PREFACE

Older sheep need better feeding than younger ones ( Hebrews 5:12-14 ) ; we cannot live on milk all of our life ( although many attempt it ). The old disciples are fast approaching a time when they shall almost be in view of Home, and their concern is to be ' ready to depart ' ( Philipp.1:23 ). The old are aware of a decline in many areas of their life, but there is no necessity for spiritual decline. These Readings are written to encourage elderly believers, to help lift the mind onward and upward, - a comfort which only God can give with His Word. May the Spirit work with His Word in us.

None of us knows if we are on the last page of the last chapter of our life in this world, and from that perspective these readings are profitable for all ages.

Rev J.Clark. BA(hons.) MA. BSc(hons) MSc. MEd. MTh.

OCTOBER 1

" When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return."   Job 16:22.

The commonness of an event has the effect of people giving it little thought. We are so used to hearing of the deaths of others that although it make an impression on us for a while, the effect wears off even after a few days. They say, ' Life must go on,' but they forget that death must go on too - and they do not know who will be next ! And yet they seem to have a certainty that it will always be someone else. Sin has anaesthetised many to its importance ; it has denied itself and its effect on humanity.The devil's lie echoes around the world,' You shall not surely die,' ( Gen.3:4) while God's word, 'Thou shalt surely die ' ( Gen.2:17) is forgotten. " Death has passed upon all men," ( Rom.5:12) but is asserted to be natural and not the result of the invasion of sin. Job states that he is on a journey through this world, and the thought of approaching death does not let him settle down here. He must be ready to move on. Job knew that there would be ' no return ' to living here again ; at death his body must wait for reunion with the soul (14:12). This is something to be thankful for ; there is no loss involved for the Christian, all is gain. Faith perseveres in believing this, that the death of Christ has changed the character of death for the believer. It is no longer penal, but is the end of ' the way ' to be with Him." Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." ( Rom. 13:11).

OCTOBER 2

" Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire...and parted them."  2 Kings 2:11.

This separation was expected, but it was still sudden when it happened ; this has been our experience also. They had been talking together and then suddenly all communication was lost...and now there was a profound silence. How quickly time had passed, how little time to say good-bye to those whom we see about to depart. Elisha did not look forward to being on his own and spent as much time as possible in Elijah's company. How many do not prize their company, until they lose it ! Elijah had a lot more experience than Elisha and he passed it on ; Elisha had many questions to ask before he lost the opportunity. Whether young or old, we should learn from these examples of teacher and learner. Elijah departed from the world in visible triumph. God sent for him, as He will do for us. Every sinner brought to heaven by Christ is done so in the face of great opposition, and every admission is a trial for Christ. We expect to depart more quietly than Elijah , but do hope to pass on our words and example to the younger generation. God removes the worker, but the work continues. Elisha served the same Lord God as Elijah. We also serve to glorify God, and we will yet see Him glorified, despite the opposition to it. And this aim begins here !

OCTOBER 3  

" And his disciples ..buried it ( the body of John), and went and told Jesus."  Matthew 14:12.

After the funeral they came in sorrow to Jesus. John had been removed,they thought, at the height of his usefulness. However, he had indeed fulfilled his commission as the herald in advance of Christ ( Isaiah 40:3-5). The Lord always has pity for the afflicted who apply to Him for comfort. He has not only the words but also the power to comfort. The believer has someone to go for help at such a time, but unbelievers are forlorn ; many are beyond human consolation, and they know it. The friends of John knew the character of Jesus and went immediately to Him after the burial. He himself had human experience of affliction and was able to speak from the heart to the heart ; He has all that we need. He knows how to pity the afflicted ; he makes no mistakes, He is wise. In bereavement we should not wish to be alone but go to Him and pour out our heart before Him ( Ps.62:8)  We cannot manage grief and bereavement on our own, we need to go to the Comforter.

" It is our duty and privilege to make Jesus acquainted with our grief. It will be a relief to our burdened spirits to unbosom ourselves to our Friend." ( M.Henry)

OCTOBER 4   

" The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."   Galatians 6:14.

The past, present and future ( including death) cannot be properly understood without reference to the cross. Old Testament history showed the need and the remedy for sin to the world, history since then has declared the accomplishment through the death of Christ on the cross. The cross still divides the world as it did the two thieves crucified on either side of Christ. Both their lives and deaths were affected by their attitude to Christ. The world still regards this truth as' foolishness,'just as it did 2000 years ago. But the way to heaven runs past the cross, there must be a saving look as you pass it. They do not see the love, power, mercy, justice and wisdom displayed at the cross. " The cross of Christ was the meritorious, procuring cause of all spiritual blessings to our fallen race. The cross of Christ was the scene of Christ' s splendid victories over all His enemies and ours." ( Octavius Winslow) The cross is our incentive to holiness and our hope at death. The cross has transformed many sinners by bringing them forgiveness, and our expectations are not vain.

OCTOBER 5.  

" But there is forgiveness with Thee."   Psalm 130:4.

The giving of a pardon for all sins committed is a decision which belongs to God alone.We could know nothing about this unless God had revealed it in the Bible. Our forgiveness of others cannot remove their guilt, but God's forgiveness always does." Who can forgive sin but God only ? " was a truth recognised even by Christ's enemies ( Mark 2:7 )- no priest could do it. The death of Christ reconciled the mercy of pardon with the demand for justice ; sin must be punished before it can be forgiven. This is in contrast to the exercise of human pardons where justice is set aside in order to pardon - but who can forgive sin but God only ? Pardon comes through the shedding of the blood of Christ alone ( Ephes.1:7. Rom.3:25,26.) ; it is a fatal mistake to look for it in any other way. Because of this blood, with its infinite merit,there is forgiveness for ' all manner of sin ', every kind of sin; this is our only comfort in life and at death, the blood which alone gives us peace. There is now an outflow of mercy to the ' chief of sinners '. There is no ' hopeless case ' on this side of eternity, because " there is forgiveness with Thee."

OCTOBER. 6 

" ...that Thou may be feared."   Psalm 130:4.

Human pardons do not weaken the power of innate sinfulness nor do they provide the necessary motive for holiness, but God's does. Forgiveness is the only Biblical motive for holiness, for a changed life which is now devoted to pursuing holiness, ie. conformity to the character of Christ. All other forms of ' correction ' in this world fail to change the underlying character, including prison sentences.A holy, loving, filial fear of God comes from God's forgiveness. All fear of God apart from the sense of pardoned sin is the fear of a slave, obeying God's law because of terror and not because of love and adoration. Self-reformation is not holiness, it lacks the fear of God which is in all God's children ( 2 Corinth.6:18 & 7:1). The grace of God brings God's forgiveness and changes the heart, to see now the beauty of holiness as exhibited in the life of Christ ( Titus 2:11-14). It is because of our own forgiveness that we are willing to forgive others. Let no penitent despair of forgiveness and let all those who struggle with sin look to Christ for the strength and motivation towards sanctification ( 1 Corinth.1;30,31). A persistent drunken brawler was regularly put into military prison, but no prison service worked any change in his character. He offended again, and the sergeant said to the officer who was about to punish him again, " Try forgiveness,sir." The officer said to him, " Private, you are forgiven." The offender broke down in tears. He never went back to prison and was never the same again. All sinners should look to Christ for forgiveness - there is no other way to holiness.

OCTOBER 7 

" Now are we the sons of God...we shall be like Him."  1 John 3:2.

This is our state here and our destiny in heaven ( Rom.8:29). John expresses his wonder at this love of God which made him a child of God (vs.1). There must be a resemblance between the child and the Father, and that similarity will increase as the years go by. But many ' spots and blemishes ' must be dealt with as we go on, characters must be altered for the better. The Bible is the mirror in which we see ourselves and check our progress. Seeing ourselves in relation to God's Word will keep us humble, there is no reason for flattery if we have an honest look. Nevertheless, daily cleansing comes by repentance, hope rises with faith each day. Each day brings us closer and closer to the final conformity. There are no mirrors in heaven for we ourselves are the mirrors, reflecting Christ perfectly there, at last. It ' does not yet appear '(vs.2), but it is promised. Meanwhile we are told ( vs.4-9 ) that there are certain things to be avoided if we are going to make progress. Unbelievers can sin without repentance, true believers cannot ; this is the difference between them. Remorse and regret are natural, repentance is spiritual ; in its origin and in its going forth to God. But repentance is left behind at the door of heaven, and sin with it. Conformity to Christ means no repentance.

OCTOBER 8  

" I the Lord search the heart."   Jeremiah 17:10.

He searches all hearts, and every heart, and He sees much more than we do, and acts accordingly. He sees whether His Spirit is there, whether the work of forming His Son's image has been begun there. God takes notice of, and rules over, the smallest of things in the heart as well as the great essentials.The world condemns us, our brethren may not understand us, but God knows the heart. We cannot hide anything from His view, we cannot say one thing and intend another - He will know it. In His loving pity He will cover the infirmities of His children from the view of others ; there are some things they can only share with their Father. It is a comfort to remember also that God not only sees the sin that remains in the heart ( and shall remain there until we die), He also sees the work of His good Spirit within ( Ps.143:10), the stammering prayers, the struggling labours of love. He is the only One who knows me and you, with a full knowledge and understanding. He knows what stage we are at in our spiritual growth, our needs (for correction also) and His appropriate supply.

Psalm 139:23,24  should be our daily prayer. If we are reluctant to do so, then something in us needs correction.

OCTOBER 9

" He has done all things well."  Mark 7:37

These words are in the past tense. It is when we look back that we can sincerely say this. At the time we either could say it or we were saying it only because it was expected, despite the distress we felt. Rarely could we say this in times of great suffering, but this was a flaw in us not Him. God's Providence often brought pain and perplexity, but years later, standing where we are now, we have a better view. We had losses, disappointments, sorrows, bereavement. We felt crushed and were more likely to say with Jacob, " All these things are against me ! " ( Gen.42:36). But we have learned to trust God. Did we not trust Him before ? Yes, but usually in the sunshine. It was easy then to say, " He has done all things well. " as the crowd did. But now, after many years' experience, we can say by faith ( and not by sight ), " He hath done all things well."

It was better to leave all sincerely in His hands, although we understood so little of how He was working things out for us. His way was not our way, but now we see that His way was the best way. An old soul should be a humble soul. We can say, ' It must be so, for He can do no wrong. Oh for a better understanding, to acquiesce more in trust and less in imaginative suspicion ! ' Our responses to God's dealings with us are not what they ought to be, but surely they are better than in our younger days ?

OCTOBER 10  

" Which things the angels desire to look into."   1 Peter 1:12.

The chief study of the angels is the glorious Person and work of Christ. This ought to be the main study of the church here also, but studies on other matters of religion seem to be more important to many. ( This is in contrast to Paul cf. Philipp.3:8) However, we must not diminish our study of Christ when we grow old ; it ought to be increasing.Old age is not a time to give up learning, for we are ' disciples ' ( ' learners ') forever. Knowledge shall increase in Heaven ; as finite beings it shall go on forever. We must not place limits on our Teacher, our minds must reach forward to fresh views of the glorious Redeemer. This is what we were made for ( John 17:24), this is essential to our happy state.While we are in this world such aims in learning help protect us from the encroaching thoughts of worldly things. Preoccupation with such a study will keep out the intrusion of vain thoughts and carnal enjoyments. Here we are but reading the Preface to what we shall behold of Him in heaven.

"Stretching far away beyond you, are undiscovered beauties, precious views and sparkling glories, each encouraging your advance, inviting your research, and asking the homage of your faith, the tribute of your love and the dedication of your life."  ( O. Winslow)

OCTOBER  11    

" Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee."  Psalm 55:22.

Christ is the great Burden-bearer for His people, He not only bore their sins onto the cross but bears His people up, upholds them by His Spirit and His Intercession ( Heb.1:3 & 7:25). What are we burdened with ? Is it indwelling sin, ill health, losses, soul anxiety, family troubles - we are to go to Him with it. Do we sense our weakness and insufficiency under pressure ? He is given honour when we trust Him with our burden ; a DIY approach is not only self promoting but futile in the long run. Whoever trusts in his own work, his own strength, his own wisdom is a fool ; no matter how much he impresses others. The strength to bear up the weak is in Christ alone. There are sorrows too heavy for us to bear and difficulties too deep for us to solve ; we must take them to Him in prayer - as a child would do.Surely we have an almighty Friend in Christ Jesus. Are we limiting Him by not taking everything to Him ? He is  "our Refuge and our Strength ", we must hide in Him for ' shelter from the storm '. The Divine 'everlasting arms' encircle and uphold us. We ought to ' trust and not be afraid '. This is what David said, resolved and attempted to do - but we still stop short of perfection, as he did. Nevertheless, the desire is there and the prayer is there...and ' God is for us ' ( Romans 8:31).

OCTOBER 12    

" That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. " Philipp. 3:10.

If you have a saving knowledge of Christ, this means that you are already united to Him and His power is therefore being communicated to you. It takes the power of the Spirit to believe in Him, and the same Spirit ( alone) can unite you to Christ. We derive much consolation and assurance by working backwards from spiritual effects to spiritual causes. We are not sensible of the power, but we must have it, otherwise we would not continue in faith. And because the Holy Spirit  will abide with us forever ' ( John 14:16) we can never cease to believe and love Christ. The same power which gave life to the soul shall give life to the body at the resurrection of the body on the last day of this world. The characteristic of life is movement ; the soul moves within with thoughts of Christ and the body moves physically to serve Him. Both of these characteristics will be augmented at the resurrection. Meanwhile we seek to develop our knowledge of Him here, spiritually and practically ( 2 Peter 3:18). There is much to learn and do, time is not sufficient for us - this is why we have eternity !

OCTOBER 13

" Bringing many sons to glory."    Hebrews 2:10.

Christ was sent to bring God's adopted children into the glory appointed for them by the Father ( Gal.4:6. Rom.8:30). Before He brings them into glory He must first of all bring them out of the slavery and dominion of sin, the state of unwillingness and unbelief. This is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. After bringing us out He must then bring us through this world ( like the Exodus history). Looking back, there were many situations we were in and we wondered how we would get through them. The fact that we did we can only ascribe to the working of Christ our Leader. We were in situations when our mind was bewildered, like a whirlwind where thoughts were unable to focus away from our distress ; concentration was turned inward. But while we struggled, even to pray with attention, He was working invisibly in our circumstances to bring us through, to bring us forward by His power. And soon He would have to do it again!

These children of God are indeed set for wonders, they are especially wonders to themselves." By the grace of God I am what I am, " they can say with Paul (1 Corinth.15:10)  "They can also add by experience, ' ...where I am ! ' What He has done for us, He will do for the other children of God, no matter how weak they look to us. There is ' great power ' at work in believers ( Eph. 1:19) , and they must come to glory for He says, " Them also I must bring." 

( John 10:16).

OCTOBER 14    

" For this child I prayed. "  1 Samuel 1:27

The story of Hannah is the story of the mother who prayed for her child, before he was born and after the birth she prayed on. She was often discouraged but did not give up hope, she prayed on. There was a temptation to think that her prayers went unheeded by God, but God heard her prayers. She made promises in her prayers which she dutifully kept when she received what she prayed for. Hannah prayed for a child, but had no assurance that her prayer would be granted. She acknowledged God's sovereignty ; this did not diminish her prayer life, quite the contrary. Only God can give life, and her prayers kept knocking on heaven's door. When Samuel came into this world she continued to pray for him - natural life is not spiritual eternal life. For this life she prayed for the child. The one does not follow the other by nature or by training, and so she prayed on. Samuel made a profession of faith in his youth. Many young people do this but their lives show a deficiency of spiritual life, the fruit of the spirit is lacking ( although other things may be present ). Hannah prayed on, and the year by year consistency of Samuel's life proved his genuineness. Hannah was a mother who died praying with joy. Other parents may not have come to this stage yet, let them learn from Hannah, and pray on !

OCTOBER 15.  

" Behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death."  Revelation 6:8.

John saw death going forth, unstoppable. Death has irresistible power, and it is not riderless, it rides with purpose and control. The horse had the paleness of death, and this distinguished it from the other horses which went forth in their order. The pale horse goes everywhere and at all times, no home can keep it out. It sweeps through the world like a king ( Rom.5:14), and hell follows (vs.8). Multitudes are swallowed up by hell ; judgement overcomes those who have not the preparation of Christ's righteousness to meet it. The unprepared disdain the need of such preparation. Also, ultitudes vainly hope to escape condemnation by use of the law and their good works.But the law will use these as evidence against them, as they were not done by faith. There is no mercy in the law, no bargaining with it ( Heb.10:38). Eternal mercy is only found in the eternal Christ

( Ps.136:1) - and this is exactly what sinners need!" In the Book of the Scriptures God has published threatenings against the wicked as well as promises to the righteous ; and it is our duty to observe and believe the threatenings as well as the promises." ( M.Henry)

OCTOBER 16    

"Be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."    Acts 27:25.

Paul encouraged himself and the others with him by what God had promised ; we have God's word for our hope, it is therefore no presumption. The Bible keeps returning to this doctrine ie. the need for faith. Every believer, like Paul, is persuaded, convinced that God shall keep His Word, and therefore is bold in his thinking, looking forward with prayerful confidence ; prayerful, because confidence in the believer is not always at the same level. This is the difference between joy and no joy. Moreover, unless we are convinced ourselves we shall not be able to encourage others. How can someone who detects fire in a building shout to others, " Fire, Fire ! " if they have no conviction of the truth of it ? Likewise, we cannot assure others of the ' better country ' beyond death if we only have a loose grasp of the truth ? If we are not living by faith ourselves how can we speak of eternal life from experience, the experience of those who have the root and prospect of it themselves ? ( John 3:36) We believe in the honesty and faithfulness of God, the trustworthiness and dependability of God. We act and speak upon faith's foundation ( Heb.11:1). Like Paul aboard the sinking ship, we can trust God under all circumstances at all times.

OCTOBER 17  

" For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you. " Deuteronomy 12:9.

The heavenly rest is yet future. It is an inheritance, it remains a gift of God, and therefore there is nothing we can do to affect its certainty. The children of God cannot lose their inheritance, being joined to the Giver forever. The Israelites had to fight their way into Canaan, and the Lord Jesus said that we must also ' strive ' and enter in, as there will be opposition all the way. We do not enter into heaven immediately after conversion, we are left here for a while, for a purpose. " It must be that I have something to do, or something to endure for Christ ; an active or passive part to fulfil." ( O. Winslow ) 

We must bow to God's wisdom to detain us here, He always acts for a reason.The world needs us in it; as God's witnesses we are reflectors of the only light in the world, a world steeped in mind-darkness.We cannot spread the word if we live enclosed in a monastery ! The world is for us a field of conflict and a school for experience. It is a staging-post for heaven, the hall to another (final) door. We are on the narrow way but can still talk to those on the broad way, and prayerfully hope that they will hear effectively what we have heard from God; we have nothing new to give them, only reminders of what God has already said. We have not yet come to our Rest, but we know it will come to us in His time. Faith has ( in God's word ) seen inside heaven, and delights to contemplate what God has promised..

OCTOBER 18    

" O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? "   Matthew 14:31.

Peter, like the rest of us, could not give an adequate reason for doubting ; probably he was speechless. However, doubting faith is not doubtful faith. If the believer does not have the assurance of faith, yet he has the reliance of faith. Faith as a grain of mustard seed is sufficient to get to heaven, so long as it is faith. It will get us there, though not very comfortably. It will, however, keep us humble and prayerful, and guard against acts of presumption." Unbelief may perhaps tear the copies of the covenant which Christ has given you ; but He still keeps the original in heaven with Himself. Your doubts and fears are no parts of the covenant ; neither can they change Christ." ( Samuel Rutherford) Doubts and fears cannot erase our names from the Lamb's Book of Life, or indeed from His heart. These doubts and fears are overruled by God to make us more aware of our weakness and thus more prayerful. We do not regard assurance as automatic, but something which can be sensed or withdrawn, according to God's Will. True faith will be tried, and the greater the faith the greater the trial ; and the trials shall be greater as we progress through them. Peter would need all his experience in the days ahead, and not only to benefit himself.When Peter began to sink, it was not his own strength that pulled him back up. The Lord was watching him, as He does us.

OCTOBER 19     

" A time to be born and a time to die."  Ecclesiastes 3:2.

We were born in this generation, in this place, in this age of the world. We ought to be thankful for the privileges. The time of our death, with all its surrounding circumstances, is in God's hands also. The final sickness cannot come, the ' last enemy ' ( 1 Corinth.15: 26) cannot approach until the exact time appointed. Infinite wisdom, love, power and care went into that fixed timing. This ought to calm us in the prospect, that, for each individually, ' there is a time .' We ought to read 1 Corinthians chapter 15 more often as we grow older. We can die away from home here, but not away from Christ. He is at every deathbed of His people, He is present at the interment of the body, while His people are presently waiting with Him in heaven, until the time of universal resurrection. Meanwhile, we are not to forget the time in between birth and death ; all that happens therein is appointed also. What kind of life have we ? Is the emphasis on the physical, the social, or are these subordinate to the spiritual. Are we concerned with our inner world as well as our outer ? We must not focus on death so much that we forget to live. It is a great matter to get through today in the right way. Tomorrow will take care of itself, if there is a tomorrow here. Time is something temporary, but eternal matters begin there for each of us. Born into time our road begins, in time a new birth will change our direction for we have then seen eternity stretching out before us.- Have we ?

OCTOBER 20

" We shall all be changed."   1 Corinthians 15:51.

We shall see changes in ourselves and also in others at the resurrection.A former President of the USA, John Quincy Adams was greeted by a friend when he was 80, ' And how is John Quincy Adams today ? ' He replied,' He is quite well, quite well, sir, but the house in which he lives at present is becoming quite dilapidated. Time and the seasons have almost destroyed it...I think that John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it quite soon. But he himself is well, sir, quite well.' For us the resurrection is the exchanging of a tent for a building, for a dwelling that shall never decay. The lame shall walk, the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear, the disfigured shall be beautiful. But the soul shall also be changed. It shall at death leave all ' spots and blemishes' behind ( Ephes.5:27). We shall be free at last to love Christ with all our heart and serve Him without deviation or reservation. We have never experienced perfection before, but then we shall be changed ! The soul's union to the body at conception inherits sin, but union to Christ means a new inheritance, a wonderful change. " and I wished myself among them ! " 

( Bunyan)

OCTOBER 21  

" Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind ? "  John 9:2.

We live in a world of pain and it is natural to look backwards for causes of the pain only, usually to explain it as a punishment for personal wrongdoing,like Job's ' friends' did). " Could God not have created a world without suffering ? ", they ask. He did ! And then Adam, our first parent sinned, and suffering entered into the world with that Original sin. Human nature does however seek for specific sins to explain the cause of a specific suffering, eg. blindness as in this passage in John 9. They find it difficult to accept that there is a mystery in suffering. Jesus told His disciples that they must look forward to the end, the aim, of the suffering and not just be looking back to the man's behaviour or his parents' behaviour as the cause of it. This exclusive backward looking will not remove the suffering. Jesus pointed them to the future, explaining that even suffering can be used to glorify God.This suffering came so that " the works of God might be manifest in him (vs.4), through the blind man. God often displays the glory of His strength through suffering people, not through the prosperous. We are all in pain and it is they who go to the Great Physician for healing who glorify God. No, it is not instant, but at least believers have something to look forward to, and not a despairing death. If given the choice, believers would rather have pain with Christ, than a painless life without Him. Faith holds onto the fact that any suffering is temporary, no matter how long that temporary feels ! ( 2 Corinth.4:16-18)

OCTOBER 22      

" Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."  1 Timothy 1:15.

" His pity inclines Him to save sinners, and His power enables Him to save sinners. His promise binds Him to save sinners, and how easy it is to be saved when the Holy Spirit draws the heart to Christ. It is not great faith, nor deep experience, nor extensive knowledge that are required. The dimmest eye that ever looked to Christ, the feeblest hand that ever took hold of Christ, the most trembling step that ever drew near to Christ, has in it present salvation and life eternal. The smallest measure of real faith will take the soul to heaven. Yes ! There is hope for the trembling penitent. Jesus suffered to the uttermost, ' therefore He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' ( Heb.7:25)...The Captain who has conquered for you and conquered in you will not leave you when on the eve of the final conflict, and the certain victory. Jesus will be with you to the last. Therefore do not be anxious about the dying hour. ( Octavius Winslow )

OCTOBER 23 

" Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died."  John 11:21.

Martha had been bereaved, and her words hint at a degree of anger, frustration and complaint ; because she had faith in Christ's divine omnipotence. He could have intervened, but He didn't ! Many friends would have left her alone at this point when they saw and heard her outburst, but Jesus understood her frustration. And this is what we need more than anything else when we are plunged into bewildering sorrow - a Friend who will stand with us and not leave us. Christians hurt too, and struggle with their feelings and their faith.They are also aware of the potential to panic or, conversely, to sit down in a corner, withdrawing into despair. They also feel guilt, that they could have done more for the deceased, but now that opportunity is gone forever.Are there not promises for God's people at such a time ? Martha looked forward to what was, for her, a distant resurrection time. But what about the present distress ? Can we handle it, when we know we are not responding with the faith that we should have ? But does anybody respond perfectly ? There are indeed promises in Scripture, and we must hold on to these promises, even when we do not feel the effect of them in ourselves - they are nevertheless real.

OCTOBER 24

" But woe to him that is alone when he falls,for he hath not another to help him up."  Ecclesiastes 4:10.

A man who falls hurts himself, often so badly that he cannot get back up. This is not just a physical matter, but can be a mental or spiritual fall, or both. Hurting people are usually lonely people ; it's as if the whole world passes them by. The feeling of the lonely, whatever situation or relationship they are in, is that they have been ' left behind.' Older people in particular, who see so little of others, have this experience often. Where are now the people they knew, who before had time for them, if not to visit, at least to communicate ? Loneliness has been described as " an empty feeling in the pit of one's stomach, almost to the point of nausea ; an underlying anxiety. A sense of separation, isolation." ( D. Jeremiah). It may be the result of a long period of stress, which 'burns out ' all sense of feeling anything, leading to the sense of defeat and discouragement which borders despair. To be on one's own at such a time, with no plan appearing for relief, is a dreadful awareness !. Lonely, hurting people need Someone to help them up, to support them and to give them a hope ; to assure them that they are not alone. Christ always has a plan for His fallen people, He sees what they do not, and He needs to be trusted - as always.

" Will not the end explain

  The crossed endeavour, the earnest purpose foiled,

  The strange bewilderment of good work spoiled,

  The clinging weariness, the inward strain -

  Will not the end explain ? "            ( Amy Carmichael)

OCTOBER 25

" That thou may prosper...as thy soul prospers."  3 John 2

Being set aside from former activity because of age or infirmity does not mean that your duties in the Christian life cease. It may be that you have been transferred to more obscure and less visible God-glorifying activity. There is still work to be done in your own soul, still testimony to God in your new sphere of life ; prayer, thanksgiving, worship, trust do not cease either. Your preparation for heaven is not paused, but continues.

Graces in the soul, which were until now rather dormant, are now called forth into stronger development, and more active exercise. Patience is now more active, love is more tried, hope is now more defiant. Testimony to Christ may have more power of the Spirit accompanying it than up till now. Hospital patients, housebound, walking wounded have their own witness as they near heaven. Truth, reality and eternity are now more solemnly held than before. Those conscious of ' dying in the Lord ' often show more life than those who take living for granted. The sick are not useless, they have been transferred to a different place of duty. " Your great desire has been to glorify Him ; leave Him to select the means which may best advance it...Now, by sickness and suffering, by silence and solitude, He is giving you other work to perform, which shall not the less secure your usefulness, and promote His glory. " ( O.Winslow)

OCTOBER 26

" Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."   Psalm 119:117.

The life of God is in the soul of the believer, and is surrounded there by corruption and opposition, an environment unfavourable to Spiritual growth. Satan is also watchful to find any weakness in the flesh, to exploit it. But while there is nothing in the soul by nature to assist the spirit's work there, so there is no hindrance to His mighty work there. He shall also ' finish the work there that the Father has given Him to do '. The ' old man ', what was there before He came, has not changed its nature, and this explains the inconsistencies of the believer in his daily walk. This prayer of David in Psalm 119 is the prayer of every believer in this world, and more so as we discen our natural weakness. If we were left to ourselves there is no telling what sins we might fall into. We do rejoice in the Lord, but with trembling ( Ps.2:11 ) ; we know how easily we can grieve the spirit and puncture our joy.

Why is it that some older believers do not feel like David in his old age ? It is obviously because they have not made the same spiritual progress as David. There is something lacking in their spiritual experience. The way to heaven is uphill, an ' upward calling ' ; it cannot therefore feel easier in the closing stages. The most godly feel their unfitness most ( Rom.7), but this also shows that they are ' ripe for glory.' " Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

OCTOBER 27

" It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."   Lamentations 3:26.

One of the great difficulties in prayer, common to us all, is that we dictate to the Lord how we want our deliverance to come.The Lord has His own way of sending any blessing to His people, and it often comes in ways not expected. The throne of grace is a sovereign throne, the King rules over everything that comes to pass ; our prayers are not there to guide Him, but to seek harmony with His Will. This does not mean that our requests ( and they are always requests and not 'claims ' of obligation) should not be specific. But they should always be with humility and submission, and this is often where the difficulty in us lies. We must be satisfied to receive the answer to prayer in the way God has eternally appointed, for this is the way which will glorify Him most and bless us accordingly. We may be praying in the right words but yet be impatient because the answer does not come quickly enough for us. We are to wait for God's answer in His own time. Jeremiah's prayer for restoration of true religion and the return of the captives from exile took 70 years before it was answered on earth...and he was not alive here to see it happen. It also happens with ourselves, that some of our prayers will not be seen to be answered until we have been transferred to heaven. We continue therefore to hope, and also pray to ' wait quietly '.

OCTOBER 28

" Who is this that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved ?  Song of Solomon 8:5.

It seems that as we get older we develop more of a need to feel secure. We are as bruised reeds shaken by the wind, we stumble at pebbles, we find gravity a burden, the smallest difficulty disturbs us, change is unwelcome,and we tremble at echoes. Our mistakes, slips and wounds have taught us our weakness, and that our strength lies outside ourselves. To lean is the posture of conscious weakness, we cannot trust our own strength. We must lean all our weight upon Christ's infinite fulness if we are to get up out of this wilderness of a world into the Promised Land. Only He can strengthen the weak hands, feeble knees and fainting hearts ( Heb.12:12,13). " Grant what Thou art commanding, and command me whatever Thou will." ( Augustine). 

He says, " My strength is made perfect in ( our)  weakness." ( 2 Corinth. 12: 9), and concerning those who battled their way into heaven we read, " out of weakness were made strong." ( Heb.11:34). This is God's way of removing any boasting from us and displaying His glory in our salvation ( 2 Corinth. 4:7). No, it does not depend on our strength in any way. We must go on leaning on Him, and so we will come to the end of the way...and the wilderness will be left behind forever.

OCTOBER 29

" Let him trust in the name of the Lord."  Isaiah 50:10.

This is the command given to those who ' walk in darkness ', who see nothing and feel nothing. If this is your first experience of this, it will be shocking and frightening. We are so used to the comforts of faith that it is a fearful experience to walk some part of the way by faith alone, when all ' walking by sight ' is removed. We are as the child whose mother's arms are withdrawn so that the young one may learn how to walk without supports. The person who has gone through this experience has reached a maturity that few attain to. It is not regression, it is a sovereignly given experience. and it may not be a ' one-off ' experience either !The Name of God is His revealed character and such people are to remember it ; faith has memory ( 1 Corinth.15:2). He must also pray, for fears thrive on unbelief. Faith is supported by things unseen, and the work of faith is to wean us from the seen, from trusting in our changeable human emotions. Rather,we are to remember God's constant presence and His ongoing work in the soul, in the church and in the world ; and what we think about it is not going to change this. This Christian experience was called ' desertion ' by the old divines, and many wrote about it e.g.. Thomas Goodwin, J.C.Philpot. It is an experience which develops spirituality. It is not an experience which we can choose, but it is one we can get through. ' Whom having not seen, we love ', ( 1 Peter 1:8 ) - and whom having not seen, we trust !

OCTOBER 30 

" Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? "  Romans 8:35.

When Christ loves sinners, they are loved forever, and must be with Him forever, beginning here when they are united to Him by the Holy Spirit ; this they know by faith. It is a wondrous fact to grasp, and we could not believe it unless he said it Himself. We have the evidence in ourselves that He loves us, because we could not love Him unless he loved us first ! ( 1 John 4:19). Because our love to Him is not yet perfect, there is still a bit of fear in it ( vs.19) as our faith is not yet perfected either, and therefore we do not rest upon the truth of that love as we ought. Moreover, daily indwelling sin disturbs the harmony of our minds.Therefore, no matter what sufferings we are enduring, no matter what temptations are assaulting us, no matter what unpopularity, the constancy of His love is our consolation. He loves but does not always approve of our actions ; however, He will abide faithful to us ; our concern should be our faithfulness to Him.Infinite love cannot be fathomed by us ; its height and depth and length are beyond our comprehension. Christ's love is that of the Father and Holy Spirit too ; it is the love and glory of the Trinity made visible to us " in the Face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinth.4:6).

OCTOBER 31

" The time of my departure is at hand."   2 Timothy 4:6.

The word ' departure ' means ' release.' It was used to refer to releasing someone from a burden. The burdens of this life are heavy. The worker grows tired and the traveller grows weary. The believer also has a cross to bear all the way Home, and groans under the weight ( 2 Corinth.5:2 ). The word was also used to describe a prisoner being released from prison. This life also has its restraints. We cannot always do the good that we want to ( Rom.7). Death is an exit from our physical house while it undergoes repairs at the Resurrection. It is a release from the presence, influence and restraints imposed by indwelling sin. (By faith we were already released from the penalty and reigning power of sin.) The word also refers to the dismantling of a tent, the removing of the pegs which hold it down here so that we can move on. ( 2 Corinth.5:1.) Peter also refers to death as pulling down the tent to make ready for going to a new location ( 2 Peter 1:13,14). The word also refers to the untying of the ropes which hold the ship in port. Then the ship can move out of the harbour for its new destination. Those watching it depart soon have to say, " Look, she's gone ! " Gone where ? Gone from our sight, that's all ( Ps.103:16). But on the other shore they say, " Look, she's coming Home ! "