“Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel; but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Ps. 106:12-15).

We read of Moses, that “he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” Exactly the opposite was true of the children of Israel in this record. They endured only when the circumstances were favorable; they were largely governed by the things that appealed to their senses, in place of resting in the invisible and eternal God.

In the present day there are those who live intermittent Christian lives because they have become occupied with the outward, and center in circumstances, in place of centering in God. God wants us more and more to see Him in everything, and to call nothing small if it bears us His message.

Here we read of the children of Israel, “Then they believed his words.” They did not believe till after they saw–when they saw Him work, then they believed. They really doubted God when they came to the Red Sea; but when God opened the way and led them across and they saw Pharaoh and his host drowned–“then they believed.”

They led an up and down life because of this kind of faith; it was a faith that depended upon circumstances. This is not the kind of faith God wants us to have.

The world says “seeing is believing,” but God wants us to believe in order to see. The Psalmist said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Do you believe God only when the circumstances are favorable, or do you believe no matter what the circumstances may be? ( By C. H. P.,in Streams in the Desert)

—-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.–A. W. Pink

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.–1 John 1:9

The Rijks Museum in Amsterdam is the home of many famous and rare paintings. This gallery holds magnificent pieces by all the great painters of the seventeenth century. One day an unemployed schoolteacher entered the museum, and while wielding a knife, began cutting into one of the gallery’s most precious paintings. Over and over again he shredded the painting, running the knife through it before being detained. Oddly enough, a few days later, another man entered St. Peter’s Cathedral, and with a hammer began smashing a certain sculpture. He broke off pieces of the face and badly damaged the overall piece before the authorities arrived.

But what happened next surprised many people. Rather than throwing out the sculpture or retiring the painting to a basement somewhere, the owners of the museum and the art gallery hired some of the worlds best painters and sculptors to restore the items. They didn’t care what the cost of the project was; they simply cared that the pieces be restored, and set back in their places so others could see them.

These pieces were not discarded because of their mishaps. They weren’t thrown out because of their imperfections. The owners of the museum and art gallery went to great lengths and paid dear prices to restore each piece, making sure they were given a second chance.

The same can be said about our Heavenly Father. He went to great lengths and paid a dear price (the blood of His only Son) to save us, and when we fall or mar our lives through sin, He desires to restore us to Himself.

All Christians make mistakes, and everyone falls. Even in the Bible, stories are recorded of believers who made mistakes but were given second chances-everyone from Moses to Jonah to the Apostle Peter. God didn’t give up on them, but offered them restoration if they turned to Him.

God doesn’t sideline us when we fall; we sideline ourselves when we fail to get back up. God offers us a second chance. He offers us restoration through the forgiveness of His Son, and He desires that we would turn from our sin and allow Him to restore us.— God understands that there will be times you fall into sin, give into temptation, or make a mistake. God doesn’t love you any less because you sin; He stands with arms outstretched, ready to forgive you and give you a second chance.—- thank God that no matter how many times you fall, He is willing to give you a second chance. You can still finish the race.–Copied

“I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Savior.” Isaiah 43:11
Thinking about God’s great power is exciting. With Him all things are possible. Nothing is too hard for God. But we often fail to appreciate what it takes for God to save a soul. Adrian Rogers wrote:

“It takes more of God’s power to save a soul through the cross of Jesus than it does to do any other thing. God had no difficulty creating the universe. The Bible tells us He spoke and it was so. But when God wrote salvation’s story, He went to great difficulty. Let me illustrate.

What if I held a service and had the power to straighten a cripple’s legs or to bring sight to the blind? The next service would be standing room only. Now I certainly want God to heal, but let me tell you something else.

What if I held a service and a little girl walked down the aisle and gave her heart to Jesus? That is a greater miracle than opening the eyes of the blind because the Son of God had to hang on a cross in agony and blood to purchase her salvation! Jesus did not come as a great healer or teacher, He came as a Savior.”

People often speak much about things that they have very little understanding of. Even Christians are sometimes guilty of this. Take the cross for example. Many who wear a cross as jewelry, sing “The Old Rugged Cross”, and speak of the cross in glowing terms, have not a clue as to what it is really all about. Perhaps you need to give it some thought today. What is so important about the cross? Why was is needed? What is the purpose of the cross? How can God be just and yet justify the unjust? Listen to these words from the pen of John Stott:

“How is it possible for the righteous God to declare the unrighteous to be righteous without either compromising his righteousness or condoning their unrighteousness? This is our question. God’s answer is the cross.

Without the cross the justification of the unjust would be unjustified, immoral, and therefore impossible. The only reason God justifies the ungodly (Rom. 4:5) is that ‘Christ died for the ungodly’ (Rom 5:6). Because he shed his blood (Rom 3:25) in a sacrificial death for sinners, God is able justly to justify the unjust.

According to the Christian revelation, God’s own great love propitiated his own holy wrath through the gift of his own dear Son, who took our place, bore our sin and died our death. Thus God himself gave himself to save us from himself. This is the righteous basis on which the righteous God can ‘righteous’ the unrighteous without compromising his righteousness.” Wow! What an awesome God we serve!