Grace Gems

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We may be in the world--and not be injured by it!

(James Smith, "The Pleading Savior" 1861)

"I do not pray that you should take them out of the world--but that you should keep them from the evil." John 17:15

We may be in the world--and not be injured by it!

The world is the field--in which we are to labor for Christ. Here we are to . . .
  plough up the fallow ground,
  sow the good seed, and
  reclaim the waste places for Jesus.

The world is the battleground--on which we are to
  fight the good fight of faith,
  overcome Satan, and
  crucify the old man.

The world is the ocean--over which we are to sail to the port of glory; and it befits us to look well to . . .
  the vessel in which we sail,
  the captain who commands it,
  the pilot who steers it, and
  the compass by which it is steered
--so that we may . . .
    avoid the rocks and quicksands,
    outlive the storms and tempests,
    and cast anchor within the veil!

The world is the school--in which we are to learn . . .
  the evil of sin,
  the power of corruption,
  the craft of Satan,
  the preciousness of Christ,
  the value of Heaven, and
  the importance and worth of God's promises.

The world is the hospital--in which we are under the Spirit's treatment, in order that we may be restored to health, and prepared to enjoy our Father's eternal house and home!

We should, therefore, rather pray to be kept from evil--than to be removed out of the world. We may be useful, very useful in it, and useful in a way in which we cannot be in Heaven. Here, we can . . .
  visit the sick for Jesus,
  clothe the naked for Jesus,
  feed the hungry for Jesus,
  relieve the widow and fatherless for Jesus,
  and teach the ignorant for Jesus--and thus feed, clothe, visit, relieve and teach Jesus Himself in doing so; for He has said, "Inasmuch as you did it unto one of the least of these My brethren--you did it unto Me!"

Let us not, therefore, be anxious . . .
  to leave the field of labor until our work is done;
  or to get out the battle until the victory is gained;
  or to leave school until our education is complete;
  or to be discharged from the hospital until we are perfectly cured!

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Building monuments to yourself

(J.R. Miller)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit" Philippians 2:3

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 quietly. Do not try to draw attention to yourself, to make people know that you did this or that beautiful thing. Be content to pour your rich life into other wasted, weary lives, and see them blessed and made more holy--and then withdraw and let Christ have the honor. Work for God's approval, and even then, do not think much about reward. Seek to be a blessing to others--and never think of self-advancement. Do not worry about credit for your work, or about building monuments to yourself; be content to do good in Christ's name.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved--clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another" 1 Peter 5:5

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A powerful, silent, personal influence

(J.R. Miller)

There is a powerful, silent, personal influence, like a shadow, which emanates from everyone--and this influence is always leaving results wherever it touches another person. You cannot live a day--and not touch some other life with this influence. Wherever you go, your shadow falls on others--and they are either better or worse for your presence.

Our influence depends upon what we are--more than upon what we do. It is by living a beautiful life, that we bless the world. I do not underestimate good works. Good deeds must characterize every true life. But if your life itself is noble, beautiful, holy, Christlike, one that is itself a blessing and an inspiration--then the worth of your influence is multiplied many times!

There is not a Christian who cannot preach sermons every day, at home and among neighbors and friends most eloquently--by the beauty of holiness in his or her own everyday life. Wherever a Christian goes--his life ought to be an inspiration. Our silent influence ought to touch other lives with blessing. People ought to feel stronger, happier, and more uplifted--after meeting us. Our very faces ought to shed light, shining like holy lamps into sad, weary hearts. Our lives ought to be blessings to repair human sorrow and need all around us.

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The worst-tempered people

(J.R. Miller)

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

The worst-tempered people may be made gentle and loving in all their words, acts, and dispositions--by the renewing and transforming power of divine grace. God can take the jangled keys and put them in tune--if we will only put them into His hand.

But we must strive ourselves to be sweet-tempered. We must watch the rising anger--and quickly choke it back. We must keep down our ugly disposition. We must learn to control ourselves, our tempers, our feelings, our passions, and our tongues. We must seek to develop the gentle virtues--and crowd out the thorns! This discipline is not easy, but the lessons can be mastered.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

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God has not promised

(Annie J. Flint, 1919)

"Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Job 5:7

"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." Job 14:1-2

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." John 16:33

God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised, sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God has not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He has not told us, we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God has not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river, turbid and deep.

But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love!

"God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever!" Revelation 21:4

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If all people were angelic

(J.R. Miller)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you--so you must love one another." John 13:34

"As I have loved you" means love which is sweet, fragrant, and gentle--to people who are rude and mean-spirited, selfish, and full of faults, with sharp corners and only partially sanctified lives.

If all people were angelic, and you were too--it would not be hard to love everyone; but as other people are not yet angelic, you will still have need of patience, even if you are angelic yourself, which is quite doubtful.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

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The very hand of divine love!

(J.R. Miller)

"May Your will be done!" Matthew 26:42

God's will for us leads to the noblest, truest, most Christlike character on earth; and then beyond this world--to eternal glory! For you, whatever your experiences, however hard and painful life may seem to you--God's will is the very hand of divine love to lead you on toward all that is good and beautiful and blessed. Never doubt it, even . . .
  in the darkest hour,
  or when the pain is the greatest,
  or when the cross is heaviest.
God's will always holds you close to Him, and leads you continually toward and into God's sweetest rest.

It brings peace to the heart--a peace that never can come in from our own choosing--to always be able to say, "May Your will be done!"

"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Luke 22:42

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This baffles all our comprehension!

(John MacDuff, "Clefts of the Rock" 1874)

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us!"
    John 1:14

What a transition!

What a stoop for that Infinite Being who proclaimed
Himself the Alpha and the Omega--for "The Ancient
of days" to assume the nature and take the form of
a cradled infant, sleeping on a virgin mother's bosom!

We have no plumb line to sound the depths of that
humiliation. We have no arithmetic by which it can
be submitted to any process of calculation.

If we can entertain for a moment, the shocking
supposition of the loftiest created spirit in Heaven
abjuring his angel nature, and becoming an insect
or a worm--then we can, in some feeble degree,
estimate the descent involved in Jesus' humiliation.

But, for the Illimitable, Everlasting Jehovah,
Himself to become incarnate . . .
  the Creator--to take the nature of the created;
  the Infinite--to be joined with the finite;
  Deity--to be linked with dust;
this baffles all our comprehension!

We can only lie in adoring reverence, and
exclaim with the apostle, "O the depth!"

"Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!"

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The shadow of God's wings

(J.R. Miller)

"How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings!" Psalm 36:7

Is there a grief in your heart, which grows into a nagging pain? Is there a hint of a coming sorrow that you see looming over you? Remember that it is the shadow of God's wings--and so it is safe to receive. Crawl closer under them.

Earth has nothing so gentle as true mother-love; but God's wings that fold down over you, are gentler than even mother-love; and you can never get out from beneath them. They hold you close to the gentle heart of the divine Father. You need never be afraid while resting there. In all the universe, there is no harm that can come near you. From your eternal refuge, you can look out with confidence on the fury of earth's storms and be at peace. The wildest of them cannot touch you in your refuge!

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed." Psalm 57:1

"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings" Psalm 17:8

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Seeing through love's eyes

(J.R. Miller)

"Love . . .
  thinks no evil,
  bears all things,
  believes all things,
  hopes all things,
  endures all things."
1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Love does not suspect unkindness, in kind deeds.
Love does not imagine an enemy, in every friend.
Love does not fear insincerity, in sincere expressions of love.
Love does not question one's motives, nor discount their acts.

But love overlooks mistakes and hides human faults. It believes tries to think of others always at their best, not at their worst. It considers the best possibilities in people, what they may become through divine love and grace--and not merely what they now are. It is wonderful how seeing through love's eyes changes the whole view of earthly life, transforming it. If the heart is filled with suspicion, distrust, and doubts--the world grows very ugly. But love sees brightness, beauty, and hope everywhere!

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Not what we HAVE or what we KNOW, but what we ARE!

(J.R. Miller)

We must strive to realize every longing for holiness and Christlikeness, which our hearts seek. Remember that it is character alone, which is the test of true living.
It is not knowledge; for knowledge will fail.
It is not money; for money cannot be taken into the eternal world.
It is not fame; for fame's laurels fade at the grave's edge.
It is not culture, or education, or refinement either.
It is our character alone--not what we HAVE or what we KNOW, but what we ARE--which we can carry with us into the eternal world.

"He who is unjust--let him be unjust still;
 he who is filthy--let him be filthy still;
 he who is righteous--let him be righteous still;
 he who is holy--let him be holy still."
    Revelation 22:11

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The shadow!

(J.R. Miller)

"Shall we indeed accept good from God--and shall we not accept adversity?" Job 2:10

Shall we trust our Father only when our lives are filled with pleasant things--and then not trust Him also when a shadow falls over our hearts? Do you think that God is good--only when He makes all things please you?

Our call is to trust God at all times--whether good or bad. For even if sorrow should enter our home, He is able, even in the midst of sorrow, to make our home-life sweeter, purer, and more Christ-like. If we trust in God, then the shadow will be as rich a blessing to us as the light; and the sorrow will be steps upward, on which our feet may climb Heavenward!

"We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight!" Proverbs 3:5-6 

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How to pray in our own Gethsemanes

(J.R. Miller)

"And being in agony--He prayed more earnestly!" Luke 22:44

This is the record of our Savior's Gethsemane experience. Like a bright lamp, this Scripture shines amid the olive trees of that garden--to show us the path to comfort in our time of sorrow. Never before nor since, has there been such grief as the Redeemer's that night---but He found comfort in His prayer. His agony lessened as He prayed, until at last its bitterness was all gone--and sweet, blessed peace took its place.

The 'gate of prayer' is one of comfort. There is no other place for true comfort and help. We learn from our Lord's Gethsemane agony--how to pray in our own Gethsemanes.

God never blames us for asking to have the bitter cup removed, nor for the intensity of our prayers; but we must always pray with submission to His will. When we sincerely pray, "Not my will, but may Your will be done"--comfort comes, and then peace.

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December 31, 1855

(James Smith, "Marvelous Mercy!" 1862)

The following is an excerpt from the diary of James Smith:

December 31, 1855.
The last day of the year 1855--a year characterized by . . .
  many severe trials,
  many sore temptations,
  and innumerable mercies.

In some things, it closes differently to what I expected--but how differently it may have closed!

I might have been in Hell! O terrible thought!

I might have been on a sick bed, tormented with excruciating pain, or reduced to a state of infantile weakness.

I might have been in great and sore troubles, tossed with tempests, and not comforted.

I might have been without a pastorate--and without a loving people.

Or I might have been guilty of some heinous sin, lost my character, and been a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth!

Blessed, forever blessed be the Lord--that such is not my case!
My health is good,
my hope in Christ is steady,
my congregation good, and
I trust the Lord will yet work a great work by me.

And now, Lord, I desire to confess before you the sins of this past year:

I have sinned with my tongue--and with my temper.

I have sinned in my heart--and in my life.

I have omitted duties.

I have committed sins.

My motives have often been impure.

My aims have not been sufficiently high and holy.

I have been impatient, fretful, irritable, rash, jealous, envious, discontented, and ungrateful.

O may the blood of Jesus wash out every stain!

I renounce all hope--but what centers in Jesus!

I have no refuge, no hiding-place, no strong tower, no place of safety--but Jesus.

Christ in His person,
Christ in His finished work,
Christ in His glorious intercession--
is all my hope, all my confidence, all my joy!

I am His servant--and wish to serve Him alone.
I am His subject--and wish to be ruled by Him alone.
I am His purchased property--and wish to be consecrated entirely, eternally, and altogether to Him!

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The Lord will provide!

(J.R. Miller)

"You have not passed this way before!" Joshua 3:4

"Abraham named the place Jehovah-Jireh (which means 'the LORD will provide')" Genesis 22:14

As you begin meditating on this verse, write deep in your heart this word with the strongest confidence: Jehovah-Jireh. This name tells you . . .
  that you can trust God always;
  that no promise of His ever fails;
  that He does all things well;
  that out of all seeming loss and destruction of human hopes, He brings blessing.

You have not passed this way before. There will be both sorrows and joys, both failures and successes. You cannot predict your future experiences. You cannot see the next step before your feet. Yet Jehovah-Jireh calls you to trust Him calmly. He bids you put away all anxieties and foreboding, because the Lord will provide!