Lost Opportunities {J.R. Miller}

“He cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: your rest it is enough, the hour is come”

Mark 14:41

The time for watching is past. Jesus had now passed through His agony, and on His face was the radiance of peace. He did not need any longer the help of the sympathy which in vain He had craved in the darkness. He looked toward the city gate, and there was the traitor coming. There was neither need nor use now for the disciples‘ waking and watching, and they might as well sleep on. The lesson is plain. Whatever we do for our friends we must do when they are in need of our help. If one is sick, the time to show our sympathy is while the sickness continues. If we allow him to pass through his illness without showing him any attention, there is little use when he is out again for us to offer kindness.

The lesson is plain. Whatever we do for our friends we must do when they are in need of our help. If one is sick, the time to show our sympathy is while the sickness continues. If we allow him to pass through his illness without showing him any attention, there is little use when he is out again for us to offer kindness.

If one of our friends is passing through some sore struggle with temptation, then is the time for us to come up close alongside of him and put the strength of our love under his weakness. If we fail him then we may almost as well let him go on alone after that. Of what use is our help when the battle has been fought through to the end and won without us? Or suppose the friend was not victorious; that he failed, — failed because no one came to help him, — is there any use in our hurrying up to him then to offer assistance? Thus on all sides the lesson presses.

      We might have lent
Such strength, such comfort and content
To you out of our ample store;
We might have hastened on before
To lift the shadows from your way,
Darkened, ere noon, to twilight’s gray
With earth’s chilled air love’s warm heart-scent
      We might have blent.

Afraid? {Hamilton}

Afraid? Of What?

To feel the spirit’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid — of that?

Afraid? Of What?
Afraid to see the Savior’s face?
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid — of that?

Afraid? Of What?
A flash – a crash – a pierced heart!
Darkness – light – O heaven’s art!
Each wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid – of that?

Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not?
Baptize with blood a stony plot
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?

Afraid — of that?

 

My Influence

Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts,

be ashamed for my sake:

let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake,

O God of Israel.

Psalms 69:6

Pray Without Ceasing {J.R. Miller}

“Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.”

John 18:2

These words give us a glimpse of our Lord’s devotional habits. The deep quiet of the Olive garden was His closet. Here He had been wont to go for seasons of prayer. There were other places, too, which were sacred resorts to Him. There were mountain-tops, where He often spent whole nights in communion with His Father.

Our Lord’s example teaches us that we should spend much time in devotion. Some people manage to get along without much praying; but it is always at the expense of their spiritual life. Not feeding their souls, they grow very lean. There really can be no beautiful, strong, helpful Christian life without much closet work. Every tree has a root, which people do not see, which has no beauty, but which in secret, in the darkness, performs service for the tree, without which the tree could not live. What the root is to the tree, that is the Christian’s secret devotional life to the external and visible life which the world sees. We shall flourish and be fruitful in spiritual life just in proportion to the earnestness, the reality, and the intensity of our devotional life. A great deal of praying needs to go with a very little working.

Our Lord’s example teaches us also the importance of regular habits of praying. Some people say that praying should be spontaneous, and that stated times and places make it formal, and take the life out of it. But we are such creatures of habit that if we do not pray at regular times each day we shall very soon not pray at all. But if we always go to our closet at the same time, out devotions will become part of our daily life, and we shall never live a day without its moments of prayer. If our Lord’s holy life required regular habits of prayer and communion, much more do our broken, imperfect lives require the same.

From Obedience to Blessing {C.H. Spurgeon}

From this day will I bless you. (Haggai 2:19)

Future things are hidden from us. Yet here is a glass in which we may see the unborn years. The Lord says, “From this day will I bless you.”

It is worthwhile to note the day which is referred to in this promise. There had been failure of crops, blasting, and mildew, and all because of the people’s sin. Now, the Lord saw these chastened ones commencing to obey His word and build His temple, and therefore He says, “From the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider. From this day will I bless you.” If we have lived in any sin, and the Spirit leads us to purge ourselves of it, we may reckon upon the blessing of the Lord. His smile, His Spirit, His grace, His fuller revelation of His truth will all prove to us an enlarged blessing. We may fall into greater opposition from man because of our faithfulness, but we shall rise to closer dealings with the Lord our God and a clearer sight of our acceptance in Him.

Lord, I am resolved to be more true to Thee and more exact in my following of Thy doctrine and Thy precept; and I pray Thee, therefore, by Christ Jesus, to increase the blessedness of my daily life henceforth and forever.

A Lady’s Choice {Slatton}

I saw my face reflected there

I cowered in the mirror’s stare

I shook my head, sighed in despair,

I am not a lady.

 

 For though I dress in skirts and gowns,

My selfishness, it knows no bounds,

Materialistic wants abound, and

I am not a lady.

 

I saw my slouching posture clear,

My bitten nails, my unkempt hair

And truly I began to fear

I am not a lady.

 

I saw the throat I used to yell

The lips from which profane words fell

And all the signs I saw did tell

I am not a lady.

 

And seeing this, I stooped to weep

For what strong, worthy man would keep

A wife whose darkness ran so deep? No,

I am not a lady.

 

What father glories in a child

Whose jaw is hard, whose ways are wild,

Who has the Word rebuked, reviled? No,

I am not a lady.

 

And when I from my tear-streaked face

Looked up, I gasped. Before my place,

The Lord, here in my private space,

said, “Yes, you are a lady!”

 

In disbelief I stood and cried,

“Lord, then has my reflection lied?

No jewel, veil, or rouge can hide

That I am not a lady.”

 

He bid that I no longer stand

But kneel, placed my face in His hand,

Said, “Dearest, don’t you understand

How you become a lady?

 

“You cannot do so on your own,

Every great lady past has known

That goodness stems from Me alone.

I make you a lady.”

 

I washed my face and dried my eyes,

And evermore I ceased the cries

Fed by the world’s unholy lies

That I can’t be a lady.

 

And confident, I hold His hand,

And now we must, I understand,

Together work the task at hand:

Making me a lady.

 

 

Not Far From the Kingdom {J.R. Miller}

“Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell… give… and follow me.”

Mark 10:21

Jesus loves every one, but there was something in this young man that specially drew out His affection. He saw in him many amiable qualities, many elements of beauty of character, many things that by divine grace could be made into great loveliness and power. There are many thoughts suggested by this statement. Here are a few of them: — Christ loves those who are not His disciples; some people think He loves only those who have begun to love Him. Christ is deeply interested in every young man; He beholds the possibilities in every young life. He sees lovable things even in the unsaved; but amiable qualities are not enough to save one.

Our Lord’s answer to the young man’s question is very instructive. What is the one thing which, besides all we can do for ourselves by obedience and cultivation of character, makes one a Christian? It is important to be able to answer this question, for it is often asked. A man says: “I live as well as Christians do. I attend church; I keep the commandments; I am kind to my family and generous to the needy and poor; I live conscientiously in all things. What do I lack?”

What shall we answer him? Shall we tell him to sell his farm of his property and give all he has to the poor? Was that the one essential thing in the Master’s counsel to this young man? No: the essential thing was following Christ; the selling and giving away were but parts of this. The young mans heart was attached to his wealth, and the “one thing” was to take Christ instead of his wealth. So we should answer our inquirer by telling him that he must accept Christ as his Saviour and Lord, that he must lay his money and all that he has at Christ’s feet, to be used only for Him and as He directs, and must take Christ as his sole portion for ever.