Days of Heaven Upon Earth Part 22

Many Christians fail to see these blessings as they are centered in Him.

They want to get the blessing of salvation, but that is not the Christ.

They want to get the blessing of His grace to help, but that is not Him.

They want to get answered prayer from Him to work for Him. You might have all that and not have the blessing of Christ Himself. A great many people are attached rather to the system of doctrine. They say, "Yes, I have got the truth; I am orthodox." That is not the Christ. It may be the cold statue in the fountain with the water pa.s.sing from the cold hands and lips, but no life there. A great many other people want to get the blessing of joy, but it is not the blessing of Christ personally. A great many people are more attached to their church and pastor, or to dear Christians friends, but that is not the Christ. The blessing that will alone fill your heart when all else fails is the loving heart of Jesus united to you, the fountain of all your blessings and the unfailing one when they all wither and are exhausted-Jesus Christ Himself.

MAY 24.

"Where is the way where light dwelleth" (Job x.x.xviii. 19).

Jewels, in themselves, are valueless, unless they are brought in contact with light. If they are put in certain positions they will reflect the beauty of the sun. There is no beauty in them otherwise. The diamond that is back in its dark gallery or down in the deep mine, displays no beauty whatever. What is it but a piece of charcoal, a bit of common carbon, unless it becomes a medium for reflecting light? And so it is also with the other precious gems. Their varied tints are nothing without light. If they are many-sided, they reflect more light, and display more beauty. If you put paste beside a diamond there is no brilliancy in it. In its crude state it does not reflect light at all. So we are in a crude state and are of no use at all until G.o.d comes and s.h.i.+nes upon us. The light that is in a diamond is not its own possession; it is the beauty of the sun. What beauty is there in the child of G.o.d? Only the beauty of Jesus. We are His peculiar people, chosen to show forth His excellencies who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Let its reflect to-day His light and love.

MAY 25.

"That I may know Him" (Phil. iii. 10).

Better to know Jesus Himself than to know the truth about Him for the deep things of G.o.d as they are revealed by the Holy Ghost. It was Paul's great desire, "That I may know Him," not about Him, not the mysteries of the wonderful world, of the deeper and higher teachings of G.o.d, but to enter into the Holy of Holies, where Christ is, where the Shekinah is s.h.i.+ning and making the place glorious with the holiness of G.o.d, and then to enter into the secret of the Lord Himself. It was what Jacob strove for at Peniel, when he pleaded with G.o.d, "Tell me Thy name." He has told us His name, giving us "the light of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ." That is the secret. It is the Lord Himself, and nothing else; it is acquaintance with G.o.d; it is knowing Jesus Christ as we know no one else; it is being able to say, not only "I believe Him,"

but "I know Him"; not about Him, but I know Him. That is the secret above all others that G.o.d wants us to have; it is His provision for glory and power, and it is given freely to the single-hearted seeker.

MAY 26.

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto G.o.d" (Phil. iv. 6).

Commit means to hand over, to trust wholly to another. So, if we give our trials to Him, He will carry them. If we walk in righteousness He will carry us through. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of G.o.d that He may exalt you in due time." There are two hands there-G.o.d's hand pressing us down, humbling us, and then G.o.d's hand lifting us up.

Cast all your care on Him, then His hand will lift you up, exalt you in due time. There are two cares in this verse-your care and His care. They are different in the original. One means anxious care, the other means Almighty care. Cast your anxious care on Him and take His Almighty care instead. Make no account of trouble any more, but believe He is able to sustain you through it. The government is on His shoulder. Believe that, if you trust and obey Him, and meet His will, He will look after your interests. Simply exchange burdens. Take His yoke upon you, and let Him care for you.

MAY 27.

"The government shall be upon His shoulder" (Isa. ix. 6).

You cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating. Belladonna will do that, but that is not rest. Let the breath of life come-G.o.d's life and strength-and there will be sweet rest. Home ties and family affection will not bring it. Deliverance from trouble will not bring it. Many a tried heart has said: "If this great trouble was only gone, I should have rest."

But as soon as one goes another comes. The poor, wounded deer on the mountain side, thinks if he could only bathe in the old mountain stream he would have rest. But the arrow is in its flesh and there is no rest for it till the wound is healed. It is as sore in the mountain lake as on the plain. We shall never have G.o.d's rest and peace in the heart till we have given everything up to Christ-even our work-and believe He has taken it all, and we have only to keep still and trust. It is necessary to walk in holy obedience and let Him have the government on His shoulder. Paul said this: "This one thing I do." There is one narrow path for us all-Christ's will and work for us.

MAY 28.

"He humbled Himself" (Phil. ii. 8).

One of the hardest things for a lofty and superior nature is to be under authority, to renounce his own will, and to take a place of subjection.

But Christ took upon Him the form of a servant, gave up His independence, His right to please Himself, His liberty of choice, and after having from eternal ages known only to command, gave Himself up only to obey. I have seen occasionally the man who was once a wealthy employer a clerk in the same store. It was not an easy or graceful position, I a.s.sure you. But Jesus was such a perfect servant that His Father said: "Behold, My Servant in whom My soul delighteth." All His life His watchword was, "The Son of Man came to minister." "I am among you as He that doth serve." "I can do nothing of Myself." "Not My will, but Thine, be done." Have you, beloved, learned the servant's place?

And once more, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." His life was all a dying, and at last He gave all up to death, and also shame, the death of crucifixion. This last was the consummation of His love.

MAY 29.

"The body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body" (I. Cor. vi. 13).

Now, just as it was Christ Himself who justified us, and Christ Himself who was made unto us sanctification, so it is only by personal union with Him that we can receive this physical life and redemption. It is, indeed, not a touch of power upon our body which restores and then leaves it to the mere resources of natural strength and life for the future; but it is the vital and actual union of our mortal body with the risen body of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that His own very life comes into our frame and He is Himself made unto us strength, health and full physical redemption.

He is alive forevermore and condescends to live in these houses of clay.

They who thus receive Him may know Him as none ever can who exclude Him from the bodies which He has made for Himself. This is one of the deep and precious mysteries of the Gospel. "The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore, glorify G.o.d in your body, which is G.o.d's." (R. V.)

MAY 30.

"I will put My Spirit within you" (Ez. x.x.xvi. 27).

"I will put My Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments." "I will put My fear in your hearts, and ye shall not turn away from Me." Oh, friend, would not that be blessed, would not that be such a rest for you, all worn out with this strife in your own strength? Do you not want a strong man to conquer the strong man of self and sin? Do you not want a leader? Do you not want G.o.d Himself to be with you, to be your occupant? Do you not want rest? Are you not conscious of this need? Oh, this sense of being beaten back, longing, wanting, but not accomplis.h.i.+ng. That is what He comes to do; "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you." Better than that, "Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you." That is the true version, and really it is immensely different from the other.

You shall not receive power yourself, so that people shall say: "How much power that man has. You shall not have any power whatever, but you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, He having the power, that is all."

MAY 31.

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child" (Matt.