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.

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 had so sinned that God must give them into captivity, he was already making his own plans to restore them to their land again. Among the instruments whom he prepared for this purpose was Nehemiah, a man whose spirit was in the land of God’s promise even while he himself served as a captive exile in the Persian palace of Shushan.

In asking the king for permission to return to Judah, Nehemiah knew he was risking his life. He succeeded in his request, but as he set out on his journey he could hardly have foreseen the opposition he would meet on his arrival there. Yet whatever the enticements, he never once deviated from his "great work" of building for God. Steadfastness of purpose marked him. It is also our secret of spiritual triumph.

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.