A young girl, in the house of a friend, glanced at an open Bible on a table. These words attracted her attention: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord."
"Oh," she thought, "that shuts me out from blessing, for my heart is not pure. It has been full of vanity all my life." She sorrowfully mourned over her condition as a guilty sinner before a holy God.
"I could not get away from that scripture," she said later, "and for seven weeks I was so miserable." But God, who had made His voice heard in her soul, did not leave her in that condition. "For God speaketh once, yea twice." Job 33:14.
In due time, God spoke to her again. This time He directed her eyes away from herself to Himself. The verse that brought peace to her heart is in Isaiah 55:3. "Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live." She did listen to His voice; she rested in His Word; and she went on her way singing for gladness of heart.
Her own vanity and sinfulness were no longer before her, but the love of the Savior who had borne them away, and whose love had drawn her to Himself.
"Wonderful love in the heart of my God,
Wonderful care, too, for me on the road;
Wonderful love in my Savior I see—
Accepting sin's judgment, He bore it for me."
Is your heart in the enjoyment of this "wonderful love" or is your life still full of vanity? I press upon you the fact that everything "under the sun" is vanity, and that by your devotion to the things of time you are shutting yourself out from His blessing.
There is hope for you—not in yourself, but in Himself. Oh, look off unto Him! Rest your soul in simple faith on His unfailing Word, and rejoice in His everlasting love.
"Hear, and your soul shall live." Isaiah 55:3.
No Condemnation!
Christ took my place on the cross. How grand! How wonderful! There He bore all the judgment that my sins deserved! He who knew no sin was made sin for me! He was forsaken of God that I might never be forsaken!
So now it is said of those who believe: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.