8. Devotional: Suffer Patiently

Suffer Patiently

by C. H. Von Bogatzky

  In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence
    shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

  In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19)

  Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted. (Isaiah 7:4)

    Christians must suffer patiently, and patience is their armour, while God is fighting for them. But when we are unwilling to suffer, going about to make complaints everywhere, and to seek human comfort, or to rid ourselves by contrivances, we lose the comfort of the Lord's help, we are stirring up the wasp-nest of our unruly thoughts, and bring more trouble upon ourselves and others; nay, we are fighting against God, who hereby intends to cure our impatience, pride, and anger. For the more peevish and wild we are, the more desperate is our disease; and consequently we have so much more need of such sharp but wholesome trials of affliction to mortify those bad passions of the flesh. 

    Therefore, we must not presume to murmur and complain, which will only make bad worse; for he through impatience will flee from one trouble, may run into ten others; and though it is possible sometimes to rid ourselves out of trouble, yet the help is not so glorious and blessed as if we had waited for help of the Lord. Grant me to wait always on thy help; for the Lord's good time will come, though He tarry long.

Sure I must fight if I would reign,  

Increase my courage, Lord;  

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,  

Supported by thy word.   

Must I be carried to the skies  

On flow'ry beds of ease,  

While others suffer'd for the prize,  

And sail'd through bloody seas.

7. Hymn: Workman Of God! O Lose Not Heart

Workman Of God! O Lose Not Heart

Author: F. W. Faber 

1. Workman of God! O lose not heart,
    But learn what God is like;
    And in the darkest battlefield
    Thou shalt know where to strike.

2. Thrice blest is he to whom is giv’n
    The instinct that can tell
    That God is on the field, when
    He Is most invisible.

3. Blest too is he who can divine
    Where real right doth lie,
    And dares to take the side that seems
    Wrong to man’s blindfold eye.

4. Then learn to scorn the praise of men,
    And learn to lose with God;
    For Jesus won the world through shame,
    And beckons thee His road.

5. For right is right, since God is God,
    And right the day must win;
    To doubt would be disloyalty,
    To falter would be sin.

6. Devotional: Attitude

Attitude

Edited by Miles J. Stanford

I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude...saying, 

Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent REIGNETH. (Revelation 19:6)

    Once we become aware that our sovereign Father is reigning and is in full control, our faith becomes a set attitude and we are able to honor Him by resting in His faithfulness under all circumstances.  

    “Joseph gives a wonderful example of a man who does not know what God is doing and yet who by faith cooperates with Him at every step of the way. At each phase of his experience, even when perhaps he was most bewildered, Joseph gave God the cooperation which He requires for the fulfillment of His purpose. This relationship can only come by faith. It does not necessarily entail an understanding of the procedure of things, but it certainly cannot be given unless we are absolutely convinced of the Father’s supreme control over all.  

    “The man who imagines that things have got out of the Father’s hands, that they are not working out as He intended, or that Satan or his agents are really in control, is the man who is not in a position to give the Father the required cooperation in it all. This is unbelief. And unbelief is the greatest hindrance we can offer to the Father’s working. This cooperation is a matter of heart-attitude, of spirit, and means that we go quietly on, cheerfully and faithfully glorifying the Father where we are, not fretting or praying to be moved somewhere else.” - T. A. S.  

    “The strength of the vessel can be demonstrated only by the hurricane, and the power of the Gospel can be fully shown only when the believer is subjected to some fiery trial. If the Father would make manifest the fact that ‘He giveth songs in the night,’ He must first make it night.” - W. T.

5. Devotional: Evening Brightens Into Day

Evening Brightens Into Day 

by C. H. Spurgeon 

It shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. (Zechariah 14:7)

    It is a surprise that it should be so; for all things threaten that at evening time it shall be dark. God is wont to work in a way so much above our fears and beyond our hopes that we are greatly amazed and are led to praise His sovereign grace. No, it shall not be with us as our hearts are prophesying: the dark will not deepen into midnight, but it will, of a sudden, brighten into day. Never let us despair. In the worst times let us trust in the LORD who turneth the darkness of the shadow of death into the morning. When the tale of bricks is doubled Moses appears, and when tribulation abounds it is nearest its end.
    This promise should assist our patience. The light may not fully come till our hopes are quite spent by waiting all day to no purpose. To the wicked the sun goes down while it is yet day: to the righteous the sun rises when it is almost night. May we not with patience wait for that heavenly light, which may be long in coming but is sure to prove itself well worth waiting for?  

    Come, my soul, take up thy parable and sing unto Him who will bless thee in life and in death, in a manner surpassing all that nature has ever seen when at its best.

4. Devotional: A Quiet Heart

A Quiet Heart 

by C. H. Spurgeon 

In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)         

    It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mis-trusting. What can we do if we wear ourselves to skin and bone? Can we gain anything by fearing and fuming? Do we not unfit ourselves for action and unhinge our minds for wise decision? We are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith.          

    Oh, for grace to be quiet! Why run from house to house to repeat the weary story which makes us more and more heart-sick as we tell it? Why even stay at home to cry out in agony because of wretched forebodings which may never be fulfilled? It would be well to keep a quiet tongue, but it would be far better if we had a quiet heart. Oh, to be still and know that Jehovah is God!
    Oh, for grace to be confident in God! The holy One of Israel must defend and deliver His own. He cannot run back from His solemn declarations. We may make sure that every word of His will stand though the mountains should depart. He deserves to be confided in; and if we would display confidence and consequent quietness, we might be as happy as the spirits before the throne.

    Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean thy head upon the bosom of the LORD Jesus.

3. Devotional: Sustained

Sustained 

Edited by Miles J. Stanford 

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. (Psalm 55:22)

    Our Father’s living waters flow both in summer and winter (Zech. 14:8). He provides the barrenness of winter in order to cut us off from every other supply, and teach us to draw from His ever-flowing water of life.  

    “The Father passes us through all the seasons here; and the winter, the most trying one, is the most helpful, if we are really cast on Him in it. Then the real measure of our dependence on Him is ascertained, and also the extent of our resources in Him; and we make acquisitions in Him which we never make at any other time. All our growth and fruit depend on our winters, or rather on how we pass through them.  

    “The more we can rest in Him the more we are independent of everything outside of Him at such a time, the more vigor we really possess; and the better we get over the winter, be it ever so severe. If I am independent of the winter, it is evident that I have mastered it, and not it me; and if I have done so, through the strength of the Lord Jesus, I am relieved though in no human way. Peter is delivered from prison in a superhuman way; but first he, though enduring a very trying winter, could lay him down and sleep—take his rest, because the Lord sustained him.” -J.B.S.  

    “It is a wonderful thing to be so satisfied with the Lord Jesus’ company, that we can be tranquil about everything. I remember when I used to think that I should be happy beyond conception if I were able to say, ‘I will fear no evil; my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.’ In order to reach this, you must find Him enough, without anything else. You can never prove the worth of anyone, until you are absolutely dependent upon him.” -J.B.S.

2. Hymn: The Watch by Night

The Watch by Night 

Author: John Keble 

The Ark Of God is in the field,
Like clouds around the alien armies sweep;
Each by his spear, beneath his shield,
In cold and dew the anointed warriors sleep.  

And can it be thou liest awake,      
Sworn watchman, tossing on thy couch of down?
And doth thy recreant heart not ache
To hear the sentries round the leaguered town?  

Oh dream no more of quiet life;
Care finds the careless out; more wise to vow      
Thine heart entire to Faith’s pure strife;
So peace will come thou know’st not when or how.

1. Hymn: To Heav'n I Lift My Waiting Eyes

To Heav'n I Lift My Waiting Eyes

Author: Issac Watts

1. To heav'n I lift my waiting eyes,
    There all my hopes are laid:
    The Lord that built the earth and skies
    Is my perpetual aid.

2. Their steadfast feet shall never fall,
    Whom he designs to keep;
    His ear attends the softest call;
    His eyes can never sleep.

3. He will sustain our weakest pow'rs
    With his almighty arm,
    And watch our most unguarded hours
    Against surprising harm.

4. Isra'l rejoice, and rest secure,
    Thy keeper is the Lord;
    His wakeful eyes employ his pow'r
    For thine eternal guard.

5. Nor scorching sun, nor sickly moon,
    Shall have his leave to smite;
    He shields thy head from burning noon,
    From blasting damps at night.

6. He guards thy soul, he keeps thy breath,
    Where thickest dangers come:
    Go and return, secure from death,
    Till God commands thee home.

11. November Archive Index

November Archive Index

1. Hymn: How We Learn

2. Hymn: Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation

3. Devotional: What Is Painful Will End

4. Hymn: Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

5. Devotional: Lawn Care

6. Hymn: I Do Not Ask, O Lord

7. Devotional: Broken Bread

8. Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

9. Hymn: Trust In The Lord

10. Devotional: Heavenly Alchemy

10. Devotional: Heavenly Alchemy

Heavenly Alchemy 

by C. H. Spurgeon 

(Audio)

Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (John 16:20)     

    Their particular sorrow was the death and absence of their LORD, and it was turned into joy when He rose from the dead and showed Himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted, even the worst of them, which look as if they must forever remain fountains of bitterness.          Then the more sorrow, the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the LORD's power will turn them into tons of joy. 

    Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavor of the delight: we shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind it.          

    Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is not for long; I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the LORD day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions.

9. Hymn: Trust In The Lord

Trust In The Lord

Author: Thomas O. Chisholm

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    This is God’s gracious command;
    In all your ways acknowledge Him,
    So shall you dwell in the land.

Refrain:  

Trust in the Lord, O troubled soul, 

Rest in the arms of His care; 

Whatever your lot, it mattereth not, 

For nothing can trouble you there; 

Trust in the Lord, O troubled soul, 

Nothing can trouble you there.

2. Trust in the Lord who ruleth all,
    Seeth all things as they are,
    Be it a birdling in its nest,
    Or yonder uttermost star.

3. Trust in the Lord and peaceful be,
    Fret not thy spirit in vain,
    What though the answer tarries long,
    Still shalt thou praise Him again.

4. Trust in the Lord—His eye will guide
    All thro’ your pathway ahead,
    He hath redeemed and He will keep,
    Trust Him and be not afraid.

8. Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Author: Robert Robinson

Tune: NETTLETON

(Vocal)

1. Come, Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing, 

    Tune my heart to sing thy grace; 

    Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 

    Call for songs of loudest praise. 

    Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

    Sung by flaming tongues above; 

    Praise the mount-I'm fixed upon it-

    Mount of Thy redeeming love.  

2. Here I'll raise mine Ebenezer; 

    Hither by Thy help I've come; 

    And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, 

    Safely to arrive at home. 

    Jesus sought me when a stranger, 

    Wand'ring from the fold of God; 

    He, to rescue me from danger, 

    Interposed His precious blood.  

3. O to grace how great a debtor 

    Daily I'm constrained to be! 

    Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, 

    Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee: 

    Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 

    Prone to leave the God I love; 

    Here's my heart, O take and seal it; 

    Seal it for Thy courts above.

7. Devotional: Broken Bread

Broken Bread

Edited by Miles J. Stanford

Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it. (Matthew 26:26)

    The Lord Jesus is not going to ‘break’ anything in our lives that does not require breaking. But that of the old which remains unbroken, which we seek to hold back from the processing of His nail-pierced hands, will continually leaven and spoil our attempts to feed others.  

    “How often we have murmured under trial only to see later the preparation of the Lord Jesus of our hearts that we might be His ministers of comfort in an hour of need in the life of another (2 Cor. 1:4). Afflictions, therefore, many times are the advance token of the Father that we are being prepared for a special ministry of comfort to others. This is a principle seen throughout the Word. All that would be used of the Father in the hands of the Lord Jesus to meet the needs of the hungry-hearted must first be made a blessing by Him. This involves being broken in His hands. This process is necessary because of our tendency to think more of working for the Lord Jesus than becoming a channel for the outflowing of heavenly bread to broken hearts on every side.” -H.R.  

    “Others come to us in their deep need, and, with our hearts breaking, we are called upon to give out of our emptiness and loss what we seem to need ourselves. We are asked to ‘claim victory’ for others in distress, when it seems that we are in greater distress than they. Thus it was at Calvary! He who had loosed others from bondage was given up, as it appeared, to the full rage of the murderous enemy. He who had done the mighty works of God for others, lay in impotence and weakness in the hands of men. Yes, this is the Cross. Life, power, blessing, deliverance for others—and nothing for thyself, but to lie in the will of the Father, and accept from His hand all that He pleases to permit to come upon thee.”

6. Hymn: I Do Not Ask, O Lord

I Do Not Ask, O Lord

Author: Adelaide A. Procter

1. I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be
    A pleasant road;
    I do not ask that Thou wouldst take from me
    Aught of its load.

2. I do not ask that flowers should always spring
    Beneath my feet;
    I know too well the poison and the sting
    Of things too sweet.

3. For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead:
    Lead me aright
    Though strength should falter and though heart should bleed,
    Through peace to light.

4. I do not ask, O Lord, that Thou shouldst shed
    Full radiance here;
    Give but a ray of peace, that I may tread
    Without a fear.

5. I do not ask my cross to understand,
    My way to see;
    Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand,
    And follow Thee.

6. Joy is like restless day; but peace divine
    Like quiet night;
    Lead me, O Lord, till perfect day shall shine,
    Through peace to light.

5. Devotional: Lawn Care

Lawn Care

by F. B. Meyer

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. (Psalm 72:6)

    Amos speaks of the king’s mowings. Our King has many scythes, and is perpetually mowing his lawns. The musical tinkle of the whetstone on the scythe portends the cutting down of myriads of green blades, daisies, and other flowers. Beautiful as they were in the morning, within an hour or two they lie in long, faded rows. Thus in human life we make a brave show, which passes away like the beauty of grass, before the scythe of pain, the shears of disappointment, the sickle of death.  

    There is no method of obtaining a velvety lawn but by repeated mowings; and there is no way of getting tenderness, evenness, sympathy, but by the passing of God’s scythes. How constantly the Word of God compares man to grass, and his glory to its flower! But when grass is mown, and all the tender shoots are bleeding, and desolation reigns where flowers were bursting, it is the most acceptable time for showers of rain falling soft and warm.  

    O soul, thou hast been mown. Time after time the King has come to thee with his sharp scythe. Thou hast sadly learnt that all flesh is grass, and that the efforts of thy self-life are vain. Where are the kingcups and butter-cups of thy pride? They are laid low that thou shouldest bear better crops than ever; and that thou mayest do so, lo, He comes down as spring rain! He comes down; thus you have the miracle of his condescension. He comes down like rain; there you have the manner of his gentle advent. He comes on the mown grass; there is his expectancy, showing that his reason in mowing, followed as it is by the gentle raindrops, lies in the direction of new beauty and use. Do not dread the scythe — it is sure to be followed by the shower.

4. Hymn: Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Author: Joachim Neander

Tune: OBE DEN HERREN

(Vocal)

Praise to the Lord! the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord! who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea so gently sustaineth;
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord! who doth prosper thy work and defend thee,
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee!

Praise to the Lord! Oh let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him!

3. Devotional: What Is Painful Will End

What Is Painful Will End

by C. H. Spurgeon 

I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: 

for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls; which I have made. 

(Isaiah 57:16)        

    Our heavenly Father seeks our instruction, not our destruction. His contention with us has a kind intention toward us. He will not be always in arms against us. We think the LORD is long in His chastisements, but that is because we are short in our patience. His compassion endureth forever, but not His contention. The night may drag its weary length along, but it must in the end give place to cheerful day. As contention is only for a season, so the wrath which leads to it is only for a small moment. The LORD loves His chosen too well to be always angry with them.          

    If He were to deal with us always as He does sometimes, we should faint outright and go down hopelessly to the gates of death. Courage, dear heart! The LORD will soon end His chiding. Bear up, for the LORD will bear you up and bear you through. He who made you knows how frail you are and how little you can bear. He will handle tenderly that which He has fashioned so delicately. Therefore, be not afraid because of the painful present, for it hastens to a happy future. He that smote you will heal you; His little wrath shall be followed by great mercies.

2. Hymn: Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation

Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation

Author: John Mason Neale

Tune: WESTMINSTER ABBEY, by Henry Purcell

(Vocal)

1. Christ is made the sure Foundation, 

    Christ the Head and Cornerstone, 

    Chosen of the Lord, and precious, 

    Binding all the Church in one; 

    Holy Zion's help for ever, 

    And her confidence alone.  

2. All that dedicated city, 

    Dearly loved of God on high, 

    In exultant jubilation 

    Pours perpetual melody; 

    God the One in Three adoring 

    In glad hymns eternally.  

3. To this temple, where we call Thee, 

    Come, O Lord of Hosts, to-day; 

    With Thy wonted loving-kindness, 

    Hear Thy people as they pray; 

    And Thy fullest benediction 

    Shed within its walls alway.  

4. Here vouchsafe to all Thy servants 

    What they ask of Thee to gain, 

    What they gain from Thee, for ever 

    With the blessed to retain, 

    And hereafter in Thy glory 

    Evermore with Thee to reign.  

5. Laud and honor to the Father, 

    Laud and honor to the Son, 

    Laud and honor to the Spirit, 

    Ever Three and ever One, 

    One in might, and One in glory, 

    While unending ages run.

1. Hymn: How We Learn

How We Learn

Author: Horatius Bonar

Great truths are dearly bought. The common truth,  

Such as men give and take from day to day,  

Comes in the common walks of easy life,  

Blown by the careless wind across our way.   

Bought in the market, at the current price,  

Bred of the smile, the jest, perchance the bowl,  

It tells no tale of daring or of worth,  

Nor pierces even the surface of a soul.   

Great truths are greatly won. Not found by chance,  

Nor wafted on the breath of summer-dream,  

But grasped in the great struggle of the soul,  

Hard-buffeting with adverse wind and stream.   

Not in the general mart, 'mid corn and wine,  

Not in the merchandise of gold and gems,  

Not in the world's gay halls of midnight mirth,  

Not 'mid the blaze of regal diadems,   

But in the day of conflict, fear, and grief,  

When the strong hand of God, put forth in might,  

Ploughs up the subsoil of the stagnant heart,  

And brings the imprisoned truth-seed to the light.   

Wrung from the troubled spirit in hard hours  

Of weakness, solitude, perchance of pain,  

Truth springs, like harvest, from the well-ploughed field,  

And the soul feels it has not wept in vain.

12. October Archive Index

October Archive Index

1. September Archive Index

2. Devotional: Bewildering

3. Hymn: Let Nothing Make Thee Sad Or Fretful

4. Hymn: Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

5. Devotional: He Is Gracious

6. Devotional: Light And Gladness

7. Hymn: Fight The Good Fight With All Thy Might

8. Devotional: God's Multiplication Table

9. Hymn: There's Not A Friend Like The Lowly Jesus...

10. Devotional: Weariness In Battle

11. Devotional: Personal Poverty

11. Devotional: Personal Poverty

Personal Poverty 

Edited by Miles J. Stanford

For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto
the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25)

    It is during the time of our being broken that we learn that His promises concerning us cannot be broken.  

    “It is more than comforting to realize that it is those who have plumbed the depths of failure to whom the Father invariably gives the call to shepherd others. This is not a call to the gifted, the highly trained, or the polished as such. Without a bitter realization of their own inadequacy and poverty they are quite unfitted to bear the burdens of spiritual ministry.  

    “It takes a man who has discovered something of the measure of his own weakness to be patient with the foibles of others. Such a man also has a firsthand knowledge of the loving care of the Chief Shepherd, and His ability to heal one who has come humbly to trust Him and Him alone. Therefore he does not easily despair of others, but looks beyond sinfulness, willfulness, and stupidity, to the might of unchanging love. The Lord Jesus does not give the charge, ‘Be a shepherd to My lambs. . . to My sheep,’ on hearing Peter’s self-confident affirmation of undying loyalty, but He gives it after he has utterly failed to keep his vows, and has wept bitterly in the streets of Jerusalem.” - J. C. M.  

    “As to Simon Peter, we not only see him restored to the work to which he was called at the first, but to something even higher. ‘Feed My lambs—shepherd My sheep’—is the new commission given to the man who had denied his Lord with an oath. ‘When thou art restored, strengthen thy brethren.’ There is nothing in all this world nearer and dearer to the heart of the Lord Jesus than His sheep, His lambs: and hence He could not have given Peter a more affecting proof of His confidence than by committing to his care the dearest objects of His deep and tender love.” - C. H. M.

10. Devotional: Weariness In Battle

Weariness In Battle  

by T. Austin-Sparks

    There are many Christians who make a wonderful beginning. They see the vision of God’s great purpose, and certain words in the New Testament make a great appeal to them, such as: “Called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). That is a wonderful vision! “…According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:11) Such a thought makes a great appeal to these people and they make a heart response. They go on so far, and then many stop too soon. They lose the vision; they lose the inspiration; they lose the sense of purpose; they lose the energy to go on, and of some we have to say: ‘Something has gone out of their faces. What was there with them once is not there now. They were so positive once, so occupied with the heavenly calling, but something has happened.’ These people may not be altogether conscious of it, and they would not tell you that something has happened, but it is quite evident that something has happened. They have just lost something, and you do not get the response now from them that you once got. They are not so interested now as they were. The heavenly vision has gone out of their lives. That is true of many Christians, and it could be true of all of us.

    Why did these people stop short of finishing the job? I think that very likely it was because they became weary in well doing. The battle was long drawn out. It was spread over years and was very exhausting. No sooner had they gained one victory than they had to start fighting again. They did not have much rest between one battle and the next one. It was a long drawn-out warfare; they got weary in battle, and in their weariness they lost the vision, they lost heart, and they lost the initiative.

    I am so glad that with all the strong things that the New Testament says, it says some very kind and understanding things about this: “Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9); “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, … your labour is not vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58); “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love” (Hebrews 6:10). What a lot of things there are like that! And Jesus said to His disciples, who were being brought into the battle: “Let not your heart be troubled!” (John 14:1), while we can hear the Lord’s words to Joshua: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed” (Joshua 1:9). Again, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

9. Hymn: There's Not A Friend Like The Lowly Jesus

There's Not A Friend Like The Lowly Jesus

Author: Johnson Oatman

(Vocal)

1. There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
    No, not one! no, not one!
    None else could heal all our soul's diseases,
    No, not one! no, not one!

Chorus: 

Jesus knows all about our struggles, 

He will guide till the day is done; 

There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus, 

No, not one! no, not one!  

2. No friend like Him is so high and holy,
    No, not one! no, not one!
    And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
    No, not one! no, not one!

3. There's not an hour that He is not near us,
    No, not one! no, not one!
    No night so dark but His love can cheer us,
    No, not one! no, not one!

4. Did ever saint find this friend forsake him?
    No, not one! no, not one!
    Or sinner find that He would not take him?
    No, not one! no, not one!

5. Was e'er a gift like the Savior given?
    No, not one! no, not one!
    Will He refuse us a home in heaven?
    No, not one! no, not one!

8. Devotional: God's Multiplication Table

 God's Multiplication Table 

by C. H. Spurgeon 

A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: 

I the LORD will hasten it in his time. (Isaiah 60:22)         

    Works for the LORD often begin on a small scale, and they are none the worse for this. Feebleness educates faith, brings God near, and wins glory for His name. Prize promises of increase! Mustard seed is the smallest among seeds, and yet it becomes a treelike plant, with branches which lodge the birds of heaven. We may begin with one, and that "a little one," and yet it will "become a thousand." The LORD is great at the multiplication table. How often did He say to His lone servant, "I will multiply thee!" Trust in the LORD, ye ones and twos; for He will be in the midst of you if you are gathered in His name.          

    "A small one." What can be more despicable in the eyes of those who count heads and weigh forces! Yet this is the nucleus of a great nation. Only one star shines out at first in the evening, but soon the sky is crowded with countless lights. Nor need we think the prospect of increase to be remote, for the promise is, "I Jehovah will hasten it in his time." There will be no premature haste, like that which we see at excited meetings; it will be all in due time, but yet there will be no delay. When the LORD hastens, His speed is glorious.

7. Hymn: Fight The Good Fight With All Thy Might

Fight The Good Fight With All Thy Might

Author: John S. B. Monsell

Tune: PENTECOST, by William Boyd

(Vocal)

(Melody)

1. Fight the good fight with all thy might,
    Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right;
    Lay hold on life, and it shall be
    Thy joy and crown eternally.

2. Run the straight race through God's good grace
    Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
    Life with its way before us lies,
    Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.

3. Cast care aside, lean on thy guide,
    His boundless mercy will provide;
    Trust, and enduring faith shall prove
    Christ is its life, and Christ its love.

4. Faint not nor fear, for He is near,
    He changeth not, and thou art dear;
    Only believe, and you will see
    That Christ is all in all to thee.

6. Devotional: Light And Gladness

Light And Gladness

by C. H. Spurgeon

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
(Psalm 97:11)

    Righteousness is often costly to the man who keeps to it at all hazards, but in the end it will bear its own expenses and return an infinite profit. A holy life is like sowing seed: much is going out, and apparently it is buried in the soil, never to be gathered up again. We are mistaken when we look for an immediate harvest; but the error is very natural, for it seems impossible to bury light. Yet light is "sown," says the text. It lies latent: none can see it; it is sown. We are quite sure that it must one day manifest itself.          

    Full sure are we that the LORD has set a harvest for the sower of light, and they shall reap it, each man for himself. Then shall come their gladness. Sheaves of joy for seeds of light. Their heart was upright before the LORD, though men gave them no credit for it, but even censured them: they were righteous, though those about them denounced them as censorious. They had to wait, as husbandmen wait for the precious fruits of the earth: but the light was sown for them, and gladness was being prepared on their behalf by the LORD of the harvest.          

    Courage, brothers! We need not be in a hurry. Let us in patience possess our souls, for soon shall our souls possess light and gladness.

5. Devotional: He Is Gracious

He Is Gracious

by C. H. Spurgeon 

He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:15)          

    There are times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible are of no avail, unless a gracious hand shall apply them to us. We are thirsty, but too faint to crawl to the water-brook. When a soldier is wounded in battle it is of little use for him to know that there are those at the hospital who can bind up his wounds, and medicines there to ease all the pains which he now suffers: what he needs is to be carried thither, and to have the remedies applied. 

    It is thus with our souls, and to meet this need there is one, even the Spirit of truth, who takes of the things of Jesus, and applies them to us. Think not that Christ hath placed his joys on heavenly shelves that we may climb up to them for ourselves, but he draws near, and sheds his peace abroad in our hearts. O Christian, if thou art to-night labouring under deep distresses, thy Father does not give thee promises and then leave thee to draw them up from the Word like buckets from a well, but the promises he has written in the Word he will write anew on your heart. He will manifest his love to you, and by his blessed Spirit, dispel your cares and troubles. 

    Be it known unto thee, O mourner, that it is God's prerogative to wipe every tear from the eye of his people. The good Samaritan did not say, “Here is the wine, and here is the oil for you”; he actually poured in the oil and the wine. So Jesus not only gives you the sweet wine of the promise, but holds the golden chalice to your lips, and pours the life-blood into your mouth. The poor, sick, way-worn pilgrim is not merely strengthened to walk, but he is borne on eagles’ wings.
    Glorious gospel! which provides everything for the helpless, which draws nigh to us when we cannot reach after it—brings us grace before we seek for grace! Here is as much glory in the giving as in the gift. Happy people who have the Holy Ghost to bring Jesus to them.

4. Hymn: Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

Author: Samuel Longfellow

Tune: MERCY, by Louis M. Gottschalk

(Vocal)

1. Holy Spirit, Truth Divine, 

    Dawn upon this soul of mine; 

    Word of God, and inward light, 

    Wake my spirit, clear my sight.  

2. Holy Spirit, Love Divine, 

    Glow within this heart of mine; 

    Kindle every high desire; 

    Perish self in Thy pure fire!  

3. Holy Spirit, Power Divine, 

    Fill and nerve this will of mine; 

    By Thee may I strongly live, 

    Bravely bear, and nobly strive. 

4. Holy Spirit, Right Divine, 

    King within my conscience reign; 

    Be my Law, and I shall be 

    Firmly bound, for ever free.  

5. Holy Spirit, Peace Divine, 

    Still this restless heart of mine; 

    Speak to calm this tossing sea, 

    Stayed in Thy tranquillity.  

6. Holy Spirit, Joy Divine, 

    Gladden Thou this heart of mine; 

    In the desert ways I sing, 

   "Spring, O Well, for ever spring." 

3. Hymn: Let Nothing Make Thee Sad Or Fretful

Let Nothing Make Thee Sad Or Fretful

Author: Paul Fleming

Let nothing make thee sad or fretful,      
Or too regretful;            
Be still;
What God hath ordered must be right;
Then find in it thine own delight,        
My will.  

Why shouldst thou fill to-day with sorrow      
About to-morrow,            
My heart?
One watches all with care most true;        
Doubt not that he will give thee too            
Thy part.  

Only be steadfast; never waver,      
Nor seek earth’s favor,            
But rest:        
Thou knowest what God wills must be
For all his creatures, so for thee,            
The best.  

2. Devotional: Bewildering

Bewildering

by H. A. Ironside

Then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) 

    Life is full of mysteries. Again and again the bewildered spirit asks “Why?” And to many of our questions there is no answer. It has not pleased God to explain all His ways with us here and now. Elihu said to Job, “He does not give an accounting of any of His words” (Job 33:13). But faith counts on His infinite love and wisdom, and knows that some day all will be made plain, and in the light of His presence we shall get the answers to all the questions that have perplexed us. Then we shall know the hidden reasons for every trial and sorrow, and we shall see that there was a “needs be” for all of His dealings with us. We may be sure that when we see everything from the divine standpoint we shall be able to praise Him for all that now seems so bewildering.

My Life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the under side.

Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives His very best to those
Who leave the choice with Him.
                                                   - Selected

1. September Archive Index

September Archive Index

1. Hymn: God Meant It Unto Good

2. Hymn: Fret Not, Poor Soul

3. Gleaning: Do Not Look Forward...

4. Devotional: Solitary Source

5. Devotional: What Is God After?

6. Devotional: Broken And Smoking

7. Devotional: We Should Never Lose Heart

8. Devotional: Sufferers Make Strong Believers

9. Hymn: Not So In Haste, My Heart

10. Hymn: A Solitary Way

11. Hymn: He Maketh No Mistakes!

11. Hymn: He Maketh No Mistakes!

He Maketh No Mistakes!  

Author: A. M. Overton

1. My Father’s way may twist and turn,
    My heart may throb and ache.
    But in my soul I’m glad I know,
    He maketh no mistake.

2. My cherished plans may go astray,
    My hopes may fade away,
    But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
    For He doth know the way.

3. Tho’night be dark and it may seem
    That day will never break;
    I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him,
    He maketh no mistake.

4. There’s so much now I cannot see,
    My eyesight’s far too dim;
    But come what may,
    I’ll simply trust and leave it all to Him.

5. For by and by the mist will lift
    And plain it all He’ll make.
    Through all the way, tho’dark to me,
    He made not one mistake.

10. Hymn: A Solitary Way

A Solitary Way

“There is a mystery in human hearts;
And though we may be encircled by a host
Of those who love us well and are beloved,
To every one of us from time to time
There comes a sense of utter loneliness.
Our dearest friend is ‘stranger’ to our joy,
And cannot realize our bitterness.
‘There is not one, who really understands,–
Not one to enter into all we feel;’
Such is the cry of each of us in turn.
We wander in a ‘solitary way,’
No matter what or where our lot may be;
Each heart, mysterious even to itself,
Must live its inner life in solitude.

And would you know the reason why this is?
It is because the Lord desires our love.
In every heart he wishes to be first;
He therefore keeps the secret key himself,
To open all its chambers, and to bless
With perfect sympathy and holy peace
Each solitary soul that comes to him.
So, when we feel this loneliness, it is
The voice of Jesus, saying, ‘Come to me;’
And every time we are ‘not understood,’
It is a call for us to come again,
For Christ alone can satisfy the soul;
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have a ‘solitary way.’

And when beneath some heavy cross you faint
And say, ‘I cannot bear this load alone,’
You say the truth. Christ made it purposely
So heavy that you must return to him.
The bitter grief which ‘no one understands,’
Conveys a secret message from the King,
Entreating you to come to him again.
The Man of Sorrows understands it well;
In all points tempted, he can feel with you.
You cannot come too often or too near.
The Son of God is infinite in grace;
His presence satisfies the longing soul;
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have a ‘solitary way.’”
                                                     - Selected

9. Hymn: Not So In Haste, My Heart

Not So In Haste, My Heart

Author: Bradford Torrey

Tune: DOLOMITE CHANT

(Vocal)

1. Not so in haste my heart!
    Have faith in God, and wait;
    Although He linger long,
    He never comes too late.

2. He never cometh late;
    He knoweth what is best;
    Vex not thyself in vain;
    Until He cometh, rest.

3. Until He cometh, rest,
    Nor grudge the hours that roll;
    The feet that wait for God
    Are soonest at the goal.

4. Are soonest at the goal
    That is not gained with speed;
    Then hold thee still, my heart,
    For I shall wait His lead.

8. Devotional: Sufferers Make Strong Believers

Sufferers Make Strong Believers

by C. H. Spurgeon

(Audio)

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. (Lamentations 3:27)  

    This is as good as a promise. It has been good, it is good, and it will be good for me to bear the yoke. Early in life I had to feel the weight of conviction, and ever since it has proved a soul-enriching burden. Should I have loved the gospel so well had I not learned by deep experience the need of salvation by grace? Jabez was more honorable than his brethren because his mother bare him with sorrow, and those who suffer much in being born unto God make strong believers in sovereign grace.  

    The yoke of censure is an irksome one, but it prepares a man for future honor. He is not fit to be a leader who has not run the gauntlet of contempt. Praise intoxicates if it be not preceded by abuse. Men who rise to eminence without struggle usually fall into dishonor. 

    The yoke of affliction, disappointment, and excessive labor is by no means to be sought for; but when the Lord lays it on us in our youth, it frequently develops a character which glorifies God and blesses the church. Come, my soul, bow thy neck; take up they cross. It was good for thee when young; it will not harm thee now. For Jesus' sake, shoulder it carefully.

7. Devotional: We Should Never Lose Heart

We Should Never Lose Heart

by J. R. Miller

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet. (Haggai 2:1)  

    The Lord always seeks to be an encourager. These returned captives were very much discouraged. They had begun with great enthusiasm to build the temple—but difficulties had risen. Then the Lord sent his servant to hearten the governor and the people, to cheer them, that they might go on through all the obstacles which faced them. That is the way the Lord is always doing with his children. He does not want us ever to yield to discouragement. Of course, life is hard at many a point. There are ofttimes difficult tasks to perform, and sore struggles to endure. Things often seem to fail in our hands. Our plans miscarry, our hopes disappoint us. We meet opposition and enmity, and it seems to us we can never get through with the things we are set to do!  

    But when we open the Bible, we find encouragement on every page. We are there taught never to yield to despair. There can be no failure in duty—if only we are faithful. We never can be defeated in temptation, if only we stand true to Christ. We never can sink under our burden, if only we cast it upon Christ. The things that seem to be failures, become successes, when God's hand is in them. So God ever comes to encourage us in our difficulties. "Fear not; I am with you!" is the formula of divine cheer in every hour of trial. Therefore we should never lose heart.

6. Devotional: Broken And Smoking

Broken And Smoking  

by C. H. Spurgeon 

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. (Isaiah 42:3)  

    Then I may reckon upon tender treatment from my Lord. Indeed, I feel myself to be at best as weak, as pliant, as worthless as a reed. Someone said, "I don't care a rush for you"; and the speech, though unkind, was not untrue. Alas! I am worse than a reed when it grows by the river, for that at least can hold up its head. I am bruised - sorely, sadly bruised. There is no music in me now; there is a rift which lets out all the melody. Ah, me! Yet Jesus will not break me; and if He will not, then I mind little what others try to do. O sweet and compassionate Lord, I nestle down beneath Thy protection and forget my bruises! 

    Truly I am also fit to be likened to "the smoking flax," whose light is gone, and only its smoke remains. I fear I am rather a nuisance than a benefit. My fears tell me that the devil has blown out my light and left me an obnoxious smoke, and that my Lord will soon put an extinguisher upon one. Yet I perceive that though there were snuffers under the law, there were no extinguishers, and Jesus will not quench me; therefore, I am hopeful. Lord, kindle me anew and cause me to shine forth to Thy glory and to the extolling of Thy tenderness. 

5. Devotional: What Is God After?

What Is God After?

by T. Austin-Sparks

    What is God after? Why are you set on this scene as you are? Why is it that God does not give us such pleasant situations and circumstances as we crave for, and make it easy for us? Why does it seem rather that He makes it hard, puts us into hard places, and does not deliver us or prevent us from those very trying conditions? Why is the furnace heated seven times for saints, men who are walking with God? Well, what is He doing with us? Is not this the necessary background to formation according to Christ? Where will the characteristics of the heavenly Man have an opportunity, if not in adversity? Love has no meaning unless there is a background of hate. It is supine, it is weak, it is not real. When you read, “having loved His own that were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1), you say, ‘that is a miracle’. When you read the prophecies of Hosea, and see God uncovering His heart about Israel, the unfaithful Israel, the unfaithful wife, the harlot wife, and then crying as with a broken heart, “How shall I give thee up?” (Hosea 11:8), you have to say, ‘that is love’.  

    You only see it in the light of the background. And this heavenly manhood can only be developed over against a background which is so opposite. That is why He puts you among men who are so earthly, sensual – ‘old-Adamic’. That is why He calls upon Christians to live together up against one another’s old man. If only we could get with all those nice Christians, it would be easy! But you would not develop any heavenly character if the Lord took that line.  

    God is practical. We do know that in no other way could God get us changed. He gives us a first-class opportunity just where we are of developing characteristics which are not of the old man at all – they are of the new man; that is the explanation.

4. Devotional: Solitary Source

Solitary Source 

Selected by Miles J. Stanford 

That l may know Him. (Philippians 3:10)

    It takes us years of trial and error to finally realize that nothing outside the Lord Jesus Christ can fully satisfy and rejoice our hearts. Joy in Him includes ‘the fellowship of His sufferings.’ So, ‘rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings’ (1 Pet. 4:13).  

    "We sometimes have the idea that if we were going on rightly, things would be much smoother here for us. Hardly. There is a discipline to correct us and a discipline to develop us. If you are in a wrong path, as you seek the Lord, you will be corrected; but on the other hand, the more you are set for Him here, the more you will find that there is nothing for you here, though at the same time you are daily finding more in Him. ‘We which live are always delivered unto death.’ The more you enjoy the Lord Jesus who has been refused here, the more you are practically severed from all here." - J. B. S.   

    "It is a solemn moment when one who has been going on for years with a flourishing profession wakes up to the fact that his heart is entirely unsatisfied. I believe we have very little idea how natural feelings may be mixed up with what we think is our spiritual joy. Many go on happily because their surroundings are happy, and they have no opposition to speak of—perhaps in a Christian family, or in a happy Christian fellowship. They are carried along by the stream of compatible things around them.  

    "But anything that outwardly contributes to our joy will sooner or later fail us. Our Father loves us too well to allow us to rest in anything or anyone short of Himself—not even Christian fellowship, or what people call ‘the means of grace.’ He wants to be so known by us that He becomes the deep eternal spring of satisfaction and joy for our hearts." - C. A. C.

    Give your mind to the things above. (Colossians 3:2)

3. Gleaning: Do Not Look Forward...

    Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear. Rather look at them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto; do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations. - Frances de Sales

                                                                                              
    The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God’s loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure. - Frances de Sales
                                                                                                                                         

2. Hymn: Fret Not, Poor Soul

Fret Not, Poor Soul

Author: Adelaide A. Procter

Fret not, poor soul: while doubt and fear  
Disturb thy breast,  
The pitying angels, who can see  
How vain thy wild regret must be,  
Say, Trust and Rest.   

Plan not, nor scheme,—but calmly wait;  
His choice is best.  
While blind and erring is thy sight,  
His wisdom sees and judges right,  
So Trust and Rest.   

Strive not, nor struggle: thy poor might  
Can never wrest  
The meanest thing to serve thy will;  
All power is His alone: Be still,  
And Trust and Rest.   

Desire not: self-love is strong  
Within thy breast;  
And yet He loves thee better still,  
So let Him do His loving will,  
And Trust and Rest.   

What dost thou fear? His wisdom reigns  
Supreme confessed;  
His power is infinite; His love  
Thy deepest, fondest dreams above;  
So Trust and Rest.

1. Hymn: God Meant It Unto Good

God Meant It Unto Good (Gen. 50:20)  

Author: Freda Hanbury Allen  

“God meant it unto good”–O blest assurance, 

Falling like sunshine all across life’s way, 

Touching with Heaven’s gold earth’s darkest storm clouds, 

Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day.  

‘Twas not by chance the hands of faithless brethren 

Sold Joseph captive to a foreign land; 

Nor was it chance which, after years of suffering, 

Brought him before the monarch’s throne to stand.  

One Eye all-seeing saw the need of thousands, 

And planned to meet it through that one lone soul; 

And through the weary days of prison bondage 

Was working towards the great and glorious goal.  

As yet the end was hidden from the captive, 

The iron entered even to his soul; 

His eye could scan the present path of sorrow, 

Not yet his gaze might rest upon the whole.  

Faith failed not through those long, dark days of waiting, 

His trust in God was recompensed at last, 

The moment came when God led forth his servant 

To succour many, all his sufferings past.  

“It was not you but God, that sent me hither,” 

Witnessed triumphant faith in after days; 

“God meant it unto good,” no “second causes” 

Mingled their discord with his song of praise.  

“God means it unto good” for thee, beloved, 

The God of Joseph is the same today; 

His love permits afflictions strange and bitter, 

His hand is guiding through the unknown way.  

Thy Lord, who sees the end from the beginning, 

Hath purposes for thee of love untold. 

Then place thy hand in His and follow fearless, 

Till thou the riches of His grace behold.  

There, when thou standest in the Home of Glory, 

And all life’s path ties open to thy gaze, 

Thine eyes shall see the hand which now thou trustest, 

And magnify His love through endless days.

11. August Archive Index

August Archive Index

1. Hymn: O Love Divine, How Sweet Thou Art

2. Devotional: Be Still!

3. Hymn: He Giveth More Grace

4. Hymn: Courage, Brother, Do Not Stumble

5. Hymn: I Thirst, Thou Wounded Lamb Of God

6. Hymn: Constantly Abiding

7. Hymn: Forth In Thy Name, O Lord, I Go

8. Hymn: Oh! Foolish Heart, Be Still

9. Hymn: In The Dark And Cloudy Day

10. Hymn: O Worship The Lord In The Beauty Of Holiness!