March (part 1 of 2)
MARCH 1
"For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation" (Psalm 132:13).
In verse 9 of Psalm 132 we see what place the righteousness and heavenly joy have in building the House of God. As we fulfil God's will we should rejoice in Him even though He permits persecution, sorrow, difficulties and trials in our lives. When we learn to rejoice in the Lord always, we will enjoy our share in building God's House.
In verse 13 we find David reigning in Zion as king over all the tribes, having driven out the Jebusites. There in Zion he wrote Psalm 48 in which he calls Zion "the city of the great king" in verse 2, "the city of our God" and "the mountain of his holiness" in verse 1, and "the city of our God" in verse 8. There David was given a clear revelation of the House of God, using these names. Abraham too had a vision of the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). That is why he was able to leave his kith and kin, property and possessions, and follow God, living in tents for the rest of his life. The Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts will enable us not to give any place, anywhere to the Jebusites. If we do give them room, we will only grieve the Lord.
In Psalm 132:14 David was not thinking of an earthly building. He desired to build the House of God, by God's own plan, which was a shadow of the true spiritual House which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is building. In verse 17 the Lord says, "There will I make the horn of David to bud...". David is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The "horn", speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's anointed One. Thus David began to see that there would be a great revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in His own House. Only when we come to the House of God, is our hunger for Him fully satisfied (vs. 15,16); and it is there that we find great joy among God's people in spite of all our trials, persecutions and afflictions. Those who take share willingly in building the House of God have abundant joy and true fellowship. Those who only come to enjoy singing in the meeting or even for lesser purposes, and taking no share in the work of building, will get easily offended and also lose their joy.
MARCH 2
"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious" (1 Peter 2:7).
The testimony of the Breaking of Bread is not a ceremony. It is a testimony. Our Lord gave thanks and broke the bread. He does not ask us to show sympathy for His death, but to give thanks because by one perfect sacrifice He accomplished the great work of salvation fully (Heb. 10:14). Before His coming, many sacrifices were offered at different times but not a single sinner became righteous through those sacrifices. So His suffering and death are a victory and not a defeat. By dying in our stead, He took upon Himself all our judgment and all our punishment. He made it possible for any sinner of any degree of any country and of any kind to become righteous. That is why we spend some time in worshipping Him and thanking Him before we take part in the Lord's Table. The Lord said in John 10:17,18, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it again". Paul testified in Gal. 2:20b "...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me". So by thanking Him for dying in our stead and conquering death on our behalf and by rising again, we are made partakers of the victory which He accomplished on the cross. We begin to see how precious as believers we are unto Him. And also we can see what a great and high purpose our Lord had in dying in our stead and saving us.
As we keep the Table in the middle the Lord speaks to us in a symbolic way. We can hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. First, He speaks to us and then we speak to Him. Our Lord says, "Remember, My dear children, how willingly and lovingly I gave my Body to be broken for you. I gave what all I had to be your Saviour". To be our Creator, our Lord said only one word. By one word He created all. But to be our Saviour He had to give all. He had to empty Himself. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). And that is how our Lord speaks to us in a symbolic way through the Bread and the Cup. He emptied Himself to be our Saviour. He gave all willingly. And that is why we are very precious unto Him. The Lord is saying to all among us who are redeemed by His precious blood, "My dear children, you are unto Me more precious than all the heavens put together. I gave My all to purchase you. Now you are unto Me a peculiar treasure". "For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure" (Psa. 135:4). In Matt. 13:44, we are called a treasure hid in a field. Also according to Matt. 13:46, we are His shinning pearl. In Deut 32:9, we are called His everlasting inheritance. Unto Him we are very precious, more precious than all the heavens put together. Heavens shall pass away, but those who are redeemed by His precious blood have the hope of living for ever. That is why falling upon our faces we worship him.
MARCH 3
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14).
We are God's peculiar people and so have to live a life worthy of our calling and vocation. "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth" (Deut. 14:2). By our conversation and mode of living we have to show that we are God's real treasure, and His peculiar people. With that message the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt. Soon after they came out of Egypt God spoke these words through Moses saying, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." (Exo. 19:5,6). We read the same thing in 1 Peter 2:9. "But ye are .. a peculiar people; ...". The phrase, "peculiar people" is rendered as a "purchased people" in the margin. We belong to the Lord because we are purchased by Him. We find the same thought in 1 Cor 6:20. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." We are purchased to be His people to show forth His glory. We ought to live a separated life.
In Deut. 13:6-9 there is a solemn warning to those who marry unbelievers. That is a very very common weakness and temptation among believers. They marry unbelievers hoping that gradually they can win their husbands or wives for the Lord. Instead they are enticed by their unbelieving partners to their way of life. Very secretly they go to places like cinemas, then they start mixing with worldly people and even accompany them to their temples. In the beginning they do so secretly but gradually they go completely away from the House of the Lord. God gives a strict warning to you. Do not let the enemy deceive you. Do not let the enemy rob you of your heavenly inheritance and portion. God's Word says, "And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (13:10). Many believers have been deceived by the heathen (vs. 12-14). All kinds of heathen practices are now observed by many believers at the time of child birth, marriages and funerals, by being in association with unbelievers. God hates all these heathen customs observed by some believers. God's Word is our guide. If we want to receive and enjoy our full share in God's fulness and His portion we have to live a life of complete separation. All kinds of rituals and ceremonies should be completely put away from our lives and families. "And there shall cleave nought of the cursed things to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers" (v.17). Ask the LORD to give you grace, strength and courage to follow Him all the way.
MARCH 4
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Prov. 3:5).
By ignoring God's leading and disobeying His commands we will become spiritually blind. Today we find many people have lost their vision concerning the things of God because of disobedience or because of partial obedience. For example, king Saul obeyed God partially and as a result of it he was rejected by God. David also fell into the temptation of numbering his great army and thus took pride in his strength (2 Sam. 24:2,3). He knew full well that all his victories were won by God and not by his own strength of army. He did not defeat Goliath by his own might or cleverness. He fought against Goliath in the Name of the Lord God and so defeated him (1 Sam. 17:45,50). Yet in his old age he yielded to the temptation of counting the number of his army. Joab, the commander of his army tried to save him from this mistake but David's determination prevailed. It revealed the fact that David's eyes were upon the large number of his people and not upon God. That is why God brought him upon his face on a threshing floor. In this way David had to learn to put his trust only on the Lord.
This kind of temptation come to all of us. We are tempted to depend upon our own will power, ability or knowledge to overcome our temptations or to do God's service. Many people depend upon their cameras, buildings and properties. They think by having all these things they will have more fruit and see good results. For fruitful ministry, we have to cast ourselves upon the Lord for every situation. Even preachers, if they depend upon their past blessing and achievements, will cut away the chance of seeing much fruit. Day after day we need to ask God our Lord to touch our lips, tongues and throats and give us His own message for His people. Only then will our ministry be blessed with full life and freshness.
It is necessary that we go on our knees and ask the Lord to anoint us and give us His message day by day. We should never depend upon our own cleverness, ability or energy for preparing messages as it will not lead to a triumphant and useful life. In order to teach all this, God asked Joshua to circumcise the people. He reminded them that they would be able to conquer the seven great nations and occupy the land of Canaan only by depending upon the strength of the Lord and not by depending upon their own weapons of war or large size of army or their own cleverness or scheming.
MARCH 5
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ ..." (Rom. 7:4).
Paul says that if a woman marries while her husband is alive, she is an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry somebody else (Rom. 7:3,4). The old Law is like that. It is now dead to us and has no claim on us and we are now married and are alive to the new Law of Grace. Imagine a widow remarrying and someone bringing the bones of her former dead husband and compelling her to keep them. Have you ever seen a women keeping the bones of her dead husband in her house? Paul said that the women is free from her dead husband. The Seventh Day Adventists are trying to bring dead bones into our homes. We are dead to the old Law and have been married to the new Law of God's grace. Why then should we go into bondage? The apostle Paul strongly warns the people of Rome and other places of the great danger of wrong teaching. "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:6). We are free from the old Law and have come under the new Law, the Law of the Spirit. You may question me, "Then why do we repeat the Ten Commandments?" It is the devil's trick and it has become common custom in many buildings on Sunday morning for the congregation to stand up and repeat like parrots the Ten Commandments and the Apostles' Creed. We are not told in any part of the Bible to repeat these passages. We are not under any commandment but we have come under God's grace. Our Lord has taught us that when the Spirit of grace comes into us we are automatically love and serve God and love our neighbour and fulfil the Law, not by merely repeating the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer or the Apostles' Creed. We cannot on our own fulfil the Law, but by the Lord Jesus Christ living in us, and by being led by His Spirit, we fulfil God's righteousness. The more we are led by the Holy Spirit the more we fulfil divine laws. Thus we have not come to Mount Sinai, but to Mount Zion.
MARCH 6
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).
Threads of gold were woven into the ephod. First of all, the gold had to be melted and taken through the refining fire seven times. The fire beneath the gold would melt it, and fire above the gold would remove the dross from it. In the same way, it is only by the fire of suffering and persecution that the believer's life can be refined and made to show forth God's glory. So do not be surprised if you are despised, hated and persecuted by the world. God will allow such fiery experiences in your life in order to make you like pure gold.
The molten gold had to be beaten with the hammer and made into a plate. Then it was cut into thin strips. Each strip was passed first through a large hole in an iron plate, then through the next hole which was slightly smaller. In this way it was passed through all the holes in the iron plate until it was finally passed through the smallest hole and came out as a golden thread, fit to be woven into the ephod. The bar of gold could not be woven, so it had to be taken through all these processes. It had to be melted in the fire, beaten with the hammer, cut into pieces and passed through many holes, and converted into fine golden threads.
Through all this we learn that, as believers, we can never become Christ-like if we do not go through suffering. Those who have had no experience of hardships and difficulties, will remain hard-hearted and unsympathetic. They will not be meek, gentle and kind and therefore they cannot show forth the virtues of the Lord Jesus Christ. After they have gone through suffering, they will become gentle and meek. You may have noticed that a person who has gone through much suffering can bear a rebuke without resentment and does not mind even if people hate him and curse him, while another who has lived only in pleasure, gets very much offended at least provocation. Therefore to make us kind, gentle and sympathetic like Christ, God takes us through the refining fires of affliction and trials.
MARCH 7
"... be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2).
Those who are going to get married must make sure of God's perfect will about their union. They should not be governed by outward appearance, physical attraction, earthly possessions or worldly qualifications. Most people have entirely a wrong conception of married life. Some depend upon beauty, riches and education for happiness. That is why they are disappointed in the end. It is very necessary for those who are going to get married to wait upon the Lord sufficiently in prayer and give Him enough time to make His will perfectly clear and have full evidence of that perfect will. God's Word says, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17), "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove that what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2). It is by knowing and doing God's will that we enjoy His favour. In Matt. 12:50 the Lord said, "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother". The life of the Lord Jesus Christ flows like a river in those who are born again. Those who are not born again do not have eternal life and they never find God's will. That is why before we solemnize any marriage, we question those who are going to be united, whether they are born again, whether their sins are forgiven and whether they have received the gift of eternal life. The bridegroom and the bride have to pray much individually, and find out the Lord's perfect will for their union. No one knows what will happen the next day. Our health may fail or our circumstances may change. We do not know how long we will live. Only God knows the end from the beginning. That is why we must know God's perfect will for our lives. In Psa. 143:10 the Psalmist says, "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness". Those who are joined together must be able to say truthfully and sincerely, "This person is chosen for me by my Lord, according to His will". Before they think of gold, silver, job or clothes, they must find God's will.
MARCH 8
"I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8).
David came to be known as a valiant man. There was reason for David to be proud of his sling and five stones, with which he had been able to kill a lion and a bear and Goliath. David had other qualifications too, of which he could have been proud. He was clever in playing many musical instruments. He was prudent in all matters and not like common shepherds who are usually ignorant and often foolish. Besides all this he was a good-looking man. A young man with so many qualifications might usually expect to rise to a very high position in life. However, David did not have any worldly ambitions; he had only one longing, to serve the living God, as we see from his words in 1 Samuel 17:26. God was saying to him, "David, if you want to serve me and enjoy my faithfulness, do not depend upon your five stones and sling, nor upon your high qualifications, nor upon your human wisdom. I will take away your five stones and give you five better ones". As the Lord took Moses to Midian, so now he took David through five great experiences in his life, and gave him always one by one five "greater stones" which he might use as weapons. That is always God's way with us: He takes away something less valuable and less useful, and gives us instead something better and greater.
According to the standards of his day, David was the best qualified man in the whole country. So he might have thought that because of these qualifications he would be much appreciated by his countrymen. He found that on the contrary, these same qualifications were instrumental in making Saul his enemy, because jealousy was stirred up in him. Saul tried to kill David three times. David had to escape into the wilderness. Thus God brought him to the cave of Adullam (meaning resting place). At the same time God brought Abiathar, the priest, to David and Abiathar brought with him the ephod of the high priest. Thus it was that David learned to speak with God through the priest and the ephod. This is the first precious stone God had planned to give David in the place of the five stones of his sling. So the first stone represents to us the capacity to speak with God and find out His will for every matter in our life and ministry.
We cannot defeat the devices of the enemy merely through our Bible knowledge, or our long prayers and fasting, or by putting on simple clothes. We can do it only by knowing God's will and doing it. If we continue doing the will of God day by day faithfully, we will see the enemy defeated again and again, and we will be able to appropriate His victory. So may the Lord teach us how to speak with God and find His will, and then obey Him implicitly. This is the first stone God gave to David.
MARCH 9
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes" (Psalm 118:8,9).
Now see the second stone which God gave to David. The people of Keilah were being oppressed by the Philistines. King Saul was unable to help them, but David went and delivered them. Then David must have thought that because of the great help he had given to the people of Keilah they would be grateful to him and would even risk their lives to protect him from the hands of Saul. However, he enquired from God, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up" (1 Samuel 23:12). This revelation would have caused great disappointment to David, but through this he learned the lesson that he should not put his trust in any man. To teach this lesson God had brought David to Keilah.
A day will come in your life also when a most intimate friend, whom you loved and helped, will fail you. You will wonder how one whom you loved so much could become your enemy. Do not be surprised. God is teaching you that you must put your faith entirely and only upon the living God, and He will prove His faithfulness to you.
The word "Keilah" means "fort" or "pillar." God was saying to David that he should not consider any human source as his fort or pillar. Of God alone he should say, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, ...and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2). If you want to lead a triumphant life you should trust only in the living God. Many people's eyes are open upon their friends and relatives. Some have their eyes upon help from America. How sad this is! For this reason their lives remain barren spiritually. Thus we see that the second stone which God gave to David was the lesson that he should never put his trust in man but depend upon God alone.
MARCH 10
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vegeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
The third stone we can see in 1 Samuel 24:1-8. The Lord had brought David to Engedi. Saul had become David's deadly enemy and was hunting him to kill him. While Saul was camped in Engedi, one day David came very close to Saul; and if he had so desired he could easily have smitten him and killed him. On yet another occasion when Saul and his company were fast asleep, David could have killed Saul without any difficulty. On both occasions David withheld his hand from smiting Saul, saying, he would not touch Saul, for he was the Lord's anointed. God does not want us to use violence against our enemies, nor will He allow us to use earthly weapons. On the other hand God wants us to love those who falsely accuse us. When men try to kill us, we should pray for their salvation. So the third stone which God gave to David was this, that he should not trust any earthly weapon for his protection but put his faith in God that He will protect him, and not allow any weapon of the enemy to prosper against him.
Many years ago a friend of mine came to see me. He showed me a letter which some man had written against me. My friend said to me, "Brother, please give me power of attorney; and I will go to court against this man, I will bear all the expenses. How dare he write such filthy things against you". I replied, "I believe in Isaiah 54:17, which says that God will not allow any weapon to prosper against me". From that time for full three months I went on praying for that man who had written the nasty letter. Whenever I met him in the street I would speak to him nicely and kindly. I never let him know that I was aware of what he had done against me so secretly. At the end of three months he came to attend one of our meetings. When the meeting was over he came to meet me. He asked me to let him speak to me for five minutes. There were tears in his eyes. I said to him, "Before you say anything, I want to say that I have already forgiven you". He was taken aback and said, "How do you know what I have to say to you?" I told him I had known it for three months, but I had already forgiven him and had been praying for him. After that he became a dear friend to me.
We must learn not to use worldly weapons against our enemies. God's Word tells us that we will be hated and despised and persecuted for the Gospel's sake. We have to be prepared for the worst. But at the same time we are assured God will work for us. Just as in due time God smote Saul, He will also defeat all our enemies and supply us all our needs, without using any underhand methods; without giving bribes, you will be able to get victory in every matter, whether it be promotion in your office or admission of your children into schools and colleges.
MARCH 11
"O ISRAEL, return unto the LORD thy God" (Hosea 14:1).
Now let us see the fourth stone which the Lord brought to David. We read in 1 Samuel 30:1-6 of perhaps, the most humbling experience David had. David knew that He should not touch the Lord's anointed. Then after some time he became so impatient that he was tempted to join the Philistines in their fight against Saul. Nevertheless the leaders of the Philistines refused to trust David and sent him back. Sad and frustrated David returned to Ziklag. On returning, David found that Ziklag had been sacked and burnt; and the women and children had all be carried away as captives. Seeing this, David and his men began to weep until they had not more strength to weep.
After a while David's men began to speak of stoning him (v. 6). Yes, it was David's mistake. He should have consulted God before going out with the Philistines. He had done this on many occasions, but this time he had been impatient and had brought so much suffering upon himself and his men. Sometimes it is same with us also. We wait for God's will to be revealed. After a while we get discouraged and say, "I cannot wait any longer". Then we go and do something hastily without finding the will of God. For this reason we find today so many broken homes, so many unhappy lives and so many miserable families, all because of men, women and children who are living in sin. They were not willing to wait and find God's will, so now they are shedding tears.
Even after committing such blunders, if we are willing to return to the Lord, He is willing to forgive, and receive us. So when David repented, God forgave him. When he enquired of God, He guided him so that he was able to follow the Amalekites and recover all and even more than he had lost. David and his men smote the Amalekites, took all their spoil, although humanly speaking, there was no hope of recovering what they had lost, because the Amalekites were many in number and were well armed for warfare. We may fail God. But He will not fail us. He abideth faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). David was able now to pay all the debts he had incurred in receiving the help and shelter of friends during his eight years of sojourn in the wilderness. As a man of God, David remembered all the kindness shown to him, and repaid it at the earliest opportunity. He was not like some of us who are very clever in borrowing money and then equally clever in forgetting all about it. When we ask for a loan we are so earnest, and promise to repay very quickly, perhaps, even the next day or the same evening. Then weeks, months, and years pass by and we will not repay even if we are reminded. David repaid not by compulsion; but willingly and joyfully. If you are willing to humble yourself, and accept your mistakes, and return to the Lord wholeheartedly, He will give you complete recovery from every loss. This is the fourth stone the Lord wants to give us.
MARCH 12
"Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary ..." (1 Chron. 28:10).
David had imitated the Philistines and taken the Ark of God upon a bullock-cart. He had not consulted the priests and the Levites before doing this. Instead, he had consulted the captains and officers of his army. During that incident Uzzah touched the Ark and died immediately. Through this bitter experience David had learnt the lesson that he should not use human wisdom to do the work of God. We cannot dispense with implicit obedience to the revealed will of God. We cannot change God's Word, or find a better method than God's method.
Very often, like David, we also are deceived by our own wisdom. We have so much confidence in our Bible knowledge that we go forward to preach without spending sufficient time in prayer. Some preachers have about twenty-five well prepared sermons with them. They can get ready with one of them at a moment's notice. As a result they do not feel the need for prayer. They are like some Indian wives who can cleverly use the left-over rice of the previous day. Adding tamarind juice and other ingredients to it they can prepare tasty "Puliharam" for the morning's breakfast. Guests may think it is freshly cooked whereas it is really the left-over food of the previous day. In the same way these preachers may preach very eloquently and give the impression that their messages are fresh, while they are only stale old sermons, and are like chaff in the eyes of the Lord. We should not depend upon our knowledge, but look to the Lord afresh to receive His appropriate message for every occasion. That is the divine order. Likewise we have to find the divine order for all matters in our private life, home life and church life. In every case, unless we are freed from our own plans we will not be able to find out God's heavenly plan for us.
Later on we see that the Lord had to bring David to the threshing floor a second time, the threshing floor of Araunah, because he very soon forget the lesson God had taught him. We all suffer from forgetfulness. But even those who have good memories are very quick to forget the lesson which God teaches us. So God keeps on reminding us again and again.
Later on God gave to David in writing the plan for the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:11,19), just as many years ago, He had given to Moses in writing the Ten commandments. This plan was a shadow or type of the House of God which is eternal. Thus the plan for building the House of God became the fifth stone which God gave David. The revelation of God's plan for the Church becomes the fifth stone which God wants to give to us also. The Church, which is the true House of God, is to contain all the fullness of God. We must consider and fully understand and appreciate what a wonderful privilege it is to be co-workers with God and have a share in building the House of God.
MARCH 13
"... lay up these my words in your heart and ... ye shall teach them your children..." (Deut. 11:18,19).
Naaman went to Elisha and at his word was healed of his disease by dipping himself seven times in the river Jordan. Not only was he healed physically but he was healed spiritually also. From that day on he refused to bow down to any one except the living God of Israel. Naaman would have told his king and other great men of his country how through the little slave girl he had ultimately come to know the living God. It is quite possible that many other people would have gone to prophet Elisha with their different needs. Thus Naaman became a witness of the living God.
All this happened because of the faithfulness of the little girl's parents who had taught her about the living God and His prophet. Thus we see that parents have a tremendous responsibility towards their children. Every child is a gift of God. It is the parents' great responsibility to teach them the Word of God faithfully. Many parents are very, very careless regarding the spiritual life of their children. As a result, rather than receiving joy and blessing from them, they receive sadness and discouragement, and have to shed many tears of sorrow. If the children go astray, to a great extent it is the fault of the parents. They have been negligent and careless in their spiritual responsibility. They might have provided the physical needs of the children in abundance and given them many clothes, plenty of toys and many boxes of sweets. But they have had no time to teach them the Word of God or to pray with them. They have been far too busy with other matters and are now paying a high price for their negligence.
Please see what kind of testimony God could give about Abraham in Genesis 18:19. "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD many bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him". God said, "I know Abraham". Will He say about you, who are believing parents, "I know so and so, that he will command his children and his household after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord?" God does not want to know what high education or how many university degrees you have. He wants to know how much time you spend with the Word of God along with your wife and children. When God found Abraham faithful in his duty towards his children, He said He would bring to pass that which he had spoken of him. When parents do their part, God will also do His part. He will fulfil all His promises.
MARCH 14
"They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed" (Psa. 34:5).
In the year 1947 a ship came to Southampton carrying about 1,530 soldiers returning home from a battlefield. When the ship arrived, many friends and relatives had come to the harbour to receive their loved ones. A young girl also had come to meet her fiance who had been separated since the beginning of the war. War or no war no one could change their hearts and they remained faithful to each other. There she was going up and down the dock, looking this way and that, searching eagerly. But all men the looked alike. They all wore the same kind of uniform. Would she be able to recognize her young man in such a large crowd? As the soldiers saw her walking to and fro on the dock they began to mock. She took no notice of what they said. Her young man had written to her and so she knew he must be there somewhere on the ship. Suddenly she heard her name called. "Oh!" she said joyfully. "That is my young man. There he is, there he is!" Nearly a thousand eyes had been trying to draw away her attention but all in vain. In the same way, once we know our Lord by experience no man or woman can draw our eyes from Him.
It is our longing that our eyes also may be fixed upon the Lord. There may be extreme persecution, there may be rebuke, ridicule or mockery for His Name's sake. We may be even hated by our own parents, friends, relations or neighbours. All this may happen to us sooner or later. Many believers have been drawn away by men, women, money and position. They have denied their Lord. But our Lord loves us, and He is saying to us again and again, "Look unto Me, look unto Me... all the ends of the world" (Isa. 45:22). What a loving invitation! Our Lord is saying to all of us, "Whatever may be your difficulty, or trial or temptation, you look unto Me." That is the secret of victory.
The Lord is calling you whatever your fears, your troubles or afflictions may be, to look unto Him. First of all, David came to the Lord with tears of repentance and sorrow; then there was joy upon his face. The Psalmist says, "They looked unto Him and their faces were radiant". Straightway their faces became radiant. We can say these words with authority; "All your afflictions, troubles and trials can disappear provided you look at the One, Who loved you and died for you." He is saying these words showing you His wounded hands and wounded feet, "Look unto Me and see what I have done for you. How much I have suffered for you to forgive you, and to transform you, and to take away all your fears, afflictions and trials." Look unto Him today and you also will become radiant.
MARCH 15
"And in those days, when the number of disciples were multiplied, there arose a murmuring..." (Acts 6:1).
Whenever the work of God increases there is bound to be murmuring. There are murmurers in every congregation. In the early church the Greeks were tempted to feel that partiality was being shown towards the Jews while their own needs were being neglected. This was a delicate question and a difficult barrier. How did the apostles overcome it? We find the answer in verse 2. The apostles called the congregation together and said to them, "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." Then after fasting and prayer deacons were chosen and set apart. Many of us are tempted in the same way, and the devil often succeeds in making us forsake our first job for the second. Men who have been commanded of God to preach the Gospel and who have been anointed by the Holy Ghost for this purpose are now serving tables. They say, "Somebody has to do this also! If we don't do it, who else will?" The real issue is this, "Did God call you to serve tables or did He call you to preach the Word?" You have to find this out for yourself. If God has called you to minister His Word then do not be carried away by what seems to be "important duties".
When I returned to India after my education abroad, I also faced a similar problem. My father had been involved in a court case in Punjab and had suffered a loss of more than a lakh of rupees. He told me that the family was counting on me to help them, as I was the eldest son; and that I should find a job for at least six months. He appealed to me for the sake of my younger brothers. I told my father I knew definitely that God has called me to preach the Gospel. After two years of struggle I had at last yielded my life and time and energy to God, for His service and now if I disobeyed God my father would suffer more loss. I said to my father, "I cannot give you any help, I cannot protect you from dangers. But God can. Your safety lies in my obedience. If I obey my Lord I know that eventually you and the whole family will be blessed. I believe in God". At this, my mother began to weep. My father also wept. He took off his turban and laying it at my feet he asked me, "Not even for a few months?" Again I said firmly, "No, God must come first. One day all your troubles will be over through my obedience." Later, whenever I visited Punjab, my relatives expressed their gratitude to me for my obedience to God because through it they had been so abundantly blessed. Everyone in my family has been richly blessed much more than you can imagine. They say, "It is all because of your prayers we are what we are". As a result I had an open door to preach the Gospel in all their homes. They will even sit up till midnight waiting for me to visit them and give them God's message. I still remember what a great temptation it was for me in the beginning to yield to their plea and disobey God's call. What a loss it would have been!
The same temptation faces many other also. I know many servants of God who under similar pressure, have forsaken their calling and are spending their days doing "good things" but not fulfilling the calling which God had for them. It is only through faith and waiting upon God in prayer, that we can overcome all barriers.
MARCH 16
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).
It is so very clear. He has right now blessed us with all the blessings of heaven: all the blessings, mind you, and not only a few. "All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus... all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's (Eph. 1:3, 1 Cor.3:22 and 23).
Now imagine you want to buy something and you go into a very big shop in London. In these days they have super markets. In such a place you can buy anything and everything you want. But you only want to buy a small suitcase and so you go in there. You can walk around the whole super market and you show the salesman only a small suitcase. You go to the manager and ask him, "What is the price?" Suppose the manager answers, "All these things are yours. There is no price. Everything is free. You bring all the trucks you can and carry away everything you desire. You can carry all things away." You will be surprised, will you not? You came to buy just a small suitcase, but the manager is telling you the whole super market is yours, and that you could take it all away. Will it not be wonderful? You find a similar thing here. We go to God and say: "God have mercy upon me, and forgive my sins. Do not punish me. Have mercy on me." But the Lord says, "My son, not only do I forgive you but also give you my whole Heaven." That is what God's Word says. They are not my words. God has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Is it not a wonderful salvation? It is a great salvation. Our Lord wants us to be filled with His fulness. To this end He wants us to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we might be filled with all the fulness of God (Eph. 3:19). What a love! That is the prayer of Paul the apostle. We must understand that God's love is so great. It passeth our knowledge, it is beyond our understanding. It is so great! It is unique! Ah! the wonder of it all: God wants us to be filled with His fulness. It is only when His work of salvation is completed that we shall know how we are filled with God's fulness. That is why God wants us to be with Him for eternity as kings that we might be filled with His fulness.
MARCH 17
"But now being made free from sin, ... ye have your fruit unto holiness" (Rom. 6:22).
When a wound becomes infected it gets filled with pus, but when it heals you find the old flesh getting dry gradually and new, clean flesh forming. In the same way when the life of the Lord Jesus comes unto us, old things like hatred, malice, jealousy and enmity dry away and new attitudes appear in their stead (Col. 3:8-10). That is why we read, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (verse 12). These virtues come by themselves when the power of resurrection works within us. Everyone who has wronged you, you will have a desire to forgive. God's love will come into you and make you forgive others and will keep your heart free from bitterness and hatred. Heavenly peace will fill your soul. Your heart will be full of gratitude to God and you will end every day with thanksgiving as you constantly remember how the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for your sins and forgave you. This threefold union with the Lord Jesus Christ, in His death, burial and resurrection will fill our lives with His divine power of resurrection and make our lives like Aaron's rod that budded, and brought forth almonds.
Now let us see what almond stands for in the Word of God. "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it" (Jer. 1:11,12). Whatever God declares in His Word, will be fulfilled one day. Whatever has proceeded from the mouth of God must come to pass. His Word cannot fail (Psa. 33:9; 148:5). Thus, resting upon His promises which never fail and by being filled with divine life, we can serve God in newness of Spirit.
MARCH 18
"... and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).
Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb are without spot and blemish, and even angels in heaven can see no fault in them. What a wonderful salvation! What a wonderful Saviour! If you have really accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, the Spirit of God makes you His for ever, and gives you the divine nature. Only the grace of God does this, and not any man. Henceforth wherever you go you will shine in the glory of the Lord. Once a man took a piece of clay from under a rose bush, and found that it smelt very sweet, because the fragrance of the rose was upon it. In the same way, whenever you spend more time at His feet you will see every part of your life being filled with His glory and beauty and power. This is our heavenly calling upon the earth. Even though you may have any profession upon the earth, still the fragrance of His holiness will be seen upon you.
Also the Lord has promised to guide us continually (Isa. 58:11). This provision is meant for every believer. In the Old Testament, only the high priest was able to know the mind of God. But now every believer has the privilege of knowing His will (John 4:34; 6:38; 7:17; 8:28; 9:31). We can enjoy His love and affection if we know and do His will (Matt. 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21). He offers to reveal to you the mind of God, so that you may know God's will in every kind of individual, family or assembly need. Then His fragrance will flow through you.
By the guidance of the Lord you will be victorious over every trial and the Lord will make for you "a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters" (Isa. 43:16). His guidance will take you safely through any darkness, or any valley, led by His loving and skilful hands. Even though you may not know the opposition of Satan and be surrounded by darkness, by His guidance you will hear His voice, "Fear not; there is a way here also." This can be your daily and hourly experience.
MARCH 19
"... And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (2 Kings 2:9).
Let us see how God prepared Elisha to be his faithful servant. First he had to be just pouring water on Elijah's hands (See 2 Kings 3:11). Such a task is more profitable than studying Ph. D. or any other degree. Many who study hard to get their degrees, are full of doubts. They may study well and learn much, but they remain weak in faith. When the Lord called Elisha he had been engaged in the hard task of ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen (1 Kings 19:19). So Elisha could have thought he was now wasting his time, just pouring water on Elijah's hands. Elisha was to be given a heavy task by God, because there were many false prophets in the country, and other bitter enemies of God's interests, like Jezebel. Even though there was much urgent need, the Lord did not commission Elisha till many years later. By serving Elijah, Elisha had to learn divine order, subjection and humility. Other sons of the prophets came to be taught and went away satisfied with new knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. But Elisha was not satisfied with this. He went on ministering to Elijah with a great longing in his heart to become an effective and fruitful servant of God. At last in 2 Kings 2:9, near the end of Elijah's life on earth, Elisha found an opportunity of asking a favour from Elijah. He did not ask for popularity, or worldly gain, but for a double portion of the Spirit which Elijah had, because he wanted to be God's faithful and fruitful servant.