Fine Clothes

I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.

Ezekiel 16:10

Consider the matchless generosity with which the Lord provides for His people’s apparel. They are arrayed in this way so that the divine skill is seen producing an unrivaled “embroidered cloth,” in which every attribute takes its part and every divine beauty is revealed. There is no art like the art displayed in our salvation, no skillful workmanship like that seen in the righteousness of the saints. Justification has engrossed learned pens in every age of the church and will be the theme of admiration in eternity. In all this splendor there is utility and durability, comparable to our being “shod . . . with fine leather.” This skin covered the tabernacle and formed one of the finest and strongest leathers known.

The righteousness that is of God by faith endures forever, and he who is shod with this divine preparation will walk through the desert in safety. The purity and dignity of our holy vestments are brought out in “fine linen.” When the Lord sanctifies His people, they are clothed as priests in pure white; the snow itself does not excel them. They are in the eyes of men and angels fair to look upon, and even in the Lord’s eyes they are without spot. Meanwhile the royal apparel is delicate and rich as “silk.” No expense is spared, no beauty withheld, no grandeur denied.

What, then? Can we infer nothing from this? Surely there is gratitude to be felt and joy to be expressed. Come, my heart, do not refuse your evening hallelujah! Tune your pipes! Touch your chords!

Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed
By the Great Sacred Three!
In sweetest harmony of praise
Let all your powers agree.

Learning to Trust and Obey PROVERBS 3:5-6

As a newly saved boy of 12, I didn’t automatically know how to trust and follow God. For more than 60 years, the Lord has been training me in His “School of Obedience.” The most basic principle I learned there is also an essential key to spiritual maturity: Believers must trust God.

People do not obey a God whom they do not trust. In fact, I would say that most rebellion happens when a believer says, “I know what the Lord says, but . . . ” When we hang a “but” at the end of a biblical promise, we’re about to make an excuse to disobey.

The key lesson for trusting the Lord is recognizing His identity. God is the loving Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe (Ps. 33; Ps. 103:19). His nature prevents Him from making promises that He will not fulfill (Ps. 89:34). And His ancient scriptural statutes apply to modern lives because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Men and women who believe that the Lord is who He claims to be are willing to surrender to Him. They’ll commit to obey Him in all things and then observe the results. (Hint: Obedience = Blessing, whereas Rebellion = Sorrow.) If you need assurance that the trust principle works, take a look at the lives of other believers, including biblical saints like David and Paul.

We cannot follow God on a case-by-case basis. Either we trust and obey or we don’t. The Sovereign of the universe invites us to depend upon Him to direct our path. Since He is in charge anyway, isn’t it better to walk beside Him than to resist His efforts to steer us right?

God’s School of Obedience 1 JOHN 1:3-6

Starting at age five, our children are enrolled in school and given lessons to learn each year. We are students too. At salvation, we became participants in the Lord’s school of obedience. There, we are discovering the necessity of trusting Him and waiting for His direction. We are taught the importance of commitment and learn to search His Word for guidance. God also wants us to learn these lessons:

• Listen attentively to the Spirit’s promptings. Our God does not speak in an audible voice, but He makes Himself heard quite clearly through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Spirit is our Helper who will bring to mind Scripture passages we have studied (John 14:26) and show us how they apply.
• Obey the next step. Abraham was called to leave his home and journey to an unknown destination (Gen. 12:1). He obeyed even though the way was unclear to his human mind. We, too, must step out in faith even when we do not know all the details of the itinerary.
• Expect conflict. We can’t live obedient lives without having trouble with the world (John 16:33). Our friends or family may drift away when they realize certain interests of ours have changed. Some may hurl criticism our way or call us unkind names, while others may reject us completely.

Practicing a lifestyle of obedience doesn’t mean we’ll never make mistakes. But it does require diligence if we are to succeed. Obeying the Father was Jesus’ priority and purpose in life, and we should make it ours as well. Which of these lessons do you want to tackle first?

Take Stock

Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.

Proverbs 27:23

Every wise businessman will occasionally hold a stock-taking, when he will examine his accounts, consider what he has on hand, and determine clearly whether his trade is prosperous or declining. Every man who is wise in the kingdom of heaven will cry, “Search me, O God . . . Try me”;¹ and he will frequently set apart special seasons for self-examination, to discover whether things are right between God and his soul. The God whom we worship is a great heart-searcher; and in the past His servants referred to Him as “I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.”²

Let me encourage you in His name to diligently search and solemnly test your spiritual state, for fear you should come short of the promised rest. This is what every wise man does, and what God Himself does with us all. I exhort you to do the same yourself this evening. Let the oldest saint examine the basics of his piety, for gray heads may cover evil hearts: And the young professor should not despise the word of warning, for the greenness of youth may accompany the rottenness of hypocrisy. Every now and then a spiritual giant falls. The enemy still continues to sow tares among the wheat.

It is not my aim to introduce doubts and fears to your mind; I rather hope that the rough wind of self-examination may help to drive them away. It is not security but fleshly security that we would kill, not confidence but carnal confidence that we would overthrow, not peace but false peace that we would destroy.

By the precious blood of Christ, which was not shed to make you a hypocrite, but rather that sincere souls might declare His praise, I urge you to search and look, for fear that in the end it will be said of you, “Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.”³

¹Psalm 139:23 ²Revelation 2:23 ³Daniel 5:27

A Lifestyle of Obedience JOHN 14:15-21

According to John 14:21, we express love for Jesus by obeying His commands. To love Him wholeheartedly, we must develop a lifestyle of obedience. Let’s look at four aspects of such a lifestyle.

1. Our trust in the Father grows. This confidence comes from believing that the Lord is who Scripture says He is. And God’s Word tells us that He is good–as well as faithful to keep His promises (2 Cor. 1:20). Psalm 86:15 calls Him merciful, gracious, loving, and slow to anger. His character remains unchanged by difficult or hard-to-understand circumstances (Heb. 13:8).

2. We develop a deepening ability to wait on the Lord. Delays can be hard in our I-want-it-now culture. But we must resist temptation and wait on Him instead of running ahead.

3. We commit to obey God. Without such a resolve, we’ll vacillate at decision time or allow fear to prevent us from choosing His way.

4. Our study of Scripture becomes consistent. The Bible reveals God’s priorities, commands, and warnings. It acts as a light, illuminating His chosen path for us while revealing obstacles and dangers along the way (Ps.119:105). Without it, we are like a person who walks in the woods at night without a flashlight.

Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that obedience to the Lord is automatic. It’s a lifelong process of growing in our trust and patiently waiting on Him before we act. This requires a steadfast commitment to obey so that we can say no to ungodly choices and yes to God.

Four Privileges

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

John 10:9

Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true Church and the way of access to God Himself. He gives to the one who comes to God by Him four choice privileges.

1. He will be saved. The fugitive entered the gate of the city of refuge and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer.

2. He will go in. He will be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children’s food and participating in all their honors and enjoyments. He will go into the rooms of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He will go in to the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord will be with him.

3. He will go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world to work and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus! We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God. And as the angel said to Gideon, “Go in this might of yours,”¹ even so the Lord would have us proceed as His messengers in His name and strength.

4. He will find pasture. He who knows Jesus will never lack. Going in or out will be equally helpful to him: In fellowship with God he will grow, and in watering others he will be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he will find all in Jesus. His soul will be like a watered garden and like a well of water that never runs dry.

¹Judges 6:14

Walking with Greater Confidence HEBREWS 11:1-31

Yesterday, we learned about the Lord’s desire that we walk by faith. Yet if we consider our lives honestly, most of us will find a number of areas where we struggle to trust. Some days it is easier to relinquish control, while at other times we quickly take matters into our own hands.

Thankfully, our heavenly Father is patient and loving. His Word clearly teaches that sanctification is the process of making us holy, and not just the end result. Children are a great illustration of how this works. When toddlers learn to walk, they start by pulling up on something, standing, and then taking a step. Inevitably, they will fall, at which point we help them back up so that they can keep progressing. In the same way, God shows us how to live according to our faith in Him, but we will make mistakes. Falling and getting up again are part of the learning process.

The Lord teaches us, but we also have a role in learning. Our responsibility is to study Scripture, to get to know God’s nature, and to learn His promises. As we do these things, our confidence in God grows, enabling us to make choices that require us to believe in and lean on Him. When we step out in faith and experience Christ’s provision and dependability, our trust grows.

Consider the responses, actions, and decisions you’ve made this week. How many of those were led by the Spirit? And how many were human reactions done out of self-reliance? Living on the basis of trust in Christ requires belief and action. As you allow Him to lead, faith will grow.

“Come”

You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened.

Isaiah 48:8

It is painful to remember that to a certain degree this accusation may be laid at the door of believers, who too often are in some measure spiritually insensitive. We may well bemoan the fact that we do not hear the voice of God as we should: “You have never heard.” There are gentle motions of the Holy Spirit in the soul that are unheeded by us: There are whisperings of divine command and of heavenly love that are equally unobserved by our dull minds. Sadly, we have been carelessly ignorant—”You have never known.” There are spiritual matters that we ought to have seen, corruptions that have been allowed to develop unnoticed, tender affections that are being harmed like flowers in the frost, untended by us, glimpses of the Lord that we might have perceived if we had not barricaded the windows of our soul.

But we “have never known.” As we think of this we are truly and deeply humbled. How we must adore the grace of God as we realize from the context that all of our folly and ignorance was foreknown by God, and notwithstanding that foreknowledge, He has still been pleased to deal with us in mercy! Ponder and admire the marvelous sovereign grace that could have chosen us in the sight of all this! Wonder at the price that was paid for us when Christ knew what we would be!

He who hung upon the cross foresaw us as unbelieving, backsliding, cold of heart, indifferent, careless, lax in prayer, and yet He said, “I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Because you are precious in My eyes and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.” How wonderful and glorious is this redemption when we think how sinful we are! Holy Spirit, give us from now on a hearing ear and an understanding heart!

Walking by Faith 2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8

We perceive our world through sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch–and respond according to the information gained by these five senses. Yet God tells us that there is a higher reality, even though our perceptions appear as truth. And our Father commands us to walk by faith, not according to what we see.

So, what is this Christian faith? It is the confident conviction that God is all He claims to be in His Word. The truth of who He is depends only on the Almighty–it is not based on our opinions, circumstances, or feelings. Nor is it something we can scientifically measure. And remember, belief is a gift from the Lord, not something we create (Eph. 2:8). Therefore, we can ask Him to help us if we find our faith faltering.

The way we walk by faith is through our conduct, lifestyle, and choices. The Holy Spirit guides our steps, and we purposefully follow. It is important that we ask for direction and wisdom, expect that He will answer and meet our needs, and trust that He knows what is best.

At times, of course, we’ll make mistakes. But God is always there to forgive our repentant hearts and help us back on track. As we grow into a deeper relationship with Christ, we become more focused on Him, and our trust increases.

When we try to handle life on our own, the stress can be overwhelming. How wonderful that our Creator offers us rest and peace as we trust Him to lead in all we do. Our infinitely wise, perfectly loving, and completely sovereign Father is supremely capable to care for His children.

Cling to Jesus

And lay your foundations with sapphires.

Isaiah 54:11

Not only what is seen in the Church of God but also what is unseen is fair and precious. Foundations are out of sight, and as long as they are firm, it is not expected that they should be valuable. But in God’s work everything is of the same value—nothing devalued, nothing irrelevant. The deep foundations of the work of grace are as precious as sapphires; no human mind is able to measure their glory. We build upon the covenant of grace, which is stronger than steel and as enduring as diamonds and upon which age makes no impact. Sapphire foundations are eternal, and the covenant remains throughout the lifetime of the Almighty.

Another foundation is the person of the Lord Jesus, clear and spotless, as everlasting and beautiful as the sapphire, combining the deep blue of earth’s ever-rolling ocean and the azure of its all-embracing sky. At one time our Lord might have been compared to the ruby as He stood covered with His own blood, but now we see Him radiant with the soft blue of love—love abounding, deep, eternal.

Our eternal hopes are built upon the justice and the faithfulness of God, which are as clear and cloudless as the sapphire. We are not saved by a compromise, by mercy defeating justice or law suspending its operations; no, we defy the eagle’s eye to detect a flaw in the groundwork of our confidence: Our foundation is of sapphire and will endure the fire.

The Lord Himself has laid the foundation of His people’s hopes. It is a subject for serious inquiry whether our hopes are built upon such a basis. Good works and ceremonies are not a foundation of sapphires, but of wood, hay, and stubble; neither are they laid by God but by our own conceit. Foundations will all be tested before long: Woe to him whose lofty tower will come down with a crash because it was built on sand. The one who is built on sapphires may face storm or fire with confidence, for he will pass the test.

The Fragrance of Christ 2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-16

Have you ever had a negative experience when trying to share the good news of Christ? Some people just don’t want to hear about Jesus. Although your concern is for their eternal life, they may think you are trying to shove your religion down their throats.

To help us understand why some people will have such a negative reaction to our faith, the apostle Paul used the analogy of a Roman celebration of victory. In his day, when a general returned to Rome after conquering the enemy, he made a triumphal entry and led a parade through town. He rode in a golden chariot surrounded by his officers and followed by his troops. At the end of the procession were the chained captives.

During this pageantry, clouds of incense floated among the participants and the assembled onlookers as pagan priests carried their censors. To the conquerors, this was the sweet aroma of victory. But to the captives, it was the smell of death, because they would soon be killed by wild animals in the arena. In the same way, believers are a sweet fragrance of Christ to one another as we follow in His victory over sin and death. However, to those who don’t know Him as Savior, we are a reminder of the judgment they dread.

Although some people will be repulsed by us and our message, we must continue to share our hope with gentleness and grace (1 Pet. 3:15-16). At one time Paul hated Christians, yet he would be the first to affirm that the Lord can reach a hardened heart and change a captive into a victor.

The Paradox of Christianity

I have been crucified with Christ.

Galatians 2:20

The Lord Jesus Christ acted in what He did as a great public representative person, and His dying upon the cross was the virtual dying of all His people. In Him all His people rendered justice its due and made an expiation to divine vengeance for all their sins. The apostle of the Gentiles delighted to think that as one of Christ’s chosen people, he died upon the cross in Christ. He did more than believe this doctrinally—he accepted it confidently, resting his hope upon it. He believed that by virtue of Christ’s death, he had satisfied divine justice and found reconciliation with God.

Beloved, what a blessed thing it is when the soul can, as it were, stretch itself upon the cross of Christ and feel, “I am dead; the law has killed me, and I am therefore free from its power, because in Christ I have borne the curse, and in the person of my Substitute all that the law could do by way of condemnation has been executed upon me, for I am crucified with Christ.”

But Paul meant even more than this. He not only believed in Christ’s death and trusted in it, but he actually felt its power in himself causing the crucifixion of his old corrupt nature. When he saw the pleasures of sin, he said, “I cannot enjoy these: I am dead to them.” Such is the experience of every true Christian. Having received Christ, he is to this world as one who is utterly dead. Yet, while conscious of death to the world, he can at the same time exclaim with the apostle, “I live.” He is fully alive to God. The Christian’s life is a matchless riddle. The unconverted cannot comprehend it; even the believer himself cannot understand it. Dead, yet alive! Crucified with Christ, and yet at the same time risen with Christ in newness of life! Union with the suffering, bleeding Savior and death to the world and sin are soul-cheering things. May we learn to live evermore in the enjoyment of them!

Letting Go of a Troubled Heart JOHN 14:1, 27What has a grip on your heart? Think about the things that trouble you. Perhaps you’re dealing with financial need, relational stress, difficult circumstances, or lingering illness. What are we supposed to do with all the challenging situations we face? Jesus’ words can seem like a pat answer to our very real dilemma because saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled” doesn’t change our feelings.

However, a more accurate interpretation is, “Be troubled no longer.” Jesus isn’t saying that we are to deny our feelings and put on a happy face, but rather that we’re not to let anxiety conquer us. Yes, we will experience trials, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can endure struggles with the peace of Christ.

But how do we move from overwhelming distress to undisturbed tranquility? Begin by focusing immediately on the Lord, not on the circumstance, trusting Him to help you through it. Read the Scriptures so you can understand His perspective on the problem and search out His promises. Then believe God and do whatever He says, because you can never have His peace without obedience. And lastly, present your troubles to the Lord in prayer, not just with requests for their removal, but with thanks for His strength to endure them.

The next time you feel a rush of fear or anxiety, remember Jesus’ remedy: “Believe Me!” (vv. 1, 11). If you trust that He loves you and has a good purpose for allowing that difficulty in your life, you can thank Him no matter what you feel or what the outcome may be. Faith always ushers in His peace

Seek Much Grace

Give me children, or I shall die.

Genesis 30:1

The cry of Rachel for physical children should be more than matched by the believer’s longing for spiritual children. Our great object in living is to glorify God, and we mainly achieve this end by the winning of souls. We must see souls born unto God. If we do not win souls, we should mourn as the farmer who sees no harvest, as the fisherman who returns to his cottage with an empty net, or as the hunter who has roamed in vain over hill and dale. Ours should be Isaiah’s language uttered with many a sigh and groan—”who has believed what they heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”¹ As ambassadors of peace we should not cease to weep bitterly until sinners weep for their sins. If we intensely desire to see others believing in the Lord Jesus, we must act in accordance with the principle and pattern of Scripture. We must depend entirely upon the Spirit of God. Do we not fail in many of our efforts because we practically, though not doctrinally, ignore the Holy Spirit? His place as God is on the throne, and in all our enterprises He must be the beginning, the middle, and the end; we are instruments in His hand and nothing more.

We must be most of all clear upon the great soul-saving doctrine of the Atonement. “He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”² This truth that Christ died in the place of sinners gives rest to the conscience by showing how God can be just and the justifier of whoever believes. This is the great net of gospel fishermen; the fish are drawn or driven in the right direction by other truths, but this is the net itself.

We must declare the love of God in Christ Jesus. Always keep His abounding mercy connected to His unerring justice. Never exalt one attribute at the expense of another. Let boundless mercy be seen in calm consistency with stern justice and unlimited sovereignty.

Believer, are you longing to see spiritual offspring? Do not let the sun set on this day without imploring God to show Himself strong in this regard. Beseech Him, “Give me children, or I shall die.”

Editor’s note: This meditation replaces Spurgeon’s original devotional, on Isaiah 54:12 and was adapted from Charles Spurgeon’s Lectures to Students, page 375.

¹John 12:38 ²2 Corinthians 5:21

God’s Wisdom Revealed 1 CORINTHIANS 2:6-16

After exposing the futility of worldly thinking in 1 Corinthians 1, Paul introduces Christians to the higher realm of godly wisdom. This kind of knowledge and understanding isn’t available through human intelligence and reasoning; it comes strictly through divine revelation. Only those indwelt by God’s Spirit have “the mind of Christ” (v. 16) and access to “the things freely given” to them by God (v. 12).

Without this supernatural insight, no one can accurately know the Lord or His ways. Many people say they believe in God yet may not have a correct understanding of Him because their perceptions are based on their own thoughts and ideas. It’s easier to custom-design a god to fit our preferences than to make the required adjustments that worship of the one true God demands.

Even believers need to guard against trying to fit God into their preconceived image of Him. The Bible is the only reliable source of divine revelation, but we must be careful to consider the Scriptures as a whole–it’s critical that we don’t just pick and choose the verses we want to believe. For example, by focusing only on passages that emphasize the Lord’s lovingkindness while excluding those that speak of His holiness and justice, we misunderstand His true nature.

Let’s seek to know the Lord in truth by considering the entire counsel of Scripture. Divine wisdom is available to every believer through the Holy Spirit, who searches the depths of God. May we never try to limit Him to fit our preferences. Instead, may He enlarge our minds to embrace His thoughts.

Servants of the Lord

You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:24

To what special group was this word spoken? To kings who proudly boast a divine right? No! Too often they serve themselves or Satan and forget God who patiently permits them to wear their majestic crowns for a little while. Is the apostle speaking to those so-called “right reverend fathers in God,” the bishops or “the venerable archdeacons”? No; in fact, Paul knew nothing of these man-made titles. This word was not spoken even to pastors and teachers or to the wealthy and highly regarded among believers, but to servants and to slaves.

Among the toiling multitudes—the journeymen, the day laborers, the domestic servants, the drudges of the kitchen—the apostle found, as we still find, some of the Lord’s chosen, and he says to them, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” This saying grants significance to the weary routine of earthly employments and sheds a halo around the most humble occupations.

To wash feet may be servile, but to wash His feet is royal work. To untie sandals is poor employment, but to unloose the Master’s shoe is a princely privilege. The shop, the barn, the kitchen, and the workbench become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! Then divine service does not take place for a few hours and in a few places, but all life becomes holiness to the Lord, and every place and thing as consecrated as the tabernacle and its contents.

Teach me, my God and King, in all things Thee to see;
And what I do in anything to do it as to Thee.
All may of Thee partake, nothing can be so mean,
Which with this tincture, for Thy sake, will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause makes drudgery divine;
Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws, makes that and the action fine.

Faith versus Reason 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

The first battle between faith and human reason took place in the garden of Eden. Spurred on by the lies of the serpent, Eve began to look at her situation from a purely logical perspective and decided she was being cheated by God out of something good. Her faith faltered as “reasonable” thoughts of self-interest filled her mind.

I am not saying that the way of faith is never logical, but by operating only on the basis of reason, a conflict with the Lord is inevitable. The reason is that His instructions and actions don’t always appear reasonable from a human perspective. Although Isaiah 55:8-9 describes God’s thoughts and ways as higher than man’s, many people judge divine ideas to be lower than human intelligence.

Paul emphasizes this when he points out that God’s choices are illogical by the world’s standards. His message of salvation seems foolish, and His messengers appear weak and unimpressive. In an age that thrives on recognition, admiration, and importance, a person who believes the Bible is considered a weakling in need of a religious crutch to cope with life. While this description is given in derision, it’s actually quite accurate. Recognizing their helplessness, believers lean on Christ so He can raise them to stand with Him in righteousness.

That day in Eden, sin and self-importance entered the human heart. But all the worldly wisdom that fuels our pride is nullified by God. He is looking not for great and impressive people but for weak, humble servants who can boast only in Christ. The Savior alone is their strength and wisdom.

A Taste of Heaven

The Lord opened her heart.

Acts 16:14

In Lydia’s conversion there are many points of interest. It was brought about by providential circumstances. She was a seller of purple goods, from the city of Thyratira, but at just the right time for hearing Paul we find her at Philippi; providence, which is the servant of grace, led her to the right spot. Again, grace was preparing her soul for the blessing—grace preparing for grace. She did not know the Savior, but as a Jewess she knew many truths that were excellent stepping-stones to a knowledge of Jesus. Her conversion took place in the use of the means. On the Sabbath she went to a place of prayer, and there prayer was answered. Never neglect the means of grace.

God may bless us when we are not in His house, but we have more reason to expect that He will when we are in fellowship with His people. Observe the words, “The Lord opened her heart.” She did not open her own heart. Her prayers did not do it; Paul did not do it. The Lord Himself must open the heart to receive the things that make for our peace. He alone can put the key into the door and open it and gain entry for Himself. He is the heart’s Master just as He is the heart’s Maker.

The first outward evidence of the opened heart was obedience. As soon as Lydia had believed in Jesus, she was baptized. It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken heart when the child of God is willing to obey a command that is not essential to his salvation, that is not forced upon him by a selfish fear of condemnation, but is a simple act of obedience and of communion with his Master.

The next evidence was love, displaying itself in acts of grateful kindness to the apostles. Love for the saints has always been a mark of the true convert. Those who do nothing for Christ or His church provide no evidence of an “opened” heart. Lord, grant to us the blessing of opened hearts always!

Eternal Security: Can We Be Sure? 1 JOHN 5:1-13

Our loving heavenly Father wants us to know with certainty that we have eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. What assurances do we have that we are permanently secure?

God’s love. One reason that we can be sure of unending salvation is our heavenly Father’s unconditional love. At the cross, He demonstrated just how much we mean to Him: He sent His Son to die so that we might have eternal life. (1 John 4:9-10).

Christ’s life and death. Because Jesus was without sin, He qualified to serve as our substitute and take our place on the cross. By dying for us, He paid for all our sins and finished the work necessary to secure our salvation (John 19:30).

Jesus’ promise. We have our Lord’s assurance that we will spend eternity with Him. He promised that we can never be separated from Him and that no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us and will return to bring us there (John 14:2-3).

The Indwelling Holy Spirit. Another assurance of eternal security is the presence of God’s Spirit within each believer. The Holy Spirit acts as a seal, guaranteeing that we belong to the Lord and serving as a pledge of our future in heaven with Him (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

The Bible is filled with God’s promises that those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior will spend eternity with Him. If you struggle with doubt, meditate on the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into scriptural understanding about your salvation.

Why Do My Prayers Go Unanswered?

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation.

Isaiah 32:18

Peace and rest do not belong to the unregenerate; they are the peculiar possession of the Lord’s people, and of them only. The God of Peace gives perfect peace to those whose hearts are fixed upon Him. Before the Fall, God gave man the Garden of Eden as his quiet resting-place; sadly, how quickly sin spoiled the fair abode of innocence. In the day of universal wrath when the Flood swept away a guilty race, the chosen family was quietly secured in the resting-place of the ark, which floated them from the old condemned world into the new earth of the rainbow and the covenant, symbolizing Jesus, the ark of our salvation. Israel rested safely beneath the blood-sprinkled dwellings of Egypt when the destroying angel smote the firstborn; and in the wilderness the shadow of the pillar of cloud and the flowing rock gave the weary pilgrims sweet repose.

Today we rest in the promises of our faithful God, knowing that His words are full of truth and power; we rest in the doctrines of His Word, which are consolation itself; we rest in the covenant of His grace, which is a haven of delight. We are more highly favored than David in the cave or Jonah beneath his plant, for no one can invade or destroy our shelter. The person of Jesus is the quiet resting-place of His people, and when we draw near to Him in the breaking of the bread, the hearing of the Word, the searching of the Scriptures, prayer, or praise, we find that any form of approach to Him brings peace to our spirits.

I hear the words of love, I gaze upon the blood,
I see the mighty sacrifice, and I have peace with God.
‘Tis everlasting peace, sure as Jehovah’s name,
‘Tis stable as His steadfast throne, forevermore the same:
The clouds may go and come, and storms may sweep my sky,
This blood-sealed friendship changes not, the cross is ever nigh