twice (Philippians 4:16). It had been a real sacrifice for them, but Paul assures them that the Lord would supply all their need “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

There is a difference in someone’s supplying our need out of his riches, and supplying our need according to his riches. If a wealthy man helped us “out of” his riches, he might give us enough to meet our need. But if he helped us “according to” his riches, he would give much more than we needed. I remember a young couple who received many wedding gifts, some from average people, and some from rich people. In particular, two rich people each gave them a gift. One gave a very small gift, smaller even than most of the average people gave; he gave “out of” his riches. But the other gave a large gift, larger than almost anybody else. He gave “according to” his riches.

God does not promise to give us everything we want, for it might not be good for us. But He loves to give, and when we use our money for the Lord, He often gives back “according to” His riches. The Apostle Paul was sure that the Lord would do this for the Philippians who had been so generous with him when he was in prison.

This verse has been a wonderful encouragement to many people who were in need and did not know what to do. But the Lord knows our need and has promised to supply it. He keeps His promise!

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

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“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

During our day at school or at work, we may have to think about many things. We have to do our schoolwork well, and we have to do our work well. But what do we think about when our minds are free? Some people think about how hard their life is. Others think about the wrong things that have been done to them. Others get angry because they think the world is very unfair. Sometimes angry people think of ways they can “get even” with those who have insulted them or done some kind of harm to them.

Here the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians that they are to think of good things — things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. In the world today, we often hear things that are not true, for telling lies has become rather common. We also hear a lot of things that are not pure, for the natural heart of man is not pure, and what flows out of our sinful hearts is very impure. We may also hear things that, although they are true, are not “of good report.” This means that some of the wrong things done in this world do not need to be spread all over for everyone to hear. The Bible says, “It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (Ephesians 5:12). Even if they are true, we can defile our minds by speaking and thinking about evil things.

We do not have to think about every kind of thing that comes into our minds. Our minds can be controlled, and we can push wrong thoughts out. In Romans 12:2, we are told, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Since we have a new life in Christ, we can renew our minds by turning them to think about better things. It is like hitting the “refresh” button on your computer! It is important to make the effort to do that!

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

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“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep for that day the deposit I have entrusted to Him” (2 Timothy 1:12 JND).

“Keep, by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, the good deposit entrusted” (2 Timothy 1:14 JND).

Probably at least some of you have a bank account, and are able to deposit money into it from time to time. It is a safe place in which to keep your money, and then you can go and take it out later, if you need it to buy things. You expect the bank to keep it safely for you, so that no one can steal it.

Here in our verses today we have two deposits — one which we give to the Lord to keep, and one which He gives us to keep. When we live for the Lord, and honor Him in our lives, then we are depositing things to our “heavenly account.” They are the things for which the Lord will be able to give us a reward in a coming day. They are things that we do for Him. No one can ever steal that deposit, and the Apostle Paul, who wrote these verses to Timothy, was confident that the Lord would keep that deposit for him.

But then the Lord gives you and me a deposit to keep. When we learn things from the Word of God about the Lord Jesus and learn the truth that He has given us, then this is part of our deposit. The Holy Spirit teaches us these things, and we are to hold onto them. But we can hold onto them only if we practice them in our lives. It is not enough to know them in our heads; we must live by them. If we do not practice those things, then we easily lose them. Sad to say, some Christians give up the things they have learned from the Bible, because it makes their life easier in this world. But then they will lose part of their reward, for part of that deposit will not be there anymore. How important it is to hold onto what the Lord has taught us, and to use it in our lives!

Monday, March 3, 2025

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“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

About 500 years ago, during a period of time called “the Reformation,” an old man who lived in Europe lay dying at home. For over 1000 years, this world had lost the knowledge that the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross to put away our sins. Most men and women lived in “darkness” and fear. In those days, the precious truth of the gospel was just being brought back to us, through men like Martin Luther, William Farel, John Knox, and others. The dying man was quite peaceful, for He knew the Lord Jesus as His Savior. But his family who were gathered around him did not have the same assurance, for they were accustomed to being afraid to die. Finally one of them said, “Father, what are you going to do, if you get to the gate of heaven, and God will not let you in?” The old man smiled, and simply said, “If God will not let me into heaven, He will have to put His own Son outside first.”

At first the family were horrified, for they had never heard such a thing before. But the old man was right! The believer in the Lord Jesus is “in Christ,” and this means that he or she is just as fit for heaven as the Lord Jesus Himself. If the Lord Jesus has a right to be in heaven, then we do too, for we are seen as being in Him.

This is a most wonderful truth, and it was given specially to the apostle Paul by the Lord Jesus, after He rose from the dead and went back to heaven. This means that if we are truly saved, you and I can never lose our salvation. We can have perfect peace about the future, for if the Lord Jesus is up there in heaven, we will be there with Him someday soon!

Sunday, March 2, 2025

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“In Him [the Lord Jesus] is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“Christ … who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22).

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Here we have three verses, telling us that there was no sin in the Lord Jesus, that He did no sin, and that He knew no sin. Yet it also says that He was “made sin” for us. What does this mean?

The Lord Jesus was absolutely sinless. Not only did He never commit sin, but He did not have a sinful nature. That is why John says, “In Him is no sin.” He could not sin, for He did not have the capacity to do so. A sinful thought never entered His heart. If this had not been true, He could not have been the One to bear our sins.

However, when He was on the cross and bore the sins of those who would believe, He was “made sin,” as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This means that God took our sins and laid them on the Lord Jesus, so that during those three hours of darkness on the cross, God treated Him as if He were the sinner. Those sins were on Him, and then He suffered the punishment from God for those sins. It was this prospect that made the Lord Jesus sweat “great drops of blood” in the Garden of Gethsemane, for as a sinless Man, He hated sin. Yet He was made sin for us, and God had to forsake Him because of this.

Perhaps we can illustrate it this way. Suppose my son had a friend who had gotten his clothes filthy dirty, and we did not want him to come into our home like that. But suppose my son said, “Change clothes with me, and then you may go in wearing my clean clothes.” But then my son would have to wear his friend’s filthy clothes, and could not come into the house. That is what the Lord Jesus has done for us. But of course the Lord Jesus did not remain with sin on Him. He bore all the judgment, and then died. When He cried out, “It is finished,” those sins were all gone, never to be seen again.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

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“So Moses the servant of the Lord died … and Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deuteronomy 34:5, 7).

We could say many more things about Moses, for his was a long and interesting life. However, we want to leave room to speak about other people, so let us pass on to see how he died. We read here that he was 120 years old, yet his eyes were not dim, and he still had the strength he had when he was younger. At that age he was able to climb up to the top of Mt. Nebo (it is about 800 meters high, which is over 2600 feet) and view the whole land of Canaan. If you read the description of what he was able to see, it seems that the Lord allowed him to see about 100 miles both north and south. This is amazing! In order to see that far, you would normally have to be in a plane, about 30,000 feet above the earth, which is about 9,000 meters.

Then, on the top of that mountain, he died, and the Lord buried him. No one knows where he is buried except the Lord, but we know that he appeared on the mount of transfiguration in the New Testament, along with the prophet Elijah. You can read about this in Matthew 17.

Probably none of us will live to be 120 years old, and when we get older, we tend to lose the good eyesight we had when we were young. Most of us wear glasses by the time we are middle aged. Also we get weaker, and find it harder to run fast, do hard physical work, or climb up steep hills. But the Lord is able to give us the strength to do whatever He wants us to do.

Although he was only 55 years old, the well-known gospel preacher George Whitefield was not well. He had a wonderful gift from God in being able to speak loudly. He could preach to crowds of 30,000 in the open air, and everyone could hear him, even though there was no loudspeaker or microphone! He preached for the last time in an open field near Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in the year 1770. Apparently he preached a powerful sermon, and died the next day. The Lord gave him the strength for that last sermon. He will give you and me the strength to do His will, whatever our age.