King's Business - 1932-06

288

T h e

K i n g ’ s

B u s i n e s s

June 1932

our work. O Christian, have you learned this lesson in your worship o f God—to yield yourself each morning with your whole heart to do God’s will? Pray each prayer with a perfect heart, in true whole­ hearted devotion to H im ; and then in faith expect the power o f God to work in you and through you.—A ndrew M urray .

JUNE 25 B lessed C hange

Just a Few Days Just a few days, and our tears will have ended; Just a few hours, and our task will be done; Yet still hear them calling, From darkness appalling, While we rest in the light o f a set­ ting sun. Just a few days, and the gifts wq’ve withholden, Just a few hours, and the call we refuse W ill rust on forever, Or return to us never, And eternity’s crown we no longer may choose. Just a few days, and then naught will avail us The thought o f the crown that we might yet have w on ; And, ah, what the sorrow, I f we miss on the morrow Our share in that joy when He whispers, “Well done” ! —A lliance W eekly . down o f heart and will to Him as our Commander and our Lord, the absolute trust in Him as the foundation of all our hope and the source o f all our blessedness —that is the way to certitude. And there is no other road that we can take. W e have a present possession o f all the promises of G od; and whoever doubts their certitude, the man that knows himself a son o f God by faith, and has experience o f forgiveness and guidance and answered prayer and hopes, whose “sweetness yieldeth proof that they were born for immortality,” knows the things which others question and doubt. So live near Jesus Christ, and, holding fast by His hand, you may lift up your joyful “Amen” to every one o f God’s “Yeas.” For in Him we know the Father, in Him we know that we have the for­ giveness o f sins, in Him we know that God is near to bless and succor and guide, and in Him “we know that, though our earthly house were dissolved, we have a building o f God.” Wherefore we are always con­ fident ; and when the voice from heaven says, “Y ea!” our choral shout may go up, ‘ Amen ! _ Thou are the faithful and true witness.”—A lexander M aclaren . JUNE 24 T he U nchanging O ne “ But thou art the same” (Psa. 102:27). While today’s health may be tomorrow’s sickness, while today’s wealth may be to­ morrow’s poverty, while today’s happiness and companionship o f joy may be tomor­ row^ aching solitude of heart, today’s Christ is tomorrow’s Christ, “the same yes­ terday, and to day, and for ever.” T o him there is no slough o f despond, no hill o f difficulty, no doubting castle. He will see to it, if we follow in His way, that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. And so with, the Apostle Peter, when we think o f that empty tomb in that garden, we would say, “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection o f Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inher­ itance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”—R obert G. L ee .

“ We shall be changed" (1 Cor. 15:52). There are various aspects in which the appearing o f Christ—impending now as many o f us believe—may be viewed, all of which are profitable. Let us take one of them—a selfish one, if that word may be permitted. Let us look at this, which so much touches us. In the Epistle to the Philippians we read: “We wait for a Sav­ iour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body o f our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory” (Phil. 3:20, 21, R .V .). “ The body o f our humiliation”—how truly is it so described! A beautiful thing as God made it, and as it was manifested in the body o f Christ, but debased by sin and humiliated by disease and corruption! De­ livered indeed now from the power of sin (Rom . 6:9) if it be the temple o f the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 3:16), and if Christ mani­ fests His life in it; but alas! still with a tendency and liability to sin at any moment! But, when He appears, all is to be changed. Corruption is left in the grave, or dropped from the chariots o f fire, and we shall be free.—H enry F. B owker . “ Upheld by hope, a glorious hope, As days and years roll b y ; The coming o f our Lord and King Is surely drawing nigh.” JUNE 26 C leverness versus D iscernment The fear o f the Lord is the beginning o f wisdom” (Psa. 111:10). In the quest o f divine secrets, it is infi­ nitely more necessary to have the reverent spirit than to have a learned mind. There is all the difference in the world between mere cleverness and spiritual discernment. One is just worldly sharpness, the other is heavenly wisdom. “ I thank thee that . . . thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” In matters o f spiritual understand­ ing, the first requisite is a certain kind o f mood rather than a certain quality o f in­ tellect. It is the mood o f reverence which gives the soul its initial posture for dis­ covering the things o f God.—J. H. J owett . JUNE 27 C ovenant P rivileges “Haying therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood o f Jesus, by a new and living way, which.he hath consecrated for us” (Heb. 10:19, 20). There is one privilege o f the new man, under the new covenant, that all believers in Christ are entitled to, that is, access to God, and it is one o f the most precious that God could bestow upon us. It is not mere­ ly that we have the privilege o f going into H is1presence now and then as a visitor, but we have the privilege o f abiding joy­ fully and continuously in the conscious presence o f God. W e are enabled to do that by the indwelling Spirit o f God. Our title to draw near is that precious blood; the power to draw near is the Spirit which God hath given to us on the ground o f the blood o f the new covenant. —J. R. C aldwell . “ I do not always bend the knee to pray; I often pray in crowded city street; In some hard crisis o f a busy day, Prayer is my sure and comforting re­ treat. Here at my office desk I ask His aid,

JUNE 21 T hine , L ord ! “I am thine" (Psa. 119:94).

This is a statement more precious than all that earth can give, and sweeter far than honey or the honeycomb. The Chris­ tian is the purchase of Christ’s precious blood, and as dear to Him as His own life. W e may feel our unworthiness o f such a blessing as this, and a sight o f our­ selves may reveal the ugliness o f our de- formities, but this glorious fact remains just the same— “I am thine.” It is not “I shall be thine.” No, I am His already, for ^now are we the sons o f God” (1 John What a cheering thought it is for weary ways and trying days just to look up to heaven from our depressing surroundings and say unto the Lord who loves us so greatly, I am thine” ! Those nail-marks in His hands and feet are the evidences that I am H is; for when He was crucified it was for sinners, therefore, Lord, for me! —F ranklin F erguson .

Thine, most gracious Lord, O make me wholly Thine— Thine in thought, in word, and deed, For thou, O Christ, art mine.

Thine, Lord, wholly Thine, Forever one with Thee— Rooted, grounded in Thy love, Abiding, sure, and free.

—M rs . A nnie S. H awks . JUNE 22

S een T hrough E yes of L ove Let me see thy countenance, let me hew, thy voice" (Cant. 2:14). Here we have a wonderful expression o: His desires toward us, our heavenly Bride­ groom. He wills, not only to save us iron the wrath to come, but to bring us at onc< into His love and presence, and to maintair us there. He would bring us “into his ban­ queting house” here and now. For He whe has the homage of heaven cannot be sat­ isfied without the love and worship o f ouï poor hearts. Bought at such a price, He is constrained to say o f us: “ Sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” It seems indeed very kind o f God to speak of us like that, for our ‘Voice” is not always so very sweet; often its tones are impatient and unloving and uncharitable. And our countenance,” is it always comely? Is it not often marred by anger or irritation or unrest? Surely He must be seeing us through the eyes o f love to be able to speak like that, seeing that love shall cover a multitude of sins.—N orthcote D eck . “ Love so amazing, so divine, Shall have my soul, my life, my all.” JUNE 23 T he W ay to C ertitude “ Through him is the Amen” (2 Cc, 1 :20, R .V .). v c You cannot separate Christ and H teaching. You must have Him if you a to get it. So faith in Him, the bowir

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