Thoughts for Life: THE SECRET OF HOLY LIVING

THE SECRET OF HOLY LIVING

Melvin H. Snyder- Among devotional writers, Paul and David are without peers.

How often we seem to intuitively turn to the Psalms of David or the letters of Paul for our devotional reading. Both take us into their strictest confidence and bare their deepest heart secrets. Neither is a theorist. Their writings spring from a personal relationship with God. Both use the personal pronouns with amazing dexterity — never with offense, always with heart-warming nearness to the devout reader. Our texts are examples. (King David)

Hear David, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (Ps. 27:4).

Hear Paul, "But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ . . . . Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:7, 13-14).

Three things characterize their spiritual lives:

Singleness of Purpose- Both were committed to "one thing." Having discovered the "unsearchable riches of Christ," they turned from all other considerations and pursuits. Having beheld His glory and beauty, from the point on, nothing else really counted.

Singleness of Pursuit- Second, their lives were characterized by the singleness of pursuit. Both declared, "One thing I do," "One thing I seek after." Not content to be passive, their souls reached out in hot pursuit of the One to whom they have been attracted. Every activity must tend toward one goal, and that goal was a Person — the Lord Jesus Christ.

Singleness of Love- Third, their lives were characterized by the singleness of love. Both were completely enamored by one Person. David's interest in the temple lay in the fact that it was the Lord's temple. There he could "behold the beauty of the Lord." And so it was with Paul — a constraining love held him to the path of duty.

Without hesitation Paul declares, "I count all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Phil. 3:8). A real paraphrase of Paul's love for Christ could be: "Jesus only; nothing more; nothing less; nothing else."

To love the Savior is to love the things that He loves; it is to do the things that He does; and it is to suffer the things that He suffers. In a word, it is to be like Him. "But we all, " says Paul, "with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). That, my friends, is the secret of all holy living! (p. 5 of Sep/Oct issue of Herald of His Coming newspaper).

My weekly advice from my book, "We All Married IDIOTS, by Elaine W. Miller: (p. 124)

"Turn to Christ, and ask Him to reveal areas where you need to change. Surrender your life and surrender your marriage to the One Who died so you wouldn't be a fool. Jesus was buried and He rose from the dead. God has the resurrection power to take a dead marriage and make it alive again. I know. He did it to mine and He can do it to yours."

Let's pray-

Father, devotional writers intuitively turned to the Psalms, where Paul and David both take us into their strictest confidence and bare their deepest heart secrets. Their writings spring from personal relationships with God. They never speak with offense, but always with heart-warming nearness to the reader.

David wanted only to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.

Paul counted everything a loss, forgetting the past, and reaching forth to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

May we have this singleness of purpose, pursuit and the Love of God to share with others. Let our desire be to love what Christ loves and to become like Him, changing into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord Himself! This is the secret of all holy living!

We're asking this in Jesus' name, for His honor and for our good. Amen.

#130 Testimony- A friend who has been reading "We All Married Idiots."

"I just want to thank you for this book, it is such an encouragement and blessing to me! God has put my husband and me together. He's holding our hands, holding us together. It reminded me of my grandson holding my hand for security. It made me feel that with childlike faith, God holds us securely. That spoke to me!"

1796-1800 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1796- Is. 37:4b "Wherefore lift up thy prayer."

1797- Is. 14:31b "None shall be alone in His appointed times."

1798- Ps. 22:8a "He trusted in the LORD that He would deliver him."

1799- Pro. 2:20 "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep

the paths of the righteous."

1800- Jer. 13:11b "That they might be unto me for a people, and for a name,

and for praise."

#130 Hymn- Under His Wings

Ps. 91:4; Ruth 2:12; Psalm 17:8; And in Ps. 57, David cried, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by."

A thousand years later, David's great descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, said to the people of Jerusalem, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings . . ."

All these comforting word-pictures were woven together in the hymn, "Under His Wings," written by William Orcutt Cushing. After losing his wife and severe problems with his voice, it forced him out of the pastorate. In near despair, he asked God to give him something to do for the kingdom. It came into his heart to begin writing hymns, and in subsequent years, he produced more than 300 of them, including "Ring the Bells of Heaven", "When He Cometh", "Down in the Valley" and "Under His wings." The information about this song, is taken from the book by Robert J. Morgan, THEN SINGS MY SOUL (pg. 241)

Some encouraging words-

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)

When we truly live the crucified life, — Jesus living in and through us — the Spirit wins over our flesh more and more often. He sees individuals He loves so much, He thought each one was worth dying for.

When that's what we see - individuals cherished by God, may it be very hard to harden our hearts to them, because He loves them.

Church Notes: THE WORDS WE SPEAK MATTER!

They can tear down or build up someone.

Lying lips are an abomination to God!

It's the language of hell, as it's what Satan speaks.

We're to request Truth.

Smooth talk is from the evil one.

Evil spirits want to manipulate our decisions.

We're not to repeat a matter that's not our business.

We're to guard our tongues and let others speak.

We're to aim to keep our mouths out of trouble.

Repent, when we know we've sinned and failed.