August 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
381
AUGUST 20 “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged o f you, or o f man’s judgment” (1 Cor. 4:3). The world looks at each of us . . . It observes our single actions and watches our courses of action and gradually makes up its mind about our character and con duct as a whole. It takes in a general impression of what we are and gives it expression in a brief judgment on us— usually condensed into very terse terms, such as: “He is_a good man,” or “he is a bad man” ; “he is an excellent, able, gen erous fellow,” or “he is a small, narrow minded creature” ; “he is good-hearted, but there is nothing in him,” or “he is very clever, but he knows it.” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” —J ames S talker . AUGUST 21 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown o f life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (Jas. 1:12). That which renders the first assaults of temptation peculiarly severe and danger ous is the instability of our own minds, arising from the want of faith in God. As a ship without a steersman is driven about by the force of contrary winds, so an un stable man that has no faith in God is tossed and borne away upon the wave of every temptation. Gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity. We frequently know not the strength that is hidden in us till tempta tion calls it faith and shows us how much we are able to sustain. We must not, however, presume, but be particularly up on our guard against the first assaults; for the enemy will be more easily subdued if he is resisted in his approaches and not suffered to enter the portal of our hearts. —T homas A ’K empis . AUGUST 22 “But my God. shall supply all your need according to his riches in (ilorv bv Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). When James Gordon Bennett sent Henry M. Stanley to search for Living stone, he said : “Draw on me for a thou sand pounds today to provide your equip ment; and when that is exhausted, draw on me for another thousand; and when that is done, draw another thousand ; and when that is done, draw another—but find Livingstone.” God asks us to glorify Him by a life devoted to Him every day, and He authorizes us to draw on Him for the wisdom, grace, and strength needed to enable us to reach this end. When one day s supply is exhausted, we are to draw another, and then another, until the com plement of our days is filled up. -—S elected . Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). The cross surpasses all human thought, because it is infinite. Human language is not great enough to give full expression
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[ L a s t month’s Devotional Readings should have borne the dates, July IS to August 14, inclusive. We regret that the items were incorrectly dated. — E ditor .] AUGUST 15 "Now thanks be unto that God who always leads us forth to triumph in the Anointed One, and who diffuses by us the fragrance o f the knowledge of him in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14, Lit. Trans.). ? hey say that once a piece of common | clay Such fragrance breathed, as from a garden blows; “My secret is but this,” they heard it say, “I have been near the rosel” And those there are who bear along with them The power with thoughts of Christ men’s hearts to stir; For having knelt to kiss His garment’s hem, Their garments smell of myrrh. So grant, I pray Thee, Lord, that by Thy grace, The fragrance of Thy life may dwell in me; That as I move about from place to place, Men’s thoughts may turn to Thee. —F. J. E xley . AUGUST 16 “Looking unto Jesus” (Heb. 12:2). It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite from this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates: “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by look ing within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self; He tells _us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, there fore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even thy faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits . . . If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eyes simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession be fresh upon your mind. When thou wakest in the morning, look to Him. When thou liest down at night, look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus. Follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee. —C harles H addon S purgeon .
AUGUST 17 “When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Dr. Stuart Holden told his congregation how, when he visited a factory in the North of England, where costly china was being made, the thing which inter ested him most was the painting on the finished product. “It had been through many different processes, and was taken to the studio for the artists to complete. I saw the pattern being put on in various colors, and noticed that a great deal of black was being used. On asking why, I was told, ‘It is black now; but it will be gold when it comes out of the fire.’ Is not this just as in our lives? What is put on black, we do not recognize as gold at the time, and the thing which is gilding our lives—or is intended to do so—is very often put on in darkness and blackness.” ______ , — S elected . AUGUST 18 “/ the Lord do keep it; . . . I will keep it night and day” (Isa. 27:3). What right have we to pick out one of His faithful sayings, and say we do not expect Him to fulfill that? What de fense can we bring, what excuse can we invent for so doing? If you appeal to ex perience against His faithfulness to His word, I will appeal to experience too; and I will ask you; “Did you ever really trust Jesus to fulfill any word of His to you, and find your trust deceived?” . . . . Whatever you did really trust Him to keep, He has kept; and the unkept things were never really entrusted. Scrutinize past experience as you will; and it will only bear witness against your unfaithful ness, never against His absolute faithful ness.— F rances R idley H avergal . AUGUST 19 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance" (Eph. 6 :18). “Believe me,” said Coleridge to his nephew, two years before his death, “to pray with all your heart and strength, with the reason and the will, to believe vividly that God will listen to your voice through Christ, and verily do the thing He pleaseth thereupon—this is the last, the greatest achievement of the Chris tian’s warfare upon earth.” —C oleridge ' s “T able T alk .”
Blessed hour of prayer, Blessed hour of prayer; What a balm for the weary! Oh, how sweet to be there! —F . J. C rosby .
Worthy of Its Founders .T he K ing ’ s B usiness is a maga zine of finest spiritual tone, admir ably suited to the purposes which the founders had in view. —F rom S cotland .
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