NO TIME FOR GOD?

Those who have no time for God should consider what their circumstances would be if He had no time for them; no time to paint the sunsets, no time to send the warm sun's rays or the refreshing showers, no time to make the crops and flowers grow. We doubt that any thinking person would actually want nothing to do with God.

Cain despised God's authority and finally murdered his brother, but when he was driven from the presence of God he said: "My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13).

One of the saddest sentences in the gospel records is our Lord's prediction that He would have to say to some: "I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:23).

Just what it will mean to be "cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15), we pray God none of our readers will ever find out, but the Scriptures do clearly indicate that those involved will be cast forever out of the presence of God.

Thank God, it is not He who desires this. He paid for our sins at Calvary to reconcile us to Himself (Eph. 2:16). St. Paul declares that God has called believers "unto the fellowship of His Son" (1 Cor. 1:9) and that at His coming for them they shall "ever be with the Lord," adding: "wherefore, comfort one another with these words" (1 Thes. 4:17,18).

"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (II Cor. 5:20).

God has demonstrated His love for us in Christ. Why not respond by gratefully trusting Christ as your Savior?

THE FOLLY OF WORLDLY WISDOM Gal. 1:4:
"[Christ] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world
[or, "age"] according to the will of God and our Father."



Has not the world made great progress, intellectually, since Paul's day? Is this not evident on every hand? Of course! For one thing, our physicists have taught us how to kill each other much faster now. Moscow, London or Washington could be wiped out in a few minutes, and this is a considerable saving in time!
And think what has been accomplished in the field of electronics! We can now keep intelligent people glued to their TV sets for hours on end, their eyes riveted to shows which are often unwholesome, but sometimes at least entertaining and occasionally even informative. And think of the many time-saving devices in our homes! We are all saving so much time that we cannot even be hospitable to each other and our mental institutions are over-crowded with patients who have collapsed from enjoying all this leisure time.
Then consider our achievements in transportation! Our thoroughfares are crowded with automobiles whose drivers are getting jangled nerves in traffic jams and choking in the deadly carbon monoxide fumes, or else racing at high speeds, which is great fun until suddenly some object looms up ahead as if from nowhere. And the airplane! This is really something! We can now fly through the air with so much noise and commotion that innocent people for miles around our larger airports are kept awake nights. Of course, the minority should be willing to suffer cheerfully for the majority and it is important that great numbers of people get places fast, fast, fast.
But all this is nothing compared with what is going on in outer space. We now have all sorts of things orbiting around out there -- and it's not all debris. It includes some very sensitive instruments, serving us faithfully from day to day. Indeed, men from our earth have actually landed on the moon and have brought some of its rocks and dust back with them. Soon, maybe, we will have people from beautiful New England, or the breath-taking Rockies, or the lovely shores of Oregon, living on its barren wastes. Wonderful prospect! And we can always get the necessary billions from the taxpayers.
But the best of it is that while we have aspired to reach the moon, and even Mars, we've got a Great Society going on earth; a Society whose wild pagan music has all but replaced the beautiful melodies and harmonies of the classics, and whose twisted "art" reflects the bewildered confusion of our times; a Society in which children and young people are corrupted, women are robbed and raped, and men, women and children are murdered in the streets. Oh, it's wonderful! The young people demonstrating at our universities for the right to use filthy language if they want to, and demanding a greater voice in running our institutions of learning; the minority groups marching to protest their various grievances, the rioting and bloodshed, the burning and looting! And meantime, ever so quietly, our most sophisticated mob syndicates are running fine motels and other business organizations -- and pouring an ever-increasing flow of narcotics, pornographic literature, etc., into our enlightened community, judges and juries doing what they can to favor the criminals and, should any of them land behind prison bars, the parole boards are there to help get them released as soon as possible, so that our happy society may benefit from their experience and our mental and penal institutions may be further enlarged. Surely we've never had it so good.
Thanks be to God for the truth of Gal. 1:4:
"[Christ] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world
[or, "age"] according to the will of God and our Father."

PEACE FROM GOD

 

I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 

1 Sam. i. 15.

HANNAH'S soul was fall of complaint and grief, which flowed over into her face and made it sorrowful. But when she had poured out her soul before the Lord, emptying out all its bitterness, the peace of God took the place of her soul‑anguish, she went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. What a glad exchange! How great the contrast! How much the better for herself, and for her home!

Is your face darkened by the bitterness of your soul? Perhaps the enemy has been vexing you sorely; or there is an unrealized hope, an unfulfilled purpose in your life; or, perchance, the Lord seems to have forgotten you. Poor sufferer, there is nothing for it but to pour out your soul before the Lord. Empty out its contents in confession and prayer. God knows it all; yet tell Him, as if He knew nothing. "Ye people, pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us." "In everything, by prayer and supplication make your requests known unto God."

As we pour out our bitterness, God pours in his peace. Weeping goes out of one door whilst joy enters at another. We transmit the cup of tears to the Man of Sorrows, and He hands it back to us filled with the blessings of the new covenant. Some day you will come to the spot where you wept and prayed, bringing your offering of praise and thanksgiving. - F. B. Meyer

The Mercies of God

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
[Romans 12:1]

Chapter 12 marks a major turn in the flow of Romans. For eleven chapters, Paul has explained how God’s own righteousness leads us into a right relationship with him through Christ. Now he begins to spell out some of the real-life implications of this good news. If we take seriously Romans 1-11, then everything in our lives will be different, as Romans 12-16 will begin to clarify. Chapters 1-11 say: “Here is the good news.” Chapters 12-16 say: “Now live it!”
The first words of Romans 12 make it very clear that our living as Christians is necessarily and permanently connected to the good news of God’s love in Christ. The original Greek of these words can be rendered: “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, because of the mercies of God . . .” “Therefore” binds chapters 11-16 to chapters 12-16, the theological to the ethical, the theoretical to the practical. “Mercies of God” sums up the first part of Romans in a short phrase. Through Christ, God has shown the richness of his mercy to all people, to Jews and to Gentiles...and to you and me.
The opening of Romans 12 urges us not to do as so many Christians have done, and turn the Christian life into a long list of dos and don’ts that have little to do with God’s love in Christ. Rather, we are to live out our faith in response to the mercies of God. We walk each day in the confidence of God’s grace, knowing in advance that he loves us. Our good works are a response to that love, never a means to earn it. Thus the Christian life is not a heavy burden, but the light yoke of Jesus, lived in joyful acceptance of God’s daily mercies.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When you think of God’s “mercies,” what comes to mind? How have you experienced God’s mercy in your life? How does your daily life as a Christian reflect God’s mercy in Christ?

IN WHAT DO YOU BOAST?

Psalm 20:1-9

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
     but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.
[Psalm 20:7] When I was a boy, my parents taught me that it was wrong to boast. My parents taught me well, helping me to avoid my natural tendency toward self-glorification.
When Psalm 20:7 uses the word "boast," it translates a Hebrew verb, the root of which means "to remember." The particular form of the verb in this verse has the basic sense of "cause to remember." It signifies proclaiming or praising something so that others will take note. Thus, verse 7 points out that, though some nations brag about their military might, the Israelites boast "in the name of the LORD our God." They do not glory in their own strength, but rather trust in and proclaim the power of almighty God.
I don't think Psalm 20:7 gives us a reason to become overly boastful people, even if we are drawing attention to God. But this verse certainly challenges us to give credit where credit is due. When we enjoy successes in our lives, we ought to remember who lies behind our accomplishments. It is appropriate to acknowledge the Lord in a way that upholds his grace and power.
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How can we faithfully boast in the Lord without turning people off? Are there things in your life that you take credit for, when the credit really belongs to God? How might you be able to acknowledge the Lord today?
PRAYER: Dear Lord, in so many ways, we can be like the nations who boast in their own strength. We can brag about ourselves, our families, our churches, our nation. We can think and speak as if we are the ones who control our fate, as if we have accomplished greatness on our own. Forgive us when we fail to give you the credit you deserve.
Teach us, Lord, how to boast of you in a way that is true and appropriate. Give us the courage to acknowledge you even when things in our lives don't turn out as we wish. In all things, may we glorify you in our deeds and our words. Amen.