January
1
O bless our
God, ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard: which holdeth our
soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. Psalm 66:8,9
THANKS be to God
that His grace has preserved us, "kept us from falling," through another
year:--that so many of us are still of one heart and of one mind in respect to
His Word and its service! When we remember that the Adversary is to be
permitted to bring "strong delusions" upon the Lord's people for the
very purpose of sifting out all not truly His (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12),
it should surely call forth our thanks to God that the opening of another year
finds us still standing fast,--appreciating the Truth, and in full accord with all
the divine appointments by which He has kept us from falling. Z.'03-3
January 2
Ye are not
your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20
AT the opening of
the new year, what lesson could be more important to us than this one, that we
are not our own, but belong to another; that we are not therefore, to seek to
please ourselves, but to please Him; nor to seek to serve self, but to serve
Him; nor to seek to obey self-will, but on the contrary His will? This means
holiness in the most absolute and comprehensive sense of the word (not only
separation from sin to righteousness, but separation from self to the will
of God in Christ). Z.'97-35
January 3
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
WHATEVER might be our natural inclinations with reference to definiteness
and persistency in prayer, we must take our instructions from the Scriptures; and
overcoming our natural predilections, we must as "little children"
and as "dear children" conform our views and conduct to the
instruction which is from above. Let us all, therefore, remember the words,
"ask (in My name), and ye shall receive, that your joy may be
full."--John 16:24. The Heavenly Father has multiplied mercies,
blessings and providences in store for His obedient and faithful children who
will ask for them. Z.'96-162
January 4
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14
TIME is an important element in all God's plans: we are not, therefore, to
be disappointed when the test of endurance is applied while the blessings we crave
tarry long. God took time to frame the world and to fit it for human
habitation; time to give the world its necessary experience with evil; time to
prepare for the advent of Christ as the world's Redeemer; time for the
preparation of the Church to share in His glorious reign; and time must be
allowed for the shaping and adjusting of the individual affairs of His people.
God has not forgotten when the answers to our prayers seem to tarry long. He
who heeds the sparrow's fall and numbers the very hairs of our heads is not
indifferent to the faintest call or the smallest necessity of His humblest
child. Z.'95-20
January 5
The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me. Romans 15:3
LET us see to it that we bear the reproaches of Christ as He bore
them,--with pity and prayer for the erring and depraved, if perchance God may
grant them repentance; and with humble fortitude esteeming it a privilege to
prove our devotion to the Lord by enduring hardness in His service as good
soldiers. He was not surprised by the exhibitions of human depravity: He knew
that He was in an unfriendly world bound by sin and largely under the dominion of
the prince of darkness, and therefore He expected reproaches, taunts and
persecutions, all of which He endured patiently while His great loving heart,
almost unmindful of its own sufferings, was full of pity and loving concern for
others. Z.'96-83
January 6
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm
90:12
THE Christian, in numbering his days, does not do so with a doleful or
disconsolate sentiment, although he does so with sobriety. He counts the days
as they go as so many blessings, so many privileges, so many opportunities to
"show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His
marvelous light," to render assistance to others in the pilgrim journey, and
to develop in himself more and more of the character pleasing in the sight of
God,--to become more and more a copy of God's dear Son. Z.'01-333
January 7
Speak evil of no man. Titus 3:2
IF once the soldiers of the cross would get the proper thought, that
slander and evil speaking are assassinations of the character of another, and
that defamation is robbery of another's good name, the sooner they will see
this matter in its truly awful light as it must appear in the Lord's sight; and
once seeing the matter from this true, divine standpoint must awaken the new
creature to the greatest activity possible in the overcoming of such works of
the flesh and of the devil. Each will seek to purge out the old leaven of
malice and envy and strife and crookedness and evil speaking, that he may be
pure in heart, a copy of the Lord. Z.'03-425
January 8
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is
good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
ACCORDING to the Scriptural standard, the elect church of Christ should be the most polished, the most refined, the most polite, the most generous, the most
kind of all the people in the world;--and should be all these in the most
absolute sense; not in the mere sense of an outward form and appearance of kindness,
gentleness, etc., so common in the world; but a gentleness, a kindness,
proceeding from the heart, proceeding from an appreciation of the Lord's spirit
and the spirit of the Truth, the spirit of love, and the spirit of justice,
also. Z.'01-297
January 9
Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not
receive? 1 Corinthians 4:7
ALL of the Lord's consecrated people should realize that they have come
into the present grace and truth, not by their own wisdom nor by the wisdom of others,
but through the wisdom and grace of the Lord. The same thought should be
entertained by all who serve the Church of God as ministers, servants in any
department, in any manner responsible to the Lord for their position in the
household of faith, and their opportunities to serve as the Lord's mouthpieces
should be felt and confessed. But failure to confess it implies a failure
rightly to appreciate it. Z.'03-430
January 10
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for
an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5:10
THE right path is still the "narrow path" of self-abasement
and self-denial--the path of meekness and humility: and it will require
as much effort and grace to walk it this year as last, or possibly more; for
the more we grow in grace and knowledge, the stronger will be the temptations
to be boastful, puffed up, heady, high-minded; and the higher we climb in faith
and hope and love and activity in the Lord's service, the more the great
Adversary will oppose our progress, and the more his emissaries will slander,
backbite, and generally seek to injure us. Z.'95-3
January 11
His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was
weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jeremiah 20:9
LET us who are privileged to remain to this time of favor, blessing and
enlightenment give glory to the Lord, and see to it that the loving disposition
of John is manifested in us, and also his energy, his zeal; for while he is
called the loving disciple we are to remember also that he was, because of his
impetuous zeal, styled, with his brother, Boanerges--son of thunder. Let us be
full of energy, full of sacrifices which love prompts, that we may glorify the
Lord in our bodies and spirits which are His. Z.'01-151
January 12
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted. Galatians 6:1
LET us learn well this lesson of reproving others very gently, very
considerately, kindly, by a hint rather than a direct charge and detail of the
wrong-- by an inquiry respecting the present condition of their hearts
rather than respecting a former condition, in which we know they have
erred. We are to be less careful for the punishments that will follow wrongdoings
than for the recovery of the erring one out of the error of his way. We are not
to attempt to judge and punish one another for misdeeds, but rather to remember
that all this is in the hands of the Lord;--we are not in any sense of the word
to avenge ourselves or to give chastisement or recompense for evil. Z.'01-150
January 13
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any
man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1
John 2:1
IF we find that through lack of faith or weakness of the flesh a wrong step
has been taken, contrary to the Lord's will and our best spiritual interests,
no time should be lost in retracing the steps and in calling upon the Lord. We
have an altar consecrated with the precious blood of Christ, far superior every
way to that which Abraham consecrated with the blood of typical animals, and
the apostle exhorts us, "Let us come boldly [courageously--full of faith]
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in
every time of need."--Hebrews 4:16 Z.'01-233
January 14
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air. 1 Corinthians 9:26
IT will be found a great help to the weaknesses of the fallen nature to
have understandingly made a full consecration of the will,--a full enlistment
of every power and talent of mind and of body. He who takes this proper view of
his consecration to the Lord and enlistment in the Lord's army, realizes that
he has nothing more to give to the Lord, and hence, whatever struggle of the
will he may have is all ended when he has finally decided--"As for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord." How important it is, therefore, that
all the soldiers realize that the term of the enlistment is until death, and
that there is no room for even considering any suggestion to withdraw from the
battle and cease even for an hour to fight the good fight of faith. Z.'03-421
January 15
What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8
THAT these are very reasonable requirements will be conceded by all. That God
could not require less from those whom He is educating for the future judging of
the world, is evident: and yet, all three of these qualities specified through
the prophet, are comprehended in the one word Love. Love requires that we shall
deal justly with our neighbors, with the brethren, with our families, with
ourselves; that we shall seek to cultivate our appreciation of the rights of
others,--their physical rights, their moral and intellectual rights, their
liberties; and that, appreciating these, we shall in no sense of the word seek
to abridge or deny them. Z.'02-172
January 16
Instant in prayer. Romans 12:12
WHAT a blessed privilege, dear fellow-disciples of the Lord, is ours, to be
instant in prayer, to pray always-- to lift up our hearts and minds to God at
any time and in any place and to realize thus daily and hourly that the Father
and our dear Lord Jesus continually abide with us. And then, when the active duties
of the day have been performed under His eye and supervision, or at any time
when the soul realizes its necessity, how precious is the privilege of entering
into our closets and there, alone with God, unburdening our hearts. Z.'95-215
January 17
Keep yourselves in the love of God. Jude 21
WE may daily and hourly keep ourselves in the Lord's love by obedience to,
and a growing love for, the principles of righteousness. And we are to rejoice in
every experience of life,--its trials, difficulties, sorrows, disappointments,
etc., no less than in its pleasures, if by any or all of these means the Lord
shall instruct us and give us clearer insight into our own deficiencies, and a
still clearer insight into that perfect law of liberty and love which He has
established, and to which He requires our full and loyal heart-submission. Z.'02-173
January 18
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Romans 12:11
LET all who would run the race successfully look well to their zeal and
activity in the Lord's work. If we bury our one or many talents under a weight
of worldly cares and encumbrances which might be avoided or set aside; if we
bury them under worldly ambitions for either self or family--whether this be by
wasting consecrated time upon science, philosophy, music or art, or upon
business, politics or pleasures, or in pampering pride and appetite--then as
unfaithful servants we will sooner or later go into outer darkness. Z.'91-9
January 19
O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97
IT is a great privilege for Christians to study the Lord's Word, yet a
great deal of study is done to no purpose. Study which is not put into practice
is worse than a waste of time....Every reasonable opportunity should be
used by the Lord's people to obtain a knowledge of the divine plan--even to the
extent of sacrificing; but the child of the Lord will be particular to see that
it is his own conveniences and comforts that he is sacrificing, and not
chiefly the conveniences and comforts of others. The Bible study which is done
merely at the expense of others is a sign of selfishness rather than a sign of
a rich indwelling of the Lord's spirit of love. Z.'99-156
January 20
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he
whom the Father chasteneth not? Hebrews 12:7
CHARACTER cannot be developed wholly without trial. It is like a plant: at
first it is very tender; it needs an abundance of the sunshine of God's love; frequent
watering with the showers of His grace; much cultivating through the applied
knowledge of His character as a good foundation for faith and inspiration to
obedience; and then when thus developed under these favorable conditions, it is
ready for the pruning hand of discipline, and is also able to endure some
hardness. And, little by little, as strength of character is developed, the
tests applied to it serve only to develop more strength, beauty and grace, until
it is finally fixed, developed, established, perfected --through suffering. Z.'95-107
January 21
If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. Matthew 16:24
CROSS-BEARING is closely related to self-denial, and yet a distinction
between them may be noted. Self-denial relates more particularly to passive
obedience and endurance for the Lord's sake; cross-bearing has to do more
especially with activities in the Lord's service, which we find to be contrary
to our natural inclinations. Faithfulness in self-denial means courage and
zeal; cross-bearing means victory, overcoming. Our self-denials may be
victories in our own hearts, of which others may know nothing, and of which
they should know nothing, if we desire to have the fullness of the Lord's
blessing. Our cross-bearing, however, may be seen to some extent at least, by those
who are in close contact with us, and especially by those who are walking in
the same "narrow way." Z.'00-118
January 22
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the
Lord. Psalm 31:24
IT would seem as though the Adversary at times attempted to discourage us
by making us think that the trials and difficulties of the "narrow
way" of sacrifice will be unavailing anyhow, and that we might as well
give up....And what course should we pursue at such a time? We should follow
the example of our Lord, and seek the Father's face, anxious to know whether or
not our interests are all right with Him; anxious for some assurances that
while the world may hate us, and say all manner of evil against us falsely, we
still have His approval; anxious for some fresh assurance that it will be well
with us, that the Lord will grant us a part in the better resurrection to life
eternal. Z.'01-79
January 23
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 1
Corinthians 7:24
DUTIES may at times seem to conflict, but they do not really do so. A
Christian's first duty is his hearty acknowledgment of his Creator and Lord, in
all his ways. His second duty, if he be a husband and father, is toward his
wife and children; or if she be a wife and mother, it is toward her husband and
children.... The marriage contract, by divine arrangement, comes in as a first
mortgage upon every husband's time and upon every wife's time--the demands of
this mortgage must be reasonably met before anything can be properly done to or
for outsiders. Z.'99-155
January 24
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon
the table of thine heart. Proverbs 3:3
WHILE justice is the first feature of the commandment of love, it is not
the end of its requirements: it requires that, going beyond strict justice, our
love shall prompt us to the exercise of mercy and forgiveness. And in thus
exercising mercy we are again but copying divine love....Hence, in our dealings
with others who, like ourselves, are fallen and imperfect, we are to remember
this feature and not only be just toward them but, additionally, to be
merciful, generous, kind, even to the unthankful,--that thus we may be children
of our Father in heaven. Z.'02-171
January 25
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for
the things of itself. Matthew 6:34
OUR Lord assures us that if the main thought of our hearts is His service
and the promotion of righteousness and an attainment of the Kingdom which God has
promised to them that love Him, then we need carry no anxious cares respecting
the future. As His disciples we will have trials and tribulations enough, day
by day, and will need daily to lean upon the Bridegroom's arm as we seek to
walk the narrow way. Sufficient for each day will be the evil of itself: and
thanks be to God also, we have the promise that daily His grace shall be
sufficient for us. Z.'98-44
January 26
When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. Matthew 6:16
FASTING is specially commendable to the Lord's people at times when they
find themselves lacking in spirituality and exposed to severe temptations from the
world, the flesh and the devil; for by impoverishing the physical force and
vitality, it may assist the full-blooded and impulsive to self-control in every
direction. We believe that a majority of Christians would be helped by
occasional fasting--a very plain diet for a season, if not total abstinence.
But fastings, to be seen and known of men or to be conjured up in our own minds
as marks of piety on our part, would be injurious indeed, and lead to spiritual
pride and hypocrisy, which would far outweigh their advantages to us in the way
of self-restraint. Z.'98-45
January 27
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
IT is not sufficient that we acknowledge sin in its various forms to be
evil, and that we resolve that we will strive against it because it is under
the Lord's ban. In addition to this we are to root out of our hearts every longing,
every desire for everything not thoroughly approved by the Lord. Oh,
what a cleansing this would mean in the hearts and lives, and especially in the
thoughts, of many who have named the name of Christ! Many who fail to note this
point find themselves continually beset by temptations, because, while
outwardly avoiding gross immoralities, they secretly harbor sympathies for
things condemned --desiring that they might have them, if only they were
not forbidden. Z.'99-140
January 28
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before
My Father, and before His angels. Revelation 3:5
THE faithful overcomers watch and keep their garments unspotted from the
world...."They have not defiled their garments," they have "kept
their garments unspotted from the world." They have not been willing to
permit sin to contaminate them and to separate them from the Lord, but have
quickly applied for and obtained the precious blood to remove every stain. They
are so heartily opposed to sin and so earnest about the keeping of this garment
unspotted that the Adversary gets no hold upon them--"the wicked one
catcheth them not." All this indicates a full submission of their wills to
the will of Christ-- they are "dead with Him," and hence could not
willingly practice sin. Z.'97-161
January 29
The fear [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Psalm 111:10
THIS is the only proper attitude of the creature toward the Creator, the
Author of our being, and the Creator, Preserver and Lord of the whole universe.
When He speaks, therefore, our ears should be reverently attentive to His
voice, and every power alert to do His bidding. Our safety, our happiness, and that
nobility of character which prompts to love and gratitude, and which promptly
and wisely heeds instruction and advances in knowledge and wisdom, all depend
primarily upon our supreme reverence for the Lord. And therefore the Lord would
foster and cultivate in us that becoming, filial reverence that is due to His
name. Z.'96-155
January 30
Jesus spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint. Luke 18:1
IN coming to God we need have no fear that He is too busy with other
matters of greater importance, or that He is weary of our coming to Him
repeatedly with things of small importance. It was to assure us against this
very thing that our Lord spoke the parable of the importunate widow, who was
heard and answered on account of her importunity. In so doing we evince both
the earnestness of our desires and our faith that our prayers will be answered,
if we faint not from lack of faith or zeal when the answer is delayed, as often
it must necessarily be, since time is an important element in all God's work. Z.'95-214
January 31
The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way. Psalm
25:9
SUCH a disposition is essential to those who would receive the wisdom which
cometh from above. They must have a humble appreciation of their own
deficiencies and lack of wisdom, else they cannot receive freely, heartily, the
wisdom which God is pleased to grant in the present time only to those who are
in the attitude of heart to receive it. And it will be seen also that this
humility of mind is essential as a basis for the spirit of a sound mind--for
who is in a proper condition to think justly, reasonably, impartially, except first
of all he have a humble disposition? Hence we must agree that humility is a
primary element in the disposition or mind of Christ. Z.'00-68