“The Lord is risen.” Luke 24:34

JESUS once died for our sins, and He rose for our justification. He lay in the grave as our Substitute, He rose as our Representative. He died that we may live. He lives, and we shall live through Him, and with Him forever. He is risen, having conquered death, reconciled us to God, perfumed the grave, and finished the work which the Father gave Him to do. As He arose, so shall we. As He is gone into heaven, thither should our thoughts, our hopes, and our affections ascend. Jesus is risen, to plead our cause; manage our affairs; fulfill His precious promises; and to prepare for us mansions in our Father’s house. Sin was atoned for by His death, heaven is secured by His life. He is our risen, ascended, and reigning BROTHER. He is our conquering and crowned CAPTAIN. O let us think of, speak for, and devote ourselves to Jesus! He is above the world; let us live above its vanities, amusements, and trammels; let us look beyond death to that glorious resurrection, when we shall be raised from the dead, and possess bodies which shall be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.–James Smith

Jesus triumphs! sing His praise
‘Twas by death He overcame;
Thus the Lord His glory raises;
Thus He fills His foes with shame:
Sing His praise!
Praises to the Victor’s name.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”–Heb 11:6

The faith for desperate days.The Bible is full of such days. Its record is made up of them, its songs are inspired by them, its prophecy is concerned with them, and its revelation has come through them.The desperate days are the stepping-stones in the path of light. They seem to have been God’s opportunity and man’s school of wisdom.

There is a story of an Old Testament love feast in Psalm 107, and in every story of deliverance the point of desperation gave God His chance. The “wit’s end” of desperation was the beginning of God’s power. Recall the promise of seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sands of the sea, to a couple as good as dead. Read again the story of the Red Sea and its deliverance, and of Jordan with its ark standing mid-stream. Study once more the prayers of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, when they were sore pressed and knew not what to do. Go over the history of Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea, and Habakkuk. Stand with awe in the darkness of Gethsemane, and linger by the grave in Joseph’s garden through those terrible days. Call the witnesses of the early Church, and ask the apostles the story of their desperate days.

Desperation is better than despair. Faith did not make our desperate days. Its work is to sustain and solve them. The only alternative to a desperate faith is despair, and faith holds on and prevails.

There is no more heroic example of desperate faith than that of the three Hebrew children. The situation was desperate, but they answered bravely, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” I like that, “but if not !”

I have only space to mention Gethsemane. Ponder deeply its “Nevertheless.” “If it is possible…nevertheless!” Deep darkness had settled upon the soul of our Lord. Trust meant anguish unto blood and darkness to the descent of hell—Nevertheless! Nevertheless!!

Now get your hymn book and sing your favorite hymn of desperate faith. —Samuel Chadwick

“When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do
And leave the rest to Thee.

“And when there seems no chance, no change,
From grief can set me free,
Hope finds its strength in helplessness,
And calmly waits for Thee.”

In this day when pluralism is so popular and everyone is suppose to get along with everybody this verse flies in the face of political correctness. Yet here it is, straight from God Himself. And it is declared for good reason–“evil communications corrupt good manners.“(1 Cor. 15:33). In the light of this, George Lawson wrote the following on 1821:

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...” Prov. 3:13

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 –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. 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.(Wisdom for the Heart)

“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world“– Acts 15:18

Perhaps you have known, even recently, the unsettling and sorrowful experience of receiving a phone call, or a doctor’s report, or an employer’s notice that delivered unexpected and tragic news — “You have cancer.” “We’re letting you go.” “Your loved one has been in an accident.” No matter what form these moments take in our particular situation, they always remind us of our personal frailty and inability to control the details of our lives.

The great consolation from God’s Word, however, is that God never has such moments. He is never surprised by calamity that befalls us, He is never taken back by sudden tragedy, His plans are never disrupted by the unexpected. In short, He is never at a loss for a solution to any problem…or for the power to implement it… or for the wisdom to make sure it is the right solution.

God knows all His works (and subsequently, obviously, the events those works will be connected with) from the beginning of the world. It is for this reason that God can, and does, give us such rock-solid assurances in the midst of earth-shattering catastrophes. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5); “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9); “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28); “trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3).

Beloved, in your moments of overwhelming pain, or grief, or disappointment, flee to the God Who is never disappointed or surprised, but is touched by the feelings of your infirmities. Rush to Him, rest in Him, believe on Him.–Baptist Bible Hour