Milo

August 1

I AM THINE, O LORD
Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:22)
Each new day requires a fresh renewal of our dedication to the Lord. The strongest of Christians can be drawn away by the pressures of daily living. And we are vulnerable to the lusts of the flesh and the eyes as well as the subtle temptations that constitute the “pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The warning of Scripture is clear: “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). God must always have His rightful place on the throne of the heart. Nothing in life—not job, not recreation, not even family—should have the top priority of our daily concerns. Anything that replaces the Lordship of Christ can become idolatrous and cause us to be susceptible to a spiritual disaster. We must each day say, “I am Thine, O Lord.”
Fanny Crosby wrote this consecration hymn while visiting in the home of the composer of the music, William H. Doane, in Cincinnati. The family’s conversation that night centered around the blessedness of enjoying the nearness of God. Suddenly in a moment of inspiration, Fanny started giving the words of the hymn—line by line, verse by verse, and then the chorus. Soon after Doane supplied the music, and another of the more than 8,000 Fanny Crosby hymns was born. Since that day in 1875, these moving lines have ministered to and challenged countless numbers of God’s people to keep their lives dedicated to their Lord:
I am Thine, O Lord—I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow’r of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope and my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, when I kneel in pray’r and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend.
There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee.
Chorus: Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

    For Today: Psalm 16:11; 73:28; Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 7:22–24; Hebrews 12:28

Begin this new day, with all of its unknown pressures and temptations, with this musical prayer upon your lips—

August

• Consecration • Commitment • Dedication of Life

1.
I Am Thine, O Lord
2.
Nothing Between
3.
My Jesus, As Thou Wilt!
4.
Break Thou the Bread of Life
5.
Open My Eyes, That I May See
6.
I Would Be Like Jesus
7.
I Want a Principle Within
8.
Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
9.
Take the World, But Give Me Jesus
10.
Nearer, Still Nearer
11.
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart
12.
Deeper and Deeper
13.
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
14.
Take Time to Be Holy
15.
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
16.
Nearer, My God, to Thee
17.
I Need Thee Every Hour
18.
May the Mind of Christ, My Savior
19.
O for a Closer Walk With God
20.
Cleanse Me
21.
More About Jesus
22.
Whiter Than Snow
23.
Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
24.
O to Be Like Thee!
25.
Take My Life and Let It Be
26.
Living for Jesus
27.
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
28.
All the Way My Savior Leads Me
29.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
30.
I Surrender All
31.
Only One Life

July 31

I’VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER
Spiritual
The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)
Not merely in the words you say,
Not merely in your deeds confessed,
But in the most unconscious way
Is Christ expressed.
And from your eyes He beckons me,
And from your heart His love is shed,
Till I lose sight of you …
And see Christ the Lord instead.
—Unknown
For the past month we have been considering the benefits and blessings of being a Christian—joy, peace, contentment … with rivers of living waters flowing out of such a life (John 7:38). Knowing Christ as personal Savior, experiencing the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and living with a glorious hope for eternity should produce a dramatic difference in the personality and lifestyle of every true believer. Christ’s redemptive work provides not only for our eternal glory, but also for a full and abundant life now (John 10:10). A professing Christian who is perceived by his family, friends, and colleagues to be continually sour, contentious, and discontent is a disgrace to the gospel and a hindrance in the work of evangelism.
May the words of this little spiritual increasingly become our genuine testimony as we earnestly seek to direct others to Christ the Lord:
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
I’ve got faith like a mountain in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got Christ as my Savior in my soul.

    For Today: Psalm 107:9; 119:165; Isaiah 26:3; John 14:27; 16:33; Philippians 4:6, 7, 11; 1 Timothy 6:6

Ask God to make your life truly reflect the peace, joy, faith and love of His indwelling presence as you seek to be an effective representative for Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to produce the “rivers of living water” in your daily living. Carry this musical message with you—

July 30

I KNOW I’LL SEE JESUS SOME DAY
Avis B. Christiansen, 1895–1985
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
Lord, we wait for Thine appearing;
“Even so,” Thy people say;
Bright the prospect is, and cheering,
Of beholding Thee that day.
—Thomas Kelly
Heaven is not an invention of the human imagination. It is as sure as the promise of Christ in the Scriptures: “I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2, 3). The Bible, however, does not tell us a great deal about the specifics of heaven, simply because our mortal minds are unable to comprehend its riches. The main concern of the Scriptures is to acquaint us with the One who has made our entry into heaven possible. Because of His redemptive work in our behalf, seeing Him personally becomes the real glory of heaven for every believer.
We have all heard the expression that “we can become so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.” It is possible that we can think and dream about our eternal future to the point that we forget to live effectively for God now. But the greater concern for most of us is that we become so consumed with the enjoyments of this present life that we lose sight of the glories that await us and the anticipation of seeing our Savior. Our hope in Christ for the future should be the real source of joy and strength for our daily lives. It should also be our motive for holy living—“to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12, 13).
Sweet is the hope that is thrilling my soul—I know I’ll see Jesus some day! Then what if the dark clouds of sin o’er me roll? I know I’ll see Jesus some day!
Though I must travel by faith, not by sight, I know I’ll see Jesus some day! No evil can harm me, no foe can affright—I know I’ll see Jesus some day!
Darkness is gath’ring, but hope shines within. I know I’ll see Jesus some day! What joy when He comes to wipe out ev’ry sin; I know I’ll see Jesus some day!
Chorus: I know I’ll see Jesus some day! I know I’ll see Jesus some day! What a joy it will be when His face I shall see; I know I’ll see Jesus some day!

    For Today: 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6, 8; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 22:1–5

Let your soul come alive with the thrill of expectation—the glories of heaven and the prospect of personally seeing Jesus. Carry this joy with you as you sing with certainty—

July 29

BEYOND THE SUNSET
Virgil P. Brock, 1887–1978
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
The ability to see “beyond the sunset”—to anticipate the glories of God’s tomorrow—enables a Christian to live joyfully and victoriously in any of life’s circumstances. It is difficult for us to imagine heavenly scenes or to describe them with earthly symbols. The Bible does promise us, however, that there will be “eternal joy” in the “glorious presence” of our Savior “on that fair shore.”
Virgil P. Brock told how he wrote this favorite hymn about heaven:
This song was born during a conversation at the dinner table, one evening in 1936, after watching a very unusual sunset at Winona Lake, Indiana, with a blind guest, my cousin Horace Burr, and his wife, Grace. A large area of the water appeared ablaze with the glory of God, yet there were threatening storm clouds gathering overhead. Our blind guest excitedly remarked that he had never seen a more beautiful sunset.
“People are always amazed when you talk about seeing,” I told him, “I can see,” Horace replied. “I see through other people’s eyes, and I think I often see more; I see beyond the sunset.”
The phrase “beyond the sunset” and the striking inflection of his voice struck me so forcibly, I began singing the first few measures. “That’s beautiful!” his wife interrupted. “Please go to the piano and sing it.”
We went to the piano nearby and completed the first verse. Before the evening meal was finished, all four stanzas had been written and we sang the entire song together.
Virgil P. Brock’s cheerful and lively manner continued to inspire others as he wrote more than 500 gospel songs and led congregations in vibrant singing until the end of his 91 years. His fruitful life reflected a constant, keen awareness of that land “beyond the sunset.”
Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning, when with our Savior heav’n is begun. Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious dawning—beyond the sunset when day is done.
Beyond the sunset no clouds will gather; no storms will threaten, no fears annoy; O day of gladness, O day unending—beyond the sunset, eternal joy!
Beyond the sunset a hand will guide me to God the Father, whom I adore; His glorious presence, His words of welcome, will be my portion on that fair shore.
Beyond the sunset, O glad reunion with our dear loved ones who’ve gone before. In that fair homeland we’ll know no parting—beyond the sunset forevermore!

    For Today: John 14:2, 3; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 21:4

Practice frequent thoughts about the promises and glories of heaven when you feel yourself giving an undue amount of importance to the trivial events of daily living. Now sing—