FAIR? from Jesus Calling: by Sarah Young

 

Colossians 3:13
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,

so you also must forgive.

Ephesians 1:7-8
In him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us,

in all wisdom and insight

Do not expect to be treated fairly in this life. People will say and do hurtful things to you, things that you don't deserve. When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you. Don't be concerned about setting the record straight. Instead of obsessing about other people's opinions of you, keep your focus on Me. Ultimately, it is My view of you that counts.
     As you concentrate on relating to Me, remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness and holiness. I see you attired in these radiant garments, which I brought for you with My blood. This also is not fair; it is pure gift. When others treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you are much better than fair. My ways are Peace and Love, which I have poured out into your heart by My Spirit.

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Romans 5:5
and hope does not put us to shame,

because God's love has been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Abiding in the Love of God: by Andrew Murray

 

 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Now remain in my love.
 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,

just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 

John 15:9-10

Our blessed Lord not only said, “Abide in me” (John 15:4), but also, “Abide in My love.” To reveal this life in His love to us in all its divine beauty and blessedness, Jesus tells us that His love for us, in which we are to abide, is just the same as the Father’s love for Him, the love in which He abides. Surely, if anything were necessary to make the abiding in His love more wonderful and attractive, this ought to do so. “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.”

We are the beloved of Jesus. As the Father loved Him, He loves us. And what we need is to take time and to worship and wait until we see the infinite love of God in all its power and glory streaming forth on us through the heart of Jesus. It is seeking to make itself known, receiving complete possession of us, and offering itself as our home and resting place. Oh, if the Christian would only take the time to let this wondrous thought fill him, “I am the beloved of the Lord. Jesus loves me every moment, just as the Father loved Him.” Then how our faith would grow, and we would believe that we are loved as Christ was.

Oh, this Christlike obedience, leading to a Christlike abiding in the divine love! To attain it, we must study Christ more. He emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and became obedient. (See Philippians 2:8.)May He empty and humble us, too! We must yield ourselves to be taught obedience by Him. We need to listen to what He has told us about how He did nothing of Himself, but only what He saw and heard from the Father. Entire dependence on the Father was the root of His obedience and the secret of His knowledge of the Father’s deeper secrets. (See John 5:19–20.) God’s love and man’s obedience are like the lock and key fitting into each other. It is God’s grace that has fitted the key to the lock; it is man who uses the key to unlock the treasures of love.

The Proper Perspective: by Oswald Chambers

 

Thanks be to God who always leads

us in triumph in Christ… —2 Corinthians 2:14

The proper perspective of a servant of God must not simply be as near to the highest as he can get, but it must be the highest. Be careful that you vigorously maintain God’s perspective, and remember that it must be done every day, little by little. Don’t think on a finite level. No outside power can touch the proper perspective.

The proper perspective to maintain is that we are here for only one purpose— to be captives marching in the procession of Christ’s triumphs. We are not on display in God’s showcase— we are here to exhibit only one thing— the “captivity [of our lives] to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). How small all the other perspectives are! For example, the ones that say, “I am standing all alone, battling for Jesus,” or, “I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold down this fort for Him.” But Paul said, in essence, “I am in the procession of a conqueror, and it doesn’t matter what the difficulties are, for I am always led in triumph.” Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul’s secret joy was that God took him as a blatant rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive— and that became his purpose. It was Paul’s joy to be a captive of the Lord, and he had no other interest in heaven or on earth. It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. We should belong so completely to the Victor that it is always His victory, and “we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37).

“We are to God the fragrance of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 2:15). We are encompassed with the sweet aroma of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.

BEHOLDING JESUS: by Andrew Murray

 

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18

Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai in communion with God. When he came down, his face shown with divine glory. It was so evidently God’s glory that Aaron and the people feared to approach him (Exodus 34:30). In this we have an image of what takes place in the New Testament. When we behold the glory of God in Christ, in the mirror of the Holy Scriptures, His glory shines on us and fills us until it shines out from us again.

The heavenly Father shows us His divine glory in the face of Jesus because He knows that, by gazing on it, we will be conformed to the same image.  Continually look to the divine glory as seen in Christ. What is the special characteristic of that glory? The chief marks of the image of the divine glory in Christ are His humiliation and His love.

There is the glory of His humiliation. When you see how the eternal Son emptied Himself and became man, and how as Man He humbled Himself as a servant and was obedient even unto the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7–8), you have seen the highest glory of God.

The glory of His love is inseparable from this. The humiliation leads you back to the love as its origin and power. It is from love that the humiliation gains its beauty. But this love was a hidden mystery until it was manifest in Christ Jesus.

Do you want to be like Christ? Gaze on the glory of God, that is to say, do not look only to the words in which His glory is seen, but look to Jesus Himself, the living Christ. Look into His very eyes, into His face, as a loving Friend, as the living God.

Beholding Jesus and His glory, you can confidently expect to become like Him. Gaze on and adore the glory of God in Christ; you will be changed with divine power from glory to glory. In the power of the Holy Spirit, the mighty transformation will be worked, your desires will be fulfilled, and becoming like Christ will be the blessed, God-given experience of your life.

JESUS (The Living Word) and The BIBLE (The Written Word): by Andrew Murray

 

All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.
—Luke 24:44

What the Lord Jesus accomplished here on earth He owed greatly to His use of the Scriptures. In them, He found the way in which He had to walk, the food and the strength from which He could work, and the weapon by which He could overcome every enemy.

In the temptation in the wilderness, it was by His “It is written” (Matthew 4:4) that He conquered Satan. In His conflicts with the Pharisees, He continually appealed to the Word, asking, “Have ye not read?” (See, for example, Matthew 12:3, 5; Mark 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3.) “Is it not written?” (See Mark 11:17; John 10:34.)In His fellowship with His disciples, it was always from the Scriptures that He proved the necessity and certainty of His sufferings and resurrection: “How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:54). And during His last sufferings, it is in Scripture that He pours out the complaint of being forsaken, and then again commends His Spirit into the Father’s hands.

Jesus was Himself the living Word. He had the Spirit without measure. If anyone could have done without the written Word, it would have been Him. And yet, we see that it is everything to Him. More than anyone else, He thus shows us that the life of God in human flesh and the Word of God in human speech are inseparably connected.

In Christ’s use of Scripture, the most remarkable thing is this: He found Himself there. He saw His own image and likeness, and He gave Himself to the fulfillment of what He found written there.  It is especially in His example that we must find our own image in the Scriptures. To be “changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18), we must gaze in the Scripture on that image as our own. In order to accomplish His work in us, the Spirit teaches us to take Christ as our Example and to gaze on His every feature as the promise of what we can be.

STAY CLOSE: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

 

Jeremiah 31:25
For I will satisfy the weary soul,

and every languishing soul I will replenish.

You have been on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent. Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand. I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me. There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain. You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following. I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you. You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

Complaining to others is another matter altogether. It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage. Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.

Philippians 2:14-15
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

that you may be blameless and innocent,

children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

In His Dependence on the Father: by Andrew Murray

 

Truly, Truly, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself,

but what He sees the Father do:

for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loves the Son,

and shows Him all things that Himself does:

and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
John 5:19-20

Our relationship to Jesus is the exact counterpart of His to the Father. As the words of Jesus in John 5 describe the natural relationship between every father and son they are applicable not only to the Only Begotten, but also to everyone who, in and like Jesus, is called a son of God.

There is no better way to think of the simple truth of the illustration than by thinking of Jesus learning His trade from His earthly father in the carpenter’s shop. The first thing you notice is the entire dependence: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.” Then you are struck by the implicit obedience that just seeks to imitate the father, “for what things so ever [the Father] does, these also does the Son likewise.” You then notice the loving intimacy to which the Father admits Him, keeping back none of His secrets: “For the Father loveth the Son, and shows Him all things that Himself doeth.” And, step-by-step, the Son will be led to all that the Father Himself can do: “He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”

If we are to understand how Christ is truly to be our Example, we must fully believe in what our blessed Lord here reveals to us of the secrets of His inner life. He counted it no humiliation to wait on Him for His commands; rather, He considered it His highest blessedness to let Himself be led and guided by the Father as a Child.       

My brethren, if you have so far only known a little about this life of conscious dependence and simple obedience, begin today. Let your Savior be your Example in this. It is His blessed will to live in you, and in you to be again what He was here on earth. Offer yourself to the Father this day to do nothing of yourself but only what the Father shows you. Fix your gaze on Jesus as the Example and promise of what you will be.

Godliness and Persecution: by Henry Blackaby

 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus

will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12

Living a godly life will not insulate you from hardship. Paul said that the more blameless your life, the more likely you will be persecuted. According to Paul, “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). As the world increasingly embraces sin, worldly people are becoming increasingly intolerant of godliness. Darkness cannot tolerate light; the more your life illuminates the presence of Christ, the more you should expect opposition from the forces of darkness. Your Christlike nature will be offensive to those in rebellion against Christ’s Lordship.

You may have recently repented of your sin and taken a new step of obedience to God. Perhaps you expected to experience God’s blessing immediately as He demonstrated His approval of your obedience. Instead, you were met with opposition. The persecution may have come even from other Christians who misunderstood your motives. Perhaps you obeyed God, and still your actions were met with criticism instead of praise.

If you are sincerely following the Lord’s direction, don’t be discouraged. Paul warned that those who seek to live godly lives will suffer persecution. Do not be surprised when this happens to you. If the world crucified the Son of God, surely the world will be hostile to anyone who lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Persecution may be the best evidence that your life is like that of Christ. Jesus warned that the world hated Him, the Savior, and so it would certainly misunderstand and mistreat His disciples (John 15:18).

How Will I Know? by Oswald Chambers

 

Jesus answered and said,

"I thank You, Father…that You have hidden these things

from the wise and prudent

and have revealed them to babes."

Matthew 11:25

We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step— we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin— “But if we walk in the light,” we are cleansed “from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.

All of God’s revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God’s truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you. You could read volumes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when five minutes of total, uncompromising obedience would make things as clear as sunlight. Don’t say, “I suppose I will understand these things someday!” You can understand them now. And it is not study that brings understanding to you, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming one of the “wise and prudent.”

“If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know…” (John 7:17).

Hear Him: from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

 

John 10:27-28
 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

In order to hear My voice, you must release all your worries into My care. Entrust to Me everything that concerns you. This clears the way for you to seek My Face unhindered. Let Me free you from fear that is hiding deep inside you. Sit quietly in My Presence, allowing My Light to soak into you and drive out any darkness lodged within you.
      Accept each day just as it comes to you, remembering that I am sovereign over your life. Rejoice in this day that I have made, trusting that I am abundantly present in it. Instead of regretting or resenting the way things are, thank Me in all circumstances. Trust Me and don't be fearful; thank Me and rest in My sovereignty.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.
I Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Controlled by Christ: by TA Sparks

 

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. Romans 8:9

Perhaps the major problem of most of the Lord’s people is to keep that line of division between what we are in ourselves and what Christ is in us. The great line of attack on the part of the enemy is to bring what we are ourselves continually up into view and occupy us with that, and by so doing obscure Christ. The great object of the Holy Spirit in His opposing of Satan is to bring Christ into view and to occupy us with Him to the obscuring of ourselves. That is where the great difficulty arises for most of the Lord’s people. There is always this beat back, this drive back to get us occupied with ourselves, as to what we are, to keep us from being occupied with Christ and what He is; in some way to get that gap, that gulf, that separation filled up, and the line of demarcation obliterated, so that there is confusion. God begins with the Firstborn. That implies something altogether other than what we are, and it is important to see what God says, and how God views those who are represented as being in Christ, and in whom Christ is....

When Christ is in us, God views us through Christ. Oh, that we might recognize this, that in Christ in us, there is the embodiment of God’s thought, and He is able to speak so of us. His activities with us are all in relation to the Christ who is now by the Holy Spirit in us, and in Whom we are. The fact that the Firstborn is invariably connected with death and resurrection is God’s way of saying that what we are in ourselves by nature is buried from His standpoint, and it is His Son alone who obtains where we are concerned as a risen One, the only One who lives before Him. All else are dead and buried in the sight of God, and God would have us take that attitude. Remember that we are dead and buried.