Milo

January 12

“Reckon it nothing but joy … whenever you find yourself hedged in by the various trials, be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.” (James 1:2, 3.) (Weymouth.)

GOD hedges in His own that He may preserve them, but oftentimes they only see the wrong side of the hedge, and so misunderstand His dealings. It was so with Job (Job 3:23). Ah, but Satan knew the value of that hedge! See his testimony in chapter 1:10. Through the leaves of every trial there are chinks of light to shine through. Thorns do not prick you unless you lean against them, and not one touches without His knowledge. The words that hurt you, the letter which gave you pain, the cruel wound of your dearest friend, shortness of money—are all known to Him, who sympathizes as none else can and watches to see, if, through all, you will dare to trust Him wholly.

“The hawthorn hedge that keeps us from intruding,
Looks very fierce and bare
When stripped by winter, every branch protruding
Its thorns that would wound and tear.

“But spring-time comes; and like the rod that budded,
Each twig breaks out in green;
And cushions soft of tender leaves are studded,
Where spines alone were seen.

“The sorrows, that to us seem so perplexing,
Are mercies kindly sent
To guard our wayward souls from sadder vexing,
And greater ills prevent.

“To save us from the pit, no screen of roses
Would serve for our defense,
The hindrance that completely interposes
Stings back like thorny fence.

“At first when smarting from the shock, complaining
Of wounds that freely bleed,
God’s hedges of severity us paining,
May seem severe indeed.

“But afterwards, God’s blessed spring-time cometh,
And bitter murmurs cease;
The sharp severity that pierced us bloometh,
And yields the fruits of peace.

“Then let us sing, our guarded way thus wending
Life’s hidden snares among,
Of mercy and of judgment sweetly blending;
Earth’s sad, but lovely song”

January 11

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.” (Isa. 40:1.)

STORE up comfort. This was the prophet’s mission. The world is full of comfortless hearts, and ere thou art sufficient for this lofty ministry, thou must be trained. And thy training is costly in the extreme; for, to render it perfect, thou too must pass through the same afflictions as are wringing countless hearts of tears and blood. Thus thy own life becomes the hospital ward where thou art taught the Divine art of comfort. Thou art wounded, that in the binding up of thy wounds by the Great Physician, thou mayest learn how to render first aid to the wounded everywhere. Dost thou wonder why thou art passing through some special sorrow? Wait till ten years are passed, and thou wilt find many others afflicted as thou art. Thou wilt tell them how thou hast suffered and hast been comforted; then as the tale is unfolded, and the anodynes applied which once thy God wrapped around thee, in the eager look and the gleam of hope that shall chase the shadow of despair across the soul, thou shalt know why thou wast afflicted, and bless God for the discipline that stored thy life with such a fund of experience and helpfulness.—Selected.

God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.—Dr. Jowett.

“They tell me I must bruise
  The rose’s leaf,
Ere I can keep and use
  Its fragrance brief.

“They tell me I must break
  The skylark’s heart,
Ere her cage song will make
  The silence start.

“They tell me love must bleed,
  And friendship weep,
Ere in my deepest need
  I touch that deep.

“Must it be always so
  With precious things?
Must they be bruised and go
  With beaten wings?

“Ah, yes! by crushing days,
  By caging nights, by scar
Of thorn and stony ways,
  These blessings are!”

January 10

“They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.” (Acts 16:6.)

IT is interesting to study the methods of His guidance as it was extended towards these early heralds of the Cross. It consisted largely in prohibitions, when they attempted to take another course than the right. When they would turn to the left, to Asia, He stayed them. When they sought to turn to the right, to Bithynia, again He stayed them. In after years Paul would do some of the greatest work of his life in that very region; but just now the door was closed against him by the Holy Spirit. The time was not yet ripe for the attack on these apparently impregnable bastions of the kingdom of Satan. Apollos must come there for pioneer work. Paul and Barnabas are needed yet more urgently elsewhere, and must receive further training before undertaking this responsible task.
Beloved, whenever you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. Say,
“Blessed Spirit, I cast on Thee the entire responsibility of closing against my steps any and every course which is not of God. Let me hear Thy voice behind me whenever I turn to the right hand or the left”
In the meanwhile, continue along the path which you have been already treading. Abide in the calling in which you are called, unless you are clearly told to do something else. The Spirit of Jesus waits to be to you, O pilgrim, what He was to Paul. Only be careful to obey His least prohibition; and where, after believing prayer, there are no apparent hindrances, go forward with enlarged heart. Do not be surprised if the answer comes in closed doors. But when doors are shut right and left, an open road is sure to lead to Troas. There Luke awaits, and visions will point the way, where vast opportunities stand open, and faithful friends are waiting.—Paul, by Meyer.

Is there some problem in your life to solve,
Some passage seeming full of mystery?
God knows, who brings the hidden things to light.
He keeps the key.

Is there some door closed by the Father’s hand
Which widely opened you had hoped to see?
Trust God and wait—for when He shuts the door
He keeps the key.

Is there some earnest prayer unanswered yet,
Or answered NOT as you had thought ’twould be?
God will make clear His purpose by-and-by.
He keeps the key.

Have patience with your God, your patient God,
All wise, all knowing, no long tarrier He,
And of the door of all thy future life
He keeps the key.

Unfailing comfort, sweet and blessed rest,
To know of EVERY door He keeps the key.
That He at last when just HE sees ’tis best,
Will give it THEE.
—Anonymous

January 10th

The opened sight

To open their eyes, … that they may receive … Acts 26:18.

This verse is the grandest condensation of the propaganda of a disciple of Jesus Christ in the whole of the New Testament.
The first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words—“that they may receive remission of sins.” When a man fails in personal Christian experience, it is nearly always because he has never received anything. The only sign that a man is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our part as workers for God is to open men’s eyes that they may turn themselves from darkness to light; but that is not salvation, that is conversion—the effort of a roused human being. I do not think it is too sweeping to say that the majority of nominal Christians are of this order; their eyes are opened, but they have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is one of the neglected factors in our preaching today. When a man is born again, he knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision. People register their vows, and sign their pledges, and determine to go through, but none of this is salvation. Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus Christ, viz., remission of sins.
Then there follows the second mighty work of grace—“and inheritance among them which are sanctified.” In sanctification the regenerated soul deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God’s interest in other men.

10 JANUARY

Ascribe all to God

‘And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’ Genesis 1:2–3
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 146:1–10

Consider the great Author of that beautiful change which took place in the course of the six days. The Spirit of God moved—the same word is used in Deuteronomy 32:11: ‘As an eagle fluttereth over her young.’ It signifies the powerful influence and energy which penetrated the whole mass and by a general motion prepared their separation out of that confused state in which they were blended together. And this is ascribed to the Spirit of God. It was not, as some men afterwards dreamed, by a blind and casual impulse. The Scriptures teach us to ascribe all to God. By the word of his almighty power God produced light. He said, Let there be—and it was. This is the most excellent and beautiful of all visible things and that by which all other things are made known. It was a direct opposition to the state just before—and there could be no tendency in darkness to produce it. Yet the word of God brought it forth immediately. From this beginning, the whole beautiful creation was gradually accomplished in the course of six days, as in the course of this chapter. For so it seemed fit to his wisdom, otherwise he could have finished all in an instant.
FOR MEDITATION:
Could all the art of man suffice
No, ’tis the work of GOD alone;
To move away the snow,
An emblem of the power
To clear the rivers from the ice,
By which he melts the heart of stone,
Or make the waters flow?
In his appointed hour.

     JESUS, we in thy name entreat,
     Reveal thy gracious arm;
     And grant thy Spirit’s kindly heat,
     Our frozen hearts to warm.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 2 [2/3], GENESIS 1:2–3