God Is in Every Place

These words fall from the lips of One who cannot lie. The picture reveals eternal vigilance. Christ is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, walking from church to church, from congregation to congregation, from heart to heart. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. If the candlesticks were left to the care of human agents, how often the light would flicker and go out. But God has not given His church into the hands of men. Christ, the One who gave His life for the world, that all who believe in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life, is the true Watchman of the house. He is the Warder, faithful and true, of the temple-courts of the Lord. We have reason to thank God that we are not dependent on the presence of earthly priest or minister. We are kept by the power of God. The presence and grace of Christ is the secret of all life and light….

A holy Watcher notes every work and action of our lives, and weighs every motive that prompts to action. The hand that traced the characters on the wall of Belshazzar’s palace is everywhere writing, “God is here.” God is in every place. All our words, all our plans, all our secret motives, are weighed in the balances of infinite justice and truth.

Shall the compassionate, self-sacrificing Saviour find us wanting in tenderness, love, sympathy for those for whom He gave His life? God has granted us gracious opportunities for service. He has provided us with precious talents, and we are answerable to Him for the use we make of them. If we use them wisely, God will call us laborers together with Him. If we cleanse ourselves from every impure, selfish principle, we shall one day hear the benediction, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, said, “The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed” (1 Samuel 2:3). David says, “Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity” (Psalm 62:9). Isaiah declares, “Thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just” (Isaiah 26:7). And Solomon writes, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirit” (Proverbs 16:2).

There is not a motive in the heart that the Lord does not read. He reads every purpose, every thought.—Manuscript 99, July 12, 1902, “A Holy People.”
The Upward Look p. 207
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Prayer Requests
—-Prayer Requests from last night’s prayer meeting: Ray asks that his colonoscopy will be successful—Lori is having surgery on the 10th—Pray for Sara—Pray for Andrew’s decision on neck surgery.—Pray that Esther can witness to Angela (a childhood friend whom she met yesterday. Also her dog Jack, who is very old, is going to have some teeth removed—Veronica’s mom is having knee issues. Also pray for wisdom on how to minister to Kim who had a house fire.—Pray for Jojo who has a brain tumor.—Pray for Joyce who is recovering from surgery.—Pray for the USA.—Brain asks for prayer for Allyson, age 15, as she recovers from surgery. Pray that BG will give the workers heat breaks Pray for Brian who is still grieving his mother’s death. Also pray for his co-worker that she will give up alcohol.—Pray for Mark who recently lost his mother.—Our Bible study group on zoom.—Subira’s loss of two sisters.
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Dear Friends,
Until I was nineteen, my mother and I had no car. We walked or rode the bus wherever we needed to go. This wasted many hours as it seemed that the bus was always late. We really longed to have a car, but there just was no money for it. There were so many times when we felt trapped because of our lack of good transportation.
It was such a treat when Floyd and Mary, my mother’s ex-in-laws, would let us use their car for the weekend as payment for watching their son. Tommy was a good boy and enjoyed being with us. He was a few years younger than I, and didn’t tease and torment me about my size; so we got along well together. What fun we would have going places that were not accessible by public transportation and doing things that we wished we could do.
Having that car gave my careworn and overworked mother a sense of freedom and relaxation. and changed her into a smiling, relaxed, energetic girl once more. All of the built up tensions and worries she daily experienced disappeared as we drove around southwestern Michigan and did things that she had been longing to do. All of the frustrations of the day to day survival evaporated.
Those happy feelings did not last long, however. As soon as the weekend was over and Tommy and the car went back home, my mother picked up the cares she had left behind and life went back to a normal routine. All the tensions and frustrations returned and it seemed to me that her weekend of freedom only made her more resentful of her lot in life.
Just as my mother had no lasting peace and happiness from having a car for a short time, so the pleasures of this world last but a moment. They are fleeting at best, and leave us careworn and exhausted and all empty inside when they are over. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I John 2:16-18
Our Dear Saviour desires to give us “the peace of God, [a lasting peace] which passeth all understanding.” Phil 4:7 Just as He “arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still,” so He will bring peace and calmness to our troubled mind if we will ask Him. He assures us, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
David exclaimed, “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.””Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Ps 16:11; 119:165 Praise God! These joys, these pleasures never fade away! No matter what trials and troubles surround us, we can have peace in our heart!
May we turn from the vanities of this world unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.” Acts 14:15 May we experience freedom from the worries and cares of this old world by looking forward to spending eternity with our Blessed Redeemer. May we daily receive the peace that passes all understanding that He offers us is my prayer.
Rose

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