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H E L P S Suggestive Bible Readings 1 n ss to life. Victory over present dis couragements. (3) THE CURTAINED PAST, “f o r g etting .”
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A NEW "YEARS’ MEDITATION “P ressing F o r th e P rize” Philippians 3:12-14 P aul— th e prisoner— an old man— varied experiences. In th is passage of his le tte r th ere is the b reath of th e am phitheater, where men struggle for first place. There is a clarion call from a soldier. The picture is full of life and inspira tion: A man on the race course, every muscle strain ed to utm ost tension— keen to every advantage— eyes fixed on th e goal. (1) CONFESSION OF SHORTCOM ING. “Not as though I had already attain ed .” No self-complacency— deadening in fluence. There is ,a well defined mean between self-conceit, and self-condem nation. P aul no t yet perfected. We are p er fect In Him, h u t not y et perfected. Complete in Him, no t yet completed. A child is complete in all its parts, b u t no t yet fujll-grown; has all its organs, b u t imm ature. P au l was grow ing into Christ. (2) THE CERTAINTY OF AIM. P au l believed th a t God had laid hold on him for a purpose. It was God’s .purpose th a t he m ight be conformed to th e image of His Son. God first LOVED, SOUGHT, SAVED us. He looked u s up. P au l realized the consciousness of his calling. Believed th a t it was God’s will to glorify His Son th rough him. Nothing sho rt of full completion would satisfy Paul. He had his eyes upon a prize, and so aims a t the m ark. Differ ence between m a rk and prize. High ideals essential to high reals. Cannot rise higher th a n our ideals. Recognition of the aim, gives noble
The climber must never look back. Old people ap t to live in past— old experiences. Draw cu rtain on sins of past— buried. Ambitions, failures, mis takes. We have never done much— grown much. Shut your eyes to p ast a tta in m en ts; you may count your blessings, profit by your errors, b u t live in the present. Don’t take past for standard. L o t’s wife. Many have looked back and become stone. FORGET IT! (4 ) THE CONCENTRATION OF EFFORT. “One th ing .” “DO” is th e key word for th e be liever; “ done” for sinner. The sinner lays all his deadly doing down. Luke 2 :49 ; Psa. 40:8. P au l said “W hat w ilt thou have me to do.” Look ou t for man of one purpose— one book— you will see him in glory. P aul made it his business to w in the prize. All energies of his life, set; all powers bent; no half-heartedness. Here is secret of success or failure. Don’t be satisfied w ith salvation. Concentra tion essential to success. The g reat m erchan t’s ru le for life— have one mas tering passion. Contrast am ateu r and a rtis t; dab bling in paints, and having a soul on fire.-—T. C. Horton. MY BIBLE AND I IN 1919 1. I will KNOW IT, in my head.— Psa. 119:18. 2. I will STOW IT, in my h eart.— Psa. 119:11. 3. I will SHOW IT, in my life.— Psa. 119:105.
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