TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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FOR MARCH Illustrated by Gladys Bowman
OBJECT LESSONS B y Elmer L. Wilder
Those whose lives are tafigled to day, should accept God’s deliverance from sin through Christ, and allow Him to untangle their lives and make them usefuL Third Week S h o e s T h a t S h ow s e a a ■i7- V* VpEWARD • RUIN /
First Week L o v e a n d L iv e
shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you” (Josh. 23:16). We will open the little door in this heart. It now reads, “LOST.” They lost much because of their disobed ience. This should be a solemn warn ing to all those who do not love God, and lust after forbidden things. Second Week T h e T a n g l e T e l l s • •* a 3•/<>• ‘tt
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Objects: Two paper hearts. (Paste four hearts together around the edges to make the two. Print down on one the word “LOVE," and on the other, the word “LUST.” Slit the top sheet of paper above, below and to the left of the “O,” making a door which can be opened. Inside this door, on the other paper, print the letter “I.” When the door is opened, the letters spell “LIVE.” Do the same with the other heart, cutting around the letter “ U,” and printing the letter “O” back of the door. When opened, the letters will spell “LOST.” ) Lesson: On this paper heart we see the word “LOVE.” There are many kinds of love, but the most important to have in the heart is the love of God. In Joshua 23:11, we read, “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.” Opening the little door in the heart, we find the word is changed to “LIVE,” suggesting to us that those who love the Lord will live. Not only do we find this truth in the heart, but we find it in the Bible as well. The children of Israel were told, “One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you” (Josh. 23:10). On the basis that Israel would love Him, the Lord had said before this time, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses” (Josh. 1:3). We have another heart with the word “LUST” on it. This word means to have strong desire for things which are not right. Joshua knew that Is rael was in danger of doing this, so he warned them, “When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then
Objects: Three pairs of women’s shoes, a small cardboard signpost reading, “REWARD,” and one read ing, “RUIN.” (Put the shoes in a cir cle on the table. At the opposite ends of the table place the signposts.) Lesson: Shoes tell us much about people. We know frbm these shoes that they belong to three ladies. They are standing still, and neither mov ing toward “REWARD” or “RUIN.” They are closer to “RUIN” than to “REWARD.” As I look at these shoes I am re minded of three women in the Bible. Their names were Naomi, Ruth and Orpah. They lived in the land of Moab, near “RUIN." There came a time when Naomi, who had lived in Israel’s land, heard that again there was food at home, and she decided to return to her native land. We will take a pair of shoes out of the circle, and face them toward the signpost marked “REWARD.” When she turned toward the land of Israel, she had a drawing power, for both Ruth and Orpah started with her. They had not gone far until Naomi advised each to return to the home of her mother. Orpah took the advice and returned. We will turn the shoes representing her toward the land of “ RUIN.” Ruth was much wiser than her sis ter-in-law. Let us listen to her reply, “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave-thee, or to return from follow ing after thee: for whither thou go- est, I will go; and where thou lodg- est, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and .thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to
Objects: A ball of string, and a piece of black cardboard on which the word “SIN” is printed. (Unwind several yards of the string and tangle it. Wrap some of the string around the black cardboard; and hide it in the tangled string.) Lesson: This string is badly tangled, isn’t it? In looking at it, I am re minded of the lives of individuals and nations, which get badly tangled, like the string. If we examine this string, perhaps we can find out why people get their lives in a tangle. This little card with the word “SIN” on it gives us the answer. Sin is hidden in every tangled life. This is what happened to the chil dren of Israel in the days of the judges. In Judges 2:13, 14 we read, “And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Is rael, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them.” It is encouraging to know that tan gles in life can be untangled, just as this string could be if we were to take the time necessary,to do it. The first thing to do would be to get rid of “SIN.” This is where God started with the children of Israel. Even though their lives were in a tangle, God sent judges to deliver them, for we read in Judges 2:16, “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which de livered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.”
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