Jesus
Wept!
John 11:35 (KJV)
Trivia fans will recognize the above verse as the
shortest verse in the King James Bible. These two little words tell us so very much about
our Savior. We see Jesus in a moment of deep emotions. Jesus did not consider it unmanly
to express his true feelings. This is a time when a close friend of his had died. Jesus
felt true grief. He did not "keep a stiff upper lip." Jesus openly wept. He
cried real tears in the presence of others.
Jesus was capable of sadness. He expressed true grief. Sorrow and grief are then an
expected part of life. It is not unchristian, or un-spiritual to cry. It is alright to
feel sadness and grief, especially at the loss of someone we love. A Christian does not
have to cover up inward pain and grief with a sunny smile. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 says,
"There is a right time for everything ... A time to cry; A time to laugh; A time to
grieve; A time to laugh." Jesus recognized a time to weep. He is our example. We need
not feel embarrassed to let the tears flow.
Blessed is the night, for it reveals the stars.
Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©
October 21
In The Crisis of Our Age, P.A. Soro-kin spoke of intellectual chewing gums. Somehow our inconsistencies of ideas and tastes manage to coexist. Our current chewing gums have become quite tasteless. We seem to be slipping into one huge common denomi-nator where voices sound alike, all using the same curse words and silly expressions. We are uncreative in our demise, even.
The headline read, "College Literary Stan-dards Are In Dangerous Decline." Writings that used to be considered the touchstones of refinement for in-terna-tional civilization are now relegated to a common grave of the modern scholar's pride. God must weep.
October 22
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures" (Proverbs 24:3,4). A house built upon the Rock has a firm foun-dation. "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1).
The "rare and beautiful treasures" are memo-ries built on pru-dence, patience, dedica-tion, discernment and strength of mind, heart, and body: all gifts bestowed by a God who wants us to succeed. But we have a part in it, too. If we don't, then "Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks" (Ec-clesiastes 10:18).
Pat Nordman ©
Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion |
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Spurgeon's Morning for October 21 |
Spurgeon's Evening for October 21 |
"The love of Christ constraineth us." - 2 Corinthians 5:14 |
"Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" - Luke 24:38 |
How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has he ever done anything for thee? Has he forgiven thy sins? Has he covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has he set thy feet upon a rock? |
"The very hairs of your head are all numbered." Let the thought of his special love to you be a spiritual pain-killer, a dear quietus to your woe: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
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| Spurgeon's Morning for October 22 | Spurgeon's Evening for October 22 |
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"I will love them freely." - Hosea 14:4
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"He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you." - John 16:15
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It is blessed to know that the grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, and without price! "I will love them freely." |
There are times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible are of no avail, unless a gracious hand shall apply them to us. We are thirsty, but too faint to crawl to the water- brook. |
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October 21 Luke 2:1 - 3:38 |
Current Bible Question |
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Previous question and Answer:
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But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)
He Hid It Again! by Cathy Vinson
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If removed from the familiarity of this passage, we might ask "why?" Why didn't the man just add the treasure to his riches? Why does he re-hide it, and then incur cost to himself in order to have the treasure WITH the field? The treasure itself, isn't the complete joy apparently, although it could well have been. He wants to re-hide the treasure, playing a seeming game of delight for Himself...to bring the field along with the treasure back to Himself. Then, the field itself has a glory within it. The man loves that field out of mere choice, knowing the debt will be his for that choice. There is wonder behind this analogy. He hid it again so He, our God, could buy the field with the treasure. We are that field! And the treasure has been hid in us! Including us in the picture, He could redeem US. He knew the dirt and type of soil that field were. It had nothing in common with a precious treasure. But he will "sell all he has," His own Son, to purchase it. He hid that treasure only to find it again, perhaps years down the road, in us. This was a harder way for Him. Somehow through the working of time and the outworking of that treasure in the field, it would be worth more to Him than had the treasure set alone on a stand. He must have loved that field. He must love you and me. He wants the Kingdom IN US, AND US! He sells all He has for this. The Heartbeat is being heard again..."For God so loved the world..." Cathy Vinson© Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion. |
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Other Whispers from the Wilderness Devotions are found HERE
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