He Hath Said

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." - Hebrews 13:5


I normally don't do this, but as I was reading through one of my devotions this morning, the Lord really spoke to my heart.  I was reading from Spurgeon and I want to share what he had to say about three words from the above verse, "He hath said."  Even though it is only three words, the reality of what those three words communicate is tremendous.

If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God’s covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of “He hath said”? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, “He hath said” must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will examine and search the Scriptures to discover what “He hath said.” Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt? Since “He hath said” is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as “A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.” So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life. 

Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening : Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Choices

"Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." - 2 Corinthians 5:9


Your life is a series of choices.  You make them from the time that you wake up till you go to sleep everyday.  You make the choice to get out of bed in the morning and this starts a series of choices that you will make the rest of the day.  Some choices you make will be good and some will be bad.  As a Christian, you must strive to make choices that are pleasing and honoring to Jesus Christ.

I must say honestly that I am very disturbed and troubled by the choices that many in our churches make today.  These are people that have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  Even though with their mouths they profess Christ, they make choices that show Christ in not really a priority in their lives.  Jesus Christ demands preeminence in your life, He will not settle for second place.  Are you giving Christ preeminence in your life?  Do you skip out on church to do other things?  Do you neglect to spend time in God's Word each day because you have more pressing things to attend to?  Do you fail to spend time every day in prayer because you are too busy?  If you are going to tell the world that you are a Christian and that Jesus Christ is your Savior, YOU MUST MAKE HIM PREEMINENT ABOVE ALL ELSE, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS!  This is a choice that you and I must make in our lives everyday.  Do the choices you make show Jesus Christ to be preeminent in your life?

I'm afraid that far too many of us are making choices that show how little we really think of our Savior and how little He really means to us.  Jesus Christ, God Himself, took our sins upon Himself and suffered our punishment on the cross that we deserved, and saved our wretched souls from eternity in Hell.  In light of this, why is that we choose not to make time to read His Word, why is it that we choose not to make time to pray to Him, and why is it that we choose not to make it a priority to be faithful to His Church?  If Christ has really done for us what we say He has done, then why do we choose to put other things and other people before Him?

If you sincerely want to lead and model a life that is pleasing to Christ, then you must make choices that are pleasing and honoring to Him.  CHRIST DESERVES NO LESS THAN PREEMINENCE!

"Life is a series of choices between the bad, the good, and the best.  Everything depends on how we choose." - Vance Havner


Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, help me today to make choices that are pleasing and honoring to you.  Help me to make Jesus Christ preeminent in my life.  May I put you above all other things and above all other people.  I pray that the choices I make each day will show the preeminence of Christ in my life.  In Jesus name, Amen!