GOD’S WORD FOR MAY 25

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES:

    JESUS, YOU…… WILL FREELY GIVE ME ALL THINGS — Romans 8:32

   JESUS, YOU…… HAVE GIVEN ME, OF YOUR FULLNESS, GRACE UPON GRACE  –John 1:16

    JESUS, YOU…… HOLD ME SO NO ONE CAN SNATCH ME OUT OF YOUR HAND — John 10:28

************  ********

THE WORD FOR TODAY ~ ~ 2 Samuel 3:17 ~ ~ “You sought for David in times past to be king over you.”

We are in Andrew Murray’s classic book, “Abide in Christ”, and the chapter entitled “At This Moment”, speaking of living in Jesus every moment, no matter what we are doing in life.

Believer, when striving to find the way to abide in Christ from moment to moment, remember that the gateway is to abide in Him at this present moment.  Instead of wasting effort in trying to get into a state that will last, just remember that it is Christ Himself, the living, loving Lord, who alone can keep you and is waiting to do so.  Begin at once, and act by faith in Him for the present moment:  this is the only way to be kept the next.  To attain the life of permanent and perfect abiding is not ordinarily given at once as a possession for the future; it comes mostly step by step.  Avail yourself, therefore, every opportunity of exercising the trust of the present moment.

Each time you bow in prayer, let there first be an act of simple devotion:  “Father, I am in Christ; I now abide in Him.”  Each time you have, amid the bustle of duty, the opportunity of self-recollection, let its first involuntary act be: “I am still in Christ, abiding in Him now.”  Even when you are overtaken by sin, and your heart is disturbed and excited, let your first look upward be with the words: “Father, I have sinned: and yet I come – though I blush to say it – as one who is in Christ.  Father, here I am; I can take no other place.  Through God I am in Christ;  I NOW abide in Christ.”  Yes, Christian, in every possible circumstance, every moment of the day, the voice is calling;  “Abide in me; do it now.”  And even now, as you are reading this, come at once, and enter upon the blessed life of always abiding, by doing it at once.  Do it now.

In the life of David, there is a beautiful passage which may help to make this thought clearer.  David had been anointed king of Judah.  The other tribes still followed Ishbosheth, Saul’s son.  Abner, Saul’s chief captain, resolved to lead the tribes of Israel to submit to David, the God-appointed king of the whole nation.  He spoke to the elders of Israel in 2 Samuel 3:17-18:

“Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’ ”

And they did it and anointed David a second time to be king, now over all Israel, as at first only over Judah (2 Samuel 5:3) – a most instructive example of the way in which a soul is led to a life of entire surrender and undivided allegiance, to the full abiding.

First, you have the divided kingdom:  Judah faithful to the king of God’s appointment.  Israel still clinging to the king of its own choosing.  As a consequence, the nation was divided against itself and had no power to conquer its enemies – a picture of the divided heart.  Jesus accepted as King of Judah, the place of the holy mount, in the inner chamber of the soul, but the surrounding territory, the everyday life, not yet brought to subjection; more than half the life still ruled by self-will and its hosts.  So there is no real peace within and no power over enemies.

Then, there is the longing desire for a better state: “You sought for David in times past to be king over you.”  There was a time, when David had conquered the Philistines, that Israel believed in him, but they had been led astray.  Abner appealed to their own knowledge of God’s will, that David must rule over all.  So the believer, when first brought to Jesus, did indeed want Him to be Lord over all, had hoped that He alone would be King.  But, unbelief and self-will had come in, and Jesus could not assert His power over the whole life.  Yet, the Christian is not content.  How he longs –sometimes without daring to hope that it can be – for a better time!!!

Published by liveinthelightofourlord

View all posts by liveinthelightofourlord