Peace, Joy, and Contentment

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Discouragement can rob peace, joy, and contentment. But I have great news if you feel disheartened: You’re not stuck!

I’ve known people who appeared to be in an impossible situation. A few years later, however, they were in a terrific place, either in terms of their circumstances or their emotions. The reason? They never gave up. Instead of sulking in self-pity, they chose to believe God, step out in faith, and climb out of the emotional pit.

Nehemiah is a good example. He had every reason to feel defeated, because his people were in trouble. After receiving news that the city wall had been destroyed, this man of God acknowledged profound disappointment and grieved. Though pain flooded his soul, he didn’t allow himself to stay in that low place. Instead, Nehemiah cried out to God, seeking direction.

Sadness in the presence of royalty was punishable by death. But the Lord answered Nehemiah’s prayer with amazing power, prompting the king to notice his servant’s sad countenance and then toask what he could do to help. This miracle led to the rebuilding of the wall and the redemption of God’s people.

The Lord can take an impossible situation—no matter what it is—and move in ways mightier than you can imagine.

Do you live in eager expectation of what the Lord will do? Or have you chosen to linger in the depths of despair? Like Nehemiah, turn your disappointment into a petition for God’s help. He can restore your hope and prevent negative emotions from gaining a stranglehold on your life.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

Discipline Unto Prayer

Unmoved and Undismayed

Daniel 6:10

There is something tremendously impressive about a man who is beset and attacked from every side, apparently overwhelmed, and who yet maintains a quiet, dignified persistence of faith and goes on with his God, unmoved and undismayed.

Daniel's troubles sprang from the fact that he had been marked out for advancement. "The king thought to set him over the whole realm" (verse 3). There were two presidents equal with him as well as many satraps under him. All these reacted violently to the decision about his promotion, so violently that they plotted to destroy him. At first they had a great deal of success. It seemed unlikely, or indeed impossible, that Daniel  could ever obtain the supremacy planned for him. Yet he did! The evil scheme failed. The servant of God was delivered and placed over the kingdom. The means by which he was advanced must have seemed very strange. Yet they are in full harmony with all that the Word teaches us about spiritual progress. Especially is Daniel's experience in accord with what is shown in the case of the Lord Jesus, that the way to the throne is by death and resurrection.

"As He Did Aforetime"

The lions den was a kind of grave. Daniel was not spared the grave; he had to go right down into it. Since, however, he was God's man and kept true to his God, he lost nothing and gained everything by that descent. His rivals went down into the same grace, and they stayed there. By the end of the chapter we find no more mention of presidents and satraps. They could not stand the test of the grave. Daniel, on the contrary, was given his place over the whole realm, not by any effort or planning of his, but simply by his maintained position of faith in God. The lesson is for us. We, too, in His amazing grace, have been marked out for advancement, chosen for the throne. This explains for us, as well as for Daniel, the peculiar bitterness of the conflict in which we are often involved. There are great issues in view; we need to know how to behave in the midst of it all, and what is the secret which will enable the Lord to fulfill His purpose in our case as He did in Daniel's.

We find that he came through wholly and solely on spiritual grounds. His own wisdom, his earthly authority, his influence among men, his experience, his friends - all these counted for nothing. As he was hurried away and thrown into the den, he must have been a picture of complete helplessness. There was nothing he could say, and nothing he could do. He did not try to wrestle with the lions; it would have been useless if he had. In a spiritual conflict - and ours is that - nothing but spiritual strength is of any use. For all his apparent helplessness, Daniel had a standing with God. The key to his emergence from the conflict in such complete triumph is found in our verse about his praying, and particularly in the last words, "as he did aforetime."

He was steadfast in his faith. Yet it would not be enough to think of his having faith in a merely general way, or being a man who habitually prayed for all sorts of things. We can only understand the nature of his steadfastness if we realize that he was keeping true to a definite and God-given vision. He had understood the purpose of God with regard to His people. Moreover, he had adjusted his whole life to that vision, as the open window and the "three times a day" prayer-watch show. He knew what God wished and intended, and had given himself wholeheartedly for its fulfillment. Day in and day out, fair days and foul, he kept himself in God's direction and  stood for God's will. No wonder that human jealously and spite were used by satan in a determined effort to silence him! But he could not be silenced. He could not be made to close his windows. "Aforetime" he had persisted in his faith vigil; now that trouble was pending he refused to be turned aside from his set course with God. He had a spiritual 'routine,' a holy habit, a steady heart-purpose. When this brought him into the cross-currents of conflict, and the writing was signed against him, he seemed to take no notice at all, but calmly continued in his watch with the Lord - "as he did aforetime."

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 2)

Delighting In Him

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

I love the promises of this Psalm. There are promises of blessing to the one who delights in the law of the Lord, a promise of fruit, strength and prosperity in whatever we do. And what does He want us to do? He wants us to love His Word; the law of the Lord is His word. 

John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, which means that Jesus is the living Word. If we delight in the Word, then we are delighting in Him. So, our delight should be to desire the Lord more than anything else, so much that we meditate and think about Him day and night.

There are so many other things to think about in our lives today. From televisions to radios to computers, everything around us makes some kind of noise or sight that demands our attention. Regardless of what we are doing, we are always thinking about something. The activities and the stimuli seldom stop in our busy lives. And then we wonder why we are so tired (our leaves wither) and why we are not efficient or effective (prosperous) in our works. The answer lies in God's Word. We will find our strength when we make the Lord the priority of our thoughts, by tuning out the other sights and sounds.

God promises us His blessings if we focus on Him, keep His word close to our hearts, and make Him the center of our thoughts. Start today by reading through the Psalms starting with chapter one and reading a Psalm a day until ending with chapter one hundred fifty (150). You will see the blessings of God as you delight in His Word every day.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~ 

The Watchword of the Son of Man # 8

7. The Cost of the Ultimate Purpose

Finally, we come to Matthew 26:45: "Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the "hour" is at hand ... It is significant that following upon a prayer for oneness and fellowship in and with Himself that would be so deep and strong that nothing could destroy it, the Lord should find Himself without a single wakeful helper in "the hour" of His deepest need. He is going to have His heart's desire, but on the one hand He has first to pay the price, and on the other hand something has to be done to get those concerned on to the stable rock of the Divine and off this insecure sand of the human.

He must tread the winepress alone; this is where (to quote His words to Peter) "thou canst not follow Me now." His disciples did not yet realize what was going on. The mighty issues were not perceived by them. He alone knew all that was involved, and while His human nature cried out for companionship and cooperation, He, and only He, could go "forward a little" to that deep "yonder" (Matthew 26:39, 36).

"And He went forward a little, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but at Thou wilt.

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto His disciples, Sit ye here, while I go yonder and pray."

He was tasting a desolation essential to His office and work which no other one need ever taste in the same measure. There is fellowship, however, in His sufferings which, while not being of an atoning character, relates to the outworking of what He has done.

 As with Him, so with His servants, one of the deepest points and the greatest costs is loneliness - the loneliness where no one else is able to appreciate what is going on, what God is doing, what is the meaning of the stranger features which are apparent.

Before there can be true fellowship and oneness in the great spiritual realities, a fellowship of a lesser sort has to break down; and then ensues this costly isolation, before eyes begin to be opened and understanding is given. There will then come into being a fellowship over which death has no power.

The price of leadership in these things is terrible loneliness, but the end makes it worth while. He Who was cut off from the last human companion in the Garden is at length seen encompassed by "a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation, and of all tribes and peoples and tongues" (Revelation 7:9). Any loneliness which may come to us in fellowship with Him now will not issue in our having a company of our own, but something far greater; it will have helped in the securing for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His sufferings. It will be an ample reward for us to be standing by and, with increasing intensity and emphasis, to cry: 

Crown Him! Crown Him!
Angels, crown Him!
Crown the Saviour 'King of kings!'
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him
Lord of all.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(The End)

Signs of Today or Eternity?

He [Jesus] answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2-3

Jesus understood how much the weather plays a part of our daily lives. He spoke about discerning the face of the sky, trying to predict the day’s events. Just think about how much we know today from the weather channel, newspapers and computers. We have local and remote forecasts available in an instant, unlike in Jesus’ day. And just as we have advanced in understanding the weather, we also have advanced in understanding the signs of end times. Our lives can change as a result of a natural event, and our eternity is shaped by being tuned in with the signs of end times.

Do you live your life for today or for eternity? Everything we live for here will burn some day, but our soul has a choice to burn in the fire or live in the presence of the light of Jesus. In a moment, the weather can change completely. It is the same with our lives. Today, pick up the Bible and read something in Revelation or find a book that can update you with the signs of end times. Until I studied the book of Revelation, the thought of reading it frightened me. That fear is gone because the love of God is even so evident in the book of Revelation. He wants all to come to Him and He has made a way for all to understand.  Ask the Lord for discernment to understand. We can never be sure of the future outcome of the weather, but we can know the outcome of our eternity.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

The Watchword of the Son of Man # 7

6. The Instrument of the Ultimate Purpose (continued)

The glorifying also is threefold. In verse 1, there is the glorifying of the Father in the Son: "These things spake Jesus; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee." Then, in verse 10, the glorifying of the Son in the Church: "And all things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine: and I am glorified in them." Finally, in verse 24, the glorifying of the Church in the Son: "Father, I desire that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world."

Now all this is gathered up into "The Hour" which is the hour of the Cross; and the Cross is necessary for it and basic to it. The common participation in the life of the Lord demands the end of the self-life. It i the self-life that obscures the glory of Christ. The whole trend of the flesh is to take the glory from Christ. The flesh is the principle of the fallen humanity by which initially and continuously the adversary robs God of His glory, and mars that which was made for His glory.

This prayer of John 17 takes account of the evil one who works through fallen human nature, splitting it into unholy rivalries, schisms, factions, partisanships, by jealousies, suspicions, hatreds, conflicts, and what not. Christ has come to deal with this spiritual background, and to lay a new foundation of a oneness which is deeper than intellect or emotion.

If there is one element in John 17 more notable than another, surely it is the spirit of selfless humility. It is just as important if not more so - to get into the spirit of this chapter as into the words, and this humility so deeply breathed is the key to all the teaching. It is the offset to the pride which is the world-spirit, and from which the disciples themselves needed deliverance. Pride is the root and cause of all divisions. There has never yet been an external rift among the Lord's people which did not have its source in pride somewhere. Pride blinds, and therefore provides a ground for deception. Often this deception makes the proud believe that they are the humblest and most selfless. Pride's firstborn is jealousy, and jealousy tears in fragments and gets on with no one.

The spirit of subjection to Christ, as Christ is subject to the Father, is the most potent force in fellowship. A "holding fast the Head" is a vital law of the Body of Christ, for thus all the members find their oneness.

Thus when the Lord Jesus prayed "Father ... glorify Thy Son ..." He linked His request with "The Hour" when by the Cross, through utter consecration to the will of the Father, in the power of an endless life, "through the eternal spirit," He met the great arch-enemy of God and of His ultimate purpose for the people out of whom all the discord and enmity is utterly eliminated, and who live in a love which has been made perfect; and He secured that end when He destroyed the works of the devil by His Cross. The means by which that testimony may be veiled are legion, but in every case the contradiction is by reason of something either less than or extra to that Divine Life and its operations.

When 'movements' as the enterprises of men take the place of the spontaneous movement of the Spirit of God: when 'teaching' as such moves in advance of real spiritual hunger and becomes merely mental: when 'men,' instead of the Lord Jesus, become the  center of an encirclement: when even a 'testimony' is more than the Person of the Lord: then divisions are bound to come.

Thus we arrive at the supreme note of John 17, "Father, glorify Thy Son." Only as he is the object of all glory, Sovereign Head, with all things coming up to Him, can the oneness be realized and manifested. For this the believer - as a man, a woman, a worker, a preacher, or in any other capacity must know the Cross as having slain him or her, and everything must be henceforth "unto Him Who for their sakes died and rose again."

The prayer of this wonderful chapter followed immediately upon a forecasting of the scattering of the whole company of the disciples, and was the prayer for a regathering beyond that, upon such a basis as would be more secure than that which was then present. That scattering was because they were all "offended" (Matthew 26:31; John 16:1). That offence was occasioned by personal disappointment. Such disappointment would have been impossible if there had not been false motives, false expectations, and a wrong spirit. All these were manifested by the disciples in a frequent concern for their own personal interests. It was 'my position,' 'my ministry,' 'my rights,' etc.

It was when "not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own" that a spirit prevailed which afforded Christ His supreme opportunity for being glorified That spirit must extend to everything in life - ministry, position, salvation, revelation. All must be held for Christ and unto Him.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 8 - (7. The Cost of the Ultimate Purpose)

Breaking Down the Faith Barrier

Exodus 4:1-13

A faith barrier is made up of attitudes that short-circuit our trust and prevent us from obeying the Lord's will. A negative self-image can hinder us in this way, as can ignorance of God's character and promises. Three other attitudes can also trip us up: doubt, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of failure.

Moses doubted that the Israelites would believe he had been chosen by the Lord to lead them. But God graciously provided reassurance--in the form of evidence that He could accomplish everything He'd promised (Ex. 4:1-5). When doubt invades our minds, it can be overcome with diligent study of Scripture and persistent prayer, which will dislodge uncertainty and replace it with biblical truth.

Moses wasn't eloquent, and a perceived lack of skill left him feeling inadequate for the job--he was afraid trying to speak would make him stumble. God patiently reassured him of divine help in that task. The Lord often chooses unlikely people to carry out His plan because He looks at the heart, not human qualifications (1 Sam. 16:7). He can overcome all our inadequacies.

Sadly, Moses did not embrace what God promised but instead asked to be relieved of the assignment. A fear of failure can prevent us from saying yes to the Lord.

Carrying out God's will requires a heart that trusts Him, a soul that steps out in obedience, and a mind that leaves success or failure to Him. As we break down the faith barrier, we will be able to see the evidence of God's presence and power--and experience the joy of obedience.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~