Tuesday, April 3, 2018

“If You Had Known!” by Oswald Chambers

“If You Had Known!”

If you had known…in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. LUKE 19:42

Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and the city was stirred to its very foundations, but a strange god was there– the pride of the Pharisees. It was a god that seemed religious and upright, but Jesus compared it to “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

What is it that blinds you to the peace of God “in this your day”? Do you have a strange god– not a disgusting monster but perhaps an unholy nature that controls your life? More than once God has brought me face to face with a strange god in my life, and I knew that I should have given it up, but I didn’t do it. I got through the crisis “by the skin of my teeth,” only to find myself still under the control of that strange god. I am blind to the very things that make for my own peace. It is a shocking thing that we can be in the exact place where the Spirit of God should be having His completely unhindered way with us, and yet we only make matters worse, increasing our blame in God’s eyes.

“If you had known….” God’s words here cut directly to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind them. These words imply responsibility for our own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. And “now they are hidden from your eyes” because you have never completely yielded your nature to Him. Oh, the deep, unending sadness for what might have been! God never again opens the doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut– doors which had no need to be shut. Never be afraid when God brings back your past. Let your memory have its way with you. It is a minister of God bringing its rebuke and sorrow to you. God will turn what might have been into a wonderful lesson of growth for the future. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

If there is only one strand of faith amongst all the corruption within us, God will take hold of that one strand.

from Not Knowing Whither, 888 L

Loving God by Charles Stanley

John 14:21-24

If you ask a young man how he knows he’s in love with his girlfriend, there’s a good chance he won’t be able to explain but will simply say, “I just know it.” And those of us who have experienced the joy of falling in love will understand what he means.

But how do we know if we love God? Even though we can’t physically see, hear, or touch Him, our life should contain evidence that testifies to our love for Him.

Jesus’ love for His heavenly Father was perfectly demonstrated by His obedience. Every word, thought, and deed—from the time He left heaven to be born as a baby until His ascension—was done according to His Father’s will and instructions. Their relationship was so intimate that Jesus not only knew exactly what His Father desired but also delighted in obeying Him. (See Psalm 40:7-8; John 6:38.)

If we want to grow in our love for the Lord, we must draw near to Him through His Word. As we learn to know Him intimately, our love will increase and we’ll desire to obey. Unless we invest in Scripture, our fervor for the Lord will fall short of what it could be.

What does your lifestyle reveal about the depth of your devotion to Christ—can others see it clearly in your conversation, character, and conduct? And if you ever feel disappointed that your love for Christ seems small, open the Word of God and obey whatever He says. He will abide with you and disclose Himself, thereby increasing your capacity to love and know Him more.

Draw Near / THE UMBRELLA

THE UMBRELLA

During a particularly hot summer, a group of farmers gathered in their church to pray for rain. The dry weather threatened their livelihood, and their situation was desperate. After the service, one little girl asked her father if the people truly expected that it would rain. "Of course," replied the dad. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here." "But Daddy," protested the little girl, "how come no one came to church with an umbrella?"

In the very first prayer recorded in the Bible (Genesis 15:1-6), we catch a glimpse of Abraham's faith. It is a faith that goes beyond human understanding. When Abraham was old and bent with years, he complained to God that he had no heir. God promised Abraham that he would be blessed with a son, and Abraham believed in spite of his old age. From that moment on, he lived with expectation that God would give him a son. In essence, Abraham started carrying the umbrella of faith in this first prayer.

There were times when Abraham doubted, but over all, he lived a life of faith. What seemed impossible to Abraham became a reality because he believed God. God always honors the faith of His followers. James reminds us: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (James 1:6). Our pleas married to faith give birth to answered prayer. When we pray, let us believe.

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What is Over Our Heads but Under His Feet? by Adrian Rogers

April 3

What is Over Our Heads but Under His Feet?

“For He hath put all things under His feet. . .” - 1 Corinthians 15:27

Praise God! The Crucifixion story has a happy ending! He is risen! Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God at this very moment, interceding on your behalf (Romans 8:34). And His prayers are always answered.

When the problems of your life are over your head, remember they are under His feet. Where is His head? It is in the heavenlies, interceding for you.

Where are your problems? Under His feet.

Jesus is alive and waiting in the wings to return for you!

Is there someone in your life who is struggling? Write them a note of encouragement and use Romans 8:34 as a closing verse of hope.

Are you struggling today with something heavy? Take out a sheet of paper and write it down. Write it as a letter to the Lord. Tell Him all about it and what you fear. Then read Romans 8:34, and tell Him how you are going to release it into His all-powerful hands.

April 3 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Glorify ye the Lord in the fires" (Isa. 24:15).

Mark the little word "in"! We are to honor Him in the trial--in that which is an affliction indeed and though there have been cases where God did not let His saints feel the fire, yet, ordinarily, fire hurts.

But just here we are to glorify Him by our perfect faith in His goodness and love that has permitted all this to come upon us.

And more than that, we are to believe that out of this is coming something more for His praise than could have come but for this fiery trial.

We can only go through some fires with a large faith; little faith will fail. We must have the victory in the furnace. --Margaret Bottome

A man has as much religion as he can show in times of trouble. The men who were cast into the fiery furnace came out as they went in--except their bonds.

How often in some furnace of affliction God strikes them off! Their bodies were unhurt--their skin not even blistered. Their hair was unsinged, their garments not scorched, and even the smell of fire had not passed upon them. And that is the way Christians should come out of furnace trials--liberated from their bonds, but untouched by the flames.

"Triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15).

That is the real triumph--triumphing over sickness, in it; triumphing over death, dying; triumphing over adverse circumstances, in them. Oh, believe me, there is a power that can make us victors in the strife. There are heights to be reached where we can look down and over the way we have come, and sing our song of triumph on this side of Heaven. We can make others regard us as rich, while we are poor, and make many rich in our poverty. Our triumph is to be in it. Christ's triumph was in His humiliation. Possibly our triumph, also, is to be made manifest in what seems to others humiliation.
--Margaret Bottome

Is there not something captivating in the sight of a man or a woman burdened with many tribulations and yet carrying a heart as sound as a bell? Is there not something contagiously valorous in the vision of one who is greatly tempted, but is more than conqueror? Is it not heartening to see some pilgrim who is broken in body, but who retains the splendor of an unbroken patience? What a witness all this offers to the enduement of His grace! --J. H. Jowett

"When each earthly prop gives under,
And life seems a restless sea,
Are you then a God-kept wonder,
Satisfied and calm and free?"

Piercing the Darkness by Stephen Davey

Piercing the Darkness

Psalm 77:6

I will remember my song in the night . . .

Darkness is actually more than the absence of light. It is also a place--a place of fear, emptiness, and loneliness.

A Jewish man named Eliezer Wiesel experienced this darkness and wrote about it in his book, Night. He describes one of the most horrible chapters ever recorded in the history of mankind: the Holocaust.

As a teenager, Elie Wiesel was sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz during Hitler's maddening reign; later he was moved to the camps at Buna, Buchenwald, and Gleiwitz. According to Elie's testimony, he had seen all the Jews in his village banded together, stripped of their possessions, and loaded into cattle cars.

He saw his mother, little sister, and all his family disappear into an oven fueled with human flesh. He saw children hanged and weak men killed by fellow prisoners for a piece of bread.

Wiesel wrote of the night the train in which he was riding pulled up at the camp. Coils of ominous black smoke billowed from the tower; beneath it lay the ovens. For the first time in his life, Elie smelled the scent of burning human flesh. He wrote:

Never shall I forget that night, seven times cursed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget that silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.

That night was dark for Elie Wiesel and many other Jews, but the greater tragedy is that the darkness found its way into Elie's heart. Not only did he watch friends and family die on that fateful night, but he claims that his God died as well.

But there was another person who entered that same dark night; she came forth as a shining light. Her name was Corrie ten Boom. Although she herself was not a Jew, she and her family had been discovered aiding Jews and had been sent to one of the German death camps as well. She, too, saw people murdered, watched her own sister Betsie die from illness in the camp, and felt the gnaw of hunger and the sting of the whip.

But in her account of the terrible things which transpired all around her, there was a thread of hope. She wrote of the Bible study that some of the Jews held in secret, of the hymn singing, and of the many acts of compassion and sacrifice they offered to one another.

Throughout her days of blackness, Corrie continued to trust in a God who was at work even in a cave as dark as hers! She would later write, "I discovered that there is not a pit where God's love is not deeper still!"

Corrie ten Boom could relate to the author of Psalm 77:6; he, too, found himself in a dark, empty place where God seemed distant. But as the darkness deepened, the volume of his song increased. He committed to singing in the middle of his long, dark night.

The same is true for us. The darker the night grows, the more we see God's light shining around us--if we're willing to look with the eyes of faith and trust.

That is a choice we have to make. Either we can collapse in our discouragement and give up on God as Elie Wiesel did, or we can praise Him in the midst of it, as did Corrie ten Boom.

Are you experiencing darkness right now in your own life? Does God seem distant and the heavens made of brass? Let me encourage you to look farther ahead by faith . . . the faithful light of Christ is inviting you to take just one more step in His direction.

Every act of trust and every offering of praise are stubborn refusals to give in to the darkness; they are faith-filled decisions to walk in the light.

Stay the course . . . and don't forget to sing in the dark.

Prayer Point: Take time to ask God to help you remember that when the darkness comes, His light is ever present. Thank Him for the times when He led you out of the dark.

Extra Refreshment: Read again all of Psalms 23 to remember that the Good Shepherd is with us... even in the valley.

A Humble Confession by Alistair Begg

DAILY DEVOTIONAL APRIL 3, 2018

A Humble Confession

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6

Here a confession of sin is shared by all the elect people of God. They have all fallen, and therefore, in one voice, from the first who entered heaven to the last who shall arrive they all say, "All we like sheep have gone astray."

This confession is not only unanimous, it is also special and particular: "We have turned every one to his own way." All are sinful, but each individual faces his or her own peculiar sinfulness, which is not found in someone else. It is the mark of genuine repentance that while it naturally associates itself with other penitents, it also takes up a position of loneliness. "We have turned every one to his own way" is a confession that each individual had sinned against light peculiar to himself or sinned with an aggravation that he could not perceive in others.

This confession is unreserved; there is not a word to detract from its force, nor a syllable by way of excuse. This confession bids farewell to every plea of self-justification. It is the declaration of those who are consciously guilty—guilty with aggravations, guilty without excuse: they stand with their weapons of rebellion broken in pieces and cry, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way."

Yet we hear no mournful wailings attending this confession of sin; for the next sentence makes it almost a song. "The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." It is the most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. How strange that where misery was concentrated, mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax, weary souls find rest. The Savior bruised is the healing of bruised hearts.

Consider how the humble confession gives way to assured confidence by simply gazing at Christ on the cross!

The Start of Jesus' Final Challenge by John MacArthur

The Start of Jesus' Final Challenge

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane” (Matthew 26:36).

The agony of Jesus’ death, beginning with His ordeal in the Garden of Gethsemane, is something finite believers will never fully comprehend.

C.H. Spurgeon, in an 1880s sermon, said this to his congregation: “It will not be enough for you to hear, or read [about Christ]; you must do your own thinking and consider your Lord for yourselves. . . . Shut yourself up with Jesus, if you would know him.” However, even those who most conscientiously follow Spurgeon’s admonition to meditate on Jesus’ Person and ministry find the effort reveals much about Him that is beyond human understanding.

As we continue our study of the events leading up to the Lord’s sacrificial death, we also realize that it’s difficult to grasp the full meaning of many of them. Even with the aid of the Spirit’s illumination, we find the weight of Jesus’ agony and suffering more than our minds can completely fathom. As the sinless God-man, He could perceive the full scope of sin’s horror in a way we never can.

Like every other aspect of Jesus’ life, though, His agony in Gethsemane was part of God’s foreordained plan of redemption. Christ’s intense sorrow and mental wrestling in the face of His mission to take away the sin of the world fit perfectly with Scripture’s portrait of Him. The prophet Isaiah predicted that He would be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). In John 11:35 “Jesus wept” at Lazarus’ grave. Luke 19:41 tells us that at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “He saw the city and wept over it.”

The Lord Jesus’ experience in Gethsemane was the final accumulation of all the hardships, sorrows, and griefs He had to deal with in His earthly ministry. And our Lord, through His dark struggle in the Garden, is the best role model we will ever have of a godly response to trials and temptations. In view of His sacrificial death for us, His response to adversity should cause us to stand in awe of our great Savior and desire to follow His example.

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray that the Lord would strengthen your resolve to follow His example in dealing with trials.

For Further Study

Read John 11:1-46, and list some parallels you see in verses 30-44 between Jesus’ reactions to Lazarus’s death and how He would respond to His own suffering and death.

A Reason to Worship by David Jeremiah

Tuesday, April 3

A Reason to Worship

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:6

It could happen at the reading of a relative’s will, wherein you are named as a beneficiary. It could happen when you are hired or promoted or accepted to college. Maybe it happens when you are the grand-prize winner in a contest. Or when your beloved says “Yes” to your marriage proposal.

Sweet and Bitter / Our Daily Bread

Sweet and Bitter

April 3, 2018

Read: Psalm 119:65–72
Bible in a Year: Judges 19–21; Luke 7:31–50

You are good, and what you do is good.—Psalm 119:68

Some people like bitter chocolate and some prefer sweet. Ancient Mayans in Central America enjoyed chocolate as a beverage and seasoned it with chili peppers. They liked this “bitter water,” as they called it. Many years later it was introduced in Spain, but the Spaniards preferred chocolate sweet, so they added sugar and honey to counteract its natural bitterness.

Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well. A seventeenth-century French monk named Brother Lawrence wrote, “If we knew how much [God] loves us, we would always be ready to receive equally . . . from His hand the sweet and the bitter.” Accept the sweet and the bitter equally? This is difficult! What is Brother Lawrence talking about? The key lies in God’s character. The psalmist said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68).

Mayans also valued bitter chocolate for its healing and medicinal properties. Bitter days have value too. They make us aware of our weaknesses and they help us depend more on God. The psalmist wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (v. 71). Let us embrace life today, with its different flavors—reassured of God’s goodness. Let us say, “You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised” (v. 65 nlt). —Keila Ochoa

Father, help me to see Your goodness even in times of trouble.

God is good.

INSIGHT: Psalm 119 expresses a deep longing to be transformed by the riches of God’s truth. The psalm echoes the theme of Psalm 1—that walking with God in integrity results in being “blessed,” having a flourishing life (v. 1).

Yet even as the psalm vividly describes pursuing God wholeheartedly, it also emphasizes that a rich life with God isn’t based on us. We are always in desperate need of God’s loving guidance to lead us into ever-greater depths of His truth (119:35-37, 88). The beauty of life with God is always based on His goodness (v. 68).

That is why—even in hard times—we can still find joy and hope. Even when our struggles are caused by our own sin (vv. 67, 71), we can trust in His mercy (v. 132). Because He is good and does what is good (v. 68), we can trust that He is always at work, drawing us closer to Him (v. 58).

Reflect on the intimate way Psalm 119 unites our calling to pursue God with our complete dependence on Him. Are you prone to emphasize one over the other? How might God be calling you to a deeper walk with Him? Monica Brands

Let the Wisdom Search Begin! by Stephen Davey

Let the Wisdom Search Begin!

Proverbs 3:13–14 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. Contrary to popular belief, wisdom is not an easy thing to attain. Like diamonds, you won’t find it lying on top of the ground. It is something that many would like to have, but few ever mine the depths in order to discover where it lies. I read a story of a young man who approached the great thinker, Aristotle, and asked him the profound question, “How can I have wisdom?” Aristotle smiled and replied, “Follow me.” The young man followed closely as they made their way down several streets, arriving at a shallow pool in the city square. Without any hesitation, Aristotle gathered up his robes and waded into the water. The young man stopped for a moment, but then followed him into the pool. When both men were standing in the middle, Aristotle suddenly turned, grabbed the younger man by the neck, and pushed his head under the water. The student flailed with his arms, but to no avail. Aristotle was the stronger of the two, and he held the struggling lad’s head beneath the surface. At the last possible moment, Aristotle pulled him up, dragged him over to the edge, and sat him down. Coughing and gasping for air, the student could hardly believe what had just occurred. Unmoved by the young man’s confusion and surprise, Aristotle simply asked him, “Young man, when I held you under the water, what did you want more than anything in the world?” He sputtered between coughs, “Air, sir . . . air!” Aristotle then responded, “When you want wisdom as badly as you wanted air, then you will find it,” and he walked away. The test for wisdom is: Do you believe you can live without it? If it isn’t as vital as food, shelter, or clothing—all of which can be purchased—it won’t be found. Although you may desire it, you’ll never find it. After a few scrapes with a shovel or pick, in search of this rare jewel, you’ll never get much farther than scratching the surface before completely giving up. The Bible is all about wisdom. Read Psalms, Proverbs, Ephesians, or Colossians, and you will find this word used repeatedly. Proverbs 2:7 tells us that wisdom is obeying God’s commands and seeking to know His will; therefore, even believers can run low on wisdom! But when we first desire wisdom “as silver and hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4), and then ask God for it “who gives to all generously and without reproach” (James 1:5), as well as cherish what we find (Proverbs 3:5–6), we will become that rare person who not only pursues wisdom . . . but finds it.
Prayer Point:Ask the Lord to give you a longing for wisdom—that ability to discern between right and wrong—the quality of thinking that puts truth into action.
Extra Refreshment:Read Proverbs 8.

Monday, April 2, 2018

The Glory That’s Unsurpassed by Oswald Chambers

The Glory That’s Unsurpassed

�the Lord Jesus…has sent me that you may receive your sight… ACTS 9:17

When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.

The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22).

Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.

Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside,
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Gazing on the Crucified. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them.

from The Place of Help

Going Against the Flow by Charles Stanley

Psalm 62:1-6

A majority may rule in the culture, but in your personal life, there should be only one ruler—and that’s God. It makes no difference if 10,000 people tell you what you ought to do. Once you have decided to follow the Lord, it’s best to stand right where you are until you get marching orders from Him.

Does this mean we should never take godly counsel? Not at all. It simply means that when we know God hasn’t said to move, we shouldn’t yield to the temptation to please others by following their directives or timeline. In other words, while seeking scriptural advice, believers should also listen for the Holy Spirit’s promptings and warnings. For example, when dealing with your children, you may sense there’s a time to bring up an issue and a time to hold off (Eccl. 3:7).

Sometimes, however, a fear of failure may discourage us from doing things God’s way, making us think, What if things don’t turn out as I planned? What if I’m ridiculed by my peers? But ultimately, we must ask ourselves whether we’re going to listen to God or the world. Remember, you don’t have to fear failure when you obey the Lord. He’s the one who intervenes in times of hardship. And He promises to act in behalf of the one who waits for Him (Isa. 64:4).

Remaining steadfast takes courage. That’s why Paul said, “Be strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10). All the pressure in the world can’t make you budge when you trust the Rock upon which you stand. With God’s guidance, you can act with complete confidence of a successful outcome.

Draw Near / THE PRAYER PUMP

THE PRAYER PUMP

Prayer has often been compared to an old water pump. When a pump is frequently used, the water pours out at the first stroke because the water level is high. But, if the pump has not been used for awhile, the water level gets low and one must pump for a long time before the water trickles out. So it is with our prayers. If we neglect them, it is difficult to recapture the sense of God's presence. However, if we maintain the habit of daily devotions, the surging stream of God-awareness stays high in our lives.

Paul felt prayer to be the primary concern of the believer. Paul knew that from the platform of prayer come the godly actions of witnessing and right living. He knew that things and people are changed by the power of prayer. Therefore, he said: I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

In the fifty major prayers of the Bible, we will discover which ones God answered and why. Perhaps in reviewing these, we will also discover ways to improve our own praying and develop the habit of perpetual prayer. It is not always easy to pray, but it is always necessary. In today's prayer period may we, like the disciples, say, "Lord, teach us to pray."

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬