God’s Design and Purpose for the Family: An Introduction – Part 1

by Josh Liu

Marriage, which is instituted and defined by God, is under constant attack. Nuclear (traditional), legally separated, divorced, single-parent, extended, childless, blended, and stepfamily—the marriage and family situations and issues are complex. By God’s grace, His Scriptures reveal His design and purpose of marriage and family and are sufficient to address all situations and issues. For the 2017-2018 academic year, College Life seeks to equip its students with a biblical foundation of marriage and family.

(The following notes are adapted from Dr. John Street of The Master’s University and Seminary.)

Why is it important to know what the family is?

First, many today are minimizing the importance of the family or have erroneous ideas about what the family is.

For example, the United Nations General Assembly declared the International Year of the Family 1994, stating “Families assume diverse forms and functions from one country to another, and within each national society. These express the diversity of individual preferences and societal conditions.” In other words, the diversity of culture reflects a diversity of families. Therefore, there is no single definition of family or one model; anyone can (re)define what marriage and family are. Whenever man departs from the counsel of God, chaos and sin ensue. Much of the world has sought to indoctrinate every person’s mind, particularly young people, to believe that they are the authority in deciding issues related to marriage and family. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we must return to God’s Word—God defines what the family is. Since God has provided instruction for the family, man ought to know and obey what God has commanded.

Second, one of Satan’s primary objectives is to destroy the family.

Scripture describes believers as involved in a spiritual war (Eph. 6:11-12). Satan and his demonic forces are opposed to God and all that God stands for. Because of God’s design and purpose of the family, if Satan can undermine the family, then he can destroy society; family and the family unit are critical for society.

Satan knows the importance of the family. Satan knows that:

  1. The command to multiply, fill, and subdue the earth was given to a family unit (Gen. 1:28-29). The family is the basic building block of every other social unit or institution. So, the family is unique and irreplaceable in God’s creation. God starts His revelation to man with extended teaching about marriage and the family; He did not start revelation by talking about the church, civil government, or other social institutions.
  2. Distortions and deficiencies in the family will produce distortions and deficiencies in every other human institution. The proliferation of fields such as social workers, child protection services, elementary school counselors, child psychologists, Freudian psychoanalysts, arbitrators, divorce lawyers and planners, teen pregnancy centers, and so on at least highlight possible consequences of broken marriages and families. Also, an ungodly family member can have an impact on other family members (see Ex. 20:5; Josh. 7; Prov. 12:4; 14:1; 21:9; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21).
  3. The family is a means of reflecting the communicable aspects of God’s nature. For example, the family is a means of reflecting the nature of His relationship with His people: husband-wife (Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:9); father-child (Deut. 32:6-18; Rom. 8:12-17; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; John 1:12).
  4. Family relationships affect our relationship with God. For example, the intimate filling of the Holy Spirit will manifest itself in submission in family relationships (Eph. 5:18ff), and a husband’s lack of care for his wife will obstruct his prayers (1 Pet. 3:7).
  5. Family life is given among the requirements for leadership in the church (1 Tim. 3:1-7; 5:8). If a man fails in the home, he is disqualified from being an overseer in the church. A man’s character and conduct among the most private and personal sphere of his life will reveal whether or not he is the kind of man God calls to shepherd His church.

Let this brief (and incomplete) introduction of the importance of the family prime you for further study.

  • God holds marriage and family in high regard (cf. Heb. 13:4). Have you sought to glorify Him by preparing for or “doing” marriage and family God’s way by establishing a biblical foundation?
  • As single people during their undergraduate careers, we would do well to prepare through biblical study and spiritual discipline (cf. Ezra 7:10; 1 Tim. 4:8).
  • There is an enemy who opposes God and seeks to undermine His will, design, and purposes in creation. Stand firm on the truth of God’s Word to illumine your path in glorifying God with your family (cf. Prov. 3:5-6; Ps. 119:105).

Our Heart Shall Rejoice In Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Psalm 33:21

Blessed is the fact that Christians can rejoice even in the deepest distress; although trouble may surround them, they still sing; and, like many birds, they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll over them, but their souls soon rise to the surface and see the light of God’s countenance; they have a buoyancy about them which keeps their head always above the water, and helps them to sing amid the tempest, ‘God is with me still.’

To whom shall the glory be given? Oh! to Jesus-it is all by Jesus. Trouble does not necessarily bring consolation with it to the believer, but the presence of the Son of God in the fiery furnace with him fills his heart with joy. He is sick and suffering, but Jesus visits him and makes his bed for him. He is dying, and the cold chilly waters of Jordan are gathering about him up to the neck, but Jesus puts His arms around him, and cries, ‘Fear not, beloved; to die is to be blessed; the waters of death have their fountain-head in heaven; they are not bitter, they are sweet as nectar, for they flow from the throne of God.’ As the departing saint wades through the stream, and the billows gather around him, and heart and flesh fail him, the same voice sounds in his ears, ‘Fear not; I am with thee; be not dismayed; I am thy God.’ As he nears the borders of the infinite unknown, and is almost affrighted to enter the realm of shades, Jesus says, ‘Fear not, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ Thus strengthened and consoled, the believer is not afraid to die; nay, he is even willing to depart, for since he has seen Jesus as the morning star, he longs to gaze upon Him as the sun in his strength. Truly, the presence of Jesus is all the heaven we desire. He is at once

‘The glory of our brightest days;
The comfort of our nights.’

7.2a

Weekly Links (6/15/2018)

“If men would love Jesus they would be real men. If men would love Jesus they would find a power over the most notorious sins. Real men do love Jesus. Real men would have the courage to take a bullet for the gospel. Real men always have.” (Byron Yawn, What Every Man Wishes His Father Had Told Him)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Some have finished school, and summer has almost arrived! But what will always be here on Fridays are links for you to enjoy. So have at it!

  • As Father’s Day approaches, sime may wonder if those who have experienced a miscarriage in their family, would they be considered fathers or not? Equal Rights Institute trainer Andrew Kaake argues yes  and you may gain some insights into fatherhood and abortion as you read. At the ACBC blog, Executive Director elect Dale Johnson writes on what fatherly discipline looks in contrast to worldly discipline.
  • What are some barriers to Christian hospitality? Rosaria Butterfield mentions two, so humble yourself and read (or watch) her explanation.
  • Darby Strickland continues her brief sereies on sexual abuse by pointing to some clear signs that an abusive relationship may exist within a marriage and how to help point that out to wives.
  • How can we apply difficult passages in Scripture today? CCEF counselor Mike Emlet provides three questions that will better help you see the freshness and relevancy of every passage of God’s Word.
  • Paul Tripp, in this week’s Wednesday’s Word, highlights the necessity of viewing ministry as life and life as ministry. For the health of the church, read this timely article.
  • How do we help teens grow in their faith? Impact 360 Institute Director of Cultural Engagement, Jonathan Morrow, and Mitch Aldridge discuss how challenges play a critical role at this stage of life as we disciple them. Parents and youth staff, listen in!
  • Identifying as complementarian, or believing God established equal but gendered roles in marriage and in church, can lead to a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. Gavin Ortlund identifies four dangers us complementarians must be aware of if we use the label.
  • An upcoming conference, called Revoice, is turning heads as it addresses LBGTQ+ issues, using terminology that sounds more like an endorsement than a call to biblical fidelity. What’s more, the conference is being headed up by a PCA church with PCA speakers, from which the denomination has historically been theologically conservative. Tim Challies mentions some concerns being raised and links to many articles that shed light on those concerns and provide a biblical perspective on the topic.
  • What are the main differences between the Bible and the Qur’an? Pastor Eric Davis begins a new series that will highlight the main differences between what Christians and Muslims believe. His first post gives an introduction to Islam, the life of Muhammad, and the creation of the Qur’an. Don’t miss the recommended resources at the end.

That’s all for this week! Please pray for the youth as they meet for their last Bible study this school year, and all the moms, who are spending time at TGC Women’s Conference currently, and will return tomorrow. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Some Lessons from Being on Youth Staff

by Hosanna Koo

This is my first year serving on youth staff, and I’ve been touched by the thoughtfulness and maturity of the youth as well as the joy and steadfastness of the other staff. The eager and ready hearts of the youth and the sacrificial love of the staff serve as amazing testaments to the power of God. Many of the youth at Lighthouse have grown up in the graces of this church and have been lucky recipients of the sound teaching that brings to light our state as sinners and the greatness of God to save rebels. Youth is an age when they take the knowledge that they have been taught as children and seek to gain deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

Personally, the most prominent thing I’ve learned so far from serving on youth staff is to be patient. As with other children’s ministries, every week can look the same. While talking with Pastor John at the youth retreat, he mentioned that those six years spent in youth can seem like six years of no fruit. At first I was alarmed and admittedly, a bit discouraged, but I was reminded that God works in his own timing, and he does not need broken vessels to do his work. We as teachers impatiently and pridefully expect our preparation and words to have a life changing impact upon the children we teach, but God doesn’t need us. Yet at the same time, how amazing is it that God would use those who are weak to carry out his will? I, along with the other youth staff, are just one little tool that God is using to shape the hearts of the youth.

God doesn’t promise that we would see the fruit of our labors. If we were promised, wouldn’t it be so easy to labor for the pride of our reward coming to fruition? Week after week, I must remind myself that God IS at work and he IS active in the hearts of the youth in many ways that we might not be able to clearly see. He is a living, breathing God. He uses the staff to minister to the youth, but I am again reminded that we are not their primary teachers. Their parents provide primary teaching and guidance, and as youth staff, we support parents to instill in the youth the gospel and a love for God. We must trust in God as the only one who is able to save, who works in his own timing. God is the only one who causes any sort of spiritual growth and who will cause the youth to bear fruit in due time. We are called to be faithful with what God has given us, planting seeds in the hearts of the youth, and praying that God would grow these youth to be men and women who are solid in faith and who build their lives upon his word.

A Theological Primer for Biblical Counseling: General Revelation

by Josh Liu

Every person (and counseling system) operates on a presupposed worldview. That set of beliefs form a system through which a person interprets his observations, thoughts, experiences, actions, feelings, past, values, problems, etc. Therefore, it is critical to establish or define the biblical counselor’s worldview—this series introduces the underlying theology that makes biblical counseling biblical.

In a previous article on the full sufficiency of Scripture, we mentioned general revelation—which some Christian psychologists use as support for “plundering the Egyptians” (taking anything useful from secular psychology) as a complement to or even higher authority than Scripture to understand and address man’s problems. Biblical counselors must understand God’s perspective on the world around us in order to be guided in how to view psychology.

General revelation is “the general (unrestricted), non-verbal disclosing of God’s existence and perfections (including His truth) to all people by means of nature, conscience, and history.” [1] For example, Psalm 19 begins with, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God…” and Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Thus, Scripture reveals that God discloses Himself through creation—the world around us. No one can say that there is no proof, or not enough proof, for the existence of God. As a result, all persons are accountable to acknowledging God, giving thanks to Him, and living according to His moral standards (Rom 1:20; 2:14-16). Millard Erickson says,

From the revelation in nature (Rom. 1), man ought to conclude that there exists a powerful eternal God. And from the revelation within (Rom. 2), man should realize that he does not live up to the standard…. everyone should reach the conclusion that he is not fulfilling that standard. In other words, the knowledge of God which all men have, if they do not suppress it, should bring them to the conclusion that they are guilty in relationship to God. [2]

So, the world in which we live in points to God. More than that, reality and true science conform to the revelation of God’s Word. Creation itself testifies of God’s glory (Ps 19:1). External evidence does not prove God’s Word but affirms that which is absolutely true. It can be helpful to see how Christianity is significantly corroborated by science, history, and archaeology. Specifically regarding science (and true observations), Scripture describes a spherical earth (Is 40:22), Earth suspended in empty space (Job 26:7), valleys in seas (2 Sam 22:16), springs and fountains in seas (Gen 7:11; 8:2), oceanic currents (Ps 8:1ff), and the water cycle (Job 26:8; 36:27-28; Ecc 1:6-7).

However, looking at the stars, reflecting on human experiences, or studying molecular biology do not provide the specific knowledge of the gospel message. While our world aligns with reality according to God’s truth, no one can say that our senses and experiences inform us where God’s Word falls short about the reality we live in, thus appealing to secular psychology. While psychology can provide true observations (e.g., general revelation), it falls short of special revelation (Scripture) and is insufficient for life and godliness (see 2 Pet 1:3ff). First, general revelation is non-verbal (Ps 19:1-4). Second, general revelation is limited by the curse on creation (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:18-25), man’s depraved nature (Rom 1:21-23), and does not include salvific truth (Rom 10:8-15). Creation has been impacted by man’s sin, giving rise to disease, disaster, death, and decay. Man is willfully and rebelliously blind to God’s truth, even as revealed in creation (Rom 1:21-23; Eph 4:17-19; 2 Cor 4:4). So, if the goal of biblical counseling is ultimately sanctification in Christ, general revelation is insufficient. Special revelation is

the personal and primarily verbal disclosing of God’s existence and perfections (including His will and His truth) by supernatural means to particular selected persons, for various purposes, including (after the fall) bringing people to be saved and worship him aright. Before the Second Advent of Christ, the final special revelation consists primarily of the words of the Bible (Rev 22:18-20). [3]

General revelation and special revelation are inseparable. In Genesis 1:26-30, for example, man was created to exercise dominion over creation (i.e., general revelation; God as creator) and God spoke to man and commanded him to subdue it (i.e., special revelation). General revelation is rightly understood and responded to with God’s special revelation. Both general and special revelation are authoritative—given their respective purposes—since God sovereignly discloses Himself through both creation and direct speech. However, special revelation contains all the truth that God requires man to know, respond to, and be equipped with (Deut 29:29; John 6:68; 2 Tim 3:17). Biblical counselors use the Bible, not primarily the observations of human behavior and thinking.

[1] James Mook, “Theology 1: Section 2: Bibliology, Part 1: General/Natural Revelation,” (Lecture, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA, Summer 2014), 33.

[2] Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 196-97.

[3] Mook, 33.

The Voice Of The Lord God…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Genesis 3:8

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear. If there be any slowness to commune it is not on His part, but altogether on thine own, for He stands at the door and knocks, and if His people will but open He rejoices to enter. But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord’s garden? May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for Him? If not, He will have much to reprove, but still I pray Him to come unto me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in His wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites Thee earnestly, and waits for Thee eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in Thy matchless character! Come, O my Father, who art the Husbandman, and deal with me in Thy tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews.

O that God would speak to me. Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth! O that He would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to Him, and every other thought is hushed. I am only asking what He delights to give. I am sure that He will condescend to have fellowship with me, for He has given me His Holy Spirit to abide with me for ever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven, and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love. My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in lovingkindness, for Thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious.

7.1p

Weekly Links (6/8/2018)

“Lots of people call God Creator but live like evolutionists. It’s as if life is about the survival of the fittest rather than about living like a dependent creature— trusting our Creator rather than ourselves— and according to our Maker’s instructions.” (David Murray, Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Here are some links to brighten up your weekend!

  • A current bill in CA is being considered in the Senate, which is worrying a number of Christians. On a recent podcast, Coffeehouse Questions, host Ryan Pauly interviews Neal Hardin about this bill and some objections raised against it, including whether the Bible is expected to be banned with the passing of AB 2943. Make sure to tune in.
  • Biophysicist Ken Dill, in a TEDx Talk, argues that the proteins in your body are actually machines. There doesn’t seem to be a greater implication for design by a former president of the National Academy of Sciences.  Also, Stephen Meyer and SUNY biologist Scott Turner discuss the concept of homeostasis, and its ability to question Turner’s acceptance of evolutionary theory.
  • Julie and Greg Lowe gives their adoption story, which I’m sure will be a blessing for us all to hear.
  • Can you recognize sexual abuse in marriage? Biblical counselor Darby Strickland provides some signs of an abusive marriage, and how you can begin to help them.
  • Sean McDowell shares a video on how to talk with someone from another religion. Pastor Jordan Standridge gives an example by sharing his conversation with a member of the World Mission Society Church of God.
  • Colorado baker Jack Phillips won his case to refuse to bake a cake for a same-sex couple, which has been in the courts since 2012. Here is Phillips’ first interview since the decision.
  • Ryan McGraw, in his current series on preaching Christ at Reformation21, writes of every individual person’s part in the preaching of the Word, and the implications of this biblical reality.
  • John Piper wrote a letter to a mother who is caring for her 20 year-old disabled son. Here is his letter.
  • Former trauma and critical care surgeon Kathryn Butler makes a case for believers to consider advanced directives, highlighting the recent brain injury suffered by Christian apologist Melinda Penner of Stand to Reason. This gives us much to pray for, with respect to end-of-life issues, and for Melinda. Please read and pray for her.

That’s all for this week! Please pray for the youth and collegians, as they meet tonight at church for Bible study. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Teaching Our Children Diligently

by Melissa Ho

Six years is a long time. That is how long I have been serving in Fireflies. I started in 2012 as a regular staff member and have been a teacher/helper since 2013 till the present. Fireflies is the youngest of all the children’s ministries at Lighthouse Bible Church for little children ranging from newborn babies to toddlers who are 3 years of age…or until Sparklers is ready to receive them. Any given Sunday, eight ladies (teacher, helper, regular staff), provide not just “childcare” for over 40 kids in our ministry but so much more. You may be curious as to what goes on while you’re sitting in service, listening to the Sunday Morning sermon. No need to be worried; the screaming and crying you might hear when the music for praise fades does not take place all the time. Usually, two of our staffers will help with N1, which is our program for newborn babies until they are walking. The rest of us stay and serve in N2, which is for the children who are walking. The following is a taste of the fun, the tears, and the lessons that are experienced within our ministry. At the end, you will find some of my own personal reflections as well.

So we begin with drop off, which can be crazy. Therefore, in order to ease the flow of traffic during drop off, our parents are encouraged to sign their children into nursery prior to the start of worship. Some days, there may be crying and there may be extra reminders from our staff that we need to be patient and wait for mommy, that mommy will be back and that while mommy is not here, God is always with us.

Once the tears fade, we have the chance for a little bit of play time. Contrary to what you may think, play time is more than just having fun. While it’s fun to play with whatever we want, play time for kids at any age, typically lends itself to conflicts. When I hear “noooooo!,” or “someone took my toy,” or “they hit me,” or “that’s mine,” I find these to be teachable moments of how to peace-make even at this young age. These conflicts are great opportunities for our nursery kids to realize that life is not just about them, that sharing is non-negotiable, and that ultimately, we may not always make good choices but that we can always ask for forgiveness to make things right.

We continue with snack time, which is a time when, of course, the kids get to eat. Usually Goldfish crackers are the winner. However, during this time, we also intentionally use it to review our monthly Bible verse song and our rules. It works out for the best, since they are all busy eating and there’s not much else to do but to eat and listen. Each month there is a specific song with simple hand motions that we teach and sing with the kids. After singing, we review our rules. Our rules in nursery are: Listen the first time and be kind to one another. We then pray and “wash our hands” with some hand sanitizer before we eat our snack.

After snack and cleaning up, the kids go back to play time, and we usually take some of the kids to use the restroom. When all of our staff is back, we transition into our teaching time. The first reminder about teaching time is that toys do not get to join us at the table. They may, however, remain under our chairs while we learn. Our teaching time includes a lesson that is taught every Sunday for the whole month. While it sounds repetitive to re-learn the same lesson week after week, I have seen firsthand how beneficial it is, especially for kids at this age.

Recently, back in the month of April, I had the opportunity to be on staff as the teacher for three consecutive weeks. It’s not typical to be the teacher for nursery three weeks in a row, but it actually worked out because the consistency of being able to re-teach the same lesson and follow up with the kids allowed me the opportunity to share a mini-version of the gospel with them. April’s lesson is called “Jesus is Alive.” The lesson is about Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection, which was the perfect basis for me to tell them why Jesus died. The simple reason being that we make mistakes, and we don’t always make good choices, meaning that we are not perfect and we need Jesus to save us from our sins. It’s amazing how these children are so young but how much they can understand as shown by their answers to questions during a lesson. Our lesson concludes with a coloring page along with a memory verse paper for the children to take home to their parents. If we are feeling ambitious, we get the chance to complete a craft (usually the last Sunday of the month). The rest of the time in nursery is spent with more time to play, clean up, and wait for mommy or daddy to pick us up.

As part of my full-time job being an early childhood special education preschool teacher, I am constantly dealing with discipline and behavior issues, both good and not so good, in my classroom every day. One thing that I’ve come to realize from witnessing the partnership between our nursery ministry and our parents is that this particular partnership rooted in the gospel is not a luxury I have in my own classroom. Discipline is necessary in any classroom and within our nursery class. It is reassuring that discipline issues are rarely taken lightly by our parents. If there are any issues that arise, we are able to partner with our parents by letting them know what the issue is and having them deal appropriately with the situation. I recently encountered a situation in which I had to inform parents of a discipline issue with their children. To be honest, I was very encouraged by the way these parents handled the situation and the fact that they genuinely sought to teach their children what obedience means, not just to their nursery teachers or mommy and daddy, but first and foremost to God.

Thank you to our past, present, and even future nursery parents, for allowing our staff to come alongside you as you strive to teach obedience to your children in accordance with the Bible. Thank you for trusting our ministry to teach your children. Last thing: for those of you who have a heart to serve the youngest of our church, and if what you have read about our ministry sounds like a challenge you would like to take on, please come join our staff! I promise we make it easy!

Weekly Links (6/4/2018)

by Stephen Rodgers

Another month, another Weekly Links. This month I have a variety of free resources for you: most of them are the usual suspects, but there’s one or two things in there you probably haven’t seen before.

  • Love Lives Here is the free audio book from christianaudio.com this month. It’s by Maria Goff, and beyond that…I have no idea. It might be great, or it might be terrible. But it exists, and now you know that.
  • The Word Biblical Commentary Volume 23a (Ecclesiastes) is the free resource from logos.com this month. The WBC set varies quite a bit in terms of how conservative / evangelical they are, but they do tend to be very serious in terms of scholarly effort. So again, that might be a great resource or not.
  • There’s a new edition of Tabletalk on the topic of Discipleship. That’s always worth checking out. So that at least I can recommend.
  • CredoMag has revamped their website and archives, but they haven’t come out with a new issue since the last time I mentioned them. Still, if you haven’t checked them out before, their website is a more attractive now I suppose.
  • And last but not least, Ligonier has put out a neat little prayer guide for 2018 that has a different prayer focus for each week of the year. It’s available in a variety of ebook formats, and is totally free. If you’re looking for something to aid you in focusing your prayers, this might be neat little tool to use.

There you go! Thanks for reading!

Pro Rege

In Summer And In Winter Shall It Be

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Zechariah 14:8

The streams of living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry midsummer any more than they were frozen by the cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that thou art spared to testify of the faithfulness of the Lord. The seasons change and thou changest, but thy Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad and as full as ever. The heats of business cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the river of His grace; I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, and blessed be the name of the Lord, the nether springs cannot fail either.

Elijah found Cherith dry up, but Jehovah was still the same God of providence. Job said his brethren were like deceitful brooks, but he found his God an overflowing river of consolation. The Nile is the great confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable; our Lord is evermore the same. By turning the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus took the city of Babylon, but no power, human or infernal, can divert the current of divine grace. The tracks of ancient rivers have been found all dry and desolate, but the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook in the poem–

‘Men may come, and men may go,
But I go on for ever.’

How happy art thou, my soul, to be led beside such still waters! never wander to other streams, lest thou hear the Lord’s rebuke, ‘What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink of the muddy river?’

7.1a