The Sifford Sojournal

Providence’s Perpetuation Provisions: 2024 Goat Kid, Goodbye Elvis, Hello Reggie

September 30, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Well, this kidding season was different. Elvis our buck we thought last year had gone sterile, and that was confirmed this year as his four does had no kids.

Then with our other buck Shakespeare, we believe one of his does miscarried after getting her head stuck in a gate and apparently getting beat up by other goats, because her back end was bloody and the like, and she didn’t have a kid.

But, we had one mama left — Lucy, our part Spanish, and she did. It was twins initially, but the doeling was still born, but her brother was fine, and he ended up being the lone goat kid this year. 🙂 We called him Louie because of his mom Lucy, but in the end went with Louis. He’s in the picture above.

Then, the fellow who buys our goats each year had an extra Lamancha buck in his possession and offered him to us, and we took him to replace Elvis. That was a gracious gift from the Lord, and the nice gentleman! 🙂

In Spanish, gift is “regalo”, so we decided to call him Reggie 🙂 We decided to put him in with all our females, so we’ll see if we have late fall/early winter babies this year — something we’ve never done, we don’t believe:

But then, Elvis ended up with an infection in his leg that we didn’t realize was there, and perhaps with worms we couldn’t conquer, we found him one day on the verge of death, so we expedited the matter. Always sad to say goodbye, and then having to do that to an animal stinks but does put them out of their misery.

Goodbye, Elvis. We thank the Lord for all of the kids He granted from you. And we thank the folks who gave him to us all here initially:

Lastly, here’s the video of Louis and Reggie, and a quick goodbye to Elvis. Plus, a guest appearance from a dog that comes all the way over here during thunderstorms sometimes whose owner lives about two miles away. 🙂 :

Even though it was only one kid this year, we are always thankful to the Lord for His continuing provisions!

— David

David’s Digest: Where Is Hope?

September 23, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

It seems “hope” is built into mankind — we all naturally hope. We hope for things (desires, etc.); we hope in things (trust, etc.).

But before we go further, let’s look at what hope is. Here’s Webster’s 1828 definition of hope:

HOPE, noun [Latin cupio.]

1. A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety.

2. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God’s gracious promises; a scriptural sense.

3. That which gives hope; he or that which furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good. The hope of Israel is the Messiah.

4. An opinion or belief not amounting to certainty, but grounded on substantial evidence. The christian indulges a hope that his sins are pardoned.

HOPE, verb intransitive

1. To cherish a desire of good, with some expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable.

2. To place confidence in; to trust in with confident expectation of good.

HOPE, verb transitive To desire with expectation of good, or a belief that it may be obtained. But as a transitive verb, it is seldom used, and the phrases in which it is so used are elliptical, for being understood.

So, hope involves some desire for something, with expectation that it will occur, not without evidence. There can also be a trust factor.

Now, here are some examples:

I hope you will have safe travels. (Desire with the expectation of a good outcome)
I have a hope that by electing this politician, things will be better. (Desire with expectation of a good outcome but with a trust in the person to do the right thing)

I believe we are all constantly hoping for things: A good life, health for today, to name a few.

But, are those things to be hoped for or in?

Let’s start with life in general. Can I with good reason hope for a nice, easy, uneventful, peaceful life? I would suggest that experience shows the opposite is almost guaranteed to happen somewhere along the way for each of us.

How about money. Can that be hoped in? What if I lose my job? What if I have disabling health problems? The Bible describes money as fleeting…with wings! And as uncertain. And that it shouldn’t be trusted in:

Proverbs 23:5 – “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.“

1 Timothy 6:17 – “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;“

Proverbs 11:28 – “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.“

How about the systems of the world around us, such as a college education guaranteeing a prosperous job? Sadly, Gen Z will be able to tell you how that’s working out.

How about people? Do we know anyone who is solid enough to never let us down? Someone who has the capacity to protect us and care for us perfectly always or make us happy? What about even people with power, who would seem to be the most capable? The Bible says they will fail too:

Psalm 146:3 – “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.“

Well then, wow. What’s left?

It would seem we would need something solid and firm, something constant, something capable.

I would submit to you there is only one thing that answers this, which really is only one Being, and that is God.

As God, He is certainly capable, because He has all power:

Psalm 115:3 – “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.“

Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.“

Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:“

Genesis 18:14 – “Is any thing too hard for the Lord? …“

But the Bible also says He is solid and firm:

Psalm 18:2 – “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.“

The Bible also says He is constant and never changing:

Malachi 3:6 – “For I am the Lord, I change not; …“

But why trust in God? He is worthy, first of all, because He is God. But He’s also full of loving-kindnesses and tender mercies:

Psalm 25:6 – “Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.“

But then, what are we hoping in God for? A perfect, easy, peaceful life? Again, experience shows that is basically not the case for anyone, in some capacity.

But why wouldn’t God do that, since He’s capable and loving and merciful?

Because there’s one problem in the way, which actually is the reason for the lack of peace in our lives:

Sin

Sin is not following God’s commandments in some way, either by doing something He says not to, or not doing something He says.

The Bible says everyone has sinned in some way. Have we not, at some point in our lives, told a lie? Disobeyed our parents when we were children at least once?

Then that’s sin, and we have all sinned.

And the Bible says by nature we are slaves to sin:

John 8:34 – “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.“

And God is perfectly holy, so anything with sin cannot be around Him. In fact, He can’t even look at sin:

Habakkuk 1:13 – “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:“

God also says we will be judged for our sin:

John 3:18 – “… but he that believeth not is condemned already, …“

Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:“

And the default sentence at that time is an eternal death!

Revelation 21:8 – “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.“

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 – “7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

So then, is there true, long-lasting hope anywhere?

If so, where is it?

It seems true hope is not in things or people of this world. I would suggest that true hope must be for things past this time of our lives.

If peace all the time is not guaranteed as we live our lives here and now, and there is none with God if we’re still in servitude to sin and under its effects, is there a complete and lasting peace available for after this life?

The Bible says, “Yes there is!” But it cannot come from us.

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, added a human nature to Himself. He did this to take that condemnation noted above and put it on Himself to pay the penalty for us. He was crucified on a cross for this purpose. He also lived a life that perfectly kept God’s commandments, showing Himself perfectly righteous and holy, so that righteousness could be accounted toward us. And He rose again as a sign that God accepted His sacrifice.

In that way then, we can stand no more condemned, and God can now look at us with those pure eyes and see His Son’s righteousness.

Paul, a person who wrote a lot of the Bible, calls this “hope of eternal life” versus the eternal death noted above, and coming from God, who cannot lie!

Titus 1:1-2 – “1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.“

Romans 4:22-25 – “22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.“

How do we then get this hope?

The John 3:18 verse above had much more to it:

John 3:18 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.“

We start by believing about our sin, our incapacity to get ourselves out of condemnation, and that we have no righteousness of ourselves.

But then what?

Then, we look to Christ Jesus for these things. We look to Him as the sacrifice for our sins when He died on the cross. We look to Him that He would account to our account His righteousness. And we humbly submit ourselves to Him in these things, as God, and as God saving us from sin and its consequences.

And He will set us free from being a slave to sin to be proper servants of Him, as it should be:

Romans 6:20-23 – “20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“

It is our prayer that if your hope is still in people, or this world and the things of it, that you put all of those away and look only to the Lord Jesus as your hope and believe on Him.

We can trust Him, He cannot lie, and He is merciful and gracious to those who come to Him in this way:

John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.“

We pray you put your trust in Him alone this day!

Psalm 118:8-9 – “8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.“

Psalm 42:5 – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.“

Psalm 42:11 – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.“

Psalm 43:5 – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.“

1 Peter 1:21 – “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.“

— David

P.S. I discuss in much more detail the situation between God and man in this blog post.

Providence’s Perpetuation Provisions: 5th Group of Chicken Chicks for 2024

September 6, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Once again, the Lord graciously granted a hen get broody, and we put eggs under her in the mini-chicken tractor, and by God’s graces, she hatched out our 5th group of 2024 chicken chicks!

One sadly died fairly soon after that, but the rest are still going today, and we are grateful!

Here’s another picture of them:

And here’s their video. You can see it wasn’t yesterday they were hatched. 🙂 I think I’m planning on moving them into the summer kitchen to grow up some more due to their current quarters becoming more cramped, although I don’t like to take them out of a more natural environment. But, hopefully it won’t take long, and then we can move them back outside into the chicken pen area.

Again, we thank the Lord for Him granting these continued provisions!

— David

Providence’s Perpetuation Provisions: Turkey Chicks of 2024 – Update I

August 13, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Just a catch-up video on the turkey chick goings-on since our May turkey post.

I believe in the video below we cover pulling 3 groups of young turkeys out of the summer kitchen and putting them in the barn at night to begin their life with the turkey flock.

Funny too, but apparently a couple of chicken eggs ended up with the turkey eggs because we ended up with a couple of chickens in with the turkeys. 🙂

Here’s another picture of them in the summer kitchen before moving them out:

Something we learned: One turkey hen ended up sitting outside and hatching out quite a few turkey chicks. We thought we’d experiment and let her raise them out there and not move them into the summer kitchen, but sadly all of them ended up disappearing or dying, so we have decided to not do that again and just grab any turklets (my name for turkey chicks, kind of like “chicklets” 😀 ) and put them in the summer kitchen.

And on another very sad note: Our “matriarch” of the flock, Trina, died since the last update. Originally, she just showed up on the homestead one day and moved into the barn, we bought her a mate, and the rest is history. Here’s the blog post we did about her arrival from back in 2016.

This should be she, and should be her first chicks…

Goodbye, Trina…we thank the Lord for bringing you here in His kind providence, and for the huge flock He granted from you…

But back to current day, as far as I know, all the turkeys that we have moved out into the barn this year are still alive and doing well, and we are grateful!

And without further ado, here’s the update video. Be on the watch for the turklet cam! 😀 :

Again, we are thankful to the Lord for granting these provisions!

— David

David’s Digest: Of Desiring Christ, Part 5

August 6, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“

Continuing on from Part 4 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.

You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.

The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.

From Thomas Manton:

Recap:

Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.

The reasons of the point are these:-

Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.

Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.

To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.

. . .

Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.

. . .

But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.

If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.

1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.

2. A holy indignation.

Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-

[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.

[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.

3. It will cause a holy waiting.

4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.

[1] It will take up your thoughts.

[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.

[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.

Use 2. In the next place it serves for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit.

Men see nothing in Christ why they should desire him, because they judge with a carnal spirit. Let not any such black note be found upon you: Do you make him the desire of your souls who is deservedly styled ‘the desire of all nations.’

This exhortation hints at three duties:–

1. Long to get him into your hearts.

2. Be careful to keep communion with him.

3. Labour to get more interest in him.

I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him:–

[1.] Consider nothing is a fit object for your desires without Jesus
Christ.

Continuing on:

[2.] Look upon Jesus Christ alone as the only object upon which your affections should be exercised.

He has all the properties in him that a lawful desire looks to, though the world cannot see it.

He is an excellent good, a necessary good, and one that deserves the best of our desires.

(1.) Consider he is an excellent good.

Whatsoever is an attractive of love is to be found in Christ. Oh, display his glorious beauties before the soul! There is in him greatness, goodness, glory, mercy, peace, comfort, satisfaction: these are the beauties of Christ. Look over all the world and see if there be any that can do you so much good as he is able or willing to do.

Cant. 5:10-16, The spouse describes her beloved as a comely young man, as one of the greatest perfections. It would be too large to go over every particular of that description; only, in the general, observe that the Spirit of God uses such expressions as serve to discover outward beauty, to show us that whatever we admire in the creatures is, in a far more eminent degree, to be found in God and Christ.

I know not how to be particular in this large field; only I shall a little single out the name of God to you, as it is said, ‘Thy name is as an ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee,’ Cant. 1:3. And the desires of God’s people are always expressed to be towards his name in the scriptures.

I shall mention two attributes, and pour out the savour of them, and display the beauty of them, which shine most gloriously in Jesus Christ; namely, his power and his mercy,

(1st.) His power and might.

Christ is spoken of to be the desire of the nations, when he gave forth the greatest experiences of his power Hag. 1:7, ‘I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.’ Who would not desire him that is able to secure him against all, fears, to keep him in the midst of all dangers, and to comfort him in all conditions? If a man would long after any person, he would after him that is able to shake the nations and to secure him against the common visible fears of mankind.

Men run after things for a little satisfaction and security, but still this troubles them; they must die, and then all their shifts will not serve the turn: Prov. 11:7, ‘When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish.’ Then all his desires — wife, children, friends – will not serve the turn, when his cold corpse must be laid in the grave.

But now Christ is so powerful, that he is able to secure us against this fear, to comfort us in death, and to raise us when dead.

(2dly.) His mercy is very great.

A man’s desire is restrained to things many times, which though otherwise allurable, yet he has no hopes to obtain.

Now here [with Christ] you may desire and be welcome, for your suit will be entertained: Ps. 111:8, ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with, goodness.’ When the soul opens itself to God, he fills it; the longing soul is satisfied: Rev. 21:6, ‘I will give to him that is athirst of the water of life freely.’

You need not stand off upon terms or punctilios [a nice point of exactness in conduct, ceremony or proceeding; particularity or exactness in forms]; Christ will satisfy your longing freely; he hath passed his word: John 6:37, ‘He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.’ They may have their comfort hindered and interrupted in their own thoughts, but he will in no wise cast them out.

(2.) Christ is a necessary good.

Things may be excellent, yet if they be not needful to us, the affections move but faintly after them.

Now Christ is unum necessarium, the one thing needful. It is not enough to choose that which is good, but that which is needful: Luke 10:42, ‘But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen the better part.’

Many follow after riches, pleasures, and honours, and outward comforts; these may be good in their kind, but they are not needful. What good will those things do us to all eternity? There the love of God will only stand us in stead.

The things of this world, according to that usual saying among divines, are temporal in their use, but the punishment for the abuse of them is eternal.

The most necessary and serviceable good to us is Jesus Christ; therefore get the judge to be your friend against the assizes [verdicts of the jury].

(3.) Consider, he has deserved that our strongest desires should be after him, not only as he is the being of beings, and the fountain of our lives and mercies, but as he laid down his life for us: John 12:32, ‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me;’ that is, I will do that which shall draw all men’s desires to me; he will leave such a debt of thankfulness upon them.

Though we could expect nothing from Christ, yet, by the law of thankfulness, our desires are due to him.

May God grant we see the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He be all our desire, now and forever!

Psalm 73:25-26:

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

— David

David’s Digest: Of Desiring Christ, Part 4

July 29, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“

Continuing on from Part 3 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.

You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.

The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.

From Thomas Manton:

Recap:

The reasons of the point are these:-

Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.

Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.

To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.

. . .

If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.

1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.

2. A holy indignation.

Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-

[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.

[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.

3. It will cause a holy waiting.

4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.

[1] It will take up your thoughts.

[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.

[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.

Continuing on:

Use 2. In the next place it serves for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit.

This exhortation hints at three duties:–

1. Long to get him into your hearts.

As all things are to him, let your desires be to him: Rom. 11:36, ‘Of him, and through him, and to him are all things;’ therefore, all creatures, — for it is the law of their creation to move towards God, especially for reasonable creatures so to do. But particularly by your desires look upon, him as summum necessariurn, as the only chief thing for your souls.

2. Be careful to keep communion with him.

If you have got him, take heed you do not lose him again. Remember the fate of the spouse for parting with her beloved, and how dearly she paid for it, Cant. 5:6,7. Whatever carnal men judge of it, the favour of Christ is worth the keeping.

3. Labour to get more interest in him.

Worldly blessings have all this lot and fate, that they cloy [satisfy, satiate] in the enjoyment. Christ is a mercy of a nobler nature; the more you see of his excellency, the more you will thirst after him. When a man hath a taste of Christ, he will labour for more of him.

The great prejudice against him is, that men have never had experience of him, Austin [Augustine] said of himself, in the ninth book of his Confessions, chap. 1: ‘That the reason why he was loath to close with Christ was, because he was to forego all pleasures, and to deny himself in whatever was delightful, and that was very irksome to him. But since,’ said he, ‘when once I had tasted Christ, quam suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatibus nugarum [how sweet it suddenly became to me to be without the pleasantries of toys]! It was the greatest delight in the world to abstain from worldly delights.’

Christ made abundant recompense for them. Oh, how sweet is Christ to those that have tried him, and made experience of him! They will not want their old delights again.

I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him:–

[1.] Consider nothing is a fit object for your desires without Jesus
Christ.

The creatures [generally, anything in all of creation] are beneath you. The desire of the soul is like a member of the body out of joint when it is fixed upon a wrong object.

All things without Christ are either sin or the creatures.

To desire sin was the cause of the first misery; that is, forbidden fruits. We know what that is by sad experience.

As to the creatures, to desire them for themselves is beneath us: it is, as it were, to sit upon the threshold and the door of the gate when we might sit upon the throne, — to make that our crown which should be our footstool Ps. 8:6, it is said, ‘Thou hast put all things under his feet.’ God made these things to be under our feet; and, therefore, the church is described, Rev. 12:1, to have the moon under her feet. All sublunary [earthly, pertaining to this world] things are beneath the people of God.

I should a little digress from the matter in hand, at least vary from my purpose, if I should at large discourse of the uncertainty and frailty of the creatures, and show how the desires may be lost and wasted upon them, which they cannot be upon God; or should I descant [discuss, dispute] upon the unsuitableness of the creatures, which cannot give true satisfaction to the soul; but I will only conclude this first rule with this: That sin is not to be desired at all, and the creatures only in reference to God and Christ, otherwise, we sin in the desire or enjoyment of them.

May God grant we long more for Him, and labor to have more of Him, and see and experience Christ Jesus above all things!

Go on to Part 5!

— David

David’s Digest: Of Desiring Christ, Part 3

July 16, 2024 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“

Continuing on from Part 2 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.

You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.

The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.

From Thomas Manton:

Recap:

The reasons of the point are these:-

Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.

Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.

To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.

. . .

If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.

1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.

2. A holy indignation.

Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-

[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.

[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.

Continuing on:

3. It will cause a holy waiting.

Those that desired the coming of the Messiah, waited for him; as Simeon: Luke 2:25, ‘Waiting for the consolation of Israel: Earnest expectation is the formal and most proper effect of the desire of anything.

Look, as it is said of Sisera’s mother, Judges 5:28, ‘She looked out at a window and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming?’ She would fain [be glad to] meet with it as far as she could with her eyes. And so it is said, Rom. 8:19, ‘The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’ Apekdecetai [Greek], the creature lifts up the head — would fain see the general restoration of all things in the world; so the soul lifts up the heart, it would fain [be glad to] see Christ coming to it in this or that ordinance, — with a great deal of longing they expect when he will draw their hearts to himself: Ps. 130:6, ‘My soul waiteth for thee more than they that watch for the morning; yea, more than they that watch for the morning.’

4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.

Desires are the most vigorous faculties, they carry the whole soul along with them. They will take up your thoughts, time, care, endeavours, speeches. Look and you shall observe that a man is so affected in earthly things, and, therefore, why not so in heavenly? It is a bad sign when there cannot be found the same proportion and care for heavenly things as men have for the things of the world.

Let us see these things a little severally.

[1] It will take up your thoughts.

Our thoughts will be conversant about what we desire. We love to feed upon the sweet of those things that we long for, — to enjoy them in our meditations before we really and actually enjoy them. Thoughts are the pulses of the heart, you may know by them how it beats.

When desires are at a high pitch, we shall not be able to put off those pleasing imaginations that concern the object of these desires. Nay, they will haunt the mind in the time of our usual repose and rest: Isa. 26:9, ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.’ Night and morning, all their mind was upon this, how they should get God.

[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.

When men will make bold with God rather than their own occasions, it is a sign they are but coldly affected to him. If your desires be to Christ, your care and time will be more laid out upon him; you will rather borrow from yourselves, your own pleasures and business, than borrow from God.

I confess a man that is in a particular calling, and is to provide for a wife and family, must necessarily spend more time in the world than he can in religion; but when he begrudges all time to God [ie. is envious of time to God], or thinks all lost that is spent in duty, it is a sign there is little desire after Christ.

When we are where we would be [desire to be], time goes too fast for us; therefore, try how it is with you in point of religion. Is all too much that is spent in duty? If the heart goes out that way, all will be too little. As men’s desires are so their time goes away. Job 21:13, It is said of the wicked, ‘They spend their days in wealth.’ Voluptuous [given to the enjoyments of luxury and pleasure] men do so, — so worldly men, they spend their time in business and worldly cares, and are cumbered about much serving. You may try your bent by that, how you spend your days.

[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.

Those are true desires that end in action. Slight wishes after Christ never put us upon a pursuit of him. If a man be earnest in a thing, he will try all ways he can to compass it; it shall be his earnest business.

Men that are slight would fain [be glad to] have Christ, but they will not seek him — Vellent, sed nolunt [Latin: They want to, but they don’t want to]: Prov. 21:25, ‘The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour.’ The slothful are most full of desires; they would fain have things, but they do not labour after them.

Now, it is otherwise with the children of God. The spouse, that was sick for want [lack] of Christ, sought him through the streets, though it cost her many a wandering, Cant. 5:7. God hath fenced up every excellent thing with difficulty, to see if we think it worth our endeavours.

May God grant we desire to meet with Christ Jesus as much as possible in this life in times of worship, prayer and in His word and ordinances, and then eternally with Him in the next life; and may He grant this desire for Him to affect all the areas of our lives, including our heart, thoughts, words and actions!

Go on to Part 4!

— David

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