frequently got together in this fashion, comparing notes. One discouragingly stated, “M y husband’s so frustrated. I don’t know what we’re going to do. People don’t seem to appreciate, his preaching and they’re even a month behind in our salary. He’s so down hearted that he mopes around home all the time. When I tell him he should go out and call on the folks, he says it wouldn’t do any good because he’s so depressed; he’d ' only discourage them. Really, we don’t know which way to turn.” The friend responded, “My, 1 certainly feel sorry for you. That’s too bad. But you know, I’m thankful it’s much different for us. The attendance seems to be climbing and the people say they are so blessed by my husband’s preaching. As a matter of fact they gave us a nice 1 raise just last month. The only thing is I think sometimes my husband w ill wear him self out with the long hours he keeps. He is on the go constantly.” An ob server to this scene m ight be interested in noting that the first wife was put ting a patch in the seat of her hus band’s trousers while the other was darning the heels of her husband’s socks and mending the knees of his pants. Yes,- these things come about by work and prayer. Isn’t it strange that the man who works the hardest always seems to be the most successful? “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (I Cor. 16:13). Our Lord Jesus reminds us, “The night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). * The truest end of life is to know the life that never ends. 20 * *
One of the things that is a constant spur to the Christian, helping him to press on in the battle of life, is the realization that every inch of this pil grimage we must traverse on our way to glory has already been traveled by our blessed Saviour. Thafs why we can come to Him with all of our afflictions knowing that He was wounded for our transgressions, that he was bruised for our iniquities, and that the chastise ment of our peace was upon him. Are you unable to see beyond the dim hori zon of today? Then, why not trust your soul to the One with whom there are no tomorrows, for the Saviour is al ready there. God can see tomorrow bet ter than we can see yesterday. You can not trust the guidance of your life, your soul, to another, much less to yourself. Neither do you have an im peccable vision of tomorrow. Trust your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has never failed all those who come to Him by faith. * * * If you feel you have no faults then that actually just makes another one. ♦ * * THE DISCOURAGED PREACHER Doubtless, there is no one who has been more condemned, and oft times perhaps rightly so, than the preacher. Be assured, however, it is not an easy task in any case for there are many hours of heart-break and loneliness that only the pastor and his wife fu lly experience. There were two ministers? wives talking together one day as they worked on their family’s mending. Without many other close friends they
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