Today's Soul Food — March 23
 

 

GOLDEN WORDS



Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15 KJV


"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15   NASB


You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15  NIV

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Every act leaves the world with a deeper or fainter impress of God.

Alfred North Whitehead

 

Daily Meditations by  Pat Nordman ©

 


March 23

"Why do you listen when men say, `David is bent on harming you?'" 1 Samuel 24:9; "Brothers, do not slander one another." James 4:11.

The accusers of the brethren abound. "Why do you listen when men say...?" We are not even to lend an ear to another's vicious tongue. "When will talkers refrain from evil speaking? When listeners refrain from evil hearing" (Hare).

For what comfort it can give us, even Jesus was maligned. He was accused of 1) keeping bad company: "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors?" (Matthew 9:11); 2) gluttony and drunkenness: "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19); 3) of blasphemy: "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses?" (Matthew 26:65); 4) insanity: "When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, `He is out of his mind'" (Mark 3:21); 5) being possessed: "`You are demonpossessed,' the crowd answered" (John 7:20); 6) breaking the Sabbath: "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath" (John 9:16); 7) treason: "Anyone who claims to be king opposed Caesar" (John 10:20).

In the dark of presentday inclinations to do in every public figure, Joseph Addison's comment is quite interesting: "There is nothing that more betrays a base ungenerous spirit than the giving of secret stabs to a man's reputation. Lampoons and satires, that are written with wit and spirit, are like poisoned darts, which not only inflict a wound, but make it incurable."

Ben Jonson said that "we cut men's throats with whisperings." A person bleeds when another repeatedly punctures his or her reputation. What else can we expect? "But he who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity" (Proverbs 21:23). He also keeps another from tragedy.


Pat Nordman ©

 


Today's Bible Question ?



   What was the name of Hosea's wife? 

Previous question and Answer:

What book of the Bible claims that witchcraft is an "abomination unto the Lord"?

Deuteronomy — Deut. 18:9-12

 

 

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions

Spurgeon's Morning for March 23

Spurgeon's Evening for March 23

 

"I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."

-  Luke 19:40

 

"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

-  Luke 22:44

Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of him who created them by the word of his power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall not we speak well of him who made us anew, and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham?

Believer, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not suffice, these are very precious, but the best beaten spice will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God's.


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 March 23 Joshua 1:1 - 3:17    

365 days of Bible Readings Linked to Bible Gaitway TM 



 

 As yet I do not have enough pages finished for each day of this wonderful season of lent. Pages will appear here sporadically through the Lenten season. 

Easter 1 | Easter 2 | Easter 3 |
|Easter 4 | Easter 5 |  Easter 6 |  Easter 7 | Easter 8 |
|  Easter 9 |



  


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Today's  Devotion
 

The People
Luke 1

 

"The people are waiting and wondering

(Luke 1:21)


My grandmother used to begin many sentences with "They say..." As a child I used to wonder just who "they" was.

Who are "they," the people who surround our lives? Zecharias and Elizabeth's experience in Luke 1 provides an insight into the people, "their friends and neighbors" (LUKE 1:57) and what is realistic to expect from them.

"...the people were waiting and wondering" (1:21). As Zecharias took longer at the altar than expected; a scuffling of feet and murmuring begins. "...my disgrace among the people" (1:25) speaks Elizabeth of their contempt for her barrenness. "Her friends and neighbors heard...and shared in her joy" (1:58). They have a genuine gladness to share in Elizabeth's fulfilled promise. "THEY were going to name him Zecharias" (1:59). As Elizabeth resists their assumed name for the baby, they bypass her for the father. When his mouth is loosened, "the neighbors were filled with awe" and "the people were talking about all these things" (1:65).

Even in our own lives, we can get a sense of "the people." They are dear, and Scripture does not condemn them; they do, however, lack several qualities that would truly minister to us in our vulnerable time. Because they are filled with their own perplexities, they need to generalize our circumstances. They need to accept us in the norm, and when God's ways cause us to overstep the norm, a scandal arises in their hearts. Though civil to us, we long for more support, an embrace in our barrenness, a relieving of the weight off our shoulders.

"The people," in their peripheral relationship, will usually not commit to serious prayer. Without the insight prayer provides, there is a quick willingness to misunderstand and an ease in talking "among themselves" ..."the people were talking about all these things."

This appears to be what "the people" will be for us in our lives. We can't expect more without hurtful frustration. May we thank God for those that arise in a lifetime to truly draw near and help shoulder the personal scandal each of us may carry at one time or another. And why not come forth to others, as you realize you are "the people" to them, and emerge
from being a neighbor and relative to becoming a FRIEND (Proverbs 20:6).

© Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion

 
Because they are filled with their own perplexities, they need to generalize our circumstances. They need to accept us in the norm, ... 

More Whispers from the Wilderness

 

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