Below is a selection of ‘sundry thoughts’, which are taken from previous ‘thought for the day’ offerings on the site.
With thanks to the various contributors.
“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
[Gen 16:1,2 – see also remainder of this chapter]
Two mistakes, and serious ones at that, did Abraham make in this instance. Number one… God had promised Abraham an heir but Abraham seemed not to have either the patience or the faith to WAIT FOR GOD’S TIMING! Number two… he repeated the mistake that Adam once made – he chose to “hearken” to his wife instead of unto the Lord. How many go wrong because they simply want to please others? You must not even try to please those you love ABOVE HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD – in all things!
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
[Matthew 16.15]
This is the real issue: who do you say he is? It doesn’t matter what others say about him, or what your church, fellowship, wife, or friends say. Who do YOU say he is? Based on your answer, you are either saved or lost, alive or dead. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”: do you know what that means? Do you know him, or do you just know about him? Be honest.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
[Mtt.11:29-30]
A quote from Andrew Murray on these verses, which is illuminating: “It is not the yoke but resistance to the yoke that makes the difficulty”
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
[Mtt.4:1]
In the natural there are seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. Likewise in the spiritual. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness! Are we at present in this situation? In a desert place, where little seems to be happening? Well fear not, providing God has led you that way all is well, He has a purpose in it, you may not see what it is, but God is working it all out. In the wilderness we are to prove God, and unless we prove Him there we can not do so in the easy places.
“Disciple or Churchman?”
There is a high price to be paid if one wishes to follow Jesus, as a disciple. You cannot have any ambition of your own, you are to simply be a follower. We have seen in the Scripture that we have to be prepared to say ‘goodbye’ to all and sundry if we are to follow Him. Yet how many only want a sort of Old Covenant ‘Christianity’; a going to the ‘temple’ once or twice a week, and living a normal secular life otherwise? Is that what Jesus died and rose again for?
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might”
[Ecclesiastes 9:10]
There is wrong ‘pride’ and right ‘pride’. The first is to do with the arrogance and boastings of man, the latter is something that should be evidenced in every Christian’s life. We are saved, spirit, soul & body and that “so great salvation” should be evidenced in all three realms. Regarding the realm of the ‘natural’ we should indeed take ‘pride’ in our work – that is, a care and diligence in all that we do. Whether our work be ‘skilled’ (so-called), ‘unskilled’, technical, manual or whatever – we should consistently evidence the diligence and patience that is ours by the Spirit of God dwelling in us. Jesus was a carpenter the Scripture tells us. In fact the Greek word is TEKTON, which may equally be translated as ‘builder’ – interesting! I have no doubt whatsoever that Jesus’ ‘natural’ work was accomplished with all the same attributes that were evidenced in His spiritual work. And so should it be in us.
