“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”–Matthew 6:33

Dr. George Sweeting recounted a time when he and his family took a trip to Niagara Falls. It was spring, and huge blocks of ice were rushing down the river, making their way to the falls. Frozen inside the blocks were carcasses of dead fish.

Swarms of gulls were riding down the river on the blocks feeding on the dead fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out and they would fly away, narrowly escaping an imminent death.

Dr. Sweeting then observed,

“I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the carcass of a fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss.”

The most appealing things in the world turn deadly when we become too attached to them. That’s because when we hold onto something so tightly that we refuse to let it go, that thing becomes our idol and surpasses God in our hearts.

Don’t let the things you love destroy you. Release what needs to be released for the sake of your relationship with God. Enjoy the good things in life, but always remember to keep your priorities in line!

Ask God to show you where you’ve compromised your priorities and pray He’d help you keep them in line. (Senior Living)

“…. he whom thou lovest is sick.”–John 11:3 ( read vs.1-16)

And so sickness can enter the circle of the friends of the Lord. “He whom Thou lovest is sick.” My sicknesses do not mean that I have lost His favour. The shadow is His, as well as the sunshine. When He removes me from the glare of boisterous health it may be because of some spiritual fern which needs the ministry of the shade. “This sickness is … for the glory of God.” Something beautiful will spring out of the shadowed seclusion, something which shall spread abroad the name and fame of God.

And, therefore, I do not wonder at the Lord’s delay. He did not hasten away to the sick friend: “He abode two days still in the same place where He was.” Shall I put it like this: the awaking bulbs were not yet ready for the brighter light—just a little more shade! We are impatient to get healthy; the Lord desires that we become holy. Our physical sickness is continued in order that we may put on spiritual strength.

And there are others besides sick Lazarus concerned in the sickness: “I am glad for your sakes I was not there.” The disciples were included in the divine scheme. Their spiritual welfare was to be affected by it. Let me ever remember that the circle affected by sickness is always wider than the patient’s bed. And may God be glorified in all!– John H. Jowett

I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you– Joel 2:25

Do you have chapters in your life that you wish you could rewrite? Do you have regrets or sorrows or wounds from past sins?

The wonderful promise of God is that He does not only forgive the repentant sinner—He heals the repentant sinner. Although it is true that we may suffer life-long trials because of sinful choices in the past, the Lord is able to restore the years that you may feel have been eaten up by guilt, sinfulness, or immaturity.

God says, “I will restore to you the years…” How can this be? Will He reverse our life’s clock, will He turn back our calendar? No. But God is able to pack so much living, so much vitality, so much blessing into the years that you have remaining that you will be enabled to live a life-time of joys and victories and pleasures in the remaining years you have left.

Remember the thief on the cross? Here was a man who had squandered all his life on murder, thievery, and selfishness. And, yet, God arrested him in the waning moments of his life, brought him to repentance and faith in Christ, and then used the fleeting few minutes he had left to leave behind him an everlasting testimony of God’s grace to save, to pardon, to instruct, and even to resurrect.

No matter how the chapters of your life have been written thus far, know this: when you repent and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, He is able to multiply to you the remaining years of your life and use you mightily for His kingdom. He is willing to receive the repentant, and He is able to restore the ruined.–Baptist Bible Hour

Several years ago a friend introduced me to Dr. M.J. Seymour and we quickly became friends, exchanging articles with one another. Bro. Seymour has gone through some difficult times recently and now due to poor health is unable to write as he once did. The following is an article he wrote a few years ago. I spoke with Bro. Seymour after his son died and I can tell you he intends to do as he has written–please pray for him.

It is written:  “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”  (Acts 20:24)

The Apostle Paul was determined to walk worthy of the calling of God.  With this singleness of mind he zealously testified to all of “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”  He refused to be detoured from his holy work by the evil activities of men.  Even when the Holy Spirit witnessed that bonds and afflictions awaited him, he never wavered on his journey.  Many of his brethren could not understand why he was so persistent, and many encouraged him to change his course to avoid the hardships.  Paul, however, said, “…none of things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.”  If his holy ministry was worth anything at all, it was sure worth everything, even if it cost him his life.  Paul understood the gravity of his high calling; come what may, he could not but serve his received ministry to the completion of its course.

Paul knew if he had allowed others to sway him away from the ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus, that the blessed joy of obedience would be lost in the guilt of failure.  He lived in the joy of salvation, the joy of his calling, the joy of faithfulness, and he was determined to finish his course with joy.  The ministry to which he was called was “to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”  He was not hired for a “job”; he received a “ministry” from Jesus Christ to give testimony of the grace of God.  This is not like anything else upon the face of the earth.  That is why the Scriptures do not speak of churches hiring a pastor; rather they reveal that a pastor is a gift to the church.  Come what may, the pastor does not count his life as anything so that he might finish his course with joy and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is also written: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2)   There is a greater joy far beyond common comprehension.  Let the gates of hell rattle; it will only make for sweeter joy!