Verse of the day — 2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8(HCSB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
The Touch By The Way
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:5)
I think it is quite clear that the Lord Jesus carried in His heart a great longing and a prayer for the glory that He once had. This is where I think John touches this matter very closely. In the seventeenth chapter of his gospel, he records that great prayer of the Lord Jesus: "Father, glorify Thou Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (vs. 5). That opens a window and lets us see that the Lord Jesus had a consciousness of His eternal glory past. He carried it with Him; He knew about it marvelous thought! and that the consciousness of that former glory was ever prompting Him to pray toward, long toward, the day when He would return to it and it would return to Him. "Father, glorify Thou Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was."
The Mount of Transfiguration had become an answer to His heart's prayer and cry and longing at least a touch of it. A fleeting touch, but for Him it was one of those things which perhaps you know a little about in your Christian life. The Lord just does something it passes, but you know by it that you have been heard; you know that there is sympathy in the Father's heart for your need and situation. It may only last for a day, or a night, for an hour, or for a little while, and then pass, because the end of the road is not yet; the eternal glory has not yet come; but the touch by the way is something that carries us on. We know the Lord has heard; we know the Lord has taken account of that inner cry and longing, and has given us a token of His sympathy. It was like that with the Lord Jesus the answer to His own cry.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
[Christ] … was to come.
Jesus … was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death … that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. § One died for all. § As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
“The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit … However the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. § God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”… So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him. God … has in these last days spoken to us by His Son … the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. § You have given Him authority over all flesh.
The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
Rom. 5:14; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:14; Rom. 5:19; 1 Cor. 15:45,46; Gen. 1:26,27; Heb. 1:1; Heb. 1:2; Heb. 1:3; John 17:2; 1 Cor. 15:47,48
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The things which will take place after this.
It is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. § The Spirit of truth … will tell you things to come. § Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus … For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Rev. 1:19; 1 Cor. 2:9,10; John 16:13; Rev. 1:7; 1 Thess. 4:13,14, 1 Thess. 4:16,17
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Developed Gift
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil" (2 Thess. 3:3).
Though we receive our faith from Him, it must be developed in us by Him. Undeveloped faith never progresses beyond the babe-in-Christ, milk-of-the-Word stage. "But solid food is for adults - that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil. Therefore leaving elementary instruction about Christ, let us advance to mature manhood" (Heb. 5:14 6:1, Wey.).
"You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives us promises in a quiet hour; He seals our covenants with great and gracious words. Then He steps back and waits while we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. It is then that faith wins its crown. Then is the time to look into His face and say, I believe, Lord, that it shall be done as it was told me.'"
"Without trials of faith we should all be ruined. These trials give us opportunities of linking on to the mighty promises of God and finding through the trials come blessing that wonderfully glorifies Him, or else, missing God, turns the blessing into a burden that fills the heart with weariness and pain." -G.W.
"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:11).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
The World’s Water (Woman At The Well (5)
Woman at the Well – Full Study
And Jesus needs must go through Samaria.. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, ‘Give me to drink’ – and Jesus answered and said unto her:-“Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again:..”
John 4:13-14
Empty Promises
How true a statement Jesus said to the thirsting woman: Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. No matter from what earthly wells you sip, you will never be satisfied – NEVER. Oh, you may achieve a momentary, mediocre measure of fulfilment or gratification, but this world's dainty delights are drawn from broken cisterns of brackish waters. Earth’s empty promises are vain vows.. puffs of smoke from a raging, sulfuric fire. The soul can never find deep delight and sustained satisfaction in such gaudy charms. The human heart only finds growing discontent from this world's goods and dainties. For whosoever drinketh of this water shall indeed thirst again.
Deepest Needs
Money, power and strength can never feed a soul that is made in the Divine image. Fame, food or sex can never assuage the deep desires and demands of the heart. The soul is immortal. The saved soul is celestial and spiritual. It can never be filled with the secular and terrestrial. The carnal can’t be satisfied – EVER. Many of this world gifts are not bad in themselves, but all have been tainted with sin – and all are insufficient to quench the hearts deepest needs. Nothing less than God Himself can answer the cries and the craving of humankind. Nothing but the Divine Waters of Life can satiate the soul’s deepest yearnings.
True Satisfaction
Were florid path strewed with diamonds and gold and the finest of silken thread... were buildings constructed of the most delicately carved marble and oaken beams... were panniers of the most delicious fruit and sweetmeats to grace the richly plenished table... were brimming baskets-full of delicate blossoms to perfume the breezy air – the
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
The Voice Of My Beloved
Who hath ears to hear, let him HEAR.
Matthew 13:9This is my Beloved Son: HEAR Him.
Luke 9:35.My Beloved SPAKE, and said unto me, "rise up, my love my fair one, and come away".
Song of Solomon 2:10
God’s Voice
If I have not learned to recognise His voice in the cries of the unlovely I have not learned to know His heart. If I cannot identify His voice in the dull and daily routine of life.. with equal enthusiasm as when He calls to me on the mountain top, I cannot realise that He wants to lift His loved one over the drudgery and monotony of daily living.
Mean Routine
How quickly we try to stumble over and endure the mean routine. How quickly we hurry through the mundane to get that ‘spiritual time’ alone that is indeed important.. and yet – He has been calling to us through the doorbell and the telephone call – the email and the supermarket line, the traffic jam and the crying child.
God’s Call
The voice of your Beloved calls out through the shrill scream of a child – or the friend who only tells you her troubles. He whispers to you in that dull meeting or in the queue to reach the checkout desk. Rise up He calls. Rse up calls the voice of our Beloved and come away. Come away to what?
God’s Way
Come away to the bright peak of heavenly bliss? Come away to the rolling hills and the perfumed garden? Come away to the cooling stream that courses its way to the oceans? NO! The voice of my Beloved spoke to me and said.. "rise up my love my fair one and come away from self–pity and mental moanings". He did not promise to change our daily lives.. nor to remove the mundane chores. He did not commit to remove the irritating people, nor to smooth away the difficult circumstances.
God’s Promise
He promised to change US. He promised to change you. He promised to change me, so that He would shine throughHe
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