Daily devotionals for Christian living in these times of trouble

Spirit of Renewal Church Online

What Does the Bible Tell Us About Money? - II Chronicles 25:9

"He opened not his mouth" 
Isaiah 53:7 
 
How much grace it requires to bear a misunderstanding rightly, and to receive an unkind judgment in holy sweetness! Nothing tests the Christian character more than to have some evil thing said about him. This is the file that soon proves whether we are electro-plate or solid gold. If we could only know the blessings that lie hidden in our trials we would say like David, when Shimei cursed him, “Let him curse; … it may be … that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.” 
 
Some people get easily turned aside from the grandeur of their life-work by pursuing their own grievances and enemies, until their life gets turned into one little petty whirl of warfare. It is like a nest of hornets. You may disperse the hornets, but you will probably get terribly stung, and get nothing for your pains, for even their honey is not worth a search. 
 
God give us more of His Spirit, “who, when he was reviled, reviled not again”; but “committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” “Consider him that endureth such contradiction of sinners against himself.” 
—A. B. Simpson

"He opened not his mouth"
Isaiah 53:7

How much grace it requires to bear a misunderstanding rightly, and to receive an unkind judgment in holy sweetness! Nothing tests the Christian character more than to have some evil thing said about him. This is the file that soon proves whether we are electro-plate or solid gold. If we could only know the blessings that lie hidden in our trials we would say like David, when Shimei cursed him, “Let him curse; … it may be … that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.”

Some people get easily turned aside from the grandeur of their life-work by pursuing their own grievances and enemies, until their life gets turned into one little petty whirl of warfare. It is like a nest of hornets. You may disperse the hornets, but you will probably get terribly stung, and get nothing for your pains, for even their honey is not worth a search.

God give us more of His Spirit, “who, when he was reviled, reviled not again”; but “committed himself to

He did not Retaliate - Isaiah 57:3 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today we take our inspiration from 
Psalms chapter 68 verse 28 
The Lord hath sent strength for thee 
 
The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision. We are "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." And the strength is continuous; reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust. 
 
"As thy days, so shall thy strength be"—strength of will, strength of affection, strength of judgment, strength of ideals and achievement. 
 
"The Lord is my strength" to go on. He gives us power to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning, to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise, and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery. 
 
"The Lord is my strength" to go up. He is to me the power by which I can climb the Hill of Difficulty and not be afraid. 
 
"The Lord is my strength" to go down. It is when we leave the bracing heights, where the wind and the sun have been about us, and when we begin to come down the hill into closer and more sultry spheres, that the heart is apt to grow faint. I heard a man say the other day concerning his growing physical frailty, "It is the coming down that tires me!" 
 
"The Lord is my strength" to sit still. And how difficult is the attainment! Do we not often say to one another, in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet, "If only I could do something!" 
 
When the child is ill, and the mother stands by in comparative impotence, how severe is the test! But to do nothing, just to sit still and wait, requires tremendous strength. 
 
"The Lord is my strength!" "Our sufficiency is of God"

Today we take our inspiration from
Psalms chapter 68 verse 28
The Lord hath sent strength for thee

The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision. We are "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." And the strength is continuous; reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be"—strength of will, strength of affection, strength of judgment, strength of ideals and achievement.

"The Lord is my strength" to go on. He gives us power to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning, to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise, and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.

"The Lord is my strength" to go up. He is to me the power by which I can climb the Hill of Difficulty and not be afraid.

"The Lord is my strength" to go down. It is when we leave the bracing heights, where the wind and the 

The Lord is my Strength - Psalms 68:28 - Christian Daily Devotional

Isaiah chapter 7, verse 11 
“Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” 
 
Make thy petition deep, O heart of mine, 
Thy God can do much more 
Than thou canst ask; 
Launch out on the Divine, 
Draw from His love-filled store. 
Trust Him with everything; 
Begin today, 
And find the joy that comes 
When Jesus has His way! 
 
We must keep on praying and waiting upon the Lord, until the sound of a mighty rain is heard. There is no reason why we should not ask for large things; and without doubt we shall get large things if we ask in faith, and have the courage to wait with patient perseverance upon Him, meantime doing those things which lie within our power to do. 
 
We cannot create the wind or set it in motion, but we can set our sails to catch it when it comes; we cannot make the electricity, but we can stretch the wire along upon which it is to run and do its work; we cannot, in a word, control the Spirit, but we can so place ourselves before the Lord, and so do the things He has bidden us do, that we will come under the influence and power of His mighty breath. 
 
“Cannot the same wonders be done now as of old? Where is the God of Elijah? He is waiting for Elijah to call on Him.” 
 
Dr. Edward Goulburn, Dean of Norwich (pronounced NOR-itch) said: 
The greatest saints who ever lived, whether under the Old or New Dispensation, are on a level which is quite within our reach. The same forces of the spiritual world which were at their command, and the exertion of which made them such spiritual heroes, are open to us also. If we had the same faith, the same hope, the same love which they exhibited, we would achieve marvels as great as those which they achieved. A word of prayer in our mouths would be as potent to call down the gracious dews and melting fires of God’s Spirit, as it was in Elijah’s mouth to call down literal rain and fire, if we could only speak the word with that full assurance of faith wherewith he said it.

Isaiah chapter 7, verse 11
“Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.”

Make thy petition deep, O heart of mine,
Thy God can do much more
Than thou canst ask;
Launch out on the Divine,
Draw from His love-filled store.
Trust Him with everything;
Begin today,
And find the joy that comes
When Jesus has His way!

We must keep on praying and waiting upon the Lord, until the sound of a mighty rain is heard. There is no reason why we should not ask for large things; and without doubt we shall get large things if we ask in faith, and have the courage to wait with patient perseverance upon Him, meantime doing those things which lie within our power to do.

We cannot create the wind or set it in motion, but we can set our sails to catch it when it comes; we cannot make the electricity, but we can stretch the wire along upon which it is to run and do its work; we cannot, in a word, control the Spirit, but we can so place ourselves before the Lord

Ask for something miraculous! - Isaiah 7:11 - Christian Daily Devotional

Read with us today from 
the Gospel according to Matthew - chapter 13 verse 5 
"Some fell upon stony places" 
 
It would seem from the teaching of this parable that we have something to do with the soil. The fruitful seed fell into "good and honest hearts." I suppose the shallow people are the soil without much earth--those who have no real purpose, are moved by a tender appeal, a good sermon, a pathetic melody, and at first it looks as if they would amount to something; but not much earth--no depth, no deep, honest purpose, no earnest desire to know duty in order to do it. Let us look after the soil of our hearts. 
 
When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey it would probably be fatal, he answered, "It is necessary for me to go; it is not necessary for me to live." 
 
This was depth. The shallow nature lives in its impulses, its impressions, its intuitions, its instincts, and very largely its surroundings. The profound character looks beyond all these, and moves steadily on, sailing past all storms and clouds into the clear sunshine which is always on the other side, and waiting for the afterwards which always brings the reversion of sorrow, seeming defeat and failure. 
 
When God has deepened us, then He can give us His deeper truths, His profoundest secrets, and His mightier trusts. Lord, lead me into the depths of Thy life and save me from a shallow experience!

Read with us today from
the Gospel according to Matthew - chapter 13 verse 5
"Some fell upon stony places"

It would seem from the teaching of this parable that we have something to do with the soil. The fruitful seed fell into "good and honest hearts." I suppose the shallow people are the soil without much earth--those who have no real purpose, are moved by a tender appeal, a good sermon, a pathetic melody, and at first it looks as if they would amount to something; but not much earth--no depth, no deep, honest purpose, no earnest desire to know duty in order to do it. Let us look after the soil of our hearts.

When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey it would probably be fatal, he answered, "It is necessary for me to go; it is not necessary for me to live."

This was depth. The shallow nature lives in its impulses, its impressions, its intuitions, its instincts, and very largely its surroundings. The profound character looks beyond al

"Some fell upon stony places" Matthew 13:5 - Christian Daily Devotional

Come with us again to the Old Testament book of 
Isaiah chapter 30 verse 18 
"Blessed are all they that wait for Him" 
 
We hear a great deal about waiting on God. There is, however, another side. When we wait on God, He is waiting till we are ready; when we wait for God, we are waiting till He is ready. 
 
There are some people who say, and many more who believe, that as soon as we meet all the conditions, God will answer our prayers. They say that God lives in an eternal now; with Him there is no past nor future; and that if we could fulfill all that He requires in the way of obedience to His will, immediately our needs would be supplied, our desires fulfilled, our prayers answered. 
 
There is much truth in this belief, and yet it expresses only one side of the truth. While God lives in an eternal now, yet He works out His purposes in time. A petition presented before God is like a seed dropped in the ground. Forces above and beyond our control must work upon it, till the true fruition of the answer is given.

Come with us again to the Old Testament book of
Isaiah chapter 30 verse 18
"Blessed are all they that wait for Him"

We hear a great deal about waiting on God. There is, however, another side. When we wait on God, He is waiting till we are ready; when we wait for God, we are waiting till He is ready.

There are some people who say, and many more who believe, that as soon as we meet all the conditions, God will answer our prayers. They say that God lives in an eternal now; with Him there is no past nor future; and that if we could fulfill all that He requires in the way of obedience to His will, immediately our needs would be supplied, our desires fulfilled, our prayers answered.

There is much truth in this belief, and yet it expresses only one side of the truth. While God lives in an eternal now, yet He works out His purposes in time. A petition presented before God is like a seed dropped in the ground. Forces above and beyond our control must work upon it, till the true fruition of t

"Blessed are they that wait for Him" Isaiah 30:18 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today we turn to the Gospel according to 
Mark chapter 6 verse 48 
"He saw them toiling in rowing" 
 
Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do. Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children. When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done. The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully, by faith, that He more than fills our life. 
 
A man who had learned this secret once said: "I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again. I have taken for my motto, 'Not overwork, but overflow'; and already it has made all the difference in my life." 
 
There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always.

Today we turn to the Gospel according to 
Mark chapter 6 verse 48
"He saw them toiling in rowing"

Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do. Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children. When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done. The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully, by faith, that He more than fills our life.

A man who had learned this secret once said: "I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again. I have taken for my motto, 'Not overwork, but overflow'; and already it has made all the difference in my life."

There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always.

"He saw them toiling in rowing" Mark 6:48 - Christian Daily Devotional

We read today from 
Isaiah chapter 54 verse 11 
"I will build your foundations with sapphires" 
 
The stones from the wall said, "We come from the mountains far away, from the sides of the craggy hills. Fire and water have worked on us for ages, but made us only crags. Human hands have made us into a dwelling where the children of your immortal race are born, and suffer, and rejoice, and find rest and shelter, and learn the lessons set them by our Maker and yours. But we have passed through much to fit us for this. Dynamite has rent our very heart; pickaxes have cleaved and broken us, it seemed to us often without design or meaning, as we lay misshapen stones in the quarry; but gradually we were cut into blocks, and some of us were chiseled with finer instruments to a sharper edge. But we are complete now, and are in our places, and are of service. 
 
"You are in the quarry still, and not complete, and therefore to you, as once to us, much is mysterious. But you are destined for a higher building, and one day you will be placed in it by hands not human, a living stone in a heavenly temple."

We read today from 
Isaiah chapter 54 verse 11
"I will build your foundations with sapphires"

The stones from the wall said, "We come from the mountains far away, from the sides of the craggy hills. Fire and water have worked on us for ages, but made us only crags. Human hands have made us into a dwelling where the children of your immortal race are born, and suffer, and rejoice, and find rest and shelter, and learn the lessons set them by our Maker and yours. But we have passed through much to fit us for this. Dynamite has rent our very heart; pickaxes have cleaved and broken us, it seemed to us often without design or meaning, as we lay misshapen stones in the quarry; but gradually we were cut into blocks, and some of us were chiseled with finer instruments to a sharper edge. But we are complete now, and are in our places, and are of service.

"You are in the quarry still, and not complete, and therefore to you, as once to us, much is mysterious. But you are destined for a higher bu

"I will build your foundations with sapphires" Isaiah 54:11 - Christian Daily Devotional

Let us read today from 
the 107th Psalm, verses 23-24 
"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep" 
 
He is but an apprentice and no master in the art, who has not learned that every wind that blows is fair for Heaven. The only thing that helps nobody, is a dead calm. North or south, east or west, it matters not, every wind may help towards that blessed port. Seek one thing only: keep well out to sea, and then have no fear of stormy winds. Let our prayer be that of an old Cornishman: "O Lord, send us out to sea--out in the deep water. Near to shore, we are so close to the rocks that the first bit of breeze with the devil, we are all knocked to pieces. Lord, send us out to sea--out in the deep water, where we shall have room enough for a glorious victory. 
 
Remember that we have no more faith at any time than we have in the hour of trial. All that will not bear to be tested is mere carnal confidence. 
 
Fair-weather faith is no faith.

Let us read today from
the 107th Psalm, verses 23-24
"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep"

He is but an apprentice and no master in the art, who has not learned that every wind that blows is fair for Heaven. The only thing that helps nobody, is a dead calm. North or south, east or west, it matters not, every wind may help towards that blessed port. Seek one thing only: keep well out to sea, and then have no fear of stormy winds. Let our prayer be that of an old Cornishman: "O Lord, send us out to sea--out in the deep water. Near to shore, we are so close to the rocks that the first bit of breeze with the devil, we are all knocked to pieces. Lord, send us out to sea--out in the deep water, where we shall have room enough for a glorious victory.

Remember that we have no more faith at any time than we have in the hour of trial. All that will not bear to be tested is mere carnal confidence. 

"They see the works of the Lord" Psalms 107:23 - Christian Daily Devotional

Our word today comes from 
the Gospel according to Mark chapter 7, verse 33 
"And Jesus took him aside from the multitude" 
 
Paul not only stood the tests in Christian activity, but in the solitude of captivity. You may stand the strain of the most intense labor, coupled with severe suffering, and yet break down utterly when laid aside from all religious activities; when forced into close confinement in some prison house. 
 
That noble bird, soaring the highest above the clouds and enduring the longest flights, sinks into despair when in a cage where it is forced to beat its helpless wings against its prison bars. You have seen the great eagle languish in its narrow cell with bowed head and drooping wings. What a picture of the sorrow of inactivity. 
 
Paul in prison. That was another side of life. Do you want to see how he takes it? I see him looking out over the top of his prison wall and over the heads of his enemies. I see him write a document and sign his name--not the prisoner of Festus, nor of Caesar; not the victim of the Sanhedrin; but the--"prisoner of the Lord." He saw only the hand of God in it all. To him the prison becomes a palace. Its corridors ring with shouts of triumphant praise and joy. 
 
Restrained from the missionary work he loved so well, he now built a new pulpit--a new witness stand--and from that place of bondage come some of the sweetest and most helpful ministries of Christian liberty. What precious messages of light come from those dark shadows of captivity. 
 
Oh, the heavenly consolation that has poured forth from places of solitude!

Our word today comes from
the Gospel according to Mark chapter 7, verse 33
"And Jesus took him aside from the multitude"

Paul not only stood the tests in Christian activity, but in the solitude of captivity. You may stand the strain of the most intense labor, coupled with severe suffering, and yet break down utterly when laid aside from all religious activities; when forced into close confinement in some prison house.

That noble bird, soaring the highest above the clouds and enduring the longest flights, sinks into despair when in a cage where it is forced to beat its helpless wings against its prison bars. You have seen the great eagle languish in its narrow cell with bowed head and drooping wings. What a picture of the sorrow of inactivity.

Paul in prison. That was another side of life. Do you want to see how he takes it? I see him looking out over the top of his prison wall and over the heads of his enemies. I see him write a document and sign his name--not the prisoner of Festus

"Jesus took him aside from the multitude" Mark 7:33 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today we read from 
Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 4, verse 18 
"I have been fully paid, and more" 
 
In one of my garden books there is a chapter with a very interesting heading, "Flowers that Grow in the Gloom." It deals with those patches in a garden which never catch the sunlight. It tells me the sort of flowers which are not afraid of these dingy corners--may rather like them and flourish in them. 
 
And there are similar things in the world of the spirit. They come out when material circumstances become stern and severe. They grow in the gloom. How can we otherwise explain some of the experiences of the Apostle Paul? 
 
Here he is in captivity at Rome. The supreme mission of his life appears to be broken. But it is just in this besetting dinginess that flowers begin to show their faces in bright and fascinating glory. He may have seen them before, growing in the open road, but never as they now appeared in incomparable strength and beauty. Words of promise opened out their treasures as he had never seen them before. 
 
Among those treasures were such wonderful things as the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, the joy and peace of Christ; and it seemed as though they needed an "encircling gloom" to draw out their secret and their inner glory. At any rate the realm of gloom became the home of revelation, and Paul began to realize as never before the range and wealth of his spiritual inheritance. 
 
Who has not known men and women who, when they arrive at seasons of gloom and solitude, put on strength and hopefulness like a robe? You may imprison such folk where you please; but you shut up their treasure with them. You cannot shut it out. You may make their material lot a desert, but "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
 
Where there is much light there is also much shade.

Today we read from
Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 4, verse 18
"I have been fully paid, and more"

In one of my garden books there is a chapter with a very interesting heading, "Flowers that Grow in the Gloom." It deals with those patches in a garden which never catch the sunlight. It tells me the sort of flowers which are not afraid of these dingy corners--may rather like them and flourish in them.

And there are similar things in the world of the spirit. They come out when material circumstances become stern and severe. They grow in the gloom. How can we otherwise explain some of the experiences of the Apostle Paul?

Here he is in captivity at Rome. The supreme mission of his life appears to be broken. But it is just in this besetting dinginess that flowers begin to show their faces in bright and fascinating glory. He may have seen them before, growing in the open road, but never as they now appeared in incomparable strength and beauty. Words of promise opened out their trea

"I have been fully paid, and more" Philippians 4:18 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today we read from 
Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8 
"Abraham was called to go out, though he knew not where" 
 
It is faith without sight. When we can see, it is not faith, but "reasoning." In crossing the Atlantic we observed this very principle of faith. We saw no path upon the sea, nor sign of the shore. And yet day by day we were marking our path upon the chart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line upon the sea. And when we came within twenty miles of land, we knew where we were as exactly as if we had seen it all three thousand miles ahead. 
 
How had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments and, looking up to the sky, had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not the earthly lights. 
 
So faith looks up and sails on, by God's great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens the way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. 
 
Let us go forth this day, not knowing, but trusting. 
 
"Too many of us want to see our way through before starting new enterprises. If we could and did, from whence would come the development of our Christian graces? Faith, hope and love cannot be plucked from trees, like ripe apples. After the words 'In the beginning' comes the word 'God'! The first step turns the key into God's power-house, and it is not only true that God helps those who help themselves, but He also helps those who cannot help themselves. You can depend upon Him every time." 
 
"Waiting on God brings us to our journey's end quicker than our feet." 
 
The opportunity is often lost by deliberation.

Today we read from
Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8
"Abraham was called to go out, though he knew not where"

It is faith without sight. When we can see, it is not faith, but "reasoning." In crossing the Atlantic we observed this very principle of faith. We saw no path upon the sea, nor sign of the shore. And yet day by day we were marking our path upon the chart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line upon the sea. And when we came within twenty miles of land, we knew where we were as exactly as if we had seen it all three thousand miles ahead.

How had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments and, looking up to the sky, had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not the earthly lights.

So faith looks up and sails on, by God's great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens the 

"Abraham was called" Hebrews 11:8 -  Christian Daily Devotional

Our word today is taken from 
Acts chapter 27, verse 25 
I have faith in God, that it shall be even as He told me 
 
I traveled some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, 'Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon. If your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray.'" 
 
"I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, 'What lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this.' 'Mr. Mueller,' I said, 'do you know how dense this fog is?' 'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.'" 
 
"He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. 'First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE ALREADY HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.'" 
 
"I looked at him, and he said, 'Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone.' I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement." 
 
If our love were but more simple, 
We should take Him at His word; 
And our lives would be all sunshine, 
In the sweetness of our Lord.

Our word today is taken from
Acts chapter 27, verse 25
I have faith in God, that it shall be even as He told me

I traveled some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, 'Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon. If your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray.'"

"I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, 'What lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this.' 'Mr. Mueller,' I said, 'do you know how dense this fog is?' 'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the f

"I have faith in God" Acts 27:25 - Christian Daily Devotional

Our word today comes from 
Ecclesiastes chapter 11, verse 3 
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth" 
 
Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; it will be out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they will yield plentiful showers. 
 
How can we have rain without clouds? Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will refresh us with mercy. Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers. 
 
O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet! How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the hills rejoice on every side. 
 
"The blue of heaven is larger than the clouds."

Our word today comes from
Ecclesiastes chapter 11, verse 3
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth"

Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; it will be out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they will yield plentiful showers.

How can we have rain without clouds? Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will refresh us with mercy. Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.

O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet! How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee, and is glad. Faith sees the c

"The clouds empty themselves upon the earth" Ecclesiastes 11:3 - Christian Daily Devotional

We take our inspiration today from 
Matthew chapter 14, verse 18 
“Bring them here to me,” He replied" 
 
Are you encompassed with needs at this very moment, and almost overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies? These are all divinely provided vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill, and if you but rightly understood their meaning, they would become opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverances which you can get in no other way. 
 
Bring these vessels to God. Hold them steadily before Him in faith and prayer. Keep still, and stop your own restless working until He begins to work. Do nothing that He does not Himself command you to do. Give Him a chance to work, and He will surely do so; and the very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster, will become God’s opportunity for the revelation of His grace and glory in your life, as you have never known Him before. “Bring them (all your needs) to me.” 
 
 As it says in Philippians chapter 4 
“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” 
 
What a source—“God!” What a supply—“His riches in glory!” What a channel—“Christ Jesus!” It is your sweet privilege to place all your need over against His riches, and lose sight of the former in the presence of the latter. His exhaustless treasury is thrown open to you, in all the love of His heart; go and draw upon it, in the artless simplicity of faith, and you will never have occasion to look to lean on a manmade prop.

We take our inspiration today from
Matthew chapter 14, verse 18
“Bring them here to me,” He replied"

Are you encompassed with needs at this very moment, and almost overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies? These are all divinely provided vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill, and if you but rightly understood their meaning, they would become opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverances which you can get in no other way.

Bring these vessels to God. Hold them steadily before Him in faith and prayer. Keep still, and stop your own restless working until He begins to work. Do nothing that He does not Himself command you to do. Give Him a chance to work, and He will surely do so; and the very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster, will become God’s opportunity for the revelation of His grace and glory in your life, as you have never known Him before. “Bring them (all your needs) to me.”

 As it says in Philippians chapter 4
“My Go

“Bring them here to me, Jesus replied" Matthew 14:18 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today's word takes inspiration from 
the 44th Psalm, verse 4 
"You are my king, O God! Decree Jacob’s deliverance!" 
 
Here is no foe to your growth in grace, no enemy in your Christian work, which was not included in your Savior’s conquests. 
 
As God said to Joshua: You need not be afraid of them. When you touch them, they will flee before you. I have promised to deliver them up before you. Only be strong and courageous! Fear not, nor be dismayed! The Lord is with you, O mighty men of valor — you are mighty because you are one with the Mightiest. Claim victory! 
 
Whenever your enemies close in upon you, claim victory! Whenever heart and flesh fail, look up and claim VICTORY! 
 
Be sure that you have a share in that triumph which Jesus won, not for Himself alone, but for us all; remember that you were in Him when He won it, and claim victory! 
 
Count Christ's victory as yours, and gather the spoil. Neither the giants nor the walled cities need intimidate or defeat you. You are one of the conquering legion. Claim your share in the Savior’s victory. 
 
We are children of the King. In which way do we most honor our Divine Sovereign? By failing to claim our rights and even doubting whether they belong to us, or by asserting our privilege as children of the Royal Family and demanding the rights which belong to our heirs?

Today's word takes inspiration from
the 44th Psalm, verse 4
"You are my king, O God! Decree Jacob’s deliverance!"

Here is no foe to your growth in grace, no enemy in your Christian work, which was not included in your Savior’s conquests.

As God said to Joshua: You need not be afraid of them. When you touch them, they will flee before you. I have promised to deliver them up before you. Only be strong and courageous! Fear not, nor be dismayed! The Lord is with you, O mighty men of valor — you are mighty because you are one with the Mightiest. Claim victory!

Whenever your enemies close in upon you, claim victory! Whenever heart and flesh fail, look up and claim VICTORY!

Be sure that you have a share in that triumph which Jesus won, not for Himself alone, but for us all; remember that you were in Him when He won it, and claim victory!

Count Christ's victory as yours, and gather the spoil. Neither the giants nor the walled cities need intimidate or defeat you. You are one of the conque

"You are my king, O God!" Psalms 44:4 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today's word takes inspiration from 
Song of Solomon chapter 4, verse 16 
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out!" 
 
Look at the meaning of this prayer a moment. Its root is found in the fact that, as delicious odors may lie latent in a spice tree, so graces may lie unexercised and undeveloped in a Christian's heart. Many seeds may claim to be planted; but from the ground there breathes forth no fragrance of holy affections or of godly deeds. The same winds blow on the thistle bush and on the spice tree, but it is only one of them which gives out rich odors. 
 
Sometimes God sends severe blasts of trial upon His children to develop their graces. Just as torches burn most brightly when swung to and fro; just as the juniper plant smells sweetest when flung into the flames; so the richest qualities of a Christian often come out under the north wind of suffering and adversity. Bruised hearts often emit the fragrance that God loveth to smell.

Today's word takes inspiration from
Song of Solomon chapter 4, verse 16
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out!"

Look at the meaning of this prayer a moment. Its root is found in the fact that, as delicious odors may lie latent in a spice tree, so graces may lie unexercised and undeveloped in a Christian's heart. Many seeds may claim to be planted; but from the ground there breathes forth no fragrance of holy affections or of godly deeds. The same winds blow on the thistle bush and on the spice tree, but it is only one of them which gives out rich odors.

Sometimes God sends severe blasts of trial upon His children to develop their graces. Just as torches burn most brightly when swung to and fro; just as the juniper plant smells sweetest when flung into the flames; so the richest qualities of a Christian often come out under the north wind of suffering and adversity. Bruised hearts often emit the fragrance that God loveth 

"Awake, O north wind" Song of Solomon 4:16 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today's word takes inspiration from 
the Gospel according to John 
chapter 11, verse 41 
"And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me" 
 
This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed had been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again. But Jesus gives thanks for what He is about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle! 
 
Who thinks of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting out for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received? 
 
And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or unreasonable in the Master's order. Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of the miracles. Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith. 
 
PRAISE CHANGES THINGS 
 
Nothing so pleases God in connection with our prayer as our praise, and nothing so blesses the praying man as the praise which he offers. 
 
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord."

Today's word takes inspiration from
the Gospel according to John 
chapter 11, verse 41
"And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me"

This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed had been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again. But Jesus gives thanks for what He is about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle!

Who thinks of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting out for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received?

And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or un

"And Jesus lifted up his eyes" John 11:41 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today's word draws inspiration from 
Isaiah chapter 49, verse 11 
"I will make all of my mountains into roads" 
 
God will make our obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives, and often they are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. They may be untruths told about us, or a difficult job. Often we pray for their removal, for we tend to think that if only these things were removed, we would live a more tender, pure and holy life. 
 
As it says in the book of Luke : “How foolish you are, and slow of heart!” 
 
These are the very conditions we need for achievement; and they have been put into our lives as the means of producing the very graces and virtues for which we have been praying so long. We have prayed for patience for many long years, yet when something tests us, we run from it; we see it as an insurmountable obstacle to the desired attainment, and we believe that if it were removed, we would experience immediate deliverance and victory. 
 
Not so! We would only see our impatience end. But this would not be patience. Patience can be acquired only through just such trials as now seem unbearable. Go back; submit yourself. Claim to be a partaker in the patience of Jesus, and meet thy trials in Him. There is nothing in life which harasses and annoys you so that it may not submit to the highest purpose. Remember, these are God's mountains. He puts them there for a reason. 
 
We know that God will not fail to keep His promise.

Today's word draws inspiration from
Isaiah chapter 49, verse 11
"I will make all of my mountains into roads"

God will make our obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives, and often they are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. They may be untruths told about us, or a difficult job. Often we pray for their removal, for we tend to think that if only these things were removed, we would live a more tender, pure and holy life.

As it says in the book of Luke : “How foolish you are, and slow of heart!” 

These are the very conditions we need for achievement; and they have been put into our lives as the means of producing the very graces and virtues for which we have been praying so long. We have prayed for patience for many long years, yet when something tests us, we run from it; we see it as an insurmountable obstacle to the desired attainment, and we believe that if it were removed, we would experience immediate deliverance and victo

"I will make all of my mountains into roads" Isaiah 49:11 - Christian Daily Devotional

Today's word is taken from 
the 78th Psalm, verse 72 
"David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill" 
 
When you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. Meanwhile keep on as you are, and consider the absence of signs to be the message of God’s will that you are on His track. As you go down the long corridor, you will find that He has preceded you, and locked many doors which you would have wanted to enter; but be sure that beyond these there is one which He has left unlocked. Open it and enter, and you will find yourself face-to-face with a bend in the river of opportunity, broader and deeper than anything you had dared to imagine. Launch forth upon it; it leads to the open sea. 
 
God guides us, often by circumstances. At one moment the way may seem utterly blocked; and then shortly afterward some trivial incident occurs, which might not seem much to others, but which to the keen eye of faith speaks volumes. Sometimes these things are repeated in various ways, in answer to prayer. They are not haphazard results of chance, but the opening up of circumstances in the direction we should walk. And they begin to multiply as we advance toward our goal, just as the lights grow as we near a town at night.

Today's word is taken from
the 78th Psalm, verse 72
"David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill"  

When you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. Meanwhile keep on as you are, and consider the absence of signs to be the message of God’s will that you are on His track. As you go down the long corridor, you will find that He has preceded you, and locked many doors which you would have wanted to enter; but be sure that beyond these there is one which He has left unlocked. Open it and enter, and you will find yourself face-to-face with a bend in the river of opportunity, broader and deeper than anything you had dared to imagine. Launch forth upon it; it leads to the open sea.

God guides us, often by circumstances. At one moment the way may seem utterly blocked; and then shortly afterward some trivial incident occurs, which might not seem much to others, but wh

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