A True and Holy Life {J.R. Miller}

“In the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest … and his wife.”

Luke 1:5

It makes a great deal of difference in what times and amid what circumstances and influences a man lives. In godly days, when piety pervades all life, it is not remarkable that one should live righteously; but when the times are ungodly, and the prevailing spirit is unrighteous, the life that is holy and devout shines with rare splendour, like a lamp in the darkness.

Such were the times and the spirit of “the days of Herod,” and such were the lives of the blameless old people, who are here mentioned. Amid the almost universal corruption of the priesthood and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, they lived in piety and godly simplicity.

The lesson is that it is not necessary for us to be like other people, if other people are not what they ought to be. The prevalent standard of living ought not to satisfy us, if the prevalent standard is low. No matter how corrupt the times, we should strive to live righteous and godly lives.

Nor is this impossible. God is able and willing to give us all the grace we need to enable us to live a true and holy life in the most unfavouring circumstances; and He will do so if He has really placed us in these circumstances. God makes no mistakes in planting people in this world. He does not put any of us in a spiritual climate in which we cannot grow into beauty and strength; and wherever He plants us, He sends the streams of grace to refresh us.

So, whatever our circumstances may be, it is possible for us to live a godly life. The darker the night of sin about us, the clearer and steadier should be the light that streams from our life and conduct. Any one should be able to live well in the midst of friendly influences and favouring circumstances; but it is doubly important that we be loyal and true to Christ when surrounded by those who care not for Him.

I Will Be Their God {C.H. Spurgeon}

“I will be their God.”
–Jeremiah 31:33

Christian! here is all thou canst require. To make thee happy thou wantest something that shall satisfy thee; and is not this enough? If thou canst pour this promise into thy cup, wilt thou not say, with David, “My cup runneth over; I have more than heart can wish”? When this is fulfilled, “I am thy God,” art thou not possessor of all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but He who filleth all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can measure? but the immeasurable wealth of God can more than overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when God is thine? Dost thou want anything but God? Is not His all-sufficiency enough to satisfy thee if all else should fail? But thou wantest more than quiet satisfaction; thou desirest rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit for heaven in this thy portion, for God is the Maker of Heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments, or drawn from living strings, can yield such melody as this sweet promise, “I will be their God.” Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight; come, bathe thy spirit in it; swim an age, and thou shalt find no shore; dive throughout eternity, and thou shalt find no bottom. “I will be their God.” If this do not make thine eyes sparkle, and thy heart beat high with bliss, then assuredly thy soul is not in a healthy state. But thou wantest more than present delights–thou cravest something concerning which thou mayest exercise hope; and what more canst thou hope for than the fulfillment of this great promise, “I will be their God”? This is the masterpiece of all the promises; its enjoyment makes a heaven below, and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of thy Lord, and let thy soul be always ravished with His love. Get out the marrow and fatness which this portion yields thee. Live up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.

Renewed Mercy

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed,

because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

A Plan for Each Life {J.R. Miller}

“There was a man sent from God.” John 1:6

He had his commission from God. He came as God’s messenger on God’s business. But each one of us was likewise “sent from God” into this world. If we are sent from God, it is on some definite errand. God has a plan, a purpose, for each life. No immortal soul ever came by accident into this world, and none ever came without a mission. We ought to think of this. People sometimes suppose that such men as Moses and John the Baptist and Paul were exceptions. They had their own specific mission; God sent them on very definite errands. But surely we common people are not sent from God in the same sense. We never saw God in a burning bush, nor received our commission directly from His lips. No angel came before our birth to announce what we were to be and to do in this world. We had no revelation of bright glory smiting us down in blindness.

Yet, nevertheless are we “sent from God,” every one of us, and have as definite a work allotted to us, as had Moses or John or Paul. Are we living out God’s thought for us, what He had in view when He made us and sent us hither? Are we doing in this world what He wants us to do? These are important questions; and we should not stop short of honest answers to them, for we shall have to account to God at the end for the way we have fulfilled our mission. Any life is a failure which does not accomplish that which God sent it into the world to do. We find our work and our mission by simple obedience to God and submission to Him. He first prepares us for the place He is preparing for us, and then at the right time leads us into it. We can, indeed, miss our mission in this world, but only by taking our own way rather than God’s.

Can {John Wesley}

Do all the good you can,

by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can,

in all the places you can,

at all the times you can,

to all the people you can,

as long as you ever can.

II Peter 1:2-3 Study

[what is available in knowing Christ]

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you

through the knowledge of God,

and of Jesus our Lord,

[what is already mine - constant victory over sin]

According as his divine power hath given unto us

all things that pertain unto life and godliness,

[what I can obtain - glory and virtue]

through the knowledge of him that hath called us

to glory and virtue:

[what God has already done]

Whereby are given unto us

exceeding great and precious promises:

[what God wants for me]

that by these ye might be partakers

of the divine nature,

[what God wants me to conquer - my flesh]

having escaped the corruption that is in the world

through lust.

II Peter 1:2-3

Requiring Respectability {Author Unknown}

People don’t want a religion

which requires them to be respectable;

they want one which makes them

FEEL respectable.