He who can truly say this, is a God

(Thomas Brooks, "An Ark for All God's Noahs" 1662)

"The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore
 I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:24

God is every believer's portion.

Riches are not every believer's portion
—but God is every believer's portion.

Liberty and freedom are not every believer's
portion—but God is every believer's portion.

Honor and applause are not every believer's
portion—but God is every believer's portion.

Prosperity and success are not every believer's
portion—but God is every believer's portion.

God is a universal portion. God is a portion that includes
all other portions. God has Himself the good, the sweet,
the profit, the pleasure, the delight, the comfort—of all
portions. There is no good in wife, child, father, friend,
husband, health, wealth, wit, wisdom, learning, honor
—but is all found in God.

There is in God—an immense fullness, an ocean of goodness,
and an abundance of all that graciousness, sweetness, and
kindness—that is to be found in all other things or creatures.
All the goodnesses of all the creatures, are eminently and
perfectly to be enjoyed in God. The cream, the good, the
sweet, the beauty, and the glory of every creature, and of
every thing—centers in God.

God is a universal excellency. All the particular excellencies
that are scattered up and down among angels, men, and all
other creatures—are virtually and transcendently in Him. He
has them all in His own being. All creatures in heaven and
earth have but their particular excellencies; but God has in
Himself the very quintessence of all excellencies! 

The creatures have but drops of that sea, that ocean—which
is in God. They have but their parts of that power, wisdom,
goodness, righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, loveliness,
desirableness, sweetness, graciousness, beauty, and glory
—which is in God. One has this part, and another has that;
one has this particular excellency, and another has that.
But the whole of all these parts and excellencies, are to
be found in God alone!

There is none but that God, who is the universal good,
who can truly say, "All power, all wisdom, all strength,
all knowledge, all goodness, all sweetness, all beauty,
all glory, all excellency, etc., dwells in Me!" He who
can truly say this, is a God; and he who cannot,
is no God.

All the excellencies that are scattered up and down in the
creatures, are united into one excellency in God. There is
a glorious union of all excellencies in God—and only in God.

Now this God, who is such a universal good, and who has
all excellencies dwelling in Himself, says to the believer,
"I am yours, and all that I have is yours!"
Every believer has the whole God wholly; he has all 
of God for his portion. God is not a believer's portion
in a limited sense, nor in a comparative sense—but
in an absolute sense.

God Himself is theirs.

He is wholly theirs.

He is always theirs.

Our property reaches to all that God is,
and to all that God has. 

He has all—who has the Possessor of all. 

To be able to say, "God is mine!" is more than
if I were able to say that ten thousand worlds,
yes, and as many heavens, are mine! 

Oh what a spring of joy and comfort should
this be to all the saints!

"This God is our God forever and ever!" Ps. 48:14

Meditation

The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
"A Sermon from a Rush"

Isaac walked in the fields at evening time to meditate.

I commend him for his occupation.   Meditation is
exceedingly profitable to the mind. If we talked less,
read less, and meditated more, we would be wiser men.

I commend him for the season which he chose for that
occupation-  at evening time. When the business of the
day was over, and the general stillness of nature was
in harmony with the quiet of his soul.

I also commend him for the place which he selected-
the wide expanse of nature -- the field.

Wise men can readily find a thousand subjects
for contemplation abroad in the open country.
When a man walks in the fields, having the Lord in
his heart, and his whole mental faculties directed
towards heavenly things, all things aid him in his
pleasing occupation.

If we look above to sun, moon, and stars, all these
remind us of the grandeur of God, and make us ask
ourselves, "What is man, that the Lord should be
mindful of him, or the son of man, that Jehovah
should visit him?"

If we look below, the green meadows, or golden
cornfields, all proclaim divine care and bounty.
There is not a bird that sings, nor a grasshopper
that chirps in the grass, which does not urge us
to praise and magnify the name of the Most High.
While the plants, from the hyssop on the wall to
the cedar which spreads its boughs so gloriously
on Lebanon, exhibit to observant eyes the wisdom
of the great Creator of all things.

The murmuring brook talks to the listening ear in
hallowed whispers of him whose cloudy throne
supplies its stream. And the air, as it sighs amid the
trees, tells in mysterious accents of the great unseen,
but overactive Spirit of the living God.

The Habit Of Rising To The Occasion

By Oswald Chambers


'That ye may know what is the hope of His calling ...'
Ephesians 1:18

Remember what you are saved for - that the Son of God might be manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion every time.

You cannot do anything for your salvation, but you must do something to manifest it, you must work out what God has worked in. Are you working it out with your tongue, and your brain and your nerves? If you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in order to see if you can vault over them properly - "By my God have I leaped over a wall." God will never shield you from any of the requirements of a son or daughter of His. Peter says - "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." Rise to the occasion; do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it gives God the chance to manifest Him self in your mortal flesh.

May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings. We have to exercise ourselves in order that the Son of God may be manifested in our mortal flesh. God never has museums. The only aim of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all dictation to God vanishes. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured out wine to feed and nourish others.

Christ convinces the unbelieving apostle.

John 20:24 to end. Christ convinces the unbelieving apostle.

Much benefit has often been lost by absence from the assemblies of the saints. Thomas, by his absence, lost an opportunity of seeing the risen Savior. While his brethren were rejoicing in the thought of the glory of their Lord, he was suffering the miseries of unbelief.

There is something daring and repulsive in the expression he used—"Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Thomas little thought when he spoke thus that Jesus heard his words. How many speeches that we have uttered must have grieved the heart of our ever-present Savior! Were he to appear and remind us of them, we should feel overwhelmed with shame and sorrow.

It was just one week after his resurrection that the Lord came the second time to visit his assembled people.

He entered the room in the same wonderful manner as before, passing through the fastened doors. By two signs he showed that he was God. The manner of his entrance displayed his divine power; his repeating the words of Thomas manifested his divine knowledge.

When Nathanael was brought to Jesus, he was astonished to hear him say, "When you were under the fig-tree I saw you;" and he cried out, "You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Thomas felt in the same manner when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." He did not say, (as Israel once had said,) the Lord he is the God; but "My Lord and my God." He loved Jesus, and he knew that Jesus loved him; therefore he could say, "My God." Those wounds in the Savior's hands seemed to cry out, "I loved you, and gave myself for you."

The sin of this apostle was the occasion of a blessing being pronounced on numbers then unborn. "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed." Thomas ought to have believed thepromise that Christ would rise, before any witnesses had declared that they had seen him; but he not only doubted Christ's promise, but rejected the testimony of all his brethren. His unbelief was very great; yet it was not that fatal unbelief which reigns in the unconverted, for it was accompanied by sincere love. The Pharisees dreaded lest Christ should rise. Thomas regarded his rising again as too joyful an event to be true. They tried to shut their eyes to all the proofs that were pressed upon them.He sought to obtain stronger proofs than he had yet found. Still Thomas would have been more blessed had he believed the word of Jesus before he had seen it accomplished.

Among those who sincerely believe in Jesus how much unbelief may be detected! How often they fear that He has forgotten them, though He has promised that He never will! If they would always trust him they would always taste that peace which passes all understanding. Jacob, though an eminent saint, in the midst of his fiery trials was tempted to exclaim, "All these things are against me;" but the Shunamite was enabled in the depth of her trouble to say, "It is well."

Taking Cheerful Views

Taking Cheerful Views

J. R. Miller, 1880
 

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in need." Philippians 4:11-13

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful." Proverbs 15:13

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15

"A cheerful heart is good medicine; but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

One of the divinest secrets of a happy life—is the art of extracting comfort and sweetness from every circumstance. We must develop the habit of looking on the bright side. It is a magic-wand whose power exceeds that of any fabled magician's to change all things into blessings. Those who take cheerful views, find happiness everywhere; and yet how rare is the habit! The multitude prefer to walk on the dark side of the paths of life.

There are those who take to gloom—as a bat to darkness, or as a vulture to carrion! They would rather nurse a misery—than cherish a joy. They always find the dark side of everything, if there is a dark side to be found. They appear to be conscientious grumblers, as if it were their duty to extract some essence of misery from every circumstance. The weather is either too cold or too hot; too wet or too dry. They never find anything to their taste. Nothing escapes their criticism. They find fault with the food on the table, with the bed in which they lie, with the railroad-train or steamboat on which they travel, with the government and its officials, with merchant and workman—in a word, with the world at large and in detail.

They are chronic grumblers. Instead of being content in the state in which they are—they have learned to be discontented, no matter how happy their lot! If they had been placed in the Garden of Eden—they would have discovered something with which to find fault! Their wretched habit empties life of all possible joy—and turns every cup to gall.

On the other hand, there are rare people who always take cheerful views of life. They look at the bright side. They find some joy and beauty everywhere. If the sky is covered with clouds—they will point out to you the splendor of some great cloud-bank piled up like mountains of glory. When the storm rages, instead of fears and complaints—they find an exquisite pleasure in contemplating its grandeur and majesty. In the most faulty picture—they see some bit of beauty which charms them. In the most disagreeable person—they discover some kindly trait or some bud of promise. In the most disheartening circumstances, they find something for which to be thankful, some gleam of cheer breaking in through the thick gloom.

When a ray of sunlight streamed through a crack in the shutter, and made a bright patch on the floor in the darkened room—the little dog rose from his dark corner, and went and lay down in the one sunny spot; and these cheerful people live in the same philosophical way. If there is one beam of cheer or hope anywhere in their lot—they will find it! They have a genius for happiness. They always make the best out of circumstances. They are happy as travelers. They are contented as boarders. Their good nature never fails. They take a cheerful view of every perplexity. Even in sorrow, their faces are illumined, and songs come from the chambers where they weep. Such people have a wondrous ministry in this world. They are like apple trees when covered with blossoms, pouring a sweet fragrance all around them.

It may be worth while to linger a little—on the philosophy of living which produces such results.

Some people are born with sunny dispositions, with large hopefulness and joyfulness, and with eyes for the bright side of life. Others are naturally disposed to gloom. Physical causes have, no doubt, much to do with the discontent of many lives. Dyspepsia or a disordered liver, is responsible for much bad temper, low spirits and melancholy; and yet, while there is this predisposition in temperament on the one hand toward hopefulness, and on the other toward depression and gloom, it is still largely a matter of culture and habit, for which we are individually responsible. Like the apostle Paul, we can train ourselves to take cheerful views of life, and to extract contentment and enjoyment from any circumstances.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again—Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. This is clearly a most important part of Christian culture. Joyfulness is everywhere commended as a Christian duty. Discontent is a most detestable fault. Morbidness is a sin. Fretfulness grieves God. It tells of unbelief. It destroys the soul's peace. It disfigures the beauty of Christian character. It not only makes us soured and unhappy in our own hearts—but its influence on others is bad. We have no right to project the gloom of our discontent—over any other life. Our attitude is to be ever toward joy. There is nothing so depressing in its effect upon others, as morbidness!

Also, for the sake of those among whom we live, and upon whose lives we are forever unconsciously either casting shadows, or pouring sunshine—we should seek to learn this Christian art of contentment.

What are some of the elements of this divine philosophy of living?

One is patient submission to all the ills and hardships of life, which are unavoidable. No person's lot is perfect. No mortal ever yet found a set of circumstances without some unpleasant feature. Sometimes it is in our power—to modify the discomforts. Our trouble is often of our own making! Much of it needs only a little energetic activity on our part, to remove it. We are fools, if we live on amid ills and hardships, which a reasonable industry would change to comforts, or even pleasures!

But if there are unavoidable ills or burdens, which we cannot by any energy of our own remove or lighten—they must be submitted to without murmuring. We have a saying that, "What cannot be cured—must be endured." But the very phrasing tells of an unyielding heart! There is submission to the inevitable—but no reconciliation to it!

True contentment does not chafe under disappointments and losses—but accepts them, becomes reconciled to them, and at once looks about to find something good in them. This is the secret of happy living! And when we come to think of it—how senseless it is to struggle against the inevitable! Discontent helps nothing. It never removes a hardship, or makes a burden any lighter, or brings back a vanished pleasure. One never feels better, for complaining. It only makes him wretched!

A starling in a cage struggles against its fate, flies against the wire walls, and beats upon them in efforts to be free—until its wings are all bruised and bleeding! A canary is shut in another cage, accepts the restraint, perches itself upon its bar and sings. Surely, the canary is wiser than the starling!

We would also get far along toward contentment, if we ceased to waste time dreaming over unattainable earthly good. Only a few people can be great or rich; the mass must always remain in ordinary circumstances. Suppose that each of the forty million people in the world, were millionaires; who could be found to do the work that must be done? Or suppose that all were great poets. Imagine the forty million people in the world, all writing poetry! Who would write the prose? A little serious reflection will show that the world needs only a very few great and conspicuous lives—while it needs millions for its varied industries, its plain duties, its hard toil.

Passing through the valley of weeping

(John MacDuff, "A Book for the Bereaved")

"Passing through the valley of weeping."
     Psalm 84:6

Child of God! There is not one drop of wrath
in the troublous cup you are now drinking!
He took all that was bitter out of it, and left
it a cup of love! God deals tenderly, wisely,
and lovingly with His children.

In a little while the night of weeping will be
over, and a gentle hand in a tearless world
will dry up the very source of tears! Every
day is bringing you nearer that blissful reality
—nearer to Him who is now standing with the
hoarded treasures of eternity in His hand, and
the hoarded love of eternity in His heart!

How will one brief moment there, banish all the
pangs and sorrows of the valley of weeping, to
everlasting oblivion!

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy
 comes in the morning!" Psalm 30:5
"He will wipe all tears from their eyes—and there
 will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain!
 These things of the past are gone forever!"
    Revelation 21:4

How ravishing is the thought!

"A Song Concerning Lovingkindnesses" #1126,
delivered on August 10th, 1873 by C. H. Spurgeon

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love! 
 Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you."
    Jeremiah 31:3

How ravishing is the thought of eternal love!
Try to drink it in—if you are a believer in Christ
you were loved before time began its cycles; in
that old eternity, before the earth was born, you
were beloved of the Lord!

You were dear to Jehovah’s heart when this great
world—the sun, the moon, the stars, slept in the
mind of God—like unborn forests in an acorn-cup.

He loved you with an everlasting and infinite love.
Rejoice in this and let your souls be glad. Never
forget that the special electing love of God is
the source of every blessing.

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love! 
 Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you."
    Jeremiah 31:3