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April 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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April 7—“Pray to thy Father which is in secret” (Matt. 6:6). These things do I now write to you that call upon the Name of God in secret, that you may call oftener; and this you need, except you live farther from Satan’s quarters than the rest of your brethren. The poor soldier, maybe, finds his body weak, and his spirit oppressed with temp tations, which Satan pours like so much shot upon him, so that all he can well do is to pray quick and short. Thus Moses dispatched his desires to Heaven by some short ejaculation, the surest and quickest post in the world, which brought him a speedy and happy return (Ex. 14:15). Thus Nehemiah also (Neh. 2:4-5). So soon was this holy man at heaven and back again, without any breach of man ners in making the king wait for his answer. Never did fervent prayer find cold welcome with God. Now there are three privileges purchased for every be liever. First, Christ has purchased us a liberty to pray; secondly, an ability to pray; thirdly, the safe return of our prayer. Oh, thank our good Friend and Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, for this: that it is He who brings us into the presence of God, and sets us before His face. As therefore Christ, when He inter cedes for poor sinners, presents the sac rifice of His precious blood to God for them, so mayest thou but pray with a deep sense of sorrow for thy sins! The worst nonsense in prayer is from the heart that has no sense of the sins de precated, or the mercy desired. -—William Gurnell. —o— April 8— “Serving the Lord with all humility o f mind” (Acts 20:19). “Walk worthily . . . with all lowli ness and meekness" (Eph. 4:1, 2). The great Paul, head and shoulders above his fellows in educational attain ments, with a deep and rich experience (part of which was received in the “third heaven” where wonderful revelations had been given him), the greatest preacher of his day—this man gathered a bundle of sticks for the fire. He had learned from his Master that the way to be greatest was to be “the servant of all.” His life teaches us that the deeper our experience of God’s grace, the more attentive will We be to. the little things which minister help and comfort to others'. “Bear ye one another’s burdens” will be the keynote of every consecrated life, and will make our home the sweetest on earth. — Selected. Give me the lowest place; not that I dare Ask for that lowest place, but Thou hast died That I might live and share Thy glory by Thy side. Give me the lowest place; or if for me That lowest place top high, make one more low,
In this experience of the patriarch’s which affords so many hints for our prayers, we note that he was alone. Into that sacred find momentous hour not even his beloved Rachel might enter. He was bereft of human companionship that he might press into a closer relation with God. “The world is too much with us.” It is so much with us that heaven cannot get to us. Earthly friendships are blessed, but not if they prevent our heavenly friendships. Earthly friendships will be rendered still more blessed- if they make room for heavenly friendships. The joys of family life must never encroach on our quiet hours alone with God. A well-managed household will leave ample space for privacy. The closet of prayer is the most necessary apartment in the house. It is easy, by mere thoughtless pressure on others, to drive out their spiritual life. Devotion is a plant that needs ample room for growing. Give others the chance to be alone. Insist on that holy privilege for yourself. With the world shut out and with God shut in, you will not come away without a blessing. “If chosen men had never been alone, In deep mid silence open-doored to God, No greatnes ever had been dreamed or done.” —Streams in the Desert. —o— April 10— “We walk by faith, not by appearance” (2 Cor. 5:7, R. V.). By faith, not appearance. God never wants us to look at our feelings. Self may want us to, and Satan may want us to. But God wants us to face facts, not feelings ; the facts of Christ and of His finished and perfect work for us. When we face these precious facts, and believe them because God says they are facts, God will take care of our feelings. God never gives feeling to enable us to trust Him ; God never gives feeling to en courage us to trust Him ; God never gives feeling to show that we have already and utterly trusted Him. God gives feeling only when He sees that we trust Him apart from all feeling, resting on His own Word, and on His own faithfulness to His promise. Never until then can thé feeling (which is from God) possibly come; and God will give the feeling in such a measure and at such a time as His love sees best for the individual case. We must choose between facing toward our feelings and facing toward God’s facts. Our feelings may be as uncer tain as the sea or the shifting sands. God’s facts are as certain as the Rock of Ages, even Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. “When darknes veils His lovely Face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the vale.” April 11— “I send forth the promise of my Father upon you” (Luke 24:49). Is there no spiritual equipment equal to the needs of the hour? Is the power over all the power of the enemy promised to Christ’s disciples a ghastly delusion, the mere dream of a visionary enthusiast and
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Where I may sit and see My God and love Thee so.
—Christina Rossetti. —o^—
April 9— “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day” (Gen. 32:24).:
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