“And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Luke 10:28

That is just the trouble with a great many people—they can answer correctly. They know all about their duty. They can repeat with glib tongue, text after text of Scripture. They can recite catechism and creed without missing a word, and like to boast of their thorough familiarity with these sacred formularies. But it is the doing that they fall short in.

They know the commandments—but they fail to keep them. They can quote any number of Bible texts about honesty and truthfulness—yet they are neither honest nor truthful. They like to talk about the love of Christ, which is meek, gentle, patient, and compassionate—but they do not think of getting any of this spirit into their own life!

They recite texts about sending the gospel to the heathen, and make speeches about saving the lost—but neither give money nor make any personal effort to save others!

If doing were as easy as knowing—how blessed we would all be! Would it not be a beautiful thing for us—to try to live all the duty we know?–J R Miller

“If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:17

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness“– 2 Corinthians 12:9

Someone has said, “God always answers our prayers, either by giving us what we ask for or by giving us something even better.” In Paul’s case, God gave him something even better.

Paul was afflicted with what he described as “a thorn in the flesh” — it was something that caused him constant pain. It was such a deep-felt difficulty that he took it fervently to God in prayer, three times pleading to have his suffering taken away.

The verse above is God’s answer to Paul.

But how was this an answer to prayer? God didn’t remove Paul’s painful burden. In fact, God told Paul that he wouldn’t remove it at all. But God’s answer to Paul’s prayer was even better: “my grace is sufficient for thee.”

Notice God didn’t say, “My grace is sufficient for this difficulty;” God said “My grace is sufficient for you, Paul.” Paul asked for deliverance from one ordeal, but God guaranteed him grace for every trial, throughout his life.

And, although Paul would still experience much suffering, God reminded him that this simply gave him an even greater opportunity to exalt the name of Christ. My strength, God declared, is even more evident when you are helpless. Therefore, this struggle is an opportunity for you to fulfill your purpose as a Christian, more than you ever could in a pain-free life.

Beloved, rest assured that God’s grace is still sufficient, and that his power is still being manifested through the difficulties you face in your life. What a marvelous answer to prayer this is!–Baptist Bible Hour

“Fear thou not.” Isaiah 41:10

The Lord’s people are prone to fear; because they do not realize their relation to God, their interest in the promises of God, and that they are always in the presence of God. How graciously our God forbids our slavish fears, and encourages confidence in Himself! Our slavish fears dishonour Him, our filial confidence glorifies Him. He loves to be trusted; He is grieved by our doubts and fears. We should fear nothing but sin; and if we fear sin, follow holiness and preserve a conscience void of offence toward God and man; if we live upon His word, daily use the open fountain, and cultivate communion with our God, we can have no cause to fear. Beloved, leave anxiety, distrust, and slavish fear, to the poor godless worldling; but trust thou in the living God always, and everywhere. Hope in God; wait upon God; expect from God; follow hard after God; and all you want will be given, and all that would injure you will be frustrated. Be not afraid, only believe; Jesus is with thee; therefore, “FEAR THOU NOT.” –James Smith

And art Thou with me, gracious Lord,
To dissipate my fear?
Dost Thou proclaim Thyself my God,
My God, for ever near?
Then farewell, anxious, gloomy care,
Since God forbids my soul to fear.

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.–” (Isa. 45:3)

When God made this promise to Cyrus, He was speaking of material treasures from lands of darkness that Cyrus would conquer. But we are not doing violence to the verse when we take it and apply it in a spiritual sense.

There are treasures that are discovered in the dark nights of life that are never found in days of unrelieved sunshine.

For instance, God can give songs in the darkest night (Job 35:10) that would never have been sung if life were completely devoid of trials. That is why the poet wrote:

And many a rapturous minstrel among those sons of light
Will say of his sweetest music, “I learned it in the night;”
And many a rolling anthem that fills the Father’s home
Sobbed out its first rehearsal in the shade of a darkened room.

There is the darkness of what J. Stuart Holden calls “life’s inexplicable mysteries—the calamities, the catastrophes, the sudden and unexpected experiences which have come into life, and which all our forethought has not been sufficient to ward off; and life is dark because of them—sorrow, loss, disappointment, injustice, misconception of motive, slander.” These are often the things that make life dark.

Humanly speaking, none of us would choose this darkness, and yet its benefits are incalculable. Leslie Weatherhead wrote, “Like all men, I love and prefer the sunny uplands of experience, when health, happiness and success abound, but I have learned far more about God and life and myself in the darkness of fear and failure than I have ever learned in the sunshine. There are such things as the treasures of darkness. The darkness, thank God, passes. But what one learns in the darkness, one possesses for ever.” —William MacDonald

Showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done…that they might set their hope in God – Psalm 78:4,7

The psalmist is here making a public covenant to keep a careful record of God’s blessings and to then recount them to the generations that will follow.

Yet, the thought in this verse also clearly contains the idea of “showing” (not just telling) because the first example the psalmist gives—the praises of the Lord—is one that must be acted out; it cannot simply be described if it is to be truly communicated.

It is possible to merely talk about praising the Lord, but the psalmist is promising more than that — he will enumerate and communicate the praises of the Lord to his posterity, which therefore requires that he take part in such praise before their very eyes.

What are you showing and telling your children about God, and the worship of God? What does it say to your family when you are consistently late to church, early to leave, or quick to miss? Is it showing them the praises of God, is it communicating to them his strength and the wonderful works that he has done?

The psalmist recognizes that the stakes could not be higher. He is making this public commitment to the coming generation in order that they might set their hope in God. Is your faith so public and strong that it encourages your children and grandchildren to place their hope in God, as well?–Baptist Bible Hour