Third Day

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).

If you and I walk in the light we have victory over sin. We are to be open, honest, sincere and the light of God shows us where we are and what we are. It is unfortunate today that churches and Bible classes have been invaded with insincere people.

To walk in the light means to be honest with God, with ourselves, and with others. When we immediately sin we are to confess it to God and claim His forgiveness. And if our sin injures another person or persons, we need to ask forgiveness too.

A congregation was singing, “For You I Am Praying” and one turned to a man and asked “For whom are you praying?” The man was stunned and answered, “Nobody, why do you ask?” The man answered and said, “Well I heard you singing ‘For You I am Praying’ and I thought you meant it.” “Oh, no, said the man. I’m just singing.”

Pious words, pious talk! A religion of words! Instead of being doers of the Word we are more talkers of the Word. We must walk what we talk. Language and life must go together.

“And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all. And he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made” (I Kings 15:26).

Israel was once a powerhouse of divine wealth. But then the nation plunged into evil by allowing idolatry and apostasy to stagnate their lives. They slid in and swam into a cesspool of evil and sinfulness with glee.

There was a king by the name of Shishak. He was king of Egypt. On the heels of apostasy Jerusalem was attacked. This devilish King came and took the treasures of the house of the Lord away.

All over our land today are hearts and homes and churches who were once rich in prayer, the Word of God, good works, joy, but now they are ransacked and barren because Shishak has stolen the treasures of the Lord from the people of God.

It is time to return to the Lord with acknowledgement of sin. We are dusting ourselves off instead of confessing our sin. How can we teach transgressors God’s ways until we profess our great lack? May God help us to see our exposed sin that sinners see and we do not. There is hope when our hope is in God. May God lay His axe to the root of our lives by His Word and by His Spirit.

“The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing” (Isaiah 14:7).

One glorious day the whole earth will be at rest. The world system will be defeated and the one behind the world’s unrest will be arrested and placed into hell. All carnal behavior will be forever undone and completely diminished.

The question for us today is the question of our rest in Christ. Are we resting in the Lord? Is the Lord of glory our constant, daily joy? Or, is it someone or something else that gives us our supposed rest.

The Lord is the joy of faith, hope, and love. To know Him is to be known. If it is in God’s lot for His children to be stripped from creature comforts can we lift up our eyes and say that God is all we need?

“And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain” (2 Samuel 23:4).

The political parties are at extreme odds with one another. One is considered to be dark while the other is considered to be light. One is negative while the other is positive. The Democrats say our country is up. The Republicans say our country is down. We are living in a clouded day, a day of confusion.

The Lord Jesus was neither an optimist nor pessimist but a realist. He saw things as they were and one day we will too. There is coming a day when there will be no more clouded days and heaviness of heart. God will take away away the clouds and the rain and the Light of Day will forever shine without clouds in the sky.

We are going to a land of unclouded day and it is not just a pie in the sky mentality. It is God’s forever provision for His people who may weep through many a dark day but who are bound for the world where not only darkness is not present but even tears are passed away.

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).

On January 2, 1953 Queen Elizabeth’s coronation took place at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The train of her robe flowed behind her with six maids holding the six yards of material that was exquisitely fabricated. You say, “Who does she think she is, the queen of England?” Ah, yes she does! That is why the designer went over the top to form and fashion her robe.

Isaiah saw the King’s robe and it filled the temple, not just for six yards, but the whole temple of glory. Back and forth, back and forth, doubling and redoubling until the symbol of God’s holy splendor packed the house. “Who is like you, O Lord?”

The answer to this question can not be completely answered by our finite minds. There is absolutely no one like God. No one. That’s because He is holy. He is separate. He is completely unlike us. God’s throne is high and lifted up. God is distinct and uncommon, separate, and holy. His throne is not on our level.

Don’t bring Him down for He will not or can not lower Himself. Rise up and worship Him for He will effect you and me in tremendous ways. We honor the King when we see His train and react accordingly. May we get in our position so that God may reign upon us. When we do then the showers of blessings will fall.

Father, thank you for Your Son and thank You for You. We recognize you as being above us, beyond us, highly exalted, over me, and totally separate from me. I am getting in a position for a downpour of your grace.