Paul's wise theory of life

(J.R. Miller, "Breaking Away from Our Past")

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 3:13-14

We have here Paul's wise theory of life — progress by forgetting, by letting go of the things that are past.

"Forgetting what is behind." Probably most of us have done things we would much like . . .
  to leave behind,
  to blot out from memory,
  to cut altogether loose from,
  to bury in oblivion.
We cannot turn back the hands of the clock, that we may have any day over again. But we may bring to God all the mistakes, the follies, the sins — and He will forgive us, and then use even these poor broken things for good.

A traveler tells of finding a place beside the sea, where many ships were dashed upon the rocks — and a beautiful house built altogether from pieces of wreckage gathered from the shore.

That is about the best many of us can do. We have little else to bring to God but wreckage — disobediences, broken commandments, mistakes, sins. Yet it is a wonderful thought that even with such materials, if we are truly penitent and repentant — our Master will work, helping us to build beauty in our lives. Sins forgiven become lessons for us. Out of a past full of failures, we may make a future full of strength and beauty — through the grace of Christ. We cannot forget our sins, but we may be wiser and better for them.

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We are like that dove!

(Jared Waterbury, "Meditations and Prayers" 1840)

"But the dove could find no resting place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth. So it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark." Genesis 8:9

This passage has been beautifully applied to the condition of a Christian wandering over earth in search of rest — and disappointed, returning at length to his Savior — glad to be received again into His bosom, where alone there is peace. Surely he who has been accustomed to drink at the pure fountain of spiritual joy, can never find rest for the soul in this polluted world.

How true is it, that to one whose affections have been directed to things above — earthly pleasures seem to have lost their usual relish. No prospect however beautiful — no pleasures however tantalizing can be enjoyed — without the associated presence and blessing of God. Yet when God is recognized in them, and the heart is properly affected towards Him — then do even earthly scenes acquire an additional interest.

But let the Christian lose sight for a season of his heavenly inheritance, and wander over earth's surface in search of worldly good — how soon will he find an unsatisfying vacuity, where not even anolive leaf shall be found to greet his eye or to cheer his heart. The Christian may so far backslide, as to wish to explore anew the world which he professes to have forsaken — and God may allow him to do so. But O how soon his wing will tire, and his prospect become gloomy! Glad will he be to return and flutter around the ark, longing to be taken in, where he can once more feel himself happy and at home. And Jesus kindly extends His hand to take us in — even when we have sinfully wandered from His loving arms.

Why is it that we can be so often deceived? Have we not tried the world — and have we not been disappointed in the pursuit? Never again then let us leave the sacred ark — never again wander from our Lord.


PRAYER.

Ever blessed God, You have taught us to find our supreme felicity in You — for You are an all-sufficient portion. But O how prone are we to wander from You — to forsake "You, the fountain of living waters, and hew out cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water."

But away from You, how can we he happy? How soon does sadness invade our hearts, and sorrow sit upon our eye-lids! The creature cannot make us blessed. We have tried the creature — and found all on earth to be but vanity. Wander where we will — from place to place, from pleasure to pleasure — all is unsatisfying, if you O God are absent.

We are like that dove, when out of the ark, which saw itself surrounded by one wide waste of waters. How glad was she to get back within her sacred retreat! Just so, O Savior, would we gladly flee into Your loving arms. We will search no longer for happiness here below. Henceforth, let us repose on Your kind bosom. Let us feel a holy indifference to the attractions of this deceitful world.May it be our privilege to be taken at last unto that secure ark — that glorious Heaven where no storms can come, and no temptations allure our souls away from you. Amen.

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The richest jewel in the cabinet of glory!

(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory!" Hebrews 1:3

Christ is the richest jewel in the cabinet of glory!

He is the sparkling pearl of great price!

Whoever has Him cannot be poor;
whoever lacks Him cannot be rich!

Christ's members are the happiest!

Christ's precepts are the purest!

Christ's love is the truest!

Christ's comforts are the sweetest!

Christ's reward is the highest!

Christ's riches are the most precious!

Christ's glory is the greatest!

Oh! sirs! Christ is . . . 
  the glory of God,
  the paradise of angels,
  the beauty of Heaven,
  the Redeemer of men!

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What would you ask for?

(Joseph Alleine, "Alarm to the Unconverted" 1671)

"That night God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said: What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" 2 Chronicles 1:7

If God would give you your choice, as He did to Solomon — what would you ask for?

Go into the gardens of pleasure, and gather all the fragrant flowers there — would these satisfy you?

Go to the treasures of mammon — suppose you may carry away as much as you desire.

Go to the towers, to the trophies of honor — and become a man of renown.

Would any of these, would all of these satisfy you, and make you to count yourself happy? If so, then certainly you are carnal and unconverted.

Converting grace turns the heart from its idols — to the living God. Before conversion, the man minded his farm, friends, pleasures more than Christ. He found more sweetness in his merry company, worldly amusements, earthly delights — than in Christ. Now he says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ!" Philippians 3:7-8

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The great mistake made by most of the Lord's people!

(Arthur Pink, "The Doctrine of Sanctification" 1937)

"You are complete in Him!" Colossians 2:10

The poor Christian, conscious of his weakness, his ignorance, his poverty, his vileness — is sorely tempted to be envious of others, for they seem to have "more than heart could wish" — while the longings of his heart are denied him, and that which he pursues so eagerly continues to elude his grasp.

God's children are oppressed, sorely oppressed . . .
by their indwelling corruptions,
by their innumerable failures,
by the hidings of the Lord's face,
by the accusations of Satan,
over the workings of unbelief,
over the coldness of their hearts,
over the insincerity of their prayers,
over their vain imaginations.
The great mistake made by most of the Lord's people is in hoping to discover in themselves, that which is to be found in Christ alone.

"By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness andsanctification, and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30

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Strewing flowers on a dead corpse!

(Thomas Watson, "The Beatitudes" 1660)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
 see God." Matthew 5:8

External morality is not heart-purity. A person
may be clothed with great moral virtues, such as
justice, charity, prudence, and temperance—and
yet go to hell.

We must not rest in mere outward morality. A swine
may be washed—yet be a swine still. Morality does
but wash a man—grace changes him. Morality may
shine in the eyes of the world—but it differs as much
from purity, as a pebble differs from a diamond!

Morality is but strewing flowers on a dead corpse!

A man who is but highly moral—is but a tame devil. 

How many have made 'morality' their Savior!
Morality will damn—as well as vice! A boat may
be sunk with gold—as well as with dung.

The moral person, though he will not commit gross 
sins—yet he is not sensible of heart sins. He is not
troubled for unbelief, hardness of heart, vanity of
thoughts. He abhors gross-sins, not gospel-sins.

The snake has a fine appearance—but has a deadly
sting! Just so, the moral man is fair to look on—but
has a secret antipathy against the holy ways of God.

Morality is not to be rested in. The heart must be pure.
God would have Aaron wash the inner parts of the
sacrifice (Leviticus 9:14). Morality does but wash the
outside; the inside must be washed. "Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

The Thanksgiving Habit

The Thanksgiving Habit

J. R. Miller, 1904

The annual Thanksgiving Day in America, has grown to be a national festival. It is a day of rejoicing. It summons all the people to gratitude. It is fitting that a people who have received untold blessings, should set apart one day on which all should recall their mercies, think of God as the Giver of all and express their grateful feelings in words of praise.

But it is not intended that the other three hundred and sixty four days shall be empty of thanksgiving, because one is named as an especial day of rejoicing. We cannot crowd into any one day—all the thanks of a year. Indeed, on no one day can we be grateful for another day. No one person can give thanks for a whole company of people. So no one day can give thanks for any but itself. All the days should be thanksgiving days. Any that is not, lacks something, and stands as imperfect days in the calendar. We are told that we may count that day lost in which we do no kindness to anyone. In like manner may be set down as a lost day that one in which no songs of gratitude rises from our hearts and lips to God.

Anybody can be thankful on one day of the year. At least it ought to be possible for even the most gloomy and pessimistic person to rouse up to grateful feeling, on the high tide of an annual Thanksgiving day. No doubt it is something to pipe even one little song in a whole year of discontent and complaining—the kind of living with which some people fill their years. God must be pleased to have some people grateful even for a few moments in a long period of time, and to hear them sing even once in a year. But that is not the way He would have us live. The ideal life is one that is always thankful, not only for a little moment on a particularly fine day. "Praise is lovely," that is, beautiful—beautiful to God. The life which pleases Him is the one which always rejoices.

Nowhere in the Bible can we find either ingratitude or joylessness commanded or commended. All ungrateful feelings and dispositions are condemned. A great deal is said in disapproval of murmuring, discontent, worrying, and all forms of ingratitude. Again and again we are taught that joy is the keynote of a true life. It is not enough to rejoice when the sun shines, when all things are going well with us, when we are in the midst of prosperity; we are to rejoice as well when clouds hide the blue sky, when our circumstances seem to be adverse, or when we are passing through sufferings.

In one of the Psalms, the writer says: "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." He had learned to sing in the hours of pain—as well as in the times of gladness. That is the way the Christian should live—nothing should hush his song or choke the voice of thanksgiving and praise.

The only way to get thanksgiving into its true place in our lives—is to have it grow into a habit. A habit is a well worn path. There was a first step over the course, breaking the way. Then a second person, finding the prints of feet, walked in them. A third followed, then a fourth, until at length there was a beaten path, and now thousands go upon it.