Simpson Devotional

Simpson Devotional - Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Christians have it in their power, by a very little sacrifice, to add millions to the treasury of the Lord. Have you found the joy of sacrifice for Jesus? Have you given up something that you might give it to Him? Are you giving your substance to Jesus? He will take it, and will return to you a thousandfold. I would rather be associated with a work founded on great sacrifice than on enormous endowments. The reason God loved the place where His ancient temple rose in majesty was because there Abraham offered his son and David his treasure. The reason redemption is so dear to the Father and the heavenly world is because its foundation stone is the cross of Calvary. The Christian life that is dearest to the heart of God, and that will rise to the highest glory and usefulness, is the one whose foundation principle is sacrifice and self-renunciation. This is why the Master teaches us to give-because giving means loving, and love is but another name for life.

Simpson Devotional - Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

When work is pressing, there are many little things that will come and seem to need attention. it is a very blessed thing to be quiet and still, work on and entrust the little things to God. He answers such trust in a wonderful way. The believer who has no time to fret and worry and harbor care has learned the secret of faith in God. A desperate desire to change some difficult circumstance may take our eyes off God and His glory. Some suffering Christians have been so anxious to get well and have spent so much time in trying to claim healing, that they have lost their spiritual blessing. God sometimes has to teach such persons that there must be a willingness to be sick before they are yielded enough to receive His fullest blessing. The enemy keeps at this work. Sanballat came four times to Nehemiah, always receiving the same answer. How many fears we have stopped to fight which ultimately have proved to be nothing. Nehemiah recognized that fear is sin and did not dare to yield to it.

Simpson Devotional - Monday, June 17, 2013

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

He comes by our side as our helper. More than that, He comes to dwell within us, to be the life in our blood, the fire in our thought, the faith within us, both in inception and consummation. Thus He becomes not only the recompense of the victor, but the resources of the victory. He is the Captain, the Overcomer and the Rear Guard in our lives. The help that relieved us on that particularly troubled morning-it was of Him. He lifts our eyes up unto Himself and delivers us from apathy, from discontent and from fears. He is always the helper in this heavenly competition and will be the great reward in all the ages to come. If our life is hidden with Him we shall have to go through the same trials that He went through, but we shall not find them too hard. If we but take Him fully as the strength of our life, and our all in all, we shall be able to lay aside all the hindering things that press upon us day by day. I have overcome, overcome, Overcome for thee. Thou shalt overcome, overcome, Overcome thro' Me.

Simpson Devotional - Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Jesus does not say you cannot very well serve God and mammon. Rather, He says you cannot serve two masters at all. If you try, you will surely end up serving only one. The person who thinks he or she is serving God a little is deceived. He or she is not serving God. God will not have that service. The devil will monopolize the person before long. A divided heart loses both worlds. Saul tried it. Balaam tried it. Judas tried it. Their efforts ended in desperate failure. For Mary there was but one choice. Paul said: This one thing I do, and For me to live is Christ. Of such a life God says: Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name (Psalm 91:14). God takes a peculiar pride in revealing His love to the heart that wholly chooses Him. Heaven and earth will fade away before its trust can be disappointed. Have we chosen Him only and given Him all our hearts? Say, is it all for Jesus, As you so often sing? Is He your Royal Master? Is He your heart's dear King?

Simpson Devotional - Saturday, June 15, 2013

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Harvest is a time of ripeness. Then the fruit and grain are fully developed, both in size and weight. Time has tempered the acid of the green fruit. It has been mellowed and softened by the rains and the heat of summer. The sun has tinted it into rich colors, and at last it is ready and ripe to fall into the hand. So the Christian life ought to be. There are many things in life that need to be mellowed and ripened. Many Christians have orchards full of fruit, but the fruit is green and sharp to the taste. There is a great deal in these Christians that is good, but it is incomplete-very sharp and sour. Perhaps something goes wrong in their domestic lives. They become flustered and cross and lose their confidence in God, and then, of course, their Christian joy. These things produce regret and all kinds of misery. Every day there are things for which we are sorry. We know we are not ripe and mellow and that we cannot become so by trying. We cannot bring the sweetness in. It must be wrought out from within.

Simpson Devotional - Friday, June 14, 2013

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

There are secrets of providence which God's dear children may learn. His dealing with them often seems, to the outward eye, dark and terrible. Faith looks deeper and says, "This is God's secret. You look only on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning. "Sometimes diamonds are hidden in rough packages so their value cannot be seen. When the tabernacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appearance. The costly things were all within, and its outward covering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the valuable things which it contained. God may send you some costly packages. Do not worry if they are concealed in rough wrappings. You may be sure there are treasures of love and kindness and wisdom hidden within. Do not be so foolish as to throw away a silver spoon because it is tarnished. If we take what He sends, and trust Him for the goodness in it, even in the dark, we shall learn the meaning of the secrets of His providence.

Simpson Devotional - Thursday, June 13, 2013

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Life is made up very largely of words. They are not so emphatic, perhaps, as deeds, for deeds are more deliberate expressions of thought. Yet one of the most remarkable authors of the New Testament said, If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man (James 3:2). Not offending in word is often a test of victory in the Christian life. Our triumph in this often depends on both what we say and what we do not say. Speaking of the tongue, James said, It is set on fire of hell. The true Christian, therefore, is righteous in his ways and upright in his words. His deeds appeal to men; and in speech he is looking up, for God is listening. His words are sent upward and recorded for the judgment. I can almost imagine that the beautiful blue sky over our heads, seemingly so transparent, is like a wax tablet with a finely sensitive surface which receives an impression of every word we speak, and that these tablets are then hardened and preserved for the eternal judgment. We should speak with our eyes ever upward, never forgetting that we shall some day meet the words that we have spoken.

Simpson Devotional - Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Glory to Jesus for all the things laid up for us in the days to come. Glory to Him for all the visions of service in the future, the opportunities of doing good that are far away as well as close at hand. Our Savior was able to despise the cross for the joy that was before Him. Let us look up to Him, and rise up to Him until we reach the peak and are able to look out from the mount of vision over all the distant land. Not a single thing will come to us in all the future in which we may not be able to see the King in His beauty. Let us be very sure that we look at nothing else. Our pupils will then become so impressed as they look at this vision that they will not be able to reflect anything else. My small son came to ' me once and said, "Papa, look for a long time at that golden sign across the street. Now look at that brick wall and tell me what you see." "Why, I see the yellow sign on the brick wall," I replied. And he laughed merrily over it. So, if we look a long time upon Jesus we cannot look at anything else without seeing a reflection of Him. Everything which we behold will become a part of Him.

Simpson Devotional - Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

0h, that we might get such a view of Him as would make it impossible for little things ever to fret us again! The petty cares that have troubled us so much ought rather to cause us to wonder that we can think so much about them. if we had the dew of His youth we would go forth as the morning and fulfill the promise of a glorious day! What a difference it would make in life were we to realize this is possible! How easy it would be, when the little troubles come, to draw a little closer to Christ, to drink in a little more of that fountain of life, to get a little nearer to that loving heart and to draw in great draughts of refreshing and strength from it. How clear it would make the head for work! Coming to Him thus, heavy and dull and tired, we can become rested and able to spring forth ready for work. How inspiring to think that our living Head never grows weary! He is as fresh as He ever was. He is a glorious conqueror. He is ever the victorious Christ. Let Him take you today, and He will cause you to see in Him the invincible Leader!

Simpson Devotional - Monday, June 10, 2013

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Christ makes no less of our trust for temporal things than He does for spiritual things. He places much emphasis upon it. Why? Simply because it is harder to trust God for material needs. In spiritual matters we can fool ourselves and think that we are trusting when we are not; but we cannot do so about rent and food and the needs of our bodies. They must come or our faith fails. It is easy to say that we trust Him in things that are a long way off, but there can be no question about it where faith must bring practical answers. When the sun is shining, it is easy to have faith for our needs and to trust God. But let something arise which irritates and rasps and frets us, and we soon find whether we have real trust or not. Consequently, the things of everyday life are tests of our real faith in God, and He often puts us where we have to trust for tangible matters-for money and rent, food and clothes. If in these things you are not trusting God wholly, you will break down when you are placed in such tests. Are you trusting God for everything?

Simpson Devotional - Sunday, June 09, 2013

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

We are called the lights of the worldlight bearers, reflectors, candlesticks, lamps. We are to be kindled ourselves, and then we will burn and give light to others. We are the only light the world has. The Lord could come down Himself and give light to the world, but He has chosen differently. He wants to send it through us, and if we do not give it the world will not have it. God does not put a meteor in the sky to tell us when to shine. We are to be giving light continually wherever we are-at home, among friends or in church. We should have the attitude that we may never have another opportunity, and so we should always be shining for Him. Let our lamps be trimmed and full of the oil of the Spirit. Above all, let us be a steady light to those without Christ. Let me dwell in Timnath-serah, Where the sun forever shines. Where the night and darkness come not, And the day no more declines.

Simpson Devotional - Saturday, June 08, 2013

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

The farmer does not gather timothy and bluegrass and break it with a heavy machine. But he takes severe measures to separate the kernals of wheat. So God takes great pains with those who are to be of much use to Him. There is a nature in them that needs this discipline. Do not wonder at God's wise, discriminating care that will fit them to be food for the multitude. God knows the way He is taking, and there is infinite tenderness in the oversight He gives. He is watching the furnace you are in; He will not allow the heat to become too intense. He wants it great enough to purify and then it will be withdrawn. He knows our frame. He will not let any temptation take us but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do you believe in this disciplining love of the Heavenly Husbandman? Are you trusting Him with the leading and government of your life? Do not permit yourself to envy or be disturbed by the people around you! Some day you will be glad for the training and blessing they have brought you.

Simpson Devotional - Friday, June 07, 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

When we are really emptied He delights to fill us with Himself and the Holy Spirit. it is very precious to be conscious of nothing good in ourselves; but are we also conscious of His great goodness? We may be ready to admit our own disability' but are we as ready to admit His ability? There are many Christians who can say, "I am not sufficient of [thyself) to think any thing as of [myself]; . . . but the number is very small who can say, [My] sufficiency is of God (2 Corinthians 3:5). Are you convinced that He is able to provide every want in you, or do you feel that you must supply it yourself? Do you believe that God does supply every lack in your heart and life, so that all stumbling is taken away and you are endowed with power for His service? Our Savior, at Cana, ordered the waterpots to be filled to the brim. Then the water was made into wine, but not until the vessels were full. God wants His children always to have a full heart.

Simpson Devotional - Thursday, June 06, 2013

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

The first step to the righteousness of the kingdom is poor in spirit. The next is a little deeper, they that mourn. Because now we must become pliable, we must be broken, we must be like the metal in the fire which the Master can mold. It is not enough to see our unrighteousness, but deeply to feel it, deeply to regret it, deeply to mourn over it, to consider it no little thing that sin has come into our lives. And so God leads us into His righteousness. He usually leads us through testings and trials. I do not think it necessary for us to have deep and great suffering before we are saved. He will put us into the fire when He knows we are saved, when we realize we are accepted, when we are not afraid of the discipline, when we know it is not the hand of wrath but the hand of love. Then God can take us down and make us poor in spirit, and make us mourn until we come to the third step, which is to be meek, broken, yielded, submissive, willing, surrendered and laid low at His feet crying, "What wilt thou have me to do?"

Simpson Devotional - Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Trial is the fruitful soil of trust. Difficulties are the divine incentives which demand and develop our confidence in the divine faithfulness and love. The eagle can only teach her young by tearing up her nest and hurling them out in mid-air, where, thrown upon their own resources, they must either fly or fall. As they strike out upon the air in desperate struggles, they find the secret of a new life and gradually learn to beat their way through the pathless firmament. So God teaches His children to use the wings of faith by stirring up their nests, taking away their props and often flinging them out into an abyss of helplessness, where they must either sink or learn to trust. They throw themselves upon the seeming void to find that God is there beneath them like the supporting wing which the eagle stretches forth beneath her faint and faltering brood. It is so easy for us to lean upon the things that we can see and feel that it is an entirely new experience for us to stand alone and walk with the unseen God. . . . But it is a lesson we must learn if we are ever to dwell in the eternal realm, where faith shall be our only sense and God shall be our All in all.