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Difference between revisions of "February 28-29"

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==Praise in the Midst of Trouble==
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==Into the Deep==
  
"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Heb. 13:15).<br/>
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"Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4).<br/>
  
A city missionary, stumbling through the dirt of a dark entry, heard a voice say, "Who's there, Honey?" Striking a match, he caught a vision of earthly want and suffering, of saintly trust and peace, "cut in ebony"-calm, appealing eyes set amid the wrinkles of a pinched, black face that lay on a tattered bed.<br/>  
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How deep He does not say. The depth into which we launch will depend upon how perfectly we have given up the shore, and the greatness of our need, and the apprehension of our possibilities. The fish were to be found in the deep, not in the shallow water.<br/>
  
It was a bitter night in February, and she had no fire, no fuel, no light. She had had no supper, no dinner, no breakfast. She seemed to have nothing at all but rheumatism and faith in God. One could not well be more completely exiled from all pleasantness of circumstances, yet the favorite song of this old creature ran:<br/>
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So with us; our needs are to be met in the deep things of God. We are to launch out into the deep of God's Word, which the Spirit can open up to us in such crystal fathomless meaning that the same words we have accepted in times past will have an ocean meaning in them, which renders their first meaning to us very shallow.<br/>
  
"Nobody knows de trouble I see,<br/>
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Into the deep of the Atonement, until Christ's precious blood is so illuminated by the Spirit that it becomes an omnipotent balm, and food and medicine for the soul and body.<br/>
Nobody knows but Jesus; <br/>
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Nobody knows de trouble I see-<br/>
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Sing Glory Hallelu!<br/>
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"Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down,<br/>
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Into the deep of the Father's will, until we apprehend it in its infinite minuteness and goodness, and its far-sweeping provision and care for us.<br/>
Sometimes I'm level on the groun', <br/>
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Sometimes the glory shines aroun'<br/>
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Sing Glory Hallelu!"<br/>
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And so it went on: "Nobody knows de work I does, Nobody knows de griefs I has," the constant refrain being the "Glory Hallelu!" until the last verse rose:
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Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, dazzling, sweet, fathomless summer sea, in which we bathe and bask and breathe, and lose ourselves and our sorrows in the calmness and peace of His everlasting presence.<br/>
  
"Nobody knows de joys I has,<br/>
+
Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, marvelous answer to prayer, the most careful and tender guidance, the most thoughtful anticipation of our needs, the most accurate and supernatural shaping of our events.<br/>
  
Nobody knows but Jesus!"<br/>
+
Into the deep of God's purposes and coming kingdom, until the Lord's coming and His millennial reign are opened up to us; and beyond these the bright entrancing ages on ages unfold themselves, until the mental eye is dazed with light, and the heart flutters with inexpressible anticipations of its joy with Jesus and the glory to be revealed.<br/>
  
"Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." It takes great Bible words to tell the cheer of that old negro auntie.<br/>
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Into all these things, Jesus bids us launch. He made us and He made the deep, and to its fathomless depths He has fitted our longings and capabilities.<br/>
 +
Soul Food<br/>
  
Remember Luther on his sick-bed. Between his groans he managed to preach on this wise: "These pains and trouble here are like the type which the printers set; as they look now, we have to read them backwards, and they seem to have no sense or meaning in them; but up yonder, when the Lord God prints us off in the life to come, we shall find they make brave reading." <br/>
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"Its streams the whole creation reach,<br/>
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So plenteous is the store;<br/>
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Enough for all, enough for each; <br/>
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Enough forevermore."<br/>
 +
 
 +
The deep waters of the Holy Spirit are always accessible, because they are always proceeding. Will you not this day claim afresh to be immersed and drenched in these waters of life? The waters in Ezekiel's vision first of all oozed from under the doors of the temple. Then the man with the measuring line measured and found the waters to the ankles.
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 +
Still further measurement, and they were waters to the knees. Once again they were measured and the waters were to the loins. Then they became waters to swim in-a river that could not be passed over. (Read Ezekiel 47:1 all).
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 +
How far have we advanced into this river of life? The Holy Spirit would have a complete self effacement. Not merely ankle-deep, knee-deep, loin-deep, but self-deep. We ourselves hidden out of sight and bathed in this life-giving stream.
 +
 
 +
Let go the shore-lines and launch out into the deep. Never forget, the Man with the measuring line is with us today.
 +
J.G.M.
  
Only we do not need to wait till then. Remember Paul walking the hurricane deck amid a boiling sea, bidding the frightened crew "Be of good cheer," Luther, the old negro auntie-all of them human sun-flowers.<br/>
 
Wm. G. Garnett<br/>
 
  
 
<br/>
 
<br/>
 
[[February 29-29]][[Category:Devotional]]
 
[[February 29-29]][[Category:Devotional]]

Revision as of 19:45, 6 February 2011

Into the Deep

"Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4).

How deep He does not say. The depth into which we launch will depend upon how perfectly we have given up the shore, and the greatness of our need, and the apprehension of our possibilities. The fish were to be found in the deep, not in the shallow water.

So with us; our needs are to be met in the deep things of God. We are to launch out into the deep of God's Word, which the Spirit can open up to us in such crystal fathomless meaning that the same words we have accepted in times past will have an ocean meaning in them, which renders their first meaning to us very shallow.

Into the deep of the Atonement, until Christ's precious blood is so illuminated by the Spirit that it becomes an omnipotent balm, and food and medicine for the soul and body.

Into the deep of the Father's will, until we apprehend it in its infinite minuteness and goodness, and its far-sweeping provision and care for us.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, dazzling, sweet, fathomless summer sea, in which we bathe and bask and breathe, and lose ourselves and our sorrows in the calmness and peace of His everlasting presence.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, marvelous answer to prayer, the most careful and tender guidance, the most thoughtful anticipation of our needs, the most accurate and supernatural shaping of our events.

Into the deep of God's purposes and coming kingdom, until the Lord's coming and His millennial reign are opened up to us; and beyond these the bright entrancing ages on ages unfold themselves, until the mental eye is dazed with light, and the heart flutters with inexpressible anticipations of its joy with Jesus and the glory to be revealed.

Into all these things, Jesus bids us launch. He made us and He made the deep, and to its fathomless depths He has fitted our longings and capabilities.
Soul Food

"Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store;
Enough for all, enough for each;
Enough forevermore."

The deep waters of the Holy Spirit are always accessible, because they are always proceeding. Will you not this day claim afresh to be immersed and drenched in these waters of life? The waters in Ezekiel's vision first of all oozed from under the doors of the temple. Then the man with the measuring line measured and found the waters to the ankles.

Still further measurement, and they were waters to the knees. Once again they were measured and the waters were to the loins. Then they became waters to swim in-a river that could not be passed over. (Read Ezekiel 47:1 all).

How far have we advanced into this river of life? The Holy Spirit would have a complete self effacement. Not merely ankle-deep, knee-deep, loin-deep, but self-deep. We ourselves hidden out of sight and bathed in this life-giving stream.

Let go the shore-lines and launch out into the deep. Never forget, the Man with the measuring line is with us today. J.G.M.



February 29-29