“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him” (Deut. 32:11, 12).

“When God puts a burden upon you He puts His own arm underneath.”

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

There is a little plant, small and stunted, growing under the shade of a broad-spreading oak; and this little plant values the shade which covers it, and greatly does it esteem the quiet rest which its noble friend affords. But a blessing is designed for this little plant.

Once upon a time there comes along the woodman, and with his sharp axe he fells the oak. The plant weeps and cries, “My shelter is departed; every rough wind will blow upon me, and every storm will seek to uproot me!”

“No, no,” saith the angel of that flower; “now will the sun get at thee; now will the shower fall on thee in more copious abundance than before; now thy stunted form shall spring up into loveliness, and thy flower, which could never have expanded itself to perfection shall now laugh in the sunshine, and men shall say, ‘How greatly hath that plant increased! How glorious hath become its beauty, through the removal of that which was its shade and its delight!'”

See you not, then, that God may take away your comforts and your privileges, to make you the better Christians? Why, the Lord always trains His soldiers, not by letting them lie on feather-beds, but by turning them out, and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long march with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. This is the way in which He makes them soldiers–not by dressing them up in fine uniforms, to swagger at the barrack gates, and to be fine gentlemen in the eyes of the loungers in the park. God knows that soldiers are only to be made in battle; they are not to be grown in peaceful times. We may grow the stuff of which soldiers are made; but warriors are really educated by the smell of powder, in the midst of whizzing bullets and roaring cannonades, not in soft and peaceful times. Well, Christian, may not this account for it all? Is not thy Lord bringing out thy graces and making them grow? Is He not developing in you the qualities of the soldier by throwing you into the heat of battle, and should you not use every appliance to come off conqueror?

I don’t always agree with Charles Swindoll about various Bible doctrines, but I love his sense of humor. Since I’ve always struggled with this, I guess you could say, I’m a bit envious of those who have a natural sense of humor. I needed this article and I suspect it will be helpful to more than a few of my readers. Swindoll writes:  

Rules, regulations, and statutes aren’t meant to be amusing, but at times they are. Maybe it’s because they are supposed to be so all-fired serious that I find some of them downright hilarious. Some examples?

A San Francisco ordinance forbids the reuse of confetti. In Danville, Pennsylvania, “fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.” In Seattle, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon of more than six feet in length. An Oklahoma law states that a driver of “any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in death shall immediately stop . . . and give his name and address to the person struck.” A piece of noise-abatement legislation was passed in the village of Lakefield, Ontario, which permits birds to sing for thirty minutes during the day and fifteen minutes at night.

Furthermore, we preachers are an incredibly funny lot. And when I study the faces and read about the lives and lifestyles of the pulpiteers of yesteryear, I confess I often chuckle. Many of them-deep down-were wild ‘n crazy characters.

Such humor is not making jokes out of life; it’s recognizing the ones that are there.

Now, I’m not suggesting that everybody start reading the comics or watch all those mindless sitcoms (frankly, most of them aren’t even amusing) or tell a lot of silly jokes to each other. That’s external, superficial, and shallow. I’m suggesting a project far more significant: developing a lighter heart that comes from a confidence in the living God, the loving Creator, the sovereign Lord who gave us humor and who smiles every time we enjoy His gift.

In the insightful words of Elton Trueblood: “The Christian is joyful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. . . . The humor of the Christian is not a way of denying the tears, but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than tears.”¹

Yes, a few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. First among them, a joyless Christian.

A truly cheerful face comes from a joyful heart,
not from a lack of concern for life’s tragedies.

The most wonderful thing in life is loving and being loved. After celebrating our 50^th wedding anniversary, Bev and I took a vacation. We spend two weeks together just enjoying one another-it was wonderful!

 

I feel sorry for folks who have never known such a relationship. It shouldn’t be that way. Everyone should love and be loved. That is more precious than any amount of fortune and fame.

 

If you feel lonely, unloved and in despair, consider this-God loves you “with an everlasting love—“(Jer. 31:3). I love the way Adrian Rogers put it. He wrote: “The Lord sees you. He knows all about you. And I guarantee you on the authority of the Word of God that He loves you.

This is amazing when you realize that we are just specks on a globe that’s about the size of a grain of sand or less compared to the size of the universe. There’s no more reason that the Lord of glory should be interested in us than that we should be interested in an ant floating on a piece of cheesecake in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

And yet our Lord looks down and He sees us as cherished individuals that He loves, one by one. The great God Who runs the universe is concerned about you as though that were His only goal.”

—for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.-Philippians 4:11

Contentment is the being satisfied with the sovereign dispensations of God’s providence. It is the opposite of murmuring, which is the spirit of rebellion-the clay saying to the Potter, “Why have You made me thus?” Instead of complaining at his lot-a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they are.

Discontent! Was there ever a time when there was so much discontent and restlessness in the world, as there is today? We very much doubt it. Despite our boasted progress, the vast increase of wealth, the time and money expended daily in pleasure-discontent is everywhere! No class is exempt. Everything is in a state of flux, and almost everybody is dissatisfied. Many even among God’s own people are affected with the evil spirit of this age.

Contentment! Is such a thing realizable, or is it nothing more than a beautiful ideal, a mere dream of the poet? Is it attainable on earth, or is it restricted to the inhabitants of heaven? If feasible here and now-may it be retained-or are a few brief moments or hours of contentment the most that we may expect in this life?

The force of Paul’s statement will be better appreciated, if his condition and circumstances at the time he made it, are kept in mind. When the apostle wrote the words, he was not luxuriating in a special suite in the Emperor’s palace-but was in prison “in chains”. The contentment which Paul enjoyed, was not the result of congenial and comfortable surroundings. Most people suppose that contentment is impossible, unless one can have the desires of the carnal heart gratified. A prison is the last place to which they would go-if they were seeking a contented man. This much, then, is clear-contentment comes from within not without; it must be sought from God, not in creature comforts.

Now, there is a vast difference between precept and practice, between the ideal and the realization. But in the case of Paul, contentment was an actual experience! It was something he had learned in the school of Christian experience.-By Arthur Pink

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.-Hebrews 13:5

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.-Revelation 19:11

 

The National Hurricane Center at Florida International University, Miami, Florida, has a tough job: providing a balanced stream of information about approaching hurricanes–not enough to cause panic but enough to motivate people to get ready. The hurricane is coming and you’re not going to change that fact.

 

The NHC folks have a tough message–the weatherman’s version of tough love. Like the message of the Book of Revelation: Jesus Christ is coming back–and He’s bringing a sword. You can prepare for His arrival now or deal with the consequences on that day. It’s your choice. Call it the Bible’s version of tough love. Unlike dealing with a hurricane, the way to prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming is to run straight toward Him, not away from Him. And the more you read about His return in Revelation 19-20, the more likely you will be to begin preparing for His arrival.

 

If you’re not familiar with Revelation, try reading the last two chapters to see how the story ends. It will make you want to read the whole book.(From Turning Point)

 

The subject of the second coming of Christ has never been popular to any but the true believer.

Billy Graham