“Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty.”
Isaiah 33:17
The more you know about Christ the less will you be satisfied with superficial views of Him; and the more deeply you study His transactions in the eternal covenant, His engagements on your behalf as the eternal Surety, and the fulness of His grace which shines in all His offices, the more truly will you see the King in His beauty. Be much in such outlooks. Long more and more to see Jesus. Meditation and contemplation are often like windows of agate, and gates of carbuncle, through which we behold the Redeemer. Meditation puts the telescope to the eye, and enables us to see Jesus after a better sort than we could have seen Him if we had lived in the days of His flesh. Would that our conversation were more in heaven, and that we were more taken up with the person, the work, the beauty of our incarnate Lord. More meditation, and the beauty of the King would flash upon us with more resplendence. Beloved, it is very probable that we shall have such a sight of our glorious King as we never had before, when we come to die. Many saints in dying have looked up from amidst the stormy waters, and have seen Jesus walking on the waves of the sea, and heard Him say, “It is I, be not afraid.” Ah, yes! when the tenement begins to shake, and the clay falls away, we see Christ through the rifts, and between the rafters the sunlight of heaven comes streaming in. But if we want to see face to face the “King in His beauty” we must go to heaven for the sight, or the King must come here in person. O that He would come on the wings of the wind! He is our Husband, and we are widowed by His absence; He is our Brother dear and fair, and we are lonely without Him. Thick veils and clouds hang between our souls and their true life: when shall the day break and the shadows flee away? Oh, long-expected day, begin!
“Am I a sea, or a whale, that Thou settest a watch over me?”
Job 7:12
This was a strange question for Job to ask of the Lord. He felt himself to be too insignificant to be so strictly watched and chastened, and he hoped that he was not so unruly as to need to be so restrained. The enquiry was natural from one surrounded with such insupportable miseries, but after all, it is capable of a very humbling answer.
It is true man is not the sea, but he is even more troublesome and unruly. The sea obediently respects its boundary, and though it be but a belt of sand, it does not overleap the limit. Mighty as it is, it hears the divine hitherto, and when most raging with tempest it respects the word; but self-willed man defies heaven and oppresses earth, neither is there any end to this rebellious rage. The sea, obedient to the moon, ebbs and flows with ceaseless regularity, and thus renders an active as well as a passive obedience; but man, restless beyond his sphere, sleeps within the lines of duty, indolent where he should be active.
He will neither come nor go at the divine command, but sullenly prefers to do what he should not, and to leave undone that which is required of him. Every drop in the ocean, every beaded bubble, and every yeasty foam-flake, every shell and pebble, feel the power of law, and yield or move at once. O that our nature were but one thousandth part as much conformed to the will of God! We call the sea fickle and false, but how constant it is! Since our fathers’ days, and the old time before them, the sea is where it was, beating on the same cliffs to the same tune; we know where to find it, it forsakes not its bed, and changes not in its ceaseless boom; but where is man-vain, fickle man?
Can the wise man guess by what folly he will next be seduced from his obedience? We need more watching than the billowy sea, and are far more rebellious. Lord, rule us for Thine own glory. Amen.
Being in the dark can be very dangerous and can lead to accidents and unnecessary mistakes. That is why it is essential to always have some light when staying in the dark. It would be difficult to swim in pools without bath lights or pool lamps. Lighting systems should always be well installed and checked if working to ensure safety. Likewise, spiritually the word of God is our light. Have you been staying in the dark lately? Why don’t you try God’s light and free yourself from the dark?
Sometimes, it is very tempting to just use hgh pills to develop one’s body physically. This is very parallel to spiritual growth. But, we must note that real growth can’t be effectively achieved without any consequences or repercussions. Short cuts can make things easier but can also cause us not to be able to sustain the sudden growth. So it is still better to grow naturally, both physically and spiritually.
When you are trying to become fit and in shape, you would want to use a method that is effective. If it is through diet pills, you would want to use diet pills that really work. If it is through exercise, you would have to know the type of exercise routine and the pace you need to use during the routine.
The same thing applies spiritually. If you want to get in shape spiritually, you need to train yourself. Know the activities that will remove those spiritual fats and that will allow you to strengthen those spiritual muscles. Spiritual training is essential.
“…But the people who know their God will display strength and take action.” Daniel 11:32b
What a very powerful statement coming from one of the greatest prophets. This verse somewhat prophecies how believers can make an impact in this world of ours. We will display strength and take action!
Have you ever felt that you are spiritually weak and as if you have not been accomplishing anything for God? Guess what? Maybe the reason is you do not have a close and deep relationship with our Heavenly Father. This verse says that as a pre-requisite to being strong and taking action.
Why don’t you start by going back to the basics of reading your Bible, praying and being faithful at church. Make it a goal to know God in a deeper way through all these spiritual disciplines and be ready to claim the result found in this passage.
Matthew 5:16 16“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
As believers, we are commanded to let our lights shine before men, not just like light bulbs, but like spot lights in this dark world. The goal is to point people to Christ.
Many times, while driving home during Saturday or Friday nights, I would see spotlights pointing to the sky and roaming the clouds above. Many establishments that open for the weekend utilize these spotlights to make people curious and point them to their location.
Our light as believers should be this clear to the people around us. We must cause positive curiosity among the people around us and point them to Christ in us.
