A Deeper Desire for Christ

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

Now man is new in relationship. He was an heir to wrath; he is now a child of God. He was a bondslave; he is now a freeman. He rejoices in Christ Jesus and feats to the full. He was the citizen of the earth once; he is now a citizen of heaven. He once found his all beneath the clouds, but now his all is beyond the stars. He has new relationships. Christ is his brother, God is his father, the angels are his friends, and the despised people of God are his best and nearest kinsfolk. And hence the man has new aspirations. He now pants to glorify God. What did he care about the glory of God once? he now pants to see God; once he would have paid the fate - if it had cost his life - that he might escape from the presence of the Lord. Now he hungers and thirsts after the living God; if his soul had wings and he could break the fetters of this mortality, he would mount at once to dwell where Jesus is. Dear friends, are you new men? If you are, you understand what it is; if you are not, I know I cannot explain it to you. To be born again is a great mystery; blessed is the soul that comprehends it! But he who does not know it will never learn it by the lip; he can only know it by the Spirit of God causing him also to be made a new creature in Christ Jesus.

By Charles Spurgeon, taken from "Daily Devotional Insights"

Being Content

"Be content with such things as ye have." Hebrews 13:5

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content." Philippians 4:11

No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.

J. G. WHITTIER

If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather.

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself.

5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."

- E. B. PUSEY

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

What Seeds Are in You?

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11

I cannot say,
Beneath the pressure of life's cares to-day,
I joy in these;
But I can say
That I had rather walk this rugged way,
If Him it please.

S. G. BROWNING

The particular annoyance which befell you this morning; the vexatious words which met your ear and "grieved" your spirit; the disappointment which was His appointment for today; the slight but hindering ailment; the presence of some one who is "a grief of mind" to you,--whatever this day seemeth not joyous, but grievous, is linked in "the good pleasure of His goodness" with a corresponding afterward of "peaceable fruit," the very seed from which, if you only do not choke it, this shall spring and ripen. - F. R. HAVERGAL.

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston. taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

God's Will

"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matthew 26:39

O Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will,--
I will lie still.
I will not stir, lest I forsake Thine arm,
And break the charm
Which lulls me, clinging to my Father's breast,
In perfect rest.

J. KEBLE

Resignation to the will of God is the whole of piety; it includes in it all that is good; and is a source of the most settled quiet and composure of mind. Our resignation to the will of God may be said to be perfect, when our will is lost and resolved up into His; when we rest in His will as our end, as being itself most just, and right, and good. And where is the impossibility of such an affection to what is just and right and good, such a loyalty of heart to the Governor of the universe, as shall prevail over all sinister indirect desires of our own? - JOSEPH BUTLER

There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God. - F. W. FABER

Lord, Thy will be done in father, mother, child, in everything and everywhere; without a reserve, without a BUT, an IF, or a limit. - ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Loving Others

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." I THESS. 5:11

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." MATT. 19:19

So others shall
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand,
From thy hand, and thy heart, and thy brave cheer,
And God's grace fructify through thee to all.
The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,
And share its dewdrop with another near.

E. B. BROWNING

What is meant by our neighbor we cannot doubt; it is every one with whom we
are brought into contact. First of all, he is literally our neighbor who
is next to us in our own family and household; husband to wife, wife to
husband, parent to child, brother to sister, master to servant, servant to
master. Then it is he who is close to us in our own neighborhood, in our
own town, in our own parish, in our own street. With these all true charity
begins. To love and be kind to these is the very beginning of all true
religion. But, besides these, as our Lord teaches, it is every one who
is thrown across our path by the changes and chances of life; he or she,
whosoever it be, whom we have any means of helping,--the unfortunate
stranger whom we may meet in travelling, the deserted friend whom no one
else cares to look after.

A. P. STANLEY

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Under the Shadow of the Almighty

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

They who on the Lord rely,
Safely dwell though danger's nigh;
Lo! His sheltering wings are spread
O'er each faithful servant's head.
When they wake, or when they sleep,
Angel guards their vigils keep;
Death and danger may be near,
Faith and love have nought to fear.

Harriet Auber

"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling," is a promise to the fullest extent verified in the case of all "who dwell in the secret place of the Most High." To them sorrows are not "evils," sicknesses are not "plagues;" the shadow of the Almighty extending far around those who abide under it, alters the character of all things which come within its influence. - Anonymous

It is faith's work to claim and challenge loving-kindness out of all the roughest strokes of God. - Samuel Rutherford

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

God is Love

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." I JOHN 3:14

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love". I JOHN 4:8

Mutual love the token be,
Lord, that we belong to Thee;
Love, Thine image, love impart;
Stamp it on our face and heart;
Only love to us be given;
Lord, we ask no other heaven.

CHARLES WESLEY

Oh, how many times we can most of us remember when we would gladly have
made any compromise with our consciences, would gladly have made the most
costly sacrifices to God, if He would only have excused us from this duty
of loving, of which our nature seemed utterly incapable. It is far easier
to feel kindly, to act kindly, toward those with whom we are seldom brought
into contact, whose tempers and prejudices do not rub against ours, whose
interests do not clash with ours, than to keep up an habitual, steady,
self-sacrificing love towards those whose weaknesses and faults are always
forcing themselves upon us, and are stirring up our own. A man may pass
good muster as a philanthropist who makes but a poor master to his
servants, or father to his children.

F. D. MAURICE

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Tranquil Day

"Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust." Psalm 40:4

"That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life." I Timothy 2:2

Just to let thy Father do
What He will;
Just to know that He is true,
And be still;
Just to trust Him, this is all!
Then the day will surely be
Peaceful, whatsoe'er befall,
Bright and blessed, calm and free.

Frances Ridley Havergal

Every morning compose your soul for a tranquil day, and all through it be careful often to recall your resolution, and bring yourself back to it. so to say. If something discomposes you, do not be upset, or trouble; but having discovered the fact, humble yourself gently before god, and try to bring your mind into a quiet attitude. Say to yourself, "Well, I have made a false step; now I must go more carefully and watchfully." Do this each time, however frequently you fall. When you are at peace, use it profitably, making constant acts of meekness, and seeking to be calm even in the most trifling things. Above all, do not be discouraged; be patient, wait; strive to attain a calm, gentle spirit. - Francis De Sales

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Give Up Yourself

"What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?" Deuteronomy 10:12

What asks our Father of His children save
Justice and mercy and humility,
A reasonable service of good deeds,
Pure living, tenderness to human needs,
Reverence, and trust, and prayer for light to see
The Master's footprints in our daily ways?
No knotted scourge, nor sacrificial knife,
But the calm beauty of an ordered life
Whose every breathing is unworded praise.
J. G. WHITTIER

Give up yourself to God without reserve; in singleness of heart meeting everything that every day brings forth, as something that comes from God, and is to be received and gone through by you, in such an heavenly use of it, as you would suppose the holy Jesus would have done in such occurrences. This is an attainable degree of perfection. - WILLIAM LAW

We ought to measure our actual lot, and to fulfil it; to be with all our strength that which our lot requires and allows. What is beyond it, is no calling of ours. How much peace, quiet, confidence, and strength, would people attain, if they would go by this plain rule. - H. E. MANNING

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Lift Your Priase!

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loveingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! "Psalm 107:8

If we complained less and praised more, we should be happier and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies - common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise Him for everything we receive from His bounteous hand, for we deserve little and yet are most plenteously endowed. But the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God's redeeming acts toward His chosen are forever the favorite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ - we are no longer slaves but children of the living God. Child of God, can you be silent?

By Charles Spurgeon, taken from "Daily Devotional Insights"

Trials

"The trial of your faith . . ." I Peter 1:7

Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: Tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a clam reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbor; for on a slumbering ocean, the kneel sleeps, too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves; though the vessel may rock and her deck may be washed with waves and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway toward her desired haven. No stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky, no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand, and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious, too.

By Charles Spurgeon, taken from "Daily Devotional Insights"

Peace in the Arms of God

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest
me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

"He giveth His beloved sleep." Psalm 127:2

He guides our feet, He guards our way,
His morning smiles bless all the day;
He spreads the evening veil, and keeps
The silent hours while Israel sleeps.

Isacc Watts

We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to His providence, in a delightful consciousness of His tender mercies; no more restless uncertainties, no more anxious desires, no more impatience at the place we are in; for it is God who has put us there, and who holds us in His arms. Can we be unsafe where He has placed us?

Francois De La Mothe Felelon

One evening when Luther saw a little bird perched on a tree, to roost there for the night, he said, "This little bird has had its supper, and now it is getting ready to go to sleep here, quite secure and content, never troubling itself what its food will be, or where its lodging on the morrow. Like David, it 'abides under the shadow of the Almighty.' It sits on its little twig content, and lets God take care."

Martin Luther

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

What can we do?

"Are they not all ministering spirits?" Hebrews 1:14

May I reach
That purest heaven, be to other souls
The cup of strength in some great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more intense!
So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world.

George Eliot

Certainly, in our own little sphere it is not the most active people to whom we owe the most. Among the common people whom we know, it is not necessarily those who are busiest, not those who, meteor-like, are ever on the rush after some visible charge and work. It is the lives, like the stars, which simply pour down on us the calm light of their bright and faithful being, up to which we look and out of which we gather the deepest calm and courage. It seems to me that there is reassurance here for many of us who seem to have no chance for active usefulness. We can do nothing for our fellow-men. But still it is good to know that we can be something for them; to know (and this we may know surely) that no man or woman of the humblest sort can really be strong, gentle, pure, and good, without the world being better for it, without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

What do you desire?

"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10

"Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart." Psalm 119:2

The comfort of a mind at rest
From every care Thou hast not blest;
A heart from all the world set free,
To worship and to wait on Thee.

A. L. WARING.

Resign every forbidden joy; restrain every wish that is not referred to His will; banish all eager desires, all anxiety. Desire only the will of God; seek Him alone, and you will find peace. - Francois De La Mothe Fenelon

"I've been a great deal happier since I have given up thinking about what is easy and pleasant, and being discontented because I couldn't have my own will. Our life is determined for us; and it makes the mind very free when we give up wishing, and only think of bearing what is laid upon us, and doing what is given us to do." - George Eliot


Compiled by Mary W. Tileston taken from, "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Lord, what would you have me do today?

"Showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." TITUS 2:10

If on our daily course our mind
Be set to hallow all we find,
New treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.
- John Keble

If content and thankfulness, if the patient bearing of evil, be duties to God, they are the duties of every day, and in every circumstance of our life. If we are to follow Christ, it must be in our common way of spending every day. - William Law

He who is faithful over a few things is a lord of cities. It does not matter whether you preach in Westminster Abbey, or teach a ragged class, so you be faithful. The faithfulness is all. - George MacDonald

I would have you invoke God often through the day, asking Him to kindle a love for your vocation within you, and saying with St. Paul, "'Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?' Wouldst Thou have me serve Thee in the lowest ministries of Thy house? too happy if I may but serve Thee anyhow." And when any special thing is repugnant to you, ask "Wouldst Thou have me do it? Then, unworthy though I be, I will do it gladly." - St. Francis De Sales

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

How do we act?

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." I PETER 3:8

Make us of one heart and mind;
Courteous, pitiful, and kind;
Lowly, meek, in thought and word,
Altogether like our Lord.
- C. WESLEY

A little thought will show you how vastly your own happiness depends on the way other people bear themselves toward you. The looks and tones at your breakfast-table, the conduct of your fellow-workers or employers, the faithful or unreliable men you deal with, what people say to you on the street, the way your cook and housemaid do their work, the letters you get, the friends or foes you meet,--these things make up very much of the pleasure or misery of your day. Turn the idea around, and remember that just so much are you adding to the pleasure or the misery of other people's days. And this is the half of the matter which you can control. Whether any particular day shall bring to you more of happiness or of suffering is largely beyond your power to determine. Whether each day of your life shall give happiness or suffering rests with yourself. - GEORGE S. MERRIAM

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Take Courage

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth". - Psalm 145:18

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." - Psalm 34:4

Be Thou, O Rock of Ages, nigh!
So shall each murmuring thought be gone;
And grief and fear and care shall fly,
As clouds before the mid-day sun.

C. WESLEY.

Take courage, and turn your troubles, which are without remedy, into
material for spiritual progress. Often turn to our Lord, who is watching
you, poor frail little being as you are, amid your labors and distractions.
He sends you help, and blesses your affliction. This thought should enable
you to bear your troubles patiently and gently, for love of Him who only
allows you to be tried for your own good. Raise your heart continually to
God, seek His aid, and let the foundation stone of your consolation be your
happiness in being His. All vexations and annoyances will be comparatively
unimportant while you know that you have such a Friend, such a Stay, such a
Refuge. May God be ever in your heart.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

By Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Steadfast

"The shadow of a great rock in a weary land." Isaiah 32:2

"In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15

O Shadow in a sultry land!
We gather to Thy breast,
Whose love, enfolding like the night,
Brings quietude and rest,
Glimpse of the fairer life to be,
In foretaste here possessed.

Caroline M. Packard

Strive to see God in all things without exception, and acquiesce in His will with absolute submission. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to HIm by a mere upward glance, or by the overflowing of your heart towards Him. Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Commend all to God, and then lie still and be at rest in HIs bosom. Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love for you; and if you find that you have wandered forth form this shelter, recall your heart quietly and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind, and do not smother yourself with a host of cares, wishes, or longings, under any pretext. - Francis De Sales

By Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Every Man Has Hope

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." I John 3:3

Now, Lord, what wait I for?
On Thee alone
My hope is all rested -
Lord, seal me Thine own!
Only Thine own to be,
Only to live to Thee.
Thine, with each day begun,
Thine, with each set of sun,
Thine, till my work is done.

Anna B. Warner

Now, believe me, God hides some ideal in every human soul. At some time in our life we feel a trembling, fearful longing to do some good thing. Life finds its noblest spring of excellence in this hidden impulse to do our best. There is a time when we are not content to be such merchants or doctors or lawyers as we see on the dead level or below it. The woman longs to glorify her womanhood as sister, wife, or mother. Here is God - God standing silently at the door all day long - God whispering to the soul, that to be pure and true is to succeed in life, and whatever we get short of that will burn up like stubble, though the whole world try to save it. - Robert Collyer

By Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs

Burdens

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; not yet for your body, what ye shall put on." Matthew 6:25

One there lives whose guardian eye
Guides our earthly destiny;
One there lives who, Lord of all,
Keeps His children least they fall;
Pass we, then, in love and praise,
Trusting Him through all our days
Free from doubt and faithless sorrow -
God provideth for the morrow.

- Reginald Heber

It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourselves so loaded, at least remember this; it is your own doing, not God's. He begs you to leave the future to Him, and mind the present. - George MacDonald

Cast thy burdens upon the Lord - hand it over, heave it upon Him - and He shall sustain thee; bear both, if thou trust Him with both, both thee and thy burden; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. - Robert Leighton

By Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"