November
1
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3
THE number of
watchmen, or pickets doing duty and standing guard over our actions and words
will be fewer in proportion as the picket line guarding our minds, our thoughts,
is a strong one. It is here that we need to be especially on the alert.
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." This general
truth is particularly exemplified in the regenerate, who are more open in their
conduct and language, proportionately, than others. Having the right sentiments
at heart they are less on their guard in respect to their manner of expression
perhaps than previously; but all the more, they need to remember the words of
the apostle, "If any man sin not with his lips, the same is a perfect
man." --James 3:2 Z. '04-23 R3305:5
November 2
It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good. 1 Samuel 3:18
WE know not what is for our highest welfare. Sometimes those things which
we crave and desire to grasp, considering them to be good, might really be to
our disadvantage. Blessed are they who are able by faith to pierce the gloom of
every trial and difficulty and perplexity, and to realize that "The Lord knoweth
them that are His," and that He is causing all things to work together for
their good. Z. '01-148 R2806:4 We are to wait patiently for the Lord,
and to take patiently such experiences as His providences may mark out for us,
questioning not the wisdom, the love and the power of Him with whom we have to
do. Z. '01-317 R2888:2
November 3
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41
SOME make the mistake of praying without watching; others make the mistake
of watching without praying; but the safe and only proper method is that which
our Lord directed, to combine the two. We are to watch, and to be on our guard
against the encroachments of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are to
watch for all the encouragements of the Lord's Word, the evidence of their
fulfilment, the signs that betoken His presence and the great changes of
dispensations just at hand. We are to watch for everything that will strengthen
us in faith and hope and loyalty and love; and while watching we are to pray
without ceasing. We are to pray together as the Lord's people; we are to pray
in our homes, as families; we are to pray in secret, in private. Z. '01-80
R2775:5
November 4
He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant.
Philippians 2:7
AS no man is able to serve two masters and satisfy both, and do justice to
both, their interests conflicting, no more can we serve God and righteousness,
and at the same time be pleasing and acceptable to the adversary and those who
are in harmony with him who now rules in this present dispensation, the
"prince of this world." All of the Lord's consecrated people, those
who would lay up treasures in heaven and be rich toward God, must be willing to
become of no reputation amongst those who are not consecrated, and who,
whatever their professions, are really serving Mammon, selfishness, and the
present life, and not sacrificing these interests to the attainment of the heavenly
Kingdom. Z. '00-318 R2717:5
November 5
Having an High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith. Hebrews 10:21,22
LET us remember that He who has begun the good work changes never, and that
if our hearts are still in harmony with Him, if our faith is still clear and firm
in the great atonement, if our consecration is still full and complete, so that
we seek not our own wills but His will to be done in our affairs, then we may
indeed have the full assurance of faith, because knowing that God is
unchangeable, and knowing that we are still in line with His promises and
arrangements, we know that all of His gracious providences are still being
exercised on our behalf. This is full assurance of faith--full confidence in
the Lord. Z. '00-170 R2643:1
November 6
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Romans 12:1
TO render all we have to the Lord's service is not only a reasonable thing,
but an offering far too small --far less than what we would like to render to
Him who has manifested such compassion and grace toward us. And we should feel
thus, even if there were no rewards attached to such a consecration of
ourselves. But inasmuch as God has attached great rewards and blessings, we
should feel not only that a refusal to accept would be an indication of
non-appreciation of divine mercy but an indication also of weakness of mind, of
judgment, which is unable to balance the trifling and transitory pleasures of
self-will for a few short years, with an eternity of joy and blessing and glory,
in harmony with the Lord. Z. '00-170 R2642:5
November 7
And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the Word of God. Revelation 20:4
ALTHOUGH this beheading is figurative and not literal, it nevertheless has
a deep significance.... It signifies, not only death to self-will, but
also to be cut off from all other heads, governments and law-givers, and to
recognize no "head" but Jesus, whom God hath appointed to be the Head
of the church, which is His body....It means, not only to be cut off from
institutional heads and authorities, but also to cease to have heads and wills
of our own, and to accept, instead, the headship, the will, of our Lord Jesus.
It is the same thought that is drawn to our attention by the apostle in Romans
6:3, where he declares that we are baptized into the body of Christ, as
members of that body, under the one Head, Christ, by being baptized into His
death,--a full consecration of our wills, and ultimately a full laying down of
our lives, faithfully unto death. Z. '00-285 R2700:6
November 8
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Exodus 20:7
ALTHOUGH this commandment was not given to spiritual Israel we can readily see how the spirit of it comes to us....We have taken the name of Christ as
our name. We are counted as members of the body of Christ. The holy name of the
Head belongs to all the members of the body. The honored name of the Bridegroom
belongs to His espoused. What carefulness the thought of this should give us,
and how appropriately we should say to ourselves:--"I must see to it that
I have not taken the Lord's name in vain,--that I appreciate the honor,
dignity and responsibility of my position as His representative and ambassador in
the world. I will walk circumspectly, seeking as far as possible to bring no
dishonor to that name, but contrariwise to honor it in every thought and word and
deed." Z. '04-73 R3331:1
November 9
The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that
ye would. Galatians 5:17
HERE is the great and continual battle, for although the new will asserts
itself and puts the body under and compels its subjection to the new mind,
nevertheless the mortal body, not being actually dead, is continually coming in
contact with the world and the adversary and is continually being stimulated by
these and reinvigorated with earthly cares, ambitions, methods, strivings,
conflicts and insubordination to our new will. No saint is without experiences
of this kind-- fightings without and within. It must be a fight to the finish
or the great prize for which we fight will not be gained. For although the New
Creature masters the mortal body by the Lord's grace and strength repreatedly,
nevertheless until death there can be no cessation of the conflict. Z.
'03-424 R3275:2
November 10
Love....rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the Truth. 1 Corinthians
13:6
ARE the principles of right and wrong so firmly fixed in my mind, and am I
so thoroughly in accord with the right and so opposed to the wrong that I would
not encourage the wrong, but must condemn it, even if it brought advantage to me?
Am I so in accord with right, with truth, that I could not avoid rejoicing in
the Truth and in its prosperity, even to the upsetting of some of my
preconceived opinions, or to the disadvantage of some of my earthly interests? The
love of God, which the apostle is here describing as the spirit of the Lord's
people, is a love which is far above selfishness, and is based upon fixed principles
which should, day by day, be more and more distinctly discerned, and always
firmly adhered to at any cost. Z. '03-57 R3151:3
November 11
Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue. (fortitude). 2 Peter 1:5
ONE great difficulty with the Lord's people is that, even when determined
for a right course and thus resisting the temptation, they do not take
sufficiently positive action. Many say to the tempter, I have concluded not to
yield at this time. Thus they leave in their own minds an opportunity open by
which the tempter may return. Our Lord's course was the proper one: we should
dismiss the tempter once and forever. We should take our stand so firmly that
even the adversary would not think it worth while to come back at us along that
line; "Leave me, adversary-- I will worship and serve my God alone." Z.
'04-10 R3299:6
November 12
Be not faithless, but believing. John 20:27
IT is impossible for us to come near to the Lord except as we shall
exercise faith and trust in Him, in His goodness, in His power, in His wisdom,
in His love.... Faith is a matter of cultivation, of development. The same
apostles who cried out in terror when the storm was upon the Sea of Galilee
gradually grew stronger and stronger in faith until, as the records show, they could
and did trust the Lord in His absence and where they could not trace Him.
Similarly it should be a part of our daily lesson to cultivate trust in the
Lord, and to think of the experiences in the past in our lives and all of these
lessons in His Word, that thus our faith in Him may become rooted and grounded.
Z. '04-89 R3338:5
November 13
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of. Matthew 6:8
OUR petitions, our requests, our cries to the Lord, therefore, should be
for the holiness of heart, for the filling of His Spirit, for the spiritual
food, refreshment, strength; and as for the natural things, He knoweth the way
we take and what would be to our best interests as New Creatures. We are to
leave this to Him: He would not be pleased to see us importuning Him for things
which He did not give us, for to do so would not be an exemplification of faith
in Him, but the reverse--an exemplification of doubt, a manifestation of fear
that he was forgetting or neglecting His promise to give us the things needful.
Z. '04-90 R3338:6
November 14
Take heed unto yourselves,...[for] grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:28-30
IT is necessary for the discipline, trial and final proving of the church of God that they should be subjected to these adverse influences; for to him that overcometh
them is the promise of the great reward. If we would reign with Christ, we
must prove our worthiness to reign by the same tests of loyalty to God, of
faith in His Word, of zeal for the Truth, of patient endurance of reproach and
persecution, even unto death, and of unwavering trust in the power and purpose
of God to deliver and exalt His church in due time. To such faithful ones are
the blessed consolations of Psalm 91. Z. '04-74 R3331:3
November 15
He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He
walked. 1 John 2:6
HE is to walk as our Lord walked, in His general deportment and
relationship to everything that is good and correspondingly to avoid everything
that is evil. He is to walk as nearly as possible in the footsteps of Jesus.
This, however, does not mean that he either should or could, in an imperfect
body, walk up to all the perfection of his Lord, who even in His flesh was
perfect. It means just what it says, that we should walk as He walked--in the
same way, in the same direction, toward the same mark and standard that He
recognized and established. Z. '03-345 R3237:5
November 16
She hath done what she could. Mark 14:8
IT is not our privilege to come into personal contact with our dear
Redeemer, but it is our privilege to anoint the Lord's "brethren"
with the sweet perfume of love, sympathy, joy and peace, and the more costly this
may be as respects our self-denials, the more precious it will be in the
estimation of our Elder Brother, who declared that in proportion as we do or do
not unto His brethren, we do or do not unto Him. ....Our alabaster boxes are
our hearts, which should be full of the richest and sweetest perfumes of good wishes,
kindness and love toward all, but especially toward the Christ--toward the
Head, our Lord Jesus, and toward all the members of His body, the church; and
especially on our part toward the feet members who are now with us, and on whom
we now have the privilege of pouring out the sweet odors of love and devotion
in the name of the Lord, because we are His. Z. '99-78; Z. '00-378;
R2448:5; R2744:3
November 17
He shall give his angels [messengers] charge concerning thee, to guard thee in
all thy ways. Psalm 91:11
THAT is, God will raise up some faithful pastors and teachers who will
"watch for your souls as they that must give an account." True, there
shall arise false teachers, perverting the Word of the Lord and seeking by
cunning sophistries to subvert your souls; but if in simplicity of heart God's
children require a "Thus saith the Lord" for every element of their
faith, and carefully prove all things by the Word, they will be able to
distinguish readily the true from the false. And having done so, the Apostle
Paul (Hebrews 13:17) counsels us to have confidence. The Lord, our
Shepherd, will care for the true sheep. Z. '04-75 R3332:2
November 18
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth
them. Psalm 34:7
HOW it enlarges the confidence of a Christian to realize that whilst
earthly powers may be in opposition, and whilst he may be really of himself
powerless to resist adversaries, and whilst in addition to the flesh and blood
adversaries he may realize that he battles also with spiritual wickedness in
exalted places --against Satan and his minions of darkness--yet that, on the
other hand, "greater is He that is on our part than all that be against
us," and that all the heavenly hosts are subject to the divine will and
may be employed for the advancement of the divine cause according to divine
wisdom. Z. '97-120 R2140:6
November 19
Let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:6
LET us watch in the sense of taking careful notice of all the directions
which the Lord our God has given us, respecting what would be acceptable
service to Him. Let us watch ourselves, striving to walk as nearly as possible
in the footsteps of the great High Priest....Let us be sober in the sense that
we will not be frivolous; that while happy, joyous in the Lord, free from the
anxious cares that are upon many others through misapprehension of our Father's
character and plan, we may, nevertheless, be sober in the sense of earnest
appreciation of present opportunities and privileges in connection with the
Lord's service;-- not thoughtlessly negligent, letting opportunities and privileges
slip through our hands to be afterwards regretted. Z. '02-239 R3056:5
November 20
If ye do these things, ye shall never fall. 2 Peter 1:10
THE contingency is not in the doing of these things perfectly, and
regardless of the righteousness of Christ to cover our transgressions and
compensate for our daily shortcomings; but if, added to our faith in the
imputed righteousness of Christ, we have cultivated all these graces to the
extent of our ability, we shall not fall. When we have done all that we can
do, we are still unprofitable servants, not daring to trust in our own
righeousness, but in the ample robe which is ours by faith in Christ, while,
with consistent "diligence," we work out our own salvation with fear and
trembling, knowing that the righteousness of Christ is only applied to such as
desire to forsake sin and pursue that "holiness without which no man shall
see the Lord." Z. '97-148 R2155:6
November 21
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. James 1:2
ALL wish frequently, no doubt, that the testings were all over and that we
were accepted to a place amongst the overcomers; but patience and faith and trust
are to do a refining work in our hearts, making us mellow, willing and obedient
to the Lord. Let the good work go on. Let us rejoice if our trials have brought
us lessons of any kind that are profitable to us;--that have tended to make us
stronger in character, more firm for truth and righteousness, more aware of our
own weaknesses, and more on guard against the same. Even those conflicts which
have resulted in only partial victories have possibly been to our
advantage....Even on points in which there may have been absolute failure, the
result may be a strengthening of character, a crystallization of determination for
greater zeal in that direction again, and a humility of heart before the Lord
in prayer. Z. '02-133 R3001:5
November 22
The zeal of Thine house hath consumed me. Psalm 69:9
COLD, calculating people may have other good qualities, but there is no
room for coldness or even lukewarmness on the part of those who have once tasted
that the Lord is gracious. With such, the love enkindled should lead to a
consuming zeal. It was thus with our Lord Jesus, and this was one of the reasons
why He was beloved of the Father....Let all who desire to be pleasing in the
Lord's sight become so filled with the same spirit of zeal for righteousness and
truth that it will consume them as sacrifices upon the Lord's altar. Thus they
will be most pleasing and acceptable to Him through Jesus our Lord. Z.'98-112
R2289:3
November 23
Ye have need of patience, [cheerful endurance, constancy] that, after ye have
done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36
HERE we see that it is not merely to do the will of God that is the test,
but that after having attained to that point, that mark of character in our
hearts, in our wills (if only partially in the flesh) we should, by patient
endurance, establish God's righteous will as the law of our hearts, the
rule of life under all circumstances and conditions. Then, and not until then, will
we be in the heart condition of fitness for the Kingdom. The Apostle James
says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience [patient endurance"];
that is to say, if our faith stand the trial it will work this character of
patient endurance. Of course, on the other hand, if we do not attain to patient
endurance, it will mean that our faith has not stood the test satisfactorily,
that we are not fit for the Kingdom. Z. '01-117 R2792:1
November 24
Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward
God, and toward man. Acts 24:16
OUR consciences require regulating, as do all the other features of our
fallen nature. If our consciences are to be regulated we must have some
standard by which to set and regulate them. The conscience is like a watch
whose dial is properly marked with the hours, but whose correctness as a
time-keeper depends upon the proper regulating of its mainspring, so that it
may point out the hours truthfully: so our consciences are ready to indicate
right and wrong to us, but they can only be relied upon to tell us truly what
is right and what is wrong after being regulated in connection with the new
mainspring, the new heart, the pure will, brought into full harmony with the law
of love, as presented to us in the Word of God. Z. '00-360 R2735:1
November 25
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted
with evil, neither tempteth He any man. James 1:13
THERE is a difference between temptations which the Father considers proper
and the temptations which come from the adversary. The former are tests of loyalty
to God and to the principles of righteousness, and are intended to be a
blessing and a help to all those who withstand them, and who thus demonstrate their
loyalty to righteousness. The temptations of Satan, on the contrary, are in the
nature of pitfalls and snares in evil and wrongdoing, temptations to make right
appear wrong and wrong appear right, putting light for darkness and darkness
for light. In this sense of misrepresentation and ensnarements in evil, God
tempteth no man. Z. '04-7 R3297:5
November 26
And the Lord said unto Moses, What is that in thine hand? Exodus 4:2
IF any man would be more abundantly used of the Lord in His blessed
service, let him seek first to be fitted for it more and more. Let him imitate
that beloved and honored servant, Moses, in meekness, humility, energy and
untiring zeal and self-sacrificing service of the Lord. But the wise steward
will seek always to cultivate along the lines of his natural abilities, and not
expect the Lord to work a miracle for his advancement, and so waste valuable
time seeking to develop that which he does not by nature possess. Z. '94-143
R1651:5 Let us each, therefore, seek by humility, by zeal, by love for the
Lord and for His cause, by faith in His power, to be in that condition of heart
and mind which will make us ready to be used, and useful in any department of
the divine service to which the Lord may be pleased to call us. Z. '01-348
R2904:4
November 27
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance. Ephesians 6:18
WE are to have the spirit of prayer in all that we say and do: that is to
say, our hearts should be going out continually to the lord for guidance in all
of life's affairs, that we may do with our might what our hands find to do, in
a manner that will be acceptable to Him, and that we may be shielded by Him
from temptation that would otherwise be beyond our endurance, and that we may
be ultimately delivered from the evil one and have a place in our Lord's Kingdom.
Brethren and sisters, let us more and more remember and put in practice these
words of our Lord, "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Z.
'01-80 R2775:5
November 28
When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? Job 34:29
WHO but He, the 'God of all comfort,' can give quietness in the midst of
tumults which rise upon the soul like sudden storms upon the sea? Like ocean mariners
in peril, we cry unto Him, and He bringeth us to the desired haven--blessed
haven--of quietness and peace in God. What is the cry which brings this answer
of peace? It is not a prayer that all occasion for disturbance shall be
removed, for it is not always the divine will to bring peace to the human
spirit in that way; it is not always the best way. But there is a cry which never
fails to bring the quietness in which none can 'make trouble.' It is the prayer
for sweet, trustful loving acquiescence in the will of God." Z. '96-259
R2058:3
November 29
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is
faithful that promised. Hebrews 10:23
GOD'S promise is the foundation upon which all that we hope for, either of
character or coming glory, is built. Let us prize this truth so that we will
not compromise it in any sense or in any degree; let us not only hold the Truth
in the letter but in the spirit;-- in the love of it, because it is true, as
well as because it is beautiful and grand. And let us ever remember the
importance of patient endurance, that we may not only cultivate the
Christian graces, and practice them, but that we may take joyfully the trials,
persecutions or difficulties which our Lord may see proper to permit to come
upon us for our testing and for the development of this character which He
explains to us is of paramount importance, and without which perfect love could
neither be attained nor maintained. Z. '01-119 R2793:3
November 30
Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age. Mattthew 28:20
SURELY He who was careful to supervise the sowing work is not less
interested and careful in respect to the reaping. Let us then thrust in the
sickle of Truth with energy and courage, remembering that we serve the Lord
Christ, remembering that we are not responsible for the harvest but merely for
our energy in gathering what ripe "wheat" we can find. If the labor
be great for the finding of a few grains of ripe wheat we are to rejoice the
more in those we do find, and learn to love and appreciate that which is scarce
and precious. Let us remember, too, while using all the wisdom we can in this
service, that the Lord's object in giving us a share in His work is not so much
what we can accomplish as in the blessing that the labor will bring upon us. Z.
'01-155 R2811:4