From Morning and Evening:
- The glory of the law repels—but the greater glory of Jesus attracts. Though Jesus is holy and just—yet blended with His purity there is so much of truth and grace—that sinners run to Him amazed at His goodness, fascinated by His love; they become His disciples, and take Him to be their Lord and Master.
- Strive with all diligence to keep out that monster—unbelief.
- It is peaceful living, and glorious dying—to repose in the care of Jesus. At all times we should commit our all to Jesus’ faithful hand;
- Redemption is a solid basis for confidence. David had not known Calvary as we have done—but temporal redemption cheered him; and shall not eternal redemption yet more sweetly console us?
- What the Lord has done—He will do again, for He changes not. He is faithful to His promises, and gracious to His saints; He will not turn away from His people.
- Sing, believer, for it will cheer your own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones.
- A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be—for in Him is our fruit found!
- It may seem an easy thing to wait—but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier cannot learn, without years of teaching.
- Marching and fighting are much easier to God’s warriors—than standing still.
- Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid.
- But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord.
- Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction—but blessing your God for it.
- The godly praise the name of the Lord, saying, “He heals all our diseases!” He alone who made man—can restore man! He who was at first the creator of our nature—can new create it.
- Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord your God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in your weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of your distress.
- I cannot dwell in the sun, it is too bright a place for my residence—but I can walk in the light of the sun. Just so, though I cannot attain to that perfection of purity and truth which belongs to the Lord Almighty by nature as the infinitely good—yet I can set the Lord always before me, and strive, by the help of the indwelling Spirit, after conformity to His image.
- You will find Jesus by far the best physician, go to Him at once and tell Him all about the matter. Immediately lay the case before Him. It concerns one of His people, and therefore will not be trivial to Him.
- The tender heart of Jesus waits to hear our griefs, let us pour them into His patient ear.
From J.C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on Matthew, chapters 10 and 11
Matthew 10:1-15
- We are taught, in the first place, that all ministers are not necessarily saved men.
- We are to prove their teaching by the word of God, and follow them so far as they follow Christ, but no further. Above all, we ought to pray for them, that they may be successors not of Judas Iscariot, but of James and John.
- We are taught, in the next place, that the great work of a minister of Christ is to do good. He is sent to seek "lost sheep,"--to proclaim glad tidings--to relieve those who are suffering--to diminish sorrow--and to increase joy.
- We are taught, in the last place, that it is a most dangerous thing to neglect the offers of the Gospel.
- We shall all be judged according to our light. We shall have to give account of our use of religious privileges. To hear of the "great salvation," and yet neglect it, is one of the worst sins man can commit. (John 16:9.)
Matthew 10:16-23
- Human nature is far more wicked and corrupt than we think. The power of evil is far greater than we suppose. It is vain to imagine that everybody will see what is good for them, and believe what we tell them.
- To avoid persecution by holding our tongues, and keeping our religion entirely to ourselves, is one extreme. We are not to err in that direction.
- To court persecution, and thrust our religion upon every one we meet, without regard to place, time, or circumstances, is another extreme. In this direction also we are warned not to err any more than in the other.
- The extreme into which most men are liable to fall in the present day, is that of silence, cowardice, and letting others alone.
- It is quite possible to create much needless offence, commit great blunders, and stir up much opposition, which might have been avoided by a little prudence, wise management, and exercise of judgment.
Matthew 10:24-33
- Every believer may do something if he tries. There is always something for every one to do. May we each have an eye to see it, and a will to do it.
Matthew 10:34-42
- So long as one man believes, and another remains unbelieving--so long as one is resolved to keep his sins, and another desirous to give them up, the result of the preaching of the Gospel must needs be division.
- Many talk vaguely about unity, and harmony, and peace in the Church of Christ, as if they were things that we ought always to expect, and for the sake of which everything ought to be sacrificed.
- Such people would do well to remember the words of our Lord. No doubt unity and peace are mighty blessings.
- We ought to seek them, pray for them, and give up everything in order to obtain them, excepting truth and a good conscience. But it is an idle dream to suppose that the churches of Christ will enjoy much of unity and peace before the millennium comes.
Matthew 11:16-24
- May we all think often about Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum! Let us settle it in our minds that it will never do to be content with merely hearing and liking the Gospel. We must go further than this. We must actually "repent and be converted."
Matthew 11:25-30
- It is not for us to attempt to explain why some receive and believe the Gospel, while others do not. The sovereignty of God in this matter is a deep mystery--we cannot fathom it. But one thing, at all events, stands out in Scripture, as a great practical truth to be had in everlasting remembrance. Those from whom the Gospel is hidden are generally "the wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight."
- Let us watch against PRIDE in every shape--pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride in our own goodness, pride in our own deserts. Nothing is so likely to keep a man out of heaven, and prevent him seeing Christ, as pride.
- So long as we think we are something, we shall never be saved.
- The beginning of the way to heaven, is to feel that we are in the way to hell, and to be willing to be taught of the Spirit.
- He bears the keys--to Him we must go for admission into heaven. He is the door--through Him we must enter.
- He is the Shepherd--we must hear His voice, and follow Him, if we would not perish in the wilderness. He is the Physician--we must apply to Him, if we would be healed of the plague of sin.
- He is the bread of life--we must feed on Him, if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the light--we must walk after Him, if we would not wander in darkness.
- He is the fountain--we must wash in His blood, if we would be cleansed, and made ready for the great day of account. Blessed and glorious are these truths! If we have Christ, we have all things. (1 Cor. 3:22.)
- Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope. There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah's dove.
- There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God.
- No doubt there is a cross to be carried, if we follow Christ. No doubt there are trials to be endured, and battles to be fought. But the comforts of the Gospel far outweigh the cross.
- May we never be satisfied until we know and feel that we have come to Christ by faith for rest, and do still come to Him for fresh supplies of grace every day!
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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