In Brooklyn one day I met a young man passing down the streets. At the time the war broke out the young man was engaged to be married to a young lady in New England, but the marriage was postponed. He was very fortunate in battle after battle, until the Battle of the Wilderness took place, just before the war was over. The young lady was counting the days at the end of which he would return. She waited for letters, but no letters came. At last she received one addressed in a strange handwriting, and it read something like this-“There has been another terrible battle. I have been unfortunate this time; I have lost both my arms. I cannot write myself, but a comrade is writing this letter for me. I write to tell you you are as dear to me as ever; but I shall now be dependent upon other people for the rest of my days, and I have this letter written to release you from your engagement.” This letter was never answered. By the next train she went clear down to the scene of the late conflict, and sent word to the captain what her errand was, and got the number of the soldier’s cot. She went along the line, and the moment her eyes fell upon that number she went to that cot and threw her arms round that young man’s neck and kissed him. “I will never give you up,” she said. “These hands will never give you up; I am able to support you; I will take care of you.” My friends, you are not able to take care of yourselves. The law says you are ruined, but Christ says, “I will take care of you.”

-D. L. Moody

In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths (Prov 3:6).

 

Does God have answers for all our problems? The knowledge and wisdom of God assure us that the answer to that is a definite Yes. No problem is too big for God. No difficulty is outside His ability to provide a proper cure. We can assure ourselves that in heaven we will be able to look to God for guidance for every decision we will ever face. God does not guess about possible solutions. He does not weigh one just a bit better than another. God will be no different throughout all eternity than He is right now.

God has the answers, but we don’t always seek His answers. What a blessed paradise that will be when we habitually seek His guidance for all we do! The present sinful bent of our independent spirit pretty well guarantees that we will make wrong choices much more than we will make proper choices. In fact, it is quite likely that we will consistently make wrong choices. Our Adamic personality bent is remarkably well established.

Parents training children recognize this inner perversion and endeavor to mould young lives to build right habits and make proper choices. Instruction is, or should be, emphasized by discipline. Modern thinkers have begun opposing spanking. God has not given up that aspect of training. When a child puts his hand on a hot stove, according to God’s regular pattern of enforcement, he will learn a lesson. That same pattern of divine instruction continues throughout life. Over and over again, what we suffer from is the result of some wrong choice which “naturally” brings pain or suffering.

Is trial and error the only way we learn? We are more than animals. God has given us speech. Blessed is the one who can learn to react to “Stop!” before touching a hot object. God’s official do and don’t instruction is in a book we call the Bible. There is no comparable source of learning what is right and wrong in this life. A newborn child of God learns from the Word of God what is right and what is wrong in God’s world, and especially what is special about the new life a believer has been given. Instruction for the growth and service of each individual believer may be different somewhat; God speaks to and guides each of His children. Wonderfully, mature saints all look pretty much alike, but each one is individually distinct.

Seek and ye shall find. Endeavor to know, and God will enable to know. Walk closely with the Lord, and He will direct your path. Choice, habits, decisions – God can guide in each area. Long term plans? Let God guide step by step. Major decisions? Don’t try to stand alone. Seek out the principles of His Word. Get advice from others who have been led by Him. He knows more about you and your future than you will ever know yourself. He has the greatest possible interest in your making right choices. Learn to depend wholly on Him, and He will direct each step of your path.(By Warren Vanhetloo)

“Suppose a man should come to his dinner table, and there should be a knife laid down, and it should be told him, ‘This is the very knife that cut the throat of your child!’ If the man would use this knife as a common knife, would not everyone say, ‘Surely this man had but very little love to his child, who can use this bloody knife as a common knife!’

Look upon the cross on which Christ was crucified, and the pains He suffered thereon-and the seeming sweetness which is in sin, will quickly vanish. When you are solicited to sin, cast your eye upon Christ’s cross; remember His astonishing sufferings for your sin, and sin will soon grow distasteful to your soul. How can sin not be hateful to us-if we seriously consider how hurtful it was to Jesus Christ?”

-Thomas Brooks

“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:23   Like a lot of folks, many of my problems were caused by me. I’ve been threatened, cursed, lied about, punched in the nose, etc. and it was all my fault. I brought it on myself. Naturally, that doesn’t excuse the other person, but the problem would never had happened had it not been for some wrong I had done. But, there have been times when I did nothing wrong to warrent such actions. That’s when it’s really difficult to deal with. That’s when hard to not retaliate. In such instances it helps to think about Christ.   Nobody ever suffered such cruel injustice as Jesus did, yet He refused to retaliate. He did not stoop to their level. That is our blessed example. Jesus is perfect in every way, yet He was hated, despised, and crucified. We too can expect injustice and suffering—it is the heritage of all humans. You can’t stop that. But, we do have a choice when it comes to the manner in which we respond. With God’s help, we can do what Jesus did. Don’t let others prod you into a fight. Everyone concerned will be better off, and God will be pleased, if you “take it patiently”(1 Peter 2:20). Just leave it with God—vengeance is His alone (Romans 12:17-19). ——–HDS   Don’t be like the bee that destroys itself for the sake of stinging others

Read Psalm 38:1-8

Nobody can deny there is pleasure in sin. If there were no pleasure in sin, nobody would fall into temptation. The Bible speaks about the pleasures of sin for a season. What season? The season of sowing. The pleasure of sin comes when we sow, but the pain comes when we reap. This is why David gave such a vivid description in Psalm 38 of what we suffer when we sin. “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!” (v. 1). He went on to say that God’s arrows were piercing him and His hand was pressing down on him. All of his bones hurt. His iniquities had gone over his head as if he were drowning in a sea of sin. “My wounds are foul and festering,” David said. “I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long” (vv. 5, 6).

Why did God put this description in the Bible? Why does David compare the consequences of sin to being pierced by arrows, being pressed by His hand, sickness, a heavy burden, drowning, smothering and no peace? Because God wants us to hate sin. If for no other reason, the consequences of sin ought to warn us against sinning. The next time you’re tempted, look past the pleasure to the pain and learn to say no. Remember what David says in this Psalm. You say, “I’m a Christian. I can sin.” No, you can’t, because you’ll reap the same consequences. God chastens His own, for He wants us to walk in holiness. (By Dr. Warren Wiersbe)