Feb 26
8
Join every tongue to sing
The mercies of the Lord:
The love of Christ our King
Let every heart record:
He saved us from the wrath of God
And paid our ransom with His blood.
What wondrous grace was this!
We sinned, and Jesus died;
He wrought the righteousness,
And we are justified;
We ran the score to lengths extreme,
And all the debt was charged on Him.
Hell was our just desert,
And He that hell endured;
Guilt broke His guiltless heart
With wrath that we incurred;
We bruised His body, spilt His blood,
And both became our heavenly food.
Joseph Hart
“Wherefore hast Thou afflicted Thy servant?” Numbers 11:11
Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles—to test our faith. If our faith is worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilding is afraid of fire—but gold is not. The plastic gem dreads to be touched by the diamond—but the true jewel fears no test.
It is a false faith—which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable. That alone is true faith—which clings to the Lord when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “Though He slays me—yet will I trust in Him,” is heaven-born faith.
The Lord afflicts His servants—to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. “We rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope!” The Lord is honoured by these growing virtues.
We would never know the music of the harp—if the strings were left untouched. We would never enjoy the juice of the grape—if it were not trodden in the winepress. We would never discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon—if it were not pressed and beaten. We would never feel the warmth of fire—if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are revealed by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass.
Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be dark shadows in the picture—to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven—if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter—after conflict? Will not rest be more welcome—after toil? Will not the bliss of the glorified—be enhanced the recollection of past sufferings?
There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.
C.H.Spurgeon
It has been my experience that focusing on whether or not I am saved always leads to confusion and doubt, but focusing on whether Christ is the Saviour has always led to simplicity of thought and confidence.
Joe Terrell
“He hath done all
things well.” Mark 7:37
Everything is necessary which God sends our way.
Nothing can be necessary which He withholds.
He does all things well. It is never ill with us—but when our
evil hearts doubt or forget this plainest of truths.
John Newton
“And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.” Jeremiah 15:21
Note the glorious person of the promise. I will, I will. The Lord Jehovah Himself interposes to deliver and redeem His people. He pledges Himself personally to rescue them. His own arm shall do it, that He may have the glory. Here is not a word said of any effort of our own which may be needed to assist the Lord. Neither our strength nor our weakness is taken into the account—but the lone “I”, like the sun in the heavens, shines out resplendent in all-sufficiency. Why then do we calculate our forces, and consult with flesh and blood—to our grievous wounding? Jehovah has power enough, without borrowing from our puny arm! Peace, you unbelieving thoughts! Be still, and know that the Lord reigns!
Nor is there a hint concerning secondary means and causes. The Lord says nothing of friends and helpers—He undertakes the work alone, and feels no need of human arms to aid Him. Vain are all our lookings around to companions and relatives; they are broken reeds if we lean upon them. The are often unwilling when able—or unable when they are willing. Since the promise comes alone from God, it would be well to wait only upon Him; and when we do so, our expectation never fails us.
Who are the wicked that we should fear them? The Lord will utterly consume them! They are to be pitied, rather than feared! As for cruel ones, they are only terrors to those who have no God to fly to—for when the Lord is on our side, whom shall we fear? If we run into sin to please the wicked, we have cause to be alarmed—but if we hold fast our integrity, the rage of tyrants shall be overruled for our good. When the fish swallowed Jonah, it found him to be a morsel which he could not digest; and when the world devours the church, it is glad to be rid of it again. In all times of fiery trial, in patience let us possess our souls.
C.H.Spurgeon
Salvation
And they were shouting with a mighty shout,
“Salvation to
our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb!” Revelation 7:10
The sweetest song that heaven ever proclaimed,
the most blessed note that ever melted the soul,
is salvation.
Saved FROM . . .
death and hell;
the worm which never dies;
the fire which is never quenched;
the sulphurous flames of the bottomless pit;
the companionship of tormenting fiends and
all the foul wretches under which earth has groaned;
blaspheming God in unutterable woe;
an eternity of misery without end or hope!
Saved INTO . . .
heaven;
the sight of Jesus as He is;
perfect holiness and happiness;
the blissful company of holy angels and glorified
saints;
and all this during the countless ages of a blessed eternity!
What tongue of men or angels can describe the
millionth part of what is contained in the word
salvation?
J.C.Philpot
Lessons From The Red Sea
“By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.” (Hebrews 11:29)
Hebrews 11 shows us, by numerous examples, what true, saving faith is. By contrast, it also shows us what faith is not. In this chapter, we see faith doing things that are impossible with men, doing that which only God almighty, with whom nothing is impossible, can do. You see, the power of faith, the strength of faith lies not in us but in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Object of all true faith. So when men and women do things believing God, it is not them, but Christ who is doing the work: doing it through them, yes, but he is the One doing the work.
This blessed gift of faith, the work and operation of God in his people performs great works indeed. Faith in Christ enables weak, helpless sinners, sinners who believe God, to perform supernatural acts, overcome impossible difficulties, and endure trials that are impossible for flesh and blood to endure.
We are told that. Israel passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, because they believed God. The Egyptians, attempting to do the same thing in the strength and energy of the flesh, were destroyed. It was faith that enabled Israel to enter a miraculously formed valley between two mountainous walls of water, crossing over safely to the other side of the Red Sea.
In much the same way, true, saving faith, faith in Christ, is that which enables believers to pass through and overcome trials and troubles that utterly destroy others. As it was faith in Christ that enabled those men of old ultimately to enter into and take possession of Canaan, so it is faith in Christ that will soon land us safe on Canaan’s happy shore and enable us to take possession of heaven’s eternal bliss.
There is no greater example of the contrast between faith and presumption in the whole Book of God than that which is before us in Hebrews 11:29. Here we see the ultimate end and result of the long controversy between the Egyptians and the Israelites. This is clearly a type and picture of what will be the last end of the conflict between the world and the church. It has been a long and bitter conflict. It began with Cain and Abel and continues to this day. But it shall soon end in the sudden appearance of Christ for the complete salvation of his church and the utter destruction of his enemies.
The example of faith before us in Hebrews 11:29 is truly remarkable. It was night when the children of Israel undertook their flight out of Egypt. Through the darkness they fled, moved by faith. Through the darkness Pharaoh and the huge Egyptian army presumptuously and blindly pursued them, moved by envy, hatred and lusts. At last, the hour arrived when the long-insulted forbearance of the Almighty was to be avenged (Ex. 14:24-25).
The Egyptians cried, “Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.” But it was too late. The Lord had begun to fight against them. Once the Lord God unsheathes his sword of justice, he does not put it away until he has dipped it into the blood of his enemy! The proud monarch of Egypt and those who followed him learned suddenly and everlastingly that it is a vain thing to be found fighting against God!
That which was the path of deliverance for the believing Israelites (the Red Sea) was made the very gate of hell for the Egyptians. You see, every attempt of men to obtain in unbelief that which is obtained only by faith is doomed to everlasting disappointment.
Oh, may God the Holy Spirit teach and convince you who believe not how vain it is to fight against God. Turn to him now. Sue for mercy, pleading the merits of Christ for your soul, lest he begins to fight against you this very hour!
Don Fortner
“They Passed Through The Red Sea”
“By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.” (Hebrews 11:29)
Faith in Christ enabled Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Aaron, Miriam and the believing Israelites to obtain what they could never have otherwise obtained. – Faith gave them strength to obey the command of God and pass safely through the roaring Red Sea with complete safety.
Great Danger
Hebrews 11:29 takes us back to what is recorded in Exodus 14. There we are informed that shortly after Pharaoh had consented to let Israel go, he hardened his heart again. His spies informed him that the Israelites were trapped. So he went after them in fury, determined to destroy them. As the armies of Egypt drew near the children of Israel began to murmur in unbelief (Ex. 14:10-12). They were hemmed in. They were shut in with the wall of Egypt on one side, the wilderness on the other, the Red Sea before them, and Pharaoh behind them. What did they do? They murmured against God. They ate the Passover and God protected them from the destroying angel. They walked out of Egypt with a high hand. Now, they trembled in unbelief. They looked to their own strength rather than the power of God, and their hearts failed them.
Forced Faith
Thanks be unto God, he will not forsake his own! He will never leave his chosen to themselves. Rather than leave us in our unbelief, by the inner workings of his Spirit and his sovereign arrangement of providence, the Lord our God graciously forces us to believe him. (Sweet grace! Immaculate mercy!) The Lord brought Israel to such a helpless and hopeless condition that they were constrained to trust him. What could they do? Fight they dare not. Flee they could not. If the Lord had not shown himself strong on their behalf they would surely have perished. God brought them to this place! He had promised to befor them. Now he was teaching them to rest confidently in his Covenant. Let us be wise, and learn from their mistake. Has he not promised us, “When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee” (Isa. 43:2)?
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to its foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
No matter how deep the waters, no matter how dark the storm, no matter how strong the oppressor may be, God who cannot lie has said, “They shall not overflow thee!”
Don Fortner
Who
can come out of the battle alive?
“Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe!” Ps.
119:117
We know little of ourselves, and less
of one another. We do not know . . .
our own needs,
what is for our good,
what snares to avoid,
what dangers to shun.
Our path is . . .
bestrewed with difficulties,
beset with temptations,
surrounded with foes,
encompassed with perils.
At every step there is a snare!
At every turn an enemy lurks!
Pride digs the pit,
carelessness blindfolds the eyes,
carnality drugs and intoxicates the senses,
the lust of the flesh seduces,
the love of the world allures,
unbelief paralyses the fighting hand and the praying knee,
sin entangles the feet,
guilt defiles the conscience,
and Satan accuses the soul.
Under these circumstances, who
can come out of
the battle alive? Only he who is
kept by the mighty
power of God. “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be
safe!”
J.C.Philpot