A Light in the Darkness

  As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15 ESV , see also 3:7-14, 4:7, Psalm 95:7                 Ah beloved have you not heard His voice? Indeed, you have for it has spoken just now as you read the verse above, and indeed God speaks anytime that scripture is open 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21, etc. Yes, you have heard God’s voice and He has spoken to you good news and glad tidings. O yes beloved He has spoken wonderous words to you of life everlasting.   Yes, and He has sent some men to speak His words to you and to see that you understand.             Do you reverence the words of God, or do they lie flat upon the pages as any other words? Do you come each week ready to hear what the Lord says, or do hear only what a man says? Take heed for the God who spoke still speaks calling His own to their rest. If you hear not, and heed not that call how shall you enter into the Lord’s rest?             So then let us wo

  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV             To give thanks in all circumstances requires that in every circumstance we have something about which to give thanks. Further it must be so worthy an object that no matter how bleak the circumstances their dark shadow is overcome by the brilliant light of goodness. We must have then something in our hearts unchanging, and unchangeable greater than the whole sum of our troubles real and imagined, a sure hope and a steadfast joy: such as can grant us profound peace and fill our whole being with gratitude. God alone can satisfy this want, and we see in His command here His great wish to give such satisfaction to us all. It is good and right. Prayer             Our Father fix Yourself in our hearts, and make Yourself known therein so that we might have a cause to be thankful in every season of life. May it be so to Your glory. In Christ’s name. amen.

  On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. John 7:37 ESV                 That Jesus “cried out” indicates something more than that He elevated His voice to be heard over the crowd. There was a force to His words such as demanded attention, for He wanted everyone to hear who had ears. He wished for them to hear and to listen and to understand, and understanding to heed His words. And still today He would have us hear, and understand, and heed for our good.             He calls them to Himself, away from sin’s mirage of a fountain, away from the false wells of idolatry and outward religion, out of the desert of human means, and onto the fount of every blessing. He offers them a spring of living water which will well up inside of them never to be exhausted. A source of fresh water to quench their thirst forevermore. What a glad tiding to those parched souls.             They were dying of thirst, a