Saturday, June 20, 2026
The Spirit's leading
The Spirit's leading
Author unknown, A Treasury of Holy Meditations! 1872
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Romans 8:14, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
Here is a mark of divine sonship: All who follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit are children of God. "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:16
The Spirit leads His followers to the looking-glass of Divine truth. There they discover their spiritual deformity and impurity. There they see what they are, and what they need. "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth." John 16:13
The Spirit leads them to the throne of grace, and there He helps their infirmities, and makes intercession for them according to the will of God. "We do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. . . . The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26–27
The Spirit leads them to the cross! When they see Jesus dying for their sins, atoning for their transgressions, then they lose their burden of guilt. "When the Advocate comes . . . He will testify about Me." John 15:26
The Spirit leads them in the path of loving obedience, and they experience the blessedness of keeping Christ's commands. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances." Ezekiel 36:27
The Spirit leads them in the track of the Good Shepherd, and enables them to hear His voice and to follow Him. "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27
Alas, many are following the leadings of a very different spirit, the diabolical spirit who works in the children of disobedience! He leads by paths of unbelief and sin--to endless misery and ruin! Beloved reader, beware of following his leadings--and prayerfully yield yourself to the guidance of the Spirit of truth and love.
"Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." Psalm 25:4-5
Treasuring the Word in your heart
.jpeg)
Treasuring the Word in your heart
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Job 23:12, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."
"The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver." Psalm 119:72
Visit many good books, but live in the Bible. The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed. If you wish to know God, then you must know His Word.
Some people read the Bible through in a year; but they read it as a duty, so it often does them little good. Better to read a short portion and meditate upon it, until it enters into the heart.
Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect prayer, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word.
Some like to read so many chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul to soak in half a dozen verses all day, than I would, as it were, rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to bathe in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up into your very soul, until it saturates your heart!
The only way to know God's Word thoroughly, is to set your heart upon it. Let your whole nature be plunged into it, as cloth into a dye.
The Word of God is always most precious to the man who most lives upon it. It is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible. Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutriment out of the Word. A man who merely reads the Word, is like one who swallows his food without digesting it.
Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years. Oh, that we might get into the very heart of the Word of God, and get that Word into our hearts!
"Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart." Job 22:22
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly!" Colossians 3:16
When the bird of thought was let go!
When the bird of thought was let go!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Hebrews 3:1, Therefore holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling--fix your thoughts on Jesus!"
What we think about when we are free to think about whatever we desire--that is what we are, or will soon become.
Anyone who wishes to check on his true spiritual condition, may do so by noting what his voluntary thoughts have been over the last hours or days. What has he thought about, when free to think about whatever he pleased? Toward what has his inner heart turned, when it was free to turn wherever it desired?
When the bird of thought was let go, did it fly out like the raven to settle upon floating carcasses? Or did it like the dove circle and return again to the ark of God? Such a test is easy to run; and if we are honest with ourselves, then we can discover not only what we are; but what we are going to become. We will soon be the sum of our voluntary thoughts!
Long practice in the art of frequent, heartfelt prayers (that is, talking to God inwardly as we work or travel) will help to form the habit of holy thoughts. "For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is."
"Oh, Lord, You know the constant struggle which we have with our thought life. You know how often our thoughts settle on rotten carcasses. Take control of my thoughts today, and give me grace to develop the habit of spiritual-mindedness. Amen."
"Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5