December
Watchman Nee
Monday, December 3, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
September 24
"Draw me; we will run after thee." Song of Songs
1:4
Our spiritual energy in following Christ springs from more
than inward impulse, even by the indwelling Spirit. It results rather from some
power drawing us to him as the Spirit makes him more real and precious to us
through the Word.
Far beyond our experience, we are given new revelations of
the beauty and majesty of our Lord, and as a consequence are pulled by an irresistible
longing to approach ever closer to him.
Notice the effect that such a devoted following of Christ
has upon others. It is I who am drawn, but it is we who run after him. In other
words, there is something contagious and inspiring about a Christ-dominated
life. What a privilege to be so drawn by his love that we influence others to
run after the Lord in pursuit of their own closer walk with him!
September 23
"While he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy
brake forth in his forehead." 2 Chronicles 26:19
How angry we can get when we are not permitted to serve
God in the way which we want! King Uzziah was an earnest man who wanted to
offer worshipful service to God, but he wanted to do it in his own way. His
way, however, was not God’s way, and so his anger and his efforts ended in
disaster.
"Others can do it," he might have argued,
"so why not I? Am I not as good as they are?" Our sphere of service
is not to be decided in this way. It is not a question of merit but of the
divine purpose. Uzziah became very heated when he was not allowed to take this
service to God into his own hands, but the heat of the flesh was of no avail.
His service was rejected, and he never entered the house of God again. We serve
God best when we humbly accept his will as he makes it known to us.
September 22
"He shall . . . bring to your remembrance all that I
said unto you." John 14:26
Spiritual words, to ensure their effectiveness, must be
kept alive in the Spirit. A certain Christian was once convicted of sin. Others
had left the meeting hall where conscience had smitten him, but he remained,
overwhelmed, feeling himself under divine judgment. That night he saw sin, in
the words of one of our hymns, "as black as smoke." With just those
few words he was able thereafter to express vividly the repugnancy of sin in
God’s eyes. Many were helped and, like him, found forgiveness.
But for two or three years he was harping on the same
note. His words, "sin as black as smoke," were still with him; but
when he rose to speak, the picture was no longer there. He spoke now, not with
tears in his eyes but with a smile. The words were the same, but the man
himself was recalling them; the Spirit’s reminder was absent. The Holy Spirit
had moved on, for the revelation he had given earlier had served its purpose.
September 21
"Yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight."
Matthew 11:26
"It does not really matter at all," the Lord seemed
to be saying, "if the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida Capernaum
The Father knew him; but Jesus adds (verse 27) that he alone
knew the Father and could reveal the Father to others. This has a parallel in us
his servants. Are you willing to be known through and through by God and by him
alone, or do the opinions of those you serve matter more to you? You cannot
lead anyone to God if that is what you want. But surely the hostility, the
rejection, the misunderstandings matter nothing! It really is sufficient that your
Father knows you, and that in return you know him enough to point others to
him.
September 20
"Hallowed be thy name." Matthew 6:9
God’s name is linked with his glory. "I had regard
for my holy name, which the children of Israel
It is not enough that we should pray the words; we need to
have our whole lives governed by this holy desire. Every day will bring its own
challenge to us, asking, Is this just a pious fancy, or a governing factor in
our lives? The hallowing of God’s name must begin in the life of the one who
prays the prayer.
September 19
"Mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts”
Isaiah 6:5
Before sending Isaiah forth as his prophet, God showed him
his glory. Exposed to that radiance Isaiah could only cry out in dismay,
"Woe is me!" Prior to seeing the Lord, his lips were already unclean
and he had already been dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips; yet he
was unaware of all this. He might easily have considered himself fit to be a
prophet to God’s people—until that light shone down on him and he saw his
actual state and theirs.
How could he now become God’s mouthpiece, since his own
lips were so defiled? The one thing that made it possible was his response in the
face of God’s holiness—this cry of "Woe!"
Given such self-knowledge, he was ready for the seraph to
come from the altar and cleanse his lips. Let us, then, keep the sequence in
view, for it is a good one: first the uncleanness, then God’s light, followed
by the cry of self-knowledge, then the touch of cleansing, and finally the commission
to go and serve.
September 18
"Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right
ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, und upon the great toe of their
right foot." Leviticus 8:24
In the cleansing of the leper and in the consecration of
the priests, blood was smeared upon the ear, the hand, and the foot, and thereafter
oil was put upon the blood-stained parts. Elsewhere in Scripture the blood
speaks of redemption, and is only through God. There it is objective. Here,
however, it is subjective and betokens the working of death.
The blood on ear, hand, and foot indicates that the Lord’s
priests must let the cross deal with all they hear and with all their work and
their walk, selecting, sifting, and discriminating. The anointing of the Spirit
comes where the cross has first been allowed to do its work. When God wants
anyone to serve him, it is not quickness of brain or warmth of heart that he
looks for. He looks for the marks of the cross on ear and hand and foot.
September 17
"And the law of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs
31:26
In joining two people together as husband and wife,. God
has arranged that there should be subjection and love in the family. He has not
asked the husband and wife to find and correct each other’s faults. He has not
set up husbands to be instructors to their wives, or wives to be teachers to
their husbands. A husband need not change his wife or a wife her husband.
Whatever the manner of person you marry, you must expect
to live with that for life. Married people should learn to know when to close
their eyes. They should learn to love and not try to correct.
As Christians, we must learn to deny ourselves. To deny
oneself means to accommodate oneself to others. Family life requires
discipline. It means learning to be willing to lay aside your own opinion, in
giving due consideration to the views of others.
September 16
"Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy
crown." Revelation 3:11
In most of the seven churches of Asia it is not difficult to discern
what it was that the overcomers needed to conquer. In Philadelphia
The one hint of warning given by the Lord Jesus was that
the Philadelphians should hold fast to their spiritual position. This, then,
was the sphere in which they must fight and overcome. Their peril was not so
much that of doing what was wrong as of failing to keep on steadily in the
pathway of God’s will. We all need this same urge from the Lord Jesus, to keep it
up right to the moment of his Return.
September 15
"Holding fast the Head, from whom all the body . . .
increaseth with the increase of God." Colossians 2:19
Although we are to be diligent in maintaining fellowship
in the Body of Christ, we are not told to attach ourselves to our fellow
members, but to hold fast the Head. If we are absolutely right with the Lord,
then we will be right with fellow believers. There is no possessive
relationship between the members; all is through Christ.
If Christ is the Head, then you or I cannot be. The
decisions that we make, we make not from personal choice but in obedience to
him; and I cannot decide for you nor you for me. I cannot be your head, for no
human body obeys two heads! Alas, it sometimes seems that Christ’s Body has too
many would-be heads down here. No, let us abandon the ambition to control one
another. Christ alone is the Head of us all.
Friday, September 21, 2012
September 14
"They were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry."
Exodus 12:39
All who are saved by grace are redeemed by the blood. Let
us remember, however, that like the Israelites, once we have been redeemed we must
make our exit. The atoning blood not only divides the living from the dead; it
also separates God’s children from bondage to the world. The Israelites killed
the lamb before midnight and after they had put the blood on the doorposts and the
lintel, they hurriedly ate their meal. They ate it dressed for travel, with
their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staves in their hands,
for they were all set to flee out of Egypt.
The first effect of redemption is separation. It does not
take several years for this to happen. On the very night that one is redeemed,
he is separated from the world. He is not allowed several days of deliberation
to decide that he will come out of the world. God never redeems anyone and
leaves him in the world to live on as before. The saved man takes his staff and
moves out. A staff is for journeying. It is no use as a pillow.
September 13
"And he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice? saying
unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Acts 9:4
How can Saul, one earthly creature armed only with a
letter from another, be said to "persecute" Jesus of Nazareth who
sits at the Father’s right hand? The Lord did not say, "Why do you persecute
my people?" Instead he asked, "Why do you persecute me?" Christ
was certainly in the glory, but the Christ whom Saul persecuted was somehow
also on earth.
This is of the greatest significance. Here at once, by
implication, Saul of Tarsus is confronted with the Body of Christ—the Head and his
members united in one. The oneness of the Body of Christ is not just a future
reality in heaven. Were that so, we could only speak of his splendor. But he
can be persecuted, so it is also a present fact on earth. Indeed, it links
heaven and earth, Head and members, with a unity that God demands shall find a
real practical expression down here.
September 12
"And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame."
1 Peter 2:6
In his cross the Lord Jesus bore all our shame. The Bible
records that the soldiers took the garments of Jesus off him, so that he was
nearly naked when he was crucified. This is one of the shames of the cross. Sin
takes our radiant garment away and renders us naked. Our Lord was stripped bare
before Pilate and again on Calvary.
How would his holy soul react to such abuse? Would it not
insult his sensitive nature and cover him with shame? Because every man had enjoyed
the apparent glory of sin, so the Savior must endure its real indignity. Such
was his love for us that he "endured the cross, despising the shame,"
and since he did so, whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.
September 11
"This is the day which Jehovah hath made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
The day which the Lord had appointed was the day when the
stone rejected by the builders became the chief cornerstone. Who decides whether
a stone is usable or not? It is the builders. lf the mason says that a certain
stone is unfit to build the house, you do not need to ask anybody else. But a
strange thing has happened. The stone which the builders rejected has become
the head of the corner. God has put upon it the most important responsibility.
This is indeed marvelous in our eyes.
The sequel, however, is an added marvel. It is the
appointment of a special day, based on that divine choice of Jesus Christ as the
chief cornerstone. Let us, then, find out what day it was. We discover it in Acts
4:10. It is the day when he whom men rejected was raised from the dead. Let
there be no confusion. The Bible puts it very clearly that this day which the
Lord has made is the day of resurrection. So let all the children of God gather
on this day in his Son’s name and be glad.
September 10
"But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth before
you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." Mark 16:7
“. . . and Peter." The tears start to our eyes unbidden
when we read these two words. Why does the Lord not single out John, the
beloved disciple? Why does he not make special mention of Thomas the doubter?
Why single out Peter from all the others? There is only one answer: because
Peter had denied him.
Suppose you had been Peter, how would you have felt if you
had denied the Lord? Might you not have said to yourself, "I, Peter, who
was a witness of Jesus’ transfiguration; I who was his companion in the garden;
I have denied him. And not just once, but three times over! And to think that
the Lord warned me beforehand and I did not believe him!"
Guilty of an offense so grave, Peter might well question
his standing before God. For had not Jesus himself solemnly warned his
disciples, "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father which is in heaven"? "Tell Peter!" That simple
short message showed Peter that the yawning gulf between him and his Lord had been
spanned by love.
September 9
"But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because
the light is not in him." John 11:10
God is light, and seeing God is seeing light. Seeing light
requires a pure heart, a heart adjusted to the love of God. God is as the sun, and
I am as a mirror. Unless the mirror faces the sun, it cannot reflect the sun’s
rays. Should it not be rightly aligned, then the sunlight cannot reach it and
so cannot be reflected. The value is lost. Have you noticed that if your heart
is deflected from simple devotion to God, then what comes out in your talk will
not reflect him; you will criticize and grumble. This is always proof that you
are in the darkness and not in the light.
Some of the Lord’s people can continue to praise him while
shedding tears, for although they suffer heartaches they do not stumble. It is because
their hearts are inclined toward God that they live in the light. If what you
want is man’s praise and you do not receive it, then you stumble. If instead
your heart only wants his pleasure, then even if circumstances worsen tenfold
you still will not stumble.
September 8
". . . and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the w0rld." 1 John 2:16
John here identifies what stirs pride in us all as the
spirit of the world. We know only too well that even in the seclusion of our
own homes we are as prone to fall a prey to the pride of life as are those who
enjoy great public success. For every glory that is not glory to God is vain
glory, and it is amazing what paltry successes can produce in us vainglory.
Give way to it, and we have given way to the world, with a consequent leakage
in our fellowship with God.
Oh, that God would open our eyes to see how subtle the
world is! Not only evil things but all those things that draw us ever so gently
away from him are forces in that system that is antagonistic to God. If it is
the pride of life and not the praise of God which inspires us, then we can know
for certain that we have touched the world. Let us therefore watch and pray.
Our communion with God is too precious to be put at risk.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
September 7
"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down:
why should the work cease, while I leave it?" Nehemiah 6:3
When the nation of Israel land of God palace of Shushan
In asking the king for permission to return to Judah
September 6
"Through him then let us offer a sacrifice of praise
to God continually." Hebrews 13:15
Praise of God is Satan’s target. I do not say he does not
oppose prayer; for you only have to start praying to God and sure enough, he
intervenes. Yet even more does he assault the praises of God’s children. He
would gladly exert all his strength to prevent God receiving one word of praise,
for if prayer is frequently a battle, praise is victory. At the sound of it
Satan flees. I discovered this during the first two years of my Christian life,
and have not ceased to rejoice in the peace of heart it has brought me.
Let us not, however, make the mistake of equating praise
with joyfulness. Look at the Scriptures. It was out of the pressure upon his people
that God drew forth so many of the songs that there delight us. He does not
measure praise merely by its exuberance. For in its nature praise is sacrifice.
Not only must we exalt his name when we stand on the summit and view the
promised land; we must learn also to compose psalms of confidence in him when
we walk through the valley of the shadow. This is praise in truth.
September 5
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the wicked." Psalm 1:1
God does not want us to be found standing with sinners or
sitting with scoffers, and so advises us not to walk in their counsel. Unbelievers
have a lot of counsel to give. It is most pitiful, however, for children of God
who are faced with problems to seek that counsel.
Let me tell you that what they counsel is what you cannot
do. I too have many unbelieving acquaintances. I know that such people
frequently offer advice without your asking for it. As you listen to them, you
know at once that their thoughts are focused on one thing: how to profit
oneself.
They do not ask if a thing is right, nor whether it is
God’s will. They have only one motive, and that is man’s personal advantage. At
times their advice is not only to seek profit, but to seek it at another’s
expense. How can the believer walk with the unbeliever in such a way of life?
September 4
"Ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and
true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven." 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
Many scholars of prophecy do not really know how to wait
for the Lord’s return. I knew a missionary sister from the West who truly looked
for his appearing.
I remember how on the last day of 1925, at Pagoda
Anchorage, I was praying with her. "O Lord," she prayed, "will you
really allow this year to pass away? Must you wait until 1926 to come back?
Even on this last day of the year I still ask you to come today." I knew
how genuine was her prayer. Several months later I met her on the road. She took
my hand and said, "Brother Nee, is it not strange that he has not yet
come?"
Her words told me that she was not just an expert in prophetic
doctrine, as I was fast becoming, but one who had fellowship with the Lord and
was really waiting for his return. She showed herself to be a genuine “scholar
of Second Coming prophecy.” Her heart longing was for the Lord himself.
September 3
"Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the
Father of our spirits, and live?" Hebrews 12:9
Do not think that the difficulties you encounter are
incidental. Do not ignorantly regard them as mere accidents. You should know
better; these things are arranged daily for you by God. They are his measured
discipline of love.
I once witnessed a scene which may serve as an illustration.
I saw five or six children playing in a yard. All of them were covered with
mud. A mother came and boxed the ears of three of the children, forbidding them
to go on with the game. One child exclaimed, "Why don’t you strike the
others too?" "Because they are not my own children," she
replied.
It will be a sad thing if God does not discipline you. All
sons are disciplined, and you should be no exception.
September 2
"Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and
saith unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher." John 20:16
Life can be quite overwhelming when we see no future and
are only conscious of bitter sorrow. There are some sorrows that no one else
can share. Mary found it so, and stood weeping at the door of the empty tomb.
If we feel that we have something to cry about, how much more had she, for she
could not find her Lord. In coming to the grave she only expected to find a corpse,
but now even that was gone.
What was it that dried her tears and banished all her
sorrows? What happened? It was just a voice saying "Mary," but it was
his voice and it was her name. After that, nothing seemed to matter. So with
us. When we come to an impasse from which there seems no deliverance, we only have
to hear the Lord’s voice speaking our name, and all is well. There is nothing
more to do than to kneel down and worship him.
September 1
“Out of the spoil won in battles did they dedicate to
repair the house of Jehovah.” 1 Chronicles 26:27
There are Christians whose experiences and whose history
with God contribute immensely to the enrichment of his people. Many sicknesses
of his children are for the wealth of the Church; many sufferings and
difficulties and frustrations bring to it great increase.
There was a sister in Christ who had been bedridden for
forty years, during thirty-five of which she had been also cut off by deafness.
To a servant of God visiting her she said, "Formerly I was very active,
running hither and thither, doing a lot; but I did not help to fulfill the many
needs of prayer in the Church. Then that all changed. Throughout these forty
years in bed, I have been able daily to engage in the work of prayer. I have no
regrets."
Distress and limitation had enlarged her and made her
rich, and her richness had fed wealth to the Church. How many more there are
who are situated like her! We do well to thank God for them.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
August 31
“Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of
Christ, let us press on unto perfection.” Hebrews 6:1
In the Christian life, there are a few truths which are
foundational. A foundation needs to be laid only once, but it must be firmly
laid. First principles are therefore very important.
There is a modern error among Christians which is quite
different from that of these Hebrews in the first century. They, having laid the
foundation, were in danger of circling round and round it, and never going
beyond. Our danger, on the other hand, may be that of trying to go forward
without ever having laid the good foundation at all.
Today some want to move too fast, to rush onward before
the foundation has been laid. When that is so, our task is to recall them to
Christ, who alone is God’s "tried stone, a precious corner-stone of sure
foundation" (Isaiah 28:16). The apostles had to persuade people to leave,
whereas we may need to induce them to return.
August 30
“I therefore so run, as not uncertainly.” 1 Corinthians
9:26
The Lord who is the Creator of our bodies has endowed them
with many legitimate impulses; but remember, he created the body to be our servant
and not our master. Until that is established, we cannot serve him as we ought.
Of those who enter the race, Paul warns us, not all are prizewinners. He
stresses, therefore, the importance of self-discipline on the part of each competitor.
If in ordinary, everyday life the Christian worker’s body
has not been taught to know and obey its master, how can it be expected to respond
to the extraordinary demands he will sometimes have to make upon it for the
sake of the work of God? Paul is no ascetic. He does not teach, as some did,
that the body is an encumbrance. On the contrary, he declares that the believer’s
body is a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. Yet as a messenger of the gospel,
he is certain of the value of training and self-discipline if the goal is to be
attained.
August 29
“Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee.”
Psalm 55:22
Have you ever watched workmen engaged on the construction
of a building as they stand at three different levels of the scaffolding and
pass bricks from the lowest to mid-level and from there to the top? The work
goes on pace as long as each brick, when it reaches one level, is passed on to
the level above. What if the man in the middle did not hand on his brick, and
yet another came up to him? What if the man at the top level refused to receive
the bricks? The poor middle man would be crushed by the load.
That very thing happens to us continually in the unseen.
When the first trouble reaches us, we fail to send it on to a higher level, and
soon we feel pressed and fretful. Along comes a second trouble, and a third,
and by degrees we are worn out and collapse under the load. The remedy is so
simple. As soon as any anxiety threatens us, we must immediately pass our
burden up higher.
August 28
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.” John
14:27
God preserves in himself a quite undisturbed peace. It is
that peace of God which, Paul tells us, is to garrison our hearts and thoughts.
The word “garrison” means that my foe has to fight through the armed guard at
the gates before he can reach me. Before I can be touched, the garrison itself
has first to be overcome. So I dare to be as peaceful as God, for the peace
that is keeping God is keeping me.
Recall that night before Christ’s passion. Everything
seemed to be going wrong—a friend going out into the night to betray him,
another drawing a sword in anger, people going into hiding in their eagerness
to avoid involvement with him. In the midst of it all Jesus said to those who
had come to take him, "I am he," and he said it so peacefully that
instead of him being nervous, it was they who trembled and fell backward. It is
no surprise to us, therefore, that Paul describes this peace as beyond
understanding.
August 27
“For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men
spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21
Have you noticed how certain words and images are
constantly employed by Paul which were not used by Peter or John or Matthew?
Have you seen how Luke has structured his Gospel in one way and Mark in
another? Have you observed in the one the note of compassion, in the other of
immediacy? On each book the writer leaves his own indelible mark; yet each is
the Word of God.
Take courage from this. If God wanted to do so, he could
use an ass; indeed he did so once, to speak to Balaam. But the ass only spoke
when God’s Word was in his mouth; and when God moved on, only an ass remained.
Thank God he has chosen you to understand his Word, and live it out, and then
give it your own unique emphasis when, in weakness and fear and much trembling,
you are called to speak it out for him.
August 26
“And Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight,
wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel
Saul was only called to the kingdom of Israel because of
the people’s insistence that they should be given a king. He was tall and impressive,
the type of man who could readily be judged acceptable by most of the people. In
spite of the doubtful basis of his position, God gave him every facility,
prospered him, and blessed him.
But of course Saul had to be tested, and there are few
things more testing than God’s prospering, especially when it is obvious to
all. The one who has been greatly helped by God should be the humblest of men,
but sometimes the very reverse is true. This was so in Saul’s case. He failed
in faith and obedience, but fundamentally his failure was due to conceit. He
had been a humble man in adversity, but his prosperity led him into impatience,
presumption, and ugly jealousy. May God keep us little in our own sight!
August 25
“We know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brethren.” 1 John 3:14
Many Christians stand up loyally for what is right, yet by
the hardness of their attitude they offend against love. They have grown
obsessive about righteousness, but deficient in charity. True, as Christians we
should never compromise over the righteousness of God, but at the same time we
should not strive with others.
Men and women are won by love, not by its opposite. In
your contact with people, do not offend them. It is necessary, certainly, for
you to obey God and not tone down his commands, but this should not lead you to
offend your fellow-men by your attitude or your words. Hard inflexibility
should give way in you to meekness and gentleness. That way, many will be
attracted to the Lord. Hardness drives people off, but love draws them.
August 24
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God.” 1
John 4:7
The life within the children of God is so rich that it is
possible for them to love all their brothers and sisters in Christ. Such love
is the spontaneous fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. There is no difference between
loving one brother and loving them all, for the same love is shown to the one
as to the many. He is loved just because he is a brother, they because they are
brethren. The number of persons has no bearing here, for the love expressed is
"of God." Brotherly love is love of all the brethren.
Let us be careful lest we do things that violate that
love. Do not allow your brotherly love to desert you because of wounds
received, for this will have sorry consequences. God has put many brothers and
sisters in our way, here and now, to be the targets of love. These give us the opportunity
to realize in costly, concrete terms our love toward God. Never boast of your
love to God; just learn to show love to the brethren.
August 23
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
How does the Lord Jesus give us rest? He, as it were, sets
himself before us that we may see him, saying, "I am meek." Meekness
means flexibility. He who is meek is able to declare that only what God wants
him to have will he have. Whether to possess a thing or not to possess it matters
not at all, provided the decision is the Lord’s. Having it in the will of God,
he can thankfully sing hallelujah; yet not having it in the will of God, he can
do just the same.
Meekness means that your decisions are subject to change
by him. Is God free to change your mind? You have announced that he loves you, but
will you then fret if he does not grant you what you ask for? Can you sing hallelujah
anyway? A man is meek when he is willing to turn around if God so wishes.
Whatever renewing of the mind God desires of him, he is open to it. Such a man
has perfect rest.
August 22
“There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the
day.” Genesis 32:24
It was not Jacob who wrestled, but God who came and
wrestled with him, to bring about his utter surrender. The object of wrestling
is to force a man down until he is unable to move, so that he yields to the
victor. Jacob was stronger than most, but God conquered. When he would not yield,
God, "touched him." With one touch he did what great strength would
not do.
The thigh is the strongest part of the body, a fitting
type of our own natural strength. Your strong point and mine may be quite
different from Jacob’s. Ambition, boasting, self-love—each of us has his own,
but for each of us that dislocating work is a definite crisis of experience.
What happened looked like a defeat for Jacob, but God said he had prevailed.
This is what s when we surrender, beaten, at God’s feet.
August 21
“In labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and
thirst.” 2 Corinthians 11:27
Here speaks a true man of God. The kingdom of God suffers
greatly from the neglectful behavior of would-be "spiritual" people
who busy themselves with prayer and Bible study, attending only to their own
spiritual needs. The Lord’s people should trust him to meet their spiritual no
less than their physical needs, and devote themselves meanwhile to the tasks
which God has given them to fulfill.
Spiritual life is for spiritual work. Its secret lies in
the continuous outflow of that life to others. We should be willing to endure
even hunger in order to accomplish what God wants us to do, and be satisfied
that our spiritual food is simply to do his will. We shall only lack if we are
self-occupied. He who is occupied with the Father’s business will find himself
perpetually satisfied.
August 20
“Now is the judgment of this world.” John 12:31
In the New Testament when the word kosmos is used for the
world, it refers not only to the material universe and its inhabitants but also
to worldly affairs, the whole circle of worldly goods, riches, advantages,
pleasures, which though hollow and fleeting stir our desires and seduce us from
God. Since the day when Adam opened the door for evil to enter God’s creation, this
world order has shown itself hostile to God.
When Jesus states that the sentence of judgment has been
passed upon this world, he does not mean that the material world or its inhabitants
are already judged. For them, the judgment is yet to come. What is here judged
is that institution, that harmonious world order of which Satan himself is the
originator and head. Scripture thus gives depth to our understanding of the
world around us. Indeed, unless we appreciate that the unseen powers behind material
things are satanic, we may readily be seduced by them.
August 19
“Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and riding upon
on ass.” Matthew 21:5
The Lord Jesus charges us to be meek. How meek he was
himself! To show that his kingship is based not on arrogance but lowliness, he
chose to ride upon an ass. During his earthly life he could easily be
approached and readily talked to. So should we be. A Christian should not be aloof,
but easily accessible in his personal relations.
To be meek in disposition is to be self-controlled. We
will not lose our temper. Kindness is the most delicate of human emotions, rudeness
and loss of temper the most ill-mannered. The Son of God was never rude. He did
not show arrogance, nor seek recognition in high places. He lived humbly on
earth, and God’s will for us is that we should do the same, following our
humble Lord in his pathway of meekness.
August 18
“For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who
hoped in God, adorned themselves.” 1 Peter 3:5
Unless I am mistaken, this is the only place in the Bible
where a direct reference is made to "holy women," though the term
"holy men" is often used. It is a notable reference because it draws
attention to what is of great price in the sight of God. Why should this
adornment of a meek and quiet spirit (verse 4] be so valuable in God’s eyes?
Surely because its loveliness is then beauty of Jesus.
It is unseemly for a woman to be beautifully dressed and
yet to display an ugly temper. The apostle would not wish that any Christian woman
should be carelessly or negligently dressed, but he rightly stresses that the
greatest beauty of all is beauty of character. What is more it wears well, for
it is incorruptible.
August 17
“And it was given unto her that she should array herself in
fine linen, bright and pure.” Revelation 19:8
We have nothing of which we can boast. From outside to
inside there is nothing which is entirely pure. The more we know ourselves, the
more we realize how filthy we are; our best deeds and our best intentions are
mixed with impurity. Without the cleansing of the blood, it is impossible to be
white.
The garments here, however, are not only white but bright
or shining. Whiteness alone has a tendency to become dull, pale, and ordinary. So
it is possible for us to be good and yet to lack divine luster.
God’s desire for us is that we should be both pure and
bright. Now we shall find that tribulation and glory are often linked in Scripture,
and it was because of the suffering of death that Jesus was crowned with glory
and honor. We must therefore not be afraid of affliction. It is the days of
difficulty which make us shine.
August 16
“For I Jehovah thy God will hold thy right hand, saying
unto thee, Fear not.” Isaiah 41:13
To know God in the close relationship of "our Father"
who supplies our needs is one thing. To know him as God the Father eternal, the
source and originator of everything, is something more. We have to learn that
nothing can hinder God and nothing can help him. He is almighty.
Before he provides us with the gifts of his grace, our
hands are empty. After he has done so, they are full and our hearts are filled
with praise. But a day comes when God reaches out his hand to take ours in
friendship. Then we need an empty hand to put into his. The question is, Do we
have one? What of the gifts we received from him? Have we been nursing them to
ourselves?
Are we too occupied with the spiritual provisions—the
"our Father" daily bread—to put them down and have a hand free for
him? Let go the gift and the experience as things in themselves, and hold to
God. They can be done without: God himself is indispensable.
August 15
“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father.” Matthew 16:17
It may seem strange to us that at this point the Lord
should identify Peter as the son of Jonah. What relevance had Peter’s human
father here? It was the Father in heaven who had shown to him who Jesus was.
The light he had received so clearly was not a matter of human instruction or insight.
In this matter at least, Peter’s earthly paternity seems of no concern at all.
The only purpose which Jesus could have had was to single
out Peter in a specially individual way. This Simon, Jonah’s son and no other,
was the one on whom divine illumination had dawned. Such a revelation of Christ
to our hearts is always intensely personal. The Church is not a company of
people who copy or borrow from one another, but of those who, like Peter, have firsthand
experience of the Father in heaven.
August 14
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account
anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5
God has his work. It is not your work or mine, nor is it
the work of this mission or that church group. It is his own work. Paul once
expressed a desire to lay hold on that task or role for which he himself had
been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. We can conclude that the Lord Jesus has a specific
purpose in taking hold of each of us, and it is that purpose and no other which
we ourselves want to engage in. He takes charge of us that we in return may
actively cooperate with him in his work.
Nevertheless, it is still true that we cannot of ourselves
do a work that is wholly and absolutely his. We participate as his co-workers. On
the one hand, we acknowledge that we cannot lift as much as a little finger to
accomplish God’s purpose; yet on the other hand, we have been given the status
of "fellow workers" with him. It is a paradox that casts us
completely upon the sufficiency of the Holy Spirit.
August 13
“I wrote unto you with many tears.” 2 Corinthians 2:4
We know that the first letter to the Corinthians was
written after Paul had heard from the household of Chloe about the serious
condition of the church there. In that letter he had reproved them in straight
and severe language for their many errors. Now he tells us that the letter was written
out of much anguish of heart and with many tears.
One thing is quite certain: if you want your words to
strike home to others, you must first be wounded yourself. Unless you have
first been cut to the quick, those fine words of yours will have no impact on
your hearers. You must suffer first yourself, and deeply, if you are called to
say things that must wound in order to heal. How easy it is to point other
people to their faults, but how hard it is to do so with tears!
August 12
“Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me.” Luke 9:23
We are said in the Bible to be "crucified" with Christ,
but never in relation to sin. Liberation from sin and its consequences is for
us an accomplished fact. Man is not required to do anything to achieve it, for
he cannot. He need only accept by faith as accomplished the finished work of
Christ on the cross, in order himself to reap the benefits of that death for
him.
What the Bible does say is that we should take up the
cross, in the sense of denying self, and that this should be our continual
attitude. The Lord Jesus instructs us several times to follow him in this. The
explanation is that God deals with our "sins" and with our "selves"
in two very different ways. To conquer sin the believer needs but a moment; to
deny self he will require a whole lifetime. Only once, on the cross, did the Lord
Jesus bore our sins, where as throughout his lifetime he denied himself. The
same will be true of us, that denial of self is an experience of long association
with him. We follow him daily.
August 11
“But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control.” Galatians
5:22
The end of this list, and thus the summit of a Christian’s
spiritual walk, is self-control. What commonly is spoken of as the Holy
Spirit’s government of us does not mean that he directly controls any part of
us. That misunderstanding has lured Christians into passivity, or worse, deception,
the end of which road is despair. But if we know that the Spirit is to lead man
to the place of self-control, we are on the way to progress in spiritual life.
As believers, it is through our renewed will that the Holy
Spirit rules. God’s object in creation was to have man with a perfectly free volition,
and his purpose in redemption is no different. The Christian is not obliged to
obey God mechanically; instead his is the privilege of fulfilling God’s desires
willingly and actively. We are perfectly free to choose or reject the various
charges in the New Testament concerning life and godliness. They would mean
nothing if God were to annihilate the operation of our own wills. The choice is
ours: flesh or Spirit? And the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
August 10
“For the love of Christ constraineth us.” 2 Corinthians
5:14
To be "constrained" means to be tightly held, or
to be surrounded so that one cannot escape. When someone is moved by love, he
will experience such a sensation. Love will bind him. Love is therefore the
basis of consecration. No one can consecrate himself to God without first sensing
the compelling love of Christ.
It is futile to talk about consecration if this love is unknown
to us, but once it is experienced our self-dedication to him readily follows.
The Lord loved us sinners enough to purchase us back to himself at the supreme
cost of his life. When the love that constrains us is such a love, how could our
response of committal to him be less than wholehearted?
August 9
“All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on
earth. Go ye therefore . . .” Matthew 28:18-19
On this huge earth there is at least one group of people
who, by their subjection to him, uphold the authority of God. Though the
nations rage defiantly against him, the Church is the one body proclaiming his
authority to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Not only is
she on the earth today to preach the gospel and grow up into Christ; she is
also here to manifest the sovereign rule of God.
The Church is the precise opposite of the nations. While
they take counsel together against God and against his Anointed, saying, “Let
us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us,” the Church
with joy declares that she is ready to put herself under his bonds in order to
learn obedience. To obey him is her life. Is it mine?
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