Have you seen Jesus lately? - - by Charles Spurgeon

"But they did not know who He was." Luke 24:16

The disciples ought to have recognized Jesus, they had heard His voice so often, and gazed upon that marred face so frequently, that it is amazing that they did not know Him. Yet is it not so with you also? Have you seen Jesus lately? You have been to His table--and you have not met Him there. You are in a dark trouble, and though He plainly says, "It is I--do not be afraid," yet you do not recognize Him. Alas! our eyes are blinded! We know His voice; we have looked into His face; we have leaned our head upon His bosom--and yet, though Christ is very near us, we are saying, "O that I knew where I might find Him!"

We should know Jesus, for we have the Scriptures to reflect His image. Yet how frequently we open that precious book--and have no glimpse of our Well-beloved! Dear child of God, are you in that state? Jesus walks through the glades of Scripture, and desires to commune with His people. Yet you are in the garden of Scripture--but cannot see Him, though He is always there!

Make it your prayer, "Lord, open my eyes--that I may see my Savior present with me!" It is a blessed thing to desire to see Him. But oh! it is better far to gaze upon Him! To those who seek Him--He is kind; but to those who find Him--He is precious beyond expression!

He who has deserved a hanging by Thomas Brooks

"The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and
 punishes every son whom He receives."
     Hebrews 12:6

"Why should any living man complain--when
 punished for his sins?" Lamentations 3:39
 
He who has deserved a hanging--has no
reason to charge the judge with cruelty--if
he escapes with a whipping!
 
And we who have deserved a damning--have
no reason to charge God for being too severe
--if we escape with a fatherly lashing!
 
"God disciplines us for our good---that we
 may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10

God's Mowing Machine by Theodore Cuyler

I don't particularly like to post two Grace Gems right after each other.
But I have been busy working on a book review and haven't had time to work on another post. So here is another Grace Gem by Theodore Cuyler.
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Isaiah 48:10

"I have refined you in the furnace of affliction."

Some afflictions are sent by God--to purify character. God sits as a Refiner beside His furnace. He heats it until the metal melts--and the dross surfaces and is taken away. He keeps His silver in the furnace--until He can see His own face reflected in the clear metal of the heart. Then the affliction has done its work. There is such a wretched amount of self-will and pride and covetousness and unbelief even in the best of Christians--that they require the refining-furnace very often.

It is a wholesome process--to be "mowed down" occasionally. The grass in every lawn requires to be cut down by a mower. The oftener it is mowed--the richer and the thicker is the growth. The lawn never looks so beautiful, as after the sharp-edged mower has gone over it. I have observed that some Christians have never appeared so attractive in their humility and heavenly-mindedness, as when God's mowing-machine has been passed over them!

A Heathenish Habit by Theodore Cuyler

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty,
reigns!" Revelation 19:6

In nothing are we all apt to make more terrible blunders,
than in looking at God's providential dealings. Even
some Christians have a heathenish habit of talking
about "good luck" and "windfalls" and "bad fortune,"
and other expressions which convey the idea that this
life is a mere game of chance!

Blind unbelief may be expected to err, and to scan God's
work as either a riddle or a muddle. But a Christian ought
to know better!

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the
Almighty, reigns!" Revelation 19:6

When He discovers repulsive things in us by J.R. Miller

 

"Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end!" John 13:1

 Jesus takes us as we are, and does not get weary of us--whatever faults and sins He discovers in us. There is infinite comfort in this for us. We are conscious of our faults, blemishes and infirmities; and the unworthiness and the unloveliness which is in our souls. Many of us have pages in our biography, which we would not dare to spread out before the eyes of anyone!

There are in our inner heart--feelings, desires, longings, cravings, jealousies, motives--which we would not feel secure in laying bare to our dearest, truest, and most patient and gentle friend. Yet Christ knows them all. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. To Him there is perfect revealing of the innermost springs of our being. Yet we need not be afraid that His friendship for us will change, or grow less, or withdraw itself--when He discovers repulsive things in us. Yet He loves us--loves unto the uttermost! Christ loves us not according to our worthiness--but according to the richness of His own gracious heart!

 "May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should--how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it!" Ephesians 3:18-19

Exercises of Sin and Grace by John Newton

Alas, how vain is man! What a contradiction is a believer to himself!

If I were to describe him from the Scriptural portrait--I would say that he is one whose heart is athirst for God, for His glory, and for His presence; that his affections are fixed upon an unseen Savior; that his treasures, and consequently his thoughts, are on eternal realities, far beyond the bounds of sense. Having experienced much God's forgiveness, he is full of mercy and forgiveness to all around. Having been often deceived by his own heart, he dares trust it no more--but lives by faith in the Son of God--for wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and derives from Him grace upon grace; sensible that without Him--he has not sufficiency even to think a good thought! In short--he is dead to the world, to sin, to self; but alive to God, and lively in His service. Prayer is his breath, the Word of God is his food, and Christ is more precious to him than the light of the sun. Such is a believer--in his judgment and prevailing desires.

But was I to describe him from his actual experience, especially at some times--how different would the picture be!

Though he knows that communion with God is his highest privilege, he too seldom finds it so; on the contrary, if duty, conscience, and necessity did not compel him--he would leave the throne of grace unvisited from day to day!

He takes up the Bible, conscious that it is the fountain of life and true comfort; yet perhaps, while he is making the reflection, he feels a secret distaste, which prompts him to lay it down, and give his preference to a newspaper!

He needs not to be told of the vanity and uncertainty of the world, and all beneath the sun; and yet he is almost as much elated or cast down by a trifle--as those who have their only portion in this world!

He believes that all things shall work together for his good, and that the most high God appoints, adjusts, and overrules all of his concerns; yet he feels the risings of fear, anxiety, and displeasure, as though the contrary was true!

He owns himself to be ignorant, and liable to be deceived by a thousand fallacies; yet he is easily betrayed into flattering views of himself, and self-conceit! He feels himself to be an unprofitable, unfaithful, unthankful servant--and therefore blushes to harbor a thought of desiring the esteem and commendations of men--yet he cannot suppress it!

By these exercises of sin and grace--the Lord teaches us more truly to know and feel the utter depravity and corruption of our whole nature--that we are indeed defiled in every part! His method of salvation is hereby exceedingly endeared to us! We see that it is and must be of grace, wholly of grace; and that the Lord Jesus Christ, and His perfect righteousness, is and must be--our all in all.

God's power likewise, in maintaining His own work, notwithstanding our infirmities, temptations, and enemies--is hereby displayed in the clearest light; His strength is manifested in our weakness!

Satan likewise, is more remarkably disappointed and put to shame--when he finds bounds set to his rage and wiles, beyond which he cannot pass; and that those in whom he finds so much evil to work upon, and over whom he so often prevails for a season--escape at last out of his hands!
He casts them down--but they are raised again!
He wounds them--but they are healed!
He obtains his desire to sift them as wheat--but the prayer of their great Advocate prevails for the maintenance of their faith!

Further, by what believers feel in themselves--they learn by degrees how to warn, pity, and bear with others. A soft, patient, and compassionate spirit, and a readiness and skill in comforting those who are cast down--is not perhaps attainable in any other way!

I believe that nothing more habitually reconciles a child of God to the thought of death, than the wearisomeness of this warfare with sin and temptation. Death is unwelcome to human nature. But the Christian knows that not until death--will the conflict cease! Then we shall sin no more! The flesh, with all its attendant evils, will be laid in the grave. Then the soul, which has been partaker of a new and heavenly birth, shall be freed from every encumbrance, and stand perfect in the Redeemer's righteousness before God in eternal glory! When we see Jesus, we shall be transformed into His image--and be done with sin and sorrow forever!

The purpose of God for our life on earth by J.R. Miller

We should get it settled in our minds, that the purpose of God for our life on earth, is to have us grow into Christ's image. We are not in this world merely to accomplish a certain amount of work--but to be fashioned into strength and beauty of character. If we would always remember this, we would not be perplexed so often by the mysteries of our lives.

If joy is ours--it is to make us better and a greater blessing to others.

If sorrow is ours--it is to purify us and bring out some line of Christ's image in us more clearly.

If our hopes are disappointed--it is because God has some better things for us, than that which we so earnestly desired.

If we are called to endure pain--it is because the best in us can be called out only by pain.

If bereavement comes and we are left without the strong human arm we have leaned upon heretofore--it is because there are elements of strength in our life, which never could be developed unless the human supports were taken away.

If our burdens are heavy--it is because we grow best under burdens.

If we are wronged by others--it is to teach us better, the great lessons of patience and sweet temper.

If our circumstances are uncongenial and our condition hard--it is that we may be disciplined into self-control, and may learn to be content in whatever state we are in.

The Master is always teaching us new lessons, making us into the beauty of the pattern He has set for us, and preparing us for greater usefulness and better service.

When God Dwelt Alone by Arthur Pink

Before the mountains were born, before You
gave birth to the earth and the world, from
eternity to eternity, You are God!" Psalm 90:2

There was a time, if 'time' it could be called,
when God dwelt all alone. There was no
heaven, where His glory is now particularly
manifested. There was no earth to engage
His attention. There were no angels to hymn
His praises. There was no universe to be
upheld by the word of His power. There was
nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for
a day, a year, or an age--but "from eternity."

During eternity past, God was alone:
self-contained,
self-sufficient,
self-satisfied;
in need of nothing.
Had a universe, had angels, had human beings
been necessary to Him in any way--they would
have been called into existence from all eternity.
The creating of them when He did, added nothing
to God essentially. He does not change (Mal. 3:6),
therefore His essential glory can be neither
augmented nor diminished.

"Before Him all the nations are as nothing; they
are regarded by Him as worthless and less than
nothing." Isaiah 40:17

A Book for the Unsuccessful by J.R. Miller

The Bible is indeed a book for the unsuccessful. Its sweetest messages are to those who have fallen. It is the book of love and sympathy. It is like a mother's bosom to lay one's head upon--in the time of distress or pain. Its pages teem with cheer for those who are discouraged. It sets its lamps of hope to shine in darkened chambers. It reaches out its hands of help to the fainting, and to those who have fallen. It is full of comfort for those who are in sorrow. It has its many special promises for the needy, the poor, and the bereft. It is a book for those who have failed, for the disappointed, the defeated, and the discouraged.

It is this quality in the Bible, which makes it so dear to the heart of humanity. If it were a book only for the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unfallen, those who have no sorrow, who never fail, the whole, the happy--it would not find such a welcome wherever it goes in the world. So long as there are tears and sorrows, and broken hearts, and crushed hopes, and human failures, and lives burdened and bowed down, and spirits sad and despairing--so long will the Bible be full of inspiration, light, help, and strength--for earth's weary ones.


The God of the Bible is the God of those who have not succeeded. Wherever there is a weak, stumbling Christian, unable to walk alone--to him the divine heart goes out in tender thought and sympathy; and the divine hand is extended to support him, and keep him from falling. Whenever a Christian has fallen, and lies in defeat or failure--over him bends the heavenly Father in kindly pity, to raise him up and to help him to begin again. The God of the Bible is the God of the weak, the unsheltered. Their very helplessness of His children, is their strongest plea to the divine heart.