360
July 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
they are so busy. Their work presses them so in the morning that they cannot possibly get time to pray. Their cares occupy them so all day, that they do not find one quiet moment to go apart with God. In the evening there are so many social, or other engagements—meetings, societies, parties—or they are so tired, that prayer is crowded out. The example of Christ speaks its solemn rebuke to all such trifling. We must find time for communion with God, or God will not find time to bless us. No doubt Jesus did hold communion with His Father, even in His busiest hours, but this did not meet all the needs and longings of His soul. He left the crowd, left even His own dis ciples, and retired into places where no eye but God’s could see Him, where no human footfall or voice could interrupt the quiet of His soul, and where He would be absolutely alone. Surely if He required such conditions in praying, we do too. We need to find a place for prayer, in which nothing can intrude to break the continuity of thought and devo tion. “Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray.”— J. R. Miller. —o— August 2— “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go ' forward" (Exodus 14:15). Don’t look back. Don’t look down. Just look up, and with the name of Jesus upon your lips, go forward. God will make a path for you. God will fence you in as with a wall of brass. The enemy that pur sues shall perish, and you shall stand on the shores of deliverance and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.— Edgar M. Levy. —o— August 3—“Perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:10). Polish comes through trouble. All the difference there is between what looks like a worthless stone and a gem is in- the cutting and grinding. All the differ ence between bullion and coin stamped with the king’s face is in the smelting and the minting. All the difference be tween a wilderness and a garden is wrought by weeding and pruning. All the difference between a block of marble and a statue is produced by the mallet and the chisel. This principle in nature and art is no less controlling in human life. The best and truest and most sympathetic men and women are the ones who have denied themselves, and have suffered. If I wished to go to a man for help, I’d seek out one who had met loss and trial. If I wished to find a woman to employ in some work of mercy or salvation, I’d search for one who had felt the cold wrench of pain at her heart, and had learned the lesson of weeping. God has for us up yonder, by and by, I know not what noble ministries and what exalted places of beauty and of power. Since He knows what niche we are to fill, trust Him to shape us to it. Since He knows what work we are to do, trust Him to drill us to the proper prep aration.— Streams in the Desert. August 4—"Pure olive oil beaten for the light” (Exodus 27:20). The oil is, of course, as always in Scripture, a type of the Holy Spirit. He in us is the only source of light-bearing. But the beaten oil reminds us of the chas
tisement and discipline through which alone our best testimony can be given. The persecutions of the Church have al ways been the times when she has given her fairest, brightest witness to the Re deemer. The sufferings of believers have ever led to the tenderest, strongest words for the Master, whether by the sickbed or in the hospital ward. That brokenness of spirit, which is the surest mark of ma ture work of God in the heart, is also a rare condition of light-giving. The more beaten and broken you are, in poverty of spirit, the purer will be the heavenly ray of love and light which will shine forth from your life; and it is the purpose of God that you should be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without re buke, in the midst of a crooked and per verse nation, among whom ye shine as l i g h t s in the world” (Phil. 2:15).—- Selected. August 5— “Lord, all my desire is be fore Thee” (Psa. 38:9). God knows our desires. We cannot al ways put them into words; we dare not trust them to the ears of our dearest; but they lie open to Him—the ideal we desire in our holiest moments; the thorn in the flesh from which we long to be delivered; the prayer for one who is dearer to us than life. “Lord, all my de sire is before Thee.” . . . And remember, He who implanted the desire does abun dantly above all we ask or think. There is always a defect in every earthly joy, a something which shows itself for a mo ment, to elude us. But it never can be thus with any desire that God has taught us to cherish. Of these, as the ages pass, we shall say: “It was a true report that I heard, but the half was not told.” The desire which is directed to God cannot miss gratification.— Selected. —o— August 6—“Them that are quiet in the land" (Psalm 35 :20). Get quiet, beloved soul; tell out thy sorrow and complaint to God. Let not the greatest business or pressure divert thee from God. When men rage about thee, go and tell Jesus. When storms are high, hide thee in His secret place. When others compete for fame and applause, and their passion might affect thee, get into thy closet, and shut thy door, and quiet thy self as a weaned babe. For if thy voice is quiet to man, let it never cease to speak loudly and mightily for man in the ear of God. Oh, to be a Quietist in the best sense.— Selected. Victory P repared fo r Us The worth of our service for Christ can never go beyond our personal experience of Him. Countless Christians are daily fighting a losing battle. Without the en ergy of the Spirit they are constantly at grips with impossible odds; and from the conflict they emerge scarred, broken and almost desparing. Occasionally there ism victory, but the common experience is defeat. Is that true of you? I am here to say that no man or woman need suffer defeat. We can have victory all along the way, and against the greatest odds, until we see our Master face to face. There is no need for any of us to be overcome, for we are called to be overcomers.— Dr. W. Graham Scroggie.
President Hoover’s Estimate of Bible Study President Hoover in a recent address said: “There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of A the law, business, morals, or that vision which leads the imagination in the cre ation of constructive enter prises for the happiness of mankind, he who seeks for guidance in any of these things may look inside its covers and find illumina tion. The study of this book in your Bible classes is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience.” I f you have never really studied the Bible in a systematic manner, the op portunity awaits you through our Com prehensive, Constructive and Inexpen sive BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES Studies in Doctrine, Books of the Bible, C h a p t e r Summary, Gospels, Ac t s , Methods of Christian Work, Teacher T r a i n i n g and elementary courses for beginners. Enrollment fee in some courses as low as $1.00 including all necessary study material and certificate upon completion. Send today for prospectus describing the several courses. Correspondence School, Bible In stitute of Los Angeles, 536) S. Hope St., Los Angeles, Cal. Please send prospectus of correspondence courses to: Name..;......«....—— ......-i....- Address.....-----------..........---- .........— ....------ ...
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker