\u201cIt shall be well with the righteous\u201d – Isaiah 3:10<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In spiritual things all your temptation, all your darkness, all\nyour wandering God will overrule. It shall be well with you. There\nshall never be a night, but that morning shall come; there shall never be a day\nof trouble, but a day of prosperity shall follow; there shall never be an\nemptying, but there shall be a filling; there shall never be a bringing down,\nbut that He will raise you up again. Let it be either darkness or light, sorrow\nor grief, night or day, life or death, time or eternity, \u201cIt shall be well with\nthe righteous.\u201d \n \n \n ~Scott Richardson (1923-2010)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gospel is About Christ<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man will arrive at right doctrine through the\nknowledge of Christ; but it is possible for him to know orthodox doctrine and\nyet not know Christ. The Gospel is not a collection of dry doctrines; but\nis the revelation of a living, merciful and ever-present Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Henry\nMahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
INCREASE OUR FAITH<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lord told His\ndisciples that even if their brother offends them seven times in a single day,\nthey were to forgive him seven times. They did not reply, increase our\nability to forgive, or our ability to love our offending brother but, \u201cIncrease\nour faith\u201d (Luke 17:5). Faith is the root grace. As our faith is\nincreased, our capacity to forgive will increase, and so will every other\ngrace. If we would grow in grace, this should be our continual prayer,\n\u201cIncrease our faith.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Bag, a Book, and a Bottle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God takes great care to comfort His people in their many trials\nand sorrows in this world. One of the goals which He commands His preachers to\nhave, is the comfort of His people. He says, “Comfort, comfort My\npeople.” Here are three things described in the Word of God that should be\nof great comfort to every believer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. God has made A BAG FOR OUR SINS. Job said, “My\ntransgression is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up my iniquity.” In\nancient times when men died at sea, their bodies were placed in a weighted bag\nwhich was sewn together and sealed. Then they were cast into the depths of the\nsea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is what God has done with our sins. They are cast\n“into the depths of the sea.” When Christ died for our sins which\nwere imputed to Him, He put them all away. They were buried in the sea of God’s\ninfinite forgiveness, put away never to be brought up again. God almighty will\nnever charge us with sin, impute sin to us, remember our sins against us, or\ntreat us any less graciously because of our sin. That is the forgiveness of\nGod! “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The Lord has written A BOOK FOR OUR NAMES. Take heart child\nof God. Your name is written in the book of God! Before the worlds were made,\nthe Lord God inscribed the names of His elect in the Lamb’s book of life. In\nthat book God has recorded, not only the names of the chosen heirs of Heaven,\nbut also all things pertaining to them. The Lamb’s book of life is the book of\nGod’s eternal purpose of grace, predestination, and election. The fact that our\nnames are written in that book means that our salvation is a matter of absolute\ncertainty; and that all things work together for our good by God’s arrangement\nto secure our predestined end, which is perfect conformity to Christ. When our\nLord says, “Rejoice because your names are written in Heaven,” He is\ntelling us that we have nothing to fear. All is well with those whose names are\nwritten in Heaven!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Moreover, the Lord God keeps A BOTTLE FOR OUR TEARS.\n“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your\nbottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” It was customary at\nancient Egyptian funerals for mourners to have a small cloth or sponge to wipe\naway their tears. Then they were squeezed into a small vial, a tear bottle, and\nplaced in the tomb with the dead, symbolizing the care the mourners had for the\none who had died. Even so, the Lord our God, our heavenly Father, our almighty\nSavior, and our holy Comforter, tenderly cares for us. We are the very apple of\nHis eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lord our God has . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
put our sins in a bag and buried them,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
written our names in a book to remember them, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
placed our tears in a bottle to show His tender care for\nus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could anything be more comforting in this world of sin, sorrow,\nand death?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our refuge and strength!<\/strong> This alone is the vexed soul’s refuge!<\/strong>
\n
\n(Charles Spurgeon<\/a>)
\n
\n“God is our refuge and strength\u2014a very present help in trouble” Psalm\n46:1
\n
\n He is our refuge<\/em> \u2014 let us hide in Him.
\n
\n He is our strength<\/em> \u2014 let us array ourselves with Him.
\n
\n He is our help<\/em> \u2014 let us lean upon Him.
\n
\n He is our ever-present help<\/em> \u2014 let us rest in Him now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n(Horatius Bonar<\/a>,\n1808-1889)
\n
\n“In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!”\nColossians 2:3
\n
\nThe one true resting-place where doubt and weariness, the stings of a\npricking conscience, and the longings of an unsatisfied soul would all be\nquieted\u2014is Christ Himself!
\n
\nNot the church, but Christ.
\n
\nNot doctrine, but Christ.
\n
\nNot religious forms and ceremonies, but Christ.
\n
\nChrist the God-man . . .
\n giving His life for ours,
\n sealing the everlasting covenant, and
\n making peace for us through the blood of His cross!
\n
\nChrist the divine storehouse of all light and truth, in whom are hidden all the\ntreasures of wisdom and knowledge!
\n
\nChrist the infinite vessel\u2014the enlightener, the teacher, the quickener, the\ncomforter\u2014so that out of His fullness we may receive grace upon grace.
\n
\nThis, this alone is the vexed soul’s refuge<\/strong>, its rock<\/em> to\nbuild on, its home<\/em> to abide in\u2014until the great tempter is\nbound and every conflict ended in victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n