” Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. “ 1 Sam. 20:18

I just passed close to my wife as we were walking through the kitchen and said, “I wish I could hug you”. No we didn’t have an argument, nor was she angry. She is recovering from   pneumonia and I have a stomach bug (?). So I am doing everything possible to not give it to her. Social distancing from others is bad enough but it’s worse when you can’t even hug your wife. That little episode reminded me of a big problem.

” Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. “ – Job 14:1

Someday every Christian will look back on his life and see how God not only brought us through the tough times, but also used our pain for profit, and our grief for good. Believe it or not, the “then” will be worth the “now” – however bad the now was. That’s why we need to live with the end in view, as Paul reminds us in 2 Cor. 4:17-18 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”. Whether it is 9-11 or the Coronavirus or whatever “we’ll understand it better bye and bye”. This will have passed and the best will have come. Keep your eyes on the prize! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346 

“That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.” – Jer. 11:5

Jeremiah was conscious of the special current of Divine energy which was passing into and through his soul. The word had come to him “from the Lord,” and he felt it as a burning fire which he could not contain. He must needs give vent to it, but when it has passed his lips, and he has time carefully to consider it, he answers the Divine message by saying—“So be it, o Lord!” 

 The soul’s affirmation. Let us guard against mistake. It is not always possible to say “Amen”-Yes-to God, in tones of triumph and ecstasy. Sometimes our response is choked with sobs that cannot be stifled, and soaked with tears that cannot be repressed. It was probably so with Abraham, when he tore himself from Ur of the Chaldees; when he waited weary years for his son; when he climbed the steep of Moriah. These words may be read by some who suffer year after year constant pain, by those whose earthly life is tossed upon the sea of anxiety, over which billows of care and turmoil perpetually roll. It is not improbable that these will protest as to the possibility of saying “Amen” to God’s providential dealings, or they will ask: Of what avail is it to utter with the lips a word against which the whole heart stands in revolt?

In reply, let all such remember that our blessed Lord, in the garden, was content to put His will upon the side of God. He knew it was enough if, in the lower parts of the earth to which His human nature had descended, He was able, unflinchingly to affirm, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

Dare to say “Amen” to God’s providential dealings. Say it, though heart and flesh fail, and you will find that if the will doth acquiesce, the heart comes ultimately to choose; and as the days pass, some incident, some turn in the road, some concurrence of unforeseen circumstances, will suddenly flash the conviction on the mind and reason that God’s way was right, the wisest, and the best. “What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter,” is the assurance of our Guide. Dare to trust Him, and in the strength of that trust to say, “Amen, O Lord.”

For all things beautiful, and good, and true; For all things that seemed not good yet turned to good; For all the sweet compulsions of Thy Will That chased, and tried, and wrought us to Thy shape– We thank Thee, Lord.  – F. B. Meyer

In these trying times the remedy for our confused minds and troubled hearts is to accept what God allows with a hearty Amen! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” – Gen. 1:5

Here is a fact that is seldom noticed, a truth often over looked even by so called Bible scholars. Each day begins with darkness and ends with light. The famous English preacher F. B. Meyer had this to say about it:

Six times these words are repeated, and the one lesson that rings out is that God counts His periods, not as man does from night to night, but from evening till morning. ‘ Not first the light, and after that the dark; but first the dark, and after that the light.” God saw that each night would end in daylight, and that the end of all the nights and all the days would be the eternal day in which there can be no darkness at all. This is what St. John saw: “There shall be no night there, for the Lord God giveth them light” (Rev 22:5). The sun of materialism sets in a black ocean, unlit by the star of hope. But as long as God is, we believe that He will make a new heaven and new earth; and from out of what seems disappointing and hopeless He will bring a fairer creation than before. Creation shall participate in the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Watchman what of the night? The morning cometh! The darkness will finally pass away before the radiance of the dawn, and this because God is God; He is Love and Light and His Word creates.

So it is with the individual. Life may be dark. Sin is darkness; sorrow is darkness; ignorance is darkness, and these three may be part of your daily lot. But the night is far spent, the day is at hand. For you the morning star is in the sky. The education of your soul is like that of a child at school. How hard and difficult those first days, but when the rudiments were mastered; when the discipline had played its part, then were reaped the harvests of sowing, and darkness was turned to day. Be of good cheer! Even in death there is nothing to fear. “That night they caught nothing; but when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore.” The dark waves, as they break around the boat of your life, are bearing you onward to the morning meal upon the golden sands, where you will find that Love has gone before you with its preparations! It shall be evening and morning and lo! the day without night.

O God, the darkness and light are both alike to Thee, and the night shineth as the day. Help us to follow Thee even through the valley of the shadow, and to trust Thee whatever be our lot; until the day dawns, and the shadows flee away. Amen.  (F, B. Meyer)

Remember my dear friends, “… unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” ( Mal. 4:2) and  “joy cometh in the morning” ( Psa. 30:5). One day, when we least expect it, King Jesus, the Light of the world, will come and will set up His glorious kingdom on earth. And He who is the Great Physician will cure all the ills that trouble us. Let us then live in the light of the fact that the best is yet to come! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Abide in me.”  John 15:4

As Christians we are to keep first things first, and Christ is always first! We are to learn of Him, think like Him, follow after Him, live for Him, become like Him, and reflect Him to others. However, we can’t do that if we are so occupied with self and entangled with the world that we are unable to live in communion with Him. Abiding in Christ is the key to everything. Apart from the vine the branches can do nothing, and thus become good for nothing. The importance of our union with Christ is pictured well in these words by James Smith in 1840:

“By nature we are without Christ and are far from Him; by grace we accept His invitation, and come to Him feeling our need of Him. We are brought to see that nothing but union to Jesus can make us safe and happy; and to give up ourselves to Him, praying to be one in Him; He receives us, sheds abroad His love in our heart, and we become members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. He then bids us abide in Him, which we do by living in absolute dependence upon Him; by cleaving to Him in love as our beloved Saviour, God, and Friend; by openly professing our attachment to Him, and expectations from Him; by walking in daily fellowship and communion with Him; and by identifying our cause with His. Beloved, we must abide in Jesus if we would get sin mortified; our graces nourished; our lusts subdued; obtain victory over the world; prove a match for Satan; and obtain all necessary supplies. Abiding in Jesus will give us a single eye; a burning zeal; holy discretion; and enable us to seize all opportunities to glorify His adorable name.”

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346