Sunday, November 24th, 2019 - AM - Reassurance of Righteous Religion, Part 2 (Mt. 7:12)

Everyone who prays is bound to want to know to what kind of God they are praying. So we want to know in what kind of atmosphere our prayers will be heard. Are we praying to a grudging God out of whom every gift has to be squeezed and coerced? Are we praying to a mocking God whose gifts may well be double-edged? Are we praying to a God whose heart is so kind that he is more ready to give than we are to ask? [William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Third Ed., The New Daily Study Bible (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2001), 311–312.]

Main Thought:

Jesus reassures His Disciples of the Father’s provision to fulfill the Law’s righteousness as they learn to lean on the Him while serving their Savior.

Sub-intro: Context & Structure

From 5:21 through 7:11, Matthew has summarized the definitive teaching of Jesus on several key areas of ethical and religious life. Matthew construes this definitive teaching as climactic in nature (5:17–20); a more profound ethical standard could not be conceived, in Matthew’s view. The ethic is explained in the concrete contexts of obeying the Torah (5:21–48), practicing religious duties (6:1–18), dealing with material possessions (6:19–34), relating to people (7:1–6), and praying (7:7–11). If they have been inspired by the beneficence of their heavenly Father, disciples of the kingdom will be like him. And as their Lord Jesus has come not to abolish but to accomplish the purpose of the law and the prophets, so the disciples must be like him. These two themes meet in 7:12, where doing good to others (as the heavenly Father does; cf. 5:45–48) is identified as the quintessence of biblical ethics. The general statement of 7:12 condenses the thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Bible into fifteen Greek words (cf. Ricoeur 1990). [On the Golden Rule, see J. Fuchs 1991; Ricoeur 1990; Theobald 1995; Topel 1998. David L. Turner, Matthew, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 212.]

Body:

I. The Disciples’ Plea and the Father’s Provision (Matt. 7:7-11)

A. The Principle: God’s Needy Children Can Go to Him Anytime (Mt. 7:7-8)

Stott keenly sensed the problem when he wrote: The best way to approach this problem is to remember that the promises of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are not unconditional. A moment’s thought will convince us of this. It is absurd to suppose that the promise “Ask, and it shall be given you” is an absolute pledge with no strings attached; that “Knock, and it will be opened to you” is an “Open, Sesame” to every closed door without exception; and that by the waving of a prayer wand any wish will be granted and every dream will come true. The idea is ridiculous. It would turn prayer into magic, the person who prays into a magician like Aladdin, and God into our servant who appears instantly to do our bidding like Aladdin’s genie every time we rub our little prayer lamp.625 Stott also noted that if Jesus promised to grant every single request expressed in prayer, the wise person would never pray again because he recognizes that he lacks the insight to know what is truly best in all circumstances. [Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church, NAC Studies in Bible & Theology (Published by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee, 2011), 297.]

1. Persistent Prayer Finds a Promise of Realization (Mt. 7:7)

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Mt 7:7)

Matthew 7:7 KJV 1900

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Note - Mt. 6:5-13 dealt with the pattern of prayer, here Jesus demonstrates the power of prayer.

Note - “...you...ye” = plural

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” (Mt 18:19)

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Mt 21:22)

Matthew 21:22 KJV 1900

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Ps 50:15)

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Ro 8:26–27)

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16)

Note - Iterative Present (x3); Divine Passive (x3).

Note - “Ask repeatedly, over and over again...seek repeatedly...knock continuously, over and over again.” “The idea is ‘If you ask (and you should), it will be given to you.” ~Wallace, GGBB

Note - “shall be...shall...shall be” - Future = Semitic Conditional Clause that gives the results of carrying out the imperative. The Divine Passives show that God is the One who carries out the action of fulfillment once the condition is met.

“Ask … seek … knock.” In these words our Lord stresses the importance of prevailing prayer, which is not just a casual or thoughtless repeating of certain words. We are bidden to ask; that is, to make our requests known to God (Phil. 4:6, 7), and if not answered at once we are to seek further by endeavoring to learn more clearly the mind of God in the matter, that we may pray with enlightened intelligence (Isa. 26:9). Then we are to knock with that importunity which implies sincere exercise and faith which brings the answer (Luke 11:5–10). God does answer prayer. [H. A. Ironside, Expository Notes on the Gospel of Matthew. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1948), 75–76.]

“We ask for what we wish; we seek for what we miss; we knock for that from which we feel ourselves shut out.” [David Brown, A. R. Fausset, and Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Matthew–John, vol. V (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.), 47.]

“I love them that love me; And those that seek me early shall find me.” (Pr 8:17)

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Je 29:11–13)

Jeremiah 29:11–13 KJV 1900

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Je 33:3)

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near:” (Is 55:6)

Illustration:

How to find the Lord:—A man said to me the other night in the inquiry-room, “Mr. Moody, I wish you would tell me why I can’t find the Lord.” Said I: “I can tell you why you can’t find Him.” “Why is it?” “Why, you haven’t sought for Him with all your heart.” He looked at me, and said he thought he had. “Well,” said I, “I think you haven’t; because you will surely find Him when you seek for Him with all your heart. Now, my friend, I can tell you the day and hour you are going to be converted.” The man looked at me, and I have no doubt thought I was a little wild. Said I: “The Scripture tells me, ‘He that seeketh findeth.’ ” It don’t take a man long to find the Lord when he makes his mind up to do it. [Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator: Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1952), 121.]

2. Prevailing Prayer Finds a Promise of Reception (Mt. 7:8)

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Mt 7:8)

Matthew 7:8 KJV 1900

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Note - “every one...he...him...” = singular

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 Jn 5:14)

“Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Ps 2:8)

“He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever.” (Ps 21:4)

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” (Ps 27:4)

Psalm 27:4 KJV 1900

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

“Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; So the Lord shall make bright clouds, And give them showers of rain, To every one grass in the field.” (Zec 10:1)

Note - Gnomic, General, Timeless Truths

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). Young King Solomon knew that he lacked the needed wisdom to judge Israel, so he prayed to God; and the Lord graciously answered (1 Kings 3:3ff). If we are to have spiritual discernment, we must keep on asking God, keep on seeking His will, keep on knocking at the door that leads to greater ministry. God meets the needs of His children. [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30.]

B. The Picture: A Familial Portrait of Certainty (Mt. 7:9-11)

A Family that Prays Together…

1. An Earthly Son’s Simple Requests; No Place for Evil Practical Jokers (Mt. 7:9-10)

“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?” (Mt 7:9–10)

Matthew 7:9–10 KJV 1900

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Note - Rhetorical question expecting a negative answer

Note - Lit. “Which man is there of you...if his son asks bread, he’ll not give a stone to him, and if he asks a fish, he’ll not give a snake to him.”

2. An Earthly Father’s Good Gifts; A Heavenly Father’s Supernatural Response (Mt. 7:11)

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Mt 7:11)

Matthew 7:11 KJV 1900

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Note - “then” = “therefore”

Note - “being evil...” - concessive, i.e. “although ye are”

Concession - In rhetoric or debate, the yielding, granting, or allowing to the opposite party some point or fact that may bear dispute, with a view to obtain something which cannot be denied, or to show that even admitting the point conceded, the cause is not with the adverse party, but can be maintained by the advocate on other grounds. [Noah Webster, Noah Webster’s First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language. (Anaheim, CA: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2006).]

Application:

SOMETHING BETTER - How often do people use their God-given sense of justice to question God’s fairness without seeing the contradiction? Those who demand that God be accountable for his actions are, in the words of the first verse in this chapter, measuring with a standard they really would not want used on themselves. Don’t you expect a loving parent to act lovingly? In spite of notorious failures, don’t you still count on parents to behave decently? Why, when it comes to the heavenly Father, are you so ready to question his concern? Jesus gave a delightful dignity to good parents in his description. He didn’t portray them as giving their children whatever they asked. Good parents give good gifts, but they are not hostages to their children’s wishes. Neither is God. We can ask God for anything. We ought to remember, however, that our heavenly Father may well have something even better in mind. How much trust do you demonstrate by the way you pray? [Bruce B. Barton, Matthew, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 134.]

Note - “how much more” - lesser to greater argument, Rabbinical flavor

It is the mighty privilege of prayer. When we think of the height and the depth, the length and breadth, of the Righteousness of the Kingdom—when we think of the dangers which lurk on every hand and at every stage in our life-journey—we may well cry, “Who is sufficient for these things?” To that cry of the heart this is the answer: “Ask, and it shall be given you.” We have had prayer before; but it was prayer as a part of righteousness, prayer as a religious duty. Now it is prayer as a power, as the one sure and only means of avoiding the terrible evils on every side, and obtaining the unspeakable blessings, the “good things” (ver. 11) of the kingdom of heaven. This being so, it was of the greatest importance that we should have faith to use it. Hence the repeated assurance, and the plain strong language in which it is conveyed; hence, too, the simple, strong, and touching arguments to dispel our doubts and encourage our trust (vv. 9–11). Here, again, of what priceless value are these few words of our blessed Lord! Just where they are needed most they come, bringing “strength to the fainting heart” [John Monro Gibson, “The Gospel of St. Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Jeremiah to Mark, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 4, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 720.]

II. The Disciples’ Passion and the Law’s Perfection (Matt. 7:12)

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12)

Matthew 7:12 KJV 1900

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

“So here too we are reminded that if we are to expect our Father to act in a fatherly way to us by giving us good things, we must act in a brotherly way to our neighbours.” [John Monro Gibson, “The Gospel of St. Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Jeremiah to Mark, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 4, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 720.]

This is the so-called “Golden Rule,” one of the most misunderstood statements in the Bible. This statement is not the sum total of Christian truth, nor is it God’s plan of redemption. We should no more build our theology on the Golden Rule than we should build our astronomy on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30.]

During the first quarter of the nineteenth century, toward the end of Beethoven’s life, an unknown musician made a small alteration in the construction of the harpsichord that subsequently altered the whole development of Western music. Before this time most of what we call piano music was composed for that instrument, but because of its design the music itself was quite limited. The strings of a harpsichord are plucked by a small hook, producing a sound even in intensity and similar to that of a harp. In this change the hook was replaced by a hammer, so that the string was struck rather than plucked. This minute alteration made all the difference musically, for the dynamic range of the instrument was greatly increased. The harpsichord became a piano. And the way was paved for the dramatic and thrilling compositions of Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, and Chopin. The development of music then revolved to a large degree around the piano, just as it had previously revolved around the organ during the Baroque era.

This story illustrates the kind of change that was brought into the realm of ethics by the teaching of Jesus Christ, and in particular the change that is embodied in the so-called Golden Rule, to which we now come in our studies. The Golden Rule, which is found in the seventh chapter of Matthew, verse 12, is probably the most universally praised statement that Jesus ever made. It has been called “the topmost peak of social ethics … the Everest of all ethical teaching.” But anyone who knows the history of ethics knows that this has resulted from the most minute change over the teachings of countless other religious teachers, philosophers, and rabbis.

What I mean is this. It is not at all difficult to find praiseworthy parallels to this saying in its negative form. Hillel, the renowned Jewish rabbi, once said to a follower, “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other; that is the whole Law, and the rest is commentary. Go and learn.” In the Book of Tobit (which was probably composed in the third century before Christ) there is a section in which the hero of the book tells his young son, “And what thou thyself hatest, do to no man.” There is a story in The Letter of Aristeas of a Jewish scholar who instructed an Egyptian king, “As you wish that no evil should befall you, but to be a partaker of all good things, so you should act on the same principle towards your subjects and offenders, and you should mildly admonish the noble and good.”

There are many other examples. William Barclay, who lists these examples among others in his commentary, also cites parallels in the teachings of Confucius, Epictetus, the Stoics, and in the Hymns of the Faith of Buddhism. They are similar. But the point is that all these sayings are negative. They say, “Do not do anything to anyone that you would not want them to do unto you.” Jesus presented the same truth positively, thereby inverting the saying and, of course, changing its scope immeasurably. Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Because of this apparently small change, it is correct to say that there is no real parallel to this saying. It is unique and altogether sublime. Barclay says, “This is something which had never been said before. It is new teaching, and a new view of life and of life’s obligations.” [William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1958), vol. 1, 277. James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 241–242.]

A. Heart-Desires & Helping Hands (Mt. 7:12a)

Therefore—to say all in one word—all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so [οὕτως]—the same thing and in the same way, to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. ‘This is the substance of all relative duty; all Scripture in a nutshell.’ Incomparable summary! How well called “the royal law”! (Jas. 2:8; cf. Rom. 13:9). ...never till our Lord came down thus to teach did men effectually and widely exemplify it in their practice. The precise sense of the maxim is best referred to common sense. It is not, of course, what—in our wayward, capricious, grasping moods—we should wish that men would do to us, that we are to hold ourselves bound to do to them; but only what—in the exercise of an impartial judgment, and putting ourselves in their place—we consider it reasonable that they should do to us, that we are to do to them. [David Brown, A. R. Fausset, and Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Matthew–John, vol. V (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.), 47–48.]

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Ro 13:8–10)

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Ga 5:13–14)

Galatians 5:13–14 KJV 1900

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” (Jas 2:10–13)

B. The Law’s Ultimate Exemplification (Mt. 7:12b)

7:12. This verse is commonly referred to as “the Golden Rule.” The principle is that what people ordinarily want others to do for them should be what they practice toward those others. This principle summarizes the essential teachings of the Law and the Prophets. But such a principle cannot be consistently practiced by a natural person. Only a righteous person is able to practice this rule and thereby demonstrate the spiritual change that has come about in his life. An individual who is able to live this kind of life obviously possesses the righteousness Jesus demanded (5:20). Such a person’s righteous acts do not save him, but because he has been delivered he is able to demonstrate true righteousness toward others. [Louis A. Barbieri, Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 34.]

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” (Le 19:18)

“Learn to do well; Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 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.” (Is 1:17–18)

Isaiah 1:17–18 KJV 1900

Learn to do well; Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 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.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic 6:8)

“Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, And shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; And let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.” (Zec 7:7–10)

Conclusion:

Develop an Active Prayer Life

Then there is prayer. It seems so incongruent that everybody believes in prayer and yet few people actually know how to pray, and fewer still practice it with any sort of regularity. Prayer is both the easiest thing to do and the hardest thing we will ever do. There is so much against our prayer life. For one, the enemy of man’s soul despises the power of prayer and so, with everything he can muster, he will discourage our prayer life.

I have always appreciated what Dr. Moody Stuart (1809–1898) said in one of his books. He was recording some of the rules that guided him in his prayer life. Let me list them for you right here:

1. “Pray until you pray.” I like this one very much. Many people think they are engaging in prayer when what they are really doing is reciting words over and over ad nauseam. Often it takes me 30 to 40 minutes to get into the place where I am actually praying. So many times it is just a mental list, a grocery list, if you please, of what I want God to do for me. Prayer is not something that can be rushed.

2. “Pray until you are conscious of being heard.” This, too, is important to grasp. What good is it to pray and pray and then get up off your knees without any sense that God heard you? One of the most important aspects of prayer is penetrating through the “Cloud of Unknowing” and come into the conscious presence of the Lord. This is the objective in all true prayer: to come into the conscious presence of the God whom we serve, love and know with confidence that He heard us. “And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:15).

3. “Pray until you receive an answer.” This, too, is rather important. How long should I pray about something? I believe the answer to that is simply that we need to pray until we get the answer. Pray until we understand what God is trying to do or say in that area of our life. Prayer is not a “hide and seek” game. Prayer is a matter of involving ourselves in a personal relationship, one on one, with God. He delights to open up His heart and show us Himself. He delights to give us that which we are asking.

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt. 7:11).

Our prayer life is really the one place in our life where we can practice the presence of the Lord in anticipation of Jesus’ soon return. We must penetrate that spiritual obstruction and press on into the presence of our soon coming Lord.

I think we must intentionally cultivate the discipline of seeking the face of God daily. This is something that needs to be a passion of our heart and not merely a routine. As we get on our face before God, we need to do so in the expectation of meeting Him, seeing His face, experiencing the presence—the manifest presence—of this Coming One we are waiting for. It is crucial that we penetrate the veil of the mysterious tremendum. It is not a natural exercise, but rather it is spiritual. Our passion for Christ needs to be carefully nourished with high thoughts about God Himself from the Scriptures.

The whole purpose of these disciplines is to daily wean us from the world. I have often said and will continue to say that the world is too much with us, even in the Church. We must come to the place where the world no longer fascinates us but rather we are highly fascinated with the Blessed Hope. All of these things will create within us an expectation of looking out for the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Vain Are All Terrestrial Pleasures

David Everard Ford (1797–1875)

Vain are all terrestrial pleasures,

Mixed with dross the purest gold:

Seek we, then, for heavenly treasures,

Treasures never waxing old.

Let our best affections center

On the things around the throne:

There no thief can ever enter;

Moth and rust are there unknown.

Earthly joys no longer please us;

Here would we renounce them all;

Seek our only rest in Jesus,

Him our Lord and Master call.

Faith, our languid spirits cheering,

Points to brighter worlds above;

Bids us look for His appearing;

Bids us triumph in His love.

May our light be always burning,

And our loins be girded round,

Waiting for our Lord’s returning,

Longing for the welcome sound.

Thus the Christian life adorning,

Never need we be afraid,

Should He come at night or morning

Early dawn, or evening shade.

[A. W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope, ed. James L. Snyder (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2012), 197–200.]

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