The WATCHMAN Informs

My expectation is from him.

(Psalms 62:5)

It is the believer’s privilege to use this language. If he is looking for aught from the world, it is a poor expectation indeed. But if he looks to God for the supply of his wants, whether in temporal or spiritual blessings, his expectation will not be a vain one. Constantly he may draw from the bank of faith, and get his need supplied out of the riches of God’s lovingkindness. This I know, I had rather have God for my banker than all the Rothschilds. My Lord never fails to honour his promises; and when we bring them to his throne, he never sends them back unanswered. Therefore I will wait only at his door, for he ever opens it with the hand of munificent grace. At this hour I will try him anew. But we have expectations beyond this life. We shall die soon; and then our expectation is from him. Do we not expect that when we lie upon the bed of sickness he will send angels to carry us to his bosom? We believe that when the pulse is faint, and the heart heaves heavily, some angelic messenger shall stand and look with loving eyes upon us, and whisper, Sister spirit, come away! As we approach the heavenly gate, we expect to hear the welcome invitation, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. We are expecting harps of gold and crowns of glory; we are hoping soon to be amongst the multitude of shining ones before the throne; we are looking forward and longing for the time when we shall be like our glorious Lord-for We shall see him as he is. Then if these be thine expectations, O my soul, live for God; live with the desire and resolve to glorify him from whom cometh all thy supplies, and of whose grace in thy election, redemption, and calling, it is that thou hast any expectation of coming glory.

Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation.

(Psalms 91:9)

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hill side, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan! They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, his cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell. Yet, says Moses, though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations. The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed-but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If he loved me yesterday, he loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort. I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

READ | Jonah 1

Jonah fled toward Tarshish to escape God’s plan. The prophet mistakenly thought that ignoring a divine command would cause the Lord to withdraw it. Instead, He repeatedly and dramatically intervened in Jonah’s life until the man submitted.

Jonah believed he had good reason to be reluctant. The Ninevites were a bloodthirsty people determined to conquer Israel. So walking across the city, crying out, “Nineveh will be overthrown” was a frightening prospect. And, as the prophet later revealed, he worried that God would spare the city if the people repented (4:2). Jonah wanted them destroyed! Therefore, his reasons for fleeing seemed right in his own eyes, but God was not deterred.

There is no adequate justification for rebellion. People running from God’s will often use this six-word phrase: “I know what God says, but . . . ” I can tell you with absolute certainty that everything on the other side of “but” is a waste of time. The Lord is not interested in excuses or selfish ambitions. He desires only obedience. He has reasons for asking a believer to take a specific action, and His purposes are always good. Consider the amazing benefit to Jonah and his countrymen if their enemy Nineveh became an ally that worshipped the same God.

The Lord doesn’t change His plan to suit our purpose. Rather, He uses events, people, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to move us into center of His will. For your own benefit, go willingly. You may not like the task God assigns, but if He wants it done, then it must be worthwhile.

Also, if this, or any other post / message has been a blessing to you, please consider telling someone else who may need a good word for the day. Point them to www.watchmaninforms.com Thank you.

READ | Jonah 4:9-11

You would think that a life-threatening sea storm and a few days in a fish’s belly would shake some sense into a person. Yet if the man is Jonah, you would be wrong. The last paragraphs of his book reveal a vengeful prophet whose body has obeyed the Lord but whose heart is still on the run.

Jonah paid a financial price for running from God—his expensive ticket to Joppa. And any Sunday School student can tell you the physical consequences he endured. But when those events were long past, Jonah still grappled with the spiritual cost of his flight. His peace and joy were gone. In their place was bitterness so strong that he begged God for the relief that death would bring.

As believers, we cannot disobey the Lord without paying a price. Certainly our spiritual life weakens. The skills and abilities God has bestowed to us atrophy from lack of use while we waste time fleeing. And we risk losses in other areas as the consequences of our actions mount. Family, finances, health, and more can be affected by sin.

Perhaps you have a habit, a plan, or a current course of action that you know defies the Lord’s will. Have you considered the cost? Though the Devil may try to convince you otherwise, there are consequences for wrongdoing. God could not remain holy and righteous while allowing people to get by with sin. The price for following your own will is high. Just look at how miserable Jonah was because of the choices he made. The reward for obeying God is much more pleasing.

Also, if this, or any other post / message has been a blessing to you, please consider telling someone else who may need a good word for the day. Point them to www.watchmaninforms.com Thank you.

The wrath to come.

(Matthew 3:7)

It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon his Saviour’s head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane-such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics-to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God’s tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in his storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: his riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of him; believe in him, cast thyself upon him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever.

READ | Job 1:6-2:8

Imagine for a moment what it must have felt like to be in Job’s sandals. Warriors, fire, and wind wiped out his vast fortune and killed his children. To add injury to insult, his boil-infested body was so irritated that he scratched at the enflamed skin with a shard of pottery. Had Job believed in luck rather than the Lord’s sovereignty, He likely would have taken his wife’s advice to “curse God and die” (2:9).

Job was brought low and he didn’t know why. Read the book carefully, and you’ll notice that he never learned the reason behind his testing. The reader is privy to the conversation between God and Satan, but the Lord did not share those details with his humbled servant. Left in the dark, Job had to decide if his faith in God’s goodness would stand.

Viewing the new chapter in his life as part of the Lord’s larger plan (42:2), Job made a courageous choice to trust God in the midst of tragedy. The impoverished man could have railed against God, as his wife suggested. Or he might have followed his friends’ unwise advice and racked his brain for an unconfessed sin that earned divine punishment. But neither of those actions would have been fruitful. Instead, Job acknowledged God’s right to do to him whatever He desired for the glory of His name (Job 1:21).

Accepting the good things that God sends our way is easy. Our challenge is to receive tragedy with a willing attitude and a teachable spirit. Chance is not part of the equation—nothing comes into our life except through the Lord’s permission.

Also, if this, or any other post / message has been a blessing to you, please consider telling someone else who may need a good word for the day. Point them to www.watchmaninforms.com Thank you.

READ | 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

The apostle Paul continually strove to be and do all that God wanted. This former enemy of Christians became a passionate worker for the kingdom who succeeded in his assigned tasks. For us to experience success, we need to have:

Clarity. Paul knew the key cities he planned to visit on each of his missionary journeys. His goal was to share the gospel and establish churches in each of them. The more clearly you can visualize the goal, the more sensitive you’ll be to opportunities for achieving it. In addition, you will become more aware of God’s timing. On Paul’s first trip to Ephesus, the people invited him to stay, but he declined (Acts 18:20-21), knowing he had to move on to the other locations. However, when he was able, he returned and stayed there two years, teaching and building up their faith (Acts 19:10).

Commitment. Paul was fully committed to God’s plan to spread the gospel in the Gentile world. He so valued his salvation that he wanted to share it with those who did not know Christ. His profound gratitude gave him a passion to carry out the Lord’s plan. Such godly fervor was not unique to Paul. The Bible is filled with stories of ordinary men and women who dedicated themselves to accomplishing the Lord’s plan for their lives.

Like the apostle, be sure to seek God on a daily basis so you do not wander from His chosen way. Ask for the Spirit’s empowering so you can move past your fears and insecurities. Allow Him to teach and lead you (John 14:26). He will accomplish more in and through you than you could imagine.

Also, if this, or any other post / message has been a blessing to you, please consider telling someone else who may need a good word for the day. Point them to www.watchmaninforms.com Thank you.

His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.

(Genesis 49:24)

That strength which God gives to his Josephs is real strength; it is not a boasted valour, a fiction, a thing of which men talk, but which ends in smoke; it is true-divine strength. Why does Joseph stand against temptation? Because God gives him aid. There is nought that we can do without the power of God. All true strength comes from the mighty God of Jacob. Notice in what a blessedly familiar way God gives this strength to Joseph-The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Thus God is represented as putting his hands on Joseph’s hands, placing his arms on Joseph’s arms. Like as a father teaches his children, so the Lord teaches them that fear him. He puts his arms upon them. Marvellous condescension! God Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, stoops from his throne and lays his hand upon the child’s hand, stretching his arm upon the arm of Joseph, that he may be made strong! This strength was also covenant strength, for it is ascribed to the mighty God of Jacob. Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you should remember the covenant with Jacob. Christians love to think of God’s covenant. All the power, all the grace, all the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, all the things we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the covenant. If there were no covenant, then we should fail indeed; for all grace proceeds from it, as light and heat from the sun. No angels ascend or descend, save upon that ladder which Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God. Christian, it may be that the archers have sorely grieved you, and shot at you, and wounded you, but still your bow abides in strength; be sure, then, to ascribe all the glory to Jacob’s God.

He hath said.

(Hebrews 13:5)

If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God’s covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of He hath said? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, He hath said must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will examine and search the Scriptures to discover what He hath said. Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt? Since He hath said is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life.