Light

As I was getting ready for the first day of classes this morning, I read today's Morning & Evening by Spurgeon. As soon as I read the verse at the top, I knew it was perfect for me today. Here it is:

"In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." ~Philippians 2:15

We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his life, that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the gospel. His conversation should be such that all who are about him should clearly perceive Whose he is, and Whom he serves; and should see the image of Jesus reflected in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the Saviour, and the weary to a divine resting-place. Men sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them; we should be read, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God's Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also used for warning. On our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected. Christian men should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure; they hoist the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal,
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.


Those words set a flame in me that is burning to live this life for my beloved Jesus. One of my favorite parts is, "he should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him." I want to carry sunshine. I want to show what joy is like; it's so much better than the transient happiness that this world can offer.

Drawing Closer to God

Lately I've really felt the need to draw closer to God. I'm not sure why, but I've just felt a distance between myself and my Heavenly Father. I know that nothing can snatch me out of His hands, and that He's always right there beside me (Owl City's "Meteor Shower" :). I think every Christian goes through drier times--or rather, what feels like drier times--but we do not need to fret! God will not let us wander away, because we are His precious children! Anyway, I really feel like He's drawing me closer in many ways, and also showing me how to draw closer to Him. Here, I'll explain a little bit.

My family and I started going to a new church a couple months ago. The Lord has used this change for so much good!!! Every week I come home refreshed from a time of fellowship with the body of Christ, a great time in the Word with all of our pastor's sermons, Gospel-focused worship, and wonderfully intense, sometimes interactive, times of prayer. Suffice it to say, the Lord has provided a place that my family feels "at home" and that we love! So, that's one way in which I feel Him drawing me closer.

Then, this morning, as I was reading Morning and Evening and my chapter of Hebrews, I came across these little jewels:

"The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be;
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee." ~"Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon, May 4

and here is a section of Hebrews chapter 4 that really touched me:

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I'll sum up with a short little prayer that all this lead me to pray this morning (hopefully this doesn't make anyone feel awkward, or like this is a lame blog :) :

Father, please strip all idols (I have so many!) away from me, even though it will hurt. I want you to be the only One on my throne--you're the only one deserving of that place! Thank you SO MUCH that Jesus came to die for me, and while he lived on earth, He was tempted in every way but yet did not give in to sin! Thank you that He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. How incredible to have a Savior who understands the feelings of the ones He is saving! Thank you, also, for allowing us--horrid sinners, yet by your Son we have become righteous--to draw near your throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need!!!!! What an awesome promise you've given us!

Anyway, I often times just pray the scripture I'm reading, whether by turning it into a plea or into a praise or into a prayer of thanksgiving....I think this one might have all three :)

So, be encouraged today, friends, that our Savior knows how we are feeling, and that God can and will strip away all of our idols, so that we might indeed draw nearer to Him.

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it!
Prone to leave the God I love!
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above."

misc.

Hello Everyone! I don't have any excuses other than "school" for why I haven't posted in so long, so I'll just say I'm sorry :)

Anyway, in my devotions this morning I read this selection from Morning and Evening:

"His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob."
-- Genesis 49:24

"That strength which God gives to his Josephs is real strength; it isnot a boasted valour, a fiction, a thing of which men talk, but whichends in smoke; it is true-divine strength. Why does Joseph standagainst temptation? Because God gives him aid. There is nought that wecan do without the power of God. All true strength comes from "themighty God of Jacob." Notice in what a blessedly familiar way God givesthis strength to Joseph-"The arms of his hands were made strong by thehands of the mighty God of Jacob." Thus God is represented as puttinghis hands on Joseph's hands, placing his arms on Joseph's arms. Like asa father teaches his children, so the Lord teaches them that fear him.He puts his arms upon them. Marvellous condescension! God Almighty,Eternal, Omnipotent, stoops from his throne and lays his hand upon thechild's hand, stretching his arm upon the arm of Joseph, that he may bemade strong! This strength was also covenant strength, for it isascribed to "the mighty God of Jacob." Now, wherever you read of theGod of Jacob in the Bible, you should remember the covenant with Jacob.Christians love to think of God's covenant. All the power, all thegrace, all the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, all thethings we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the covenant. Ifthere were no covenant, then we should fail indeed; for all grace proceeds from it, as light and heat from the sun. No angels ascend or descend, save upon that ladder which Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God. Christian, it may be that the archers have sorely grieved you, and shot at you, and wounded you, but still your bow abides in strength; be sure, then, to ascribe all the glory to Jacob's God. "

Oops, some of the words are smooshed together. Sorry about that! Hopefully you can still make it out, because it is powerful and encouraging! I don't know about you, but I frequently feel my lack of strength spiritually. Not that I question my salvation, but sometimes I just don't feel strong in my faith. Like the ever-so-popular children's (and adult's) worship song, Jesus Loves Me says: "They (we) are weak but he is strong!" (now just picture a room full of 4-5 year olds singing that with only a handful of adults in the room, with heavy emphasis on the "strong". That's what I get to see almost every Sunday:) Anyway, to picture the Lord laying his arms and hands on mine and restoring my strength is a thing of great beauty to my soul. I'm falling deeper in love, people!

Okay, I have two more awesome tidbits to share with you. I received an ESV Study Bible for Christmas this year! And I've been using it nearly everyday (I'm trying to read through the New Testament this year). Just this morning, however, I decided to register my "online code" in order to view my Bible online. IT IS SO COOL! You are able to add notes, listen to a person read it (enthusiastically, I might add!), read the notes from the Study Bible, go directly to a linked verse, see a verse just by hovering over the bold type, and more! If you have a Study Bible, but, like me, you never registered your code, DO IT! You won't regret it. And if you don't have a Study Bible, I highly recommend one! It has been very helpful to me in understanding what was really going on in Bible times, and it has also helped me with theological questions that I've had.

Now for my last item: Faith Like Potatoes. I watched this movie with our small group on Friday night and it blew me away! It is a Christian film that is both encouraging and faith-building. There is one part in the movie that I had to close my eyes, and for families with younger kids, I would recommend fast-forwarding through, since it is a scene that involves an extremely traumatic circumstance. However, it really added a whole other dimension to the movie, and although it was hard to watch/hear, it was good for me. I hope to do a more full review on this movie later, but for now I'll leave it at that and add it to the "Favorite Movies" section of my profile ;)

Off to start my day!

An extremely encouraging word from Spurgeon:

MORNING:

"Accepted in the beloved."
-- Ephesians 1:6



What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God,but the term "acceptance" in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, shouldbe the objects of divine love! But it is only "in the beloved." Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience, at least, that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father's sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honour the Saviour! Rejoice then, believer, in this: thou art accepted "in the beloved." Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, "There is nothing acceptable here!" But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Thy sins trouble thee; but God has cast thy sins behind his back, and thou art accepted in the Righteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted in him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts thee; be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for thou art accepted in him who has broken Satan's head. Know by full assurance thy glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than thou art. They are only accepted in heaven "in the beloved," and thou art even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.

Morning and Evening--Evening of July 10

What an amazing encouragement!

"And the evening and the morning were the first day." -- Genesis 1:5
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the twotogether are called by the name that is given to the light alone! Thisis somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritualexperience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet heis not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is tobe named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. Thiswill be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning theirinfirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is somuch darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your namefrom the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in theword of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon.You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in youstill. You are named after what is the predominating quality in thesight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining.Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness firstin order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournfulapprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God bemerciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawnswhen grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan,"That which is last, lasts for ever." That which is first, yields indue season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So thatthough you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in theLord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down."The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the secondday, when we shall be with God, for ever, shall be a day with noevening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.

p.s. sorry that some of the words are stuck together! I hope you can still make it out--

Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening"

For quite a while, my mom has recieved a daily email with the text of Charles Spurgeon's wonderful devotional, Morning and Evening. A couple weeks ago, I asked how I could recieve it. She sent me the link, and it has been such a blessing since I signed up!!! Tonight as I was ready to go to sleep, I read today's 'Evening' passage. It did not have a condemning theme, but I began to think about my sin and felt guilty and sad. Then, I remembered that my sister had commented on how encouraging yesterday's 'Morning' passage was. So, I decided to read that. It meant so much to me! It brought tears to my eyes. It was exactly what I needed. Please take the time to read it. God truly can use words written long ago to minister to our weary souls!!!

MORNING: June 28
"Looking unto Jesus." -- Hebrews 12:2
It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self toJesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he isconstantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. Heinsinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; youdo not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end;you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold ofJesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never findcomfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns oureyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that"Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold ofChrist that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ thatsaves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that bethe instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not somuch to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ;look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not tothy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shallnever find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or ourfeelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to thesoul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on him; let hisdeath, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; whenthou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fearscome between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.
"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."


Isn't that beautiful? I'm praying that the Lord will keep us looking at His Son and what He did for us, not at ourselves. In fact, my signature on my email is 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." What wonderful news!