Good morning,

Believers in Christ are looking forward to spending eternity in heaven. What will heaven be like? Today’s devotion may give us a small glimpse.

Mr, James uses a two words not commonly used today, felicitous and felicity. Felicitous means very well suited or expressed, pleasant, delightful. Felicity means great happiness. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective felix, meaning “fruitful” or “happy”.

What a Heaven!

(J. A. James, “The Practical Believer Delineated”)

Heaven will consist of . . .
  the moral perfection of the soul,
perfect knowledge,
perfect holiness,
perfect love,
perfect likeness to Christ,
perfection of the body in . . .
incorruptibility,
immortality,
      glory, and
spirituality;
the presence of God in the full manifestation of His glory,
the beatific vision of Christ,
the fellowship of angels and all the redeemed,
the joint worship of the heavenly multitudes,
the perfect service of Christ, without . . .
interruption,
      imperfection, or
cessation,
complete freedom from . . .
pain,
toil,
hunger,
thirst,
anxiety,
fear,
sorrow,
death!

Such is the substance of heavenly felicity. Take
any one of them by itself–and each is a Heaven!
Add them altogether–and what a Heaven!

How pure! How elevated! How felicitous!

What a blessing that is in store for us. Encourage yourself and share this with others.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

God sees everything. Do we believe that? If so, why is it that we allow ourselves to sin. Why do we disobey God’s written word? Do we believe there are consequences to our sin?

Today’s devotional should make us think and determine to obey God.

My Father’s eye!

(James Smith, “The Pastor’s Evening Visit”)

“Your Father who sees in secret.” Matthew 6:6

Can anyone hide himself from the Lord in secret places?

Can I, under any circumstances, escape His notice?

Impossible!

The eye of God has been fixed upon me every second of this day; it is now at this moment fixed fully upon me. But it is my Father’s eye! My Father sees in secret!

He sees my needs–and my woes.

He sees every secret working of my foes–and will save me from them.
He sees every secret influence which is likely to injure me–and will prevent it.

He sees . . .
the secret workings of my heart,
my hidden thoughts,
my unuttered desires,
my soul conflicts,
my private temptations.

But He sees also my secret sins!
Every evil thought,
every unfitting word,
every improper action–
passes under His eye!

Solemn consideration this!

May it make me cautious. May it preserve me . . .
from yielding to temptation,
from nourishing sinful thoughts, and
from acting inconsistent with my profession.

My heavenly Father sees me!

He sees me at this moment!

He sees me every moment!

He sees my most secret motives, thoughts, and purposes!

He who thus sees me–hates every sin with an infinite hatred!

“There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do!” Hebrews 4:13

What will God see in our lives today?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Why must we endure trials? Why can’t life be completely smooth sailing? Today we will find out.

But why?

(Don Fortner)

“Behold, we count them blessed who endure.” James 5:11

Faith counts them blessed who patiently endure trials, as Job, the saints, and prophets of old did.

But why? Upon what grounds do we count them blessed?

Enduring their trials, God’s saints find themselves compelled to cling tightly to their Savior—and that brings them into closer, sweeter communion with Him. And that is our happiness! We are blessed, indeed, when . . .
we are admitted into the inner chambers of Him whom our souls love,
our sorrows more fully reveal to us the Man of Sorrows,
our grief’s cast us upon the heart of our God,
our troubles take us to the Throne of Grace.

Little chicks in the sunshine run all over the yard, pecking and gathering whatever they find. But if a hawk appears in the sky, the mother hen calls them with a sharp alarm. Immediately, they perceive the danger and run under her wings for safety.

God’s saints are like those chicks. He was a much afflicted man who wrote, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust.” Psalm 91:4

One of the most delicious of sensations outside of Heaven, is to fall helplessly into the arms of Christ! There we find . . .
strength in helplessness,
joy in submission,
rest in resignation,
and peace in surrender!
Anything which . . .
gives new life to prayer,
brings us to the Throne of Grace,
and renews communion with our God–
is so great a gift that, “we count them blessed who endure.”

There is no place in all our pilgrim journey more needful for our souls than the Valley of Humiliation. The tops of the Delectable Mountains are wonderful, exhilarating spots, from which we sometimes see the Golden City. But those are heights too steep for our trembling feet to stand firmly upon them. The valley suits us better, though flesh and blood finds it hard to go downhill. Here our dear Savior manifests Himself to His chosen as He does not to the world. Therefore “we count them blessed who endure.”

Once more, “we count them blessed who endure,” because “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!” 2 Corinthians 4:17. Oh, what glory awaits us on the other side! And that glory awaiting us is made all the more glorious by “the trial of our faith!”

That’s why.

When we are afflicted, we draw closer to God. When we are confused, troubled, and don’t know what to do, He draws closer to us. What a blessing.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We see trials as bad. God use them to make us holy. None of us likes the trial, but the result many times brings us closer to God.

He will not spare the pruning knife if He sees that we need it!

“Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2

We learn from this verse, that God will often increase the holiness of true Christians by His providential dealings with them. The meaning of this language is clear and plain. Just as the gardener prunes and cuts back the branches of a fruitful vine, in order to make them more fruitful–so does God purify and sanctify believers by the circumstances of life in which He places them.

Trial, to speak plainly, is the instrument by which our heavenly Father makes Christians more holy. By trial, He calls out their passive graces, and proves whether they can suffer His will as well as do it. By trial, He . . .
weans them from the world,
draws them to Christ,
drives them to the Bible and prayer,
shows them their own hearts,
and makes them humble.
This is the process by which He “prunes” them, and makes them more fruitful.

The lives of the saints in every age are the best and truest commentary on the text. Never, hardly, do we find an eminent saint, either in the Old Testament or the New, who was not purified by suffering, and, like His Master, a “man of sorrows.”

Let us learn to be patient in the days of darkness, if we know anything of vital union with Christ. Let us remember the doctrine of the passage before us, and not murmur and complain because of trials. Our trials are not meant to do us harm, but good. God chastens us “for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10

Fruit is the thing that our Master desires to see in us–and He will not spare the pruning knife if He sees that we need it!

In the last day, we shall see that all was well done.

What an encouragement! God cares so much about us and about us spiritually that He chastens us. Who better than our Maker to do the job?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week our Scripture verse is Isaiah 40:31. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40 transitions from judgment to the restoration and comfort for Israel.

So who is God? Verses 25-29 tell us. He is holy, creator, great, mighty, powerful, judge, everlasting, faints not, and increaseth strength to those who have no might.  Knowing these things, Israel can wait on the Lord, see God renew their strength, and function in the power and sufficiency of God.

Isaiah 40 is a prophecy of God’s comfort to the nation of Israel. It clearly demonstrates that God is not finished with Israel.

GOD IS… (40:25-29)

  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.²⁷ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? ²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. ²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

THEREFORE, ISRAEL COULD WAIT UPON THE LORD (40:30-31)

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40 has challenged us to:

• KNOW GOD
• KNOW HIS WORD
• PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD
• WAIT ON THE LORD FOR HIS STRENGTH

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week our Scripture verse is Isaiah 40:31. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40 transitions from judgment to the restoration and comfort for Israel.

God is not a created being. He is not beholden to anyone for His creative acts, His wisdom, His power, or His understanding. He reigns over all His creation, His people, and governments. The following verses substantiate this.

GOD ASKS RHETORICAL QUESTIONS (40:12-14)

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? ¹³ Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? ¹⁴ With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?”

ANSWER: No one

ALL NATIONS BEFORE HIM ARE AS NOTHING… (40:15-17)

“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.¹⁶ And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.¹⁷ All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.”

God created the nations and reigns over them.

WHO IS LIKE GOD? (40:18-22)

“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? ¹⁹ The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.²⁰ He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.²¹ Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?²² It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:”

God created all things. We should bow down and worship God rather than idols.

GOD HAS POWER OVER LEADERS (40:23-24)

“That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.²⁴ Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.”

God sets up and takes down leaders. We mere mortals must remember that there are not political parties in Heaven. God is in charge.

This whole section leads up to the final verses which reveal Who God Is. Check back tomorrow for the answer.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week our Scripture verse is Isaiah 40:31. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40 transitions from judgment to the restoration and comfort for Israel.

Yesterday we looked at God proclaiming comfort toward Israel. So how does God comfort Israel? He sent them the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

JOHN THE BAPTIST PROPHESIED (40:3-5)

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.⁴ Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: ⁵ And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

How was Israel to know the Lord?

THE WORD OF GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER (40:6-8)

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: ⁷ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.⁸ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

So what does God want Israel to do with God’s word?

BEHOLD YOUR GOD (40:9-11)

^“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.¹¹ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

God wants Israel to proclaim the “good tidings” He is bringing.

Tomorrow God begins asking several rhetorical questions. The answer to the questions is the same. Tomorrow we will discover what it is.

Since God has sent Jesus to die for our sins, redeem us from our devilish ways, and prepares for us a home in heaven, what should our response be? Lift up your voice with strength and be not afraid as you proclaim God’s word to others.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week our Scripture verse is Isaiah 40:31. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40 transitions from judgment to the restoration and comfort for Israel.

However, to understand Isaiah 40, we must understand why Israel was being judged. Isaiah 1 clearly states why Israel lost favor with God.

God condemns Israel for their sin

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. ⁵ Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. ⁶ From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. ⁷ Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.” (Isaiah 1:4-7)

God calls Israel to repentance

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; ¹⁷ Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. ¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ¹⁹ If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: ²⁰ But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:16-20)

Unfortunately, the Biblical account tells us that Israel continued to rebel, the nation of Israel destroyed, and the people taken captive to Babylon for 70 years.

God restores Israel

 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: ²⁵ And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: ²⁶ And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. ²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. ²⁸ And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.” (Isaiah 1:25-28)

This happens when Christ is seated on His throne and rules.

 God comforts His people Israel

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. ² Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2)

Tomorrow we will find out how God comforts His people.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

This short devotion will help us to prioritize what we do. Will we be like the bee?

So it died, buried in pleasure!

(Dr. Edmund)

“Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” 2 Timothy 3:4

Did you ever read of the bee in the fable, that found a pot of honey, and thought it would be fine to save all the trouble of flying about the meadows and gathering its sweet stores, little by little, out of the cups of flowers? Soon it went in the pot and reveled in the sweets; but when it began to get tired and cloyed, it found–poor bee!–that its wings were all clogged and would not open, nor could it drag its body out of the mass. So it died, buried in pleasure!

There are many people, like this bee, who find death in their pleasures!

“You have lived on earth in pleasure and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter!” James 5:5

Don’t be like the bee. Press on in your walk with the Lord.  Be lovers of Jesus, not the things of the world.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Life and death are important topics. Life apart from the soul cleansing blood of Jesus Christ is hell. Salvation in Jesus gives us the new life, salvation, and eternal life.

The Book of Life!

George Burder, “Death and Judgment!”

“If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life–he was thrown into the Lake of Fire!” Revelation 20:15

The Book of Life contains a list of all the names of the people of God–those who were . . .
chosen by the Father to salvation;
redeemed by the blood of Christ; and
called, renewed, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Here will be found the names of those people who were convinced of their sin and misery; humbled on account of their abominations; and who, being enlightened in the knowledge of Christ—came to Him by precious faith, for life and salvation; and who proved the truth of their faith, by the holiness of their lives and conduct.

What watchfulness, what seriousness, befits us! Let us be concerned to be always ready–daily walking humbly and closely with God–sitting loose to all created objects, from which death may so suddenly separate us–and having our affections set on heavenly things, to which death will so readily transmit us!

Look on death as a disarmed foe–a serpent which may hiss, but cannot sting!

Look on judgment as a most desirable event–when soul and body being united, and made perfect in holiness, shall be forever made happy in the full enjoyment of Christ to all eternity!

Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001