In Green Pastures - CHOICE EXCERPTS

In Green Pastures by J. R. Miller, 1890 "Handfuls of Grass for the Lord's Hungry Sheep" Daily readings for every day in the year "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters." Psalm 23:1-2 CHOICE EXCERPTS To be a Christian is to be devoted utterly, resistlessly, irrevocably, to Christ. ~ ~ ~ ~ Work for God's eye "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 No grace shines more brightly in a Christian, than humility. Wherever SELF comes in—it mars the beauty of the work we are doing. Seek to do your work noiselessly. Do not try to draw attention to yourself—to make others know that you did some beautiful thing. Be content to pour your rich life into other wasted, weary lives—and see them blessed and made more holy—and then hide away and let Christ have the honor. Work for God's eye—and even then, do not think much about reward. Seek to be a blessing—and never think of self-glory. "Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:4 ~ ~ ~ ~ Unto the end! "Having loved His own who were in the world —He loved them to the end." John 13:1 The most wonderful thing in the universe, is our Savior's love for His own people. Christ bears with all our infirmities. He never tires of our inconsistencies and unfaithfulnesses. He goes on forever forgiving and forgetting. He follows us when we go astray. He does not forget us—when we forget Him. Through all our stumbling and sinning, through all our provocation and disobedience, through all our waywardnesses and stubbornnesses, through all our doubting and unfaithfulness —He clings to us still, and never lets us go. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand!" John 10:28 ~ ~ ~ ~ Your amusements "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do—do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 Amusements are proper, both as to kind and degree—just so far as they make us better Christians. Whenever they become hindrances to us in our Christian living or in our holy walk —they are harmful, however innocent they may be in themselves. How do your amusements influence your spiritual life? They may be very pleasing to you. They may afford great gratification. But what is their effect on you, as a Christian? Are they hindering your love for Christ, and your growth in grace? We ought to be honest enough with ourselves, to answer these questions truthfully, and then act accordingly. ~ ~ ~ ~ Loving the unseen Christ Holy thoughts in the heart, transfigure the life. Your daily thoughts—build up your character. Our hearts are the quarries where the blocks are fashioned, which we build into our life-temple. If our thoughts and meditations are holy, beautiful, true, pure, loving, and gentle—our life will grow into Christ-likeness. Drummond tells of a young girl whose character ripened into rare beauty—"one of the loveliest lives," he says, "that ever bloomed on earth!" She always wore around her neck a little locket. But no one was ever allowed to open the locket or to know what it contained. Once, however, in a time of dangerous illness, she permitted a friend to look within it, and there she saw the words, "Whom having not seen—I love." That was the secret of the dear child's transfiguration of character—loving the unseen Christ. The same love—warm, tender, earnest, glowing in the heart year after year—will transfigure any life into heavenly beauty! ~ ~ ~ ~ Life-lessons "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." Matthew 11:29 We all fail in the life-lessons which our great Teacher sets for us. The hardest school-tasks are easily mastered—in comparison with the lessons of: patience, sweet temper, forgiveness, unselfishness, gentleness, humility, purity, contentment. Even at best—we can learn these lessons but slowly. And though but little seems to come from our yearnings and strugglings after Christ-likeness—yet God honors the yearning and the striving. While we sit in the shadows of weariness, disheartened with our failures—He carries on the work within us, and with His own hands produces the divine beauty in our souls. ~ ~ ~ ~ We will be like Him! "We know that when He appears—we will be like Him!" 1 John 3:2 As the beauty of Christ's character glows before us in the light of the Gospels—we should say, "That is what I am to be some day! I am now very far from it—but I am to reach it. That is my assured destiny!" Such a hope cherished in the heart, has a wondrous uplifting power. Since we are so soon to be like Christ—we should seek to grow continually in grace and virtue. We should daily be getting a little more like Christ in character, in temper, in disposition, in affection. Our aim should be to bring every thought, and every emotion, and every desire—into sweet subjection to Christ. We should not only cherish the blessed vision —but should seek daily to grow into its divine beauty! "We know that when He appears—we will be like Him!" 1 John 3:2 ~ ~ ~ ~ Walking with God "Direct my footsteps according to Your Word; let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133 This is a prayer which should always be on our lips. We should get our direction from God, not once in our life only, when we first give ourselves to Him; not at the opening of each day only, as we go forth to the day's task; not merely at the beginning of each new piece of work or of each fresh task—but every moment, for each step. That is what "walking with God" means. We may make this so real, that we shall look up into God's face continually, asking, "What next, dear Lord? What shall I do now? Which course shall I take today? How shall I do this duty?" If we can but have God's guidance and help for the little short steps—we need not fear for the long miles—the great stretches of road. If each step is of His directing—the long miles will be paths of His choosing. ~ ~ ~ ~ The motto of all His beautiful years "For the Son of Man did not come to be served—but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 The life of Jesus Christ, was the noblest life ever lived. No earthly king ever attained such splendid, such real royalty—as did He. No hero on battle-field ever did deeds of such inherent greatness—as those wrought by the hands of the Carpenter of Nazareth! What was the ruling spirit of His life? Was it not service? "Not to be served—but to serve"—was the motto of all His beautiful years. He lived wholly for others. He never had one thought for Himself, never did the smallest act for Himself. At last He poured out His very blood—in the greatest of all His acts of service. Shall we not learn from our Lord's example—that the truest life in this world, is one of self-forgetting love? Selfishness anywhere mars and spoils the beauty of the rarest deed. We must get the spirit of Christ—and then our lives shall be Christ-like. "Leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21 ~ ~ ~ ~ The old monks intently gazed upon the crucifix "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2 Keeping the heart upon Christ—transfigures the life. The old monks intently gazed upon the crucifix, thinking that the print of the nails would come in their hands and feet, and the thorn-scars in their brow—as they gazed. It was but an utter fiction—yet in the fiction there is a spiritual truth. Gazing by faith upon Christ—the lines of His beauty indeed imprint themselves on our hearts! That is the meaning of Paul's words—"We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord—are transformed into the same image!" The gospel is the mirror. There we see the image of Christ. If we earnestly, continuously, and lovingly behold it—the effect will be the changing of our own lives into His likeness. The transformation is wrought by the Holy Spirit, and we are only to behold, to continue beholding, the blessed beauty! As we sit before Christ—His image is imprinted on our soul. ~ ~ ~ ~ The true ministry of pain There is a Christian art of enduring pain, which we should seek to learn. The real goal is not just to endure the suffering which falls into our life; to bear it bravely, without wincing; to pass through it patiently, even rejoicingly. Pain has a higher mission to us, than to teach us heroism. We should endure it in such a way as to get something of spiritual blessing out of it. Pain brings to us some message from God, which we should not fail to hear. It lifts for us the veil which hides God's face, and we should get some new glimpses of His beauty, every time we are called to suffer. Pain is furnace-fire, and we should always come out of this furnace, with the gold of our graces gleaming a little more brightly. Every experience of suffering ought in some way—to lift us nearer God, to make us more gentle and loving, and to leave the image of Christ shining a little clearer in our lives. ~ ~ ~ ~ The path to comfort in our time of sorrow "Being in an agony—He prayed," is the record of our Savior's Gethsemane experience. The lesson stands for all time. Like a bright lamp, the little sentence shines amid the olive trees of the garden. It shows us the path to comfort in our time of sorrow. Never before or since—was there such grief as the Redeemer's, that night. But in His prayer, He found comfort. As we watch Him the hour through, we see the agony changing as He prayed, until at last its bitterness was all gone—and sweet, blessed peace took its place. The gate of prayer is always the gate to comfort. There is no other way to consolation. We may learn also from our Lord's Gethsemane, how to pray in our Gethsemanes. God will never blame us for asking to have the cup removed, nor for the intensity of our supplication; but we must always pray with submission. It is when we say, in our deepest sorrow and intensity, "Not my will—but may Your will be done," that comfort comes, that peace comes. ~ ~ ~ ~ Sermons without words When you are tempted to chafe and repine at the narrowness of your circumstances and the limitations of your sphere, remember that Jesus for thirty years found room in a humble peasant home for worthy living and for service, not unfitted to his exalted character. If you can do nothing but live a true Christian life—patient, gentle, kindly, pure—in your home, in society, at your daily duty—you will perform in the end a service of great value and leave many blessings in the world. Such a life is a little gospel, telling in sermons without words, the wonderful story of the cross of Christ. ~ ~ ~ ~ Christian amusements Amusement must never become an end in life. It must always be a means, a help on the way—just as sleep is, just as rest is. An hours amusement, should be to you just what a night's sleeping is—it should make you stronger, clearer-headed, braver, calmer-souled, more hopeful, more earnest, more enthusiastic—inspiring you for godly living. Anything which leaves a taint of impurity upon the life, or starts a thought of impurity in the mind, anything which degrades or debases the soul—is an unfit and unworthy amusement for a Christian. Christian amusements must be such, as do not harm spiritual life; they must be means of grace. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do—do everything for God's glory!" 1 Cor. 10:31 ~ ~ ~ ~ Paying love's debt We ought not to need night—to teach us the glories of the day. We ought not to have to wait for sorrow, before we can appreciate the sweetness of joy. Yet is it not often true, that we learn the value of our blessings—but by their loss? Many a time an empty chair is the first full revealer of the worth and faithfulness of a precious friend. Would it not be best, if we were to seek to appreciate our good things—while we have them? We would then have the joy itself, and not merely the dull pain of regret as we look back at vanished blessings. Besides—we would do more for our friends while they are with us—if we appreciated their worth. Too many of us never understand what we owe to our dear ones—until there remains no further opportunity of paying love's debt. ~ ~ ~ ~ The race! "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 That Christian life which costs nothing—is worth nothing. There must be self-restraint, discipline, severe schooling. There must be struggle, and the agonizing effort. If you are to reach the goal and win the prize—you must put every energy of your life into the race. There must be a sacrifice of indolence and self-will and personal ease. Too much pampering, spoils many a promising Christian. Every noble and godly life, is a struggle from beginning to end. Only those who toil and fight and overcome—are successful in life. This is true in every sphere—in business, in academics, and in spiritual life. Are we resisting sin, overcoming temptation, living victoriously in trial? If not—we are not living worthily. "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1:29 ~ ~ ~ ~ Littles "Littles make perfection," replied the artist to one who asked him why he spent so much time in giving the little finishing-touches to his statue. There can be no perfection in any kind of workmanship, unless attention is paid to the minutest details of construction or finishing. One smallest flaw or incompleteness left in the work, in any part of it—leaves a blemish on the finished endeavor. Life is a mosaic, and each small stone must be polished and set with greatest care—or the piece will not at last, be perfect. One whose daily life is careless—is always weak in Christian character. But one who habitually walks in right paths, no matter how small and apparently trifling the things may be—grows strong and noble. Littles make perfection. "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do—do everything for God’s glory." 1 Corinthians 10:31 ~ ~ ~ ~ Think! It is a good thing to think. The more thought we put into our work—the better it will be done. Work of all kinds becomes exalted, ennobled, refined, and produces good, lasting effects—just in proportion as men put thought into it. All worthy, noble, useful, beautiful living—must have its dark quarries of purposing, thinking, planning, shaping, polishing, behind its being and doing. Look well to the quarries, and you need not give much thought to the rising of the building. Prepare no stained blocks in your heart-quarries. Train yourself to think only pure thoughts—white, clean thoughts. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things!" Philippians 4:8 ~ ~ ~ ~ Wounded and empty hands "Full hands" at the end of a life—do not always tell of true success. Earthly failure is ofttimes higher success in God's eyes—than what men regard as "success". Scars of wounds gotten in conflict and strife with sin—are more splendid marks of honor, when the hands are held up before God—than diamonds and gold and crowns gained by yielding in life's conflicts. Strive to get your hands filled with the invisible things of God's heavenly kingdom. Fight the battles of life heroically—and never mind the scars. Better to have wounded and empty hands which are clean—than hands which are full, and yet are stained with sin. ~ ~ ~ ~ Inscrutable things "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 There are depths in the love of God, which are as vast and fathomless as the ocean—but we are only on the shore. Then, there are inscrutable things in God's providential dealings with each one of us. Heaven will solve a thousand mysteries for us in a moment. We will then see the reason for every trial, every pain, every loss, every disappointment. There will not be a trace of mystery left hanging, about any dark providence. Then we shall see clearly, what now we know only by faith—that "all things work together for the good of those who love God—to those who are called according to His purpose." ~ ~ ~ ~ Our very mistakes and our sins

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In Green Pastures - CHOICE EXCERPTS

J.R. Miller

J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)

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