Milo

September 7

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1.)

THE question often comes, “Why didn’t He help me sooner?” It is not His order. He must first adjust you to the trouble and cause you to learn your lesson from it. His promise is, “I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.” He must be with you in the trouble first all day and all night. Then He will take you out of it. This will not come till you have stopped being restless and fretful about it and become calm and quiet. Then He will say, “It is enough.”
God uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to educate us. When their good work is done, a glorious recompense will come to us through them. There is a sweet joy and a real value in them. He does not regard them as difficulties but as opportunities.—Selected.

Not always OUT of our troublous times,
And the struggles fierce and grim,
But IN—deeper IN—to our one sure rest,
The place of our peace, in Him.
—Annie Johnson Flint.
We once heard a simple old colored man say something that we have never forgotten: “When God tests you, it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary.”
There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of Divine grace. Thus even the adversary becomes an auxiliary, and the things that seem to be against us turn out to be for the furtherance of our way. Surely, this is to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
—A. B. Simpson.

7 SEPTEMBER

None like him

‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Hebrews 13:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: John 10:1–18

Let us speak of the Shepherd. Jesus the Son of God, Christ the anointed, is the Shepherd. Herein we may notice:
(i) condescension. The Lord of angels, undertaking to be the Shepherd of sinners.
(ii) love. For his sheep were in a ruined state and must have perished, unless he had paid the redemption price. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.
(iii) authority. Anointed, sent and empowered for this purpose, and having done all in their behalf, he has a right to give them eternal life.
He is the great Shepherd. That great—emphatical—there is none like him, there is no other. He has many under-shepherds, his ministers, by whom as instruments he works, but whatever is effectually done is done by him. He fully and truly answers to the Shepherd’s character. This title is applied to him very early (Genesis 49 [verse 24]). The ancient patriarchs were mostly shepherds, Jacob in particular. He calls the Lord his Shepherd—the Shepherd of Israel. O how happy are his people! The welfare of the flock depends upon the ability and care of the Shepherd. None can shadow forth his qualifications.
FOR MEDITATION:
JEHOVAH is our Shepherd’s name,
Dear LORD, if I am one of thine,
Then what have we, though weak, to fear?
From anxious thoughts I would be free;
Our sin and folly we proclaim,
To trust, and love, and praise, is mine,
If we despond while he is near.
The care of all belongs to thee.

SERMON SERIES: HEBREWS 13:20–21, NO. 2 [2/3]

September 6th

Diffusiveness of life

Rivers of living water. John 7:38.

A river touches places of which its source knows nothing, and Jesus says if we have received of His fulness, however small the visible measure of our lives, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless to the uttermost parts of the earth. We have nothing to do with the outflow—“This is the work of God that ye believe.…” God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.
A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is baulked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.
Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up marvellous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others.

September 6

“Thou remainest.” (Heb. 1:11.)

THERE are always lone hearth-fires; so many! And those who sit beside them, with the empty chair, cannot restrain the tears that will come. One sits alone so much. There is some One unseen, just here within reach. But somehow we don’t realize His presence. Realizing is blessed, but—rare. It belongs to the mood, to the feelings. It is dependent on weather conditions and bodily conditions. The rain, the heavy fog outside, the poor sleep, the twinging pain, these make one’s mood so much, they seem to blur out the realizing. But there is something a little higher up than realizing. It is yet more blessed. It is independent of these outer conditions, it is something that abides. It is this: recognizing that Presence unseen, so wondrous and quieting, so soothing and calming and warming. Recognize His presence—the Master’s own. He is here, close by; His presence is real. Recognizing will help realizing, too, but it never depends on it. Aye, more, immensely more, the Truth is a Presence, not a thing, a fact, a statement. Some One is present, a warm-hearted Friend, an all-powerful Lord. And this is the joyful truth for weeping hearts everywhere, whatever be the hand that has drawn the tears; by whatever stream it be that your weeping willow is planted.
—S. D. Gordon.

When from my life the old-time joys have vanished,
Treasures once mine, I may no longer claim,
This truth may feed my hungry heart, and famished:
Lord, THOU REMAINEST! THOU art still the same!

When streams have dried, those streams of glad refreshing—
Friendships so blest, so rich, so free;
When sun-kissed skies give place to clouds depressing,
Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Still my heart hath THEE.

When strength hath failed, and feet, now worn and weary,
On gladsome errands may no longer go,
Why should I sigh, or let the days be dreary?
Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Could’st Thou more bestow?

Thus through life’s days—whoe’er or what may fail me,
Friends, friendships, joys, in small or great degree,
Songs may be mine, no sadness need assail me,
Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Still my heart hath THEE.
—J. Danson Smith.

6 SEPTEMBER

That great Shepherd of the sheep

‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Hebrews 13:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 23:1–6

That great Shepherd of the sheep. This name is precious to his sheep and it comprehends his whole role. Their safety depends on his being their Shepherd, and their consolation on their knowing that he is so.
Let us speak of the sheep. They are a great multitude which no man can number, but their number is determinate and known to their Shepherd. When they are assembled at his right hand on the great day, not one will be missing. They are the remnant, which the sovereign wisdom and grace of God purposed from everlasting to save out of the ruin which sin had brought upon mankind. As such, they were given as a trust and as a gift by the Father to the Son. He accepted them as a charge, and rejoices in them as his portion, in whom he will be admired, in time and eternity. They are born in sin, and live for a longer or shorter space in vanity and ignorance even as others, but he who has loved them with an everlasting love, in due time draws them to himself. Till that hour comes, he watches over them by his providence, and then he makes himself known as a Shepherd—rules, leads, guides and guards them, till they arrive in glory. The proof of their relation to him lies in their effectual calling by the power of his Word and Spirit. And here we must begin if we desire to know whether we are his sheep or not. Whoever receives the gospel report, feels the need of a Shepherd, and seeks to him and him alone, is undoubtedly one, for he says, My sheep hear my voice [John 10:27].
FOR MEDITATION: [for Sunday, 6 September 1778]
The Saviour calls his people sheep,
The bull can fight, the hare can flee,
And bids them on his love rely,
The ant, in summer, food prepare;
For he alone their souls can keep,
But helpless sheep, and such are we,
And he alone their wants supply.
Depend upon the Shepherd’s care.

SERMON SERIES: HEBREWS 13:20–21, NO. 2 [1/3]