November, 1935
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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house.’ Let it be ‘herewith’ that you test the truth of My word.”— S elected . DECEMBER 7 The Importance of Witnessing “ Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son o f God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:15). To testify may seem a small thing to you. Did it seem a small thing when, away in impure Egypt, Joseph stood up for purity and for the God of purity; or when, in courtly Babylon, Daniel braved the whole court o f sycophants? Did it seem a small thing to Jesus whether Nico- demus should confess or cloak his convic tions about Him? Christ wants witnesses. “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” The indwelling implies that a similarity of nature to the divine nature, and o f conduct to the divine con duct, is an assurance to the man, and to every man, that God is in him of a truth. If we remember Who is tabernacled in the breast, the thought o f anything that could be a shame to Him will be unendurable to us.—J. B. F iggis . DECEMBER 8 He Will Come Again “ Unto a lively hope" (1 Pet. 1:3). And now, “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath be gotten us again unto a lively hope.” And thou, my soul, believe and wait. . . . As surely as the summer’s delights do follow the winter’s severities, as surely as the wished-for harvest doth follow the toil some and costly seedtime, so surely shall thy Lord return, and bring thy reward with Him. Therefore, my soul, love and long for the approaching jubilee, and wait all the days of my appointed time, until my change shall come. O blessed state into which my Lord hath translated me! —R ichard A lleine . DECEMBER 9 Equipped for Warfare “Put on the whole armor o f God, that ye may be able to stand against the zuiles o f the devil” (Eph. 6:11). How we, as Christians, these days need to have a scrutinizing personal “kit inspec tion” and see that we put on the whole armor of God and stand with our double- edged sword unsheathed! Satan would un dermine the very foundation o f our citadel. “ Christian, dost thou see them on the holy ground, How the powers o f evil rage thy steps around ? Christian, up and smite them, counting gain but loss, Smite them by the merit of the Saviour’s Cross.” !—E va S tuart -W att . DECEMBER 10 The Friends of Christ “A friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). Do we, as sinners, feel our need of such a Saviour and Friend as Christ? Have we chosen Him as our Friend, and are we living in terms of close friendship and intimacy with Him as such? I f this be our condition, then we are in possession of a “ friend that sticketh closer than a
DAI LY Devotional “Readings A M E S S A G E F O R E V E R Y D A Y OF T H E M O N T H
DECEMBER 4 Joy Received and Given
DECEMBER 1 Promises That Fit the Present Need “Exceeding great and precious prom ises” (2 Pet. 1 :4). I go into a prison cell and speak to a man who has been lying there under sen tence o f death, and I tell him a relative of his, since the sentence was passed, has died and left him the whole of his prop erty. That would have gladdened his heart on another occasion, but he does not care for it at all now; it does not meet his need. “What I want is the king’s par don,” says he. I go to him with the king’s pardon; “Ah, that is just the very thing I want.” How encouraging it is to know that in that Treasury which we call the promises o f God, we may every one of us find the promise which exactly fits into our present need.— E van H. H opkins . "There is very much more damage done to the cause o f Christ by an apparent, partial, half-hearted giving up of the world, than by a continuance in it alto gether. It is one o f Satan’s masterpieces to lead professing Christians to rest satis fied with looking to the cross for salva tion while remaining in the world, or occu pying a border position. . . . To walk with Christ, to delight in Him, to feed upon Him, we must be apart from this godless, Christless, wicked world—apart from it in the spirit of our minds, and in the affections o f our hearts. This separation is what is so needed in this day o f easy going profession, worldly religiousness, and man-pleasing.— Things New and Old. DECEMBER 3 Our Barley Loaves "W e have here but five loaves, and two fishes" (Matt. 14:17). Jesus Christ is often bringing us face to face with almost impossible difficulties, that we may learn to trust Him more, and that He may have the opportunity o f revealing His Father and Himself to us— for what are we but children, with our barley loaves and fishes? And if the world shall see how Christ shall use our poor resources, it induces greater and more adoring conceptions o f what Jesus is. Never mind your difficulty; do not run away from it, but stand still, hand in hand with Christ, and look at it. He knows what He will do, and He will do that which is so infinitely satisfactory that you will be glad you ever came into the diffi culty. . . . He permits sad and trying things to come, but He will make the way out by His outstretched hand. —C. G. M oore . DECEMBER 2 Danger at the Border Line “And Pharoah said, I will let you go . . . only ye shall not go very far away” (Ex. 8:28).
“ That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Christ spoke unto us that our joy might be fu ll; but He also desired Himself to find a perpetual joy in us. “That my joy might remain in you”—that you who abide in Me and keep My words, may ever find cause and occasion of gladness. So shall be fulfilled that ancient w ord : “ The Lord thy God . . . will rejoice over thee with jo y ; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). This truth links us to an oft-neglected aspect of our fellowship with Christ. “Abide in me, and I in you.” That is to say, we are not only to abide in Christ, but also to make it possible—for there is no unwillingness or incapacity on His side —for Him to abide in us. In a very real sense, we are to furnish lodging and love for Christ as He does for us. — S elected . DECEMBER 5 The Great God Heals the Broken-Hearted “H e telleth the number o f the stars” (Psa. 147:4). . Think quietly for one moment. He who telleth the stars is also the same who healeth the broken in heart. . . . He who holds in His hands the reins of all those stellar steeds that bound round the circle o f humanity, stoops down to this little planet—absolutely insignificant in size when compared with others—searches out the broken in heart and binds up their wounds. Has any poet ever put this more beautifully than John Keble? “Thou art as much His care, as if beside Nor man nor angel lived in heaven or earth; Thus sunbeams pour alike their glorious tide To light up worlds, or wake an insect’s mirth: They shine and shine with inexhausted store— Thou art thy Saviour’s darling—seek no more.” ^ K j . G regory M antle . DECEMBER 6 The Test “ Prove me now herewith" '...(Mai. 3:10). When we are really proving God, all other props are forsaken, all other ex pectations are at an end. We are relying on Him alone. It may be there is a hind rance immediately in your path which you have first to remove, or be willing that the Lord should remove it. This hin drance may be the secret of your lack of faith. What does God say? ‘‘Prove me now herewith.” In other words, “ Come and prove Me. Put Me in remembrance. Bring forth your strong reasons. Plead My promises. But do it in this way: as you pray, ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the
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