…..He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved,
and this is my Friend! (Song of Solomon 5:16)

Why does the world reject the Savior of the world?
Why do they abhor Him who is altogether lovely,
and hate Him who is the best Friend of mankind?

O men of the world! what good can you desire which
is not in Christ? The excellencies of earth are but His
footstool; the excellencies of heaven are but His
throne! How excellent, then, must He himself be!

His treasures are infinite–and open for you!

In Jesus are . . .
riches–if you are poor;
honor–if you are despised;
friendship–if you are forsaken;
help–if you are injured;
mercy–if you are miserable;
joy–if you are disconsolate;
protection–if you are in danger;
deliverance–if you are a captive;
life–if you are mortal;
and all things–if you have nothing at all.

Time and eternity are His! He can give
you all the glorious things of eternity!

Moreover, He can deliver you . . .
from all your fears;
from sin–the worst of all evils;
from self–the most hurtful of all companions;
from death–the most dreadful of all changes;
from Satan–the most subtle of all enemies;
from hell–the most horrible of all prisons; and
from wrath–the most horrifying doom of all sinners!

Now, where will you find such a one as Jesus?

Why, then, refuse life, and seek after death?

All heaven is enamored with His beauty!

The longer we look on ‘created gaieties’, the leaner
and less lovely they grow; so that, by the time we
have viewed them forty, fifty, or sixty years–we
see nothing but vanity in the creature! But when
ten thousand ages are employed in beholding the
perfection and beauty of Jesus–He still appears
more and more lovely–even altogether lovely!

Alas! I can say nothing of His true excellencies!
They overwhelm my laboring thought, and are
too vast for my feeble conception to bring forth!
By James Meikle, 1730-1799

While I don’t suggest that we use written prayers as we commune with God, I do find it interesting, instructional, and inspirational to hear or read the prayers of others. Since there are many notable prayers recorded in the Bible that is evidently something God encourages us to do. Here is a simple prayer by John MacDuff, offered up to God in 1856, that for some reason was a blessing to my heart. Perhaps it will affect you the same way——–

Blessed Lord! I desire to draw near this night with holy boldness to the footstool of Your throne, rejoicing that I can look up to You as my Father in Heaven.

Let this hour of prayer be doubly hallowed–by the thought that I am permitted to frequent my Heavenly Father’s presence, and pour my needs into my Father’s ear!

Let me feel every temporal blessing to be doubly sweet–as emanating from my Heavenly Father’s hand, and being a proof and pledge of my Father’s love! May every rill of temporal bliss be doubly precious to me–as flowing from Christ’s atoning sacrifice!

Let this season of sorrow be sweetened by the thought that the rod is in my Heavenly Father’s hand–and that the voice, through apparently rough–is the tender whispering of paternal wisdom and love! May I take refuge in the arms that are chastising me, and be enabled to say in unmurmuring submission, “May the Lord’s will be done!”

Hear me, gracious Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, my blessed Lord and Savior. Amen.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?– James 4:1

Let’s face it, although we seldom want to, most of our problems are of our own making. This old adage is really true–“We are our own worst enemy!”. We live in a fallen world and by nature we tend to make ourselves miserable. Sadly, that nearly always affects others adversely. This short article from the “Baptist Bible Hour” hits the nail on the head:

Have grudges, or petty differences, or personality clashes been tearing at your church lately? Has your own love for the Lord, and his people, been diminished by some strife in the church in which you have taken sides?

Where do such body-breaking, unity-shredding difficulties come from? James answers rhetorically: the problems among you come from problems within you. Wars in the church result from unsuccessful wars inside your soul, James says. The strife and tension comes because of your unchecked desire for personal gain and pleasure.

Check yourself by James’ answer sheet. Does the bitterness in your heart come from pure motives and a selfless spirit, or does it come from wanting to get your own way? Have your words sought to edify and build up others, or have they been tools to tweak your own agenda?

The writer of Proverbs observes: “Only by pride cometh contention” (13:10), and James echoes that assessment. When we seek our own happiness and put ourselves first, the inevitable result is a clash with anyone who gets in our way.

Regardless of what genuine offenses or real grievances you may have suffered, surrender your case to Christ, pray for those who have opposed or injured you, and refuse to be drawn into a war with others in the church.

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.–2 Corinthians 10:17

One day, a woodpecker was pecking at a telephone pole, just hammering away on the wood when right about that time a big bolt of lightning crashed down and split that telephone pole right down the middle.

So that little woodpecker flew off. And pretty soon, he came back with a whole flock of other woodpeckers and said, “Look what I did!”

People love taking credit for something they didn’t do. Just look at the political climate today. If something goes well, then it was because of this party. If it went badly, then the other party must have caused it. Everybody wants to take credit when things go well, and they blame others when they don’t!

But when it comes to doing things for God’s Kingdom, the mindset completely flips. As followers of Christ, you and I are not only to admit our shortcomings, but to give glory to God when things go well. It’s completely counterintuitive!

When things go well for you, who gets the glory? Do you like to tell others how great of a job you did? Or, are you humble, giving the glory to God? God’s desire for you is that you would boast about one thing: His work in your life. So instead of taking the credit, put it where it really belongs—at His feet!–By Jack Graham

They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay (support)–Psalm 18:18

Aged believer, you and I can look back—and wonder how it is that we are where we are, and what we are: how we have held on, and held out until now. Here is the whole secret of the case—“But the Lord was my support!”

In the seasons of my greatest difficulty,
in all my times of sorrow and danger,
when I was filled with fears and doubts,
when in deep trouble and afflictions,
when all creature help failed me,
when my heart worried and vexed me,
when my enemies were just ready to overwhelm me,
when my feet were almost gone,
when my steps had well near slipped,
in my darkest nights,
in my dreariest days,
—then the Lord was my support!

My journey has been long,
my road has been peculiarly difficult,
my heart has been weak,
my enemies have been strong,
and long ago I must have perished in my afflictions—or been a prey to my foes—but the Lord was my support!

I would have fainted under my heavy burdens,
I would have yielded to my enchanting temptations,
I would have fled before my powerful foes
—but the Lord was my support!

Yes, the Lord has upheld, supported, and supplied me along the treacherous way. To His free grace, to His inviolable faithfulness, and to His unchangeable love—I must ascribe that “By the grace of God—I am what I am!” 1 Corinthians 15:10. (By James Smith, 1859)