T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S faith fu l servants when He comes to reign? (1 Cor. 3 :1 3 ). (6) How is God’s purpose in grace m anifested toward us? (Eph. 2 :7 ). (7 ) Was David as wise a fath e r as he was a king? (Prcrv. 3:11, 12). (8 ) W hat was th e secret of David’s We should read a biography w ith th e endeavor to find out th e controlling forces and leading principles th a t ruled the m an’s conduct. When we discover th e param ount feat- DEVOTIONAL ure th a t may suggest COMMENT th e message th a t God By F . W. F a r r has for us in making, shaping and guiding th a t p articu lar man. David is described as a man afte r God’s own heart. This is in spite of his sin and because of his repentance. He thoroughly believed in God as a liv ing and righteous Being. He acted up on th is conviction and clung to it th rough every change of fortune! He gave him self up to God for such use as God m igh t be pleased to make of him. He could be g reat or little or nothing a t all as God saw fit th a t he should be. The Bible sets before us plainly and w ithout comment th e kind of a man th a t David was, his tem p ta tions, his weaknesses, his virtues and his victories. He is th e same man in th e cave of Adullam, in the sheepfold and on th e battlefield. H is life as an exile Was an education for th e throne. A ru ler m ust know his subjects, and be able to sympathize w ith them in th eir sorrows and sufferings. Not for him self alone was David led through such experiences. “He fashioneth th e ir h earts alik e,” Psalm 33:15. God perm itted him to universalize his experience th a t he m ight be a com fort and source of streng th to all believers. As face an- swereth to face in a glass, so doth the favor w ith God in spite of his many failures? (Psalm s 51). s(!| ite
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h eart of believer to believer in religious experience. The songs, and prayers of th e poet-king have been called the speaking tubes in th e chamber of af fliction through which we may send up our cry to H im who is our Helper. The peculiarity of David as king was th a t he recognized th e higher royalty of God and regarded him self as a hum an vice regent. He always remembered th a t ,th e Lord was his Shepherd and the Shepherd of all Israel. The twenty- th ird Psalm could not have been w rit ten in his boyhood. It must be the product of his old age and m atured ex perience, although it is a rem iniscence of childhood and describes th e scenes and feelings which memory recalled when it reverted to th e golden spring tim e of his early days. There is one th ing th a t David never failed in. H is life was stained w ith deadly sins and m arred by grievous failures, but he abounded more in the grace of thankfulness th an any other character of Scripture. “Would you know ," asks an ancient w riter, “who is th e g reatest sain t in th e world? It is not he who prays th e longest and fasts th e most. It is not he who gives most alms, or is most em inent for char ity, temperance or justice. It is rath e r he who is always th ank fu l unto G6d, who wills everything th a t God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and who has a h ea rt always ready to praise God for his goodness.” This was David. May we be like him in th is respect! V • In looking through Scripture we observe how wonderfully God has ever brought good out of evil. I t was Isra el’s sin to reject th e ir King, Jehovah, COMMENTS and seek to set SELECTED up a m an over By K eith L. Brooks them ; and in th a t man who first wielded the sceptre 'over them they had learn t how vain was th e help of man. The Lord was now about to bring
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SIXTEEN DEPARTMENTS. (See Inside Front Cover)
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