God's Developer

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                       "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also."  Romans  5:3

     It takes a telescopic faith to be able to say  "we glory in tribulations."  One must be able to look ahead and visualize the end purposes of trials and tribulations, and rest in the promise of Romans 8:28.  Every one of our trials and testings is known to God, is permitted by God, and has a purpose in the development of our Christian character.

     Many of you own a camera.  They are made so simple today that one needs to know nothing about photography to take good pictures.  Just snapping the picture is easy enough, but to develop the film takes a knowledge of photography.  A film is a piece of material covered with chemicals which are exceedingly sensitive to light.  When the light falls upon this film, there is no visible change, yet the picture is there.  It only needs to be developed.  It is taken into a darkroom and immersed in a liquid containing certain chemicals which dissolve parts of the coating of the film exposed to the light.  The negative is placed in this solution and the dish tilted from side to side, washing and rewashing the face of the plate or film until gradually the image is revealed.  This is called  "developing the plate."  The picture was there all the time but it needed to be developed.

     Trials and testings are God's  "developers"  of Christian character.  There are gifts and graces and virtues which are never developed except in the darkroom of God's school of affliction.  Some of you today are in God's darkroom, while He passes you through test after test of developing solution, while bringing out a beauty in you, which will be its own explanation and God's answer to the question,  "Why must I suffer so?" He wants to bring out in you the image of Him whose likeness you bear.

"Little furnaces are for little faith.  The greatest compliment God can pay us is to heat the furnace to the utmost."

"Bread For Each Day"

Micah 7:5-6

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a companion.  Keep the doors of they mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

Micah 6:8

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy (loving kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God?

Needed: Diligent Laborers

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                                  "Not slothful in business."  Romans  12:11

     When I was young we lived  next door to a kindly old gentleman who worked with but average speed, yet with skillful precision and earnest diligence.  As a boy of twelve I stood watching him one day when he turned to me and said,  "Perhaps you, like some of the other neighbors, think I am spending a great deal of time on this particular project; but I have learned long ago that speed should always be secondary to quality workmanship.  Remember this, my boy:  years from now when I am gone and people view what I am building today, no one will ask,  'How long did it take him?'  but many will probably inquire,  'Who did it?'  It is well to recognize early in life the value of doing your best at all times!"  There is not much else I remember about this man, but I have never forgotten the lesson he taught.  Christians especially are to be diligent in their labors, performing all their duties as "unto the Lord."  There is never an excuse for any of us to be "slothful in business."  Men now may little mark our deeds, and often we may go unappreciated despite our most earnest and consecrated efforts, yet we must constantly keep in mind the thought that our real Master is Christ who ever demands our best.  He will certainly reward the diligent.

     Someone has said,  'There are those who patiently climb the hills of life doing their duty with only God knowing the heroic quality of their work, but God keeps a blessed 'Book of Remembrance' and will someday open it.  Then every faithful workman who labored conscientiously to obtain the praise of Heaven will receive a crown!"

     Even though you may not have accomplished great things, it is comforting to know that a life of simple consecration always leaves a trace of imperishable beauty and worth on everything it touches.

"Bread For Each Day"

A Perfect Way

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                            "It is God that . . . maketh my way perfect."  Psalm  18:31

     There is a familiar story of a man who went into a famous tapestry establishment in Paris to watch the skilled laborers perform their work of art.  They had their hands filled with thread of almost every color, and were weaving them into what seemed to him a rather ugly fabric of patchwork.  When an opportune moment came he said to one of the directors of the project,  "I do not see any beauty in that piece of work at all." "No,"  said the other,  "it is not very attractive now, but return in a month and see it after it is finished; then you will change your mind."  At the time appointed the man went back to view the piece of tapestry, but once again he was sorely disappointed at the jumble of colors.  He shook his head and said,  "I am still unable to see any beauty in it."  The chief weaver took his arm and directed him to the other side of the room - how wonderful the beauty which now met his eye!  What skillful and artistic mingling of the colors - what an exquisite deign.  The visitor could find no words to express his admiration and delight.  He understood then that the tapestry is woven from the wrong side, and one who does not know what the weaver is doing sees only the tangled, snarled ends and oftentimes no meaningful symmetry or line.

     So, too, all of us are on the loom of life, but if we have given ourselves over into the hands of the Master Weaver, we may be sure that His pattern of grace will be marvelously contrived.  Here we may see only the tangled strands of trial and the knotted end of disappointment, seemingly arranged without proper skill or meaning.  However, when the weaving of our life has ended, we shall be allowed to view it from the Glory Side; then with eternal perspective we shall discover that the fabric of our existence was full of design and purpose.  Indeed, with the psalmist we will exclaim:  He "maketh my way perfect."

"Bread For Each Day"

Smooth Preaching

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears:  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."   2 Timothy 4: 1-8

     The faithful preacher of the Gospel is never universally popular.  While some will love him for his faithfulness, great numbers will hate him for his unwillingness to compromise.  In the days of Isaiah, the Lord pronounced judgment because the people refused the warnings of doom, for they wanted the prophets to bring messages which would not condemn their sins.  They said,  ". . . speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits."

     People often believe that a good sermon should make folk feel comfortable and at ease.  On the contrary, however, a real good Bible sermon is one which first of all disturbs, irritates, awakens, causes dissatisfaction and unrest.  Before anyone can find comfort in Christ, he must first of all be made to feel his failures and shortcomings.  There are three steps in the process of conviction.  First the sinner becomes mad, then he becomes sad, and, finally, he becomes glad when he confesses his sin and turns to Christ.

     What kind of a sermon did your preacher give you last Sunday?  Was it one that made you feel satisfied with yourself?  If it did, you better hear someone else next Sunday.  But if the sermon, awakened in you a consciousness of your unworthiness, then thank God for him.

     A man described under three heads a certain sermon he had heard.  He said it was a moving, soothing, and satisfying message.  It was very moving for half the audience left before it was one-half over.  It was very soothing because most of those who remained fell fast asleep; and it was highly satisfying since everyone declared that they had had enough of that kind of preaching.  The Word of God is a sword (Hebrews  4:12); a knife  (Acts  5:33); a fire  (Jeremiah  23:29); a hammer  (Jeremiah  23:29);  and a lamp  (Psalm  119105).  The Word is a two-edged sword.  It wounds to heal, it kills to make alive.

"Bread For Each Day"

Psalm 27

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord  the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
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 (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me: he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing,  yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will care for me.
Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.