220 MONDAY, Feb. 9. Acts 9:36-42. A Consecrated Needle. Dorcas might have been out of place upon the platform but she knew how to sew. “ To every man his work” and to every woman also. God said to Moses “What is that in thine hand?” It was only his shepherd’s staff. He cast it down at the feet of God, then took it up and used it for God. Thereafter it was not called the rod of Moses but the rod of God. What is that in thine hand? A pen, .a shovel, a hammer, a yardstick, a needle, a broom? It makes no difference. God never asks for what we do not have. It is our privilege to use what we have for His glory. TUESDAY, Feb. 10. Ruth 2 :1 -2 . The Beauty o f An Unselfish Life. By sacrificing her own immediate in terests for the sake of others Ruth im mortalized her name and became the ancestress of the Messiah. Selfishness destroys happiness. A selfish man or woman is always miserable. Unselfish ness promotes happiness. The happiest people in the world are those who are always doing something to make others happy. The law requires a man to love his neighbor as himself. The Gos pel permits a man to love his neighbor better than himself- and to minister to him accordingly, WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11. Psalm 41. Considering the Poor. It is our duty and privilege to relieve the necessities of the poor. Sometimes their spiritual needs are greater than their temporal. Frequently the spirit ual need is ignored if not sacrificed by attention to the physical. All this may be obviated by consideration. It is not enough to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless. . This may be done thoughtlessly and selfish ly, acting along the line of least resist ance. Divine deliverance in time of
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S trouble is the reward of consideration. For the sake of the poor and for the sake of ourselves, this should be the at mosphere of almsgiving. THURSDAY, Feb. 12. Proverbs 31. The Ideal Woman. Among the excellent traits of charac ter that are catalogued in this chapter, that of the twentieth verse stands pre eminent. “ She stretched out her hands to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” She is a true Lady Bountiful. “ Kind hearts are more than coronets.” The tearful exhibition of the garments that Dorcas had made showed Peter that the church could ill afford to lose her. Acts 9:39. This was surely better business than doing fancy work on fine embroidery. “ I was naked and ye clothed me.” I Pet. 3:3-4. FRIDAY , Feb. 13. Mark 9:14-29., The Secret o f Spiritual Power. Nothing can be accomplished with out prayer. The measure of prayer is the measure of success. “ To have prayed well is to have studied well,” was Luther’s motto. Wherever the disciples failed it was through lack of prayer. The words “ and fasting” in vs. 29 are properly omitted in the Re vised Version. Fasting is sometimes a helpful expedient because when the phy sical senses are cut off from indulgence, the spiritual senses are more active and keen. The same amount of vital force is more powerful when concentrated in one sense than when divided between two. There is no merit or power in fasting. All the power inheres in prayer. SATURDAY, Feb. 14. Ephesians 3: 14-21. The Divine W orker. Just as it was the risen and mighty Christ who healed the lame man through Peter, Acts 3:16, so it was the same mighty and Divine Worker
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