Psalm 124

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The golden bait

(Thomas Watson, "The Godly Man's
Picture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil)

Gain is the golden bait, with which Satan fishes
for souls! This was the last temptation he used
with Christ: "All these things will I give you!" But
Christ saw the hook under the bait! Many who have
escaped gross sins, are still caught in a golden net! 

A godly man dare not travel for riches, along the
devil's highway. Those are sad gains, which make
a man lose heaven at last!

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the
 whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" Mat. 16:26

If you were to meet yourself on the street some morning

(J. R. Miller, "Looking One's Soul in the Face" 1912)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way!" Psalm 139:23-24

It will be worth our while—to think seriously of the things in us—that only God can see. There are sins which are hidden from ourselves, of which our conscience is not aware—our unknown errors. The evil in us which lies too deep to be discovered. There is a SELF in us, which even we ourselves do not see! There are depths of our being—into which our own eyes cannot pierce. You may say that you know of no sins, errors, or faults in yourself, and you may be sincere; still this is not evidence that you are sinless.

Our conscience is not the final court. It is not enough to have the approval of our own heart. There are errors and evils in the holiest life on earth—which only God's eye can detect. We must ask God to search us, if we would be made clean.

We cannot see our own faults—even as our neighbors can see them. There is wisdom in the wish that we might see ourselves, as others see us—for it would free us from many a blunder and foolish notion.

We are prejudiced in our own favor. We are disposed to be charitable toward our own shortcomings. We make all sorts of allowancesfor our own faults. We are wonderfully patient with our own weaknesses. We are blind to our own blemishes. We look at our good qualities through magnifying glasses; and at our faults and errors with the lenses reversed—making them appear very small. We see only the best of ourselves.

If you were to meet yourself on the street some morning—that is, the person God sees you to be—you would probably not recognize yourself!

We remember the little story that the prophet Nathan told King David, about a rich man's injustice toward a poor man, and how David's anger flamed up. "This man must die!" cried the king. He did not recognize himself—in the man he so despised, until Nathan quietly said,"You are the man!" 

We are all too much like David.

If the true chronicle of your life were written in a book, in the form of a story, and you were to read the chapters over—you probably would not identify the story as your own!

We do not know our real self. We do not imagine there is so much about us that is morally ugly and foul, that is positively wicked. But God searches and knows the innermost and hidden things of our heart!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way!"

The Hell Fire Club?

C.H. SPURGEON

Spurgeon "Means for Restoring the Banished" #950

Mr. Thorpe was a member of an 'infidel' club.
In those days infidelity was more blasphemous
than now. This infidel society took the name of
the "Hell Fire Club". Among their amusements
was that of holding imitations of religious
services, and exhibiting mimicries of popular
ministers.

Thorpe went to hear George Whitfield preach,
that he might caricature him before his profane
associates. He listened to Whitfield so carefully
that he caught his tones and his manner, and
somewhat of his doctrines.

When the "Hell Fire Club" met to see his caricature
of Whitfield, Thorpe opened the Bible that he might
take a text to preach from it after the manner of
Whitfield. His eye fell on the passage, "Except you
repent, you shall all likewise perish."  As he spoke
upon that text he was carried beyond himself, lost
all thought of mockery, spoke as one in earnest,
and was the means of his own conversion!

He was carried by the force of truth beyond his
own intention, like one who would play in a river,
and is swept away by its current.

Even the scoffer may be reached by the arrows of truth!
Scripture has often been the sole means in the hands
of its divine Author of converting the soul.

"For the Word of God is full of living power. It is
 sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into
 our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes
 us for what we really are."  Hebrews 4:12

(After his amazing conversion, Thorpe
became a noted preacher of the gospel.) 

A human religion?

(Horatius Bonar, "The Way Of Cain") "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain . . ."         Jude 11 Cain is not an atheist, nor an altogether irreligious man. He acknowledges a God, and brings his fruits to the altar. But he brings no lamb, no blood, nothing that speaks of death. He comes with no confession, no cry for mercy. He has a religion, but it is self made; a human religion, something of his own; without Christ, or blood, or pardon. Rejection of God's religion, and of His Messiah; this is "the way of Cain." "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain . . ."         Jude 11

This little inch of time

(James Meikle, "The Traveler" 1730-1799)

"Time is short." (1 Corinthians 7:29)

Time is precious--though misspent, though 
thought little of. Oh! what great things are 
to be done in this little inch of time!

Think much on death--that you may not be 
too much charmed with the 'vanities of life'. 

Remember the deceitfulness and uncertainty 
of riches--so shall you neither be puffed up 
with their possession, nor pained at their loss. 

Think much on the unseen world, and let the 
certainty of that which is to come, dispel the 
'delusion of the present'--which so quickly 
passes away. 

Eye God's glory in everything, and prefer the 
approbation of God and your own conscience, 
to the applause of men. Better be the object of 
man's ridicule, than the subject of God's wrath. 

Beware that you live not for yourself, or the world. 
But live above the world, for eternity, and to God. 
"So, then, be careful how you live. Do not
 be unwise but wise, making the best use
 of time, because the days are evil."
    (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Running here and there like ants on an anthill

(J. C. Ryle)

Oh, that men and women would learn to live with the awareness that one day they are going to die! 

Truly, it is waste of time to set our hearts on a dying world and its short-lived comforts and pleasures; and for the sake of momentary pleasures — to lose a glorious eternity in Heaven! 

Here we are striving, laboring, exhausting ourselves about little things, and running here and there like ants on an anthill! And yet after a few years, we will all be gone — and another generation will take our place. Let us live for eternity! Let us seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness that can never be taken from us!

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things! When Christ, who is your life, appears — then you also will appear with Him in glory!" Colossians 3:1-4

Your refuge from the avenger of blood--Joshua 20:3

Morning and Evening

by Charles Spurgeon

"Your refuge from the avenger of blood." Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them, within half a day at the utmost. Just so, the Word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Savior—and the way to Him is short. It is but a simple renunciation of our own merit—and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all.

With regard to the roads to the city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly maintained, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled, might find an easy passage to the city. Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw to their upkeep, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. Just so, how graciously do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way!

Wherever there were by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up sign-posts, with the inscription upon them, "To the city of refuge!" This is a picture of the road to Christ Jesus. It is no roundaboutroad of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and the other commandment; it is a straight road: "Believe—and live!" It is a road so hard, that no self-righteous man can ever tread it—but so easy, that every sinner, who knows himself to be a sinner—may by it find his way to heaven.

No sooner did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city—than he was safe! It was not necessary for him to pass far within the walls—but the suburbs themselves were sufficient protection. 

Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of Christ's garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him with "faith as a grain of mustard seed," you are safe. "A little genuine grace—ensures the forgiveness of all our sins." Only waste no time—do not loiter along the way, for the avenger of blood is swift of foot—and it may be he is at your heels at this still hour of eventide!