Month: July 2017

Any Occasion

“Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5).

One hundred and twenty princes and three presidents (of which Daniel was the first), ruled over the Kingdom of Darius. These men were undoubtedly some of the most gifted men in the world, brilliant intellectuals and administratively able to make momentous decisions and carry them through. Daniel, God’s man, stood above them all. Jealousy spurred them to try to get rid of him forever, and so this group, all 122 of them, set as their task to find fault with him. Yet after sifting through his life with utmost scrutiny, all they could find fault with was his faithful prayer life to his God and obedience to His God.

If our lives were scrutinized would this be all that our accusers would find? Would the unbelievers that you go to school or work with have to admit that the only thing they have against you, is that you are a Christian? That would be quite a testimony, wouldn’t it?

Gates of Nehemiah — The Water Gate

“The water gate toward the east, and
the tower that lieth out” (Nehemiah 3:26).

Water is often used in Scripture as a figure of the Word of God. This gate would then remind us of the need for the Word of God in our lives. Later on we read of Ezra at the water gate reading from the Law of the Lord (The Word of God): “And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3).

We certainly need this in our lives every day. It is “the washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word (Psalm 119:9). How much time and space do we give to the reading of our Bibles? And how much importance do we place on giving it its rightful place in our day to day lives?

It is the one gate that did not need to be repaired, as the Word of God is perfect, and “liveth and abideth forever” (1 Peter 1:23). The Word of God is unchangeable!

Full Control

The following account shows how the Lord is in full control of every detail of our lives:

The young men were taken directly from the school to the National Service training camp. Life became tough. The only bright spot was on Lord’s Day mornings when the Christians were able to meet together to read the Bible, pray, sing, and encourage each other in the Lord. Then came the shattering blow — a new commanding officer. “No more religious services in the camp,” he shouted on his first Monday on duty. The young men were heartsick, but they took the matter to a higher authority — they prayed earnestly! Before the end of the week this godless officer was transferred. He had lasted only a week, but the Lord’s Day gatherings continued without a break.

King Solomon wrote, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will” (Proverbs 21:1). It is a great comfort to know that there is one who is in full control of every event and circumstance of our life. He knows, He cares, and He is working everything for our good and blessing. Let’s learn to trust Him more!

Worry

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”
(Matthew 6:34).

I recently was handed a piece of paper from a block calendar, and on that page was a motto which had a very thought-provoking message. It said:

WORRYING

does not empty tomorrow of its troubles!

It empties today of its

STRENGTH!

It brought to mind today’s verse, which, put very simply, is telling us to live for Christ today and leave tomorrow in His hands. Often we worry about things we think are going to happen tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes they never do. Even if they do, the Lord is still sufficient. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Has He helped us in the past? Will He be any different tomorrow? Why are we worrying?

Dear Young Christian:

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Recently I felt that way due to some circumstances in my life. The difficulty is that we often measure the problems and situations in relation to ourselves, instead of measuring everything in relation to the Lord … The Almighty! He is greater than our troubles, and greater than our failures. Here is a helpful verse of Scripture: “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

Let’s be overcomers, not be overcome. Caleb is an example of a man who was not only an overcomer himself, but encouraged others to be overcomers. “And Caleb stilled the people … and said … we are well able to overcome” (Numbers 13:30). The Lord reminded the disciples: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

No matter what you face this week, the Lord is greater, and in His strength you can be an overcomer!

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Magnify

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us
exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3).

There are two primary functions of a magnifying lens:

1. To make small objects larger.

2. To bring distant objects closer.

These things are also two excellent exercises for the believer. The world views Christ as a small and insignificant thing (as did Israel with the manna in the wilderness, Numbers 21:5). I can, by my life, however, show how very much He means to me, and just how important He really is.

I can also help to bring a “distant” Christ personally closer to my own soul, and to others as well. Let’s be like David, who, when he considered the Lord in comparison to himself and anyone else, said, “Let the Lord be magnified” (Psalm 35:27).

Let’s bring Him closer today, and as we once again examine His person and work, like Mary, we too can say, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).

Where Are You Going?

Our time on earth is short! Each closing year, each setting sun, each tick of the clock is shortening our days on earth, and swiftly, silently, but surely carrying us on to eternity. The moment will soon arrive which will close our lives here on this planet and begin either a song in heaven or a wail in hell. Our eternal destiny will then be forever sealed. The Word of God plainly states: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).

Today your hands are busy, your eyes are seeing, your mind is thinking, you are planning for the future. Tomorrow all may be still. You may be gone to eternity. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Ask yourself honestly, “Am I prepared for eternity?” Give your conscience time to answer and be sure not to stifle its voice. Let the heaven and hell of the future stand before you in all their reality. One or the other will be your final destination, and today is the time to make your choice.

Waiting For Him

George Cutting (1843-1934), gives us the following meditation:

A widowed mother stands on the pier of a seaport, eagerly gazing seaward. She has heard that transports bringing troops home from war in a distant land are soon to arrive, and in one of them she fervently hopes to see her much loved son. Preparations for a grand review, to take place soon after the men have landed are being made on a magnificent scale, and her boy is to have part in all the honor. She will be there to see it. But just now she is waiting for him, to take him to her home and have him all to herself for the day or two preceding the review. Day and night since he departed she has looked forward to his return. She will rejoice to see him honored, but the thought uppermost in her heart is — “HE IS COMING.”

Is that the way we are watching and waiting for the Lord’s return? The Bible declares, “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8).We are also told, “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching” (Luke 12:37).

A Father’s Love

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

The following conversation illustrates the love of God the Father for each of His children, in spite of their waywardness or state of soul:

Two men were talking. One had a very wayward son.

“How is your son,” asked the other?

“Worse than ever, I’m afraid,” was the reply.

“I wouldn’t have him in the house if he were mine,” answered the first.

“Nor would I, if he were yours, but you see, he’s mine.”

Maybe you have been a wayward child of God. He doesn’t cast you out and disown you. He loves you and desires your restoration and fellowship. Just as the father in Luke’s gospel was watching and waiting for his son to return, so our Father desires to throw His arms around us and welcome us once again.

Shaken — Part 2

Here is another quote from Vance Havner:

“Plenty of Christians are shaky about what they believe, while not many are shaken by what they believe.”

These are days when, more than ever, we need to be firm in standing for the truth. The world has a saying, “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything.”

Luke speaks “of those things which are most surely believed among us” (Luke 1:1). If we really believe what God says in His living book, the Bible, then it will “shake us” and stir us up to live lives for His glory, maintaining moral purity, integrity, and practical righteousness. We will be like those on the Day of Pentecost, who when they heard the truth from Peter, were so shaken by it that we read: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

Are you shaky when it comes to what you believe? The Bible is the absolute truth! Read it, believe it, and let it shake and awaken your conscience, heart, and soul. And let’s learn to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).