Difference between revisions of "February 28-29"

Latest revision as of 15:24, 7 February 2011

Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Praise in the Midst of Trouble

"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Heb. 13:15).

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.

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:

"Nobody knows de trouble I see,
Nobody knows but Jesus;
Nobody knows de trouble I see-
Sing Glory Hallelu!

"Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down,
Sometimes I'm level on the groun',
Sometimes the glory shines aroun'
Sing Glory Hallelu!"

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:

"Nobody knows de joys I has,

Nobody knows but Jesus!"

"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.

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."

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. Wm. G. Garnett

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-==Into the Deep==
+[[February 1-29|'''Day 1''']], [[February 2-29|'''2''']], [[February 3-29|'''3''']], [[February 4-29|'''4''']], [[February 5-29|'''5''']], [[February 6-29|'''6''']], [[February 7-29|'''7''']], [[February 8-29|'''8''']], [[February 9-29|'''9''']], [[February 10-29|'''10''']], [[February 11-29|'''11''']], [[February 12-29|'''12''']], [[February 13-29|'''13''']], [[February 14-29|'''14''']], [[February 15-29|'''15''']], [[February 16-29|'''16''']], [[February 17-29|'''17''']], [[February 18-29|'''18''']], [[February 19-29|'''19''']], [[February 20-29|'''20''']], [[February 21-29|'''21''']], [[February 22-29|'''22''']], [[February 23-29|'''23''']], [[February 24-29|'''24''']], [[February 25-29|'''25''']], [[February 26-29|'''26''']], [[February 27-29|'''27''']], [[February 28-29|'''28''']], [[February 29-29|'''29''']]
-"Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4).<br/>
+----
+==Praise in the Midst of Trouble==
-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/>
+"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Heb. 13:15).<br/>
-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/>
+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/>
-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/>
+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/>
-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/>
+"Nobody knows de trouble I see,<br/>
+Nobody knows but Jesus;<br/>
+Nobody knows de trouble I see-<br/>
+Sing Glory Hallelu!<br/>
-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/>
+"Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down,<br/>
+Sometimes I'm level on the groun',<br/>
+Sometimes the glory shines aroun'<br/>
+Sing Glory Hallelu!"<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/>
+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:<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/>
+"Nobody knows de joys I has,<br/>
-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/>
+Nobody knows but Jesus!"<br/>
-Soul Food<br/>
-"Its streams the whole creation reach,<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/>
-So plenteous is the store;<br/>
-Enough for all, enough for each; <br/>
-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.
+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/>
-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).
+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.
+Wm. G. Garnett<br/>
-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.
-<br/>
-[[February 29-29]][[Category:Devotional]]