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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S command to be strong Is the preface to it all. God imparts his strength to us through the forth-putting of our own. If we would receive grace to resist temp tation, we must show firmness and cour age ourselves. We must pray as if all depended on God and work as if all de pended upon us. This is the paradox of faith. Some one has said, “ The mo ment religion ceases to command men to attempt the impossible, it, ceases to be religion.” When faith attempts tne im possible, it transforms it straightway into the possible and then the strength of God is made perfect in human weak ness. ^ TUESDAY, Aug. 24. 1 Kings 8:4-15. ( Solomon’s Wise Choice. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and made the young king a compre hensive and unlimited offer, by laying his resources at Solomon’s disposal. Solomon asked for ability to do the best that could be done, not for himself but for others. The Lord gave him wisdom and the other things beside for which he had not asked. Solomon made a noble and unselfish choice. He might have chosen popularity, wealth, vast dominion or long life but he left himself out of the consideration and asked f(jr the highest well-being of his subjects. The wisdom and wealth of Solomon have be come proverbial. No other man was ever so wise, so rich or so great, one has said, “ Tell me your askings and I will tell you your gettings. Tell me what you seek and I will tell you wnat you are.” Matt. 6:33. WEDNESDAY, Aug. 25. Prov. 4:1-15. The Worth of Wisdom. Wisdom consists in the discernment and use of right means to accomplish right ends. It is foolish to have right means and a wrong end and equally so to use wrong means to attain a right end. 2 Sam. 6. Wisdom is obtained by faith. Prov. 2:6, James 1:5. Knowl edge is attained by works, Dan. 9:2, Col. 2:3. If any one lacks and desires wisdom, he may ask it of God and claim it by faith. If anyone lacks and desires knowledge, he must go to school and study hard. Golden nuggets are not to be found lying around anywhere upon the top of the earth. They have to be diligently sought for and patiently mined with tireless effort. The antithesis of wisdom is folly, of knowledge, ignor ance. One may be wise and ignorant, or one may be learned and foolish but
one can not be wise and' foolish or learned and ignorant at the same time. Wisdom is a Scriptual synonym of righteousness and folly is another name for wickedness. The sinner in Scrip ture is a fool. THURSDAY, Aug. 26. Prov. 31:10-20. A Wise Woman. Some Bible students are of the opinion that Lemuel of this thirty-first chapter is Solomon and his mother Bathsheba was the author of this surpassingly beautiful description of a perfect wife. Her do mesticity is the outstanding character istic. This accords equally well with East and West but does not apply to the so-called “ new woman” a product of twentieth century civilization. She is an anomaly indeed, not to be found in Scripture, invading the sphere of the masculine sex, usurping their preroga tives, appropriating their garb, copying their mannerisms and adopting to some extent their vices. The home is the unit of the social order and whatever attacks its authority or destroys its sanctity, menaces the well-being of the human race. Parenthood is the symbol and the medium by means of which God ex presses his love and care for man. FRIDAY, Aug. 27. Prov. 31:21-31. A Godly Woman. The poet laureate has said that men differ at their best and worst as heaven and earth but women as heaven and hell. Be that as it may, godliness is a fitting crown to womanhood while its absence spells danger and disaster. What hope is there for a future generation if the. mothers of the present one have no message and ministry of God to their children? Where shall a child learn reverence and obedience to authority if not in the home? Where shall he learn the science and the art of prayer if not his mother’s knee? A life of godliness and devotion is a -better heritage to leave in children’s memory than a life of worldliness and fashion. In early child hood parents stand in the place of God and represent God to the infant mind. In many cases doubtless lifelong im pressions and conceptions of Deity spring from parental action and associa tion. SATURDAY, Aug. 28. Eccle. 12:1-14. Youthful Choices. The choices of youth as a rule are based on impulse and inclination rather than reason and judgment. Nevertheless
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