Month: May 2024

“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad” (Proverbs 12:25).

It makes us feel sad when we see someone who walks along stooped over, not because he is old and has arthritis, but because he is feeling bad about something. Perhaps you have seen people like this walking along the sidewalk or sitting on a bench. This morning when I was running some errands, I saw a man like this, leaning over the hood of a car. He looked old, but not unhealthy. However, the look on his face and the slump of his body indicated that he was probably sad about something, and maybe about several things.

Back in the 1950s, in the city where I grew up, there was a large company that produced railway cars. A man whose name was Mike had worked for them for many years. He was Italian by birth, and was a good worker; everyone knew him and liked him, even the president of the company. One day the president walked through the shop and noticed Mike looking like the man in our verse — heaviness in his heart was making him stoop. When the president asked him what was wrong, Mike answered in his broken English, “I lose my wife; I lose my boy; I lose both of them, and now I have big debts.” His wife had died after a long illness, and his son had been killed in an accident. This was before the days of government medicine in Canada, so Mike had big doctors’ bills, and hospital bills.

The president said to Mike, “You come to my office tomorrow, and bring all those bills with you; I want to see them.” Mike went to his office with the bills the next day, and the president said to him, “Mike, I cannot give you back your wife and son, but I can help with those bills.” Then he added them up and wrote out a check for the whole amount. This was indeed a “good word” that made Mike’s heart glad. He still missed his wife and son, but he did not have to worry about paying all those bills.

Sometimes there are things in our lives that make us stoop, even when we are young. Perhaps someone bullies us, or says something unkind about us. Or maybe we flunk a test, and feel bad about it. Perhaps one of our friends treats us badly. We do not need money, but a “good word” can come from the Lord, from reading His Word. The Bible can give us comfort in every kind of problem. However, a good Christian friend can also give us a kind word that encourages us. Let us also be ready to give a kind word to someone who is feeling a bit “down.” If we look around us, there will be many opportunities to do this.

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“These six things doth the Lord hate … a proud look” (Proverbs 6:16-17).

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

We have spoken about pride before, but it is good to mention it again, as it is a big problem in this world. It is one of the oldest sins, for it was pride that caused the fall of Satan, even before man was created in this world. It was partly pride that Satan used to deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden, for he told her that the forbidden fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make her wise. Her pride responded to that. Since that time, man has been characterized by pride, and it is one of the characteristics of the world system that Cain started, after he had killed his brother Abel.

Why is pride so wrong? It is because pride takes away from the glory that belongs to God, and gives it to man. Man, as a creature, has no right to be proud. Everything he has, whether it is his health, his brain, his resources, his various abilities — all have been given to him by God. He has no reason to be proud of it.

The pride of man will eventually reach its height after all Christians have been called home to be with the Lord. Man will become so filled with himself that he will actually think he is capable of fighting against God. Of course, he will be thoroughly defeated, but his pride will lead him to that awful point. Truly, every form of pride is wrong, and ought to be condemned.

But some will say, Should I not be proud of my good work, or my neat and tidy appearance? No, for that is being occupied with yourself. If we remember that we belong to Christ, and want to do everything for Him, we will do good work, and be careful about our appearance, but it will not be for pride. We do it because we represent Christ in this world.

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“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

“Is any merry? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13).

We do not read anything about musical instruments in the New Testament. They were part of the service in the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament, but we do not read of them in Christian worship. However, we do read about singing, for that is the use of our own ability to praise and thank the Lord.

We all know that even naturally, songs and singing have a real effect on us. Someone has made a very good remark, saying that “words make you think a thought, and music makes you feel a feeling. But singing makes you feel a thought.” That is true, for music and words together make you feel the thoughts in the words, and this impresses them on our hearts. Our emotions become involved, as well as our minds.

It is sad that in North America today, many young people do not really sing much, and some think it is not “cool” to use their voices and really sing. But the Bible encourages us to sing, for not only does it speak to our own hearts, as our verses for today tell us, but it pleases the Lord. When we sing, we praise the Lord too, and He has said, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me” (Psalm 50:23). We give glory to God when we sing, and it is good for us to use our voices in doing this.

I knew a man who lived in Romania during the communist rule, and he was in prison for five years for his Christian faith. The Communists wanted everyone to believe that there is no God, and they hated the Christians. During his time in prison he composed hundreds of hymns with the tunes, although he had nothing on which to write down the music and words! He remembered them all in his head, and when he was eventually released, he wrote them all down. Many people today sing those hymns and enjoy them. It was a treat to visit him and hear him sing those hymns for us. He is with the Lord now, but “he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).

If you do not sing much, I would encourage you to do it more, and especially when you are feeling good, as our second verse says. You will feel even better.

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Notes:

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“Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word” (Luke 10:39).

“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment” (John 12:3).

We find an incident in Luke 10 concerning the home of Martha and Mary which is very instructive for us. The Lord Jesus had come, and they were preparing a meal for Him and for others who were there. Evidently Mary had been helping, but then went and sat down at Jesus’ feet to hear His word. Martha was upset about this. She asked the Lord Jesus to tell Mary to come and help her get the meal ready. But the Lord Jesus commended Mary, telling Martha that Mary had chosen rightly, and that sometimes it was better to listen to the Word of God than to fuss too much over food preparation. Martha was the kind of person who wanted everything just right, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if it interferes with our hearing the Lord’s word, then we have to remember what is most important.

We notice too that the same person — Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and heard His word, was the one who later anointed His feet with some very expensive ointment. She understood that His feet would carry Him to the cross, and she used this expensive ointment to show how much she loved Him. That ointment came from plants that grow up in the Himalayan mountains in India, and it probably was worth about a year’s salary in those days. Yet she gladly anointed the Lord Jesus with it, because He meant so much to her. In those days it was customary to wash the feet of guests that came to the house, but to anoint their feet was extra-special. The Lord Jesus really appreciated it.

We cannot actually anoint the feet of the Lord Jesus today, but when we come together to remember Him, we too are pouring ointment on Him, and He values it very highly. Others objected to what Mary did, but the Lord Jesus defended her, for she loved Him very much. If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we too love Him. He values it if we remember Him, and all that He did for us.

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Notes:

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“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Can you imagine that the Son of God, a part of the Trinity, wants to call you, His friend! He tells us in John 15:14, “Ye are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you.” Yes, there is a price tag attached to any friendship! We cannot be friends with someone whom we are not pleasing.

And the Lord Jesus tells us also that He will never leave us or forsake us. That is in Hebrews 13:5. That is more than any regular friend can ever say! His ear is always ready to listen, and His heart is always ready in love. And the most amazing part is that He knows you better than you know yourself. You cannot say that about any friend in this world!

How can we interact with the Lord Jesus as a friend? You share with Him. Tell Him the things you are thankful for as your day progresses. Tell Him the things you are worried about, or frightened about. Then sit quietly and ask Him to put His arms about you and fill you with His peace or a sense in your heart as to what you should do next. His Holy Spirit is living in you, and He is there to guide each step. We all know that lovely hymn,

“What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bare What a privilege to carry Everything to Him in prayer.”

That was written by a young man who suffered some very painful losses in his life, but had found Jesus to be a true and faithful friend. We can enjoy that friendship too.

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“I am a companion of all them that fear Thee” (Psalm 119:63).

Yesterday we talked about friends. Today let us think about what the difference might be between friends and companions. I think of companions as more of an action word. It pictures to us friends working together.

Paul had a special companion in a young man named Epaphroditus. In Philippians 2:25 he says, “Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier.” According to the verses here, he had been sick, and almost died. Paul says he would have had “sorrow upon sorrow” if this had happened. He really loved and appreciated his companion and friend! They were working and travelling together. Back in the first century (a long, long time ago!) travel was not as it is today. It involved miles of walking, sea voyages that often included storms and shipwreck, sleeping in the cold and not having any “fast food” from the drive-thru when you were really hungry!

So, can you be a companion today? There are lots of opportunities to work together for the Lord with others. Picking up the hymn books after Sunday school, cleaning the meeting room together or maybe going with others to sing to some elderly people in a nursing home. We had a young brother travel with us on a long trip to a foreign country, who said, “I just want to come along and carry your luggage!” He was a real companion and did a wonderful job in serving the Lord in that way.

The Apostle John mentions companions in Revelation 1:9. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation.” If we are going through a tough time, how wonderful to have someone to go through it with us. I am very sure that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were “companions” in that fiery furnace trial they endured together and with the Lord.

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“Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Everyone wants to have a friend, and be a friend! It’s amazing how many times in the Bible friends are mentioned. There were treacherous friends. We all know the story of Samson and how the woman he loved and thought was his friend, betrayed him. When Judas came to betray the Lord Jesus, Jesus said to him, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” (Matthew 26:50). And there were good friends like David and Jonathan, or Ruth and Naomi, in the Old Testament, and James and John in the New Testament.

Our verse today is warning us that, if we know the Lord Jesus as Savior, we will not want to have friends who do not love Him too. The “world” as we call those who have not accepted Christ, does not want to talk about Him. And if He is our very best friend, then we do want to talk about Him!

If you were to make a list of qualities you would like to have in a friend, what might it include? Perhaps cheerful, kind, helpful, fun! Would you think to include “someone who is honest with me?” Maybe someone who would kindly tell me when I’m wrong or might be hurting someone’s feelings?

There is a good verse in Proverbs 27:6 that tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” No one likes to be wounded. But a good friend may kindly have to do that sometimes. And as a friend, we need to learn how to accept criticism.

Another special quality in a good friend is that they do not gossip about the little secrets we may share. That means we can trust them when we tell them something special that is only between friends. It’s wonderful to be able to pray with and for a friend who has shared a problem he/she may be having.

And here is a final verse to think about, “A whisperer separateth chief friends” (Proverbs 16:28). Let is never be the one responsible for separating friends!

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“As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3).

“Their feet run to evil … their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity” (Isaiah 59:7).

Sometimes we may look at others who do not know the Lord, and feel a little envious when we see them getting away with all the wrong things that they do. David had this problem thousands of years ago, when he saw wicked people doing so much wrong, and nothing seemed to happen to them. Not only did nothing happen to them, but they prospered too; things went well for them. He began to wonder if it was worth it to follow the Lord. But if we read the rest of Psalm 73, we find that eventually David saw their end, which was the judgment of God.

Those who are in our second verse — whose feet run to evil, and whose thoughts are of wrong things, will eventually fall under God’s judgment, unless they repent and turn to Him. We who know the Lord may suffer in this world, for at present Satan is the god and prince of it, and to some extent he has things running his way. Of course, the Lord is over it all, and Satan cannot go beyond what the Lord allows him to do. But for the moment, the world is his world, and the Lord is not directly interfering in it.

However, we need to look at the whole picture. It is well worth it to live for the Lord, for not only do we enjoy the Lord’s company all along the way, but we will be rewarded for it for all eternity. It is a good investment to make — living for the Lord for a few short years, and then enjoying the reward for all eternity!

But there is another reason why we follow the Lord. It is not mainly for a reward, but because of His love for us. When we realize how much He did for us on the cross, we realize that He is worthy of all that we can give for His glory. Rewards are not the motive for living for the Lord, although they are an encouragement. But our motive for living for Him is His love for us.

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“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:2).

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, He does two things for us. First of all, He brings us out of the horrible pit in which we are as sinners. Being a sinner is like being in quicksand; the more you struggle against the sucking power of the thick mud, the more you are dragged down. I have never been caught in quicksand, but I have read about those who have been trapped in it. Unless someone comes and helps you, it is impossible to get out by yourself. You just sink more and more until you are sucked under the mud. But the Lord has lifted us out of this “miry clay,” and set our feet on a rock. That rock is the Lord Jesus Himself.

But this is not all. The Lord does not save us, and then leave us to find our own way as Christians. No, His Word provides a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path. The lamp for our feet shows us the next step. It does not show us the whole pathway, but only the next step, for that is all we need. As we move along, the lamp shows us a further step, and we have guidance all the way along.

But the light shows us the end of the journey. We do not know everything about the path right now, but we know both the next step, and the end of the path. We know where we are going, for the Lord Jesus has gone ahead, and where He is, there we will be. We can confidently walk the path of faith, for the Lord Jesus has promised to guide us all the way home. We never need to stumble in that path, for we have a perfect lamp by which to be guided.

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“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).

“All they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40).

“They pierced My hands and My feet” (Psalm 22:16).

“And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them” (Luke 24:50).

The Lord Jesus had hands too, and He always used them in blessing. He took little children up into His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them. Their mothers wanted Him to do this, but the disciples thought that the Lord Jesus did not have time for all this. However, the Lord Jesus loved children, and He did lay His hands on them.

He also laid His hands on many sick people, and every one of them was healed. There was power in those hands to heal from every kind of disease, whether an internal disease, or someone who was crippled or bent over. All of these miracles were for man’s blessing, and clearly showed who the Lord Jesus was. He claimed to be the Son of God, for He was, and He provided all the necessary proof so that there could be no doubt. Yet men rejected Him and crucified Him.

It was prophesied away back in the Old Testament that the Lord Jesus would have His hands and feet pierced. This took place on the cross, when they nailed Him to it. It was an awful way to die, yet the Lord Jesus endured it, to pay the penalty for our sins, and to show us how much He loved us. His hands will bear those nail marks for all eternity, to remind us that He suffered for us.

Finally, the last act of our Lord Jesus before He went back to heaven was to lift up His hands and bless all those who were with Him. There would have been the eleven disciples, and others too, who went with the Lord Jesus, and watched Him ascend back to heaven. Although He is not here on earth any longer, His hands are full of blessing for us too.

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