Daily Devotional for November 23
Ye have need of patience, [cheerful endurance, constancy] that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)
HERE we see that it is not merely to do the will of God that is the test, but that after having attained to that point, that mark of character in our hearts, in our wills (if only partially in the flesh) we should, by patient endurance, establish God's righteous will as the law of our hearts, the rule of life under all circumstances and conditions. Then, and not until then, will we be in the heart condition of fitness for the Kingdom. The Apostle James says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience [patient endurance];" that is to say, if our faith stand the trial it will work this character of patient endurance. Of course, on the other hand, if we do not attain to patient endurance, it will mean that our faith has not stood the test satisfactorily, that we are not fit for the Kingdom. Z. '01-117 R2792:1
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He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. (Psalm 110:7)
WE perceive that if it was necessary for our glorious Lord from the heavenly courts to drink of the brook of experience, and gain wisdom by the things he suffered, endured, and thereby to demonstrate his confidence in God, it is equally necessary that all the members of his body should likewise drink of the brook in the way if they would hope to share with the Lord in the kingdom blessings--glory, honor, and immortality, the divine nature. Our dear Master's time for drinking at the brook is past, yet the lessons and encouragements therefrom are still before us in the Scripture records. It is now our time to drink of the brook of experience--to learn the lessons that are necessary to our preparation for the kingdom. It is not enough that we have tasted of the brook of experience, that we have learned something of obedience, that we have endured some trials, that on some occasions we have learned obedience through the things we have suffered; we must continue drinking until we can gladly say, Father, thy will, not ours be done! If we drink not of the brook in the way we shall not share in the glory to follow. `Z'02-13` R2936:1 (Hymn 222)
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