■ by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper tremely practical. One never needs to hold a prayer meeting to try to find out about what He is talking. Matthew 25:45 states, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” Several words here are very interesting. One is by implication and the other by exhortation. Think of the word “fervent.” This could be trans lated as a bond slave, for the heart of the word means literally to be so de voted to the person being served that there is no thought of pay or reward. It is entirely on the basis of love. The 21st chapter of Exodus gives a good illustration of this. After a period of years a servant could be set free. Then he had a choice. He could select either freedom or to stay with his master. Fervency refers to service and devotion even after, as a slave, one has been set free. As a part of such interest and dedication, the mas ter would take a servant to the taber nacle (later to the temple) and a hole would be drilled through his ear with an aul, so that everyone seeing the pierced ear would know that here was a servant who was free but who also was a servant on the basis of love. One of our great hymns ex presses it: 0 to grace how great a debtor, daily I ’m, constrained to be. Let Thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, 0 take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above. While it is not sought, the reward for such devotion is that the individ ual is placed as steward over the household. 7
PATIENT SERVICE T iTTBBF. are t h r e e characteristics which define our attitude concern ing the return of the Lord. The first is that we are to be ready. The sec ond occupies our attention in this study, namely, that we are to be faith ful. Our Lord tells us what this GOD'S GIFT This world was poor and sinful, lost; But God was rich and full of grace And He looked down on Bethlehem town And said, "Star, shine above this place; "And angels, gird it 'round with song. Let Heaven's gate be left ajar, Till heaven's glory lights the earth; Let wise men travel from afar "W ith gold and frankincense and myrrh To see what gift I give this day To man . . . the very heart of Me Lies strangely cradled in the hay! "For heaven is a lonely place Without the presence of My Son; His empty ivory palaces Wait His return, My Holy One. "But if He be lifted up, Shall draw all men through Him, to Me; And He, when He has drained His cup, Shall bring salvation full and free "To all who call upon His name." Thanks be to God this Christmas Day, To God who loved us so He gave His Son to take our sins away! — Martha Snell Nicholson means through the use of pointing out three things as He gives the illus tration of a good servant. First, he is to be faithful, then he is to be on the job, and finally he is to be worthy of advancement. The Saviour is ex-
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