Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening 25JUL2012

Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

³ The Lord appeared to us in the past,^[a] saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Morning
"With lovingkindness have I drawn thee." - Jeremiah 31:3
The thunders of the law and the terrors of judgment are all used to bring us to Christ; but the final victory is effected by lovingkindness. The prodigal set out to his father's house from a sense of need; but his father saw him a great way off, and ran to meet him; so that the last steps he took towards his father's house were with the kiss still warm upon his cheek, and the welcome still musical in his ears.
"Law and terrors do but harden
All the while they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon
Will dissolve a heart of stone."
The Master came one night to the door, and knocked with the iron hand of the law; the door shook and trembled upon its hinges; but the man piled every piece of furniture which he could find against the door, for he said, "I will not admit the man." The Master turned away, but by-and-bye he came back, and with his own soft hand, using most that part where the nail had penetrated, he knocked again--oh, so softly and tenderly. This time the door did not shake, but, strange to say, it opened, and there upon his knees the once unwilling host was found rejoicing to receive his guest. "Come in, come in; thou hast so knocked that my bowels are moved for thee. I could not think of thy pierced hand leaving its blood-mark on my door, and of thy going away houseless, Thy head filled with dew, and thy locks with the drops of the night.' I yield, I yield, thy love has won my heart." So in every case: lovingkindness wins the day. What Moses with the tablets of stone could never do, Christ does with his pierced hand. Such is the doctrine of effectual calling. Do I understand it experimentally? Can I say, "He drew me, and I followed on, glad to confess the voice divine?" If so, may he continue to draw me, till at last I shall sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

\ a n d i n s p i r e a l l y o u c a n . - W i l l i a m A r t h u r W a r d

\ L e a r n a n d g r o w a l l y o u c a n . S e r v e a n d b e f r i e n d a l l y o u c a n . E n r i c h

Take life as it is , it isn't always serious.....

Sober

Romans 12:3

[Humble Service in the Body of Christ] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Hm, what is in accordance with the faith distributed? Sober,

(merriam-webster dictionary)

Definition of SOBER

1

a : sparing in the use of food and drink : abstemious b : not addicted to intoxicating drink c : not drunk

2

: marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor

3

: unhurried, calm

4

: marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness <a sober candlelight vigil>

5

: subdued in tone or color

6

: showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice 

 

This is where pride comes to play, either inwardly (in our mind) or/& outwardly (our actions). Romans 3:23 & 24

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

 

Sober.....earnestly, not continuous or always using judgment, both to others and ourselves. We get lost in it, deciding how great or how bad we are. Also, how great or bad others are.  

Where is the man who is perfect? Who is without sin? Is it because I'm not a murderer I'm better? Then what about the pride inside one, is that any "bettter" ?  NO.