Lord,
I know that the folks who produced and wrote "The Bible" series had a hard time putting millenia into a small segment of time.
The segment on David through Daniel was quite upsetting because they again added things that are not in Your word and did not add the most important things.
The section on David was OK until they came to the section about Bathsheba. They added that David, when he brought in the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem and danced before it, that he danced with Bathsheba. Then after his sin with her Nathan comes to him to tell him the consequences of the sin. He does not tell him he has sinned and David does not ever confess his sin against you but seems defiant...almost daring You to take his son. Your word says he cried out weeping for a long time before you. They showed him clothed in his crown and kingly garments kneeling before the Ark.
They missed a great opportunity to show the millions of unsaved that are watching the series about confession and repentance.
They never really show Solomon in his wisdom, but do say he builds the temple.
The Daniel segment was rather disappointing again because they did not really show the unfailing faith of Daniel...just the 3 Hebrews. In fact, they show Daniel trying to warn and convince the 3 to bow down to the statue lest they die. They do not show the Hebrews stating that no matter what happens to them You are who You say You are. Another great missed opportunity. :o(. The "furnace" scene was not accurate either...but I suppose the real one would be hard to do in a movie. Nebuchadnezzar did not seem astonished at all that they came out without even the smell of smoke on them. Another missed opportunity to show his folly.
The next segment was about your birth and the start of Your ministry. There were so many liberties taken, it was very hard to watch. They took Your life from birth to Gethsemane and Your betrayal and trial.
Tomorrow night is supposed to show your death and resurrection. I pray at some point they actually get around to presenting the Gospel to all of the millions of unsaved who are watching.
Open their eyes, Lord, so they may see enough of You that they trust You as Savior and begin to read Your word in earnest to find the truth.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
More Encouragement Psalm 6-7
Psalm 6
Be merciful to me, heal me, deliver me, and save me.
Because of Your unfailing love, do not rebuke me in anger or discipline me in Your wrath.
David said, his bones ache, he is weeping in anguish, has enemies that are evil, and he is faint.
Then he says that You heard his cry for mercy and You accepted his prayer. I have the mercy to come boldly into Your presence even now and plead the same things ad know that You will answer my prayers as well.
Lord, I have never in my life been in a situation like David was when he wrote this Psalm with evil enemies pursuing me to take my life. However; there were times when before salvation I wept long hours over the hurts that had been done to me by others and my cries filled Your ears. And like You did for David, You heard my cries, forgave my sin through Your mercy and lovingkindness restoring my emotional health and delivered and saved me.
I too can praise You for Your everlasting grace, mercy, love, and most of all, my salvation!
Psalm 7
Lord, I take refuge in You. Deliver me. David is wondering why he is still being pursued by evil men and cries out to You to awaken and judge them. He acknowledges there may be some unknown offense he has committed that has caused the problem and asks that it be revealed and he will accept the consequences for that action. He asks that You judge him according to is righteousness.
Lord, You are righteous and You search my mind and heart. I know that You will, in Your time, destroy all the wicked and everyone who opposes You and Your love. They will bow and finally acknowledge that You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Even in all of David's distress he never ceases to praise You--nor will I. I will sing to the Lord most high my songs of praise!
Be merciful to me, heal me, deliver me, and save me.
Because of Your unfailing love, do not rebuke me in anger or discipline me in Your wrath.
David said, his bones ache, he is weeping in anguish, has enemies that are evil, and he is faint.
Then he says that You heard his cry for mercy and You accepted his prayer. I have the mercy to come boldly into Your presence even now and plead the same things ad know that You will answer my prayers as well.
Lord, I have never in my life been in a situation like David was when he wrote this Psalm with evil enemies pursuing me to take my life. However; there were times when before salvation I wept long hours over the hurts that had been done to me by others and my cries filled Your ears. And like You did for David, You heard my cries, forgave my sin through Your mercy and lovingkindness restoring my emotional health and delivered and saved me.
I too can praise You for Your everlasting grace, mercy, love, and most of all, my salvation!
Psalm 7
Lord, I take refuge in You. Deliver me. David is wondering why he is still being pursued by evil men and cries out to You to awaken and judge them. He acknowledges there may be some unknown offense he has committed that has caused the problem and asks that it be revealed and he will accept the consequences for that action. He asks that You judge him according to is righteousness.
Lord, You are righteous and You search my mind and heart. I know that You will, in Your time, destroy all the wicked and everyone who opposes You and Your love. They will bow and finally acknowledge that You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Even in all of David's distress he never ceases to praise You--nor will I. I will sing to the Lord most high my songs of praise!
More Encouragement from Psalm 4-5
Psalm 4
Sweetest Lord,
It must be very hard to be the spiritual leader of a stiff necked "chosen" people. I believe You are speaking to me through David today. In verses 2-6 You admonish me as to what I am to do. Verses 7-8 are what will happen with me if I do as You command. You will fill me with joy and I will have no fears that keep me awake all night.
Psalm 5 is a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. I will praise You for Your grace in my life.
Because I pray to You, Lord, I can boldly entreat You to hear my cries to You. What a blessing that is! You give comfort to my soul.
I can repeat my prayers each day and wait in expectation for You to answer in Your time.
Because of Your great mercy, and only because of it, I can come to You and give my petitions. Lord, You know that within myself there is no good thing. I am to come in revererance and worship.
Lord, please lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight Your way before me.
Help me to discern truth from lies and convict the liar so they may come to repentance.
I take refuge in You, O Lord, and will ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over me and all of Your righteous ones: all who love you and rejoice in Your name.
You bless us and surround us with Your favor as a shield.
Sweetest Lord,
It must be very hard to be the spiritual leader of a stiff necked "chosen" people. I believe You are speaking to me through David today. In verses 2-6 You admonish me as to what I am to do. Verses 7-8 are what will happen with me if I do as You command. You will fill me with joy and I will have no fears that keep me awake all night.
Psalm 5 is a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. I will praise You for Your grace in my life.
Because I pray to You, Lord, I can boldly entreat You to hear my cries to You. What a blessing that is! You give comfort to my soul.
I can repeat my prayers each day and wait in expectation for You to answer in Your time.
Because of Your great mercy, and only because of it, I can come to You and give my petitions. Lord, You know that within myself there is no good thing. I am to come in revererance and worship.
Lord, please lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight Your way before me.
Help me to discern truth from lies and convict the liar so they may come to repentance.
I take refuge in You, O Lord, and will ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over me and all of Your righteous ones: all who love you and rejoice in Your name.
You bless us and surround us with Your favor as a shield.
Encouragement from the Psalms
Psalms 1-3
Lord, these Psalms have been playing over in my mind over the past week. There is news: of possible war with North Korea, what is happening now with Russia, the ongoing terrorism in Afghanistan, and threats from Iran. The Supreme Court is deliberating over whether "Same Sex Marriage" should be accepted as "normal" with all of the benefits thereunto, there have been shootings, mishaps in training killing several Marines, and the list goes on and on...but Your wrath is upon the wicked and they will not stand in Your judgement. We need not fear, but must be diligent in our fulfillment of the Great Commission.
In Psalm 2 unbelieving kings, in their pride, rage against You and Your people. They plot against You in delusion thinking they can win. You state the truth of their folly and warn them what they need to do to avoid calamity:
Be wise- not with man's wisdom, but with Yours.
Be warned- You are patient and long-suffering, always fair so You warn before judgment falls. You do not usually give a moment's notice, but warn for years for men to repent and turn back to You.
Serve the Lord with fear- There is only one Lord and if one is wise they will fear Your wrath. Although You are patient and gracious, You are also righteous and just.
Rejoice with trembling- when we escape a deadly situation with our lives intact we rejoice with trembling (and usually tears of gratitude!)
Kiss the Son- Lord, this speaks of turning to You in repentance and love for You.
Blessed are all who take refuge in You!
Psalm 3
You, O Lord are and do so much for me!
You:
Are my shield around me
Are my Glorious One
Lift up my head
Answer me from Your holy hill
Sustain me so I can sleep and then arise in time of distress
Give me peace when there are many against me
Are my deliverer
Bless Your people!!!
How I thank and praise You my Lord and Savior!
Lord, these Psalms have been playing over in my mind over the past week. There is news: of possible war with North Korea, what is happening now with Russia, the ongoing terrorism in Afghanistan, and threats from Iran. The Supreme Court is deliberating over whether "Same Sex Marriage" should be accepted as "normal" with all of the benefits thereunto, there have been shootings, mishaps in training killing several Marines, and the list goes on and on...but Your wrath is upon the wicked and they will not stand in Your judgement. We need not fear, but must be diligent in our fulfillment of the Great Commission.
In Psalm 2 unbelieving kings, in their pride, rage against You and Your people. They plot against You in delusion thinking they can win. You state the truth of their folly and warn them what they need to do to avoid calamity:
Be wise- not with man's wisdom, but with Yours.
Be warned- You are patient and long-suffering, always fair so You warn before judgment falls. You do not usually give a moment's notice, but warn for years for men to repent and turn back to You.
Serve the Lord with fear- There is only one Lord and if one is wise they will fear Your wrath. Although You are patient and gracious, You are also righteous and just.
Rejoice with trembling- when we escape a deadly situation with our lives intact we rejoice with trembling (and usually tears of gratitude!)
Kiss the Son- Lord, this speaks of turning to You in repentance and love for You.
Blessed are all who take refuge in You!
Psalm 3
You, O Lord are and do so much for me!
You:
Are my shield around me
Are my Glorious One
Lift up my head
Answer me from Your holy hill
Sustain me so I can sleep and then arise in time of distress
Give me peace when there are many against me
Are my deliverer
Bless Your people!!!
How I thank and praise You my Lord and Savior!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Joy of Delighting in the Lord!
Psalm 1 "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each
season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." NLT
Sweet Lord,
You have had this Psalm turning in my head for the past few days. You have used it in the lives of some of the students You brought to me this week at work.
In the news there is threat of war by North Korea against the US, China and Japan, Iran has threatened war with the US and Israel, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan there is still terrorism reining by the Taliban. All of these nations hate You and all who stand for You. Very sadly I cannot say that the US stands for You as a whole anymore, as we are no longer a Christian nation, but in the eyes of Islam, we are the Great Satan and must be destroyed.
Our enemy is very crafty indeed. He lulls Christians into a sense of comfortable slumber in their faith so as to make them ineffective in fulfilling the Great Commission. He infiltrates the minds of men into thinking that You are the enemy and blinds them to the truth that You are their Savior. The wicked will perish and Your faithful ones will stand in the judgement.
Lord, it is pure joy when I delight in You! Keep me ever mindful as to who I listen to daily and give me eyes to see and the Spirit to weigh and to discern what is said to separate the truth from the lies. Thank You for watching over the path of the godly and that You cause me to bear fruit for Your glory! I am still so unworthy of Your grace and mercy.
Sweet Lord,
You have had this Psalm turning in my head for the past few days. You have used it in the lives of some of the students You brought to me this week at work.
In the news there is threat of war by North Korea against the US, China and Japan, Iran has threatened war with the US and Israel, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan there is still terrorism reining by the Taliban. All of these nations hate You and all who stand for You. Very sadly I cannot say that the US stands for You as a whole anymore, as we are no longer a Christian nation, but in the eyes of Islam, we are the Great Satan and must be destroyed.
Our enemy is very crafty indeed. He lulls Christians into a sense of comfortable slumber in their faith so as to make them ineffective in fulfilling the Great Commission. He infiltrates the minds of men into thinking that You are the enemy and blinds them to the truth that You are their Savior. The wicked will perish and Your faithful ones will stand in the judgement.
Lord, it is pure joy when I delight in You! Keep me ever mindful as to who I listen to daily and give me eyes to see and the Spirit to weigh and to discern what is said to separate the truth from the lies. Thank You for watching over the path of the godly and that You cause me to bear fruit for Your glory! I am still so unworthy of Your grace and mercy.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Help When We Need it Most
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path" KJV
Hebrews 4:16 "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." NLT
Matthew 17:20 "Jesus said to them, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." NIV
Dearest Savior and Lord,
I wanted to record Your grace, mercy, provision, and answered prayer for us and our son Jeff's family on Thursday and Friday March 7-8.
As You know, Lord, Jeff and family moved to Oswego NY in November and we have not been able to see them since then, and would not see them until October this year. At least that is how it appeared to us. On Tuesday March 5th, Cindy called asking if we would be free this weekend as they were having to bring their trailer down to Newport News to pick up the rest of their belongings from their house they still own there. Lord, I was so excited I could barely wait! Then Tuesday You sent a big winter storm all across their area, but plans were to go ahead with the trip.
On Thursday, they got a late start and were upset with themselves that they did. However; You had the best plan! They got to a place about ten miles north of Scranton, PA by the little township of Spottsville and Cindy called me at work about 5:50 PM asking for urgent prayer. All six of them ( Jeff, Cindy, and their four daughters aged 12 to one year) were sitting by the roadside with an overheated engine and coolant pouring out from under their Dodge Ram pickup truck. Right then I prayed that You would immediately send someone to help as it was snowing and 20 degrees.
I called Dick to have him pray and call the rest of the boys asking them to pray.
When I arrived home, Dick had just gotten off the phone with Jeff and there was help on the way. In our flesh, Lord, we wanted so much to be able to help, but we could not drive there because we could not help them as we do not have a trailer hitch on our car. Tommy does, but he was working a double shift and would have been hours away. My brother David has a big truck and probably could have gone there, but he still would have not been able to solve the problem.
Then, Sweet Lord, You reminded me that You are everywhere and could use folks in the area to help them when we could not. You reminded us again that You are always in control and nothing surprises You. Their "lateness" was indeed Your perfect timing!
Lord, in Your grace and mercy, You heard and answered that prayer! How I praise You! You sent a good Samaritan to them within moments! One of the reasons they were late is because my wonderful daughter-in-law is a stickler for being prepared for whatever my befall them, so even though it is supposed to be in the 50s this weekend, packed heavy coats, boots, blankets, and lots of snacks. Because she is also thrifty with the funds You give them, she wanted to go back into the house to get a couple of gallons of water to fill their water bottles instead of buying it along the way, but Jeff told her they would not be drinking much because it was cold. How he learned to trust her intuition! The fellow who stopped helped Jeff to find where the problem was and went and got 2 gallons of water to put into the radiator!
The girls were bundled up in their warm clothing and blankets and watched a video on the portable DVD player you had them purchase the day before. They had just enough cell phone service to call the insurance company and us! In Your mercy, Lord, they were minutes from the town where there was not only a garage with someone still there...by this time it was almost 7:00. They were headed to Dixonville (9 miles away).where the garage had a gas pump so they could fill the truck, and there was a restaurant next door! There was also a Pep Boys Auto Supply store there where Jeff was able to get some liquid weld epoxy and duct tape (but that is another story). He patched the hole and prayed it would hold until they got to VA the next day. And it did. However; without the very cold air coming into their grill as well, hey never would have made it.
Friday they called their friend and fellow Christian in Portsmouth who they would be staying with Friday night and he called around to see if there was anyone who would be open that night to diagnose the problem, and someone who on Saturday could fix the truck.
This story does not end there and I do not know how You, Lord, are going to finish it. For now, the garage in Portsmouth will have the truck fixed by around 1"30 today and they can be on their way here. I praise You and worship Your name in gratefulness of heart for the faith lesson You taught us all!
Hebrews 4:16 "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." NLT
Matthew 17:20 "Jesus said to them, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." NIV
Dearest Savior and Lord,
I wanted to record Your grace, mercy, provision, and answered prayer for us and our son Jeff's family on Thursday and Friday March 7-8.
As You know, Lord, Jeff and family moved to Oswego NY in November and we have not been able to see them since then, and would not see them until October this year. At least that is how it appeared to us. On Tuesday March 5th, Cindy called asking if we would be free this weekend as they were having to bring their trailer down to Newport News to pick up the rest of their belongings from their house they still own there. Lord, I was so excited I could barely wait! Then Tuesday You sent a big winter storm all across their area, but plans were to go ahead with the trip.
On Thursday, they got a late start and were upset with themselves that they did. However; You had the best plan! They got to a place about ten miles north of Scranton, PA by the little township of Spottsville and Cindy called me at work about 5:50 PM asking for urgent prayer. All six of them ( Jeff, Cindy, and their four daughters aged 12 to one year) were sitting by the roadside with an overheated engine and coolant pouring out from under their Dodge Ram pickup truck. Right then I prayed that You would immediately send someone to help as it was snowing and 20 degrees.
I called Dick to have him pray and call the rest of the boys asking them to pray.
When I arrived home, Dick had just gotten off the phone with Jeff and there was help on the way. In our flesh, Lord, we wanted so much to be able to help, but we could not drive there because we could not help them as we do not have a trailer hitch on our car. Tommy does, but he was working a double shift and would have been hours away. My brother David has a big truck and probably could have gone there, but he still would have not been able to solve the problem.
Then, Sweet Lord, You reminded me that You are everywhere and could use folks in the area to help them when we could not. You reminded us again that You are always in control and nothing surprises You. Their "lateness" was indeed Your perfect timing!
Lord, in Your grace and mercy, You heard and answered that prayer! How I praise You! You sent a good Samaritan to them within moments! One of the reasons they were late is because my wonderful daughter-in-law is a stickler for being prepared for whatever my befall them, so even though it is supposed to be in the 50s this weekend, packed heavy coats, boots, blankets, and lots of snacks. Because she is also thrifty with the funds You give them, she wanted to go back into the house to get a couple of gallons of water to fill their water bottles instead of buying it along the way, but Jeff told her they would not be drinking much because it was cold. How he learned to trust her intuition! The fellow who stopped helped Jeff to find where the problem was and went and got 2 gallons of water to put into the radiator!
The girls were bundled up in their warm clothing and blankets and watched a video on the portable DVD player you had them purchase the day before. They had just enough cell phone service to call the insurance company and us! In Your mercy, Lord, they were minutes from the town where there was not only a garage with someone still there...by this time it was almost 7:00. They were headed to Dixonville (9 miles away).where the garage had a gas pump so they could fill the truck, and there was a restaurant next door! There was also a Pep Boys Auto Supply store there where Jeff was able to get some liquid weld epoxy and duct tape (but that is another story). He patched the hole and prayed it would hold until they got to VA the next day. And it did. However; without the very cold air coming into their grill as well, hey never would have made it.
Friday they called their friend and fellow Christian in Portsmouth who they would be staying with Friday night and he called around to see if there was anyone who would be open that night to diagnose the problem, and someone who on Saturday could fix the truck.
This story does not end there and I do not know how You, Lord, are going to finish it. For now, the garage in Portsmouth will have the truck fixed by around 1"30 today and they can be on their way here. I praise You and worship Your name in gratefulness of heart for the faith lesson You taught us all!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
God Shows No Favoritism
Acts 10:34-35 "Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right"
Oh Lord, I know that now more than ever, we live in a "Global Community" because of all of the technology. But, I find that if I am not careful, I do not see people in other nations as "real". Because there is so much on film, the internet, and TV, people seem to be fake. I am SO glad that I work at Liberty University and am now located in the same area as the International Student Center. Now I see internationals every day and can put names, faces, and nations together.
If we do not get a chance to travel to other lands and actually see where and how they live, we lose touch with the reality that there are Christians all over the world who are REAL, not just actors on film. They are real with feelings, joys, sorrows, needs, and live life every day.
I know I have heard comments from folks who are frustrated when they have a doctor, help desk person, or teacher from a foreign land because they cannot understand them well and in our "American Arrogance" see them as somehow inferior to us.
Lord, You created all peoples in all nations. No one is better than another. We are just different. Help me to always see them and to KNOW them as Peter knew Cornelius!
Oh Lord, I know that now more than ever, we live in a "Global Community" because of all of the technology. But, I find that if I am not careful, I do not see people in other nations as "real". Because there is so much on film, the internet, and TV, people seem to be fake. I am SO glad that I work at Liberty University and am now located in the same area as the International Student Center. Now I see internationals every day and can put names, faces, and nations together.
If we do not get a chance to travel to other lands and actually see where and how they live, we lose touch with the reality that there are Christians all over the world who are REAL, not just actors on film. They are real with feelings, joys, sorrows, needs, and live life every day.
I know I have heard comments from folks who are frustrated when they have a doctor, help desk person, or teacher from a foreign land because they cannot understand them well and in our "American Arrogance" see them as somehow inferior to us.
Lord, You created all peoples in all nations. No one is better than another. We are just different. Help me to always see them and to KNOW them as Peter knew Cornelius!
Monday, March 4, 2013
"The Bible" Commentary Questions
I will preface this post by saying that I understand that a millenium cannot be squeezed into an 45 min period. "The Bible" on the History Channel last night did a good job, but I thought it odd that: the Ark leaked and there were children on board, Sarah was less than lovely (since Abraham called her his sister because she was so beautiful), that not ALL the men in Sodom were struck blind, that Lot never offered his daughters to the men and that they were so young, that Moses never argued with God at the burning bush, and when they left Egypt: they left with the clothes on their backs instead of with the riches of Egypt (Exodus 12:35), the Israelites did not have many flocks ans herds with them (Exodus12:38), and were not armed for battle (Exodus 13:18). Exodus 14:19-22 describes the parting of the Red Sea. Moses was to stretch out his hand throughout the night for the waters to part, not strike the water, and there was no golden calf.
I believe that the writers and producers were trying to follow just the thread of "God with all of us", which if you go to Wal-Mart you will see posters at the door advertizing the DVD named that.
Prayerfully some unbelievers will see this and go to a believer or church and start asking questions. Lord, I pray that You will use this series for that purpose, and that it will cause believers to search the scriptures while watching to seek the truth.
I believe that the writers and producers were trying to follow just the thread of "God with all of us", which if you go to Wal-Mart you will see posters at the door advertizing the DVD named that.
Prayerfully some unbelievers will see this and go to a believer or church and start asking questions. Lord, I pray that You will use this series for that purpose, and that it will cause believers to search the scriptures while watching to seek the truth.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Furnace of Affliction
Lord, in reading
Charles Haddon Spurgeon " Morning and Evening Devotional this morning, I was struck by Your amazing love and grace:
"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." — Isaiah 48:10
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat hath no power? Let affliction come—God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I have a balsam ready—God has chosen me.
Whatever befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has “chosen” me.
If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayst feel the pressure of His hands.
Dost thou not hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, “Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.” Remember that noble speech of Caesar: “Fear not, thou carriest Caesar and all his fortune.” Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. “Fear not, for I am with thee,” is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the “furnace of affliction.” Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say—
Like the Hebrew children, I would pray that anyone meeting me would not be able to smell the smoke from the furnace either, but would see only the warm glow from being near the warmth of Your lovingkindness.
Lord; I do not know why You did, but thank You for choosing me.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon " Morning and Evening Devotional this morning, I was struck by Your amazing love and grace:
"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." — Isaiah 48:10
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat hath no power? Let affliction come—God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I have a balsam ready—God has chosen me.
Whatever befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has “chosen” me.
If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayst feel the pressure of His hands.
Dost thou not hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, “Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.” Remember that noble speech of Caesar: “Fear not, thou carriest Caesar and all his fortune.” Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. “Fear not, for I am with thee,” is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the “furnace of affliction.” Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say—
“Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,In Daniel I read about the three Hebrews in the furnace and how You walked with them in the flames. Not only did you save their lives and protect them there, but their clothes and body did not even smell like smoke when they emerged! Sweet Lord, I know of many and also have some family members who are in that furnace of affliction, poverty and sickness, and have been there myself. It is not fun to be there by any means; but You have been a sweet presence and wonderful loving friend to me during those times giving comfort, encouragement, and healing.
I’ll follow where He goes.”
Like the Hebrew children, I would pray that anyone meeting me would not be able to smell the smoke from the furnace either, but would see only the warm glow from being near the warmth of Your lovingkindness.
Lord; I do not know why You did, but thank You for choosing me.
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