ACCEPTING WHAT GOD APPOINTS

“….Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy Word….” – Luke 1:38 

We seldom think of these words apart from Christmas, but Mary’s declaration should touch every area of our life, everyday of our life. F. B. Meyer gives us much food for thought related to this in the following:

The angel’s message meant, for this young, pure-hearted girl, a great deal of misunderstanding and reproach. It was inevitable that clouds would gather around her character, which would sorely perplex the good man to whom she was betrothed. But as soon as she realized that this lot was ordained for her by God she humbly acquiesced, with these model words of patient faith. Let us often say then:

First: To His commands. – God’s voice often speaks within our hearts, and no word of His is devoid of power. We must test what seems to be His voice by these three corroborations: First, His Word; second, by the trend of outward circumstances; third, by the advice of Christian people not immediately interested. When these concur, we may take it that God has spoken to us, and whatever the burden of His words we must respond – “Be it unto me according to Thy word.”

Secondly: To the responsibilities thrust on us. – It may be a trusteeship for some dying friend; a charge of orphan children; a babe cast on our parentage; an invalid; a difficult and trying piece of Christian enterprise. But whenever it comes on us, imposed by the evident appointment of our Father, notwithstanding the shrinking of our flesh and the fearfulness of our soul, we must say: “Be it unto me according to Thy word.”

Thirdly: To any burden of pain and suffering. – Are you one whom God has set apart to manifest the power of His grace in suffering and pain? Are you sleepless by night, and helpless by day? Are you likely to spend years in one position, as paralyzed or rheumatic? Well, still dare to look up and say: “Be it unto me according to Thy word.”

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

DISCOVERING THE TRUTH

“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”–Psalm 73:17

   It would do us all well to fall in love with the Psalms.  In this particular Psalm, the writer expresses what many of God’s followers have felt at some time or another.  The writer was struggling with what he considered the apparent success of the ungodly.  Some of the words that are written in this Psalm are, “I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. . .They are not in trouble as other men. . .Behold these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches” (3, 5, 12).  This logic led him to the conclusion that, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency” (13).  The writer was in a confused and deceived state.  His focus was on what seemed to be unjust.  He could see no benefit in living in a godly way.  It was his opinion that those who rejected God were actually better off than those who served Him.  

   Of course, we all know that this is not true.  In a moment of difficulty and hardship, truth can somehow get lost in what our eyes are seeing.  In our own way, most of us can identify with what the man of God was going through.  In his dilemma, he did what we all should do in such a situation.  The psalmist turned to God for counsel.  Our text says, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”  When he got with God, he understood that things were not as they initially appeared.  After being in “the sanctuary of God” he said, “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places . . .in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. . .they that are far from thee shall perish” (18, 19, 27)  He saw things differently when he got God’s perspective on what he was seeing and thinking.  

   This is a great lesson for all of us.  Certainly things are not always as they appear.  We cannot trust our observations to be accurate.  God’s Word is the final authority.  When our notions differ from the Scripture, we must lay aside our opinions and believe what God says.  What should we do when we begin to have the kind of confusing thoughts the psalmist had?  We have a choice to make.  We can continue in our false imaginations and become further frustrated and confused.  Or, we can get with God, look into His Word, and get His divine counsel about the situation.– Thomas Smith

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

SPIRITUAL HUNGER
“He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”–Luke 1:53

A great many people attend church…where the blessings of grace abound, and yet are “sent away empty.” They are not fed. They do not carry anything with them from all the fullness before them. They are no better, no stronger, no happier for the privileges they have enjoyed. Is it the minister’s or the teacher’s fault? No; the fault must be their own. They were not really hungry, or they would have been filled.

A lady was ill with consumption. She was advised to go to Florida to spend the winter. She wrote home glowing letters about the salubrious climate, the wonderful foliage, the luscious fruits. While it was midwinter at her old home in the North, it was summer where she was. She spoke of the table, — how it was covered with all manner of tempting fruits. But in every letter she wrote there was one sad lament: “I have no appetite. If I only had an appetite, I am sure I should soon grow well amid such luxuries.” Then in a little while word came that she was dead, — dead in the midst of abounding plenty, not for want of food, but for want of appetite. 

So it is with many souls. They live amidst abundance of spiritual provision. God spreads full tables before them continually. They sit down besides them, and then are sent away empty; not because there is nothing there for them, but because they have no hunger for such things. Others sit close by them, at the same tables, with the same provisions before them, and are richly fed, and go away rejoicing in strength and hope, and refreshed in all their nature; but these came with spiritual appetite. Our constant prayer should be that God would make us hungry for himself. The beatitude is, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” ( Daily Word of God)

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

THE LAMB OF GOD

“John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”–John 1:26–29

At the very beginning of the Old Testament, following the entry of sin into the world, God instituted a system of animal sacrifices. These offerings did not in and of themselves make an atonement for sin. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Rather, they were a reminder that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and were offered as a tangible expression of faith in God’s promise of the coming Messiah who would provide salvation for those who believed in His substitutionary death. People before Jesus were saved by faith looking forward to the cross, just as we are saved looking back to it.

John the Baptist had been preaching with power and effectiveness of the need for repentance and preparation for the Lord’s coming. Huge crowds left the cities and went out across the Jordan River into the desert to hear John preach. 

When John saw Jesus, he could have announced Him in any number of ways. There are dozens of names for Jesus found throughout Scripture. The one that John chose to use, “The Lamb of God” is a statement of the purpose of Jesus’ life. He came into the world to be the willing sacrifice for our sins. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14). This is our hope and confidence of eternal life—the substitute who paid for our sins in full. Take time today to specifically thank God for the amazing gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. (Daily in the Word) 

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