WIXLIB

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 13hand and lead us on our way today. It will be a good and blessedNew Year!He leads us on by paths we did not know;Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,Though oft we faint and falter on the way,Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;Yet when the clouds are gone,We know He leads us on.He leads us on through all the unquiet years;Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,He guides our steps, through all the tangled mazeOf losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days;We know His will is done;And still He leads us on.Nicholaus Ludwig ZinzendorfJanuary 2The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level.The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, sothat the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went up fromthe lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor. (Ezekiel 41:7)Still upward be your onward course:For this I pray today;Still upward as the years go by,And seasons pass away.Still upward in this coming year,Your path is all untried;Still upward may you journey on,Close by your Savior’s side.Still upward although sorrow come,And trials crush your heart;Still upward may they draw your soul,With Christ to walk apart.13

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 14Still upward till the day shall break,And shadows all have flown;Still upward till in Heaven you wake,And stand before the throne.We should never be content to rest in the mists of the valley when the summit of Mount Tabor awaits us. How pure isthe dew of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how richthe food and drink of those who dwell above, whose windowslook into the New Jerusalem! Many saints are content to livelike people in coal mines, who never see the sun.Tears saddentheir faces when they could be anointed with heavenly oil. I amconvinced that many believers suffer in a dungeon when theycould walk on a palace roof, viewing the lush landscape andLebanon.Wake up, believers, from your lowly condition! Throwaway your laziness, sluggishness, coldness, or whatever is interfering with your pure love for Christ. Make Him the Source,the Center,and the One who encompasses every delight of yoursoul. Refuse to be satisfied any longer with your meager accomplishments.Aspire to a higher, a nobler, and a fuller life. Upwardto heaven! Nearer to God! Charles H. SpurgeonI want to scale the utmost height,And catch a gleam of glory bright;But still I’ll pray, till heaven I’ve found,Lord, lead me on to higher ground!Not many of us are living at our best.We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains.The steepness and ruggedness discourage us, so we stay in the mist of thevalleys and never learn the mystery of the hills.We do not knowwhat is lost by our self-indulgence, what glory awaits if we onlyhave the courage to climb, or what blessings we will find if wewill only ascend the mountains of God! J. R. M.Too low they build who build beneath the stars.14

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 15January 3I [will] move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and thatof the children. (Genesis 33:14)What a beautiful picture of Jacob’s thoughtfulness for the cattleand the children! He would not allow them to be driven too hardfor even one day. He would not lead them at a pace equal to whata strong man like Esau could keep or expected them to keep, butonly one as fast as they were able to endure. He knew exactly howfar they could go in a day, and he made that his only consideration in planning their travel.He had taken the same wilderness journey years before and knew from personal experience its roughness,heat, and distance. And so he said,“I [will] move along slowly.”“Since you have never been this way before” (Josh. 3:4).We “have never been this way before,” but the Lord Jesus has.It is all untraveled and unknown ground to us, but He knowsit all through personal experience. He knows the steep placesthat take our breath away, the rocky paths that make our feetache, the hot and shadeless stretches that bring us to exhaustion,and the rushing rivers that we have to cross—Jesus has gonethrough it all before us.As John 4:6 shows,“Jesus, tired as he wasfrom the journey, sat down.” He was battered by every possible torrent, but all the floodwaters coming against Him neverquenched His love. Jesus was made a perfect leader by the thingsHe suffered.“He knows how we are formed, he remembers thatwe are dust” (Ps. 103:14).Think of that when you are temptedto question the gentleness of His leading. He remembers all thetime and will never make you take even one step beyond whatyour feet are able to endure. Never mind if you think you areunable to take another step, for either He will strengthen youto make you able, or He will call a sudden halt, and you willnot have to take it at all. Frances Ridley HavergalIn “pastures green”? Not always; sometimes HeWho knowest best, in kindness leadeth me15

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 16In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.So, whether on the hilltops high and fairI dwell, or in the sunless valleys, whereThe shadows lie, what matter? He is there.BarryJanuary 4Jesus replied,“You may go.Your son will live.”The man took Jesus athis word and departed. (John 4:50)Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe. (Mark 11:24)When you are confronted with a matter that requires immediate prayer, pray until you believe God—until with wholehearted sincerity you can thank Him for the answer. If you donot see the external answer immediately, do not pray for it insuch a way that it is evident you are not definitely believing Godfor it.This type of prayer will be a hindrance instead of a helpto you. And when you are finished praying, you will find thatyour faith has been weakened or has entirely gone.The urgencyyou felt to offer this kind of prayer is clearly from self and Satan.It may not be wrong to mention the matter to the Lord again,if He is keeping you waiting for His answer, but be sure to doso in a way that shows your faith.Never pray in a way that diminishes your faith. You may tell Himyou are waiting, still believing and therefore praising Him forthe answer.There is nothing that so fully solidifies faith as beingso sure of the answer that you can thank God for it. Prayersthat empty us of faith deny both God’s promises from His Wordand the “Yes” that He whispered to our hearts. Such prayersare only the expression of the unrest of our hearts, and unrestimplies unbelief that our prayers will be answered. “Now wewho have believed enter that rest” (Heb. 4:3).The type of prayer that empties us of faith frequently arisesfrom focusing our thoughts on the difficulty rather than on16

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 17God’s promise. Abraham, “without weakening in his faith, . . .faced the fact that his body was as good as dead. . . .Yet he didnot waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, butwas strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God” (Rom.4:19–20). May we “watch and pray so that [we] will not fall into[the] temptation” (Matt. 26:41) of praying faith-diminishingprayers. C. H. P.Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but simply takingGod at His word. Christmas EvansThe beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George MuellerYou will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. Godgives us His promises in a quiet hour, seals our covenants withgreat and gracious words, and then steps back, waiting to seehow much we believe. He then allows the Tempter to come, andthe ensuing test seems to contradict all that He has spoken.Thisis when faith wins its crown.This is the time to look up throughthe storm, and among the trembling, frightened sailors declare,“I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me”(Acts 27:25).Believe and trust; through stars and suns,Through life and death, through soul and sense,His wise, paternal purpose runs;The darkness of His ProvidenceIs starlit with Divine intents.January 5Then Asa . . . said,“Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.” (2 Chronicles 14:11)Remind God of His exclusive responsibility:“There is no onelike you to help.”The odds against Asa’s men were enormous.“Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with a vast armyand three hundred chariots” (v. 9). It seemed impossible for Asa17

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 18to hold his own against that vast multitude.There were no allieswho would come to his defense.Therefore his only hope wasin God.It may be that your difficulties have come to such an alarming level that you may be compelled to refuse all human help.In lesser trials, you may have had that recourse, but now youmust cast yourself on your almighty Friend. Put God betweenyourself and the enemy.Asa, realizing his lack of strength, saw Jehovah as standingbetween the might of Zerah and himself.And he was not mistaken. We are told that the Cushites “were crushed beforethe Lord and his forces” (v. 13), as though heavenly warriorsthrew themselves against the enemy on Israel’s behalf. God’sforces so overwhelmed the vast army of the enemy that theyfled. Then all Israel had to do was follow up and gather theplunder. Our God is “the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 10:16 KJV), whocan summon unexpected reinforcements at any moment tohelp His people. Believe that He is between you and your difficulty, and what troubles you will flee before Him, as cloudsin the wind. F. B. MeyerWhen nothing on which to lean remains,When strongholds crumble to dust;When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,That is just the time to trust.It’s better to walk by faith than sight,In this path of yours and mine;And the darkest night, when there’s no outer lightIs the time for faith to shine.“Abraham believed God” (Rom. 4:3), and said to his eyes,“Stand back!” and to the laws of nature,“Hold your peace!” andto an unbelieving heart,“Silence, you lying tempter!” He simply “believed God.” Joseph Parker18

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 19January 6When you pass through the waters . . . they will not sweep over you.(Isaiah 43:2)God does not open paths for us before we come to them, orprovide help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them.Yet when we are atour point of need, God’s hand is outstretched.Many people forget this truth and continually worry aboutdifficulties they envision in the future.They expect God to openand clear many miles of road before them, but He promises todo it step by step, only as their need arises.You must be in thefloodwaters before you can claim God’s promise. Many peopledread death and are distressed that they do not have “dyinggrace.” Of course, they will never have the grace for death whenthey are in good health.Why should they have it while in themidst of life’s duties, with death still far away? Living grace iswhat is needed for life’s work and calling, and then dying gracewhen it is time to die. J. R. M.“When you pass through the waters”Deep the waves may be and cold,But Jehovah is our refuge,And His promise is our hold;For the Lord Himself has said it,He, the faithful God and true:“When you come to the watersYou will not go down, BUT THROUGH.”Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,Bitter anguish, fiercest pain,Rolling surges of temptationSweeping over heart and brain—They will never overflow usFor we know His word is true;All His waves and all His billows19

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 20He will lead us safely THROUGH.Threatening breakers of destruction,Doubt’s insidious undertow,Will not sink us, will not drag usOut to ocean depths of woe;For His promise will sustain us,Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!We will not go down, or under,For He says,“You will pass THROUGH.”Annie Johnson FlintJanuary 7I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (Philippians 4:11)Paul, while being denied every comfort, wrote the abovewords from a dark prison cell.A story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked theoak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was.The oaksaid it was tired of life and determined to die because it was nottall and beautiful like the pine tree.The pine was troubled becauseit could not bear grapes like the grapevine.The grapevine wasdetermined to throw its life away because it could not stand erectand produce fruit as large as peaches.The geranium was frettingbecause it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.And so it went throughout the garden.Yet coming to a violet, the king found its face as bright and happy as ever and said,“Well, violet, I’m glad to find one brave little flower in the midstof this discouragement. You don’t seem to be the least disheartened.” The violet responded, “No, I’m not. I know I’msmall, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peachtree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I knew20

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 21you wanted a violet, I’m determined to be the best little violetI can be.”Others may do a greater work,But you have your part to do;And no one in all God’s familyCan do it as well as you.People who are God’s without reservation “have learned tobe content whatever the circumstances.” His will becomes theirwill, and they desire to do for Him whatever He desires themto do. They strip themselves of everything, and in their nakedness find everything restored a hundredfold.January 8I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.(Ezekiel 34:26)What is your season today? Are you experiencing a season ofdrought? If so, then it is the season for showers.Are you goingthrough a season of great heaviness with dark clouds? Then thattoo is the season for showers. “Your strength will equal yourdays” (Deut. 33:25).“I will send . . . showers of blessing.” Noticethat the word “showers” is plural.God will send all kinds of blessings. And all His blessings gotogether like links in a golden chain. If He gives you savinggrace, He will also give you comforting grace. God will send“showers of blessings.” Look up today, you who are dried andwithered plants. Open your leaves and flowers and receive God’sheavenly watering. Charles H. SpurgeonLet but your heart become a valley low,And God will rain on it till it will overflow.You, O Lord, can transform my thorn into a flower. And Ido want my thorn transformed into a flower. Job received sunshine after the rain, but was the rain all wasted? Job wants to21

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 22know, and I want to know, if the rain is related to the sunshine.Only You can tell me—Your cross can tell me. You havecrowned Your sorrow. Let this be my crown, O Lord. I will onlytriumph in You once I have learned the radiance of the rain.George MathesonThe fruitful life seeks rain as well as sunshine.The landscape, brown and dry beneath the sun,Needs but the cloud to lift it into life;The dews may dampen the tree and flower,But it requires the cloud-distilled showerTo bring rich greenness to the lifeless life.Ah, how like this, the landscape of a life:Dews of trial fall like incense, rich and sweet;But meaning little in the crystal tray—Like moths of night, dews lift at break of dayAnd fleeting impressions leave, like lips that meet.But clouds of trials, bearing burdens rare,Leave in the soul, a moisture settled deep:Life stirs by the powerful law of God;And where before the thirsty camel trod,There richest beauties to life’s landscape leap.Then read you in each cloud that comes to youThe words of Paul, in letters large and clear:So will those clouds your soul with blessing feed,And with a constant trust as you do read,All things together work for good. Fret not, nor fear!January 9I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with theglory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)I once kept a bottle-shaped cocoon of an emperor moth fornearly one year.The cocoon was very strange in its construction.The neck of the “bottle” had a narrow opening through22

01Streams11/5/0110:01 AMPage 23which the mature insect forces its way.Therefore the abandonedcocoon is as perfect as one still inhabited, with no tearing of theinterwoven fibers having taken place.The great disparity betweenthe size of the opening and the size of the imprisoned insectmakes a person wonder how the moth ever exits at all. Of course,it is never accomplished without great labor and difficulty. It isbelieved the pressure to which the moth’s body is subjected whenpassing through such a narrow opening is nature’s way of forcing fluids into the wings,since they are less developed at the timeof emerging from the cocoon than in other insects.I happened to witness the first efforts of my imprisoned mothto escape from its long confinement. All morning I watched itpatiently striving and struggling to be free. It never seemed ableto get beyond a certain point,and at last my patience was exhausted.The confining fibers were probably drier and less elastic thanif the cocoon had been left all winter in its native habitat,as naturemeant it to be. In any case, I thought I was wiser and more compassionate than its Maker, so I resolved to give it a helping hand.With the point of my scissors, I snipped the confining threadsto make the exit just a little easier. Immediately and with perfect ease, my moth crawled out, dragging a huge swollen bodyand little shriveled wings! I watched in vain to see the marvelousprocess of expansion in which these wings would silently andswiftly develop before my eyes. As I examined the delicately beautiful spots and markings of various colors that were all there inminiature, I longed to see them assume their ultimate size. Ilooked for my moth, one of the loveliest of its kind, to appear inall its perfect beauty. But I looked in vain. My misplaced tenderness had proved to be its ruin.The moth suffered an aborted life,crawling painfully through its brief existence instead of flyingthrough the air on rainbow wings.I have thought of my moth often, especially when watchingwith tearful eyes those who were struggling with sorrow, suffering

between these two best-selling daily devotional books of all time.Not only we re they originally published during the same time period ( Streams in 1925,and My Utmost in 1927),but L.B.Cowman,who compiled Streams in the Desert ,and Oswald Chambers had ministered together.They met when Co